傷

• Reading: きず
• Romaji: kizu
• Kanji breakdown: 傷 (kizu/shou) — wound, injury, scar
• Pronunciation: /ki.zɯ/

Meaning

Wound; injury; cut; scratch; scar. Physical damage to the body or surface.

A versatile noun covering a range of physical damage — from small scratches to deep wounds to old scars. Also used figuratively: 心の傷 (emotional scar/trauma). Distinct from 怪我 which refers to the event of getting hurt, while 傷 refers to the resulting mark or damage.

Examples

1. 包丁で指に小さい傷ができた。 I got a small cut on my finger from the kitchen knife.
2. 子供のころの傷がまだ残っています。 I still have a scar from when I was a kid.
3. この傷は深いので病院に行ったほうがいい。 This wound is deep, so you should go to the hospital.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, daily life, first aid

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 傷 combines 亻 (person radical) and a phonetic component, representing damage done to a person.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal