膳 — “Small Low Table / Tray” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぜん, せん, かしわ, すす, そな

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

“Small Low Table / Tray” in Japanese is 膳, read zen, sen, kashiwa (ぜん, せん, かしわ, すす, そな). 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 配膳 (serving meals).

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What does 膳 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	膳
Meaning	Small Low Table / Tray
Readings	ぜん, せん, かしわ, すす, そな
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	配膳 (serving meals)

How to read 膳

膳 is read zen (ぜん) or sen (せん) or kashiwa (かしわ) or susu (すす) or sona (そな) depending on the word.

Words with 膳

配膳

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Kanji read the same way as 膳

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

Updated: 2026-08-28