Kanji

Jōyō kanji, Taught in grade 2

JLPT level: N4

324 of 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Stroke count: 4

Meaning: cut, cutoff, be sharp

Kunyomi: き.る -き.る き.り -き.り -ぎ.り き.れる -き.れる き.れ -き.れ -ぎ.れ

Onyomi: セツ サイ

Composition:

Radical

Radical:

Reading: かたな

Meaning: knife, sword

Strokes: 2

Examples

Examples with audio

断する(せつだんする)   cut

な(しんせつな)   kind

な(たいせつな)   important

腹(せっぷく)   seppuku, harakiri

(いっさい)   all

る(きる)   cut

締めり(しめきり)   deadline

る(うらぎる)   betray

時間れ(じかんぎれ)   run out of time

符(きっぷ)   ticket

Onyomi Examples

セツ eager, earnest, ardent, kind, keen, acute, OFF (on switch)

セツジツ earnest, sincere, acute, keen, fervent, pressing, urgent, serious, severe, pertinent, appropriate

コンセツ kind, considerate, helpful, caring, thoughtful, attentive, careful

アイセツ pathetic, plaintive

セツダン cutting, severance, section, amputation, disconnection

家財一 カザイイッサイ complete set of household goods

費用一 ヒヨウイッサイ all expenses

Kunyomi Examples

きる to cut, to cut through, to perform (surgery), to sever (connections, ties), to turn off (e.g. the light), to terminate (e.g. a conversation), to hang up (the phone), to disconnect, to punch (a ticket), to tear off (a stub), to open (something sealed), to start, to set (a limit), to do (something) in less or within a certain time, to issue (cheques, vouchers, etc.), to reduce, to decrease, to discount, to shake off (water, etc.), to let drip-dry, to let drain, to cross, to traverse, to criticize sharply, to act decisively, to do (something noticeable), to go first, to make (certain facial expressions, in kabuki), to turn (vehicle, steering wheel, etc.), to curl (a ball), to bend, to cut, to shuffle (cards), to discard a tile, to dismiss, to sack, to let go, to expulse, to excommunicate, to dig (a groove), to cut (a stencil, on a mimeograph), to trump, to cut (the connection between two groups) (in go), to start a fire (with wood-wood friction or by striking a metal against stone), to draw (a shape) in the air (with a sword, etc.), to finish, to complete

きり end, finish, stop, bounds, limits, delivery date (of a futures contract), finale (of a noh song), end of an act (in jōruri or kabuki), final performance of the day (in vaudeville), counter for slices (esp. thick slices), counter for cuts (e.g. fish, meat), only, just, since, after, remaining (in a particular state)

り替え きりかえ exchange, conversion, replacement, switching (to), switchover

つめきり nail clippers

押し おしきり straw cutter, short mane, pressing and cutting

れる きれる to break, to snap, to be cut, to split, to crack, to be injured, to wear out, to be worn out, to break, to burst, to collapse, to wear off, to stop working, to go dead, to expire (time limit, etc.), to run out, to become due, to run out (of stock, etc.), to be exhausted, to be used up, to be sold out, to be out of, to be broken off (e.g. of a relationship), to break up, to have severed ties, to be cut off, to be disconnected, to cut well, to be sharp, to be sharp-minded, to be keen, to be shrewd, to be quick-witted, to be able, to be short of, to drop under (a certain figure), to beat (e.g. a record time), to dry off, to curve, to veer, to shuffle (cards), to get angry, to snap, to blow one's top, to lose one's temper, to flip, to be able to do completely

きれ piece, slice, strip, scrap, cloth, sharpness, agility, counter for scraps, pieces, etc.

れ味 きれあじ sharpness, cutting ability, quickness (of wit), incisiveness, technical proficiency, skill, peppiness (of a ball)

ぬのぎれ piece of cloth