象 — “elephant / symbol” in Japanese

Grade 4しょう, ぞう

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“elephant / symbol” in Japanese is 象, read shou, zou (しょう, ぞう). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 象徴 (symbol).

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What does 象 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	象
Meaning	elephant / symbol
Readings	しょう, ぞう
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	象徴 (symbol)

How to read 象

象 is read shou (しょう) or zou (ぞう) depending on the word.

Words with 象

気象きしょう
対象たいしょう
現象げんしょう
気象庁きしょうちょう
気象台きしょうだい
象徴
抽象
象牙

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Kanji read the same way as 象

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28