thorn, pierce, stab, prick

About this kanji

The kanji 刺 (し) primarily means "thorn" or "to pierce." It is often used in both nouns and verbs. For example, 刺し (さし) refers to a "grain thief," while 刺身 (さしみ) means "sashimi," which is raw sliced fish often enjoyed in Japanese cuisine. The verb 刺す (さす) means "to pierce," which captures the action associated with this kanji. A usage note to keep in mind is that while 刺 can refer to physical piercing, it can also metaphorically relate to cutting remarks or sharp feelings in conversation.

Example sentences

• 彼は魚を刺身にした。

  He made sashimi from the fish.

Meanings across languages

English

thorn, pierce, stab, prick, sting, calling card

Tiếng Việt

gai, đâm, châm, chích, đốt, danh thiếp

日本語

とげ, つく, つきさす, ちく, さす, 名刺

한국어

가시, 찌르다, 찔리다, 쓴맛, 자극, 명함

中文

刺, 刺穿, 刺, 刺, 蜇, 名片

id

duri, menusuk, menyengat

th

หนาม, แทง, บาด

es

espina, perforar, pinchar

fr

épine, percer, piquer

de

Dorn, Stechen, Stechen

pt

espinho, perfurar, picada

Common compounds

• 刺激しげきstimulus, stimulation, irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes)
• 刺しさしgrain thief, sharpened tube for testing rice in bags, sashimi (sliced raw fish)
• 刺すさすto pierce, to stab, to prick
• 刺身さしみsashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)
• 風刺ふうしsatire, irony, sarcasm
• 名刺めいしbusiness card
• 刺さるささるto stick into (of something with a sharp point), to prick, to pierce
• 虎列刺コレラcholera