Japanese symbol for “cut”

削減

さくげん

Romaji: sakugen

cut; reduction; curtailment

In Japanese, cut is 削減, read さくげん (sakugen).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

n, vs, vt cut; reduction; curtailment

Kanji and stroke order

削

plane, sharpen, whittle

on: サク
kun: けず.る、はつ.る、そ.ぐ

9 strokes · JLPT 1

減

dwindle, decrease, reduce

on: ゲン
kun: へ.る、へ.らす

12 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “cut”

Word	Reading	Meaning
切る	きる kiru	to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery)
傷	きず kizu	wound; injury; cut
縮小	しゅくしょう shukushou	reduction; curtailment; cut
刈る	かる karu	to cut (grass, hair, etc.); to mow; to clip
カット	カット katto	cut; cutting

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
削除	さくじょ sakujo	deletion; elimination; erasure
削る	けずる kezuru	to shave (wood, leather, etc.); to sharpen (e.g. pencil); to plane
添削	てんさく tensaku	correction; looking over; touching up
掘削	くっさく kussaku	digging out; excavation
削り節	けずりぶし kezuribushi	flaked bonito
減少	げんしょう genshou	decrease; reduction; decline
加減	かげん kagen	degree; extent; amount
減速	げんそく gensoku	deceleration