購 — “Subscription / Buy” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう

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

“Subscription / Buy” in Japanese is 購, read kou (こう). 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 購入 (purchase).

Try it now

What does 購 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	購
Meaning	Subscription / Buy
Readings	こう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	購入 (purchase)

How to read 購

購 is read kou (こう) depending on the word.

Words with 購

購入

Learn 購 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 購

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

Updated: 2026-08-28