Japanese symbol for “reduce”
切る
きる
Romaji: kiru
to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery)
In Japanese, reduce is 切る, read きる (kiru).
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
- v5r, vt to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery)
- v5r, vt to sever (connections, ties)
- v5r, vt to turn off (e.g. the light)
- v5r, vt to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to disconnect
- v5r, vt to punch (a ticket); to tear off (a stub)
- v5r, vt to open (something sealed)
Written forms: 切る. Readings: きる、キる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reduce”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 引き下げる | ひきさげる hikisageru | to lower (a price, tax, standard, etc.); to bring down; to reduce |
| 狭める | せばめる sebameru | to narrow; to reduce; to contract |
| 落とす | おとす otosu | to lower (e.g. shoulders or voice); to lessen (e.g. production or body weight); to worsen (quality) |
| 下げる | さげる sageru | to lower; to reduce; to bring down |
| 縮める | ちぢめる chijimeru | to shorten; to reduce; to condense |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大切 | たいせつ taisetsu | important; significant; serious |
| 一切 | いっさい issai | all; everything; entirety |
| 適切 | てきせつ tekisetsu | appropriate; suitable; fitting |
| 切り | きり kiri | end; finish; place to stop |
| 親切 | しんせつ shinsetsu | kind; gentle; considerate |
See also: Chinese symbol for “reduce”.
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.