肯 — “Agreement / Consent / Comply With” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう, がえんじ

Radical ⾁ · radical 130 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Agreement / Consent / Comply With” in Japanese is 肯, read kou, gaenji (こう, がえんじ). 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 肯定 (affirmation).

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What does 肯 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	肯
Meaning	Agreement / Consent / Comply With
Readings	こう, がえんじ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	肯定 (affirmation)

How to read 肯

肯 is read kou (こう) or gaenji (がえんじ) depending on the word.

Words with 肯

肯定

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Kanji read the same way as 肯

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

Updated: 2026-08-28