Back to dictionary
JLPT N19画 · 9 strokesradical 手freq #1026

fasten, tie up, arrest, constrict

On'yomi (音読み)

  • カツ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • くく.る

Mnemonic

As the hand (手) swiftly ties up the loose ends of a document, it seems to arrest their freedom, firmly fastening them together.

About this kanji

The kanji "括" has a primary meaning of fastening or tying up. It can function as both a noun and a verb, depending on its usage. For example, in the compound 一括 (いっかつ), it means "lumping together," which refers to combining items or concepts into one group. Another example is 総括 (そうかつ), meaning "summarization," used to encapsulate main points. Additionally, the verb 括る (くくる) means "to tie up." A quick note is that this kanji is often used in formal contexts, so you might see it in written reports or documents rather than in casual conversation.

Example sentences

  • 彼は全体を括る。

    He summarizes the whole.

Meanings across languages

English
fasten, tie up, arrest, constrict
Tiếng Việt
buộc chặt
日本語
括る
한국어
묶다
中文
括号
id
mengikat, memasangkan, menangkap
th
มัด, พัน, จับ
es
atar, amarre, captura
fr
attacher, lier, arrestation
de
befestigen, festbinden, verhaften
pt
afirmar, amarrar, atender

Common compounds

  • 一括いっかつlumping together, summing up, bundle
  • 総括そうかつsummarization, summary, generalization
  • 包括ほうかつinclusion, complete coverage, comprehensiveness
  • 括るくくるto tie up, to tie together, to bind
  • 括弧かっこbrackets, parentheses
  • 統括とうかつunification, bringing together, generalization
  • 一括払いいっかつばらいlump-sum payment, paying the entire sum in one transaction
  • 概括がいかつsummary, generalization, generalisation

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.