異 — “different / unusual” in Japanese

Grade 6い, こと

Radical ⽥ · radical 102 The building block this kanji is filed under

“different / unusual” in Japanese is 異, read i, koto (い, こと). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 異文化 (a different culture).

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What does 異 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	異
Meaning	different / unusual
Readings	い, こと
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	異文化 (a different culture)

How to read 異

異 is read i (い) or koto (こと) depending on the word.

Words with 異

驚異
異文化

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Kanji read the same way as 異

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Updated: 2026-08-28