緩 — “Slacken / Loosen / Relax / Lessen” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, ゆる

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

“Slacken / Loosen / Relax / Lessen” in Japanese is 緩, read kan, yuru (かん, ゆる). 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 緩和 (relaxation).

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What does 緩 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	緩
Meaning	Slacken / Loosen / Relax / Lessen
Readings	かん, ゆる
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	緩和 (relaxation)

How to read 緩

緩 is read kan (かん) or yuru (ゆる) depending on the word.

Words with 緩

緩和

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Kanji read the same way as 緩

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

Updated: 2026-08-28