棟 — “Ridgepole / Ridge” in Japanese

Master (高手)とう, むね, むな-

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

“Ridgepole / Ridge” in Japanese is 棟, read tou, mune, muna (とう, むね, むな-). 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 病棟 (hospital ward).

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What does 棟 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	棟
Meaning	Ridgepole / Ridge
Readings	とう, むね, むな-
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	病棟 (hospital ward)

How to read 棟

棟 is read tou (とう) or mune (むね) or muna (むな-) depending on the word.

Words with 棟

病棟

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Kanji read the same way as 棟

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

Updated: 2026-08-28