核 — Nucleus / Core / Kernel

Master (高手)かく

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

核 (readings: かく; Japanese kanji) means “Nucleus / Core / Kernel”. 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 核心 (core).

Try it now

What does 核 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	核
Meaning	Nucleus / Core / Kernel
Readings	かく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	核心 (core)

How to read 核

核 is read かく depending on the word.

Words with 核

核心cốt lõi

Learn 核 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 — 1,026 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-07-22