FIRSTGRADE 1-3 THE 76 FIRST GRADE CHARACTERS N + UKI

FIRSTGRADE 1-3
THE 76 FIRST GRADE CHARACTERS
ICHI,
ITSU, hito-
ONE
I stroke
-
E
€- A
ICHIGATSU
January
XfUffSU
uniformity
ffffOzu
oneperson
The easiestcharacterof all. A pictographof a single extendedfinger .,Mnemonic: ONE FINGER
U, YU, migi
RIGHT
5 strokes
h trn UHA
h E UGAN
fr + MIGITE
rightistfaction
rightbank
righthand
originally 6, showing a right hand .!- over a mouth trt 20. The right hand symbolisedstrength/support, and the original meaningof 2 was support verbally (still occasionally found in chinese). This meaning was later assumedby an NGU character
1fi,
that addsperson y' 39, while 2 itself cameto meansimply right hand. The retention
of
mouth E may havebeeninfluencedby a popularinterpretationof the elements
as hand
favored for feeding.
Mnemonic: RIGHT HAND TO THE MOUTH
N + UKI
rainyseason
t ffi onur
heavyrain
ffi = AMAGLIMO raincloud
Ancient form rf.\ ot
A . Raindrops ll faling from croudsrT) beneatha symbol of
the heavens-. Some scholarsfeel
that rz alone is cloud, and that I is a symbol of
falting.
Mnemonic: RAIN FROM HEAVENLY
CLOUDS
FIRSTGRADE 7.9
FIRST GRADE 4-6
K A , G E , s h i t a , s h i m o , m o t o , {E T
circle
rg,lre
decrease
EN, marui
n M
ENKEI
ROUND, YBN
E H
ENDAKA
stong yen
kudasarul r u, sagaru,oriru
T F cnsHe
4 strokes
tr E
FryAKUEN hundredven
BASE, UNDER, LOWER
JIIT TEwASHIMo
ahghting
3 strokes
downstream
Formerly @ a indicatesroundness,while P is round kettle 228 q'v., hereemphasisingroundnessand also lending its sound to expresscircle. The meaningcoin
Symbol indicating an areabelow a given line. Originally = , with a vertical line addedlat-
(yen in Japan)stemsfrom an associationof shape. A simpler if facetiousmnemonicis to
er for emphasis.The downwardstilt of the short third strokeis also believedto be for em-
seethe characteras a bank-tellerts window, from which round coins are issued.
phasis.
Mnemonic: ROUND COINS FROM BANK'TELLER'S WINDOW
Mnemonic: T-BAR WITH DROOPY LOWER HANDLE
o
:L f
OJI
pnnce
KING, RULER
kr
roo
queen
4 strokes
I. ffi oseve
KA, hi
FIRE
king
4 strokes
^ re E KAYoBT
X ilr KAZAN
^ 4L HseNe
Tuesday
volcano
spark
Usually explainedas a symbolof the threeordersof heaven,earth, and man a united
by an all-pervading force I , to give a meaningof great potentate or king. A useful
Stylisedderivativeof pictographof fire with flames and sparks {y'.
mnemonic, but incorrect. 3i was oncewritten $ and $ , depictingthe btade of a
'big gun' and 'big shot',it
targe battle ax. Over the years,ratherlike the English terms
OCCllfS iIS rrrr
came to mean powerful figure, and eventuallyking.
Mnemonic: FLAMES OF FIRE
Mnemonic: KING WITH AX RULES HEAVEN, EARTH AND MAN
+
ON, IN, oto, ne
SOUND
9 strokes
music
E * oNceru
consonant
* E smnr
gersUoN
pronunciation
# E
. rfre old form of speak Z Zlq q.v., g , with the additionof tongue
$
- insidethe mouth E to show gleatervocalisation, i.e. shout/sing. This led to just
sound. Suggesttaking -r1 as rise/stand 73, and B as sun 62.
Oncewritten
...H-
{E
KA, hana
FLOWER, BLOSSOM
7 strokes
nt a rad.icaloften
lZ Jt xasEN
tt -lt HeNasr
it -F, ueNam
Petal
fireworks
blossomviewing
Grass/plant ? (derived from a pictographof growing plants Vg to rIF to +t to i-f )
plus change lU 238q.v., to give a meaningof changein state of plants, i.e. blossoming.
Mnemonic:FLOWERS APPEAR WHEN PLANTS UNDERGO CHANGE
M n e m o n i c :S O U N D O F R I S I N G S U N
au\sr
l0
v\ruL)
FIRSTGRADE 13-15
lv-IZ
.+
f
GAKU, mana}u
LEARNING
8 strokes
Y & cerro
'fL Y receru
Y # CerUSue
school
chemistry
scholar
KYfl,
13
yasunra
REST
6 strokes
fF E rYUltrSU
holiday
ffi Si rv0ssN
rruce
H- rt 4 NATSUYASUMT
summervacation
Somewhatobscure.Formerly#,^aoriginally
!$. F(/EJ representshands. f is a
CO charactermeaningintertwine, and showsinterwovensticks. Sincethe stickshad to
be matchedit hasconnotationsof match and by extensionemulate. Thus FF meansemulate manually. An old form
rugg"rtr that rr derivesfrom a roofl building,ff,
f,
but some scholarsmaintain that ,ff was originally merely a stylisation of {, and cite another old fo.m f . Chitd + 25 is a later addition, presumablyfrom a natural association
of children with the idea of manualemulation (i.e. learning by imitation to use the hands,
symbolicof learning in general).Suggesttaking tsl as an ornate roof.
f is person39 and /( is tree 69. Ais usedpartly phoneticallyto expressstop/stay,
as tree, i .e. a shadyplace where people stop to rest, Now
andpartly semantically
meansstop or rest in general.
Mnemonic: PERSON RESTS AGAINST TREE
KIN, KON, kane, kana- G re B XnrfyOeI
#€rourxt
GOLD,MONEY,METAL
SffirexgMocHl
8strokes
l4
Mnemonic: CHILD LEARNING UNDER ORNATE ROOF
Friday
goldcolor
rich person
11
fi.
KI, KE
SPIRIT
6 strokes
5, 4 frsUN
X fi reNKI
€ fi, ner.ucr
mood,feeling
wearher
electricirv
Formerlywritten 'a . X is rice 201,while El is a representation
of vapors i1-. 11
originallymeantvaporsrising from (cooked)rice, and eventually came to mean
invisiblemovement/unseenforce/spirit etc. Suggesttaking I as X.
Mnemonic: SPIRIT-LIKE VAPORS FROM SOURCE X
12
KYU, KU, kokonoNINE
2 strokes
f /r, lurvu
)L E
KOKONOKA
h F
KUGATSU
ninereen
ninth day
September
Originally written { , depicting a bent elbow. In ancienttimes a bent elbow was usedto
indicate the numbernine when counting with only one arm. The commonly heardexplanation that it is the characterfor ten f 33 with a hook on the crossstroke to representthe
conceptofsubtraction is incorrect,but is usefulas a mnemonic.
Mnemonic: LESS THAN PERFECT TEN: WORTH ONLY NINE
Once written ,$.
fne four dots :: , now reducedto two, representnuggets buried in the
ground -JL 60. There is a rangeof opinion regarding A/.4. . Some scholarstake it to
show a mound O, othersan elementindicatingcovering (see87), which also lent its
soundto expressshine. The latter theory seemsmore likely.
Mnemonic:TWO GOLD NUGGETSUNDER COVER OF EARTH
ls
.t? f.i:T;#;'*'
.t-
8 snokes
air
€ fi KUKI
sky-blue
4 € sonerao
4 ffi xenaBAKo emprybx
Hole ft 849 (literallyopenspaceunder roof) andwork upon I- 113. The latteris
usedfor its sound to expressopening as well as its meaning. Originally 15 meant to
work upon the digging out of a hole that would then be coveredwith a roof to form a
primitive dwelling. Since the roof was domed the idea of (empty) space within the dwelling naturallybecameparticularlyassociatedwith the centralvaultedarea,and eventuallythe
conceptof upper spaceextendedto the sky itself.
Mnemonic: WORK TO OPEN HOLE IN ROOF TO SEE EMPTY SKY
FIRSTGRADE 16-19
16
GETSU,GATSU,tsuki
MOON,MONTH
4 strokes
FIRST GRADE 20.22
4 B roNcrrsu rhismonth
FWE GETSUYOBIMonday
E F, rsUrnat moonviewing
20
tr JINKO
KO KU, t<uctri
MOUTH, OPENING
3 strokes
population
prercxr
exit
n R x6rrrsu
tfl n ppcucru
From a pictograph of a crescent moon with pitted surface gradually tilted on its axis in
to F| to A ). Popularly interpretedas a crescent moon
the courseof stylisation ( t
behind wispy clouds, but this appearsincorrect. Seealso 44.
A pictographof an open mouth, originally written u . Can also symbolisespeech
Mnemonic: PITTED CRESCENT MOON SHINING DOWN
2L
t{i,"#-::'cHEcK
t7
KEN, inu
DOG
4 strokes
ffi, t
,J'tr
t
zJ.f
nYOrsN
hunting-dog
INUGOYA
kennel
puppy
KOINU
of a pictograph
showinga dog with pointedearsstanding
on its hind
Stylisedderivative
legsbarkingt . Ar a radicalfoundas tr (atsosymbolisingbeast). Suggest
remembering by association
with big {53, with ' asa spot.
Mnemonic:OPEN MOUTH
4 F, rrefxEN
discovery
-F-t2 xgNgUTSU sightseeing
spectacle
-F, t2 fr,mAONO
Mnemonic:BENDING DOWN TO LOOK CLOSELY WITH SEEING EYE
E E GOGATSU
May
I A GONN
hvepeople
fifth dav
E E ITSUKA
Five was once shown by five fingers ! . However,from ancienttimes a thread-reel
8 < Z to A ) was usedas a substitute,both for its soundand the fact that it replacedthe
five fingers when winding yarn.
Mnemonic: A REEL IS BETTER THAN FIVE FINGERS
as six 76 and /
as a cross.
Mnemonic: CHECK SIX WOODEN CROSSES FOR SCHOOL
Eye B 72 andbent legs l(-, the latterderiving from a pictographof a person kneeling )-39 (to stare at something).
Go, itsuFIVE
4 strokes
highschool
H & roro
principal
& F roCH6 school
similarity in pronunciationat the time, it took on the latter'smeaningsof collate/match/
emulate. In fact, at one stage the two charactersseem to have been virtually
)7
l9
proof reading
{is tree/wood 69. tis crossedlegs 115. 2l originallymeantwooden shackles
(i.e. wooden item to encumber the legs). However, owing to the similarity in both
meaning and depiction to crossed sticks |. in Characterl0 q.v., reinforced by a
also place of tearning. Suggesttaking il.
KEN, mirulseruleru
LOOK, sEE, SHOW
7 strokes
KOSPI
interchangeable.Eventually l0 came to meanlearning while 2l becamechecking and
Mnemonic:BIG SPOTTEDDOG REARINGUP
t8
& G
SA, hidari
LEFT
5 strokes
leftistfaction
E trK SAHA
E lFtl rfrOAzuGAWA left side
lefthand
E * moenrrg
Left hand / nd work upon -a 113q.v. Ratherlike the right hand,the left handalso
syrnbolisedsupport, but with connotationsof reserve/auxiliary as opposedto the
strengthof the right (see2). Thus 22's original meaningwas assist someoneat work
(still found in Chinese). Again like 2, its original meaningwas later takenover by a character adding person I 39, giving assist ,ft- 1283,while 22itself came to mean simply
left hand, with = retainedthoughredundant. Suggesttaking a literally as carpenter's square.
Mnemonic: LEFT HAND STEADIES CARPENTER'S SQUARE
FIRSTGRADE 27-30
FIRSTGRADE 23-26
23
\-t
\t;a
sAN, mi'
THREE
3snokes
:= E SANGATSU
= Fl MIKKA
-fr
SANKAKU
March
thirddaY
triangle
A rangeof mountains with a prominent centralpeak
)k ilJ rryozeN
iceberg
n il TAKUSAN
alot
il E YAMABA peak,climax
SHI, SU, ko
CHILD
3 strokes
28
&.
€ *
7A
ffi *
oeNSru
electron
xooovto
child
VOSU look.situation
4J\
*tr
*
c
JIBIKI
+ AKAJI
J.
5 uJ l
dictionary
'the
red',deficit
(Uglt,number
29
SHIGATSU
w
YOKKA
n
JI, mimi
EAR
6srokes
4 f* nxe
4 qC I MIMINAzu
MIMIKAZARI
4ffi9
otology
tinnitus
ea:ring
Mnemonic:POINTED EAR
EI E
EI tr YONKAI
April
fourth day
fourtimes
Four was once shown by four fingers Z , while tE originally meant breath (that
which emerges r r 66 from a mouth E 20). p was later used as a phonetic substitute
fot 7, but may also have beenchosensinceits shapewas a rough approximationof the
four fingers of a fist held palm side down @Mnemonic: FOUR FINGERS IN CLENCHED FIST
?l
:l-.
Stylisedderivativeof thepictographofanear $ .
Mnemonic: LONG-ARMED CHILD IN SWADDLING CLOTHES
SHI, yon, yoFOUR
5 strokes
-f
Mnemonic: CHILD AT HOME STUDYING LETTERS
An infant wrappedin swaddlingclotheswaving its arms $ .
26
JI
LETTER, SYMBOL
6 snokes
(from f1 ), symbolisinghouse/home,and child $25. Itoriginally meant
Roof *
where
house
children are raised (still found in Chinese in the minor meanings
a
suckle/nourish/bring forth). This cameto symboliseproliferation and, fanciful as it
may seem,cameto be figuratively appliedto written symbols, which like childrenbecameincreasinglynumerousand complex.
Mnemonic: TRIPLE-PEAKED MOUNTAIN
25
*\
silk making
woolenyam
thread-reel
Mnemonic: SKEINS OF TWISTED THREAD
Mnemonic:THREE FINGERS
SAN, yama
MOUNTAIN
3 strokes
4 X SgtSru
€ X fEnO
ITOMAKI
X+E
From a pictograph of a skein of yarn f , originally doubled {{.
frngers Three extended
24
SHI, ito
THREAD
6strokes
27
30
SHICHI, nanaSEVEN
2 strokes
t F SHIcHTcATSU
July
{ E NA}lOKr{* seventh
day
-L ffi, NANABAN sevennights
originally -t- , with a longer lateralline than the characterfor ten * 33, to representand
mean a line cutting another. It was cne of severalcharactersusedphonetically to express
seven, and was probably especiallyfavored since it roughly resembleda bent finger
under a fist, an old way of signalingseven.
Mnemonic: BADLY WRITTEN TEN AGAIN: NOW WORTH ONLY SEVEN
FIRSTGRADE 35-38
FIRSTGRADE 3L-34
31
SHA, kuruma
VEHICLE, CHARIOT
7 strokes
train
€ € ngNsFlA
deparn:re
X, E HASSHA
tl F KUCHIGURUMA
cajolery
From a pictographof a long-shaftedtwo-wheeled chariot, viewed from above
Al
Mnemonic: CHARIOT WITH TWO WHEELS
32
SHU, te
* ft srruoeN
HAND
4 srrokes
* A
J: #
means
t)1
-l-
n
Itrl
--r'=,
JIJGATSU
fOfe
r0rt
October
tenth day
a cross
Usually explainedas two lines crossing to symbolisethe four main directions,
which in turn expressedthe conceptof completeness and by associationall the
fingers, i.e. ten. However,this seemsa confusedversionof its actualorigin. It derives
from a depictionof a sewing needle t, and was usedpurely as a substitutefor the more
complexcharacter ten {$ 305 q.v. (literally hands together).
TEN OUT OF TEN
Mnemonic:ALL POINTSCONSIDERED,
34
36
TEHON model, standard
skill
lozu*
Mnemonic: HAND WITH FINGERS SPREAD
JU, to
TEN
2 strokes
From a pictographof a kneeling woman with outstretchedarms 2..
Mnemonic: KNEELING WOMAN
From a semi-stylisedpictographof a hand with five fingers (one bent), a palm, and
wrist $/. As a radicalusuallyfound as { .
33
Jo, NYO,NYo, onna,me l( t4 losst
woman
wOMAN
4trllyos6
wife
3strokes
ka+
oNNA-No-Ko
eftl
35
ffi %. SHUPPATSU departure
SHUTSU, deru, dasu
memory
,8, \.^.H OMOIDE
EMERGE, PUT OUT
drawer
dl * ff L HIKIDASHI
5strokes
Once written r:b, wittr foot l!' 129 q.v. and r.-1. Somescholarstake r.-., to indicate a
cover, i.e. shoe, to symbolisegoing out, while otherstake it to be a line of containment, beyond which the foot has emerged. Another theory seesthe characteras derived
f r o m a p i c t o g r a p h o fa n e m e r g i n g p l a n t - t ( s e e4 2 ) , b u t t h i s i s n o t w i d e l y s u p p o r t e d .
Suggesttaking it as two mountains A 24.
\
SHO, ko-, o-, chiisai
SMALL
3 snokes
,J. A sgorINA(oBITo dwarf
,J. + KoUStil
catf
d. Jll oGAwA brook.stream
Commonly but erroneouslyexplainedas a person standing with their arms at their
side, i.e. looking small. The error is no doubt attributableto the pictographic origin of
the oppositebig /< 53 q.v. (literally a personwith armsoutsrretched).
7lr is actuallya
stylised representationof three small points, as is clear from the older version , I r .
Some scholarsfeel the lengtheningof the middle stroke servesto expressthe conceptof
one large item being divided into two small ones.
Mnemonic: A STROKE DMDED
37
INTO TWO SMALL ONES
Df,.t IJO
JO ue, kami, uwa-,
over,above
noboru,agarulgeru
J{l -L fewAKAMI
upstream
UP,TOP,OVER,GOUP i6 L iJ NEAGE
pricerise
3 strokes
Symbol indicating an areaabove a line. Originally written :
laterfor clariry.
, with a vertical line added
Mnemonic:BAR WITH HANDLE, STICKING Up OVER BASELINE
38
SHIN, mori
WOODS
12strokes
An ideographshowingmany trees
f(
# f,t SrnNzuN
# ffi SfUNGENna
# ffi srmxnN
OS. Seealsoforest f/..25.
MNcmonic:THERE ARE MANY TREES IN THE wooDs
Mnemonic:MOUNTAIN EMERGING ATOP ANOTHER
10
11
forest
solemn
silence
FIRSTGRADE 43-46
FIRSTGRADE 39-42
39
JIN, NIN, hito
PERSON, PEOPLE
2 strokes
MHONJIN
Japanese
E A
humanbeing
r.uNCeN
A ffl
A H rrrroDE crowd,turn-out
From a pictographof a standing person viewed side-on \ , though in compoundsoften
abendingorstoopingpersontL/tt-. Asaradicalusuallyfoundas4 ,butoccasionalBettertakenas headless,armless person.
ly h lF , or even -L
Mnemonic: HEADLESS, ARMLESS PERSON
40
7k ffi B SUTYOBI
/( * SUISO
t zJ<orrazu
SUI, mizu
WATER
4 strokes
wednesday
hydrogen
flood
From a pictographof a river Nl, the central stroke showing current and the dots ripples.
Since ancient times blurred with river ,ll 48. As a radical, usually found as 7, best rememberedas falling droplets. Suggesttaking z ( as narrow banks.
Mnemonic: WATER SQUEEZES BETWEEN BANKS
4l
correctanswer
SEI,SHQmasa,tadashii/su E ffi SgXeI
E
B
NewYear
SHOGATSU
CORRECT, PROPER
-LE6' Sg6l IKI na
honest
5 strokes
-, to indicatestopping at the
Often explained as foot/stop )E 129 q.v. and a bar
right place, i.e. being correct. A useful mnemonic,especiallyin view of the English
term toe the line, but in fact old forms suchas $ show it to be a variantof lower leg
[ 51, which was straight and by figurativeextensionproper/correct.
43
SEI, SHO, aoi
BLUE, GREEN, YOUNG
8 strokes
E'r
H'i
HlA
SEINEN
AOZORA
AOMONO
a youth
blue sky
greens
Also wriuen & . t is a simplified version of growing ptant/life E qZ. frlA is a
simplified version of fr . Now an NGU charactermeaning receptacle/bowl, fr originally depicteda well fl 1470with a mark to indicatewater in it. Here it has that original meaning, and combines with /
to expressgrowth around a full well, which is
fresh and green. Green overlaps conceptuallywith blue, and also has a figurative association with immature and young (asin English). Suggesttaking g as moon 16.
