激 — “intense / to excite” in Japanese

Grade 6げき, はげ

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“intense / to excite” in Japanese is 激, read geki, hage (げき, はげ). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 激しい (intense).

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What does 激 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	激
Meaning	intense / to excite
Readings	げき, はげ
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	激しい (intense)

How to read 激

激 is read geki (げき) or hage (はげ) depending on the word.

Words with 激

刺激
激烈
激しいintense / to excite

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Kanji read the same way as 激

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

劇げき drama / theater

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Updated: 2026-08-28