辛 — “Spicy / Bitter / Hot / Acrid” in Japanese

Master (高手)しん, から, つら, -づら, かのと

Radical ⾟ · radical 160 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Spicy / Bitter / Hot / Acrid” in Japanese is 辛, read shin, kara, tsura (しん, から, つら, -づら, かのと). 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 辛い (spicy).

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What does 辛 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	辛
Meaning	Spicy / Bitter / Hot / Acrid
Readings	しん, から, つら, -づら, かのと
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	辛い (spicy)

How to read 辛

辛 is read shin (しん) or kara (から) or tsura (つら) or zura (-づら) or kanoto (かのと) depending on the word.

Words with 辛

辛い
辛辣
唐辛子

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Kanji read the same way as 辛

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

Updated: 2026-08-28