Mnemonic: YOUNG BLUE-GREEN PLANTS LM
44
SEKI, yri
EVENING
3 snokes
ON THE MOON
4 f XONSeff this evening
f A vUSnOKUeveningmeal
t E VUfn
seuingsun
To all intents and purposesderived from the samepictographof a crescent moon as
moon pl 16 q.v., but without the pitted surface. The unpitted, only semi-tiltedcrescent moon of 44 came to symboliseevening.
Mnemonic: CLEAR MOON INDICATES EVENING
45
SEKI, SHAKU, ishi
STONE, ROCK
5 snokes
,fL E reSsKI
,J'E. KOISHI
E /H SEKryU
fossil
pebble
petroleum
A slightly modified cliff [- (to T ) and a boulder E
Usually explainedas a boulder having rolled down a clifl but it is more likely a boulder hewn from a cliffface.
Mnemonic: TO STOP AT THE LINE IS TO DO THE CORRECT THING
Mnemonic: ROUND STONE AT BASE OF CLIFF
42
# 4 ceruset
sEI, sHO nama,
student
- 4 ISSHO one'swholelife
ikiru,umulmareru,haeru
+. t +rJ IKIMONO livingthing
LIFE, BIRTH, GRow
5 strokes
46
SEKI, SHAKU,akai
RED
7 strokes
# E SEXPO
#E Sezulragu
lf /' fr AKANBO
equator
blush
infant
From a pictographof a growing plant 9, symbolisingvitality. Note that thereis a
character-elementtL, derived from a differently written plant !i , which confusingly is
identical to foot/stop JL 129.
Usually explainedas an ideographcombining earth .l- 60 and fire. zll\(variant r r , r 8),
with a meaningof fired earth/terracotta. However, an old form t
clearly showsthar
li is a variantof big l( 53, giving a meaningof big blaze with a ruddy glow.
Mnemonic: GROWING PLANT IS A SYMBOL OF LIFE
Mnemonic: BIG FIRE MAKES EARTH GLOW RED
t2
l3
FIRSTGRADE 5I-54
FIRSTGRADE 47-50
SEN, chi
THOUSAND
3 strokes
47
f E SgNeN
tr + GOSEN
f ,B CrmOzu
yen
thousand
fivethousand
plover
A combinationof person ,l 39 anaone - l. Possiblypartly for phoneticreasons,in
ancienttimes the body symboliseda thousand, with one thousandbeingwritten 4 , two
thousand$, and so on.
Mnemonic: THAT ONE PERSON IS WORTH A THOUSAND OTHERS
48
tll
It F i ll epocewe
3 strokes
Edo River
|
Once written }l\,
Mnemonic: RMR
49
showingwater .' flowing between two banks I \.
Seealso 40.
FLOWING BETWEEN BANKS
)E
SEN, saki
+E
PREVIOUS,PRECEDE,TIP
)E
+t1
6 strokes
:L
)1
l+
SENSEI
SENGETSU
YUBISAKI
teacher
last month
fingenip
A combination of Er and tL. As an old form $i clearly reveals, 4 derives from
foot/stop fi 129 and tL- derives from person A-39. Stop came to mean by extension ceaseto be/ die, and the whole charactermeant dead people/ancestors. By associationof ideasit later acquiredmeaningssuchas precede,lead, tip, and so on. Suggesttaking bL as a variantof lile [42.
4 ,G. fUSOfU
insufhciency
SOKU, ashi, tariru
LEG, FOOT, SUFFICIENT ,E E ESTUTUSI
ANKIE
,E E nsruoro
7 strokes
foorsteps
Foot rL (variant lL 129) and a kneecap rr , giving (lower) leg. Borrowed phonetically to expresssuffice, thoughit may alsohavelent an ideaof able (i.e. not maimed).
Mnemonic: ROUND KNEE AND FOOT SUFFICE TO SHOW LEG
52
jil#ffiffi^?TTT:i$
i?);i"*'
/
5l
t'j tr
SON, mura
VILLAGE
7 strokes
E
Xif
r-.t
villaee head
SONCHO
NOSON farmingvillage
MURABITO
villager
Surprisinglyobscure. Of confusedetymology,though its elementsare clearly tree *. 69
and hand/measure n 909. Accordingto one theory *rf is a simplificationof ,f,Q., a
CO charactercomprisingtree d. andencampment t{9 1669q.v. and meaninglacquer
tree, with {, felt to be usedpartly for its original meaningof shoot and partly phonetically for the nameof the tree (.-f had the samepronunciation)./r[ becameconfusedwith t][, ,
a CO charactermeaningvillage (composedof encampment & and village p 355).
Thus at one stageboth f,,!, and fQ, were usedfor village. fJ then replaced /Q, in this
meaning,and fu went back to meaninglacquer tree.
Mnemonic: MEASURE TREES IN VILLAGE
53
TAI, DAI, 6kii
BIG
i A fnxal
;t Y Petceru
assembly
universiry
3 strokes
t
loud voice
F
OCOE
A p e r s o n s t a n d i n g w i t h a r m s a n d l e g s s p r e a d o u t t o i o o k a sl a r g e a sp o s s i b l ef ,
Occasionallyusedto indicateperson,as well as big.
Mnemonic: THOSE DEAD PEOPLE PRECEDED US IN LIFE
Mnemonic: PERSON LOOKING BIG AS POSSIBLE
50
S0, hayai
tr €. SOrvO
immediately
EARLY, PROMPT, FAST F n UeVtKUCHlrapidspeech
6 strokes
+ rE rc HAYAJINI earlydeath
Sun 8 62 andcutting/opening t (see30), to give a meaningof the sun breaking
through (thedarkness).The populartheorythat f represents
a plant, to give a meaning
of the sun just rising through the plants, is incorrect.Fast is an associatedmeaning
with early. Suggesttaking -f as ten 33.
Mnemonic: SUN SHOWS TEN BUT IT'S STILL EARLY
l4
54
DAN, NAN, otoko
MAN, MALE
7 strokes
F f OeNSm
F E CgONnN
E F, OfOfOCt
boy
eldestboy
gallantry
Usuallyexplainedas the strength tl lq out in the fields @ 59, though thereis also a
theorythat !t was usedpurely phoneticallyto expressa word reliable, to give a meaning
of reliable strength.
Mnemonic: MAN PROVIDES STRENGTH IN FIELD
15
FIRSTGRADE 59-63
FIRSTGRADE55-58
55
F f CHOnrrSu neuraliry
CHU, naka
ChiNA
MIDDLE,INSIDE,CHINA trE CHOCOTU
/.
H
IvIANNAIa{
very
middle
+
4 strokes
Once written d. Some scholarstake this to be a stylised depiction of a flagpole reinforced by a second pole running through its center, while others take it to show an arrow piercing the center of a target. In Chineseit can still mean hit center, suggesting the latter theory is correct. Also refers to China, the middle kingdom. Seealso 496.
DEN, ta
RICE FIELD
5 strokes
59
A pictographof a rice field I
E 4 -H, rtsetcHU
parasite
F H cerCFI0 harmfulinsect
tooth
A pK MUSffiA decayed
From a pictographof a partly coiled snake. The earliestform {, suggestsa largeheaded snake, whereasa later form Q, suggestsa hooded snake (cobra). In ancient
times snakesand insectswere treatedmuch alike. Suggesttaking P as inside 55.
From a pictographof a clod of earth on the ground =. The popular theory that it shows
a plant f growing in the earth - is incorrect but a useful mnemonic.
Mnemonic: PLANT GROWS IN EARTH
6l
FI R
Fl R
T E
CHO, machi
TOWN, BLOCK
7 suokes
CHOUTN townspeople
CHOCHO town mayor
SHITAI\4ACHI downtown
Field E 59 q.v. and nail T 346. The latter was usedphoneticallyto expresswalk, and
also lent its T-shapeto suggestjunction of paths. 57 originally meantpaths through
the fields, and by extensionplace where fields join, then area/community.
Mnemonic: TOWN AT T-JUNCTION OF PATHS THROUGH FIELDS
58
angel
x {e TENSLII
TENNO
emperor
Xe
AMAKUDARI
XT9
TEN, amaHEAVEN,SKY
4strokes
descentfrom heaven
Originally written fl, showingperson J( Sl wittr an exaggerated head symbolising
uppermost/ upper part. By associationit came to meanthat up above.
Mnemonic: PERSON'S HEAD IS CLOSEST PART TO HEAVEN
l6
\-D
\tE
Mnemonic: COILED HOODED SNAKE: SIMILAR INSIDE TO INSECT
57
crossedby ridges/paths f.
DO, TO, tsuchi
* ffi F DOYOBI
Saturdav
EARTH, SOrL, GROUND
t J& fOCru
hnd
3 strokes
a F u,r TSUCHIKUSAI cloddish
60
CHD, mushi
INSECT, WORM
6 strokes
ruraldistrict
riceplanting
countrvside
Mnemonic: RICE FIELD CROSSED BY PATHS
Mnemonic: CHINESE ARROW PIERCES MIDDLE OF TARGET
56
ffi E DENEN
ffiffi L TAUE
E + D{AKA*
-
NI, futaTWO
2strokes
E MGATSU
- f NllU
-A
rurenr
February
rwenry
twopeople
Two extended
fingers =.
Mnemonic:TWO FINGERS
62
NICHI, JITSU,hi, .Ka
SUN, DAY
4 strokes
E re B MCHIYdBI
4 E uONfrrsu
-
E FUTSUKA*
Sunday
today
secondday
A pictographof the sun with a sunspot @ . Also indicatesday, and light.
Mnemonic: SUN WITH SPOT
63
NYil, hairu, irerulru
ENTER, PUT IN
2 strokes
ffi A vuf.rnl
^ b lt IRIGUCHI
x *L +rl IREMONO
import
entrance
container
Popularly said to show a person bending down L to enter a primitive
dwelling. However,old forms suchas A, A and
A show it to be the entrance itself.
Mnemonic: ENTER THROUGH INVERTED V OPENING
t7
FIRST GRADE 64-66
FIRSTGRADE 67-70
nextyear
* 4 ne.nveN
T- + + GONENSEIfifthgrader
4 # rosrnYoru oldperson
NEN, toshi
YEAR
6 strokes
64
Stylisedderivativeof ideograph fr, showing rice-plant d St q.'rn.and bending person r\39. Some scholarstake it to show a person bending to cut rice, others as
simply showing the relationshipbetween man and rice, while yet othersfeel that n- was
usedphoneticallyto expressabundant. The frst view is the most likely, but all involve
the annual harvest, which symbolisedthe cycle of a year. Suggesttaking F as per'
son, and {
as variantof well *
67
Mnemonic: SCORE ONE HUNDRED WITH ONE WHITE THUMBNAIL
1470.
68
H # HeruSHo white Paper
H E \r. OMOSHIROI interesting
Caucasian
H A HnxunN
HAKU, shirol
WHITE
5 strokes
lengthin
From a pointed thumbnail 0 (so-e forms suchas ! show the exaggerated
vogue in ancientChina), usedphoneticallyto expresswhite, and also suggestingpaleness (relative to the skin). However, there is also someevidenceto supporta popular belief that 0 showsan acorn, whoseinsideis whitish (see218), suggestingthat two pictographsmay have coexistedat one stage. Seealso 67. Suggesttaking g as sun 62,
,\
A E HACFilGATSU August
greengrocer
/\ tr E' YAOYA*
L2 \ 9 versunrenr
outburstof anger
Once wriuen )(, symbolisingsplitting/dividing. Somescholarsfeel it was later used
for eight sinceit is a readily divided number, othersthat its shapewas closeto the old
way of showing eight by bendingdown the threemiddle fingers and extendingthe thumb
often found as ',,\ or \/, with a meaningof divide/
and little finger. In compounds,
t Y suNCafu
literanre
d ? tr,lOfNln
character
*B A MONBUSHo
Ministrvof Education
t
Mnemonic: CROSS IS BASIC FORM OF WRITING: TRy TO TOp IT
69
BOKU, MOKU, ki, ko- ^ ru E MoKIydBI
Thursday
TREE, WOOD
^ E KIME
grain,texture
4 strokes
^ n +, KODACHI
grove
Pictographof a tree with sweeping branches ,{.
Mnemonic: SUNSTROKE LEAVES ONE WHITE?!
HACHI, yaEIGHT
2 strokes
BUN, MON, fumi
WRITING, TEXT
4 strokes
Originally written Q, depictinga beautifully/ intricately patterned overlaid collar
(it can still mean stripe/patternin Chinese). The core meaning of intricate pattern was
eventuallyextendedto writing. Suggesttaking I as cross and _L as a top.
with / asastroke.
66
tr'f* TTyAKUSAIhundred_fold
tr',f4 rryerusHd
farmer
HYAKKATEN
trHE
departrnent
store
One - 1 andwhite 6 0S q.v., hereusedfor its meaningof thumbnail. In ancienr
times the thumb was usedto indicatea hundred, and two hundredwas written $ ,five
hundred $ lsee l9), and so on.
Mnemonic: PERSON VISITS WELL EVERY YEAR
6S
HYAKU
HUNDRED
6stroKes
ort.n ind.icates
wood(en).
Mnemonic: TREE WITH SWEEPING BRANCHES
70
HON, moto
ll 4 MHON/MPPON
Japan
ROOT,TRUE,BOOK,THIS,,A E HOTIYA
bookstore
CYLINDER-COUNTER
A I5 HONTEN
5 strokes
headoffice, this store
disperse/ away/ out.
usually explainedas an ideographshowing the base - of a tree
{ 69, but an old form
6 showsit to be a pictographof the roots. Numerousextendedmeaningshaveevolved
from this concept,usuallyinvolving essence/origin.
Aiso usedfor countingcylindrical
objects.
Mnemonic: EIGHT CAN BE EASILY DMDED
Mnemonic: TREE WITH ONE CENTRAL ROOT
18
t9
FIRSTGRADE 75-76
FIRSTGRADE 71.74
7l
MEI, MYO, na
NAME, FAME
6 strokes
E & YUtrcI
€ A MgUnI
4 Bfi N,q.rraeg
famous
expert
ruune
t+
RIN, hayashi
FOREST
8 snokes
7S
,J.ft
RINGAKU
KOBAYASHI
mtr MITSUzuN
ence between forest and woods.
Mnemonic: MOUTH CALLS NAME AT NIGHT
Mnemonic:FOREST CONTAINS TALL STATELY TREES
MOKU,BOKU,me,ma- -2
tr HITOTSUME f,rstone
EYE,ORDINALSUFFIX
i} H CHOUOXU attention
---. E ffffOME de at a glance
5 strokes
a surname
denseforest
As with woods #x- :S q.u., an ideographshowingplural trees *- eS. In comparison
to 38 the treesare fewer, but taller and more stately,which somemay feel to be the differ-
Mouth/say O 2O and evening t] M. The latter also lendsits soundto expresscall.
That is, in the dim light of eveningit was necessaryto identify peopleverbally, calling their
names.
72
forestry
76
\
J,
\
ROKU, muSIX
4strokes
/\
t1
ROKUGATSU
7iH
MUIKA*
/\
ROKKAKU
f=
June
sixth day
hexagon
Pictographof an eye, originally written d . Sometimesfound as @, but usually tilted on
its axis to !l . Borrowed to expressordinals.
one popular theory claims that an early form Q showstwo hands of which the thumbs
and index fingers are joined in a circle and the remainingthree fingers are pointed
Mnemonic: UPRIGHT EYE
downwards. However, fl is simply a stylistic variation of a still earlier form ,ft. This was
in fact a roof, and originally had that meaning before being used as a phonetic substitute
for a complex charactermeaningclenched fist, which was an old way of showingsix.
73
RITSU,RYU,tatsu/teru
STAND, RISE, LEAVE
5 strokes
independence
E V nnffSU
-:tE
TlC}lJ3.n
standpoint
-:t,
C MEDATSU
tr
standout
Suggesttaking r\ as eight 66 and J- as a top.
Mnemonic: EIGHT TOPPED BY SIX?!
From a pictographof a person standing on the ground .S. Originatly it meantto
stand still, then to stand up, and by extensioncameto mean leave.
Mnemonic: PERSON STANDING
74
END OF FIRST GRADE
RYOKU, RIKI, chikara
ability
6E /] NOnvOru
STRENGTH, EFFORT A )] 4 JINRIKISHA TiCKShAW
n #" L CHIKARADAMESHI
2 strokes
test of strength
From a pictograph of an arm with bulging biceps 7f,, simplifiedto d
pushing down and symbolisingstrength/ effort/ force.
andlater tJ ,
Mnemonic: HAND PRESSING DOWN WITH STRENGTH
20
2l
SECONDGRADE 80-82
SECONDGRADE77.79
80
THE 145 SECOND GRADE CHARACTERS
KA, nani, nan
WHAT? HOW MANY?
7 strokes
'frl tr Neu<el
howoften?
'fE# NemMoNo
who?
'fnlA NeNrI.uN
how manypeople?
77
dl /J wnYOru
?dl nsKr
ToRIHIKI
ryrdlt
IN, hikz
PULL,DRAW
4strokes
Person 4 39 andcan 6f 816 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressbear and also
lending its own connotationsof bending. Thus person bending bearing (heavy
load), still retainedas a minor meaningin Chinese. In Japanesethis meaninghasbeenentirely taken over by ft 239 q.v., while 80 itself has come to be usedpurely phonetically
to expresswhat? Suggesttaking o as mouth/say 20 and T as a variant of to a T/
exactly T 346.
gravitation
dictionary
dealines
Bow { 836 and a line l. Somescholarsinterpretthe line as the bow string, i.e. that
which is pulled, while othersseeit simply as an abstractsymbol representingstretching.
Mnemonic:WHAT EXACTLY CAN A PERSON SAY?
Mnemonic: BOW WITH STRING WAITING TO BE DRAWN
78
UN, kumo
CLOUD
12strokes
81
mica
E E UturaO*
nebula
EE
SEIUN
iY E = UKIGUMO driftingcloud
Rice plant f (from a pictographfr ), symbolisinggrain, and measure ,l t63:, to
give a meaningof measure grain. By extensionthis came to mean sift/sort and then
category, which by further extensioncame to mean section. Course is an associated
meaning.Seealso599.
to emphasisecloud. Suggesttaking Z as two = 61 noses t^ 134.
Mnemonic: COURSE TO CATEGORIZE RICE MEASURES
Mnemonic:BILLOWING RAIN-CLOUDS LOOK LIKE TWO NOSES
EN, toi
DISTANT
7a
la
13 strokes
tr
la
t+ + KAGAKU
science
+ f+ GAKKA schoot
subject
ffi ftf+ KENKYLIKA
researchsection
Originally written t , later inverted to L and eventually/ , representing billowing vapors. This was later used as an NGU characterto mean speak, so rain fr 3 was added
79
KA
COURSE,SECTION
9 strokes
82
trl
l.t
ENSOKU
excursion
t/)
fOUeWenI
detour
longsighted
+n ENSHI
KA, GE, natsu
SUMMER
10strokes
4n H- SHOKA earlysummer
MANATSU midsummer
HH
H-F^ NATSUMATSURI
summerfestival
originally written tp, showinga person dancing (symbolisedby stoppingand
starting
X 438 q.v.) holding (symbolisedby handsEd) a mast<(represented
by head @ 93
Q'v'). How exactlyit cameto meansummer is not clear. Somescholarsclaim it was borrowed purely phonetically,but its complexity
suggestsotherwise. presumablysummer
was associatedwith a particulardanceor festival. Suggestremembering
{ 4s the shapeof
crossedlegs.
Movement y 129 and fr . The latter is a CO charactermeaninglong robe, to all intentsand purposescombininga variantof clothing k420 with p , meaningencircling
and by extensionspacious and big, leadingby associationto long. Here # actsphonetically to expresslong, and also lends similar connotationsof its own. Thus long
movement.i.e. distance/distant.
