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道Nihongo Path
幽

幽·faint, dark, secluded

On-yomi
ユウ
Kun-yomi
かす(か)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

9 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
幽霊ゆうれいghost
幽玄ゆうげんprofound, mysterious beauty
幽閉ゆうへいconfinement, imprisonment
幽かなかすかなfaint, dim

Example sentences

  1. 幽霊が出る屋敷だと言われている。

    ゆうれいがでるやしきだといわれている。

    It is said to be a mansion where ghosts appear.

  2. 王は塔に幽閉された。

    おうはとうにゆうへいされた。

    The king was confined in the tower.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 幽玄 as ゆうけん — it is ゆうげん.
  • 幽玄 is an aesthetic term from noh and poetry, not an everyday word.

Memory aid

Picture it

Two small threads 幺幺 tucked inside a mountain 山 — something faint, hidden deep in the hills.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 幽 mean?