拭 — “Wipe / Mop / Swab” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょく, しき, ぬぐ, ふ

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

“Wipe / Mop / Swab” in Japanese is 拭, read shoku, shiki, nugu (しょく, しき, ぬぐ, ふ). 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 拭く (to wipe).

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What does 拭 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	拭
Meaning	Wipe / Mop / Swab
Readings	しょく, しき, ぬぐ, ふ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	拭く (to wipe)

How to read 拭

拭 is read shoku (しょく) or shiki (しき) or nugu (ぬぐ) or fu (ふ) depending on the word.

Words with 拭

拭く

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Kanji read the same way as 拭

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

Updated: 2026-08-28