Mnemonic:LOOSE CLOTHES FOR TRAYELING ANY DISTANCE
MNcmonic: MASKED HEAD AND CRossED LEGS
IN SUMMER DANCE
23
22
.*{Se\
SECONDGRADE 87-90
SECONDGRADE 83-86
83
KA, KE, ie, ya
HOUSE, SPECIALIST
10strokes
H.X N6KA
n\X BUKE
rc ry. SAKKA
Roof/buildin g h 28 and pig 6a 1670. Long believed to refer to supposedancientpractice of keepingpigs in house. However,many scholarsnow take fttobe usedphonetically to expressleisure/relax, giving building for relaxing. The pig may also have
been associatedwith not working, as opposedto a working animal such as a horse.
Ironically, 83 has now also come to mean (house of) a specialist.
Mnemonic: HOUSE LOOKING LIKE PIG-STY
84
singer
ffi # resrru
shortverse
ffi ffi remce
W k- ffi KAZoELITA
KA, uta, utaa
SONG, SING
14snokes
counting-rhyme
Laclc/gaping mouth K 47 | q.v. and 4 . fne latter is an NGU characterthat doubles
can 6[ 816 q.v. It can meanelder brother (presumablyassociatedwith permissionor potential),but hereactsphoneticallyto expressthe soundKA doubled,i.e. KA-KA. This
was the ancientChineseequivalentof CIRA-)LA-LA, and indicatedsinging. From its literal meaningof emerge from the mouth 6I may also act to reinforcegaping mouth
( . Thus KA-KA from a wide open mouth.
Mnemonic: GAPING MOUTH SINGS THE CAN-CAN
85
GA, KAKU
PICTURE, STROKE
8 strokes
ry EJ EIGA
E E CENAENI
;t tr rgxeru
movic
ScTeen
plan
€ is rice
Formerly &, o, +- o. .6. ? showsa hand -a applyinga brush \t+2.
i.e.
partition
with
brush,
fields
a
indicatespartitioning. Thus to
field 59. r-rlon a map. By extensionit alsocameto meanstrokes or diagram/picture.
Mnemonic: FIELD IN PICTURE PARTITIONED BY STROKES
86
tr F:r K-C'ffEN
KA[, mawaru/sa
* 4+. KAISHA
A fi ESHAKU
tr A KOKKAI
farmhouse
warriorfamily
writer
revoludon
frequencY
E ft xersu
L trMAWASFil
=t^tr
'$
Formerly € , ^d in ancienttimes y . I ir a pot for steamingrice, and A is its lid.
Putting the lid on the pot cameto meanput together in general,and eventuallybecamethe
intransitivecome together/ meet. The simplificationusing speak Z 78 may possibly
stemfrom confusion with put together 6 12t ltiteratly mouth/5gyand lid), compounded
by confusion of the lower part of the pot @ with an old NGU charactermeaningsay, El
(see688) . However,an intermediateform -f suggestsit may result merely from a graphic simplification. Suggesttaking ! as two = 61 noses A134, with A as a roof.
Mnemonic: TWO NOSES MEET UNDER ROOF
88
\l-
KAI. umi
i{h ill"=.
E E r,qtcuN
E 2F E
W il
MHONKAI
UMIBE
navy
JapanSea
seaside
water :140 and every $ 206, which may also act phonetically to expresssalty. Thus
every (drop of) (salty?) water. All waters finish in the sea.
Mnemonic: EVERY DROP OF WATER GOES INTO SEA
A f't;.T."
fe E KAIGA picture,painting
frondspiece
tr 'e KUCHIE
picturebook
fe A EHON
Formerlyf$ . threaO ft1 21 andput together/meet t
Q h sl. originallyembroideredpicture,now picture in general.
Mnemonic:THREADS MEET IN EMBROIDERED PICTURE
kai
SHELL, SHELLFISH
7 strokes
0t it -F. HOTATEGAI
F Ei KAIGARA
F fi KAIRUI
scallop
seashell
shellfish
From a symbol of rotational motion @.
Usually claimed to be derived from a pictograph
of a cone-shell or similar with feelers
protruding. A useful mnemonic,
but old forms such as A{/ A{ show that it derivesfrom
an€xaggeratedly
pointedbivalve. Shellswere onceusedas money and symbolisedvaluable items or assets.In compounds
90 is generailyusedin suchan extendedsense.
Mnemonic: COAXIAL ROTATION
MNcmonic:SHELLFISH WITH PROTRUDING
FEELERS
TURN, ROTATE
6strokes
tum of Phrase
24
SECONDGRADE 9I-94
9l
SECONDGRADE 95-98
foreigner
GAl,GE,soto,hoka,hazusuf\ A cetnN
surgery
OUTSIDE,OTHER,UNDO f\ f4 cEre
5 strokes
tt IFIJSOTOGAWA exterior
Crescent moon | 44 and | . The latter showsa crack (in a turtle shell usedin divination), and is in fact an NGU charactermeaningdivination . f is usedphoneticallyto expresssplit open, and also lends its crescentshapeto suggesta turtle shell. Sincethe
cracks generally appearedon the outside (convex) surfaceof the shell, 91 came to mean
outside/outer. Other and undo are associatedmeanings.
Mnemonic:CRESCENT MOON WITH CRACK ON OUTSIDE
92
KAN, KEN, aida, ma
SPACE, GAP
12 strokes
hour,time
ffi fd JIKAN
humanbeing
Ffi MNGEN
mistake
Fd ;-€ U^. MACHIGAI
Door/gate P7 2ll with sun(light) B 62 showingthrough,indicatinga gap or space.
In oldentimesmoon fl 16 could be usedinsteadof sunwith no changeof meaning.
Mnemonic: GATE WITH SPACE TO LET SUN SHINE THROUGH
93
face
F tr' ceNMghr
reorno
complexion
F €
features
P,Ftt t KAorsuKI
GAN, kao
FACE
I 8 strokes
fl is an NGU characternow usedto mean page, but in Chinesecan still be usedin its
original meaning of head. It derives from [ , showing person ^-39 with exaggerated
head E . fi it an NGU charactermeaning handsome. f, is a variant of intricate/ elegant
collar l' 68, heremeaningattractive, while ll is a CO charactermeaninghair, showing threedelicatehairs and sometimesmeaningdelicate and by extension attractive . f
is cliff 45, hereusedlargelyphoneticallyto expressforehead but probablyalso suggesting brow in itself. Thus fi meansliterally attractive forehead, with head fi. .reinf o r c i n g t h i sI.t t h e n c a m e i i m e a n a t t r a c t i v e f a c e , t h e n j u s t f a cS
eu
. g g e s t t a k i nfg a s a
variantof stand >ra73.
Kr
ACCOUNT, CHRONICLE
10strokes
VAPOR
Mnemonic:STEAM COMPRISES WATERY VAPORS
26
journalist
article
diarv
words € zlq and serf/thread e g55 q.v., usedboth for its soundto expressaccount
and for its idea of from end to end. Thus thorough verbal account, now also
of
witten accounts.
Mnemonic:WORDY ACCOUNT OF ONESELF
s6
tF ffii-#
iBfL fu<e
naturalisation
iB € rrsu
homecoming
')fr 9 E KAERIMICHI wavback
Formerly ffi - ft is an NGU charactermeaningbroom (from a hand a holding
a broom
$ )' ana by extensionmeanr (house-)wife(seealso lir. g is a variant of folrow ig
350. Thus wife foilowing. In ancientchina it was the custom for a groom
to spend
sometime at his new bride's home, before returning to his own home with
his wife following. Suggesttaking simplified rJ as sword lgl.
Mnemonic: RETURN WITH WIFE CARRYTNG BRooM
GYU, ushi
COW, BULL
4 strokes
AND swoRD
f A Cygi'UfU
f YL Cvtrr.rvf
+ ffi t^ USHIKAI
beef
milk
cowherd
From a stylisedpictographof a cow's head and horns
$. opinion is divided as to
whetherthe lower cross-strokedepictsears or represents
the crown of the head.
Mnemonic:COW WITH EARS AND BROKEN HORN
Mnemonic:ONLY THREE HAIRS STAND ON HEAD: GLUM FACE
steamtrain
f-,"€ KISHA
steamship
F, trA KISEN
pressure
FKIATSU
steam
fr
;d # rrSHe
;d + KIJI
H Fd f.Ufff
GYO, uo, sakana
FISH
t-1\\
1l strokes
6 F. ruNcyO
goldfish
R:> 9 uorsuzu
fishing
fR tr sexeNeyA fishmonger
From a pictographof a fish
S . Sugg"rtrememberingby associationwith fire ..., g.
Mnemonic: FISH WITH FIERY TAIL
SECONDGRADE 102-105
SECONDGRADE 99-1OI
99
\
<r?
V
2l\
GYOKU, tama
JEWEL,BALL
5 strokes
rokyo
R H roxvo
KYO KEI
CAPITAL
8strokes
goingtocapital
L H lOrvo
H F xruuN
S fF CyOfUUer
jadecup
E4t
TAMATSUKI billiards
H { IrasoAMA
eveball
Tokyo-Yokohama
Often explainedas deriving from a pictographof a stone lantern ft, at ttre gateof the emperor'spalacein the capital. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect. It derives from a pictograph ff . Some scholarsseethis as a tower of the emperor'spalace,others as a house
on a hill . In ancient China nobles generally lived on hilltops, with commonerson the
flatland. Sincenoblesalso spentmuch of their time in the capital (to be nearthe emperor),
the idea of the place where nobles live is felt to have eventually becomeassociatedwith
From a pictographof a string of beads t, probablyoriginally jade discs. Ball is an
exFnded meaning. The extra point . was addedto distinguish it from king f,. 5, but is
dropped in the radical f .
Mnemonic: STRING OF JEWELS FIT FOR KING
KIN, chikai
NEAR
7 strokes
the capital. It can still mean height in Chinese.
fr Eh ruNfO
neighborhood
ftfr Sexnr
recently
:6 E cfuxaMICHI shortcut
Mnemonic: STONE LANTERN AT EMPEROR'S PALACE IN CAPITAL
loo
6A ri:ili'fsuY'i
ft l& nsNKvo
fe'fL rvore
lfi R rswovr
study
strengthening
srongpoint
Formerly 19, . 9, is insect 56. lv (also 6l,. ) is an NGU charactermeaning big/strong,
and is technically a simplification of the NGU characterffi, also big/strong. This comprisesbow Q 836nd big $ (actuallylargeareaof delineatedfields, similarto 85 q.v.),
giving big, strong bow. In the caseof 100 it acts phoneticallyto expresspierce, and
also lends an idea of big and strong. Thus big, strong insect that pierces, a referenceto the horsefly. This came to representstrength, possibly via an intermediatemeaning of persistent. Suggesttaking z. as nose 134.
Mnemonic: STRONG INSECT DRAWS BOW WITH ITS NOSE
101
& A rvorel
& 6 rvosHITSU
+*. k- + osHIEGo
KYQ oshieru
TEACH
11 strokes
church
classroom
pupil
Formerly *aunOoriginally fl, showing that fi is not filial piety ft 860 q.v. i
(now / ) is the samecrossedsticks/ emulation as in l0 q.v.' while P/ + is child
25. 4/1 ttro*t a hand holding a cane or stick, and meansstrike/ coerce/ cause
to do (sometimesinrerchangedwith {/I
, showing a hand holding a whip). Thus
force a child to emulate,i.e. teach. See also 197.
Mnemonic: CANE IN HAND TEACHES CHILD STICK ARRANGING
28
Movement L 129andax ft ttls, hereusedphoneticallyto expressshort andprobably alsolendinganideaof chop/makesmall. Thusshort movement,indicatingnear.
Mnemonic:DISTANCE TO MOVE CHOPPED,MAKING IT NEAR
r04
fr)
KEI, GyO kata,katachi
M;t
SHAPE, PATTERN
A Z
TstroKes
Mrca
rftsrnru
form
Nntcyo
dolt
KATACHIZUKURU
form
once written #1 .
4 is not weil 4 r470,but a griile or rattice window, here meaning pattern or frame.
/ is hairs 93, herealso suggestingpattern and reinforcing {.
Thus pattern/shape. Some scholarsfeer/2 indicatesa brush,
to give a meaningof
write down/copy a pattern.
Mnemonic: PUT HAIRS INTO PATTERN OF WELL-FRAME
;+
KEI, hakaru
MEASURE
9 snokes
A;t
Ft H
* ffi -t
COfsI
total
fSfSnN
calculation
KANDANKEI
words 6 zl+ andten -f 33,meaning
to countin tensandlaterjust count/measure.
Mnemonic:COUNTING IN TENS IS A WAy OF MEASURING
SECONDGRADE 106.109
106
t-t
GEN, GAN, moto
ORIGIN, SOURCE
4 strokes
goodhealth
zr fi, CemC
originally
lr * Cel*nel
)E ffi 9 MOfODORI asbefore
Oncewritten (, showinga person ,\ 39 with the head exaggerated.As in English,the
head symbolisedupper part or prime part, and by extensionorigin. An extra top
strokewas addedlater for emphasis.Suggesttaking = as two 61.
Mnemonic:TWO PERSONS OF SAME ORIGIN
107
atom
cPNsru
originaltext
CeNeUN
KUSAHARAgrassyplain
,F *
F {
HF
GEN, hara
PLAIN, ORIGIN
l0strokes
rlo
+
Mnemonic: ORIGINALLY CLIFF WITH FUNNY SPRING' NOW A PLAIN
108
outdoor
F f\ xOcnl
headofhouse
F E rOSnu
doorway
F tr TOGUCHI
KO. to
DOOR
4 strokes
Mnemonic: NOON STRIKES, KNOCKING TOp BIT OFF COW
lll
)
'f
*
FUKKO
+- :7 K6KOGAKU
tl
-+- *E
restoration
archeology
FURUHON
secondhandbook
Somewhatobscure. Commonly explainedas mouth/say fZ 20 and ten f 33, with the
latter meaningmany, to give something told many times and thereforeold. A useful
mnemonic,but shown to be incorrect by old forms suchas E. Some scholarstake this to
indicatea skull-like mask (sometimesan actualskull) worn at festivalshonoringances'
werepeopleof old, the mask itself cameto symbolise
tor-gods. Sincethe ancestor-gods
antiquity and henceold.
Mnemonic:AN OLD STORY, TOLD AT LEAST TEN TIMES
30
/\
GO, K0, ushiro,ato,
nochi, okureru
BEHIND,AFTER,DELAY
9 strokes
D)'tA tco
f{ * rdnex
'tA
W. lroNl
after
secondhatf
aftertaste
Road/movement4 118 q.v.,inverted foot & 43g, and g,, a CO charactermeaning
small and to all intentsand purposesa short versionof thread ^, 27. normally
com4
bineswith uninvenedfoot rE to give normal progress/movement(see129),
but here,
in combinationwith invertedfoot, indicatesabnormal progress.L actsphonetically
to
expressgo but also lends its meaningof little. Thus to make (abnormally)
little
progress' indicatingderay and by extensioncoming after/behind.
Suggesttaking (
as sitting crosslegged..
\
-
€-lL
7B
t4.
4
2
.F>-
t
112
Mnemonic: ONE DOOR FORMS HALF A GATE
KO, furul
OLD
5 srokes
i,::1,
Mnemonic: sIT CROSSLEGGED oN THREADING ROAD, FALL
BEHIND
From a pictographof a door p , beingone half of door/gate ?1 2ll.
109
f Bt cozEN am., moming
F'rA coco p.m.,
aftemoon
iE zf ssoco
noon
From a pictograph of a pesile f. It was borrowed to expressthe central zodiacl
horary sign, i.e. the middle part of the day, partly becausea pestle was associated
with striking the center of a mortar. Pestleitself is now representedby an NGU character
addingwood /i.69, ft.Distinguish cow | 97.
')2
f- is cliff 45. ,f. is a variant of spring fu StS q.v. Thus cliffside spring, and by
of primary/primitive/natural.
extensionsource or origin, often with connotations
Plainimoor is felt by some scholarsto be a borrowed meaning, and by others to stem
from the idea of primitive and undevelopedland.
SECONDGRADE 110-1
12
9-EI
GO.katarz
TuLL, spEAK.rALK
14strokes
-aE
#
cocnd
tb # uoNocATAzu
B ZF# NIHONGO
rone
sasa
Japaneselanguage
words z zlq anat . rn" latteris an NGU charactermeaning
ume, but in chinesecan
also mean resist. It was originally written
f, , showingtwo identicar reers !, 19.
This expressedthe idea of being equal and well matched,
leadingboth to resist and to
its use as a first personpronoun: that is,
one who is a person just like anyone erse.
Note that not all first personreferenceswere depreciatory(see
also g r 7). l l2 originally
meantmatch someoneverbally, i.e. in an argument
or similar,but later camero mean
speak well and later teil/speak in a broad
sense. suggesttaking f as five 19 and.a
as mouth 20.
Mnemonic:FM
MOUTHS SPEAK MANY WORDS
31
SECONDGRADEII7.II9
SECONDGRADE 113-116
ll3
=f
+
KO KU
woRK
3strokes
TE
zr.l
7qI
A carpenter's adze-cum-square,originally written I
KdJo
rn'rxo
DAI(U
factory
manmacie
carpenter
. Symboliseswork.
vast
E t ropel
placename
E H rm,osHIMA
A 6 roroKU advertisement
fr'?ol'l*li'ou'
snowsa roof/building. A/fi isyellow
Formerly 6 ,*d originally @ . [''ll/
120 q.v., here usedphonetically to expressspace but possibly also lending an idea of big
area from its original meaningof flaming arrow, with its connotationsof illuminating an
area. 114 originally referred to a spacious building, and now meansspacious in a
*
/q
with old age. Suggestrememberingold man
associated
f by associationwith earth.g
60, with / representingsomethinghalf-buried, i.e. ready for grave.
Mnemonic:BENT OLD MAN CONSIDERS BURIAL IN EARTH
118
Mnemonic: SPACIOUS BUILDING WITH ELBOW-ROOM
KQ majirn, kawasu
MIx, EXCHANGE
6 strokes
4 iB rors0
fi- 4 calro
4 & xdr,cN
traffic
diplomacv
exchange
From a pictographof a person sitting with crossed tegslAt. Crossing gave rise to
various extendedmeaningssuch as intermingle, mix, change, exchange. Suggest
taking i. as six 76 and * as a cross.
E X
)t 4
Jt' #
NIKKO
roxeN
xocexu
sunlight
lght Year
oPtics
per'
old forms such as 9{show *' to be a variant of fire X 8' with l\-being bending
fire
son 39. Somescholarsfeel tLis usedpurely phoneticallyto expressbig, giving big
carand by extensionlight. However,the positioningof the componentssuggestsa ftre
ried overhead.i.e. a torch'
) a
f).C
KO GYO, AN, iku, yutu,
*
okonaa
fi FtJ CyOnsrsu
4
Go,coNDUCT,coLUMN fif
l!\ t
I
\
fi
lxxo
yuruE"
carryingout
procession
whereabours
6 strokes
From a pictographof crossroads 4t. Has a rangeof extendedmeanings,suchas go,
travef, column, and act. As a radical, simpiified n N. often combinedwith foot rts
129q.v. to produce i_ o. 1 , both indicatingmovement.
Mnemonic:COLUMN GOES ALONG TO CROSSROADS
119
Mnemonic:MIX SIX CROSSES
KG hikara, hikari
LIGHT, SHINE
6 srrokes
\t
t * ronN
idea
4 4 snr.6o
reference
KANGAEGOTOconcern
frL+
bending. Thus an old man bent with age, a meaningstill found in Chinese. Some
scholarsfeel consider is a borrowed meaning,others seeit as stemmingfrom the wisdom
broad sense. Suggesttaking the modem A as an elbow.
'1lsi
Kd, kangaeru
CONSIDER
6strokes
+
,((no* /) is arather
aratherawkward ideograph showing a bent figure A
Once written f. ,{<"o*
39 and long hair l(the sameform as han *t + 210), both of which were associated
with old age. T /5 (also5 )is twisting waterweed 281, emphasisingthe idea of
Mnemonic:WORK WITH CARPENTER'S SQUARE
"4
tr
lt7
.>
-9,
lgl
Kd, taka,takai
TALL, HIGH, suM
l0 strokes
afso fi . From a pictographof a tall watchtower
$.
build up.
