疫 — “Epidemic” in Japanese

Master (高手)えき, やく

Radical ⽧ · radical 104 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Epidemic” in Japanese is 疫, read eki, yaku (えき, やく). 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 疫病 (epidemic).

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What does 疫 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	疫
Meaning	Epidemic
Readings	えき, やく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	疫病 (epidemic)

How to read 疫

疫 is read eki (えき) or yaku (やく) depending on the word.

Words with 疫

疫病

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Kanji read the same way as 疫

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

Updated: 2026-08-28