はさみ

は

さ

み

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

scissors; shears; clippers

usually written using kana alone

The common tool for cutting with two blades. Also appears in compounds for specialized shears, such as 植木ばさみ or 裁ちばさみ.

Written forms

はさみUsage33%
Everyday spelling; usually written in kana.
ハサミUsage48%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling; common for product labels, emphasis, or learner-facing writing, mainly for the scissors sense.
鋏はさみUsage19%
Kanji spelling for the tool; less common than kana in ordinary writing.
剪刀はさみ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji spelling marked as such; mainly useful for recognition rather than everyday writing.

Kanji

鋏scissors
剪clip, snip, cut
刀sword, saber, knife

Similar words

カッター
A カッター is a utility knife or box cutter with a single blade, while はさみ has two opposing blades.
穴あなあけパンチ
The normal modern word for a hole punch; clearer and more common than the rare はさみ sense for that tool.

Etymology

Native Japanese word, plausibly related to はさむ, 'to hold or put between,' matching the action of two blades closing around something. The kanji 鋏 conventionally represents scissors or tongs; 剪刀 is listed as a rare spelling.