考 — “to think” in Japanese

Grade 2こう, かんが

Radical ⽼ · radical 125 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to think” in Japanese is 考, read kou, kanga (こう, かんが). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 考える (to think).

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What does 考 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	考
Meaning	to think
Readings	こう, かんが
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	考える (to think)

How to read 考

考 is read kou (こう) or kanga (かんが) depending on the word.

Words with 考

考慮
考えるto think

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Kanji read the same way as 考

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28