掃 — “Sweep / Brush” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, しゅ, は

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

“Sweep / Brush” in Japanese is 掃, read sou, shu, ha (そう, しゅ, は). 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 掃除 (cleaning).

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What does 掃 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	掃
Meaning	Sweep / Brush
Readings	そう, しゅ, は
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	掃除 (cleaning)

How to read 掃

掃 is read sou (そう) or shu (しゅ) or ha (は) depending on the word.

Words with 掃

掃除

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Kanji read the same way as 掃

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

Updated: 2026-08-28