蛮 — “Barbarian” in Japanese

Master (高手)ばん, えびす

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“Barbarian” in Japanese is 蛮, read ban, ebisu (ばん, えびす). 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 野蛮 (barbaric).

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What does 蛮 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	蛮
Meaning	Barbarian
Readings	ばん, えびす
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	野蛮 (barbaric)

How to read 蛮

蛮 is read ban (ばん) or ebisu (えびす) depending on the word.

Words with 蛮

野蛮

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Kanji read the same way as 蛮

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

Updated: 2026-08-28