刀
かたな
sword, single-edged blade
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
侍は刀を持っていた。
さむらいはかたなをもっていた。
The samurai carried a sword.
博物館で古い刀を見た。
はくぶつかんでふるいかたなをみた。
I saw an old sword at the museum.
男は刀を抜いて構えた。
おとこはかたなをぬいてかまえた。
The man drew his sword and took a stance.
Common patterns
- 刀を抜く
- to draw a sword
- 日本刀
- a Japanese sword
- 刀を差す
- to wear a sword at one's waist
Memory tip
刀 is the curved, single-edged Japanese blade; 剣 (けん) is a straight double-edged sword. The character is 力 with an extra stroke — picture a blade with its handle.
Kanji in this word
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