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JLPT N36画 · 6 strokesradical 折grade 4freq #350

fold, break, decide

On'yomi (音読み)

  • セツ
  • ショウ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • お.る
  • お.り
  • お.った

Mnemonic

As you fold a piece of paper, you decide exactly where to break it with the sharp crease made by your hand.

About this kanji

The kanji 「折」 primarily means to fold, break, or decide. It can be used in both verbs and nouns. One common compound is 折り紙 (おりがみ), which means origami or the art of paper folding. Another example is 折れる (おれる), meaning to break, especially when something bends or snaps. You also have 折返す (おりかえす), which means to turn back or return, often used when talking about a journey. An interesting usage note is that 折角 (せっかく) conveys the idea of ‘with great effort’ or ‘specially,’ often indicating that something should not be wasted.

Example sentences

  • 傘が折れてしまった。

    My umbrella got broken.

Meanings across languages

English
fold, break, decide
Tiếng Việt
gập, bẻ, quyết định
日本語
折る, 折れる, 折り
한국어
접다, 부수다
中文
折叠, 折断
id
melipat, mematahkan
th
พับ, แตก
es
romper
fr
plier, casser
de
falten, brechen
pt
dobrar, quebrar

Common compounds

  • 折り紙おりがみorigami
  • 折れるおれるto break, to be folded
  • 折返すおりかえすto turn back, to return
  • 折角せっかくwith great effort, preciously

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