Kanji 刻: engrave, cut fine, chop, hash, mince, time, carving
Key takeaways
Kanji 刻: engrave, cut fine, chop, hash, mince, time, carving. Readings and core meaning.
See vocabulary and examples below.
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
Core meaning: 刻
engrave, cut fine, chop, hash, mince, time, carving
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
Mnemonic story
Imagine using a knife (刂) to engrave characters onto a boar (亥) bone or wood. In ancient times, notches were engraved on water clocks to measure time, which is how it gained the meaning of 'time' or 'moment.' You can find this kanji in words like 'time' (時刻) and 'sculpture' (彫刻).
