爆 — “Bomb / Burst Open / Pop / Split” in Japanese

Master (高手)ばく, は

Radical ⽕ · radical 86 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Bomb / Burst Open / Pop / Split” in Japanese is 爆, read baku, ha (ばく, は). 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 爆発 (explosion).

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What does 爆 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	爆
Meaning	Bomb / Burst Open / Pop / Split
Readings	ばく, は
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	爆発 (explosion)

How to read 爆

爆 is read baku (ばく) or ha (は) depending on the word.

Words with 爆

爆発
爆弾

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Kanji read the same way as 爆

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

Updated: 2026-08-28