遭 — “Encounter / Meet / Party / Association” in Japanese

Master (高手)そう, あ

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

“Encounter / Meet / Party / Association” in Japanese is 遭, read sou, a (そう, あ). 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 遭遇 (encounter).

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What does 遭 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	遭
Meaning	Encounter / Meet / Party / Association
Readings	そう, あ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	遭遇 (encounter)

How to read 遭

遭 is read sou (そう) or a (あ) depending on the word.

Words with 遭

遭遇

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Kanji read the same way as 遭

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

Updated: 2026-08-28