爪 — Claw / Nail / Talon

Master (高手)そう, つめ, つま-

Radical ⽖ · radical 87 The building block this kanji is filed under

爪 (readings: そう, つめ, つま-; Japanese kanji) means “Claw / Nail / Talon”. 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 爪 (nail).

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What does 爪 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	爪
Meaning	Claw / Nail / Talon
Readings	そう, つめ, つま-
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	爪 (nail)

How to read 爪

爪 is read そう or つめ or つま- depending on the word.

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Updated: 2026-07-22