Mnemonic:
TALL WATCHTOWER
Mnemonic: PERSON CARRIES FIRE THAT SHINES LIGHT
33
H /H roccN
fr E sexo
H {6 rnxexe
plateau
highest
highprice
Srr* derivesfrom the idea of
L20
rQ Q ri;ro
YELLOW
A A ocoN
11 strokes
F E, KNRO
t{ +
royo
g
yellowleaves
gold
yellow
ls\
Formerlyfi , and in ancienttimes
or
{. lshows an arrow, while € is combust_
{
ible material bound to it (somesch-o-lars
ciaim'i weight to counterbalance
combustible
material at tip). The exact meaningof U(earliest form U is not clear, but
)
it is known to
be associated
with burning andis possiblya stylisedvarianrofan early form offire\9g.
The original meaningof 120 was flaming arro\ry. yellow was the color of
the light given off, and cameto prevail as a meaning. Suggestrememberingflaming arrow by
associa_
tion with grass -ry' 9 and field @ 59.
Mnemonic:ARRow
r2l
BURNS yELLow
\2
MEET, JOIN, Frr
6 strokes
A jE cozu
Mnemonic:GROUND IN BURNT FIELD IS BLACK
KON, KIN, ima
Now
4 strokes
Mnemonic: COVER THE CORNER, RIGHT NOW
sAr
x+
TALENT, YEAR OF AGE
3 strokes
,I6C SAINO
fr- t GOSAI
Originallyl, ht". *, depictinga dam g acrossa stream
\.
from borrowing.
EE6 ytXOrU
deepravine
6 E TAUZOKO valleybottonr
F f,: Jll ffaSpCeWA* surname
TENSAI
genius
talenr
five yearsold
Its currentmeaningsresult
Mnemonic: FUNNY DAM BUILT BY TALENTED ONE.YEAR.OLD
'27
opening a 20 andsplitting rr 66, cloubledfor emphasis.Thus deepry/ widery
split opening, i.e. valley or gorge.
4pm:{,'^"sukura
Mnemonic:VALLEY IS DOUBLY SPLIT OPENING
4 if Setseru
{Gffi saruruN
6) {f oosa
production
awork
acrion
Formerly le . t\ is delineated area 809 q.v., while I indicatesenclosed. The modern form usesjewel f, 102,thoughking ! 5 might havebeena more logical choice.
'{ is person 39. E is an NGU characternow borrowedphonetically
to expresswhite but
it originally meant make. It derives from
with
being
a
type
E
of
adze and {. being
$,
wood 69, giving adze on wood and thus make/construct
something. Here it lends
tts early meaningof make, and alsoactsphonetically
to expressdeceive. Thus a made/
constructed person used to deceive,i.e. a dummy
or by extension stand-in. over
the years the elementsbecamereinterpretedas person
who makes, ratherthan person
who is made, and finally cameto meanjust make. Suggest
taking f as a saw.
Mnemonic:ONE'S COUNTRY IS AN ENCLOSED JEWEL
Mnemonic:PERSON WITH SAW ABOUT TO MAKE SOMETHING
r23
l
thisweek
thistime
thisyear
Somewhatobscure.Oncewrinen I and A. z\ is cover g7. t is felt to meanput in
a
corner /conceal (variant L349). Thus tocover/hide. Some scholarsfeel it was borrowedto expresssudden, which cameto meanimminent and finally now.
Mnemonic:CAP FITS MOUTH
KOKU, tani, ya
VALLEY, GORGE
7 strokes
4 E fONSfr0
4 E roNoo
4 S xorosm*
rationaliw
A Ht resseN
battle
;f L A v- HeNesruAI discussion
O.riginally {: . X is a lid or cover. Somescholarssee tsJ as a container, to give
a
similar meaningto that of 87, while othersseeit as mouth lsay 20, to give a meaning
s i m i l a r t o t h e E n g l i s h r e r m c a p o f f a r e m a r k , i . er e. p l y f i t t i n g t y . T h e r o l e o f
1 2 1i n
reply $ 185q.v. supportsthe lattertheory. It now meansfit or join in a broad
sense.
122
R A rOfUnN
negro
(in),thebtack,
R ? rUnOl
E* rE ffi KoKUSHIByo
blackdeath
Formerly p, and originally fl . n is flame 1024. (D representsa grille or window @
with marks :: on it resultingfrom its positionover the flames,i.e. soot . Soot symbolis_
es black. Suggestfollowing the popularbut incorrecttheorythat tfl is field 59 and.f.
is ground 60, with ,r* as fire 8, giving the color of the ground in a burnt field.
WITH GRASS FROM FIELD
GO KATSU, aulwaseru
KOKU, kuroi
BLACK
11strokes
KOKU, kuni
couNTRy, REGION
8 strokes
lf E carxoru
E E sruroxu
E X xOfxe
overseas
shikoku
state
a,
35
J+
\
GRADE 128-130
SE,COND
r:s
M
SECONDGRADE131.133
il H rgIseN
T H voseN
H # seNs0
*.ii*o*,couNr
Jt! ---=---:
calculation
budget
arithmetic
Irt is bamboo I7O. flderives to. F<, showingtwo handsfl holdingwhatis felt to
be an abacus€. tttus usea bambooabacus'
B
t31
SHI, omou
THINK
N}
,8. ffi sgtso
,H.# snrro
,E 1...fi t ouonesu
9 strokes
ideology
thought
recalt
usually explainedas heart/feelings ,u 147q.v. and field @ 59, to the effect thatpeo_
ple of old_wereconstantlythinking of their fields and crops. A useful mnemonic, but
in_
correct. old forms such as Q show that E is a brain (from a depiction of a brain
with
crenellationsO ). Thus the feelings in one's brain, i.e. thoughis.
Mnemonic: COUNT BY USING BAMBOO ABACUS WITH BOTH HANDS
Mnemonic:ALWAYS THINKING oF oNE's FrELD IN oNE's HEART
r29
f rt cn0sru
kt
tfu ToMEDo
J]:t I X rouenrct
SH[ tomerulmaru
STOP
4 strokes
suspension
end
perch
r32 2 ?
)5. Lts
t---t
t-(l
X\
From a pictographof a (left) footprint f , hter 9. Originatty meant foot, but also came
to mean stop, from the idea of planting the foot. Confusingly,it can also be usedin
compoundsto mean move, from the idea of a trail of footprints, but when usedin this
-X9
and hence L i
senseit is almost always usedin combinationwith road 14ll8 to give
a rarely encountered
il l*. Also confusingly,the shape1r is virtually identicalwith $,
with above -E-37.
by
association
remembering
variant of growing plant fi- 42. Suggest
Mnemonic: FOOTPRINTS STOP ABOVE LINE
130
4 E lt' SUITASHI
ffi jE sHIlo
R. ffi uolcru
SHI, ichi
CITY, MARKET
5 strokes
Originally )f i. rgis stop 129.| [ inaicatesconfines and by extensiondelineatedarea'
T is a variantof waterweed 5 281, which normally indicatesbending but confusingly
can occasionallymeanflat (from the ideaof the weedtwisting up to the surfaceand then
it
spreadingout flat). Thus place where things flatten out and stop. Fanciful as
of
may seem,this was a referenceto the abstractideaof the levelingof opposedinterests
large
buyer and seller, which took place in a market. Markets were usually held in
towns. Suggesttaking rp as cloth 778 and -L as a top hat.
Mnemonic:GO TO CITY MARKET TO BUY CLOTH TOP HAT
36
F ffi rrvfurn
f,[ ffi WASFil
* Xfi rEcetu
10strokes
book-cover
Japanese
paper
letter
ft is thread 27, here meaningsilk thread. (, is spoon/ladle 495 q.v., here usedpho_
netically to expresssmooth and possibly also lending similar connotations(the
surfaceof
a spoonusuallybeing smooth). 1320riginally referredto smooth
silk, and by extension
smooth cloth. In ancienttimes cloth was usedas writing material,
and thus 132 cameto
meanwriting material and hencepaper.
Mnemonic: POUND THREADS WITH SPOON TO
MAKE pApER
r3
SuitaCity
market
fishmarket
\
,
SHr,kami
PAPER
JI, tera
TEMPLE
6 strokes
€ A + Rv6ANII RyoanTemple
* H ruN
Buddhisttempte
yelaeoeRA
il *
mountain
temple
Oncewritten
f , leadingto long-standingbelief that llis stop )Ll}g. However,an
earlierform { showsthat it is
in fact the confusingly similar variant of growing prant
E +z q'v. It ii usedhere to symboliseactivity (an
extendedmeaning from living growth
asopposedto inanimateinertia),
and combinis with measure/hand .I 909, which here
meansregular and methodicar
use of the hands, to give active and methodical
hands (rather than srationarywork with hands when j:
llu:f 1n"
is taken to mean
stop)'
This was a referenceto clerical work (the English
useof the term manuallabor to
mean physical labor
being somewhatmisleading),and by extension ptace of work/
Sovernment office. It can still have
this meaning in chinese, but generallycame to
nreantemple
sincetempleswere often associatedwith clerical work.
Suggesttaking J. as
ground
60.
MNcmonic:
TEMPLE HAs MEASUREDGROUNDS
37
SECONDGRADE 134.136
134
SECONDGRADEI37.I4O
H f nsuN
self
F ft sruzpx
naru.re
self-confidence
E 4E nsmq
JI, SHI, mizukara
SELF
6 strokes
'tlt,
From a stylised depiction of the nose
fo. somereasonshowing what appearsto be a
ridge = . Self stemsfrom the Oriental practice of pointing to the noseto refer to oneself,
as opposedto the chestas in the West. Self is sometimesexpressedby A, an NGU characterand a commonelementin compounds.Its early form is Zr, the sameform as plow
419 q.v. Somescholarsseetheseas one character,plow, with self stemmingfrom a phonetic borrowing, while others seeit as depicting a nose seenside-on and thus by association self. Suggestrememberingby associationwith eye Q 72, taking ./ as a stroke.
SHA, yashiro
SHRINE
7 strokes
11* Srnfel
trFtl nNte
i1 F. SfWN
companyemployee
Formerlyf.l, . fi;17 is altar 695q.v. i is ground 60. The ground aroundan altar
andthusa shrine.
wassacred,
Mnemonic: ALTAR GROUND IS SHRINE
138 ? 7
!fl="
t.f -J
JAKU, yowai
\lE'{K
10strokes
55,fi, rerurEN
weakpoint
t ' JAKUSIi'
puniness
55A YowAMusHI weakling
Mnemonic: NOSE IS JUST A STROKE FROM EYE. SYMBOLISING SELF
13s
a+ *#r:T"".
ffi ft nPet
ffi mn
S ffi roruooru
era,period
two o'clock
sometimes
Surprisinglyobscure. Originally wriuen $, showingstop t9l Ll29 andsun/day B
62, and possibly having a meaning such as end of the day and thus symbolising the
passageof time. However, at a very early stage stop6appeus to have becomeconfusedwith growing plant *lL 42 q.v., giving [, which possiblymeantemergence
of the sun. At a later stage9 was replacedby temple + 83 q.v., usedphonetically
to expressmove and probably also lending connotationsof regularity. Thus regular
movement of the sun, i.e. time. Hour is an associated
meaning.
Mnemonic: TELL TIME BY SUN ON TEMPLE
136
\n,
.ai
.r5
SHITSU. muro
HOUSE
}:":x;
E n
E 6
H i*
SHITSUNAI
indoors
ryosHITSU livingroom
place-name
l,Iunorsu
roof where one can stop, i.e. a room. By extensionit is sometimesused to mean
h o u s eo r h o u s e h o l d .
AT ROOFED ROOM
38
Formerlyfi91 andearlier$1, showinga doubringof bow 4 s36,heremeaningbending,
and delicate hairs lz 93. Thus something bent easily as delicate hair, i.e. weak.
Mnemonic:WEAK HAIRS BEND LIKE BOWS
SHU, kubi
HEAD, NECK, CHIEF
9 srrokes
E-€F SrrunVO
E ffi ruslwa
tr +fJ 9 KUBIKIRI
leader
necklace
decapitation
Originally $, showing an eye with exaggeratedeyebrowand indicating the eye areaof
rhe
face. However,laterforms suchas
$ showconfusionwith head 6 tF. gl, with hair
l1l added. can also be usedfigurativelyas chief. Neck is an associatedmeaning.
Suggesttaking $ as a variantof 93, with ., as hair.
Mnemonic: CHIEF HAS HAIR ON HEAD
n is roof 28. A is arrive 875 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressstop and also
lendinga similar idea of arrive and stop (from an arrow sinking in). Thus place under
Mnemonic:ARRM
society
shrine
140
+t l*:yl
\1fr.
Fk BANSHU
lateautumn
Fk tl SHUBUNaurumn
equinox
Fk ry. AKrzoRA
autumnsky
Rice plant f 81 and fire K 8. some scholarsfeer
l( is usedpureryphoneticailyto
expressgather, thusreferringto the autumnhawest.
However,it may also lend a meaning of dry (after the heatof summer)or refer
literally to the autumn crop-fires caused
by the FoehnWind.
Mnemonic: RICE PLANTS CAN GET BURNED
IN AUTUMN
39
SHUN, haru
SPRING
9 strokes
L4l
'4s
:3i:lJ;'"
&' ili-t'
youth
F # SetSrrUu
ft *a BAISHUN prostitution
*: E HARUGI springclothes
F €, rosgoKU amorousness
pigment
€ * smrlso
silvercolor
SE€ cnuno
Originallyff, showingthe vigorousgrowth of a mulberry plant Yf (r"" l5l8) in
thesunshine A 62. Vigorousgrowthsymbolises
spring. Suggest
takingd asthree
!- 23 peopleA39.
I
Oncewritten E. N n showsa person bending. 2/8 also showsa person bending (originallykneeling,but usedto indicatebendingbody in general).Thus one person
bendingover anotherbendingperson,which was a referenceto the sex act. It still retains
strongsexualconnotations,especiallyin Japanese.It is not completelyclear how it cameto
mean color. However, many scholarsfeel that it was used to refer to sexual partner,
especiallyfrom a male perspective,and that it then came to mean sexually attractive,
leadingin time to attractive/ pretty in a generalsenseand then by associationto color-
Mnemonic:THREE PEOPLEENJOY SPRINGSUN
142
SHO, katu
wRITE
10strokes
=;d
SHOKI
lt t+ =a KYdKASHO
* = HAGAKI
secrerary
rextbook
postcard
ful.
f showsahand 4 holdingabrush )p. a isasimplifiedformof thing #2g8,
which also lends its soundto express copy. Thus copy a thing by brush, i.e. write.
Suggesttaking El as day 62.
Mnemonic:COLORFUL TALE ABOUT BODIESBENT IN SEX ACT
-,4
ffi;l'ieru'kuu
Mnemonic: TAKE BRUSH IN HAND DAILY AND WRITE
I43
SHQ sukos/ri,sukunai
FEW, A LITTLE
4 strokes
4' 4
,/'#
4 ,>
SgOttEN
SHOSO
TASHO
A S sHorurt
meal
A-'st.fu TABEMoNo
food
k V +rJKUIMoNO food,victim
a youth
minority
more or less
Originally $ , showing food piled in a long-stemmed dish and essentiallythe same
-g
prototypeas vessel
rcqO. At an early stagethe piled food ^ becamea lid ,A 87, giving covered food in dish. Thus food and by associationeat. Suggestremembering
by associationwith good F< SSS.As a radical,usuallyA , E , o, E
Originally ,l' . At small ,l'36 but with four points insteadof three,to suggestsmaller
size. It originally meanttiny size but is now generallyappliedto quantity rather than size.
Mnemonic:COVERED FOOD GOOD FOR EATING
Mnemonic: SMALL WITH JUST A LITTLE EXTRA
,fl
a
t47
Jo ba
* E
^ E
E E
PLACE
l2 strokes
KAUO
meetingplace
NYLIJ6
admission
HIROBA
openspace
rs
SHIN, kokoro
F ,t' CH0Sruu
HEART. FEELINGS
,t-.,ffi sruruzo
4 snokes
-€ ,b
MAGOKORO
core
heart
sincerity
From a pictographof a heart (p. Also usedhguratively as feelings or mind. As a radical usually
tdamaged'
l' . Suggestrememberingas a heartwhosestrokes have been
by stylisation.
J- is ground 60. ft is a CO characternow meaning bright and open out. Its early
form fr showsthe sun E 62 rising high and shining down (representedby a symbol 7
convenientlythoughtof as rays), and in compoundsit oftenlendsa meaningof rise. Sun
rising and shedding light led by association
to bright and to the idea of opening
something up to the light. Here it lends a meaningof open and also lends its sound
to expressclear. Thus clear open ground, now usedto mean place.
MNCMonic:
HEART SHOWS STROKE DAMAGE
Mnemonic: PLACE WHERE SUN SHINES DOWN ON GROUND
40
4l
L.
SECONDGRADE151-153
SECONDGRADE 148-150
148
SHIN, atarashii,arata
NEW
I 3 strokes
ffi f; sruNNeN
ffi ffi srrnrPIN
ffi A sruNrIN
NewYear
newarricle
newcomer
Originally$f , showinga* ? t ll I 176 and needle/sharp 1.l+ l$2. Thus sharp ax.
At an early stagethe barbs of the needlebecamemergedor confusedwith tree ,{69 ana
its branches,giving J$ and a meaningof chop down a tree. The idea of cutting wood
is retainedin firewood fu ruAS,that addsplant t' 9. (Note alsothat {exists as a CO
charactermeaningthom-tree,but doesnot act in that capacityhere.) How exactly 148 came
to meannew is not clear. Somescholarsfeel it was borrowedphonetically,but its complexity suggestsotherwise. More likely, the idea of choppingdown treeswas associated
with building, i.e. new constnrction,or else newly cut wood requiring seasoning.Suggesttaking /
t+h E+
S t-t, SU, kazu, kazoeru
NUMBER, COUNT
13strokes
15r
4.^
f
SUGAKU
mathematics
IUZU*
rosary
KAZUKAZU
many
w.*.
*h ,1r
4-^ 4.t-
ForrnerlyW. {-ttstick in hand 101,usuallymeaningstrikebut hereindicatinga hand
holding counting sticks. $ is a rare NGU characternow meaningtie or often (also
wear in Chinese),but its original meaningwas shamaness.It compriseswoman {' 35
and$, an obscureelementthat appearsto meanlink items (not unlike skewer $ f f Of;.
was a woman linked to the gods (kamigakari). Here $ lendsits soundto
A shamaness
andpresumablylendssimilarconnotations
chant,
of its own from the chantingasexpress
sociatedwith a shamaness.Thus chant while holding counting sticks, giving
count and number. The modern form usesrice X 201, primarily as a graphic simplificationbut possiblyalsousingrice grainsto suggestquantity.
asstand 73.
Mnemonic:WOMAN COUNTS NUMBER OF RICE GRAINS BY HAND
Mnemonic: STAND OF TREES NEWLY CUT DOWN BY SHARP AX
''s
*R n**tr?ffi*'
*fl *
OvaxO
larerstage)replacedneedle{ with needle-ueel, thoughthe soundvaluewas unaffected.
Suggesttaking 6 as stand 73 and A as tree 69.
ttb X cnrzrJ
E E zuca
tr + fH rosHoKAN
7 strokes
map
drawing
library
Formerly tH . g is an enclosure. fi is to all intents and purposesa variant of the
fields and sectionsseenin picture A 85 q.v. In fact, 150 and 85 are very similar in
their basicmeaningof partitioning fields on a map. Suggesttaking I as X and " as
two pointers.
Mnemonic:DIAGRAM WITH SPOT MARKED BY X AND TWO POINTERS
Aa
afternoonsun
Originally $, showinga basket. The basketwas usedas a crudewine press,and later
forms suchas $ show the additionof a pressingdevice f . It was usedphoneticallyto
expresswest, but also lends a suggestionof falling (sun) from the idea of falling drops
of wine. Seealso 399.
Mnemonic:SUN FALLS IN WEST LIKE DROP FROM WINE PRESS
153
Mnemonic:PARENT SEES ALL FROM STAND OF TREES
ZU, TO, hakaru
PLAN, DIAGRAM
E El MSHIBI
thewest
Kansai
area
parentand child
Somewhatobscure. Originally {fl, showingsee fl t8 and needle/sharp $i ft t+ZZ.
