渉 — “Ford / Go Cross / Transit / Ferry” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょう, わた

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

“Ford / Go Cross / Transit / Ferry” in Japanese is 渉, read shou, wata (しょう, わた). 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 交渉 (negotiation).

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What does 渉 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	渉
Meaning	Ford / Go Cross / Transit / Ferry
Readings	しょう, わた
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	交渉 (negotiation)

How to read 渉

渉 is read shou (しょう) or wata (わた) depending on the word.

Words with 渉

交渉

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Kanji read the same way as 渉

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

Updated: 2026-08-28