識 — “awareness / knowledge” in Japanese

Grade 5しき

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

“awareness / knowledge” in Japanese is 識, read shiki (しき). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 知識 (knowledge).

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What does 識 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	識
Meaning	awareness / knowledge
Readings	しき
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	知識 (knowledge)

How to read 識

識 is read shiki (しき) depending on the word.

Words with 識

認識にんしき
知識

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Kanji read the same way as 識

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28