索 — “Cord / Rope / Searching / Inquiring” in Japanese

Master (高手)さく

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

“Cord / Rope / Searching / Inquiring” in Japanese is 索, read saku (さく). 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 検索 (search).

Try it now

What does 索 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	索
Meaning	Cord / Rope / Searching / Inquiring
Readings	さく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	検索 (search)

How to read 索

索 is read saku (さく) depending on the word.

Words with 索

検索
詮索

Learn 索 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 索

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

Updated: 2026-08-28