Word
横切る
Meaning in Englishcross, traverse
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
横切る means to cut across or cross over something, often by moving across it rather than along its edge.
Main meanings
- 1) Physical crossing: crossing a road, river, or path by moving across it, typically taking a shortcut
- 2) Crossing in front of someone or a line: moving through a queue or sequence, effectively cutting across
- 3) Figurative or descriptive usage: crossing boundaries or limits in writing or speech
How to use it
横切る is a transitive verb used to describe physically crossing an obstacle; the object is marked with を and it appears in both formal and casual contexts, including narrative, journalism, and descriptive prose.
Variants and close terms
- 横断する (おうだんする, oudansuru) – cross or traverse across something
- 通過する (つうかする, tsuuka suru) – pass through or go past a boundary
- 避ける (さける, sakeru) – avoid, a conceptual opposite
Composition
- 横: horizontal, side; across
- 切る: to cut, to sever
Etymology
Phonetic evolution: yokogiru is a native kun'yomi compound formed from よこ (yoko) and きる (kiru), with the standard verb ending る.
Origin
Origin: No single origin event; a native kanji compound formed from 横 and 切る, attested in classical Japanese and continued in modern usage.
Word class
verb (動詞), transitive (他動詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N3
裏切る
uragiru
betray, turn against
N3
横断
oudan
crossing, traversing
N3
切れ
kire
cut piece, slice, cut
N3
切れる
kireru
cut well, break, run out, lose temper
N3
切り
kiri
limit, stopping point, end section
N3
適切
tekisetsu
appropriate, adequate, relevance
N4
親切
shinsetsu
kindness, helpfulness
N5
切符
kippu
ticket
N5
切手
kitte
stamp, postage stamp
Kanji