Onyomi: ベツ · Kunyomi: わ.ける, わか.れる · Meanings: another, branch off, diverge, extra, fork, separate, specially
Kanji for another, branch off, diverge, extra, fork
Fast lookup with examples and clean stroke-order visualization.
Experience 別 in 3D! View the complete 3D Kanji model to understand its shape and stroke depth from every angle. Click the button below to see 別 in 3D and explore how each stroke forms this character.
Please support us by sharing!
Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 別.
The kanji 別 combines the “knife” radical (刀) with a component representing separation (匕), symbolizing cutting or dividing things apart. In ancient times, it represented separating, distinguishing, or parting ways. 別 came to mean separate, distinguish, or another, capturing division and differentiation.
A knife cutting apart — 別 means separate, distinguish, or another.
Imagine using a knife to divide or separate something — that’s 別, the kanji for separating and distinguishing.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 別 | べつ | distinction, difference, discrimination | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 別 | わけ | lord (hereditary title for imperial descendants in outlying regions) | Noun |
| 別れる | わかれる | to part (usu. of people), to part from, to part with, to be apart from | common JLPT-N4 Ichidan verb, Intransitive verb |
| 分ける | わける | to divide (into), to split (into), to part, to separate, to divide up, to classify, to sort out, to divide out | common JLPT-N3 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 別に | べつに | (not) particularly, (not) especially, (not) specially | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 別れ | わかれ | parting, separation, farewell | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 別荘 | べっそう | holiday house, vacation home, villa | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 別々 | べつべつ | separate, respective, different | common JLPT-N2 Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 別居 | べっきょ | separation, living separately, living apart | common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 別人 | べつじん | different person, another person, someone else, changed man | common Noun |