叱 — “Scold / Reprove” in Japanese

Master (高手)しつ, しち, しか

Radical ⼝ · radical 30 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Scold / Reprove” in Japanese is 叱, read shitsu, shichi, shika (しつ, しち, しか). 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 叱責 (reproach).

Try it now

What does 叱 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	叱
Meaning	Scold / Reprove
Readings	しつ, しち, しか
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	叱責 (reproach)

How to read 叱

叱 is read shitsu (しつ) or shichi (しち) or shika (しか) depending on the word.

Words with 叱

叱責

Learn 叱 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 叱

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

Updated: 2026-08-28