Meaning
節 covers more ground than most kanji, but all its meanings trace back to one image: the node on a bamboo stalk — that hard, raised ring dividing one section from the next. Start there, and everything else falls into place.
Because nodes mark off sections, 節 came to mean any kind of section, segment, or passage — a verse in a song, a clause in a sentence, a chapter in a text. Seasonal transitions are also clear dividing points in the year, so 節 extended to mean season and seasonal festival. And since a bamboo node represents a measured, restrained boundary, 節 also carries the meaning of moderation, discipline, and self-control.
節 is written with 13 strokes and taught in Grade 4 of Japanese elementary school. Its radical is 竹 (たけ, bamboo), sitting at the top of the character. The lower component 即 contributes a phonetic hint. The character as a whole points to that firm, knotted ring along the bamboo — a dividing line that creates order.
At N2, you'll encounter 節 in both concrete contexts — bamboo node, finger joint — and abstract ones: season, energy-saving, milestone. Knowing both sides matters.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
節 has two on'yomi: セツ and セチ. Both derive from the same Chinese source, but they appear in different vocabulary sets.
セツ is the everyday reading. It shows up in words about saving resources, making adjustments, and seasonal timing — the kind you'll find in news articles, utility bills, and daily conversation.
- 季節 (kisetsu) — season (spring, summer, autumn, winter)
- 節約 (setsuyaku) — saving, economizing (money or resources)
- 調節 (chousetsu) — adjustment, regulation
- 節電 (setsuden) — power saving, electricity conservation
- 節分 (setsubun) — the bean-throwing festival on February 3rd, marking the seasonal change
- 音節 (onsetsu) — syllable (in linguistics)
セチ is an older, classical reading that survives mainly in traditional festival vocabulary. You'll see it almost exclusively in fixed cultural expressions.
- 節句 (sekku) — traditional seasonal festival (e.g., Hinamatsuri, Tango no Sekku)
- お節 (osechi) — traditional New Year's cuisine served in lacquer boxes
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
ふし (fushi) refers to a physical node, knot, or joint — the bump you can feel on bamboo, on a finger, or on a tree branch. The voiced variant ぶし (bushi) appears when 節 follows another element in a compound noun.
- 節 (fushi) — node, joint, knot (standalone use)
- 節目 (fushime) — turning point, milestone, important juncture in life
- 指の節 (yubi no fushi) — knuckle (literally "node of the finger")
- 竹の節 (take no fushi) — bamboo node
Common Words & Compounds
節 turns up across a wide range of everyday vocabulary, grouped below by theme.
Nature & Time
- 季節 (kisetsu) — season; one of the four seasons of the year
- 節分 (setsubun) — the day before the start of spring; famous for the bean-throwing ritual to drive away evil
- 時節 (jisetsu) — the season, the times; often used in formal letters ("in this season...")
Body & Structure
- 関節 (kansetsu) — joint (of the body, e.g., knee joint, elbow joint)
- 節 (fushi) — node, knot (on bamboo, wood, or fingers)
- 音節 (onsetsu) — syllable
Conservation & Discipline
- 節約 (setsuyaku) — saving, frugality; economizing money or resources
- 節電 (setsuden) — electricity saving; reducing power consumption
- 節水 (sessui) — water conservation
- 節度 (setsudo) — moderation, discretion, self-control
- 節制 (sessei) — temperance, abstinence, self-restraint
Adjustment & Control
- 調節 (chousetsu) — adjustment, regulation (of temperature, speed, etc.)
- 節減 (setsugen) — reduction, curtailment (of costs or energy)
Festivals & Culture
- 節句 (sekku) — traditional seasonal festival; there are five major sekku in Japan
- お節料理 (osechi ryouri) — traditional New Year's food, each dish carrying symbolic meaning
Milestone
- 節目 (fushime) — turning point, milestone, a meaningful transition in life
Example Sentences
もうすぐ季節が変わりますね。
Mou sugu kisetsu ga kawarimasu ne.
The season is about to change, isn't it?
節約するために、毎日お弁当を持ってきます。
Setsuyaku suru tame ni, mainichi obentou wo motte kimasu.
To save money, I bring my own lunch box every day.
節分には、「鬼は外、福は内」と言いながら豆をまきます。
Setsubun ni wa, "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" to iinagara mame wo makimasu.
At Setsubun, we throw beans while saying "Out with demons, in with good luck!"
彼女は関節が痛くて、病院に行きました。
Kanojo wa kansetsu ga itakute, byouin ni ikimashita.
She went to the hospital because her joints were hurting.
節電のため、使っていない電気は消してください。
Setsuden no tame, tsukatte inai denki wa keshite kudasai.
To save electricity, please turn off lights you are not using.
卒業は人生の大切な節目だと思います。
Sotsugyou wa jinsei no taisetsu na fushime da to omoimasu.
I think graduation is an important milestone in life.
エアコンの温度を調節してもいいですか？
Eakon no ondo wo chousetsu shite mo ii desu ka?
Is it okay if I adjust the air conditioner temperature?
食事の節制は健康のために大切です。
Shokuji no sessei wa kenkou no tame ni taisetsu desu.
Moderation in eating is important for your health.
竹の節は硬くて、とても丈夫です。
Take no fushi wa katakute, totemo joubu desu.
The nodes of bamboo are hard and very sturdy.
この曲の節はとても美しくて、耳に残ります。
Kono kyoku no fushi wa totemo utsukushikute, mimi ni nokorimasu.
The melody of this song is so beautiful that it stays in your ears.
Memory Tip
Picture a bamboo stalk in a Japanese garden. Those firm, raised rings along the stalk — each one is a 節 (ふし). Map that image onto the calendar: the seasons (季節) are the long sections between rings, and the festivals (節句) are the rings themselves, marking each transition. A bamboo node also holds back growth just enough to keep the stalk strong — that same restraint shows up in 節約 (saving), 節制 (temperance), and 節度 (moderation). One concrete image, one kanji, many meanings.