閉 — “to close / to shut” in Japanese

Grade 6へい, し, と

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“to close / to shut” in Japanese is 閉, read hei, shi, to (へい, し, と). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 閉店 (store closing).

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What does 閉 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	閉
Meaning	to close / to shut
Readings	へい, し, と
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	閉店 (store closing)

How to read 閉

閉 is read hei (へい) or shi (し) or to (と) depending on the word.

Words with 閉

閉店
閉塞

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Kanji read the same way as 閉

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28