賊 — “Burglar / Rebel / Traitor / Robber” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぞく

Radical ⾙ · radical 154 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Burglar / Rebel / Traitor / Robber” in Japanese is 賊, read zoku (ぞく). 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 盗賊 (thief).

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What does 賊 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	賊
Meaning	Burglar / Rebel / Traitor / Robber
Readings	ぞく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	盗賊 (thief)

How to read 賊

賊 is read zoku (ぞく) depending on the word.

Words with 賊

盗賊

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Kanji read the same way as 賊

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

Updated: 2026-08-28