謙 — “Self-effacing / Humble Oneself / Condescend / Be Modest” in Japanese

Master (高手)けん, へりくだ

Radical ⾔ · radical 149 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Self-effacing / Humble Oneself / Condescend / Be Modest” in Japanese is 謙, read ken, herikuda (けん, へりくだ). 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 謙虚 (modest).

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What does 謙 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	謙
Meaning	Self-effacing / Humble Oneself / Condescend / Be Modest
Readings	けん, へりくだ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	謙虚 (modest)

How to read 謙

謙 is read ken (けん) or herikuda (へりくだ) depending on the word.

Words with 謙

謙虚
謙遜

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Kanji read the same way as 謙

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

Updated: 2026-08-28