葬 — “Interment / Bury / Shelve” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, ほうむ

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“Interment / Bury / Shelve” in Japanese is 葬, read sou, houmu (そう, ほうむ). 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 葬式 (funeral).

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What does 葬 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	葬
Meaning	Interment / Bury / Shelve
Readings	そう, ほうむ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	葬式 (funeral)

How to read 葬

葬 is read sou (そう) or houmu (ほうむ) depending on the word.

Words with 葬

葬式
埋葬

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Kanji read the same way as 葬

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

Updated: 2026-08-28