擦 — “Grate / Rub / Scratch / Scrape” in Japanese

Master (高手)さつ, す, -ず, こす

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

“Grate / Rub / Scratch / Scrape” in Japanese is 擦, read satsu, su, zu (さつ, す, -ず, こす). 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 摩擦 (friction).

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What does 擦 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	擦
Meaning	Grate / Rub / Scratch / Scrape
Readings	さつ, す, -ず, こす
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	摩擦 (friction)

How to read 擦

擦 is read satsu (さつ) or su (す) or zu (-ず) or kosu (こす) depending on the word.

Words with 擦

摩擦

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Kanji read the same way as 擦

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

Updated: 2026-08-28