敢 — “Daring / Brave / Bold / Sad” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, あ

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

“Daring / Brave / Bold / Sad” in Japanese is 敢, read kan, a (かん, あ). 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 勇敢 (brave).

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What does 敢 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	敢
Meaning	Daring / Brave / Bold / Sad
Readings	かん, あ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	勇敢 (brave)

How to read 敢

敢 is read kan (かん) or a (あ) depending on the word.

Words with 敢

勇敢

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Kanji read the same way as 敢

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

Updated: 2026-08-28