茎 — “Stalk / Stem” in Japanese

Master (高手)けい, きょう, くき

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“Stalk / Stem” in Japanese is 茎, read kei, kyou, kuki (けい, きょう, くき). 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 茎 (stem).

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What does 茎 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	茎
Meaning	Stalk / Stem
Readings	けい, きょう, くき
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	茎 (stem)

How to read 茎

茎 is read kei (けい) or kyou (きょう) or kuki (くき) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 茎

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

Updated: 2026-08-28