縮 — “to shrink / to contract” in Japanese

Grade 6しゅく, ちぢ

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

“to shrink / to contract” in Japanese is 縮, read shuku, chiji (しゅく, ちぢ). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 縮小 (reduction).

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What does 縮 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	縮
Meaning	to shrink / to contract
Readings	しゅく, ちぢ
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	縮小 (reduction)

How to read 縮

縮 is read shuku (しゅく) or chiji (ちぢ) depending on the word.

Words with 縮

縮小
伸縮
凝縮
萎縮

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Kanji read the same way as 縮

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28