長 — “long / chief” in Japanese

Grade 2ちょう, なが

Radical ⾧ · radical 168 The building block this kanji is filed under

“long / chief” in Japanese is 長, read chou, naga (ちょう, なが). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 校長 (principal).

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What does 長 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	長
Meaning	long / chief
Readings	ちょう, なが
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	校長 (principal)

How to read 長

長 is read chou (ちょう) or naga (なが) depending on the word.

Words with 長

長年ながねん
長期ちょうき
延長戦えんちょうせん
校長
成長
長崎
延長
班長
副社長

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Kanji read the same way as 長

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28