King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “sever”

Romaji: tatsu
to sever; to cut off

In Japanese, sever is , read (tatsu).

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. v5t, vt to sever; to cut off
  2. v5t, vt to suppress; to eradicate; to exterminate
  3. v5t, vt to abstain (from); to give up

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

severance, decline, refuse
on: ダン
kun: た.つ、ことわ.る、さだ.める
11 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “sever”

WordReadingMeaning
きる kiruto sever (connections, ties)
きりはなす kirihanasuto cut off (from); to separate; to detach
たちきる tachikiruto sever (ties); to break off (relations); to give up (an attachment, habit, etc.)

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
はんだん handanjudgment; judgement; decision
しんだん shindandiagnosis; medical examination
けつだん ketsudandecision; determination
むだん mudanabsence of permission; lack of permission
ちゅうだん chuudaninterruption; suspension; break
だんねん dannenabandoning (hope, plans); giving up

See also: Chinese symbol for “sever”.

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. Using a Tsuba on Your Bokken for Partner Practice
  2. How Much Should You Spend on a Wooden Practice Sword
  3. How Long Should a Bokken Be for Your Height
  4. Red Oak vs White Oak for Bokken Which Wood Wins
  5. Best Bokken for Beginners: Choosing Your First Training Sword
  6. Best Escrima Sticks for Students Choosing Your First Pair
  7. Essential Accessories for Your First Pair of Escrima Sticks
  8. Best Escrima Sticks for Your First Seminar
  9. Best Canes for Cane-Fu and Hapkido Training
  10. Which Rattan Sticks Have the Most Nodes for Durability