散
scatter · disperse · spend · squander
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of moon, weapon, and strike. Striking to scatter.
Symbolism
Walk, scatter, disperse. Represents scattering.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Cat relaxing
Component Breakdown
龷 + meat + strike
Words & Expressions
Words written with 散
Four-Character Compounds
雲散霧消
うんさんむしょう
vanishing like mist
離合集散
りごうしゅうさん
meeting and parting; alliance and rupture (e.g. changing alignment of political parties)
雲集霧散
うんしゅうむさん
(many things) gathering like clouds and vanishing like mist; swarming and scattering
怨敵退散
おんてきたいさん
invoking disaster upon one's mortal enemy; Confusion to the enemy!
雲消霧散
うんしょうむさん
vanishing like mist
Proverbs & Idioms
散り際が肝心
ちりぎわがかんじん
How you scatter is important
How you end matters
Poetry
ひさかたの 光のどけき 春の日に しづ心なく 花の散るらむ
On a spring day when the light falls so gently, why should the blossoms scatter with such restless hearts?
白露に 風の吹きしく 秋の野は つらぬきとめぬ 玉ぞ散りける
Across the autumn field, where the wind keeps blowing on the white dew, unstrung jewels are scattering.
牡丹散りて打ちかさなりぬ二三片
The peony falls, and two or three petals lie one on another.
Anime & Manga
うみねこのなく頃に散 - Episode 8: Twilight of the Golden Witch
Umineko When They Cry Episode 8: Twilight of the Golden Witch
A well-known work with 散 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
“scatter”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 散 mean in Japanese?
散 means scatter, disperse, spend, squander.
How do you read 散?
On'yomi: サン (SAN). Kun'yomi: ち.る、ち.らす、-ち.らす、ち.らかす、ち.らかる、ち.らばる、ばら、ばら.ける (chiru, chirasu, chirasu, chirakasu, chirakaru, chirabaru, bara, barakeru).
How many strokes does 散 have?
散 has 12 strokes. Its radical is 攴 (strike).
Is 散 a good kanji for a tattoo?
散 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means scatter, disperse, spend, squander. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.