King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “discrimination”

Romaji: sabetsu
distinction; differentiation; discrimination

In Japanese, discrimination is , read (sabetsu).

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

  1. n, vs, vt distinction; differentiation; discrimination
  2. n, vs, vt discrimination (against people)

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

distinction, difference, variation
on: サ
kun: さ.す、さ.し
10 strokes · JLPT 2
separate, branch off, diverge
on: ベツ
kun: わか.れる、わ.ける
7 strokes · JLPT 3

Other Japanese words for “discrimination”

WordReadingMeaning
め mediscrimination; discernment; judgement
くべつ kubetsudistinction; differentiation; discrimination
しきべつ shikibetsudistinction; discrimination; discernment
かんべつ kanbetsudiscrimination; judgement; judgment
ぶんべつ bunbetsuseparation (e.g. of rubbish when recycling); classification; discrimination

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
かくさ kakusaqualitative difference; disparity; gap
こうさてん kousatencrossing; intersection
じさ jisatime difference
ひざし hizashisunlight; rays of the Sun
ごさ gosameasurement error; calculation error
とくべつ tokubetsuspecial; particular; extraordinary
べつに betsuni(not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially
わかれ wakareparting (of people); separation; farewell

See also: Chinese symbol for “discrimination”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Choosing a Training Sword for Stage and Historical Combat
  2. Best Wooden Swords for Kids Starting Martial Arts Forms
  3. Are Wooden Kung Fu Swords Balanced Like Real Steel Blades
  4. Buying a Wooden Jian for Beginners
  5. Choosing a Bokken with Scabbard for Iaido Beginners
  6. Is a Plastic Saya Worth Adding to a Bokken for Drawing?
  7. Choosing the Best Aikido Bokken for Daily Training
  8. Choosing the Best Heavy Bokken for Suburi Training
  9. Are Bamboo Practice Swords Safer Than Wooden Ones
  10. Choosing the Best Wooden Sword Stand for Your Collection