貝 — shellfish / shell

Grade 1かい

Radical ⾙ · radical 154 The building block this kanji is filed under

貝 (readings: かい; Japanese kanji) means “shellfish / shell”. It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 貝がら (seashell).

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What does 貝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	貝
Meaning	shellfish / shell
Readings	かい
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	貝がら (seashell)

How to read 貝

貝 is read かい depending on the word.

Words with 貝

貝塚đống vỏ sò, di chỉ
貝殻vỏ sò
貝がらvỏ sò

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Updated: 2026-08-09