削
plane, sharpen, whittle, pare, shave
Readings
On'yomi
- サク
Kun'yomi
- けず.る
- はつ.る
- そ.ぐ
Nanori
- げ
Meaning
削 centers on removing thin layers from a surface: planing wood, sharpening a pencil, whittling, paring, or shaving off material.
Most common words using 削
20 of 88- 削除さくじょN3
deletion; elimination; erasure; striking out
- 削るけずるN3
to shave (wood, leather, etc.); to sharpen (e.g. pencil); to plane; to whittle; to pare; to scrape off; to erode
- 削減さくげんN2
cut; reduction; curtailment
- 掘削くっさく
digging out; excavation
- 削ぐそぐ
to chip (off); to shave off; to slice off; to cut off
- 添削てんさくN1
correction; looking over; touching up
- 切削せっさく
cutting (e.g. metal)
- 削れるけずれる
to be shaved or planed
- 研削けんさく
grinding
- 荒削りあらけずり
rough-hewn; incomplete; unrefined; still in the process of being formed
- 開削かいさく
excavation; cutting; digging
- 削り取るけずりとる
to shave off; to scrape off
- 削り節けずりぶし
flaked bonito
- 削げるそげる
to split; to be split; to splinter; to chip; to be sliced (off); to be scraped (off)
- しのぎを削るしのぎをけずる
to compete ruthlessly; to sharpen swords
- コスト削減コストさくげん
cost reduction; cost saving
- トンネル掘削機トンネルくっさくき
tunnel boring machine; TBM
- ファイルの削除ファイルのさくじょ
file deletion
- 予算を削るよさんをけずる
to curtail a budget
- 予算削減よさんさくげん
budget cut
Study
Etymology
削 combines 刂 (knife) with 肖, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of smallness or reduction, together suggesting cutting away thin layers.
Meaning mnemonic
A knife 刂 beside 肖 (which resembles a small moon 月 with a little extra on top) is used to shave off thin slices, like planing wood or sharpening a pencil.
Reading mnemonic
For サク, imagine using a knife to whittle a sack of wood shavings: sack -> サク, and the knife pares the wood down.