援 — “Abet / Help / Save” in Japanese

Master (高手)えん

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

“Abet / Help / Save” in Japanese is 援, read en (えん). 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 援助 (assistance).

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What does 援 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	援
Meaning	Abet / Help / Save
Readings	えん
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	援助 (assistance)

How to read 援

援 is read en (えん) depending on the word.

Words with 援

支援しえん
応援おうえん
支援金しえんきん
支援策しえんさく
援助

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Kanji read the same way as 援

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

Updated: 2026-08-28