白 — “white” in Japanese

Grade 1はく, びゃく, しろ

Radical ⽩ · radical 106 The building block this kanji is filed under

“white” in Japanese is 白, read haku, byaku, shiro (はく, びゃく, しろ). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 白い (white).

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What does 白 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	白
Meaning	white
Readings	はく, びゃく, しろ
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	白い (white)

How to read 白

白 is read haku (はく) or byaku (びゃく) or shiro (しろ) depending on the word.

Words with 白

白いwhite
面白い

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Kanji read the same way as 白

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28