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刀

Sword
Stroke count: 2

Readings

On readingトウ
Kun readingかたな
JLPT level: N1JōyōGrade 2Level 2

Meanings

  1. swordRtK
    彼は鋼を鍛えて刀を作った。He forged the steel into a sword.tatoeba
    二人の刀がガチッと切りあった。Their swords clashed.tatoeba
  2. knife
  3. saber
  1. sword (esp. Japanese single-edged)
  2. katana

Popular Usage

剃刀

Radicals and components

Radical刀knife刂variant

Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

dagger (刀)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 87

Compound words

剃刀かみそり
razor
小刀こがたな
(small) knife; short sword; small sword
太刀たち
long sword (as opposed to the shorter katana); tachi; sabre-like sword worn on the hip with the blade facing down
短刀たんとう
short sword; knife; dagger; dirk; tantō
竹刀しない
bamboo sword (for kendo); bamboo fencing stick
刀剣とうけん
sword; dagger; knife; bayonet
大刀だいとう
(Japanese) long sword; large sword; guandao; Chinese glaive
日本刀にほんとう
Japanese sword (usu. single-edged and curved); Japanese bladed weapon
一刀いっとう
sword
印刀いんとう
seal-engraving knife
快刀かいとう
sharp sword
懐刀ふところがたな
dagger
儀刀ぎとう
ceremonial sword
軍刀ぐんとう
military sword
作刀さくとう
Japanese sword making
刀伊とい
Jurchen pirate tribe who invaded Tsushima in 1019
刀圭とうけい
medicine
刀痕とうこん
sword scar
刀匠とうしょう
swordsmith
刀禰とね
priest
刀疵かたなきず
sword wound
薙刀なぎなた
naginata
忍刀にんとう
Ninja sword
佩刀はいとう
wearing a sword

Additional Examples

彼はそれについて単刀直入だ。
He is very direct about it.tatoeba
彼の話し方は無礼といってもよいほどに単刀直入だ。
His manner of speaking is direct to the point of rudeness.tatoeba

Stroke Order

2 strokes

Sword. A curved blade with a handle.

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 刀

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step