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KanjiGrade 5 › 効
Kyōiku Kanji

効 — effect / effective

Grade 5こう, き
Radical ⼒ · radical 19 The building block this kanji is filed under

効 (readings: こう, き; Japanese kanji) means “effect / effective”. It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 効果 (effect).

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What does 効 mean?

Full details, readings & example
Kanji
Meaningeffect / effective
Readingsこう, き
GradeGrade 5 (Hard)
CurriculumKyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example効果 (effect)

How to read 効

効 is read こう or depending on the word.

Words with 効

  • こうかhiệu quả
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Updated: 2026-08-09
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