華 — “Splendor / Flower / Petal / Shine” in Japanese

Master (高手)か, け, はな

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

“Splendor / Flower / Petal / Shine” in Japanese is 華, read ka, ke, hana (か, け, はな). 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 華麗 (splendor).

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What does 華 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	華
Meaning	Splendor / Flower / Petal / Shine
Readings	か, け, はな
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	華麗 (splendor)

How to read 華

華 is read ka (か) or ke (け) or hana (はな) depending on the word.

Words with 華

華麗

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Kanji read the same way as 華

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

Updated: 2026-08-28