遅 — Slow / Late / Back / Later

Master (高手)ち, おく, おそ

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

遅 (readings: ち, おく, おそ; Japanese kanji) means “Slow / Late / Back / Later”. 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 遅刻 (being late).

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What does 遅 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	遅
Meaning	Slow / Late / Back / Later
Readings	ち, おく, おそ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	遅刻 (being late)

How to read 遅

遅 is read ち or おく or おそ depending on the word.

Words with 遅

遅刻đến muộn

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Updated: 2026-07-22