KanjiSchool KanjiSchool
Kanji › Grade 1 › 王
王
Kyōiku Kanji

王 — “king” in Japanese

Grade 1おう
Radical ⽟ · radical 96 The building block this kanji is filed under

“king” in Japanese is 王, read ou (おう). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 王さま (king).

Try it now

What does 王 mean?

Full details, readings & example
Kanji王
Meaningking
Readingsおう
GradeGrade 1 (Easiest)
CurriculumKyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example王さま (king)

How to read 王

王 is read ou (おう) depending on the word.

Words with 王

Learn 王 in real sentences — free
Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.
Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 王

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

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28
Learn 王 the way Japanese kids do Start free