最 — “most / -est” in Japanese

Grade 4さい, もっと

Radical ⼌ · radical 13 The building block this kanji is filed under

“most / -est” in Japanese is 最, read sai, motto (さい, もっと). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 最近 (recently).

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What does 最 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	最
Meaning	most / -est
Readings	さい, もっと
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	最近 (recently)

How to read 最

最 is read sai (さい) or motto (もっと) depending on the word.

Words with 最

最大さいだい
最初さいしょ
最高さいこう
最後さいご
最ももっともmost / -est
最多さいた
最近さいきん
最新さいしん
最大級さいだいきゅう
最新型さいしんがた

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Kanji read the same way as 最

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28