酢 — “Vinegar / Sour / Acid / Tart” in Japanese

Master (高手)さく, す

Radical ⾣ · radical 164 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Vinegar / Sour / Acid / Tart” in Japanese is 酢, read saku, su (さく, す). 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 酢 (vinegar).

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What does 酢 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	酢
Meaning	Vinegar / Sour / Acid / Tart
Readings	さく, す
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	酢 (vinegar)

How to read 酢

酢 is read saku (さく) or su (す) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 酢

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

Updated: 2026-08-28