Readings: サン (Onyomi), ち.る, ち.らす, ち.らかす, ち.らかる (Kunyomi)
Meaning: scatter, disperse, fall apart, distribute, dissipate
The character 散 (sàn) is composed of 艹 (cǎo – grass/plants), 敞 (chǎng – wide/open, acting as phonetic and suggesting emptiness/openness), and 攴 (pū – to tap, strike lightly). The combination suggests “to scatter grass” or “to disperse broadly,” extending to meanings of things falling, dispersing, or being messy.
View JLPT N3 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 散 has 12 strokes. It starts with the grass radical (艹) at the top, followed by the components that form the “open/wide” part (敞 without 攴), and finally the “strike” radical (攴 or 攵) at the bottom right. Pay attention to the balance and flow, especially the final sweeping stroke of the 攴 radical.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 攴 (攵) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N3 |
| Grade | S |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- サン (SAN)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- ち.る (chi.ru)
- ち.らす (chi.rasu)
- ち.らかす (chi.rakasu)
- ち.らかる (chi.rakaru)
Common Words Using 散
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 散歩 | さんぽ | walk, stroll |
| 解散 | かいさん | dissolution, breakup |
| 散会 | さんかい | dispersal of a meeting |
| 散策 | さんさく | stroll, ramble |
| 散乱 | さんらん | scattering, diffusion, disarray |
| 散文 | さんぶん | prose |
| 散水 | さんすい | sprinkling water |
| 拡散 | かくさん | diffusion, spread |
| 飛散 | ひさん | scattering, dispersion (e.g., of debris) |
| 放散 | ほうさん | emission, radiation, dissipation (e.g., heat) |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 散る | ちる | to fall (petals, leaves), to scatter (intransitive) |
| 散らす | ちらす | to scatter, to disperse, to distribute (transitive) |
| 散らかる | ちらかる | to be in disorder, to be scattered (intransitive) |
| 散らかす | ちらかす | to mess up, to scatter things (transitive) |
| 散りばめる | ちりばめる | to stud with, to strew with |
| 散らし | ちらし | leaflet, flyer |
| 散らし書き | ちらしがき | scattered writing (a calligraphic style) |
| 散り際 | ちりぎわ | the moment of scattering/falling (e.g., cherry blossoms) |
| 散り落ちる | ちりおちる | to fall and scatter |
| 散り散り | ちりぢり | scattered, dispersed (adverbial noun) |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 毎朝、公園を散歩するのが日課です。
Kana: まいあさ、こうえんをさんぽするのがにっかです。
Romaji: Maiasa, kouen wo sanpo suru no ga nikka desu.
English: Taking a walk in the park every morning is my daily routine.
Japanese: 桜の花が風に舞いながら美しく散っています。
Kana: さくらのはながかぜにまいながらうつくしくちっています。
Romaji: Sakura no hana ga kaze ni mai nagara utsukushiku chitte imasu.
English: Cherry blossoms are beautifully scattering as they dance in the wind.
Japanese: 会議は予定より早く解散しました。
Kana: かいぎはよていよりはやくかいさんしました。
Romaji: Kaigi wa yotei yori hayaku kaisan shimashita.
English: The meeting dispersed earlier than scheduled.
Japanese: 私の部屋はいつも物が散らかっています。
Kana: わたしのへやはいつもものがちらかっています。
Romaji: Watashi no heya wa itsumo mono ga chirakatte imasu.
English: My room is always messy with things scattered around.
Japanese: 彼は鳥のえさを庭に散らしました。
Kana: かれはとりのえさをにわにちらしました。
Romaji: Kare wa tori no esa wo niwa ni chirashimashita.
English: He scattered bird feed in the garden.
Japanese: 大雨で道路に泥が散乱している。
Kana: おおあめでどうろにどろがさんらんしている。
Romaji: Ooame de douro ni doro ga sanran shite iru.
English: Mud is scattered all over the road due to the heavy rain.
Japanese: この病気は急速に拡散する恐れがある。
Kana: このびょうきはきゅうそくにかくさんするおそれがある。
Romaji: Kono byouki wa kyuusoku ni kakusan suru osore ga aru.
English: There is a risk that this disease will spread rapidly.
Japanese: 夕焼けが空いっぱいに広がり、美しい色を散らしていた。
Kana: ゆうやけがそらいっぱいにひろがり、うつくしいいろをちらしていた。
Romaji: Yuuyake ga sora ippai ni hirogari, utsukushii iro wo chirashite ita.
English: The sunset glow spread across the entire sky, scattering beautiful colors.
Japanese: 休日に気分転換に近所を散策した。
Kana: きゅうじつにきぶんてんかんにきんじょをさんさくした。
Romaji: Kyuujitsu ni kibun tenkan ni kinjo wo sansaku shita.
English: On my day off, I took a stroll around the neighborhood for a change of pace.
Japanese: 風船は空に放たれると、あっという間に散っていった。
Kana: ふうせんはそらにほうたれると、あっというまにちっていった。
Romaji: Fuusen wa sora ni houtareru to, attoiuma ni chitte itta.
English: When the balloons were released into the sky, they quickly dispersed.
Related Grammar & kanji list
Expand your study with grammar and kanji lists for other JLPT levels:
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.