The latter actedphoneticallyto expresskin, giving kin one sees(all the time), i.e. one's
immediate family. Possiblybecauseof the similarity to 148q.v., 149 similarly (but at a
150
6 i$ sEwo
F€ 6 xeNsat
SEI, SAI, nishi
WEST
6 strokes
152
parents
relatives
r'E#, nvosrnt
#, fi srnNnut
f
F
sEI, SHO, koe
VOICE
7 strokes
FIF
./\
lL-t-
EI ,/--
SEIEN
DAIONJO
vocal support
loud voice
NAKIGOE sobbingvoice
FormerlyF# .
A is ear 29. FL it u simplification of iA ,a CO characterindicating a musicalinstrumentusing suspendedstones. It comprisesstone b 45, strike
[ 1ahand !r
holding an a* /rt, now usedratherlike strite PatOt; and,fi, which derivesfrom a pic,
f
tographof the instrument itself . Thus that which enters the ear when a musi!
cal instrument is struck, i.e. sound. It can still mean soundin Chinese,but in Japaneseis found only in its extendedmeaningof voice. Suggesttaking
d as samurai 494
*d,F as a variantof door
7 108.
Mnemonic:VOICE OF SAMURAI AT DOOR
43
154
SEI, SHO, hoshi
STAR
9 strokes
,<
Efi
ta*L
KASEI
Mars
MYOfO
Venus
NAGAREBOSHI
shootingstar
1s8
tr\
iltO
flA E
i3T,1'lii,J'""-- 6'ff;
iisrokes
ff] E
SENCHo
KOGIBUNE
puNestl{
captain
rowboat
sea-mail
Formerly SP, and originally simply $, showing a trebling of sun A 62. geis now
bright 1403,but its original meaningwas many points of light. Birth/life 4. 42 was
addedprimarily for its sound,to expressclear, but may also lend an idea of activity, i.e.
light that twinkles as opposedto inert light. Thus many points of (twinkling?) Iight,
i.e. stars.
1354. '; is a CO characternow meaningwater at baseof hill, but it originally
$ is boat
rneant hollowed out (from spliVout rr 66 and opening o 20), and was vi:tually a lesser
'A 122. Thus a hollowed out boat. Opinion is
divided as to whether
version of valley
this initially referred to a primitive dug-out or rather to the carrying capacity of a boat (cf.
Englishvessel). Suggesttaking rr as eight and s as hole.
Mnemonic: STARS BORN FROM SUN
Mnemonic: BOAT WITH EIGHT PORTHOLES IS SHIP
155
SEI, hareru
CLEAR, BRTGHT
12strokes
ffi X SPrrgN
clearsky
bright
ffi ffi HARPSARE
HAREGI
bestclothes
ffi E
is Ulue/ young 43, here used phonetically to express
Also r* . B is sun 62. A/f
open/ clear and possibly also lending an idea of fresh and blue. Thus clear open
sun, i.e. clear weather.
Mnemonic: SUN AGAINST BLUE MEANS CLEAR WEATHER
156
SETSU, SAI, kira
#,qJ
cuT
W +Jl 9 HARAKIRI
4 strokes
fl is sword/cut 181.t
STUNSETSU kindness
- 9l rssnr
all
harakiri
is seven30 q.v., with its literal meaningof cutting.
Mnemonic: SEVEN SWORD CUTS
157
t59
it
Bil # zeNsrn
theformer
+- ill K0ZEN unprecedented
BiJ+ \r. MAEBARAIprepayment
ZEN, mae
BEFORE, FRONT
9 strokes
Formerly i'u, -d earlier f,tr . ,J ttt is sword/cut lU. Fl f it u now defunct charactermeaningadvance, comprising foot rE 129 (now * ), here meaning go, and boat,f
l# 1354,which from its connotationsof hollowed out (wood) was occasionallyused,
as here,to refer to a primitive tlpe of clog. Thus f, meantliterally put on one's shoes
and go, thus coming to mean go ahead/ advance. In combinationwith cut it lent its
sound to expresstrim/ arrange and also lent an idea of progress, to mean make
progress in trimming with a cutting tool. However, eventually
1fi1 revertedto the
meaningof f., i.e. advance and by exrensionfront/ before. The idei of trimming with
a cuttingtool is now conveyedby an NGU characterpruneS, that addsan extracut,{
181. (Note also that adding hand f 32 gives the NGU characrerarrange{ff'1.)Suggesttaking fl as meat 365, with e as horns.
Mnemonic:BEFORE CUTTING MEAT CUT HORNS
K € rosgrsu
snowfall
heavysnow
t € 6vuxt
snowplow
WE + JOSETSUSHA
SETSU, yuki
sNow
11 strokes
Also $ , and earlier g
ffi is rain 3, heremeaningthat which falls from the heav'
is
hand,
while
ens. +
f,f is a broom doubledfor emphasisand symbolisingclearing
(fi
exists as an NGU characternow meaningcomet, from the idea of a sweeping
away.
in
tail, but Chinesestill meansbroom/sweep.) Being able to clear away that which has
fallen from the heavensindicatesthat it has somesubstanceto it, i.e. snow.
Mnemonic: RAIN THAT HAND SWEEPS AWAY IS SNOW
44
160
d
ff
{\El
,I:!I
"
!--
SO, kumi, kurau
ftg ffi SOSHIKI organisation
'{HA KUMIAI
GROUP. ASSEMBLE
union
11strokes
assembly
#fl 4 iL < KUMITATE
Thread fr:-27 and furthermore/ cairn EL logl q.v., hereusedin its early meaningof
build up. Build up threads meantto braid, and by extensionassemble. Group is
an associatedmeaning.
MNCMonic:
FURTHERMORE. THREADS CAN BE ASSEMBLED IN GROUP
45
r61
SQ hashira
ffi fr. rvoso
RUN
{f1
Tstrokes
-fAt
race
-
SOKO
travelins
r{ASHIRIGAKI ,..ro,i
Er=A
'l
)n+-5
'FTL
+tL
,tyt
ZASSO
SOSHO
cursivescript
KUSACHI
grassland
166
t, W T.ssv
4 6 TAMEN
& )E t' b osucnu
6 strokes
majority,mass
manysides
toomanv
6
DAI, TAI
STAND, PLATFORM
5 strokes
167
Jb fi cHrHo
t& T CHIKA
+ tfu KrJI*
'8::::|"'LAND
Mnemonic:MANY EVENINGS
^ + TAISHI
A TE TATYO
a + FUTOTI
TAI, TA, futoilru
FAT, BIG
4 strokes
1 A DoDAI
base
typhoon
TAIF.
Iq\
A
e rfr DAIDoKoRo kitchen
Mnemonic:I MOUNT STAND TO SAY SOMETHING
often,finallyjust
Evening f 44 doubledto indicateplurality.Thusmany evenings/
many.
t64
7 strokes
it
formerly also written f, Uutthis is a separatecharacterand is generallyneated
In Japanese
assuchin Chinese.* is the correct characterfor platform, and comprisestall 8(variant
-A
t:34, eafih I- (variant L 60),and peak/arrive?875, which also actsphonetically
stop/be stationed. Thus mound of earth on the top of which one is
express
to
i.e.
stationed, look-outrampartand henceplatform. $ is usedin Chineseto mean self
(confusinglyboth as I and you), and comprisesself l^ 134 and mouth/say 17 20, giving name oneselfand finally just self. It was borrowedphoneticallyas a simple substitutefor S.
Mnemonic:GRASS IS EARLY PLANT
TA, oi
MANY
BODY
physique
appearance
El fA POIEI
figure
fd tt A KARADATSUKI
A PERSON IS THE BODY
Mnemonic:ROOT OF
weed
Grass/plant +/' 9 and early $ 50 q.v. The latteris usedphoneticallyto expressplant,
and possiblyalso lendsan ideaof a seedsplitting open and thus being aboutto develop
into a plant . (Thoughthe t of 50 can convenientlybe taken as the crossedlines/cutof
sevent 30, it also overlapswith the crossedcuts * of the early forms @ and f of shell
E 1243q.v., depictinga seedsplitting open. 50 and 1243 were in fact sometimesconfused.) Plant and grassarelessclearlydifferentiatedthanin English.
r63
f{ t5 ralraru
rAI, TEr, karada
*9
790. Thus, that in which
867 and ptentiful
ForrnerlyalsoF$, showing bone €
plentiful, meaningthe entire body as opposedto a limb. The form using
Oon* "r"
70, to give the root of a person, has been used for several
l".ron 1 39 nd root {
but is technicallya separatecharacterwith an early meaningof
irn,*", as a substitute,
basic person or similar)'
crude(presumably
Mnemonic: FOOT RUNNING ALONG GROUND
SQ tusa
GRASS, PLANT
9 strokes
I-h
-IA.
l.ZI-\
Originallyf , showingfoot tts /E 129,heremeaningmove, and a man moving frantically yl3. Thus frantic movement with the feet, i.e. running. Suggesttaking1
as ground 60.
162
>
-
region
underground
clorh,texture
t is ground 60. t is an NGU characternow borrowedto expressto be, but originally
meanttwisting creature (opinionis divided as to whetherearly forms suchas Q-and Q
depicta scorpion,snake,or sometype of insect,thoughsnakeseemsmostlikely), andoftenlendsan idea of twisting. Hereit meansundulating, giving undulating ground
andeventuallyjusr ground/land/region with various extendedusages. Unfortunately
thereis no easy
mnemonicfor €, .
prince
SUN
boldtYPe
A simplificationof *, showingtwo > 61 and big K53, which was in turn a simplification of d , teing a doublingof /( for emphasis.Thus very big, now often usedfor fat'
MNCMonic:
LAND WITH ODD TWISTING CREATURES ON GROUND
Mnemonic:FAT IS A BIT MORE THAN JUST BIG
47
46
b,{,.
SECONDGRADE 168-171
SECONDGRADE 172-175
CHI, ike
POND, LAKE
6 strokes
ffi ^ frU YoSUICFtr
€ fr!, osNcril
fr ft, rUnuxe
reservoir
banery
oldpond
Water t +O alrrdtwisting creature Q167. The latter is usedphoneticallyto express
bank, and probablyalso lendsan ideaof coiling and thusjoining with itself. Thus water encircled by banks.
Mnemonic: WATERS OF POND CONTAIN TWISTING CREATURES
CHI, shiru
KNow
8 strokes
f,.ili* Cgtsmrr
fg tl ctilsgt
fn I 6 V' SHIRTAI
.tr
knowledge
intellect
acquaintance
Mouth/say p 20 and arrow K 981, to give a meaningof speak with speed of arrow, thus indicatingthorough knowledge. Suggesttaking t:? as a hole.
Mnemonic: KNOW ARROW HOLE
CHIKU, take
BAMBOO
6 strokes
bamboo
ht M ctlrcvzet
feXfOn
sumame
a
ffr E
tt € Jj TAKEYABU
bamboogrove
Often believed to show bamboo segmentslil, Uut in fact early forms such as tt
stems of dwarf bamboo with spiky leaves. Now bamboo in general.
.B A cHUsHoKU lunch
tr-'ii t+ cHurospr
diurnal
rtsF{ rm.uue
dawime
written -d earlieras
fi. Verysimilarto earlyformof picture g1 g5q.v..
T-:rfy
4,
earlierasfi),
except
field
ta|1
E 59 is reptaced
by sun/day A 62. E lfi still acts
6
to indicatesectionoff/ partition,andalsolendsits soundto express
brighil Thusthe
bright sectionof the day, i.e. daytimeor noon. Suggest
taking- ashorizon and
themodemsimplificationft asmeasurein feet A gg4, or wnln it mayin factbe a
borrowing.
deliberate
MEASUREIN FEET NOON SUN OVER HORIZON
Mnemonic:
CHQ nagaf
LONG, SENIOR
8 strokes
fi F SfrCnO
* F fefCffO
E 4 E NAGAIKI
growth
chairperson
lonelife
Also fi . From a depictionof an ord man with rong flowing hair (a sign of age),
bent
with age and leaningon a srick
{i(see also old fr- eos1. This gaverise to rong, grow,
and senior, with associatedmeaningssuchas excel and chief.
Mnemonic:LONG HAIRED oLD MAN wrrH
sTIcK IS vERy sENIoR
F,B nerucHo
swan
$7,B vearo
wildbird
,H tr roRn
shrine
sare
depict
Mnemonic: BIRD WITH WINGS AND TALONS
Mnemonic:TWO BAMBOO STEMS
L71.
CHU, hiru
NOON, DAYTIME
9 strokes
CHO, asa
MORNING, COURT
l2 strokes
teabowl
XbL
CHAWAN
intemrpdon
A lF cnqcHe
teaandcakes
A H SAKA
CHA,SA
TEA, ANNOY
9 snokes
# A cgosHoKu breakfast
Fi E ASAHI
moming
sun
FJ tr cHOTEI imperialcourt
Formerly also nf , incorrectly showing tree F 69. */ is plant 9, while f,- is a simplificationof ample ft 800. The laneris usedphoneticallyto expressbitter, but its semantic
role is unclear. Bitter plant is a referenceto tea. The very occasionaluseof 171 to mean
annoy or similar may derive from bitter.
+.tt' and earlier as {[[, showing that E is not moon 16 but a derivative of river
/ ?.
the sun E 62 rising through plants f 9, lending a meaningof
;how.s
-f
river. This is still found in tide :hAg4t,which addswater 40. rn
""-"1^ tT:ising
;;:.^:: of 175
7
the rising suneremenrcameto prevailin irs own right, readingto morning.
;l:.::::
uourt
is felt to derivefrom figurativeassociationwith
the ideao] source of right. Suggesttaking
fl as moon.
Mnemonic: AMPLE TEA PLANTS
Yn.*ont"r
48
fiTtnf,
MORNING SUN RISES ON .LANTS, DIS.LACING
MOON
176
iE
TSU, toralsz, kayou
PASS, WAY, COMMUTE
l0 strokes
E ff fSUfO
E g, fsUftlf
X )ft 9 OOOru
passage
commuting
main road
L79
l\\
TEI, DAI, DE, otnto
YOUNGERBROTHER
Tsrrokes
* 4 surer
ffi t oesru
.8 4 rvooar
sons
pupil
LIGHTNING STRIKES FIELD IN ELECTRIC RAIN STORM
MnemOniC:
18r
Mnemonic: YOUNG BROTHERS PUT IN ORDER AS BINDING ON STAKE
8 strokes
TQ katana
SWORD
2 strokes
long sword
X n DAITO
E 1l GUNTO military sword
,l' JJ KOGATANA pocketknife
From a pictographof a curved sword , broaderthan the typical Japanesekatana. As
/
a radical usually found as ll . Often symbolisescut.
cially thoseotherthanthe eldest,sinceage-order was an importantfactorin ranking.
tr
DENWA
telephone
€;fr
lightbUIb
€ S DENKYU
E tra DENRYU eiecriccurrenr
Oncewritten @ , ana earlier fr . 6 is rain 3, here meaning sent down from the
heavens.zA/4/+ is the prototfre ot lightning q 322 q.v. 180 can still occasionally
meanlightning,but is usuallyusednowadaysto refer to etectricity. Suggesttaking € as
field E 59 with lightning bolt L.
brothers
shows binding, which was necessaryas a grip sincestakeswere used as weapons( !
overlapswith { , the prototypeof lance/halberd
493). Therewas a setorder to the manner of binding,and hence177 alsocameto meansequenceor order. It can still be used
in this sensein Chinese,thoughit is generallyreplacedby order m T9, that adds bamboo tff 170. By associationthe ideaof orderwas alsoappliedro sons in a family, espe-
TEN, mise, tana
STORE, PREMISES
DEN
ELECTRICITY
13strokes
180
once written *. *" a stake, still technicallylisted as an NGU character\ with that
meaningbut now usually found as an NGU characterstake d{ that addswood /(69. z
178
dottedline
points
emDhasis
Mnemonic: MARK LEFT AFTER OCCUPATION BY FIRE
Mnemonic: BENT FIGURE USES EXTRA MOVEMENT TO PASS
\ t
Y
V
f
,R ffi TENSEN
1€,*, rOrUrsN
tr ,F, itneN
Formerly?-5 . Y. is black 124. E is divination 1491q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto
expresssmall and also lending an idea of meaningful sign. Thus small black sign,
i.s. point/ mark, also usedas in Englishto meanscore. Suggesttaking g in its comrnonermeaningof occupy, and ,..' as fire 8.
iis movement r29. r4 is a co charactermeaningraised. It was originally written ft,
showing the sun O / A 62 rising abovea brushwood fence Hl/fi
215, and also
hasconnotationsof break clear or emerge. In combinationwith j- it givesa meaning
of uninterrupted movement,giving pass through, a road/way, and commute (i.e.
go directly). Suggesttaking )fl in its modem senseof use,with ? as a bent figure.
177
TEN
POINT, MARK
9 srokes
Mnemonic:BROAD-BLADED SWORD
E ii TENIIN
storeclerk
nightstall
d l5 Yoursn
IE I7 _( TANADATE
eviction
182
\
i ls UuitAingll4. $ is divination 1491q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressarrange/ display and probablyalso lendingirs own idea of arrange and announce.
T0, fuyu
WINTER
5 strokes
A E R TOMIN
4'+
A
HE
hibernation
winter season
FUYUSHOGUN
'Jack Frost'
rorl
Obscure.Formerlyalso /r- , and earlier
f and *. fn. exactmeaningof Q is unclear,
thoughit is known to have actedphonetiially to expressgather together/becomecompact. There is someevidenceto supporta view that it representshanging ropes tied
together (see306), said by somescholarsto be ropesfrom which cured meat was hung
during winter. t/z
is the prototypeof ice i//-ZtS. Thuswhen ice becomescompact, i.e. winter. Suggesttaking {
as sitting crosslegged.
Thus building where goods are arranged on display (and announced?),i.e. a
store. It is sometimesusedof premisesin general.Suggesttaking $ in its commoner
meaningof occupy.
Mnemonic:STORE OCCUPIES BUILDING
Mnemonic:SITTING CROSSLEGGED ON WINTER ICE
50
51
-\-
SECONDGRADE 185-188
SECONDGRADE 183-184
183
TO, atarulteru
APPLY, HIT MARK,
APPROPRIATE, THIS
tC * S0IO
appropriate
* A rOmN personconcerned
TEATE
allowance
+*<
6 strokes
q.v.,used phoFormerly # . g is field 59. *, is a variant of furthermore i5i 1.?i92
netically to expressin proportion and possibly also lending its own connotationsof appropriate (from its depiction of a housewith window appropriately facing nofth to
avoid the sun from the south). 183 originally referredto offering a field - or by extension
propelty -- as surety for a loan, the amount of land to be pledged being determined in
proportion to the sum advancedand being thereforedeemedappropriate. (More exactly, the suretywas usually the right to farm the land, sinceprivate ownershipwas very limited.) It still retainspledge as a lessermeaningin Chinese. Apply, this, and hit mark/
be accurate are associatedmeanings. Suggesttaking modern form as small rlz (variant
r1.36) andhand J (see96).
Mnemonic: SMALL HAND APPROPRIATELY HITS MARK
184
TQ trigashi
EAST
8 strokes
Orient
R i+ TOVO
MiddleEast
+ R CHI-frO
HIGASHIGAWAeasIside
R fiU
Usually explained incorrectly as sun El 62 rising behind trees f,- 69 to indicate dawn
and thus east, an error of many centuries'standing. Very old forms such as
reveal
f
that it is a tied sack ft with a pole thrust through to facilitate carrying, and in that regard it is in the samegroup as bundle { tS:S and select/ open bundle * OOg(r""
ln
also ridge-pole tik 1653). The error appearsto stemfrom a reasonablyearly torm
{
which the endsof the binding have becomeseparatedfrom the sack, thus suggestingthe
early form of tree/wood. It is not clear whetherthis is a simplecopying error, an attemptto
refer to the wooden natureof the pole, or a mistakeninterpretationof the elementsas sun
and tree. In any event,from an early stage184 was borrowedphoneticallyto express
east. Some scholarsfeel that it also lent an idea of thrusting through (i.e. the pole
through the binding) and thus by extensionsuggestedthe sun thrusting up through
the horizon, giving dawn and henceeast. The usualtheoryis useful as a mnemonic.
