耗 — “Decrease” in Japanese

Master (高手)もう, こう

Radical ⽾ · radical 127 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Decrease” in Japanese is 耗, read mou, kou (もう, こう). 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 消耗 (consumption / exhaustion).

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What does 耗 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	耗
Meaning	Decrease
Readings	もう, こう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	消耗 (consumption / exhaustion)

How to read 耗

耗 is read mou (もう) or kou (こう) depending on the word.

Words with 耗

消耗

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Kanji read the same way as 耗

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

Updated: 2026-08-28