督 — “Coach / Command / Urge / Lead” in Japanese

Master (高手)とく

Radical ⽬ · radical 109 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Coach / Command / Urge / Lead” in Japanese is 督, read toku (とく). 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 監督 (director).

Try it now

What does 督 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	督
Meaning	Coach / Command / Urge / Lead
Readings	とく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	監督 (director)

How to read 督

督 is read toku (とく) depending on the word.

Words with 督

監督かんとく

Learn 督 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 督

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

Updated: 2026-08-28