Mnemonic: SUN RISING THROUGH TREES IN EAST
TQ kotaeru
ANSWER
12strokes
185
M E xerrd
solution
rOeN
paper
answer
6 *
D E k- KUCHIGOTAE retort
Fit E 121q.v. and bamboo ttf 170. If 121 is takento mean lid on container then
this would give bamboo lid, but no such meaninghas beendiscovered. It is thus assumedthat 121 is cap off a remark, i.e. repty fittingly, and that, most unusuallyfor a
radrcal,r? is usedphonetically,to expressfirm. Thus fitting, firm answer.
Mnemonic: BAMBOO GIVES FITTING ANSWER
gF€ rororsu
TA zU, atama,kashira
skull
HEAD, TOP, START
EFffi zUfSU
headache
l6strokes
Fnn b ATAMAUCHI
top
186
Head f, 93 and bean/ vessel fr. 1640,giving vessel which is the head. Also
usedfiguratively as brain, chief, top or start.
Mnemonic: HEAD IS A BEAN-LIKE VESSEL
187
ffi mvo
IE S mrr
Itrl H m t
DQ onaTr
SAME
lBl
6 snokes
Somewhatobscure. Once written S. fut"n by somescholarsto indicatea round hole
El in a board !{, a round hole havingthe same diameterfrom all angles.However, fl
is more likely to be a variantof boat H t .# 1354,usedphoneticallyto expresstogether
and also lending an idea of convey, with U being mouth/say 20. Thus convey verbally together, meaningsay the same thing, and hencesame. Suggesttaking [-l as
a hoop, g: as an opening, and - as single l.
Mnemonic:ALL HOOPS HAVE SAME SINGLE OPENING
ig
DQ TO, michi
wAY, ROAD
12strokes
# E rpfsupO
lf E Srnvro
E ffi VfCfUeefe
railway
Shinto
roadside
r -is movement 129.f is head/chief 139, here acting phoneticallyto expressdirect
and also lending an idea of chief/main. Thus chief means of direct movement.
meaninga main road. Also usedfigurativelyas an abstractway (to enlightenment
etc.).
Mnemonic:HEAD MOVES, SHOWING WAy ALONG ROAD
52
similar
sametime
agrcement
53
f89
DOKU, TOK(J, yomu
\_J-
at-
L
e-,1p
Oru
Dr
KdAD
ffi #
OOTUSnA
tft A
TOKUHON reading_book
reader
193
--ffi,4 YOMIKATA
reading
fr
14strokes
H IX
F, V W
H V'' +
BAI, kaa
BUY
12 strokes
BAISHU
KAIMONO
KAITE
purchase
shopping
buyer
Formerly aA Z is words 274. eHis to all intents and pu{posesa variant of the old form
of sell ft / trL192,which had connotationsof calling out (one'swares). Thus call out
words. i.e. read.
is a net, though there is disagreeOncewritten 1fi1. WQ it shell/money 90. llllphonetically
it
see
as
acting
to expressexchange,givscholars
its
role.
Some
over
rnent
(for
goods).
it
indicating
Others
see
as
a bagful of money,
money
exchange
ing
It
may
roles.
buy.
serve
both
about
to
someone
suggesting
Mnemonic: SELL WORDS TO READ
Mnemonic:NET FULL OF SHELL-MONEY CAN BUY A LOT
190
NAN, minami
SOUTH
9 strokes
R
E
ru
rONEN
south-east
44 NANKYOKU SouthPore
iFl] MINAMIGAWA
southside
m
Somewhatobscure. Originally fr, tu,.. H *a S1 ,o-. scholarsfeel j( depictsa
primitive tepee-liketent, and take fl to be the prototypeof red 14 1563usedphonetically
to expresswarm. Thus, the warm side of a tent, i.e. the south side. Suggesttaking
f as ten 33, n as a hoop, and * as the sign for yen.
Mnemonic: GET A HOOP FOR TEN YEN DOWN SOUTH
191
BA, uma, ma
HORSE
l0 strokes
From a pictographof a horse
$,
,F ffi eefufsU
equitation
horsecarriage
,E € gnSHA
riding
,W * 9 UMANORI
stflised ," \.
BAKU, mugi
BARLEY, WHEAT
7 strokes
E #
E A
/1. A
gnfUCe
tv,tuCICHa
KOMUGI
malt
barleytea
wheat
L is inverted foot
Formerly A . Ad.nves from a pictographof a wheat plant $.
438 q.v., actingphoneticallyto expresssharp/spiky andpossiblyalsolendingan ideaof
slow progress. Thus (slow growing?) wheat plant with spiky ears. Suggest
taktng \ as sitting crosslegged,with E as a variant of growing plantllife E- 42.
Mnemonic:SITTING CROSSLEGGED WATCHING WHEAT PLANT GROW
195
# fl
HAN, nakaba
HALF, MIDDLE
+ H
+ +
5 strokes
HANBUN
HANTO
ITANTOSHI
half
peninsula
half-year
Formerly.|,andearlier $. /\issplit66,while $ isavariantof cow * Sl. tgS
originallyreferredto butcheringa cow by splittingit in half, i.e. down the middle. Now
usedin a broadersense.
Mnemonic:HALF A HORNLESS COW, SPLIT DOWN MIDDLE
Mnemonic: REARING HORSE
192
L94
BAl, urulreru
SELL
7 strokes
fi -H nefgef
dealing
ft IF SEIENI
sta]I
fi, I +rJ URIMONO iremfor sale
196
JIF6
BAN
TURN,NUMBER,GUARD 6A
* #
12snokes
rungaN
sel.[NrN
tCfilseN
order,turn
watchman
numberone
Formerly iF .F ir buy 193 q.v. f is a simplificationof put out t, Z+. Thus put
out for buying, i.e. sell. Suggesttaking t as samurai 494, with fl, as legs behind a counter.
Once written S , showing field tf,l 59 and rice )K 201. At some stage |( became *. ,
apparentlya confusionwith rice ptant * 81. The plantingof rice in the helds followed
a set order and also involved working by roster, i.e. in turn. Roster also led by associationto guard (duty).
Mnemonic: SAMURAI STANDS BEHIND COUNTER SELLING
Mnemonic: RICE SOWN IN FIELDS BY NUMBER. IN TURNS
54
55
SECONDGRADE 2ffi-203
SECONDGRADE 197-199
197
R.
? B fUnO
FU, chichi
FATHER
e. ra ffi ormave
,a H CTIICHIOYA
4 strokes
Once written d, showinga hand holding a stick (as strike I
f igure.
parents
Father
father
tOtl,indicating a stern
Mnemonic: FATHER HAS CANE IN HAND
r98
balloon
B. flA rusEN
wind
divine
xeurKAZE
tf EI"
style
Japanese
f[ F" WAFU
F lJ, kaze
WIND, STYLE
9 strokes
popular explanationusing sailtt[LtZt1 q.v., giving insect blown by wind against
sail. is incorrectbut a usefulmnemonic.
Mnemonic: INSECT BLOWN AGAINST SAIL BY WIND
BuN,FuN,BlJ,wakarulkeru
DMDE, MINUTE,
6+
- 4
BUNSHI
IPPUN
UNDERSTAND
4 strokes
-
ICHIBU
A
molecule
one minute
onetenth
Split rr 66 andsword/cut n ft|, givingcut and split, andhencedivide. This has
led to numerousextendedmeanings,such as fraction, minute (now of time, but originally meaningsmall portion,in similarfashionto the Englishterm),and understand (i.e'
somethingwhich is able to be divided/brokendown)'
Mnemonic:UNDERSTAND ONE DMDES
56
BUN, MON, kiku/koeru
ff H SfUNBUN newspaper
HEAR, ASK, LISTEN
tistening
Hf;ffi CHOIvION
14strokes
H t ry. 6 KIKITORU catch.hear
Usually taken as an ear fl 29 listening at a gate ?q 2n, though some scholarsfeel Pi
also lends its sound to expressdistinguish. Thus distinguish through ear (at
gate). Ask is an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic: EAR LISTENING AT GATE HEARS A LOT
Somewhatobscure. Felt to be a simpler form of )€\ , an NGU charactermeaningphoenix.
This comprisesbird .€., nq and f\, a variant of common FL,tAZl . The latter is thought
to be usedphoneticallyto expressbig, but may alsobe usedin a senseof common since
the phoenixwas a very commonmotif. The phoenixwas believedby the anciensto ride
abstractconceptssuch
the wind and hencecameto symboliseit. Wind itself represented
meaningsfrom
extended
manner
and
style
being
as invisible force and spirit, with
spirit. Insect 91 56 appearsto havebeenusedas a simple substitutefor bird.Fr. The
199
200
BY SPLITTING WITH SWORD
201
BEI, MAI, kome
RICE, AMERICA
6 strokes
Xftr
X E
E X
priceofrice
BEIKA
BEIKOKU
America
HAKUMAI polishedrice
Later appearsto have becomeconfusedwith rice
From a grain-laden ear of rice *.
phnt ft I *F-81,resultingin centralgrainsbecomingjoined as if a stalk, and.in the variant
4e. Wapanese also borrowedphoneticallyto refer to Al[[rica (from old read"ingME).
Mnemonic: GRAIN-LADEN EAR OF AMERICAN RICE
202
HO, arutu, ayumu
WALK
8strokes
progress
E F SrUmpO
+.'f1 # HOKOSHA pedestrian
RRUruoeSu
+Efff
startwalking
Formerly atso
f , and earlier S , showing a doubling of foot )E lZ9 q.v. (the lower
one being a right foot, the upper a left) to indicate putting one foot in front of the
other. Suggesttakingstylisedr)' asfew 143.
Mnemonic:FEW FEET WALK NOWADAYS
BO, haha
MOTHER
5 snokes
E,t4 nOSpI
S'8 ffi OX,tSeVn
E # HAHAOYA
materniry
Mother
mother
Variant
S of woman f 35 with nipples I exaggeratedto suggestsuckling and
rnotherhood. In compoundsusually
f, .
Mnemonic: MOTHER IS WOMAN WITH PROMINENT NIPPLES
57
SECONDGRADE2fi7-211
SECONDGRADE 204-206
204
H6, kata
SIDE, WAY, SQUARE,
DIRECTION. PERSON
fr ft
#,fi
Hfi
direction
TIdGAKU
boss
oYAKATA
MIKATA wayof looking
4 strokes
MAI, imoto
YOUNGERSISTER
8 strokes
207
Woman {
Surprisingly obscure. Popularly felt to derive from a pictograph of a tethered boat $
swinging in the direction of the current. There is evidenceto supportthe view that it
showsa boat (see1815),thoughtechnicallyit is probablytwo boatstetheredtogetherto
form a square (squarebeing the main meaning of 204 in Chinese). However, many
scholarsfeel that 204 in fact derives from a plow, and cite an old form ft as well as the
s i m i l a r i t y t o s w o r d / b l a df iet n 1 8 1 . D i r e c t i o n c a n t h e n b e t a k e n a s a n ' a s s o c i a t e d i d e a ,
from the line of the plowed furrow. Side and way can be taken as extendedmeanings
from direction (from the idea of over that way), as also person (originally an indirect
and usuallypolite reference).No one interpretationseemsto satisfyall meanings,though
someof thesemay havebeenborrowed. The most likely explanationis that therewere two
separatepictographsin existence,one being boats tetheredto form a square,the other a
plow.
-""
zos iSf'";,':'l?
tr(
R 1?, rogoru
Wlt
HAIBoKU
1t Ifit KITAKAZE
north-east
defeat
northwind
Originally /5, showingtwo personssitting back to back. Turningone'sbackexpressedthe idea both of fleeing and of the north. the coldestdirectionand hence
shunned.
208
MAI, -goto
EACH, EVERY
6 strokes
a
MAINICHI
E E- MAIDO
A @ HIGoro
daily
eachtime
dailv
Usually inrerpretedas eyery person )' t4 ZShas a mother & 203,
Formerly 6
mnemonic. However,old forms suchas f show that the upperpart is
is
a
useful
which
not personbut a plant rl, 9. Mother symbolisedfertility, and the origina.lmeaning of
206 was richly growing plant. It is not clearhow exactlyit came to mean every.
Somescholarsfeel it was borrowed,othersthat the idea of fertile growth led to reproduc'
tion and hencerepetition/ cycle, with every being an associatedidea.
Mnemonic:EVERY PERSON HAS A MOTHER
58
MEI, MYO akarui,akeru
BEE
MEIHAKU
CLEAR,OPEN,BRIGHT
8 strokes
qE B
MYONICHI
AKEGATA
Sun El 62 and moon E
is an associatedidea.
HAl,J fr
clarity
tomorrow
dawn
16,both symbolisinglight. Thusvery light/bright. Open
Mnemonic: BRIGHT SUN AND MOON GIVE CLARITY
tr
MEl, nakutru
NON-HUMAN CRY
14strokes
\H 9t
qg A tr
MEDO
rumbling
NAKrcoE
animalcry
CCI +rJ NARIMONO
music
Mouth o 20 and bird .Q' 174. originally bird-call, later soundfrom a rangeof nonhumansourcesincluding insectsand inanimateobjects.
Mnemonic:BIRD'S MOUTH PRODUCES NON-HUMAN CRy
210
Mnemonic:PEOPLE FLEE, TURNING THEIR BACKS ON THE NORTH
*ft
lS+ q.r.
Mnemonic:YOUNGER SISTERIS IMMATURE WOMAN
209
Mnemonic:BOTH BOAT AND PLOW CAN POINT THE WAY
:S anaimmature k
ffi ffi SfuueI
sisters
'sister'
4* tr nnoroBuN
yoursister
6 4F npnael
MO, ke
HAIR
+ +
+R
vovo
KEGAWA
4 strokes
+, E,
KEMUSHI
wool
fUT
caterpillar
From a pictographof a tuft olhair {.
Mnemonic:TUFT OF HAIR
211
MON, kado
GATE, DOOR
8 strokes
iE Fl SEIMON
FT6 MONBAN
PT [l KADODE
From a pictographof a double-doored gate p{.
Mnemonic:DOUBLE-DOORED GATE
59
maingate
doorman
deparnrre
SECONDGRADE 216-218
SECONDGRADE 212-215
2'2
,"*:H.i
i1.fi*{:'"" "Hfrfim^"
YO
216
Once written * . O is the old form of moon fl 16 (ancient forms show moon/
evening q 4q. d is a variant of Zk, the old form of the NGU characteragain fr'.
(literally both sides r . of a person l( 53). { is usedphonetically to expressclear, but
its semanticrole is not known. Thus when the moon is clear, i.e. night. Suggest
taking ,( as person 39, L as a top hat, and { simply as a variant of moon'
dayof week
ffi E YOBI
Tuesday
1( ffi xevO
tW
SHICHIYOdaysofweek
DAY OF WEEK
18strokes
fl is sun 62. n'lis wings 812. E is UirO, from a pictograph V. & it a CO character
rneaningbird's plumage, and in combination with B means dazzling (i.e. plumage
it can very occasionally
of the sun). This is still 216'smeaningin Chinese. In Japanese
generally
has
but
had
its
elements
reinterpreted
dazzling,
as sun winging like a
mean
the
giving
of
a
day.
Passing
bird,
Mnemonic: AT NIGHT, PERSON PUTS ON TOP HAT TO VIEW MOON
Mnemonic: SUN WINGS ITS WAY LIKE A BIRD, AND SO DAY PASSES
2'.3
F3
3
;:#,wrLD
.l
ll strokes
fl$;H?'
s F NOsene
,Jl'i
moor,
rreld
E is village 219. + is already 403 q.v., here with its early meaningof ample space.
Thus ample spacearound a village, meaningthe outer parts still not fully developed.
Hence moor and wild.
Mnemonic: VILLAGE ALREADY BUILT ON WILD MOOR
f- A
f-'ffi
E- &
Y0 tomo
FRIEND
4 strokes
friend
wnN
friendshiP
Yuo
friend
TOMODACHI
RAI, kura
COME
7 strokes
217
* E
ffi *. #
ffi *. b
RAIGETSU nextmonth
SHINRAISHAnewcomer
DEKIRU
bepossible
Formerly *., tom a pictographof a wheat plant I (see 194). It still retainswheat as
a minor meaningin Chinese. It is usedto expresscome insteadof come ,lK, listed in
Japanese
as an old form of 217 but in Chineseas a sepa.rate
character.{ft comprisesroad/
movement{ 118 andwheat jR- 217, which is usedfor its soundro expressmove
towards but also lends its own connotationsof emerge or come out (from the idea of a
plant growing). Suggesttaking as ten f
33 grains of rice *.20t.
Mnemonic:WHEAT COMES TO BE TEN GRAINS OF RICE?!
often thought to be a teft hand / Z2reachingout to graspa right hand 72in
show two right
friendship. A useful mnemonic,but in fact old forms such as \
hands, indicating togetherness and also both lending their soundto expresssupport
(i.e. mutual support).
Mnemonic: HANDS REACHING OUT IN FRIENDSHIP
ffi S YOfr
ffi ,et YOt
* ffi erwo
YO mochiiru
USE
5 strokes
business
PreParation
abuse
but'
Once written ffi and ffi, showing crude fencing. It was borrowed to expressuse'
something
have
suggested
may
also
pasture
land,
it
since fencing was used to enclose
useful in its own right.
218
ft
RAKU, GAKU,
tanoshii/shimu
PLEASURE, MUSIC
13strokes
KTRAKU
TANOSHIMI
GAKKI
comfort
pleasure
musrcalmstrument
Popularlysaid to be one of the easiestcharactersto explain but in fact
one of the most difhcult' The common explanationthat it derives from pictograph
a
of a tasseled drum-like
tnusical instrument on a stand, with music
coming to mean pleasure, is incorrect,
thougha usefulmnemonic. The
earlier form K showsthreads ta t|, white € 65
9'v', and tree/wood ia 69, while the earliest for-V
shows onry threadsand tree. It
originally referred to a type
of oak, whose leaveswere eatenby silk worrns (symbolised
oY threadg^). The role of
the later addition fi is not clear. No phonetic use has been
Mnemonic: USE FENCE
60
F, *
#. U A
*43
6l
SECONDGRADE22I
SECONDGRADE 218.220
identified. On the other hand, neither its early meaningof thumb nail nor its later meanings of hundred or white seemobviouslyrelevant,unlesswhite reinforcedthe idea of
silk. It is alsopossiblethat thumblent an ideaof principal (asin 1694),to meanprincipal
type from amonga variety of oaks. However,it seemsmore likely that thereexisteda second prototype for white, the pictographof an acorn. In any event,the original meaningof
218 was oak tree, now conveyedby an NGU characterffi that addsan extra tree. How
it came to mean pleasure and music is not clear. Its complexity suggestsit was not
merely borrowed for its sound. It may possibly have symbolisedthe joy of a silk worm
breederupon finding sucha type of oak, with music being an associatedmeaningof joy, or
its shapemay indeedhave suggesteda musicalinstrument,with pleasurebeing the associated meaning.
WA, hanashi,hanast
SPEECH,TALK
l3 strokes
A ;f xefwe
conversation
# ffi WnoeI
talkingpoinr
roeeNASHr
d.;f
tale
usually explainedas words e 274 and tongue & nz q.v., giving articulated words
andhencespeak. A useful mnemonic,but incorrect. old forms suchas $fr show that $
is not tongue but the early form of holtowed out space S z++ q.v. Here it lendsits
soundto expressgood, and may also lend an idea of booming/echoing, or else coming out from the spacethat is the mouth. Thus good words, giving speech.
TONGUE CONTROLSWORDSWHEN TALKING
MnemoniC:TASSELED DRUM ON STAND MAKES PLEASING MUSIC
RI, sato
VILLAGE, LEAGUE
7 strokes
2t9
* E
E
E E
oneleague
rCruru
rusdc
SATOBITO
hometown
runusaro
END OF SECOND GRADE
Field € 59 and earth/ground .l 60. The latter lent its soundto expresspath, and
also lent an idea of the raised€arthenridges separatingthe fields. Thus ground with
fields and dividing paths, indicatinga settlement. Also usedas a unit of distance
(2.44 miles),i.e. league.
Mnemonic: GROUND TILLED INTO FIELDS, INDICATING VILLAGE
220
tF
y
lloro*, RATT'NALCH ffi'*l
t
,b E +
11strokes
un,.u,l'nloll
SHINRIGAKU
psychologY
p is jewel 102. g- isvillage 219 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresssplit and
also lending its own loose connotationsof divide (from pathsdividing the fields). 220
originally meantto split a jewel (still retainedas a minor meaningin Chinese).This involved splitting along the natural line of cleavage,which required considerableattention'
Thus 220 cameto meanact carefulty/ handle/ manage (also still retainedin Chinese)'
and also came to indicate concentration, leading to the idea of using the mind and
hencethe associated
meaningreason(ing).
