研 — “to research / to polish” in Japanese

Grade 3けん, と

Radical ⽯ · radical 112 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to research / to polish” in Japanese is 研, read ken, to (けん, と). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 研究 (research).

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What does 研 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	研
Meaning	to research / to polish
Readings	けん, と
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	研究 (research)

How to read 研

研 is read ken (けん) or to (と) depending on the word.

Words with 研

研究けんきゅう
研究者けんきゅうしゃ
研磨

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Kanji read the same way as 研

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28