杉 — “Cedar / Cryptomeria” in Japanese

Master (高手)さん, すぎ

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Cedar / Cryptomeria” in Japanese is 杉, read san, sugi (さん, すぎ). 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 杉並木 (cedar avenue).

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What does 杉 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	杉
Meaning	Cedar / Cryptomeria
Readings	さん, すぎ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	杉並木 (cedar avenue)

How to read 杉

杉 is read san (さん) or sugi (すぎ) depending on the word.

Words with 杉

杉並木

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Kanji read the same way as 杉

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

Updated: 2026-08-28