字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

tighten, tie, shut, lock, fasten

On’yomi テイ
Kun’yomi し.まる、し.まり、し.める、-し.め、-じ.め

Origin

The left side, the character for thread or string, classifies this as a word about textiles or binding. The right side, pronounced "tei", sounds like the character's Chinese reading and acts as a sound hint rather than adding meaning. Together, the combination of "thread" with this sound marker created a character meaning to tighten or fasten by pulling thread or rope tight, which naturally extended to mean shutting, locking, or securing anything firmly.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).

締 15 strokes

Components

  • 糸 radical left
  • 帝 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 締結 ていけつ conclusion; execution (of a contract)
  • 締約 ていやく conclusion of a treaty
  • 締め しめ tying up; binding
  • 締める しめる to tie; to fasten
  • 取締役 とりしまりやく company director; board member
  • 取締法 とりしまりほう control law
  • 戸締まり とじまり locking up (doors and windows); fastening the doors
  • 取締役会 とりしまりやくかい board of directors

Related kanji

Same sound component 帝
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
15
Kangxi radical
120
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#797 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+07DE0