# 断 — refuse; cut off

断 means “refuse; cut off”. It is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 11 strokes. On'yomi: ダン (dan). Kun'yomi: た(つ) (tatsu), ことわ(る) (kotowaru). You'll see it in words such as 断る (kotowaru, “to refuse; to reject”).

- Meaning: refuse; cut off
- On'yomi: ダン (dan)
- Kun'yomi: た(つ) (tatsu), ことわ(る) (kotowaru)
- Strokes: 11
- Level: JLPT N3 · set Doing & acting 2

## How to remember 断

An axe (斤) through the rice (米): cut off, refused.

Parts: 米 rice · 斤 axe

## Words with 断

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 断る | ことわる (kotowaru) | to refuse; to reject |
| 断つ | たつ (tatsu) | to sever; to cut off |
| 断じて | だんじて (danjite) | absolutely; positively |

## More in the “Doing & acting 2” set

[示](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/indicate/) · [検](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/examine/) · [断](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/refuse/) · [導](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/lead/) · [備](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/prepare/) · [助](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/help/) · [失](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/lose/) · [達](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/attain/) · [処](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/deal-with/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/refuse/. Last updated 2026-11-01.