Skip to content
道Nihongo Path
蔑

蔑·despise

On-yomi
ベツ
Kun-yomi
さげす(む)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

14 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
軽蔑けいべつcontempt
蔑むさげすむto look down on, scorn
侮蔑ぶべつscorn, disdain
蔑視べっしcontemptuous view, disdain

Example sentences

  1. 私は嘘をつく人を軽蔑する。

    わたしはうそをつくひとをけいべつする。

    I despise people who lie.

  2. 彼は人を蔑むような目で見た。

    かれはひとをさげすむようなめでみた。

    He looked at people with scorn in his eyes.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 蔑視 as べつし — it assimilates to べっし.
  • 軽蔑 is the everyday word; 蔑む is noticeably literary.

Memory aid

Picture it

Grass 艹 over an eye 罒 laid on its side — looking down on someone from over the top of the weeds.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 蔑 mean?