締 — “Tighten / Tie / Shut / Lock” in Japanese

Master (高手)てい, し, -し, -じ

Radical ⽷ · radical 120 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Tighten / Tie / Shut / Lock” in Japanese is 締, read tei, shi, ji (てい, し, -し, -じ). 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 締結 (conclusion of a treaty).

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What does 締 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	締
Meaning	Tighten / Tie / Shut / Lock
Readings	てい, し, -し, -じ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	締結 (conclusion of a treaty)

How to read 締

締 is read tei (てい) or shi (し) or shi (-し) or ji (-じ) depending on the word.

Words with 締

締結

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Kanji read the same way as 締

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

Updated: 2026-08-28