裁 means “judge, decide, cut out”

さい · sai

Also: tailor, decision, cut out (pattern)

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): たつ, さばく
On'yomi (Chinese reading): サイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 12 strokes

The story

A blade (戈) slicing into clothing (衣, split open around it): 裁 once meant cutting cloth to a pattern, as it still does in 洋裁, dressmaking. Cut a case to its proper shape and you judge it: 裁判 is a trial, and 裁判所 is a court.

Used in 裁判 (saiban, trial), 裁く (sabaku, to judge), and 独裁 (dokusai, dictatorship)

裁 means “judge, decide, cut out”

The story

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