芳 — “Perfume / Balmy / Favorable / Fragrant” in Japanese

Master (高手)ほう, かんば

Radical ⾋ · radical 140 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Perfume / Balmy / Favorable / Fragrant” in Japanese is 芳, read hou, kanba (ほう, かんば). 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 芳香 (fragrance).

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What does 芳 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	芳
Meaning	Perfume / Balmy / Favorable / Fragrant
Readings	ほう, かんば
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	芳香 (fragrance)

How to read 芳

芳 is read hou (ほう) or kanba (かんば) depending on the word.

Words with 芳

芳香

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Kanji read the same way as 芳

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

Updated: 2026-08-28