息 — breath

Grade 3そく, いき

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

息 (readings: そく, いき; Japanese kanji) means “breath”. It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 休息 (rest).

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What does 息 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	息
Meaning	breath
Readings	そく, いき
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	休息 (rest)

How to read 息

息 is read そく or いき depending on the word.

Words with 息

休息nghỉ ngơi
嘆息than thở
窒息ngạt thở

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Updated: 2026-08-09