洋 — “ocean / Western” in Japanese

Grade 3よう

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

“ocean / Western” in Japanese is 洋, read you (よう). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 西洋 (the West).

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What does 洋 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	洋
Meaning	ocean / Western
Readings	よう
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	西洋 (the West)

How to read 洋

洋 is read you (よう) depending on the word.

Words with 洋

西洋

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Kanji read the same way as 洋

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Updated: 2026-08-28