Han character 招

At its core, 招 is a hand-led call toward someone. 招手 names a wave or beckon; 招聘 means recruiting people.

The left component 扌 is the hand form; 召 carries the sense “call” or “summon.” The Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese dictionary compiled around 100 CE, glosses 招 as 手呼也, “to call with the hand.” That is an old explanation of the character, not a documented invention date.

招 also appears in 招待 for hosting guests, 招惹 for provoking or getting entangled in trouble, and 招认 or 招供 for admitting or confessing. The sense comes from the compound, not from 招 in isolation.

Does 招 mean an invitation or trouble?

Read the full word before deciding whether 招 welcomes or warns.

招 can appear in job notices, invitations, or warnings. On its own, it does not tell you that the sender is inviting or accusing you; read the complete word and sentence first.

Is 招 used in Japanese?

Yes; the character is shared, though readings depend on the language and word. Japanese uses しょう in compounds and まねく in 招く, for beckoning or inviting someone and for bringing about an unwelcome result.

As of 2026, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts can draw the same Han character with different regional conventions. A change in 招's shape may come from the font; by itself, it does not prove that the text contains a different character.