切ります（きります、kirimasu）
- to cut

The Japanese verb 切ります (きります) primarily means "to cut," "to slice," or "to chop." It refers to the action of using a sharp object, such as a knife or scissors, to divide something into pieces or to separate parts from a whole. It can also imply the act of severing or breaking something.

⚫︎パンを 切ります。 Translation: I cut the bread. ⚫︎手紙を 切ります。 Translation: I cut the letter. (Implies opening or tearing a letter) ⚫︎髪の毛を 切ります。 Translation: I cut my hair.

⚫︎This verb is used in a wide variety of contexts, including cooking, crafting, and even metaphorical situations. ⚫︎It is a versatile verb used in everyday conversation. ⚫︎You use it to describe the action of using a tool to divide or separate something.

⚫︎The verb 切ります is typically written in kanji as 切ります. ⚫︎However, in a casual setting or when you're not familiar with the kanji, you can also write it in hiragana as きります. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually ります.

⚫︎刻む (きざむ): to chop finely (usually food) ⚫︎裂く (さく): to tear or rip ⚫︎断つ (たつ): to sever, to cut off (often used in abstract contexts, e.g., to sever ties)

⚫︎There isn't a single direct antonym for 切ります, as it depends on the context. However, some possibilities are: ⚫︎繋ぐ (つなぐ): to connect, to join ⚫︎合わせる (あわせる): to combine, to put together

野菜を 切って、スープを作ります。 ・Translation: I cut the vegetables and make soup. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 切って, the -te form of 切ります, to indicate the action of cutting vegetables as part of a cooking process.

紙を 切って、折り紙を作ります。 ・Translation: I cut the paper and make origami. ・Explanation: This example demonstrates how to use 切って to describe how to cut the paper to make origami.

⚫︎The kanji 切 has roots in the idea of "to sever" or "to separate." The verb 切ります, along with similar words with the kanji 切, comes from this concept. The kanji represents the action of using a blade-like tool to divide something. The origin of the word is therefore very much connected to its practical meaning.