Onyomi: サイ, サツ, セツ · Kunyomi: -ごろ.し, あや.める, ころ.す, そ.ぐ · Meanings: butcher, diminish, kill, murder, reduce, slice off, split, spoil
Kanji for butcher, diminish, kill, murder, reduce
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殺 is made from 殳, meaning a striking or attacking action, and 乂, which suggests crossing or cutting. In ancient imagery, crossing weapons or forceful blows were associated with violent action. When the idea of striking is combined with cutting or crossing, it creates the image of using force to end life. From this, 殺 came to mean killing, destroying, or causing something to die.
殺 shows a forceful strike combined with cutting, leading to destruction or death.
Imagine crossed weapons delivering a powerful strike that ends everything. That decisive, deadly action is 殺.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 殺人 | さつじん | murder, homicide, manslaughter | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 殺す | ころす | to kill, to slay, to murder, to slaughter | common JLPT-N3 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 殺菌 | さっきん | sterilization, sterilisation, disinfection, pasteurization | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 殺し | ころし | murder, killing, murderer | common Noun |
| 殺虫剤 | さっちゅうざい | insecticide, pesticide | common Noun |
| 殺し屋 | ころしや | professional killer, hit man | Noun |
| 殺害 | さつがい | killing, murder | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 殺意 | さつい | intent to kill, intent to murder, urge to kill, murderous impulse | common Noun |
| 殺到 | さっとう | rush, flood, deluge | common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 殺人事件 | さつじんじけん | murder case | common Noun |
| 殺戮 | さつりく | slaughter, massacre | Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 殺人罪 | さつじんざい | (the crime of) murder | Noun |
| 殺人犯 | さつじんはん | murderer | Noun |
| 殺人者 | さつじんしゃ | killer, murderer | Noun |
| 殺人的 | さつじんてき | horrible, deadly, punishing, murderous | Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |