青 — “blue” in Japanese

Grade 1せい, しょう, あお

Radical ⾭ · radical 174 The building block this kanji is filed under

“blue” in Japanese is 青, read sei, shou, ao (せい, しょう, あお). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 青空 (blue sky).

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What does 青 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	青
Meaning	blue
Readings	せい, しょう, あお
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	青空 (blue sky)

How to read 青

青 is read sei (せい) or shou (しょう) or ao (あお) depending on the word.

Words with 青

青空あおぞら
青色あおいろ
青銅せいどう

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Kanji read the same way as 青

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28