謝 — “apologize / thank” in Japanese

Grade 5しゃ, あやま

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“apologize / thank” in Japanese is 謝, read sha, ayama (しゃ, あやま). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 感謝 (gratitude).

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What does 謝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	謝
Meaning	apologize / thank
Readings	しゃ, あやま
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	感謝 (gratitude)

How to read 謝

謝 is read sha (しゃ) or ayama (あやま) depending on the word.

Words with 謝

感謝かんしゃ

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Kanji read the same way as 謝

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Updated: 2026-08-28