殺 means “kill”

ころす · korosu

Also: murder, butcher, slice off

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ころす, そぐ, あやめる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

サツ, サイ, セツ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 5 · 10 strokes

The story

Picture a hand swinging a club (殳) at a tree (木) slashed with a cross (乂): something cut down for good. 殺す is to kill and 殺人 is murder, yet 殺到 is just a rush, like orders flooding in on sale day.

Used in 殺す (korosu, to kill), 殺人 (satsujin, murder), and 殺到 (sattou, rush/flood)

More from Law & Order

• 責 responsibility
• 捕 catch
• 危 dangerous
• 険 steep
• 罪 crime
• 犯 offense
• 逃 escape
• 盗 steal
• 制 control
• 治 heal
• 権 right
• 規 rule

Learn 殺 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.