沼 — “Marsh / Lake / Bog / Swamp” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょう, ぬま

Radical ⽔ · radical 85 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Marsh / Lake / Bog / Swamp” in Japanese is 沼, read shou, numa (しょう, ぬま). 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 沼地 (marshland).

Try it now

What does 沼 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	沼
Meaning	Marsh / Lake / Bog / Swamp
Readings	しょう, ぬま
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	沼地 (marshland)

How to read 沼

沼 is read shou (しょう) or numa (ぬま) depending on the word.

Words with 沼

沼地

Learn 沼 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 沼

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

Updated: 2026-08-28