燥 — “Parch / Dry Up” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, はしゃ

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“Parch / Dry Up” in Japanese is 燥, read sou, hasha (そう, はしゃ). 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 乾燥 (dryness).

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What does 燥 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	燥
Meaning	Parch / Dry Up
Readings	そう, はしゃ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	乾燥 (dryness)

How to read 燥

燥 is read sou (そう) or hasha (はしゃ) depending on the word.

Words with 燥

乾燥

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Kanji read the same way as 燥

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

Updated: 2026-08-28