The kanji 突 primarily conveys the idea of "to thrust," "to stab," "to pierce," or a sudden action or movement. It implies a forceful and direct action, often with a pointed object. It also can suggest something that is protruding or projecting outwards.

・On-yomi (音読み): トツ (totsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つく (tsu-ku)

⚫︎ 突然 (とつぜん) Translation: Suddenly; abruptly; unexpectedly. ⚫︎ 衝突 (しょうとつ) Translation: Collision; crash; impact. ⚫︎ 突破 (とっぱ) Translation: Breakthrough; penetration; overcoming an obstacle.

The kanji 突 is a pictophonetic character, combining a semantic and a phonetic component. It is comprised of the radical 穴 (ana) which means "hole" or "cave," and the phonetic component 犬 (inu) which means "dog." The original form shows an object penetrating a hole. This signifies the core meaning of "to thrust" or "to pierce." Over time, the form evolved. The 犬 (inu) component does not contribute to the meaning, but serves phonetically to indicate the pronunciation.