挫 — “Crush / Break / Sprain / Discourage” in Japanese

Master (高手)ざ, さ, くじ

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

“Crush / Break / Sprain / Discourage” in Japanese is 挫, read za, sa, kuji (ざ, さ, くじ). 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 挫折 (setback).

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What does 挫 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	挫
Meaning	Crush / Break / Sprain / Discourage
Readings	ざ, さ, くじ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	挫折 (setback)

How to read 挫

挫 is read za (ざ) or sa (さ) or kuji (くじ) depending on the word.

Words with 挫

挫折
捻挫

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Updated: 2026-08-28