刈 — “Reap / Cut / Clip / Trim” in Japanese

Master (高手)がい, かい, か

Radical ⼑ · radical 18 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Reap / Cut / Clip / Trim” in Japanese is 刈, read gai, kai, ka (がい, かい, か). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 稲刈り (rice harvesting).

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What does 刈 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	刈
Meaning	Reap / Cut / Clip / Trim
Readings	がい, かい, か
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	稲刈り (rice harvesting)

How to read 刈

刈 is read gai (がい) or kai (かい) or ka (か) depending on the word.

Words with 刈

稲刈り

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Kanji read the same way as 刈

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28