素 — “element / plain” in Japanese

Grade 5そ, す

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

“element / plain” in Japanese is 素, read so, su (そ, す). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 素材 (material).

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What does 素 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	素
Meaning	element / plain
Readings	そ, す
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	素材 (material)

How to read 素

素 is read so (そ) or su (す) depending on the word.

Words with 素

素材そざい
酸素
素朴

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Updated: 2026-08-28