刈

音読おんよみ: ガイ

訓読くんよみ: かる

画数かくすう: 4

部首ぶしゅ: 刂(りっとう)

Meaning

Reap / Cut / Clip / Trim / Harvest

  • る — to reap; to cut; to clip; to trim
  • る — to reap; to harvest; to cut off
  • れ — reaping; harvest
  • 芝刈しばかり — lawn mowing
  • 稲刈いねかり — rice harvesting
  • み — clipping; pruning; trimming
  • げ — undercut (hairstyle); shaving up

刈 belongs to the 刀/刂 “blade” set and centers on the idea of cutting down vegetation: mowing grass, trimming, or harvesting crops. That is why common phrases pair it with rice (稲刈り) or lawns (芝刈り). In compounds like 刈り取る, the nuance is “to cut and remove” — a clean, deliberate action.

(かる) is to reap or trim plants. (かる) is to hunt animals. Same pronunciation, different fields — crops vs. game. The reading “かる” links them in memory.

Creates

る — reap; harvest; cut off and take.

◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