括 — “Fasten / Tie Up / Arrest / Constrict” in Japanese

Master (高手)かつ, くく

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

“Fasten / Tie Up / Arrest / Constrict” in Japanese is 括, read katsu, kuku (かつ, くく). 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 包括 (inclusion).

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What does 括 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	括
Meaning	Fasten / Tie Up / Arrest / Constrict
Readings	かつ, くく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	包括 (inclusion)

How to read 括

括 is read katsu (かつ) or kuku (くく) depending on the word.

Words with 括

包括

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Kanji read the same way as 括

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

Updated: 2026-08-28