Meaning
招 covers four overlapping ideas: inviting, beckoning, summoning, and causing something to happen. A friendly wave across the street, a formal dinner invitation, a city's bid to host the Olympics, carelessness that leads to an accident — all fall under this one kanji.
The structure is transparent. On the left: 扌, the hand radical (a condensed form of 手). On the right: 召, meaning "to summon" or "to call." A hand that calls — you can almost see someone waving their arm to flag down a friend.
Written in Grade 5 of Japanese elementary school, 招 sits at the JLPT N2 level. It appears across formal invitations, business correspondence, and everyday conversation — from wedding cards (招待状) to academic hiring notices (招聘).
Worth knowing early: 招き猫 (まねきねこ), the ceramic lucky cat at shop entrances across Japan, gets its name directly from this kanji. That raised paw is exactly what 招 describes.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ショウ (shō). This reading dominates compound words and formal written contexts — invitations, official summons, institutional recruitment.
- 招待 (shōtai) — invitation; treating someone as a guest. Ubiquitous on event flyers, email subjects, and formal letters.
- 招集 (shōshū) — convening; calling people together. Standard in organizational and official contexts, such as assembling a committee or emergency meeting.
- 招致 (shōchi) — invitation to host an event. Used when a city or country wins the right to stage something major, like the Olympics.
- 招聘 (shōhei) — formal invitation; recruiting a specialist or dignitary. A more elevated term, common in academic and professional settings.
- 招来 (shōrai) — bringing about; inviting a result, often negative. Used when one's own actions inadvertently cause misfortune.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is まねく (maneku), written as 招く. This is the verb form, used in everyday speech for personal, direct acts of inviting or beckoning.
- 招く (maneku) — to invite; to beckon; to bring about. Example: 「友達を家に招く」(to invite a friend over).
- 手招き (temaneki) — beckoning with the hand; waving someone over. Literally "hand-beckoning."
- 招き猫 (maneki-neko) — the lucky beckoning cat, a cultural icon of Japanese good luck and welcome.
Common Words & Compounds
招 weaves through social, professional, and cultural vocabulary. Key compounds by theme:
Invitations & Social Contexts
- 招待 (shōtai) — invitation; treating as a guest
- 招待状 (shōtaijō) — invitation card or letter
- 招待客 (shōtai-kyaku) — invited guest
- 招待席 (shōtai-seki) — VIP or reserved seating for guests
Official & Formal Summons
- 招集 (shōshū) — convening; calling an assembly
- 招聘 (shōhei) — formally inviting an expert or dignitary
- 招致 (shōchi) — invitation to host (e.g., an international event)
Beckoning & Gestures
- 手招き (temaneki) — beckoning by hand
- 招き猫 (maneki-neko) — beckoning cat (good luck figurine)
Causing or Bringing About
- 招来 (shōrai) — bringing about; inviting (a result)
- 自招 (jishō) — bringing upon oneself; self-inflicted
Example Sentences
友達を家に招いた。
Tomodachi wo ie ni maneita.
I invited a friend to my house.
彼女は手を振って私を招いた。
Kanojo wa te wo futte watashi wo maneita.
She waved her hand and beckoned me over.
結婚式の招待状が届いた。
Kekkonshiki no shōtaijō ga todoita.
A wedding invitation arrived.
会議に全員を招集した。
Kaigi ni zen'in wo shōshū shita.
Everyone was summoned to the meeting.
その大学は海外から教授を招聘した。
Sono daigaku wa kaigai kara kyōju wo shōhei shita.
That university formally invited a professor from abroad.
不注意が事故を招いた。
Fuchūi ga jiko wo maneita.
Carelessness brought about the accident.
その行動は誤解を招く恐れがある。
Sono kōdō wa gokai wo maneku osore ga aru.
That behavior risks inviting misunderstanding.
店の入口に招き猫が置いてある。
Mise no iriguchi ni maneki-neko ga oite aru.
There is a beckoning cat placed at the shop entrance.
市はオリンピックの招致に成功した。
Shi wa Orinpikku no shōchi ni seikō shita.
The city successfully won the bid to host the Olympics.
彼は自分でトラブルを招いてしまった。
Kare wa jibun de toraburu wo maneite shimatta.
He ended up bringing trouble upon himself.
Memory Tip
Picture someone at their front door, extending their hand (扌) outward while calling out (召) to a neighbor down the street: 「こっちへ来て！」 ("Come over here!"). Left side — the hand radical, physically reaching out. Right side — 召, to summon. A hand that calls: that is 招.
Anchor it to 招き猫, the lucky waving cat at Japanese shop entrances. That raised ceramic paw is 招 in action — calling in customers, calling in luck. Picture it and you will not forget this kanji.