宰 means “preside, administer”

さい · sai

Also: superintend, manager, rule

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

サイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

A roof (宀) over a sharp blade (辛): picture the steward who runs a great house and carves at its feasts. 宰 is presiding: 宰相 is a prime minister, 主宰 the leader of a theater troupe, and the novelist 太宰治 wore it in his pen name.

Used in 宰相 (saishou, prime minister) and 主宰 (shusai, presiding/leading)

More from Plans & Leadership

• 轄 control
• 摂 take in
• 吏 official
• 統 unify
• 案 plan
• 策 policy
• 提 propose
• 企 plan
• 施 carry out
• 監 oversee
• 推 push forward
• 督 supervise

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

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