柳 — “Willow” in Japanese

Master (高手)りゅう, やなぎ

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

“Willow” in Japanese is 柳, read ryuu, yanagi (りゅう, やなぎ). 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 柳 (willow).

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What does 柳 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	柳
Meaning	Willow
Readings	りゅう, やなぎ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	柳 (willow)

How to read 柳

柳 is read ryuu (りゅう) or yanagi (やなぎ) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 柳

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

Updated: 2026-08-28