環 — “Ring / Circle / Link / Wheel” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, わ

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

“Ring / Circle / Link / Wheel” in Japanese is 環, read kan, wa (かん, わ). 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 環境 (environment).

Try it now

What does 環 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	環
Meaning	Ring / Circle / Link / Wheel
Readings	かん, わ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	環境 (environment)

How to read 環

環 is read kan (かん) or wa (わ) depending on the word.

Words with 環

環境
循環

Learn 環 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 環

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

Updated: 2026-08-28