熊 — “bear / Kumamoto” in Japanese

Grade 4ゆう, くま

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“bear / Kumamoto” in Japanese is 熊, read yuu, kuma (ゆう, くま). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 熊本 (Kumamoto).

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What does 熊 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	熊
Meaning	bear / Kumamoto
Readings	ゆう, くま
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	熊本 (Kumamoto)

How to read 熊

熊 is read yuu (ゆう) or kuma (くま) depending on the word.

Words with 熊

熊本くまもと
熊本市くまもとし

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Kanji read the same way as 熊

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

Read this character in a real sentence

🌿 熊本で自然を守る世界会議 Grade 4

Updated: 2026-08-28