迫 — “Urge / Force / Imminent / Spur On” in Japanese

Master (高手)はく, せま

Radical ⾡ · radical 162 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Urge / Force / Imminent / Spur On” in Japanese is 迫, read haku, sema (はく, せま). 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 迫力 (force, impact).

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What does 迫 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	迫
Meaning	Urge / Force / Imminent / Spur On
Readings	はく, せま
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	迫力 (force, impact)

How to read 迫

迫 is read haku (はく) or sema (せま) depending on the word.

Words with 迫

迫力
脅迫

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Kanji read the same way as 迫

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

Updated: 2026-08-28