操 — “to manipulate” in Japanese

Grade 6そう, あやつ

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

“to manipulate” in Japanese is 操, read sou, ayatsu (そう, あやつ). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 操作 (operation).

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What does 操 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	操
Meaning	to manipulate
Readings	そう, あやつ
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	操作 (operation)

How to read 操

操 is read sou (そう) or ayatsu (あやつ) depending on the word.

Words with 操

操作そうさ
貞操

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Kanji read the same way as 操

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28