繁 — “Luxuriant / Thick / Overgrown / Frequency” in Japanese

Master (高手)はん, しげ

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

“Luxuriant / Thick / Overgrown / Frequency” in Japanese is 繁, read han, shige (はん, しげ). 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 繁栄 (prosperity).

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What does 繁 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	繁
Meaning	Luxuriant / Thick / Overgrown / Frequency
Readings	はん, しげ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	繁栄 (prosperity)

How to read 繁

繁 is read han (はん) or shige (しげ) depending on the word.

Words with 繁

繁茂
繁栄
繁殖
頻繁

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Kanji read the same way as 繁

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

Updated: 2026-08-28