抱 — Embrace / Hug / Hold In Arms

Master (高手)ほう, だ, いだ, かか

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

抱 (readings: ほう, だ, いだ, かか; Japanese kanji) means “Embrace / Hug / Hold In Arms”. 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 抱擁 (embrace).

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What does 抱 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	抱
Meaning	Embrace / Hug / Hold In Arms
Readings	ほう, だ, いだ, かか
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	抱擁 (embrace)

How to read 抱

抱 is read ほう or だ or いだ or かか depending on the word.

Words with 抱

抱擁ôm ấp

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Updated: 2026-07-22