殺

殺 — kill, murder, butcher

Learn the correct stroke order for 殺 (kill), a 10-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 510 strokes

Stroke Order

Stroke 0 / 10

On'yomi (音読み)サツsatsu、サイsai、セツsetsu

Kun'yomi (訓読み)ころ.すkorosu、-ごろ.しgoroshi、そ.ぐsogu、あや.めるayameru

Strokes10

Radical殳

Frequency#581

Meaningskill, murder, butcher, slice off, split, diminish, reduce, spoil

Step-by-Step Diagram

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 10 — start from the green dot

Common Words

暗殺あんさつassassinationnoun

虐殺ぎゃくさつslaughter; massacrenoun

絞殺こうさつstrangling (to death); strangulationnoun

殺しころしmurder; killing; murderernoun

殺すころすto kill; to slay; to murderverb

殺意さついintent to kill; intent to murder; urge to killnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 殺 (kill) is taught in grade 5 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 10 strokes with radical 殳.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 殺 is #581, making it a frequently used kanji.

Example Words in Context

暗殺あんさつ — assassination

虐殺ぎゃくさつ — slaughter; massacre

絞殺こうさつ — strangling (to death); strangulation

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (殳)

殴assault 段grade 殻husk 殿Mr.毀break

Same reading

最utmost 済settle (debt, etc.)際occasion 歳year-end 説opinion 察guess 財property 妻wife

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 殺 have?

The kanji 殺 (kill) has 10 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 殺?

殺 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 殺 mean?

殺 means: kill, murder, butcher, slice off, split, diminish, reduce, spoil. On'yomi readings: サツ, サイ, セツ. Kun'yomi readings: ころ.す, -ごろ.し, そ.ぐ, あや.める.

What JLPT level is 殺?

殺 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.