抑 — Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place

Master (高手)よく, おさ

Radical ⼿ · radical 64 The building block this kanji is filed under

抑 (readings: よく, おさ; Japanese kanji) means “Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place”. It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 抑制 (restraint, suppression).

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What does 抑 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	抑
Meaning	Repress / Well / Now / In The First Place
Readings	よく, おさ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	抑制 (restraint, suppression)

How to read 抑

抑 is read よく or おさ depending on the word.

Words with 抑

抑制kìm chế

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Updated: 2026-07-22