顔 — “face” in Japanese

Grade 2がん, かお

Radical ⾴ · radical 181 The building block this kanji is filed under

“face” in Japanese is 顔, read gan, kao (がん, かお). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 顔色 (complexion).

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What does 顔 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	顔
Meaning	face
Readings	がん, かお
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	顔色 (complexion)

How to read 顔

顔 is read gan (がん) or kao (かお) depending on the word.

Words with 顔

笑顔えがお
顔色

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Kanji read the same way as 顔

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28