淑 — “Graceful / Gentle / Pure” in Japanese

Master (高手)しゅく, しと

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

“Graceful / Gentle / Pure” in Japanese is 淑, read shuku, shito (しゅく, しと). 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 淑女 (lady).

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What does 淑 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	淑
Meaning	Graceful / Gentle / Pure
Readings	しゅく, しと
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	淑女 (lady)

How to read 淑

淑 is read shuku (しゅく) or shito (しと) depending on the word.

Words with 淑

淑女

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Kanji read the same way as 淑

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

Updated: 2026-08-28