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怖
On'yomi
フ・ホ
FU / HO
Kun'yomi
こわ.い・こわ.がる・お.じる・おそ.れる
kowai / kowagaru / ojiru / osoreru
dreadful · be frightened · fearful
Details
Stroke Order
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Strokes8
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of heart and cloth. Heart fearing cloth.
Symbolism
Scary, fear, afraid. Represents fear.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Reading a book
Component Breakdown
怖=
忄布
heart + 布
Words & Expressions
Words written with 怖
Four-Character Compounds
畏怖嫌厭
いふけんえん
feelings of dread and aversion
Anime & Manga
灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい
Haimiya Is Scary Cute
A well-known work with 怖 in its Japanese title.
配達先のお姉さんが怖すぎる
My Favorite VTuber is Scary IRL
A well-known work with 怖 in its Japanese title.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 怖 mean in Japanese?
怖 means dreadful, be frightened, fearful.
How do you read 怖?
On'yomi: フ、ホ (FU, HO). Kun'yomi: こわ.い、こわ.がる、お.じる、おそ.れる (kowai, kowagaru, ojiru, osoreru).
How many strokes does 怖 have?
怖 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 心 (heart).
Is 怖 a good kanji for a tattoo?
怖 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means dreadful, be frightened, fearful. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.