刀 — Sword
Tap any reading below to hear native Japanese pronunciation
Ready to Actually Remember These Kanji?
Browsing kanji mnemonics without Spaced Repetition fades in 24 hours. Start your free 7-day trial to unlock the full deck, smart SRS reviews, and native audio drills.
Start 7-Day Free Trial →Visual Radical Families for 刀 (Sword)
These kanjis share the same recurring visual building block in Shibashi's Japanese kanji mnemonics. Tap any small tile to compare its story:
Common Japanese Words with 刀 (Sword)
Tap any word below to hear native Japanese pronunciation and see how the constituent kanjis combine:
Sword (刀) refers to a traditional Japanese single-edged blade or katana.
Frequently Asked Questions About 刀 (Sword)
What is the best kanji mnemonic for 刀 (Sword)?
▼
The Shibashi Japanese kanji mnemonic for 刀 ("Sword", read as とう) is: Why use a knife when you can cut your toast (とう) with a katana (かたな) sword... Using visual kanji mnemonics that combine the character's radicals, meaning, and reading into a single illustrated scene makes 刀 effortless to recall.
What does the kanji 刀 mean and how is it read in Japanese?
▼
The Japanese kanji 刀 means "Sword". Its primary reading is とう (On'yomi: とう; Kun'yomi: かたな). Our Japanese kanji mnemonics tie the reading directly into the visual story so you remember both the meaning and pronunciation together.
What are common Japanese words and compounds with 刀?
▼
Essential Japanese vocabulary words containing 刀 include: 刀 (かたな - sword; katana).
How do Japanese kanji mnemonics help you remember 刀 (Sword) faster?
▼
Traditional rote stroke repetition fades quickly. Shibashi's Japanese kanji mnemonics turn 刀 (Sword) and its shared visual radical family into memorable characters and objects, paired with smart Spaced Repetition (SRS) and native audio so the memory sticks permanently.