切 — how to write the kanji for “cut”
切 means “cut”, “cutoff” and “be sharp”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 324th most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 10 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 七 (“seven”), strokes 1–2; 刀 (“sword”, its radical), strokes 3–4, each finished before the next. Its native reading ki-ru leads in its common words, as in 思い切って (“resolutely”) and 締め切り (“deadline”); read setsu it forms 大切 (“important”). Chinese reads it qiè, “definitely”, at HSK 4.
- Strokes
- 4
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 刀 (“sword”)
- On
- セツ, サイ
- Kun
- -き·る, き·る, き·り
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical-curve-hook ㇟top leftdownwards → rightwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆toprightwards → downwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 4 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- セツ setsu, サイ sai
- Kun (native)
- -き·る -ki-ru, き·る ki-ru (rare), き·り ki-ri (rare), -き·り -ki-ri (rare), -ぎ·り -gi-ri (rare), き·れる ki-reru (rare), -き·れる -ki-reru (rare), き·れ ki-re (rare), -き·れ -ki-re (rare), -ぎ·れ -gi-re (rare)
- Meanings
- cut; cutoff; be sharp
- Read ki-ru
- 思い切って 締め切り 切手 皮切り 切り札 切り
- Read setsu
- 大切
- Read sai
- 一切
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 324th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 절 jeol
- Common words
- 83 in JMdict
Words with 切
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大切 | たいせつ taisetsu | important; significant |
| 一切 | いっさい issai | all; everything |
| 適切 | てきせつ tekisetsu | appropriate; suitable |
| 思い切って | おもいきって omoikitte | resolutely; boldly |
| 締め切り | しめきり shimekiri | deadline; closing |
| 切手 | きって kitte | stamp (postage); merchandise certificate |
| 皮切り | かわきり kawakiri | beginning; start |
| 切り札 | きりふだ kirifuda | trump; trump card |
| 切り | きり kiri | end; finish |
| 切符 | きっぷ kippu | ticket |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
JLPT N4, in list order: