押 — “Push / Stop / Check / Subdue” in Japanese

Master (高手)おう, お, おさ

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

“Push / Stop / Check / Subdue” in Japanese is 押, read ou, o, osa (おう, お, おさ). 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 押印 (affixing a seal).

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What does 押 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	押
Meaning	Push / Stop / Check / Subdue
Readings	おう, お, おさ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	押印 (affixing a seal)

How to read 押

押 is read ou (おう) or o (お) or osa (おさ) depending on the word.

Words with 押

押印

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Kanji read the same way as 押

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28