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What is the Kanji for 'Fearful' and 'Dreadful'? | 怖

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Fearful' and 'Dreadful', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Fearful' and 'Dreadful' is 怖.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fearful, Dreadful

    Reading

    kunyomiこわ

    kowa

    onyomi

    fu

    Parts

    Cloth, Linen

    Example Word

    恐怖: fear. The Japanese noun '恐怖 (きょうふ)' means 'fear'. It refers to the intense feeling of being afraid or anxious about something, often due to a perceived threat or danger. This word is commonly used in contexts involving psychological or emotional states, such as fear of the dark, fear of heights, or fear of the unknown. For example: I feel fear when I watch horror movies「私はホラー映画を見ると恐怖を感じる」(わたしはほらーえいがをみるときょうふをかんじる). The fear of failure can be paralyzing「失敗への恐怖は麻痺させるほど強い」(しっぱいへのきょうふはまひさせるほどつよい). Note that '恐怖' is often used in formal or serious contexts, and it can also appear in compound words like '恐怖症 (きょうふしょう)' (phobia).

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    8

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    7

    Frequency

    744

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    component

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cloth, Linen

Words Using

This kanji is used in 3 words:

    word

    怖い

    Meaning

    Scary

    word

    恐怖

    Meaning

    Fear

    word

    怖がる

    Meaning

    Fear

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 29 kanji contain the part 忄 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Busy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Feeling, Emotion

    kanji

    Meaning

    Gender, Sex

    kanji

    Meaning

    Accustomed

    kanji

    Meaning

    Remember, Speculate

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pleasant

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ridicule, Arrogant

    kanji

    Meaning

    Worry, Distress

    kanji

    Meaning

    Prudent, Humility

    kanji

    Meaning

    Repent, Regret

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cruel, Wretched

    kanji

    Meaning

    Flurried, Disconcerted

    kanji

    Meaning

    Bosom, Pocket

    kanji

    Meaning

    Regret, Frugal

    kanji

    Meaning

    Lazy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Indignant, Sigh

    kanji

    Meaning

    Grudge

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pleased, Pleasure

    kanji

    Meaning

    Joy, Delight

    kanji

    Meaning

    Spiritually awakened, Comprehension

    kanji

    Meaning

    Weird, Suspicious

    kanji

    Meaning

    Mourn, Lament

    kanji

    Meaning

    Regret, Remorse

    kanji

    Meaning

    Constant, Always

    kanji

    Meaning

    Aroused, Indignation

    kanji

    Meaning

    Misgivings, Disquieting

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fear

    kanji

    Meaning

    Desire, Hanker

    kanji

    Meaning

    Yearn, Long for

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 怖 mean?

怖 means 'Fearful' and 'Dreadful'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.