臆 — “Timidity / Heart / Mind / Fear” in Japanese

Master (高手)おく, よく, むね, おくする

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

“Timidity / Heart / Mind / Fear” in Japanese is 臆, read oku, yoku, mune (おく, よく, むね, おくする). 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 臆病 (cowardice).

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What does 臆 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	臆
Meaning	Timidity / Heart / Mind / Fear
Readings	おく, よく, むね, おくする
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	臆病 (cowardice)

How to read 臆

臆 is read oku (おく) or yoku (よく) or mune (むね) or okusuru (おくする) depending on the word.

Words with 臆

臆病

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Kanji read the same way as 臆

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

Updated: 2026-08-28