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JLPT N117画 · 17 strokesradical 口freq #2141

menacing, dignity, majesty, threaten

On'yomi (音読み)

  • カク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • おど.す

Mnemonic

The menacing mouth of a lion roars, showcasing its dignity and majesty, ready to threaten anyone who dares to approach.

About this kanji

The kanji 嚇, pronounced "kaku" in on'yomi and "odo.su" in kun'yomi, generally means to threaten or to intimidate. It often describes a sense of menace or dignity. This kanji is typically used in nouns, such as 威嚇 (ikaku), which means threat, and 恐嚇 (kyoukaku), meaning intimidation. You can also find it in the verb 嚇す (kakusu), which means to threaten someone. A notable usage note is that while this kanji conveys a strong sense of intimidation, it can also be used in more formal or literary contexts to impart a sense of majesty or dignity.

Example sentences

  • 彼の言葉に驚き、思わず嚇れた。

    His words surprised me, and I was involuntarily frightened.

Meanings across languages

English
menacing, dignity, majesty, threaten
Tiếng Việt
đe dọa
日本語
威嚇
한국어
위협
中文
威胁
id
mengancam, martabat
th
น่ากลัว, ศักดิ์ศรี
es
amenazante, majestad
fr
menaçant, dignité
de
bedrohlich, Würde
pt
ameaçador, dignidade

Common compounds

  • 威嚇いかくthreat, intimidation, menace
  • 恐嚇きょうかくintimidation, threat
  • 嚇怒かくどgreatly enraged, furious
  • 嚇すかくすto threaten, to menace
  • 威嚇的いかくてきthreatening, menacing
  • 威嚇射撃いかくしゃげきwarning shot
  • 威嚇行動いかくこうどうthreat behavior, show of force, deimatic behavior

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