錠 — “Lock / Fetters / Shackles” in Japanese

Master (高手)じょう

Radical ⾦ · radical 167 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Lock / Fetters / Shackles” in Japanese is 錠, read jou (じょう). 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 錠前 (lock).

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What does 錠 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	錠
Meaning	Lock / Fetters / Shackles
Readings	じょう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	錠前 (lock)

How to read 錠

錠 is read jou (じょう) depending on the word.

Words with 錠

錠前

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Kanji read the same way as 錠

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

Updated: 2026-08-28