注 — “to pour / to pay attention” in Japanese

Grade 3ちゅう, そそ

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

“to pour / to pay attention” in Japanese is 注, read chuu, soso (ちゅう, そそ). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 注意 (caution).

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What does 注 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	注
Meaning	to pour / to pay attention
Readings	ちゅう, そそ
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	注意 (caution)

How to read 注

注 is read chuu (ちゅう) or soso (そそ) depending on the word.

Words with 注

注意ちゅうい
注目ちゅうもく
注射

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Kanji read the same way as 注

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28