洞 — “Den / Cave / Excavation” in Japanese

Master (高手)どう, ほら

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

“Den / Cave / Excavation” in Japanese is 洞, read dou, hora (どう, ほら). 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 洞窟 (cave).

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What does 洞 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	洞
Meaning	Den / Cave / Excavation
Readings	どう, ほら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	洞窟 (cave)

How to read 洞

洞 is read dou (どう) or hora (ほら) depending on the word.

Words with 洞

洞窟

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Kanji read the same way as 洞

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

Updated: 2026-08-28