About this Draft
This page is part of the early access version of The Kanji Speedrun. The essentials—kanji meanings and mnemonics—are already in place and usable, but nearly every part of the page is still being polished. Some entries may contain mistakes, but please rest assured we are working hard to make revisions.
We’re sharing these drafts now so you can keep learning while we polish the full experience. If you notice something off, please don’t hesitate to let me know—it’s a huge help in improving the course!
刃
BLADE
Mnemonic
Take a sword (刀) and add a stroke on top. Picture that line as the sharp edge catching the light — the glint of the BLADE. It’s the part that cuts, turning a sword into something truly sharp.
刃 highlights the cutting edge of a weapon or tool. While 刀 can refer to the sword as a whole, 刃 points specifically to the sharpened blade.
Example Vocabulary
- 刃（やいば） – blade, edge of a sword
- 刃物（はもの） – bladed tools, cutlery
- 短刃（たんじん） – short blade
- 刀刃（とうじん） – sword blade
- 破刃（はじん） – broken blade, chipped edge
Where the edge lies
刃 narrows the focus to the very part that cuts. Whether in 刃物 (bladed tools) or the poetic やいば (blade of a sword), the kanji directs attention to the edge itself — the line between safety and sharpness.
Example Sentences
- この刃物はよく切れます。– This blade cuts well.
- 彼は光る刃を見つめました。– He stared at the shining blade.