kiru

Kiru is a romanization that can refer to several terms in Japanese and, occasionally, to names in other languages. In Japanese, the two most common verbs read kiru but are written with different kanji and have distinct meanings.

着る, pronounced kiru, means to wear or to put on clothing. It is a ru-verb and is used when talking about dressing oneself or another person in garments. The word appears in everyday phrases related to clothing and appearance.

切る, also read kiru, means to cut or to slice, and is a godan verb. It covers actions such as cutting objects, severing a connection, or turning off a device (for example, 電源を切る, to turn off the power). The kanji for this sense is different from 着る, even though the reading is the same.

Because both kanji share the same reading in modern Japanese, context and written form are necessary to distinguish them in text that uses romanization alone. In addition to these verbs, kiru may appear as a surname or given name in non-Japanese contexts, though its meaning in such cases depends on the origin.

Outside Japanese, kiru is encountered as a transliteration or as part of proper nouns and brands, where its significance is not related to the above meanings. As such, its interpretation relies on the surrounding language and cultural context.