JLPT N3 · Japanese kanji

優

優 — tenderness

Reading
ユウ・ウ・やさ.しい・すぐ.れる・まさ.る
Meaning
tenderness; excel; surpass; actor; superiority; gentleness
JLPT level
N3
Language
Japanese

About this kanji

優 is a japanese kanji character commonly studied at the JLPT N3 level. Its primary reading is ユウ・ウ・やさ.しい・すぐ.れる・まさ.る and it means tenderness; excel; surpass; actor; superiority; gentleness. To master it, see it in real Japanese content — import an article or YouTube video into InputDojo and every occurrence becomes a one-tap lookup.

優 appears in everyday japanese words such as 優 (gentle), 優位 (predominance) and 優先 (preference).

Japanese words containing 優

Frequently asked questions

What does 優 mean in Japanese?

優 means tenderness; excel; surpass; actor; superiority; gentleness in Japanese. It is one of the JLPT N3 kanji every learner meets at that level.

How is 優 read?

優 is read ユウ・ウ・やさ.しい・すぐ.れる・まさ.る. Reading it inside real words — 優 and 優位 and more — is the fastest way to remember it.

What level is 優 — is it JLPT N3?

Yes. 優 is on the official JLPT N3 kanji list, so it can appear in that exam's reading and vocabulary sections.

How do you use 優 in a word?

A common word containing 優 is 優 (やさ) — "gentle". More examples are listed below, each with a one-tap dictionary entry.

How do I learn 優 effectively?

Read it in context. Import any Japanese article or video into InputDojo and every occurrence of 優 becomes a one-tap lookup with SRS flashcards, so you meet it in real sentences instead of a list.

More JLPT N3 kanji

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