切きる

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.

• 包ほう丁ちょうで野や菜さいを切きる。

  I cut vegetables with a kitchen knife.

• 医い師しは患かん者じゃの腹ふく部ぶを切きった。

  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

• 彼かれは昔むかしの友ゆう人じんと縁えんを切きった。

  He cut ties with his old friend.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

turn off; switch off

Used for stopping the operation of lights, power, engines, appliances, and similar devices.

• 寝ねる前まえに電でん気きを切きってください。

  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

• 話はなしが終おわると、彼かの女じょはすぐ電でん話わを切きった。

  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.

• 係かかり員いんが入いり口ぐちでチケットを切きった。

  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.

• 彼かれは届とどいたばかりの手て紙がみの封ふうを切きった。

  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.

• 新あたらしいチームは順じゅん調ちょうなスタートを切きった。

  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.

• 申もうし込こみの期き限げんを今こん月げつ末まつに切きった。

  They set the application deadline for the end of this month.

• 彼かれは百ひゃくメートルで十じゅう秒びょうを切きった。

  He ran the 100 meters in under ten seconds.

• 会かい社しゃは取とり引ひき先さきに小こ切ぎっ手てを切きった。

  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

• 市いち場ばで値ねを切きって、少すこし安やすくしてもらった。

  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.

• 洗あらった野や菜さいの水みず気けをよく切きる。

  Drain the washed vegetables well.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

cut through; cross; traverse

Used for moving through or across something as if cutting a path, often in expressions involving waves, wind, or space.

• 船ふねは波なみを切きって進すすんだ。

  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.

• 評ひょう論ろん家かはその映えい画がをばっさり切きった。

  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.

• 若わか手て社しゃ員いんが改かい革かくの先せん陣じんを切きった。

  A young employee took the lead in the reforms.

• 彼かれは大おお勢ぜいの前まえで啖たん呵かを切きった。

  He spoke out boldly in front of everyone.

• 役やく者しゃが舞ぶ台たいの中ちゅう央おうで見み得えを切きった。

  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

• 交こう差さ点てんでハンドルを右みぎに切きった。

  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.

• 卓たっ球きゅうでボールを横よこに切きる。

  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.

• ゲームを始はじめる前まえにトランプをよく切きった。

  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.

• 彼かれは安あん全ぜん牌ぱいを切きった。

  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.

• 会かい社しゃは成せい績せきの悪わるい営えい業ぎょう担たん当とうを切きった。

  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.

• 職しょく人にんが板いたに細ほそい溝みぞを切きった。

  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

• 相あい手てのエースを切きり札ふだで切きった。

  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

• 黒くろは白しろの二に子しの連れん絡らくを切きった。

  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.

• 昔むかしは火ひ打うち石いしで火ひを切きった。

  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.

• 彼かれは刀かたなで空そらを十じゅう文もん字じに切きった。

  He traced a cross through the air with his sword.

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

do completely; finish doing

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

• 今こん月げつ中ちゅうに予よ算さんを使つかい切きった。

  We used up the budget within the month.

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

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

• 彼かれは長ながい会かい議ぎのあと疲つかれ切きっていた。

  He was completely exhausted after the long meeting.

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

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

• 彼かの女じょはそれは無む理りだと言いい切きった。

  She stated firmly that it was impossible.