Kanji 切

音読おんよみ: セツ・サイ

訓読くんよみ:・きれる

画数かくすう: 4

部首ぶしゅ: かたな(刀)

Meaning

Cut / Slice / Sharp

  • Basic forms
  • 切る — to cut / to sever / base form
  • 切ります — (I) cut / masu form
  • 切った — cut (past) / ta form
  • 切って — cut (and …); please cut / te-form
  • 切らない — do not cut / negative form
  • 切れば — if (someone) cuts / conditional
  • 切れ・切りなさい — cut! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 切りたい — want to cut / 〜たい form
  • 切れる — can cut; be sharp; be severed / potential / intransitive sense
  • 切れた — was severed / broke / intransitive past
  • 切れない — cannot cut; won’t cut through / negative potential
  • More
  • 切ろう — let’s cut / 〜よう form
  • 切らなかった — didn’t cut / past negative
  • 切っている — is cutting; is in the process of cutting / progressive

切る(きる) is a godan verb ending in . Stem alternates as る → り → っ, forming 切る・切ります・切って・切った. Note: 切れる is also widely used as an intransitive form meaning “to snap / to break / to be sharp.”

  • 大切たいせつ — important, precious
  • 親切しんせつ — kind, friendly
  • 締切しめきり — deadline
  • 切手きって — postage stamp
  • 一切いっさい — all, everything, entirely
More examples - tap to expand
  • 切除せつじょ — surgical removal; excision
  • 切断せつだん — cutting off, severance
  • 切望せつぼう — strong desire, earnest longing
  • 痛切つうせつ — deeply felt, poignant
  • 切実せつじつ — urgent; serious; heartfelt
  • 切符きっぷ — ticket (train, event entry)
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
  • る — to be in high spirits; to be enthusiastic
  • る — to shut up; to meet a deadline
  • うらる — to betray
  • よこる — to cross (e.g. a street)
  • おもる — to resign oneself; to make up one's mind
  • れる — to be sold out

This kanji combines the sword radical 刀 with the phonetic 七. Originally, it meant “to cut with a blade” and still retains that meaning. Over time, it gained broader senses like “stop,” “end,” or “crucial,” as seen in words like 大切 (important) or 締切 (deadline).

◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