King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “stab”

Romaji: sasu
to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick

In Japanese, stab is , read (sasu).

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. v5s, vt to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick; to thrust
  2. v5s, vt to sting; to bite
  3. v5s, vt to sew; to stitch; to embroider
  4. v5s, vt to pole (a boat)
  5. v5s, vt to catch (with a limed pole)
  6. v5s, vt to put (a runner) out; to pick off (baseb)

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

thorn, pierce, stab
on: シ
kun: さ.す、さ.さる、さ.し、さし
8 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “stab”

WordReadingMeaning
つきさす tsukisasuto stab; to stick; to pierce
つき tsukithrust; stab; lunge
つく tsukuto prick; to stab
ししょう shishoustab; puncture wound
つきたてる tsukitateruto stab (into); to thrust (violently)

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
しげき shigekistimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes)
めいし meishibusiness card
さしみ sashimisashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)
ふうし fuushisatire; irony; sarcasm
ささる sasaruto stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce

See also: Chinese symbol for “stab”.

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.

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