縛 — “Truss / Arrest / Bind / Tie” in Japanese

Master (高手)ばく, しば

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

“Truss / Arrest / Bind / Tie” in Japanese is 縛, read baku, shiba (ばく, しば). 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 束縛 (restraint, binding).

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What does 縛 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	縛
Meaning	Truss / Arrest / Bind / Tie
Readings	ばく, しば
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	束縛 (restraint, binding)

How to read 縛

縛 is read baku (ばく) or shiba (しば) depending on the word.

Words with 縛

束縛

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Kanji read the same way as 縛

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

Updated: 2026-08-28