The Meaning of kitte [切手] In Japanese

切手
きって
Romaji: kitte N5

What does 切手 mean?

Translation and Meaning

postage stamp, stamp

Definition

What does 切手 mean? It refers to a postage stamp used to pay for postal services. It is a small adhesive label issued by postal authorities that is affixed to mail to indicate payment of postage.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning is a postage stamp used on mail.
  • In philatelic contexts it refers to stamps as collectibles and to stamp collecting discussions.

Etymology

切 means cut, 手 means hand; the compound kitte is a fixed reading in modern Japanese, illustrating how kanji compounds yield a pronunciation not obvious from the individual characters.

Origin

Meiji era late 19th century introduction of postage stamps as Japan modernized its postal system; stamps began circulating as official postal items.

Composition

  • 切 to cut; indicates a notion of a small, separable piece
  • 手 hand; in compounds the second element often scopes the unit as a token or item
  • the two together form a conventional term referring to a small paper piece affixed to mail to indicate postage payment

Usage

Used on letters and parcels to show postage payment; formal and casual contexts alike; in catalogs and postal forms; in everyday conversation when referring to stamps.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a tiny hand cutting a small piece of paper and sticking it on a letter to pay for postage

Variations

  • 郵便切手 yuubin kitte — standard postage stamps
  • 記念切手 kinen kitte — commemorative stamps
  • 普通切手 futsuu kitte — regular stamps

Example Phrases

  • 近くの郵便局で、切手を買って手紙を出した。
    Chikaku no yūbinkyoku de, kitte o katte tegami o dashita.
    I bought stamps and sent a letter at the nearby post office.
    Lista:
    • 近くの (chikaku no) – nearby
    • 郵便局で (yūbinkyoku de) – at the post office
    • 切手を (kitte o) – stamps
    • 買って (katte) – buy (te-form)
    • 手紙を (tegami o) – letter
    • 出した (dashita) – sent
    Core grammar: 「で」 marks location; 「切手」 is the object of 「買う」, and the te-form 「買って」 links to 「出した」.
切手