徹 means “thorough, all the way”

てつ · tetsu

Also: penetrate, clear, pierce, strike home

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

テツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

Steps (彳), raising (育) and a guiding hand (攵): picture a parent seeing a child through every stage. 徹 is going all the way: 徹夜 is staying up all night, 徹底的 is thorough down to the last detail, and 貫徹 is carrying a plan right through.

Used in 徹夜 (tetsuya, all-nighter), 徹底 (tettei, thoroughness), and 貫徹 (kantetsu, carrying through)

More from Grit & Resolve

• 貫 pierce
• 頑 stubborn
• 耐 withstand
• 克 overcome
• 遂 accomplish
• 誓 vow
• 忍 endure
• 挫 setback
• 堪 hold back
• 諦 give up
• 志 aspiration

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