拶 — “Be Imminent / Draw Close” in Japanese

Master (高手)さつ, せま

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

“Be Imminent / Draw Close” in Japanese is 拶, read satsu, sema (さつ, せま). 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 挨拶 (greeting).

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What does 拶 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	拶
Meaning	Be Imminent / Draw Close
Readings	さつ, せま
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	挨拶 (greeting)

How to read 拶

拶 is read satsu (さつ) or sema (せま) depending on the word.

Words with 拶

挨拶

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Kanji read the same way as 拶

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

Updated: 2026-08-28