描 — “Sketch / Compose / Write / Draw” in Japanese

Master (高手)びょう, えが, か

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

“Sketch / Compose / Write / Draw” in Japanese is 描, read byou, ega, ka (びょう, えが, か). 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 描写 (description, depiction).

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What does 描 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	描
Meaning	Sketch / Compose / Write / Draw
Readings	びょう, えが, か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	描写 (description, depiction)

How to read 描

描 is read byou (びょう) or ega (えが) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 描

描写

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Kanji read the same way as 描

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

Updated: 2026-08-28