配 — “to distribute” in Japanese

Grade 3はい, くば

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“to distribute” in Japanese is 配, read hai, kuba (はい, くば). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 配達 (delivery).

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What does 配 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	配
Meaning	to distribute
Readings	はい, くば
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	配達 (delivery)

How to read 配

配 is read hai (はい) or kuba (くば) depending on the word.

Words with 配

心配しんぱい
配達
配膳
勾配

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Kanji read the same way as 配

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28