潰 — “Crush / Smash / Break / Dissipate” in Japanese

Master (高手)かい, え, つぶ, つい

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

“Crush / Smash / Break / Dissipate” in Japanese is 潰, read kai, e, tsubu (かい, え, つぶ, つい). 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 潰瘍 (ulcer).

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What does 潰 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	潰
Meaning	Crush / Smash / Break / Dissipate
Readings	かい, え, つぶ, つい
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	潰瘍 (ulcer)

How to read 潰

潰 is read kai (かい) or e (え) or tsubu (つぶ) or tsui (つい) depending on the word.

Words with 潰

潰瘍

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Kanji read the same way as 潰

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

Updated: 2026-08-28