繭 — “Cocoon” in Japanese

Master (高手)けん, まゆ, きぬ

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

“Cocoon” in Japanese is 繭, read ken, mayu, kinu (けん, まゆ, きぬ). 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 繭 (cocoon).

Try it now

What does 繭 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	繭
Meaning	Cocoon
Readings	けん, まゆ, きぬ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	繭 (cocoon)

How to read 繭

繭 is read ken (けん) or mayu (まゆ) or kinu (きぬ) depending on the word.

Learn 繭 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 繭

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

Updated: 2026-08-28