皇 — imperial / emperor

Grade 6こう, おう

Radical ⽩ · radical 106 The building block this kanji is filed under

皇 (readings: こう, おう; Japanese kanji) means “imperial / emperor”. It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 天皇 (the Emperor).

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What does 皇 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	皇
Meaning	imperial / emperor
Readings	こう, おう
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	天皇 (the Emperor)

How to read 皇

皇 is read こう or おう depending on the word.

Words with 皇

皇后hoàng hậu
天皇Thiên Hoàng

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🏛️ あすか・ふじわら、ついに世界遺産に登録 Grade 6

Updated: 2026-08-09