long sword; tachi
General term for a long sword, often contrasted with the shorter katana. In modern contexts, may refer to any long Japanese sword.
I saw an old long sword at the museum.
tachi; sabre-like sword
Only when written 太刀
Historical term for a specific type of Japanese sword worn slung from the hip with the cutting edge facing down, used primarily before the katana became common.
The samurai drew his tachi and took a stance.
Warriors of the Heian period wore tachi at their hips.
He swung his tachi and cut down the enemy.
This warlord always wore a tachi at his hip.
刀 is the common word for a (usually shorter) Japanese sword worn edge-up, while 太刀 refers to the older, longer type worn edge-down.
剣 is a general, often double-edged sword (including foreign ones), whereas 太刀 specifically denotes a traditional Japanese long, curved sword.
太刀 refers to an older style of longer, more curved Japanese sword worn edge-down, whereas 日本刀 is the broad modern term covering all traditionally made Japanese swords.
打刀 is the later style of sword worn thrust through the sash with the edge up, unlike 太刀 which is suspended from the hip with the edge down.
タチ (the LGBTQ+ slang for 'top') and 太刀 (a long Japanese sword) are pronounced identically but have completely unrelated meanings.
太刀 and 大刀 look alike because 太 and 大 are easily confused kanji, but 太刀 names an older style of long sword worn slung from the belt, while 大刀 is a broader term for any large sword including later katana.
crossing swords; sword fight · competing against; contending with; fighting against
assistance in a fight; backup · helper in a fight; supporter
largehead hairtail; scabbard fish; beltfish
short sword; small sword
stroke of a sword; single sword cut
extra-long sword; great sword
point of a sword; forceful debate
swordsmanship; sword technique; way of the sword
long sword cloth bag; bag for long swords
Standard kanji form; high priority in news and frequency lists.
Alternate kanji form; less common than 太刀.
Rarely used kanji form.
The reading たち is native Japanese. The kanji 太刀 literally means 'thick sword', referring to its larger size compared to a katana.
sound of a sword cutting or clashing
wooden sword
extra-long sword; field sword
ancient longsword
ornamental sword; ceremonial sword