遜 — “Humble / Modest” in Japanese

Master (高手)そん, したが, へりくだ, ゆず

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“Humble / Modest” in Japanese is 遜, read son, shitaga, herikuda (そん, したが, へりくだ, ゆず). 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 謙遜 (humility).

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What does 遜 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	遜
Meaning	Humble / Modest
Readings	そん, したが, へりくだ, ゆず
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	謙遜 (humility)

How to read 遜

遜 is read son (そん) or shitaga (したが) or herikuda (へりくだ) or yuzu (ゆず) depending on the word.

Words with 遜

謙遜

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Kanji read the same way as 遜

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

Updated: 2026-08-28