腐 — Rot / Decay / Sour

Master (高手)ふ, くさ, -くさ

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

腐 (readings: ふ, くさ, -くさ; Japanese kanji) means “Rot / Decay / Sour”. 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 豆腐 (tofu).

Try it now

What does 腐 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	腐
Meaning	Rot / Decay / Sour
Readings	ふ, くさ, -くさ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	豆腐 (tofu)

How to read 腐

腐 is read ふ or くさ or -くさ depending on the word.

Words with 腐

豆腐đậu phụ

Learn 腐 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,026 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-07-22