謹 — “Discreet / Reverently / Humbly” in Japanese

Master (高手)きん, つつし

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

“Discreet / Reverently / Humbly” in Japanese is 謹, read kin, tsutsushi (きん, つつし). 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 謹慎 (self-restraint).

Try it now

What does 謹 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	謹
Meaning	Discreet / Reverently / Humbly
Readings	きん, つつし
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	謹慎 (self-restraint)

How to read 謹

謹 is read kin (きん) or tsutsushi (つつし) depending on the word.

Words with 謹

謹慎

Learn 謹 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 謹

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

Updated: 2026-08-28