渋 — “Astringent / Hesitate / Reluctant / Have Diarrhea” in Japanese

Master (高手)じゅう, しゅう, しぶ

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

“Astringent / Hesitate / Reluctant / Have Diarrhea” in Japanese is 渋, read juu, shuu, shibu (じゅう, しゅう, しぶ). 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 渋滞 (traffic jam).

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What does 渋 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	渋
Meaning	Astringent / Hesitate / Reluctant / Have Diarrhea
Readings	じゅう, しゅう, しぶ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	渋滞 (traffic jam)

How to read 渋

渋 is read juu (じゅう) or shuu (しゅう) or shibu (しぶ) depending on the word.

Words with 渋

渋滞

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Kanji read the same way as 渋

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

Updated: 2026-08-28