救 — “rescue / save” in Japanese

Grade 4きゅう, すく

Radical ⽁ · radical 66 The building block this kanji is filed under

“rescue / save” in Japanese is 救, read kyuu, suku (きゅう, すく). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 救助 (rescue / relief).

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What does 救 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	救
Meaning	rescue / save
Readings	きゅう, すく
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	救助 (rescue / relief)

How to read 救

救 is read kyuu (きゅう) or suku (すく) depending on the word.

Words with 救

救助

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Kanji read the same way as 救

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

Updated: 2026-08-28