Ideographic Closing Mark

It marks closing, completion, or a final total. Read 〆 as shime (roughly «she-meh») when it stands for a Japanese word; the word beside it tells you which sense.

A Japanese dictionary's earliest quoted example for one sense appears in the 1688 book 日本永代蔵, where 〆 means taking something as one's own. For the envelope term 封〆, its earliest quoted example is around 1784; there, the mark shows that the flap is sealed. These dates mark recorded uses, not the sign's invention.

The closing idea appears in compact spellings: 〆切 is a deadline, 〆鯖 is mackerel cured with salt or vinegar, and 〆 can mean the final dish after drinking. As of 2026, Japanese reference works still record that food sense; an account note can use it for totaling or closing figures.

What does 〆 mean when someone sends it?

It points to something being closed or brought to an end. A lone 〆 is too vague to decode as a fixed chat reaction: ask what is being closed or finished. If the answer matters, ask for the full Japanese word.