別 — how to write the kanji for “separate”
別 means “separate”, “branch off” and “diverge”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in fourth grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 214th most used kanji. Its parts: 口 (“mouth”), strokes 1–3; 勹 (“wrap”), strokes 4–5; 刂 (“knife”), strokes 6–7, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word betsu, “distinction; difference”. Read betsu, it forms 告別 (“farewell”), 特別 (“special”) and 個別 (“individual”); the native reading waka-reru gives 別れ (“parting”). Mainland Chinese writes it 别 (bié, “to leave”), an HSK 2 character.
- Strokes
- 7
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 刀 (“sword”)
- On
- ベツ
- Kun
- わか·れる, わ·ける
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆leftrightwards → down and left
- Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Vertical hook ㇚top rightdownwards
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (7 strokes in Japanese, 7 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ベツ betsu
- Kun (native)
- わか·れる waka-reru, わ·ける wa-keru (rare)
- Meanings
- separate; branch off; diverge; fork; another; extra
- Read betsu
- 告別 特別 個別 差別 別に 別荘
- Read waka-reru
- 別れ
- School year
- fourth grade
- Newspaper rank
- 214th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 별 byeol
- Common words
- 37 in JMdict
Words with 別
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 告別 | こくべつ kokubetsu | farewell; leave-taking |
| 特別 | とくべつ tokubetsu | special; particular |
| 個別 | こべつ kobetsu | individual; separate |
| 差別 | さべつ sabetsu | distinction; differentiation |
| 別に | べつに betsuni | (not) particularly; (not) especially |
| 別れ | わかれ wakare | parting; separation |
| 別荘 | べっそう bessou | holiday house; vacation home |
| 別表 | べっぴょう beppyou | annexed (statistical) table |
| 区別 | くべつ kubetsu | distinction; differentiation |
| 別個 | べっこ bekko | another; different |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: