刃 (rèn) is a Chinese character meaning “the edge of a knife”. It is written from 刀 (knife) and 丶 (dot stroke), one enclosing the other, and takes 3 strokes.
Build the character for “the sharp edge of a knife”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
刀 + 丶
Enclosing structure
Structure from: IDS ⿹刀丶，已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核对：第 1–2 笔构成刀，第 3 笔为点
Memory aid
A knife (刀) with one small dot (丶) added inside it. The dot is not decoration — it points at the exact place where the knife cuts: the blade.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
3 strokes
In real words
- 刀刃dāo rènthe edge of a knife; blade刃 = rèn
Go deeper
All readings
blade
the edge of a knife; blade; edged tool
刀剑等器物上锋利的部分；也指有锋刃的兵器。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刀刃dāo rènthe edge of a knife; blade刃 = rèn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刃 mean?
刃 (rèn) means the edge of a knife; blade; edged tool.
How do you pronounce 刃?
It is pronounced rèn.
What parts is 刃 made of?
刀 (knife) and 丶 (dot stroke), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS ⿹刀丶，已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核对：第 1–2 笔构成刀，第 3 笔为点. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 刃 have?
3. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刃?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刃?
Common ones are 刀刃. The reading of 刃 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.