粘 — “Sticky / Glutinous / Greasy / Persevere” in Japanese

Master (高手)ねん, ねば

Radical ⽶ · radical 119 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Sticky / Glutinous / Greasy / Persevere” in Japanese is 粘, read nen, neba (ねん, ねば). 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 粘土 (clay).

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What does 粘 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	粘
Meaning	Sticky / Glutinous / Greasy / Persevere
Readings	ねん, ねば
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	粘土 (clay)

How to read 粘

粘 is read nen (ねん) or neba (ねば) depending on the word.

Words with 粘

粘土

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Kanji read the same way as 粘

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

Updated: 2026-08-28