胞 — “Placenta / Sac / Sheath” in Japanese

Master (高手)ほう

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

“Placenta / Sac / Sheath” in Japanese is 胞, read hou (ほう). 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 細胞 (cell).

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What does 胞 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	胞
Meaning	Placenta / Sac / Sheath
Readings	ほう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	細胞 (cell)

How to read 胞

胞 is read hou (ほう) depending on the word.

Words with 胞

細胞
脳細胞

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Kanji read the same way as 胞

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

Updated: 2026-08-28