戒

音読おんよみ: カイ

訓読くんよみ: いましめる

画数かくすう: 7

部首ぶしゅ: 戈（ほこづくり）

Meaning

Commandment / warn / admonish / prohibit.

  • Basic forms
  • 戒める — admonish; warn / base form
  • 戒めます — admonishes; warns / masu form
  • 戒めた — admonished; warned / ta form
  • 戒めて — admonishing … / te form
  • 戒めない — do not admonish / negative
  • 戒めれば — if (one) admonishes / conditional
  • Common expressions
  • 過ちを戒める — warn against mistakes
  • 若者を戒めた — admonished the youth
  • 常に自らを戒めている — always keeps oneself in check
  • More
  • 戒めよう — let’s admonish; let this be a warning / 〜よう form

戒める（いましめる） is an ichidan transitive verb. It means to warn, admonish, or restrain someone — often with moral or ethical intent — and is commonly used in formal or written contexts.

  • 戒いましめる — to admonish; to warn; to caution
  • 警戒けいかい — vigilance; precaution; alert
  • 戒厳令かいげんれい — martial law
  • 戒告かいこく — formal warning; reprimand
  • 戒心かいしん — wariness; being on guard
  • 戒名かいみょう — posthumous Buddhist name
  • 戒律かいりつ — precepts; religious rules

The right-side component 戈 (ほこづくり) shows a spear/halberd — a weapon. Combined with the “two hands” shape 廾, it pictures both hands gripping a weapon, which naturally evokes restraint and caution — the source of meanings like “admonish” and “warn.”

Note: As a radical, 廾 is called にじゅうあし or こまぬき. When used as an independent kanji (廾), it’s read きょう (“two hands / with both hands”). See the radical page: 廾 — Radical Explorer.
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