Meaning & readings
graduate, soldier, private, die
Origin
This character appears to show a soldier or person finishing their duties, which connects to its primary meanings. The shape suggests a figure with armor or official status at the top, with a base or foundation below—representing someone who has completed their role or term of service. Over time, this visual of completion extended to mean "graduate" (finishing studies), "die" (the final completion of life), and by extension "soldier" (one who serves until the end). The character's structure captures the idea of reaching a conclusion or final state, which is why it carries multiple meanings related to ending and finishing.
AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Pictographic or simple.
Components
This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (卒).
Common words
- 何卒 なにとぞ please; kindly
- 学卒 がくそつ college graduate
- 高卒 こうそつ having graduated from high school (as one's highest completed level of education); high school graduate
- 卒業 そつぎょう graduation; completion (of a course)
- 大卒 だいそつ university graduate; having graduated from university
- 中卒 ちゅうそつ having graduated from junior high school (as one's highest completed level of education); having completed no schooling beyond junior high school
- 新卒 しんそつ new graduate; recent graduate
- 卒業後 そつぎょうご after graduation
Reference
- Strokes
- 8
- Kangxi radical
- 24
- Grade
- Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #772 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+05352