挨 — “Approach / Draw Near / Push Open” in Japanese

Master (高手)あい, ひら

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

“Approach / Draw Near / Push Open” in Japanese is 挨, read ai, hira (あい, ひら). 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 挨拶 (greeting).

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What does 挨 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	挨
Meaning	Approach / Draw Near / Push Open
Readings	あい, ひら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	挨拶 (greeting)

How to read 挨

挨 is read ai (あい) or hira (ひら) depending on the word.

Words with 挨

挨拶

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Kanji read the same way as 挨

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

Updated: 2026-08-28