約 — “promise / approximately” in Japanese

Grade 4やく

Radical ⽷ · radical 120 The building block this kanji is filed under

“promise / approximately” in Japanese is 約, read yaku (やく). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 予約 (reservation).

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What does 約 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	約
Meaning	promise / approximately
Readings	やく
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	予約 (reservation)

How to read 約

約 is read yaku (やく) depending on the word.

Words with 約

約束やくそく
約二百やくにひゃく
予約
契約
誓約
倹約

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Kanji read the same way as 約

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Updated: 2026-08-28