tying up; binding; fastening; tightening
The act of tying, binding, or tightening something, often with a rope, string, or similar. Can be used literally or figuratively.
荷物の締めが甘いと、運んでいる途中でほどけてしまう。
If the tying of the luggage is loose, it will come undone while being carried.
Used in financial or accounting contexts to mean the total or sum, often at the bottom of a bill or statement.
The total on the invoice was 50,000 yen including tax.
conclusion; end; finish; rounding off
The closing or wrapping up of an event, meeting, or activity. Often used in phrases like 締めの挨拶 (closing speech) or 締めくくり (finishing touch).
At the conclusion of the meeting, the department head said a few words.
final meal after a drinking party
A meal eaten at the end of a drinking session, often a light dish like ramen or ochazuke. A common cultural practice in Japan.
After a drinking party, I like to finish with ramen.
dish made by adding rice or noodles to leftover hot pot broth
A dish created by adding rice, noodles, or other ingredients to the remaining broth of a hot pot (nabe) meal. A popular way to enjoy the flavorful broth at the end.
We added udon to the hot pot broth as the final dish and ate it.
choking technique; stranglehold
In judo and other martial arts, a technique that involves choking or strangling an opponent.
He is good at choking techniques and often wins by ippon in matches.
closure mark
Only when written 〆
A mark (often written as 〆) placed over the sealable flap of an envelope to indicate it has been sealed. Also used more generally as a symbol for 'closed' or 'finalized'.
Write the closure mark (〆) on the envelope's seal.
counter for reams of Japanese writing paper
A counter specifically for reams of 2000 sheets of traditional Japanese writing paper (半紙). Very rare and specialized.
See also: 半紙
I ordered two reams of Japanese writing paper.
The total bill comes to five thousand yen altogether.
The department head gave the closing speech at the year-end party.
We had ramen as the final dish to finish off the drinking party.
We added udon noodles to the broth at the end of the hot pot.
The fighter locked in a chokehold around his opponent's neck.
締め refers informally to the final total on a bill or ledger, while 合計 is the standard, general word for 'total' used in any context.
締め specifically means the closing or wrap-up of an event (as in a closing speech), while 終わり is the plain, general word for 'the end' of anything.
締め used alone in judo is a shortened way of saying 絞め技, the full term for a choking or strangling technique.
締め is the noun for the act of tying/fastening something (transitive), while 締まり describes the resulting tightness or firmness of something that has become tight on its own (intransitive).
tie; fasten; tighten · wear (necktie, belt); put on · total; sum up · be strict with; tighten discipline · economize; cut down on; tighten one's belt · salt; marinate; pickle · kill (fish, poultry); crack down on; press hard
deadline; closing date; cut-off · closing up; keeping closed · cofferdam
pressure; clamping; tightening; fastening
tightening; firming up; toning
manager; controller; administrator · chief treasurer · boss (of a gambling den)
shutout; lockout; freeze-out
conclusion; finish; wrap-up · settlement; management; control
bring to a finish; wrap up; conclude · bind firmly; tie up tightly · superintend; manage; oversee
tighten; fasten tight; constrict; compress · control strictly; put pressure on; squeeze; oppress
Standard kanji spelling for most senses.
Used specifically for the closure mark on envelopes; also seen in some traditional contexts.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
Derived from the verb 締める (shimeru, 'to tie, fasten, tighten'). The noun form 締め covers a wide range of meanings related to closing, binding, or concluding. The symbol 〆 is a cursive abbreviation of the kanji 締, used specifically for the closure mark sense.
shut out; lock out; exclude
full nelson
in all; all told; altogether
close up; shut tightly · close off; cut off; stop accepting
closing date; cut-off date; deadline
obijime; decorative sash cord
closing mid-way; mid-event closing · mid-event break; intermission with ceremonial clapping
temporary tightening; fit-up bolting
cold exposure before harvest
ceremonial hand-clapping
itajime; board-clamp resist dyeing
pounding down earth around tree roots · adding short branches at the base of an ikebana arrangement
water-binding; compaction by watering; hydraulic filling
putting on the tsuna; tying the yokozuna rope
grand total; final total; overall sum
drawstring fastener; cord lock