切る · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 切る | 切らない |
| Polite | 切ります | 切りません |
| Past polite | 切りました | 切りませんでした |
| Past | 切った | 切らなかった |
| Te-form | 切って | 切らないで |
| Desire | 切りたい | 切りたくない |
| Potential | 切れる | 切れない |
| Passive | 切られる | 切られない |
| Causative | 切らせる | 切らせない |
| Causative passive | 切らせられるalso 切らされる | 切らせられないalso 切らされない |
| Volitional | 切ろう | |
| Polite volitional | 切りましょう | |
| Imperative | 切れ | 切るな |
| Conditional | 切れば | 切らなければ |
| Tara conditional | 切ったら | 切らなかったら |
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
cut; cut through; perform surgery
The core transitive meaning: cut something physically with a blade or similar tool. It can also be used for making a surgical incision.
I cut vegetables with a kitchen knife.
The doctor made an incision in the patient's abdomen.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
sever ties; break off a connection
Used for cutting off relationships, connections, obligations, or contact; common in fixed collocations such as 縁を切る.
See also: 縁を切る
He cut ties with his old friend.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Used for stopping the operation of lights, power, engines, appliances, and similar devices.
Please turn off the light before going to bed.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
end a conversation; hang up; disconnect
Especially common with 電話, meaning to end a call or disconnect a line.
See also: 電話を切る
When the conversation ended, she hung up right away.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
punch a ticket; tear off a stub
Used for processing tickets by cutting, punching, or tearing off part of them.
The attendant punched the ticket at the entrance.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
open something sealed; break a seal
Often appears as 封を切る, meaning to open an envelope, package, or sealed item for the first time.
He opened the letter that had just arrived.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
start; make a start
Usually found in collocations such as スタートを切る, meaning to begin an action, race, project, or new phase.
The new team made a smooth start.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
set a limit; come in under a limit; issue a cheque
Covers several set patterns: 期限を切る for setting a deadline, time or number expressions such as 10秒を切る for going below a limit, and 小切手を切る for writing or issuing a cheque.
They set the application deadline for the end of this month.
He ran the 100 meters in under ten seconds.
The company issued a cheque to the client.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
reduce; discount; beat down a price
Limited compared with the more common compound 値切る; used around prices or amounts being cut down.
See also: 値切る
I bargained the price down at the market and got it a little cheaper.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
drain; shake off water; let drip-dry
Common with 水気, 油, and similar liquids: remove excess liquid by draining, shaking, or letting it run off.
Drain the washed vegetables well.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Used for moving through or across something as if cutting a path, often in expressions involving waves, wind, or space.
The boat cut through the waves.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
criticize sharply; cut down verbally
A figurative use for sharply criticizing or dismissing something; often has a forceful, cutting tone.
The critic sharply cut down the film.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
act decisively; take the lead; strike a pose
Idiomatic uses in set phrases: 先陣を切る means to go first or lead the way, 啖呵を切る means to speak out boldly, and 見得を切る is a kabuki expression for striking a dramatic pose.
A young employee took the lead in the reforms.
He spoke out boldly in front of everyone.
The actor struck a dramatic mie pose at center stage.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
turn a steering wheel; turn a vehicle
Used with ハンドル and similar controls, meaning to turn the steering wheel or direct a vehicle.
See also: ハンドルを切る
I turned the steering wheel to the right at the intersection.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
slice a ball; put spin on a ball; make a ball curve
Sports and games use: to strike or handle a ball so that it bends, curls, or has spin.
In table tennis, you slice the ball sideways.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
shuffle cards
A standard card-game use, especially with トランプ or カード.
We shuffled the cards well before starting the game.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
discard a mahjong tile
Mahjong term for discarding a tile from one's hand.
He discarded a safe tile.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
dismiss; sack; expel; cut loose
A blunt figurative use for removing someone from a job, group, or relationship; can sound harsh when used of people.
The company cut loose the poorly performing sales representative.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
cut a groove; cut a stencil
Used for cutting or incising grooves; the mimeograph-stencil use is old or technical and not common in ordinary modern conversation.
The craftsman cut a narrow groove into the board.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
trump; take with a trump card
Card-game use, related to 切り札: to beat another card by playing a trump.
See also: 切り札
I trumped the opponent's ace with a trump card.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
cut the connection between groups
Go-game term for playing so that two opposing groups are no longer connected; the spelling キる is sometimes used.
See also: きり
Black cut the connection between White's two stones.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
start a fire by friction; strike fire with flint
Only when written 切る / 鑽る
Rare traditional use for producing fire with wood friction or by striking metal and stone; also lists the spelling 鑽る.
