Expressions 大たい 切せつ にする cherish; treasure; prize · take good care of; look after Related words 熱心 is the common, everyday word for being eager or enthusiastic, while 切 is a more formal, literary term used mainly in fixed phrases like 切に願う .
Don't confuse with 切る is the ordinary verb meaning 'to cut' or, colloquially, 'to turn off', while 切 is only used as a switch label or in formal set phrases like 切に願う , sharing the same kanji but a different reading and grammatical role.
Word family· 52 important; significant; crucial · precious; dear; cherished · careful; with care
appropriate; suitable; proper
kind; considerate; friendly
cutting; severing; sectioning · amputation · disconnection; cutoff; severance of a connection
painful; heartrending; trying · oppressive; suffocating; miserable
Show 21 more Show fewer unsuitable; inappropriate; improper
surgical removal; resection; ablation; cut off; cut out
earnest; sincere; keen · pressing; urgent; serious · pertinent; appropriate; fitting
incision; cutting open; surgical operation
eagerly; earnestly; ardently
urgency; imminence; pressure
earnest desire; eager hope; longing
cutting; machining
keen; acute; heartfelt
kind and thorough; considerate and detailed
segment; slice; section; fragment · intercept
seppuku; harakiri; ritual suicide by disembowelment · seppuku as a death penalty; judicial seppuku
passionate; fervent; earnest · moving; touching; heartfelt
cut wound; incised wound; knife wound
ardent love; deep affection
deep love; ardent affection
switch-back
incisor; front tooth · grinding one's teeth; bruxism; gnashing of teeth
notch; indentation; incisure
working hard; applying oneself; cultivating one's character · polishing stones
thin washer on a sword guard · up to the hilt; at wits' end
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Written forms 切せつ Usage 55%
Standard kanji form for the na-adjective/noun sense; also used in the interjection sense.
せつ Usage 27%
Kana spelling is acceptable, especially in casual writing or when avoiding the kanji.
セツ Usage 18%
Etymology The kanji 切 originally means 'cut'. The 'eager' sense likely developed from the idea of cutting deeply into one's heart, while the 'OFF' sense is an abbreviation of 切る (to cut off).
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