枯 — “Wither / Die / Dry Up / Be Seasoned” in Japanese

Master (高手)こ, か

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

“Wither / Die / Dry Up / Be Seasoned” in Japanese is 枯, read ko, ka (こ, か). 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 枯葉 (dead leaves).

Try it now

What does 枯 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	枯
Meaning	Wither / Die / Dry Up / Be Seasoned
Readings	こ, か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	枯葉 (dead leaves)

How to read 枯

枯 is read ko (こ) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 枯

枯葉

Learn 枯 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-08-28