棺 — “Coffin / Casket” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん

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

“Coffin / Casket” in Japanese is 棺, read kan (かん). 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 棺桶 (coffin).

Try it now

What does 棺 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	棺
Meaning	Coffin / Casket
Readings	かん
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	棺桶 (coffin)

How to read 棺

棺 is read kan (かん) depending on the word.

Words with 棺

棺桶

Learn 棺 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 →

Kanji read the same way as 棺

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

Updated: 2026-08-28