痘 — “Pox / Smallpox” in Japanese

Master (高手)とう

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

“Pox / Smallpox” in Japanese is 痘, read tou (とう). 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 天然痘 (smallpox).

Try it now

What does 痘 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	痘
Meaning	Pox / Smallpox
Readings	とう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	天然痘 (smallpox)

How to read 痘

痘 is read tou (とう) depending on the word.

Words with 痘

天然痘

Learn 痘 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 痘

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

Updated: 2026-08-28