Word
切手
Meaning in Englishstamp, postage stamp
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 切手 mean? It refers to a postage stamp used to pay for postal services. It is a small adhesive label issued by postal authorities that is affixed to mail to indicate payment of postage.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning is a postage stamp used on mail.
- In philatelic contexts it refers to stamps as collectibles and to stamp collecting discussions.
How to use it
Used on letters and parcels to show postage payment; formal and casual contexts alike; in catalogs and postal forms; in everyday conversation when referring to stamps.
Variants and close terms
- 郵便切手 yuubin kitte — standard postage stamps
- 記念切手 kinen kitte — commemorative stamps
- 普通切手 futsuu kitte — regular stamps
Composition
- 切 to cut; indicates a notion of a small, separable piece
- 手 hand; in compounds the second element often scopes the unit as a token or item
- the two together form a conventional term referring to a small paper piece affixed to mail to indicate postage payment
Etymology
切 means cut, 手 means hand; the compound kitte is a fixed reading in modern Japanese, illustrating how kanji compounds yield a pronunciation not obvious from the individual characters.
Origin
Meiji era late 19th century introduction of postage stamps as Japan modernized its postal system; stamps began circulating as official postal items.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
手錠
tejou
handcuffs, manacles
N1
手近
tejika
near, handy, familiar
N1
手配
tehai
arrangement, search (by police)
N1
手筈
tehazu
arrangement, plan, program
N1
手引
tebiki
guidance, guide, introduction
N1
手本
tehon
model, pattern
N1
手回し
temawashi
preparations, arrangements
N1
手元
temoto
(money) on hand or at home, one's purse; usual skill
N1
手分け
tewake
division of labor