Mnemonic:KEEPING JEWELS IN VILLAGE IS REASONABLE
62
63
THIRD GRADE 225.2N
THIRD GRADE 222-224
I, iyasa
HEAL, MEDICAL
7 strokes
225
THE 195 THIRD GRADE CHARACTERS
222
*
;*Il-.l^ii'.
ll srrokes
tS
'E g-is
striking hand 153,while !( is an arrow 981 in its quiver f , girFormerly
ing a now defunctcharacter lE*. meaningto attack. 6i is a wine jar 302, hereindicating
alcohol. Thus to attack with alcohol, which refers to the ancientpracticeof using alcohol as a medicineand possibly also anesthetic.By extensionthis came to refer to healing and medical practice.
ffiH nxut
*K oreN
* # wenuuoNo
Formerly {. . ,u.is heart/feelings 147. fr | g-is sub- 997 q.v., here acting phonetically to expressugly and also lendingits own connotationsof ugly and twisted. Thus
ugly, twisted feelings. 222 oiginally referred to someonetwisted with hatred, and can
still occasionallybe usedin this sense,but in generalit has come to mean bad in a broad
DOCTOR'SBAG CONTAINSARROW, USED FOR HEALING
Mnemonic:
226
sense.
€
Mnemonic: SUB-HUMAN, UGLY, TWISTED FEELINGS ARE BAD
223 .)a
t I
g.
-.
f
4 4 rueN
AN, yasui/naru
RESTFUL, EASE, CHEAP ?'l' eNsrml
*\fu vl'suvtoNo
6 strokes
tr # IsHe
doctor
ti f+ tr GEKAI
surgeon
tr Y tCefU medical
science
unease
relief
cheapitem
ZS q.v. and building/home ?1 28. Usually explainedas a woman at
Woman t
However, old forms such as fi
home representingthe idea of peacefut normality.
revealthat {1 doesnot derive from the normal kneelingwoman 2n ,but a woman sitting
At
on a thin, flat item y'. ltrefened to a womanusing a napkin during menstruation'
no
did
house,
and
the
of
quietly
in
a
corner
such times a woman was left alone to rest
idea
the
to
related
work. That is, she was at her ease. Cheap is an associatedmeaning,
of giving no causefor concern.
Mnemonic: WOMAN AT HOME, RESTING AT EASE
224 fili.Llaoo'"
ggffihl'T;;'ill
G
phoneticallyto expressshade and possibly
B is sun 62.$ issound 6 q.v., hereacting
of soundrather
also lending connotationsof indistinctness (from its stresson volume
gloom'
and
or clarity). Thus shaded sun, i.e' darkness
than articulateness
I
MIND, THOUGHT, WILL
13snokes
i+ H cnft
ift H fgfSUI
H F, xru
attention,
care
resolution
opinion
ru is heart/feelings 147. 7 is sound 6. Some scholarsfeel the latter is usedto mean
state aloud, to give voicing one's feelings and hence opinion or similar. others
feel it is usedphoneticallyto expressfull, to give that of which the heart is full, i.e.
concernsor thoughts. Somefeel it may also lend an idea of soundbut in a figurative
sense,i.e. 'the sound of the heart'. A combinationof the last two theoriesseemsthe
most likely, i.e. a heart full of thoughts which are its 'sounds'. will andmind
areextendedmeanings.
Mnemonic:A THOUGHT IS A SOUND FROM THE HEART
227
F
IKU. sod,atsulteru
RAISE, EDUCATE
8 strokes
# H rvoxu
education
H lE trun
childcare
H(#
soDATEoYA
foster parent
Originally 4., showing a woman
? / t 35 q.v. (but sitting rather than kneeling) and
invertedchild * /
25.
The
inversion
indicatesa newborn infant, emphasisedby the
+
amniotic fluid ','(see also409). In a laterform
stylised
{ the dropsof fluid Lrecame
aslrt, and in a still laterform
became
replaced
iv
scholars
Some
see
this as
tft.
I
$
neat 365 usedpurely phoneticallyto expressbirth (replacingwoman
which
similarly
f ,
representedbirth), but it may just be a stylisation
of t(l . 227 canstill mean birth in Chinese,but it is generally usedto mean raise children in a broad
sense.
Mnemonic: EDUCATE CHILD UPSIDE-DOWN LIKE PIECE OF MEAT
Mnemonic: SUN GOES DARK, ACCOMPANIED BY SOUND
65
228
e
A F. rauN
A R zgtltN
9l F. mn
IN
FT
MEMBER, OFFICIAL
10 strokes
23r
groupmember
all members
mobilisation
ig
.\{-
UN, hakoba
TRANSPORT,LUCK,MOVE
12 strokes
,€ 9) UNDO
4r.E FUUN
rE E UNSO
movemenl
misforrune
transportation
iis movement 129. $' is army 466 q.v. Some scholarstake the latter in a literal
sense,giving army on the move and by associationtransportation and the fortunes
of war. Otherstake it to act phoneticallyto expressround, as well as lending its own connotationsboth of circle and vehicle (from a circle of vehicles),thus giving a meaningof
Old forms such as fi1 show that fl is not shell 90 but a simplihcation of round three
tegged kettle fL (now an NGU characterwith that meaning),which in itself symbolised
roundnessbut is herereinforcedby a circle \7 . Thus the original meaningwas round
kettle. This led to round (still found in Chinese).Member and official are felt to de-
vehicles rolling along, and hencetransport. Luck is then felt to stem from an association betweenfortuneand circular/cyclicmovement.
rive from the idea ofa groupofpersonsgatheredaround (a superior)in a meeting. Suggest taking fl as shell-money and E as mouth/say20.
Mnemonic:ARMY ON MOVE NEEDSLUCK AND TRANSPORT
,-:';
ffiilx,,
Mnemonic: OFFICIAL MEMBERS ALWAYS TALK OF MONEY
232
ffi H syorN
*ffi ruN
i# ffi cnN
hospitaj
\
\
I
temple
the House
zJ<fi< SUtEt
swimming
rnfet
H Hc
backstroke
+ ri( 5 HIRAOYOGIbreasrsrroke
EI, oyogu
SWIM
8 strokes
7 is water 40. ,k is long 615 q.v., here used phoneticallyto expressfloat and also
lending its original connotations of flowing water. 232 originally meant to float with
the current, but has now broadenedto meanswim.
p is from a pictographof a terraced slope [ , and often meanshill, mound, or embankment (ashere). It is the forerunnerof the NGU characterhill +. Trit complete
440 q.v., which originallymeantbuilding with surrounding fence/walland as such
Mnemonic: LONG SWIM IN WATER
is the prototypeof 229. The additionof embankment f suggestsan importantbuilding
with solid surroundingwalls. It can still meanlarge building, but generallyindicatesan
233
institute or similar. Suggestremembering p in its commonestsenseof hill.
,ffiF grucHo
,ffiJl grmPN
R H,ffi rorYoprr
EKI
STATION
14strokes
stationmaster
stationlunch
rokvoStation
Mnemonic: INSTITUTE COMPLETE WITH SURROUNDING HILLS
:'-10
B'
l)'\
Formerly $rY . Ais horse 191. p is a CO charactermeaningspy on and lead. It was
once written
$ , showing an eye I lZ anl f$ latso I L u type of shackleusedon
prisoners and hencesymbolisingthem. Thus
P is an ideographmeaningto keep
watch over prisoners. Sincethe prisonerswere chainedtogetherin a line it often also
hasconnotationsof line or succession,as here. Thus 233 meansliterally a succession
of horses, and referred to the relay stations at which imperial messengerschangedtheir
horses. It now meansstation in a broadersense. Suggesttaking the simplified form (
asa person A 39 with a pack A on their back.
ARffi zk rNYosuI drinkingwater
drinks
ffi,4 ry) NoMIMoNo
tavern
ffi.4 tr NOMIYA
l}l"ff'"'*A,.,.ow
!r sr"kes
Though nowadayswritten with the food/eat radical Q" rue,old forms such as 6] sho*
clearly that this is a substitutefor wine jar /alcohol 6 302. R is lact<471, usedhere
in its early senseof gaping mouth. Thus to quaff alcohol with gaping mouth, now
to drink in generai,as well as swallow (without chewing).
Mnemonic;LADEN PERSON MOUNTS HORSE AT RELAY STATION
Mnemonic:LACK FOOD. SO SWALLOW DRINK
67
66
L.
THIRD GRADE 234-236
234
THIRDGRADE 237-239
ropN
park
8 r W f f i msursusN
zoo
t\
J^
EN, sono
GARDEN, PARK
13strokes
l=gl
14)
237
iq
4.(,W) FIANAZONO
flower garden
Enclosure O 123and spacious i. lg. The latter also lends its soundto express
fence. Thus spacious fenced enclosure. Suggestremembering { by association
with distant ;L1g.
Mnemonic:SPACIOUS PARK ENCLOSES CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE
?1<
O yoko
srDE, CROSSWAYS
15strokes
ff; E[ ODAN
crossing
tA fT oro
ff; ffi voroceo
strutting
profrle
Wood fl 69 and yetlow & tZO.The lauer actsphoneticallyto expressbar/block,
and may also lend connotationsof wooden shaft from its original meaning of flaming arrow. 235 originally referred to a piece of wood laid across a gate to prevent its being
opened,lead.ingto crosswaysand by extensionon its side and side. It also occasionally has connotationsofdefiance (from prevent) and perversity(a figurative extensionfrom
not upright).
Mnemonic:YELLOW PIECE OF WOOD LAID ON ITS SIDE
236
OKU, ya
STORE, BUILDING
9 strokes
E _L.oruro
,.J.E KOYA
} :/ E. PA}IYA
ON, atatakai/meru
WARM
12strokes
spa
kindness
hothouse
ForrnerlyS . There is somedifferenceof opinion as to its origins. Some scholarstake it
torefer toan act of kindness in giving a prisoner @ 1353a bowl @ l307ofwater 2 40, with the figurative senseof warm unusually precedingthe physical one. other
as a variant of vapors rE 26, with watery vapors from a
scholarsinterpret fl
bowl indicating steamand thus heat. Though the latter theory seemsthe more logical,
S
is listed (thoughwithout examples)as a co charactermeaningfeed a prisoner, suggest_
ing that the former theory is in fact accurate. For the modern form, suggesttaking g as
sun 62.
Mnemonic: SUN WARMS WATER IN A BOWL
238
)v
t
Hff* ixffirrcHff#tr#
\I
4srokes
IV'IJZ
BAKEM9N9
#::;
'spook'
,{ showsa standing person 39, while (, showsa fallen person, thus indicating
a
change of state. Some scholarsfeel that g, also acts phonetically to
expressdeceive,
leadingto deceitful changeand hencebewitch, while others see
bewitch simply as an associatedmeaning of change.
roof
hut
baker(Y)
239
KA, ni
LOAD, BURDEN
10strokes
fr ffi srrurxe
consignment
ffl ffi ruNeNI
ship'scargo
ffi tb Nnraorsu
baggage
+ is plant 9. rld
is what? 80 q.v. The latter is almostcertainly usedin its early senseof
bear a heavy load,
though its preciserole is unclear. The original meaning of 239 was
lotus (still retained
in chinese as a significant meaning). The idea of bearinga heavyload
may possibly have
beenusedto refer to the large headof the lotus. In any event, bearing
a load came prevail
to
as the main meaningin chinese and the sole meaningin Japanese.
MNCMONiC:
WHAT A BURDEN THE LOTUS PLANT CAN BE!
AND FIND CORPSE IN STORE BUILDING
68
llRR. oNsBN
ifl'lE oNlo
llRE oNsrursu
Mnemonic:BEWITCHED PERSON CHANGES AND FALLS
derived from a slumped figure / ' In com/ is an NGU charactermeaning corpse,
poundsit can also mean buttocksor, as here, slump in the senseof relax. 6. is arrive
(and stop) 875,which also actsphoneticallyto expressroom (in fact, somescholarsfeel
'5' 136). Thus a room where, having ar'
it is used as a simplified form of room
in Japrived, one can retax. This came by extensionto mean house or buitding, and
aneseis also usedof store and by extensionstorekeeper'
Mnemonic: ARRM
\E)
69
240
KAI
AREA, BOUNDARY
9 snokes
Field fl 59 and come between /l'
boundary andarea.
tEF sgrer
€ tr rvorer
Ek tr SPXAI
politicatworld
l,'
f#X KAIHATSU development
inception
ffiffi KAIStil
ffi A ftFl HIRAKZUNA rip-cord
[H & XemeN
H tUXeI
FH#& fetr(vO
-lS.
\
coldwave
* & r,c'l.IPn
chill
K fi. seuurB
* ffi;t KANDANKEI
therrnometer
H;srmu;
12strokes
is roof/building
Somewhatobscure. Formerly I ,*din ancientti-es A._ OtA
(also
to be plants 9.
appears
tl
winter.
symbolising
)
possibly
Y$
ice
378,
is
2g. K | /
245 thus appe{usto be a referenceto the customof binding strawor rushesto the outsideof
a houseto insulateit againstthe cold of winter. Suggesttaking 1tr as well 1470and 7-:.
as a variantof six i- 76.
stairs
upstairs
class,grade
I is terraced hill 229. fi is all 1064,here acting phonetically to expressrow and also
lending similar connotationsfrom its literal meaningof row (of peopletalking). Thus row
of terraces on a hillside, now usedto mean step or graduation in a broad sense.
Mnemonic:BUILDING'S SIX WELLS ICE OVER IN COLD
246
Mnemonic: ALL THE STEPS OF A TERRACED HILL
243
JeF-/
245
\}r
Mnemonic: HANDS REMOVE BAR AND OPEN GATE
KAI
STORY, GRADE, STEP
12strokes
activity
IS SIGN OF LIFE
Mnemonic: WET TONGUE
Once written Fql, showing a gate ? | 211 and two hands y,1 reachingout to remove the
bar - that is keepingit closed,therebyopening it.
242
KAKKI
ifi Ft rersuoo
Jf,
1059.Thus division of land, leading to both
KAI, hirakz,akeru
OPEN
12strokes
E fi
liveliness
-/ (water40) tongue I llz, which is a sign of life. A
rr",rnrlvexplainedas a moist
Durord forms suchas ;p show that $ is in fact a derivative of ! , an
usefulmnemonrc,
hollowed out space'
combining opening o 20 andscoop f,z 495 and meaning
ir""*nr
"Ji
into such a space. By extensionit cameto mean
ongrnultyreferredto water rushing
perhapsbecauseof the life-giving property of water, life. Note that in Chii"ti"ity *a,
minor meaningof sound of (rushing) water.
neseit still retainsa
Mnemonic: BOUNDARY BETWEEN FIELDS MARKS AREAS
241
lire
4 ffi sexersu
7t _-Jl:, flliu!,",
esrokes ",,,
world
boundary
.
ffi,b
KANSHIN
ffi H reurexu
["xn"
ffi'lE xeNlo
admiration
sense
feeling
Heart/feeling r\' 147 and f.!,'. The lattel is a CO charactermeaningunison. It comprisestrimming tool/ sharp weapon p!' lvariant l( 515 q.v.), which symbolised
trimming and making colrect and by extensionharmonising, and mouth/say O 20,
thusgiving harmonyof expressionandunison. Here it actsphoneticallyto expresssway'
and probably also Iendsan idea of all together. Thus all hearts swayed together, indicating intenr" emotion or feeling. Suggesttaking l[ as a variant of halberd d
KAKU, tsuno, kado
angle
E E XAXUPO
HORN, ANGLE, CORNER € ffi TSUNOBUEhorn,bugle
trI E MACfilGDO
7 strokes
streetcorner
From a pictographof a horn | . Now has a rangeofextended meaningssuch as corner,
angle.
493,with .-
as one L
Mnemonic:ONE HALBERD IN MOUTH CAUSES FEELING IN HEART
Mnemonic:ANGULAR HORN
'tr
70
^\-
THIRD GRADE 247-250
THIRDGRADE 251-254
hall
A€H xexeN
KAN
iNN
NYOXEN
HALL
f(€H
LARGE BUILDING,
gallery
art
BIJUTSUKAN
*'ffi ffi
16strokes
Eat A 146 and official V +q q.v., here with its original meaning of official in a
buitding. 247 ollginally referredto a building where traveling officials could eat, i.e. an
inn, but then cameto mean building in a broadersense,usually with connotationsof size
and quality.
Mnemonic: OFFICIAL EATS IN HALL
once written $ . sun/da y 9 6z has now been replacedby moon /month H 16,
both indicating time. { is an NGU characterborrowed to expressthat, but it derives
from a pictograph of a winnowing device X . I-lte the harveit itself (see64) winnow|rligcarneto symbolise a cycle of time. This led to the idea of regular and predictable,
i.e. somethingone can expect.
Mnemonic: EXPECT PERTOD oF MONTHS BETWEEN wTNNowINGS
EH rerceN
'x'JH
rucnN
Jll E r,cweGISHI
GAN, kishi
BANK, SHORE
8 strokes
2s''J.H"*T
gffi
ffitr
[n #,rir"",'ExPEcr
coast
farbank
riverbank
KYAKU, KAKU
GUEST,VISITOR
9 strokes
*E neucyerU
visitor
* 6 fOfyefU
passenger
AF KAKUN guestmember
q.v.,
,! is mountain 24, here meaninghigh ground. f it cliff 45. 4 is dry 825
its
from
of
thrusting
idea
lending
an
and
also
high
here acting phonetically to express
extension
by
cliffs,
and
Thus
tall
thrusting
weapon.
original meaning of thrusting
shore or bank.
Roof/buildin g h 28, and each 4, 438 q.v., here with its literal meaningof visit
and stay. Thus person who visits building(especiallyhouse).Suggesttakjng
S as
sitting crosslegged,and p as mouth 20.
Mnemonic: MOUNTAINOUS CLIFF FORMS DRY SHORE
Mnemonic:
EACHHousE GUESTsrrs cRossLEGGED,opEN
MourHED
d-l
E
GAN, iwa
ROCK, CRAG
8 strokes
tain ,)a 24 andstone/rockfi
EE
EE
'kll,E
rock
CeNSPXf
CAVC
TWEYE
KASEIGANigneousrock
45.
Mnemonic:STONY MOUNTAIN SHOWSROCKY CRAGS
250 +.-^
<r:
.lfB
\-r,
Kl, okirulkorulkosu
ARISE, CAUSE
10strokes
origin
*9F KIceN
"+tg E HAYAOKI earlvrising
E&r)J KDoRYoKU
motivePower
Formerly fi$ . f is run 161. Z, is an NGU charactermeaning serpent' and derivesof
from a pi"tog.upft l . Here it actsphonetically to expressstop, and also lends an idea
of
idea
The
rearing up. Thus to stop running and rear up, suchas an animal at bay.
ano
rearingcame to prevail, leadingto associatedmeaningssuch as rise, arise, occur'
cause. Suggesttaking (, as thread/ self 855.
Mnemonic: CAUSE ONESELF TO RUN
253
Ky|\kiwameru
fffr rrNry0
INVESTTGATE,
EXTREME vyEErytMsr
7 strokes
#fr rexrvu
\+i'
'-z$,
T1 - L
research
investigation
inquiry
Hole R 849 and nine jL 12 q.v., here with its literal meaning
of bent elbow. Though
its exactetymologyis somewhatdisputed,many scholarsteet
tfrai2S: originally referredto
thrustingthe arm into a hole in order to 'ferret' something
out, thus indicatinggoing to
extreme lengths.
MNcmonic:EXTREME INVESTIGATION
KYD, isogu
HURRY, SUDDEN
9strokes
--'
,Ojf"
141 Yl*"
"-.
sFn"-
"j:-
i]_ ^
oF NINE HOLES
E IE ryUsru
€.ff ryUSOrU
t€.6'
OTSOCI
suddendeath
rapidity
greathaste
. *J A is
,. the
prototypeur
LtLwprvrwryps
of Ireach
eacrr E/a tr ll+6
t+s 9.V.
fS neafuleeltngs
heart/feetings
r!- is
e.v. r\i
?" ,?
t :. .q€
originally indicated the feelings of someonetrying
sJ
^u6
to
!v
rreach
vswrr
Jsomething,
vruwulurE,,
ri.e.
