Meaning
剖 is an N1 kanji with 10 strokes, carrying the core meaning of to cut open, to dissect, or to divide. Listed in the Jōyō kanji (常用漢字) set taught in modern Japanese schools, it typically appears at the secondary level and above. In contemporary Japanese, 剖 almost never stands alone — it functions inside compound words, where its precise meaning of cutting open and examining becomes clear.
Structurally, 剖 is composed of two distinct elements: the phonetic component 咅 on the left, and the knife radical 刂 on the right. The radical 刂 is a simplified, side-mounted form of 刀 (katana, meaning sword or knife) and signals a cutting action. Wherever you see 刂 in a kanji, something is being cut, sliced, or divided. The left component 咅 provides the phonetic clue for the on'yomi reading ボウ (Bō) and carries no independent meaning in modern usage.
The most widely used word containing 剖 is 解剖 (kaibō), meaning dissection or anatomy. This term anchors biology, medicine, and scientific education across Japan. A student dissecting a frog, a forensic examiner conducting an autopsy, a scholar taking apart a literary text — all reach for 解剖 to describe systematic, careful examination. Learning 剖 opens up a substantial range of scientific and analytical vocabulary at the advanced level.
Beyond literal dissection, 剖 carries a metaphorical edge. Just as a scalpel reveals what lies beneath the surface, 剖 in certain compounds describes the intellectual act of cutting through complexity to expose underlying truths. The compound 剖析 (ぼうせき, bōseki), for instance, means the systematic breakdown of ideas or arguments — though this use is formal and more literary than everyday. That double life — physical and conceptual — gives 剖 unusual range for an advanced kanji.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
ボウ (Bō) is the sole on'yomi reading for 剖. Inherited from Middle Chinese, it is the primary — and in modern usage, essentially the only — reading for this kanji. It appears in Sino-Japanese compound words (熟語, jukugo) across medical, scientific, and analytical fields. Because 剖 does not appear as a standalone word in everyday speech, learners will always encounter it as part of a compound.
Key compound words using the reading ボウ include:
- 解剖 (kaibō) — dissection; anatomy. Formed from 解 (to undo, open) + 剖 (to cut), the combination describes opening something up and examining it systematically. The most common compound by a wide margin.
- 剖検 (bōken) — autopsy; post-mortem examination. Used in medical and forensic contexts to refer to the examination of a body after death.
- 剖析 (bōseki) — analysis; systematic dissection of ideas. A formal, literary term for breaking down a concept or argument into its component parts.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Modern standard Japanese dictionaries list no recognized kun'yomi readings for 剖. The kanji functions almost entirely through its on'yomi in compound words — characteristic of many advanced Jōyō kanji with meanings rooted in Chinese-derived vocabulary. Focus on recognizing 剖 within its key compounds rather than expecting a native Japanese reading.
Some older or classical references occasionally associate 剖 with the native reading さく (saku, meaning to split or divide), but this usage is archaic and not found in contemporary written or spoken Japanese. For all practical purposes at the N1 level, ボウ is the only reading to learn.
Common Words & Compounds
Since 剖 appears almost entirely in compound words, these vocabulary items are the main way learners encounter the character. The list below covers its core usage in modern Japanese, grouped by context.
Medical and Scientific Terms:
- 解剖 (kaibō) — dissection; anatomy. The core term for cutting open and examining organisms or bodies in a scientific setting.
- 解剖学 (kaibōgaku) — anatomy as an academic field. The suffix 学 (gaku) denotes a field of science or scholarship.
- 解剖室 (kaibōshitsu) — dissection room; anatomy lab. The room where dissections are performed in medical schools and research institutions.
- 解剖図 (kaibōzu) — anatomical diagram. Visual representations of the body's internal structures used in education.
- 解剖学者 (kaibōgakusha) — anatomist. A specialist in the science of anatomy and the structure of living organisms.
- 人体解剖 (jintai kaibō) — human body dissection. Specifically the dissection of human cadavers in medical education.
Forensic and Legal Terms:
- 剖検 (bōken) — autopsy; post-mortem examination. Used in forensic medicine to determine the cause of death.
- 司法解剖 (shihō kaibō) — forensic autopsy. An autopsy performed for legal or criminal investigation purposes.
- 病理解剖 (byōri kaibō) — pathological autopsy. An autopsy conducted to determine the medical cause of death or trace disease progression.
Analytical and Academic Terms:
- 剖析 (bōseki) — analysis; systematic breakdown. Used in formal writing to describe deep analytical investigation of concepts or texts.
- 解剖学的 (kaibōgakuteki) — anatomical. An adjective describing anything pertaining to anatomy or the structure of organisms.
Example Sentences
学生たちは理科の授業でカエルを解剖した。
Gakusei-tachi wa rika no jugyō de kaeru wo kaibō shita.
The students dissected a frog in their science class.
彼女は大学で解剖学を専攻している。
Kanojo wa daigaku de kaibōgaku wo senkō shite iru.
She is majoring in anatomy at university.
医師は遺体の剖検を行った。
Ishi wa itai no bōken wo okonatta.
The doctor performed an autopsy on the body.
この解剖図は人体の構造をわかりやすく示している。
Kono kaibōzu wa jintai no kōzō wo wakariyasuku shimeshite iru.
This anatomical diagram clearly shows the structure of the human body.
解剖学者は長年にわたって人体を研究してきた。
Kaibōgakusha wa naganen ni watatte jintai wo kenkyū shite kita.
The anatomist has been studying the human body for many years.
司法解剖によって死因が明らかになった。
Shihō kaibō ni yotte shiin ga akiraka ni natta.
The cause of death became clear through the forensic autopsy.
その医学部では解剖学が必修科目となっている。
Sono igakubu dewa kaibōgaku ga hisshū kamoku to natte iru.
Anatomy is a required subject at that medical school.
彼は問題の本質を剖析するのが得意だ。
Kare wa mondai no honshitsu wo bōseki suru no ga tokui da.
He is skilled at systematically dissecting and analyzing the core of problems.
解剖を通じて、医師たちは病気の原因を特定した。
Kaibō wo tsūjite, ishi-tachi wa byōki no gen'in wo tokutei shita.
Through dissection, the doctors identified the cause of the disease.
Memory Tip
Start with the right side of the character: the radical 刂, a slim, side-mounted version of 刀 (knife or sword). Any kanji with 刂 on the right involves cutting or dividing — 割 (to split), 切 (to cut), and 剖 all share this feature. The left component 咅 gives the sound hint ボウ (Bō). Picture a surgeon calling out "Bō!" as the scalpel makes its first incision — the knife is literally built into the character. Anchor everything to 解剖 (kaibō), the one word that carries 剖 in almost every context you will encounter it. Once you link 剖 to the knife radical and the sound Bō, the meaning — dissect, cut open — stays with you.