折 — “break / fold” in Japanese

Grade 4せつ, お

Radical ⼿ · radical 64 The building block this kanji is filed under

“break / fold” in Japanese is 折, read setsu, o (せつ, お). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 折る (to fold / break).

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What does 折 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	折
Meaning	break / fold
Readings	せつ, お
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	折る (to fold / break)

How to read 折

折 is read setsu (せつ) or o (お) depending on the word.

Words with 折

折るbreak / fold
骨折
屈折
挫折

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Kanji read the same way as 折

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28