陰 — “Shade / Yin / Negative / Sex Organs” in Japanese

Master (高手)いん, かげ

Radical ⾩ · radical 170 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Shade / Yin / Negative / Sex Organs” in Japanese is 陰, read in, kage (いん, かげ). 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 陰気 (gloomy).

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What does 陰 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	陰
Meaning	Shade / Yin / Negative / Sex Organs
Readings	いん, かげ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	陰気 (gloomy)

How to read 陰

陰 is read in (いん) or kage (かげ) depending on the word.

Words with 陰

陰謀
陰気

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Kanji read the same way as 陰

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

Updated: 2026-08-28