Back to dictionary
JLPT N111画 · 11 strokesradical 斗freq #1504

diagonal, slanting, oblique

On'yomi (音読み)

  • シャ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • なな.め
  • はす

Mnemonic

As the night sky tilted at a diagonal, the stars danced obliquely, creating a slanted path across the heavens.

About this kanji

The kanji 斜 (しゃ) means slanting or diagonal and describes something that is not straight. It is often used in nouns rather than verbs, but you will frequently encounter it in compounds. For example, 斜面 (しゃめん) means slope, referring to an incline, while 傾斜 (けいしゃ) is inclination, indicating a tilt or slope. The word 斜め (ななめ) means slanting and can be used to describe angles or directions. It's useful to note that this kanji conveys a sense of being off-center or not aligned perfectly, which can be applied in various contexts, from geometry to describing a situation.

Example sentences

  • 斜面を下りるのが楽しい。

    Going down a slope is fun.

Meanings across languages

English
diagonal, slanting, oblique
Tiếng Việt
chéo, nghiêng, xiên
日本語
斜め, 傾斜, 傾斜
한국어
대각선, 기울어져 있는, 비스듬한
中文
斜, 倾斜, 斜角
id
diagonal
th
เฉียง
es
diagonal
fr
diagonal
de
diagonal
pt
diagonal

Common compounds

  • 斜面しゃめんslope, slanting surface, bevel
  • 傾斜けいしゃinclination, slant, slope
  • 斜めななめslanting, tilted, sloping
  • 斜体しゃたいoblique type, slanted type, division ring
  • 斜陽しゃようsetting sun, decline (e.g. of industry)
  • 斜角しゃかくoblique angle, bevel, sloping edge
  • 斜視しゃしstrabismus, squint
  • 斜線しゃせんoblique line, forward slash

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.