爽 — “Refreshing / Bracing / Resonant / Sweet” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, あき, さわ, たがう

Radical ⽘ · radical 89 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Refreshing / Bracing / Resonant / Sweet” in Japanese is 爽, read sou, aki, sawa (そう, あき, さわ, たがう). 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 爽快 (refreshing).

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What does 爽 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	爽
Meaning	Refreshing / Bracing / Resonant / Sweet
Readings	そう, あき, さわ, たがう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	爽快 (refreshing)

How to read 爽

爽 is read sou (そう) or aki (あき) or sawa (さわ) or tagau (たがう) depending on the word.

Words with 爽

爽快

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Kanji read the same way as 爽

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

Updated: 2026-08-28