波 — “wave” in Japanese

Grade 3は, なみ

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

“wave” in Japanese is 波, read ha, nami (は, なみ). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 波音 (sound of waves).

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What does 波 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	波
Meaning	wave
Readings	は, なみ
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	波音 (sound of waves)

How to read 波

波 is read ha (は) or nami (なみ) depending on the word.

Words with 波

波音
津波

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Kanji read the same way as 波

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

並なみ parallel / to line up

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28