# 憎 — detest; hate

憎 means “detest; hate”. It is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 14 strokes. On'yomi: ゾウ (zou). Kun'yomi: にく(む) (nikumu). You'll see it in words such as 憎しみ (nikushimi, “hatred”).

- Meaning: detest; hate
- On'yomi: ゾウ (zou)
- Kun'yomi: にく(む) (nikumu)
- Strokes: 14
- Level: JLPT N2 · set Feelings 2

## How to remember 憎

Parts: 忄 heart · 曽 formerly

## Words with 憎

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 憎しみ | にくしみ (nikushimi) | hatred |
| 憎らしい | にくらしい (nikurashii) | odious; hateful |
| 憎む | にくむ (nikumu) | to hate; to detest |

## Don't confuse it with

[曽](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/formerly/) · [増](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/increase/) · [層](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/layer/) · [僧](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/buddhist-monk/)

## More in the “Feelings 2” set

[快](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/pleasant/) · [敬](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/respect/) · [悩](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/worry/) · [尊](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/revere/) · [怒](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/angry/) · [勇](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/courage/) · [恥](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/shame/) · [憎](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/detest/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/detest/. Last updated 2026-11-01.