身 — “body / self” in Japanese

Grade 3しん, み

Radical ⾝ · radical 158 The building block this kanji is filed under

“body / self” in Japanese is 身, read shin, mi (しん, み). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 身体 (body).

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What does 身 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	身
Meaning	body / self
Readings	しん, み
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	身体 (body)

How to read 身

身 is read shin (しん) or mi (み) depending on the word.

Words with 身

身分みぶん
身体
痩身

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Kanji read the same way as 身

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28