Japanese symbol for “sever”
断つ
たつ
Romaji: tatsu
to sever; to cut off
In Japanese, sever is 断つ, read たつ (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
- v5t, vt to sever; to cut off
- v5t, vt to suppress; to eradicate; to exterminate
- v5t, vt to abstain (from); to give up
Written forms: 断つ、絶つ、斷つ. Readings: たつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sever”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 切る | きる kiru | to sever (connections, ties) |
| 切り離す | きりはなす kirihanasu | to cut off (from); to separate; to detach |
| 断ち切る | たちきる tachikiru | to sever (ties); to break off (relations); to give up (an attachment, habit, etc.) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 判断 | はんだん handan | judgment; judgement; decision |
| 診断 | しんだん shindan | diagnosis; medical examination |
| 決断 | けつだん ketsudan | decision; determination |
| 無断 | むだん mudan | absence of permission; lack of permission |
| 中断 | ちゅうだん chuudan | interruption; suspension; break |
| 断念 | だんねん dannen | abandoning (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.