In the past, people struck fire with flint.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
trace a shape in the air; cut a shape through the air
Used when a sword or similar object is moved through the air so as to draw or trace a shape.
He traced a cross through the air with his sword.
Suffix after the masu-stem of a verb, as in 使い切る or 読み切る, emphasizing completion or using something up.
See also: 使い切る
We used up the budget within the month.
be completely; be utterly; be terribly
Suffix after the masu-stem, often with states or feelings such as 疲れ切る, 困り切る, or 冷え切る, emphasizing an extreme condition.
See also: 疲れ切る
He was completely exhausted after the long meeting.
do decisively; do clearly; do firmly
Suffix after the masu-stem, as in 言い切る, indicating that the action is done firmly, clearly, or without hesitation.
See also: 言い切る
She stated firmly that it was impossible.
He hung up the phone angrily.
I switched off the light before going out.
The new project got off to a good start.
We set the submission deadline for next Friday.
He severed ties with an old friend.
He turned the steering wheel sharply on the curve.
ディーラーがカードを切ってから配り始めた。
The dealer shuffled the cards before starting to deal.
The conductor punched the ticket.
切る is the general verb for cutting with a blade or tool, while 断つ emphasizes completely severing a connection, tie, or supply.
切る is the general, all-purpose verb for cutting anything, while 裁つ is used specifically for cutting cloth or fabric in sewing.
切る is the native Japanese verb for cutting anything, while カット is a loanword often used for cutting hair, film footage, or reducing amounts.
切る is the general verb for cutting anything, while 刻む specifically implies cutting into small, even pieces or marking repeated grooves.
切る is the general, all-purpose verb for 'cut,' while 切り取る specifically emphasizes cutting a piece away from something larger to remove it.
切る is the general, everyday verb for cutting or severing almost anything, while 斬る is reserved for killing or slicing violently with a blade, often in historical or dramatic contexts.
切る means to cut, usually with a blade, whereas 割る focuses on splitting or breaking something apart along a line.
切る is the general verb for cutting or severing almost anything, whereas 刈る is used specifically for trimming grass, hair, crops, or wool with a sweeping motion.
切る is the general word for cutting anything, while 摘む is used specifically for snipping or nipping off small parts of a plant like buds or stems.
接ぐ means to join broken parts back together, while 切る means to cut them apart.
切る means to cut something with a blade or similar action, while 切らす means to run out of a supply or lose an intangible resource like breath or patience.
キル (the loanword 'kill') and 切る (きる, 'to cut') sound identical when spoken but are completely unrelated words with different meanings.
only; just · since; after · continuously; remaining in a state
betrayal; treachery
reserving exclusively; full booking; chartering
discontinuation; termination; cancellation · end of a game of go
deadline; closing date; cut-off · closing up; keeping closed · cofferdam
switch; change over; renew
partition; divider; compartment · settlement of accounts; closing the books · preliminary warm-up ritual; toeing the mark · directing; managing; taking charge
partition; divide; mark off · manage; run; take charge of · settle accounts; close the books · crouch at the start; poise for the initial charge
pause; break; punctuation · break; end; stopping point; milestone
to one's heart's content; with all one's might; hard · resolution; determination; resignation
trump card; trump · ace up one's sleeve; secret weapon; last resort
cross; traverse
cutting down; sacrificing; throwing to the wolves · omission; rounding down; truncation
ride across; sail across; weather (a storm) · get through; overcome; survive · load completely; fill up
divide; separate; partition; mark off · punctuate; insert pauses; space words
cut end; section; opening; slit · point of view; perspective; new approach
beginning; start; first in a series
abandonment; giving up; forsaking · bargain sale; selling off cheaply · edge; boundary
end; conclusion · rounding up · revaluation; upward revision
change to; switch to; be replaced by
leftover pieces; end pieces; shaved meat · clipping
pointed knife; utility knife · logging; cutting down trees · beef scraps; meat trimmings · starting to speak; broaching a topic · extraction; splicing out
finishing reading · one-shot; complete story; non-serialized story · breaks and pauses (in a sentence)
best; finest; top-notch · exceptionally; extraordinarily; by far · jumping and slashing
cut off; separate; detach; sever; uncouple
cut off; cut out; excise; amputate
cutting; tearing off; clipping · cutting; cut (in earthwork) · robbery with assault; mugging
Alternate spelling for starting a fire by friction or flint; it is not the normal spelling for ordinary 'cut' senses.