鬱 — “Gloom / Depression / Melancholy / Luxuriant” in Japanese

Master (高手)うつ, うっ, ふさ, しげ

Radical ⾿ · radical 192 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Gloom / Depression / Melancholy / Luxuriant” in Japanese is 鬱, read utsu, u, fusa (うつ, うっ, ふさ, しげ). 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 憂鬱 (melancholy).

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What does 鬱 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	鬱
Meaning	Gloom / Depression / Melancholy / Luxuriant
Readings	うつ, うっ, ふさ, しげ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	憂鬱 (melancholy)

How to read 鬱

鬱 is read utsu (うつ) or u (うっ) or fusa (ふさ) or shige (しげ) depending on the word.

Words with 鬱

憂鬱

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Kanji read the same way as 鬱

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

Updated: 2026-08-28