酵 — Fermentation

Master (高手)こう

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

酵 (readings: こう; Japanese kanji) means “Fermentation”. 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 酵母 (yeast).

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What does 酵 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	酵
Meaning	Fermentation
Readings	こう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	酵母 (yeast)

How to read 酵

酵 is read こう depending on the word.

Words with 酵

酵母men nấm

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Updated: 2026-07-22