秀 — “Excel / Excellence / Beauty / Surpass” in Japanese

Master (高手)しゅう, ひい

Radical ⽲ · radical 115 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Excel / Excellence / Beauty / Surpass” in Japanese is 秀, read shuu, hii (しゅう, ひい). 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 優秀 (excellent).

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What does 秀 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	秀
Meaning	Excel / Excellence / Beauty / Surpass
Readings	しゅう, ひい
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	優秀 (excellent)

How to read 秀

秀 is read shuu (しゅう) or hii (ひい) depending on the word.

Words with 秀

優秀

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Kanji read the same way as 秀

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

Updated: 2026-08-28