遅 — “Slow / Late / Back / Later” in Japanese

Master (高手)ち, おく, おそ

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

“Slow / Late / Back / Later” in Japanese is 遅, read chi, oku, oso (ち, おく, おそ). 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 chi (ち) or oku (おく) or oso (おそ) depending on the word.

Words with 遅

遅刻

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Kanji read the same way as 遅

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

Updated: 2026-08-28