瀬 — “Rapids / Current / Torrent / Shallows” in Japanese

Master (高手)らい, せ

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

“Rapids / Current / Torrent / Shallows” in Japanese is 瀬, read rai, se (らい, せ). 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 瀬戸 (strait).

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What does 瀬 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	瀬
Meaning	Rapids / Current / Torrent / Shallows
Readings	らい, せ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	瀬戸 (strait)

How to read 瀬

瀬 is read rai (らい) or se (せ) depending on the word.

Words with 瀬

瀬戸

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Kanji read the same way as 瀬

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

Updated: 2026-08-28