義 — “righteousness / duty” in Japanese

Grade 5ぎ

Radical ⽺ · radical 123 The building block this kanji is filed under

“righteousness / duty” in Japanese is 義, read gi (ぎ). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 義務 (obligation).

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What does 義 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	義
Meaning	righteousness / duty
Readings	ぎ
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	義務 (obligation)

How to read 義

義 is read gi (ぎ) depending on the word.

Words with 義

義務
講義
仁義

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🐛 山間部の森で光を放つ新種こんちゅうを発見 Grade 6

Updated: 2026-08-28