端
[ha̠ɕi]
The Japanese word for edge is 端.
端 refers to the border or extremity of something in both a physical and metaphorical sense.
Meaning: any sharp terminating border, a margin, a brink, extreme verge (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 端 can mean the edge or corner of an object, it is distinct from 隅, which specifically refers to an interior corner or nook. Depending on the context, other words may be more precise: 境目 describes an edge as a point of transition or the verge of something, 瀬戸際 denotes the critical point or threshold of a situation, such as being on the brink and 辺縁 can be used to refer to the edge of an area as the periphery or outskirts.
Did you know?
- The word 端 is used in the phrase 端的に to mean 'briefly' or 'to put it bluntly'. It refers to getting straight to the 'edge' or point of a matter without wasting words.
- The phrase 瀬戸際 for being on the brink comes from the word 瀬戸, referring to a narrow strait or channel of water. It evokes the image of a boat barely managing to navigate a tight passage.
- The kanji 端 consists of a 'thread' radical on the left and a component meaning 'end' or 'limit' on the right. This historically relates to the very end of a piece of fabric or string.
Examples in context
- こっちの端を持っててくれる？Will you please hold this edge?This sentence is useful for asking someone to hold a physical edge of an object using 端.Tatoeba #224126 by bunbuku, translation #61462 by CM
- 机の端にヒジ先をぶつけちゃった。I hit my funny bone on the edge of the table.This sentence shows how to describe hitting something on the edge of a table using 端.Tatoeba #183411 by bunbuku, translation #20534 by CK
- 人工知能の最先端の研究は私を蠱惑する。Cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence fascinates me.This sentence demonstrates the use of the compound word 最先端 to describe the cutting edge of research using 端.Tatoeba #11256152 by sh5555, translation #12623357 by urro
- このナイフのエッジはとても鋭いです。The edge of this knife is very sharp.
- 彼は意識の境目にいるようです。He seems to be on the edge of consciousness.
- 私たちは瀬戸際で経営を立て直す必要があります。We need to rebuild our business on the edge of collapse.
- 彼女は都市の辺縁部に住んでいます。She lives in the outskirts of the city.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at a piece of paper.
- 蓮 Ren紙の端が少し折れているよ。Kami no hashi ga sukoshi orete iru yo.The edge of the paper is slightly folded.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だ、気になっちゃうね。Hontou da, ki ni nacchau ne.You're right, it's a bit distracting.
- 蓮 Ren僕が直しておくよ。Boku ga naoshite oku yo.I'll fix it for you.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう、助かるわ。Arigatou, tasukaru wa.Thank you, that helps.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 端, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
