Japanese kanji 突: thrusts, sudden events and collisions

The idea

突 has 8 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 突く（つく） means to thrust or poke, 突然（とつぜん） means suddenly, and 衝突（しょうとつ） means collision.

Examples

• 彼かれは棒ぼうで箱はこを突つきました。He poked the box with a stick.
• 突然とつぜん、雨あめが降ふり始はじめました。Suddenly, it started to rain.
• 二台にだいの車くるまが衝突しょうとつしました。The two cars collided.
• 彼女かのじょは突然とつぜん、立たち上あがりました。She suddenly stood up.
• 棒ぼうで地面じめんを突つきました。I poked the ground with a stick.
• 船ふねが岩いわに衝突しょうとつしました。The boat collided with a rock.

Watch out

Do not apply つ to every word: compounds such as 突然 and 衝突 use とつ. 突然 describes an event, while 衝突 names a collision.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 突く in hiragana.

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   つく

   突く is つく: the verb can describe poking a box with a stick.

2. Write the reading of 突然 in hiragana.

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   とつぜん

   突然 is とつぜん: it describes something happening suddenly, such as rain starting.

3. Choose the missing kanji: 衝＿（しょうとつ）［突／犬］.

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   突

   突 completes 衝突（しょうとつ）, a collision, as when two cars collide.

Use it today

Write 突 using the diagram, then cover the readings and make a sentence with 突然.