One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.

Share this page

Kanji Detail for 刺 - "to pierce, thorn"

  • Meaning

    刺 means "to pierce, thorn." Also associated with to criticize.

    1. To pierce - To stab; to thrust with something pointed.

    2. To criticize - To reproach; to blame.

    3. Thorn - Needle; something thin and pointed.

    4. Name card - Something to make one's name known.

    5. To probe - To observe the situation.

  • Words using

    • 名刺 めいし Listen business card
    • 刺身 さしみ Listen sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)
    • 風刺 ふうし Listen satire; irony; sarcasm
    • 刺す さす Listen to pierce; to stab; to prick
    • 刺し さし Listen grain thief; sharpened tube for testing rice in bags; sashimi (sliced raw fish)
    • 刺さる ささる Listen to stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce
    • 突き刺す つきさす Listen to stab; to stick; to pierce
  • Tattoo check:

    • Verified meaning: to pierce, thorn
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Also carries these associations: to criticize

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    thorn; pierce; stab; prick; sting; calling card

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    stab; prick, irritate; prod

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    (onom.) whoosh

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    to stab; to prick, to irritate; to prod

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    To stab directly. To kill. Such as an assassin is called 刺客. | To extract. Such as extracting a portion of a full text is called 刺取. | Piercing with a needle is called 刺. Such as 刺字 (tattooing). | Thorns. Such as 芒刺在背 (thorns in one's back). | Fine fish bones are called 刺. | Writing one's name on a card is called 刺. Today's name card is called 名刺. | To criticize. Such as 譏刺 (mock), 諷刺 (satirize). | To inspect. In Han there was 刺史, in charge of inspecting a province's governance. The old term for prefect was 刺史. Such as directly administered prefectures were called 直刺. | To stab. (Mencius) "Stabbing a person and killing him." | To pole. Such as poling a boat is called 刺船. | Needlework. Such as 刺鏽 (embroidery). Today's expressions like 盤刺. | To spy. Such as secretly gathering information is called 陰刺. | 刺刺: Talkative appearance. Such as 刺刺不休 (talking incessantly).
  • Onyomi

    tip
  • Kunyomi

    tip
  • Strokes

    tip
  • Radical

    tip
  • Related Keywords

Sentences including

  • You don't like sashimi , do you?

  • It is an exciting city , new york.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

Share this link via

Or copy link