切
切 — Cut
cut, cutoff, be sharp
On’yomiセツ (setsu)
On’yomiサイ (sai)
Kun’yomiきる (kiru)
Kun’yomi-きる (kiru)
Kun’yomiきり (kiri)
Kun’yomi-きり (kiri)
Kun’yomi-ぎり (giri)
Stroke order (4 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 切
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大切 | たいせつ taisetsu | important; significant; serious |
| 一切 | いっさい issai | all; everything; entirety |
| 適切 | てきせつ tekisetsu | appropriate; suitable; fitting |
| 思い切って | おもいきって omoikitte | resolutely; boldly; decisively |
| 締め切り | しめきり shimekiri | deadline; closing; cut-off |
| 切手 | きって kitte | stamp (postage); merchandise certificate |
Study notes
切 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 4 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #324 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.