.g.
a
a
auv
;J::ll.q:ncy
asben;;;;;;
or haste.Suddenis anassociated
meaning.Suggest
taking !
h and.hand3 .
liter_
IVINCMONiC:
HURRYING PERSON SUDDENLY BENDS, HAND TO HEART
THIRD GRADE 258-2ffi
THIRD GRADE 255-257
255
€ 6& srut.u<Yu promotion
classmate
Fl W.+ mrYtxet
grade
upper
_t h& l6rvu
KYU
RANK, GRADE
9 strokes
f,.isthread27.tt-isreachll48,whichactsphoneticallytoexpressorderandalso
lends its own connotationsof making contact. Thus to join threads in a set order,
i.e. weave. This gave rise to the idea of relative position, and eventually rank and
grade.
Mnemonic:REACH OUT AND GRADE THREADS
256
KYfi,
GU KU, miya
PALACE,
SHRINE,
PRINCE
4+ E JING0
shrine
E tr rvUcgu
H ffi urvesAMA
courr
prince
Pr is roof/building 28. E is an NGU charactermeaningvertebrae,thoughit is often
usedsimply to meanjoined blocks. Here it meansjoined rooms, suggestinga building of considerablesize. It becameparticularly associatedwith temples and palaces,and
in Japaneseis also usedto refer to nobles associatedin turn with palaces.
5;1iil"-^""
I& h \., TAMAHIROI
ballgame
Eanh
caddie
phoneticallyto expressbeautiful' and
I is jewel lO2. traisseek 455 q.v., usedpartly
jewel' It
partly for its connotationsof desirable object. Thus beautiful, desirable
ones'
becameparticularly associatedwith well formed round jewels rather than faceted
perfectly
partly becauseits soundcould also expresscurved, and hencecameto mean
round/ spherical.
KYo' Ko' sara
*
GO, LEAVE. PAST
5 strokes
€
ryoNIEN
lastyear
rE * rero
tle past
nb*
6 TACIilSARU depart
Oncewriien 6i rno*ing a double-lid on a rice container. The double-lid indicated
security,indicating in turn the importance of rice. Though a lidded container might logically be expectedto suggestfullness,asindeedit doesin the caseofjoy f; ll42 q.v., in the
caseof 258 it seemsthat since the rice was looked upon as vital rations its rate of consumption was of paramount importance. consumption led to used up and gone, with
past being a figurative extension. suggesttaking A as nose 134 and -l as ground 60.
259
ffi
KYQ hashi
BRIDGE
16strokes
# ffi rEfrvd
steelb,ridge
E ffi nxrvo
overpass
E ffi ISfUBASHIstone
bridee
f. iswood 69. 6 is an NGU charactermeaningtall. In effect it is a variant of tall E
119q.v., showing a watchtower jt, tA but surmountedby a person with bent neck d
279, symbolisingbent at the tip/top. Thus tall arched wooden structure. now used
of bridges in general.
Mnemonic:TALL ARCHED WOODEN STRUCTURE IS BRIDGE
260
Mnemonic: PALACE IS BUILDING WITH JOINED ROOMS
S ffi KYUGI
ft ff cmYu
+
Mnemonic:NOSE TO GROUND SUGGESTS ONE'S GONE TOO FAR
10 suokes
2s7
t$
258
+lF-
XL
GYO GO, waza
PROFESSION,DEED,
KARMA
13strokes
E * saxcvo
# * zarc6
ft # sruweze
indusrry
sin
act.deed
Oncewritten
f , depicting a baseand notched board of a musical instrument. Crosspreceswere slottedinto the notchesand bells hung from them.
Opinion differs as to how
thispictographof a musical instrumentcameto acquireits presentmeanings.
Somescholan feel that therewas a similar devicefrom which woodentabletsinscribedwith
characters
werehung, thesetablets apparentlybeing used as teachingaids. Thus
the pictograph becameassociatedwith learning, leadingto profession
and henceto \f,ork, with work
giving rise to deed/act,
which in turn becameassociatedwith karma (the effect of a person'sactionson the sum of their existence).
Other scholarsseethe instrumentas symbolisutg intricacy and complexity, and
by extensionsomethingdemandingmuch study in
o-rderto master. From study, the
evolution of meaningis seenas similar to that of the first
theory. Suggestremembering
partly by associationwith wood ^69.
Mnemonic: SEEK SPHERICAL JEWEL
MNCMONiC:
STUDY COMPLEX WOODEN INSTRUMENT AS PROFESSION
74
75
THIRD GRADE 261-262
261
THIRDGRADE 263-265
KYOKU, magarulgeru
BEND, MELODY
6 snokes
ffi ffi ryoxusEN
curve
songwriting
{f ffi snxxYoKu
ffiW +1nMAGEMONOroundbox
Somewhatobscure.Originally b , and later 6 and Q!. Some scholarsseethis as a
carpenter's tool usedin cutting curves and angles, while othersseeit as a crude receptacle made by bending softened wood. There is in fact evidence to support both
views. Melody is an associatedmeaning,from the idea of convoluted. Suggesttaking
'multi-pathed'variant of field tg 59.
as a
Mnemonic: FIELD HAS MANY BENDING PATHS
9Ffi crNro
fE 7rI cnqce
SFH cnuce
GIN, shirogane
SILVER
14strokes
bank
MilkyWay
silver coin
14. K"is an NGU charactermeaningstop. It was oncewritten (, showing
$ is metal
an eye on twisted legs (as opposedto eye on bent legs in look ?, tt1, and indicated a
person turning round and staring. Here it is used primarily for its sound, to express
white, but also lends an idea of take a second look , i.e. scrutinise. That is, it required a careful examination to distinguish silver from similar but less precious metals.
Thus white, carefully examined metal. Suggestremembering p as stop and
'white
stare, distinguishing it from good f,4 sea. Note that shiroganemeansliterally
metal'. Seealso 353.
KYOKU
Effi TYOTUMEN situation
finally
OFFTCE, SECTI0N, END, ffiE xErrvoxu
YTISTNKYOTU
CIRCUMSTANCES
#ffi-E
postoffice
7 strokes
Obscure. Oncewritten fr and fi1 . So-" scholarsn" A as the prototypeof measure
K884 q.v. and El as an area, giving measured area and by extensionprescribed
section, leading on the one hand to division and by frgurative extensionintem:ption and
thencetermination/end, and on the other to appropriatepart of a larger unit, such as a
specialisedbrancVoffice of a governmentministry. However, sucha theory doesnot easily explain the meaning circumstances. Other scholars see P 17 as a slumpedfigure
symbolising bending (essentiallycorpse 7 236), plus the prototype $ of phrasetrJ
655 q.v., usedfor its idea of interlocking, thus giving a meaning of interlocking and
Mnemonic:STOP AND STARE AT SILVERY METAL
KU, kuruslii/ shimu, nigai
PAINFUL, BITTER
8 strokes
264
# ,U' XUSIUN pains,trouble
S )ffi rursu
pain,agony
# fr ucnm
biuerness
Pfant {/- 9 and old 6 t}g, hereusedphoneticallyto expressbitter but possibly also
lendingan extendedidea of lingering. Thus plant with (lingering?) bitter taste.
Bitter is also usedfiguratively.
Mnemonic:OLD PLANT LEAVES BITTER TASTE
a
x
bending,i.e. convoluted. Circumstances is an associatedmeaningfrom convolutions.
Office is seenas stemrningfrom 262'sreplacementof a now defunct characterof which it
which meantcomplicated
was an elementin combinationwith buildin| /1 28,'8,
building such as one housingmany governmentoffices. The office was a section of
265
the maze-like building, which one finally found. (Similarly a court lady's chamber'
which is a further minor meaning of 262.) A further theory is that f is merely a variant
oflargebuilding t' ttl. Thelateruseofcorpse f Zle isconsistentwiththeoccasional useof f as a simplificationof building E 236. This gives intertocking (i.e. com'
pticated) building, and then follows the secondtheory, but does not accountfor cir'
Formerly
{, and in ancienttimes fr, showinghands y1 holding up a ketfle V22g.
Kettle symbolisedutensil. Thus offer a utensil, meaningto equip with the wherewithal. some later forms such u,
f sugg"rt that kettle becameconfusedwith shell/
Inoney
90,
but
the
corc
(provide
meaning
wherewithal)remainedunchanged.suggest
fl
taking
E as eye 72 and r as a table.
cumstances. It seemspossible that262 may in fact be a confusion of severalcharacrcrs'
Suggesttaking it as corpse and a variant of phrase.
MNCMonic:KEEP AN EYE oN TABLE: IT'S
VALUABLE EQUIPMENT
GU,sonaeru
EQUrP(MENT), MEANS
8strokes
Mnemonic: OFFICE CORPSE USES ODD PHRASE IN CIRCUMSTANCES
76
77
HACUet
ffiR YOCU
ER oocu
condition
appliance
tool
[l
il
rff
I
rsrRD GRADE 266-268
l.zt
266
THIRDGRADE ?59-271
IZf TN
kimi
KUN,
LORD, YOU, MR
7 strokes
4
'ta
INITE
LUEtE
BOKUN
SAIKUN
YAMADAKUN
tyrant
wife
(Mr) Yamada
ft is mouth/s ay 20. ft is a CO charactermeaninggovern, deriving from hand hotding a stick p- (seealso 101). Thus to govern by mouth, i.e. commandand by extension commander/lord. Also usedas what was originally a very polite form of address
(now informal).
zeg
+i, r'Hil'rPPANr
ffi A rrrsnOru
ffi € rnrnexu
#TE renulsHl
snack
flippancy
pumice
Fumerly {t . 4- is vehicle 31. 9 d".iu"t from $, showingthe lengthwise(warp)
threadsof a loom. Since these have not yet had the crosswise(weft) threadswoven in,
they representincompleteness and bareness. Thus 269 originally meant bare vehicle,i.e. one unladenand light. Light is now also usedfiguratively,such as flippant or
thoughtless. Suggesttaking f as hand I and ground -J- 60.
Mnemonic: LORD HOLDS STICK NEXT TO MOUTH
267
Xt
Mnemonic:LIGHT VEHICLE PUSHED ALONG GROUND BY HAND
^t
l"'*#Jiln"*
E7
guardians
FUKEI
*
Elder
Brother
NtrSAMA
tL 4*
n ffi'&: fYOOefet b'rotherlylove
Oncewritten f-, showinga person crouching 11-39 anda mouth 9 z},indicating
speaking. There is some disagreementover the role of crouching figure. Many scholars
claim that it was usedphonetically to expressbig and also lent similar connotationsof its
own (i.e. a big personbendingto be on a level with other persons),and that 267 originally
meantbig words/ exaggerationbefore coming to mean big in generaland finally big
brother. However, there is little obvious evidenceto supportthis claimed early meaning,
and no explanation as to why big (person) ( 53 was not used. It seemsequally if not
more likely that the ideographindicateda person associatedwith speaking, namely
an elder brother whoserole was to adviseand representhis younger siblings. The occasionaluse of267 to indicate big can then be seenas deriving from big brother,rather than
vice-versa.
270
-f,
ffi.?& rrrsuErr
KETSU, chi
BLOOD
6 strokes
F ft rnNen
ft ffi rrrro
blood
nosebteed
linease
Oncewritten fff, showingvessel f/:e
1307and its contents - /, . The vesselin
this casewas a sacrificial vessel,and the contentsblood.
Mnemonic: VESSEL CONTAINS BLOOD
271
\-1,
: .l]ts
KETSU. kimarulmeru
DECIDE. SETTLE.
Jn ;:.:r:"'
ffi iR r,qlKPrsu
sotution
resolution
& ,U' KPSSIIIN
rR * XPTSURETSU
breakdown
Person 4 39 andjoined threads ft S+qq.v., heremeaningsimply connected.Thus
person connected,i.e. involved or concerned. Also usednowadaysof connection
in general.
Oncewrinen ,{.
7 is water 40. { /ft is a CO charactermeaningpart or fork, and
rlerivesfrom a hand \ drawing a bowstring zz wue wearing an archer'sglove J
.
I
Thusto pull apart/ open. Note that the addition of a furrher hand
gives
32
the
NGU
{
characterpull out by hand or gouge
dft, while the samecharacterstill retains draw a bow
asa minor meaningin Chinese.Thus 271 meansliterally pulted apart by water, initially referringto water breaking through
a bank or levee.On the one handthis led to collapse(now a minor meaningomitted from
many dictionaries)and on the other, by similar
figurative extensionto the English term breakthrough,
to the idea of opening up a
deadlock and hencedeciding upon a solution.
suggesttaking J( as a variantof personwith pack on back ( (see
233).
Mnemonic:PERSON INVOLVED WITH JOINING THREADS
MNcmonic:PERSON DECIDES To CARRY WATER.PACK
oN BACK
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER IS ALL MOUTH AND LEGS
"'{*
ffLllii*".-,
F,E t!^
KANKEI
vt\
t^
Yl. T
49^
A
KEIS6
KAKARIIN
relationshiP
contention
clerk in charge
78
79
THIRDGRADE 274-276
TTIIRDGRADE 272-273
272
6ff I*J:ffi'^"
training
ffi'fb rgNsgu
strop
TocIKAwA
ffi5+
researcher
KENKY0SHA
ffi n #
two stakesof similar size,indiFormerlyffi . fi is stone45. fi is fett to represent
catingregularity anduniformity. Thusto make a stoneuniform, i.e. to hone and
refine. Suggest
remembering* astwo forked sticks { 825.
by extension
Mnemonic:HONE STONE WITH TWO FORKED STICKS
273
TEil
ni
= € F
KEN
PREFECTURE
9 strokes
MIEKEN
Mie Prefecture
,lRV reNRlrsu prefectural
R ff rsNcHo
prefectural office
Formerly rflft , and in earlier times ,if,ft . f,-is tree 69. 4 is ioinea threads 844, indicating attactr. rft derives from S , which is an inverted variant of head 6 tZg q.".
and indicates a severed head hung upside down. 273 originally referred to the prac-
274
\
-t-
-
GEN, GON, koto, iu
29-
woRD, sAY, SPEAK
^i\
E
7 strokes
HATSUGEN
MUGON
KOTOBA
statemenr
silence
word
g ismouth/say20. V/*
isneedteisharpfr
F o r m e r l y$ a n d o r i g i n a l l y$ .
Some
scholars
see
the
latter
as acting purely phonetically to expressheart/
1432.
feelings, to give oral expression of feelings, but this does nor explain why the characterfor heart itself (147) was not used. Other scholarsseesharp as lending an extended
rneaningof articulate, to give articulate use of the mouth. Still othersseeneedleas
representingteeth, which were considerednecessaryfor good enunciation. The second
theory seemsthe most likely, with f possibly also having a secondaryphonetic role of
expressingfeelings. Suggesttaking the modern form != as three 7 23 and,a bit \ .
Mnemonic:MOUTH SPEAKSTHREE AND A BIT WORDS
275 J>lfr
f +
r
KO
sroREHouSE
l0strokes
€ H SnaxO garage,
depot
A H soro
warehouse
6HH
REZoKo refrigerator
tice of hanging the decapitatedheadof a criminal in a tree,not unlike the Europeanuseof
the gibbet. Some scholarshave assumedthat this was a display of the power of the au-
Large building f
na and vehicte * y. Somescholarsfeel that 275 oncemeant
literally large building for housing vehicles (especiallywar-chariots),while others
feel that by extensionvehicle indicated the goods carried on a carr, giving large building for cart-load of goods,i.e. storehouse.
thorities, leading by associationto regionaU prefectural authorities. There may be
some truth to this, but it is not quite such simple symbolism. Historical usageshows --
Mnemonic:STOREHOUSE IS BUILDING CONTAINING VEHICLES
perhapssurprisingly-- that the core meaningof273 is attach, i.e. the aftachingof the head
to the tree. It still retains a minor meaning of attacffiang in Chinese,and is also the key
elementin attach,/worry9,! |ZZS q.v.(literally hangingon the heart). It is known to have
come to mean prefecture/ administrative district through an intermediatemeaning of
that attached to the central government, but how exactly this associationof ideas
was madeis not clear, sincethereis no elementindicating govemmentin the original character. Thus it is possiblethat ttredecapitatedheaddid indeedlater becomea symbol of the
authorities, with attach ft coming to be usedin a different role. It is ironic that in the simplified modernJapaneseform the etymologicallymost importantelementhasbeenomined'
Suggesttaking f.
as eye fi 72 anda stand K.
Mnemonic: KEEP AN EYE ON STAND AT PREFECTURAL SHOW
276
l+tl
Pn
Ko'mizuumi
+ftEHiffi
.'&
q
1B}1H
r2srokes
iffi ik
Somewhatobscure. 7 is water 40. tA is an NGU characternow borrowed to express
a
rangeofmeanings suchas barbarian,but its original meaning
was beard and by extension
old person (both meaningsstill retainedin chinese). It comprises
ord 6 109q.v., possibly usedin an assumedearly senseof skull
but more likely in an extendedsenseof old
Person,and pl (once ,f ), which is felt to derive from a pictographof a beard (a symbol
of an old person). Here gfl is used phonetically
to expressbig. It may also have lent
meaning, possibly long time or similar, though this is not clear. Thus big body of
-sorne
Itater (taking a long time
to cross?). Suggesttaking fl as moon 16.
MNCMonic:OLD MOON SEEN IN wATERs
OF LAKE
80
TOMADAKOLakeTowada
KOGAN
lakeshore
KOSUI
lake
81
ll
IRD GRADE 277-27e
277
4\
A
THIRDGRADE 280-281
public
A * rorvo
fairness
A Y ronEl
fif,llj A KISHUKo tordKishu
fffNI;AIR,LORD
4suokes
Fair is an associatedmeaningof public and open. It is not clear whether A is merely a
graphic simplificationof El or a deliberateuse of self L 134. Suggesttaking 4, as
nose 134 and l I in its meaningof eight.
Mnemonic: EIGHT LORDS SHOW NOSE IN PUBLIC
KQ mukulkerulkdlkau
FACETOWARDS,
BEYOND
6 strokes
improvement
lfi t rolo
intention
H ffu lt<o
MAEMUKI
Ef f{ t
forward looking
From a pictographof a house with a window f1 . fne direction the window faced
was consideredimportant (usuallynorth, sincethe southernsun was generallytoo hot). As
in English,facing could also meanbeing opposite,leadingto other side and by further
extensionto beyond.
Mnemonic:HOUSE WINDOW FACES ONE
279
KQsaiwai,shiawase,sachi
HAPPINESS, LUCK
8 strokes
goodfortune
* rE KOUN
misery,
badluck
4 + FUKd
fortunately
* h SAIWAI ni
Once written # . X is an NGU charactermeaningdeath or calamity, and derives from
is an invertedstylisation f, of figure 53, the
a figure K 53 with a slumpedhead /.
f
inversionindicating the reversal of the calamity. A reversalof calamity meanshappi'
nessand good fortune. Seealso 646. Suggestrememberingby associationwith needlei
sharp f
KQ minato
HARBOR,PORT
l2 srokes
7
]lf
idi
Fr
,/\ ?t
KTJKO
NYI.IKO
alrport
port entry
MINATOMACHI
pon town
Once written U . p is an enclosure, indicating private property. )L is split/away
66, indicatingdissolution. Thus the dissolution of private property, giving pubtic property. It also led to the ideaof belongingto the state/governmentas opposedto
privateindividuals. Govemmentconceptuallyoverlappedwith royal household,leading
by associationto member of royal household such as prince and eventuallylord.
278
280;8
1432,279havingan extra stroke.
Also written # . 'z is water 40. 6 is an NGU charactermeaning streets of a set'e_
ment. It was once written $ , showingthe early forms of vilrage
E t p lssand together Et,t x 460, and referred to the coming togetherof roads near a village.
Confusingly' thoughit usuallymeanspoint ofconvergenceofroads and hencesetflement.
from
a different perspectiveit can also mean point of divergenceand henceforking
road.
some scholarstake E to mean settlementand thus assume2g0 meanssimpry waterside
settfement,but usagein chinese,where2g0 can also meancreek, suggeststhat
7 rep_
resentedriver, that s meantforking road, and that 2g0 originally meant
forking river. That is, it presumablythen came to refer to a delta (characterisedby
branching) and
hence rivermouth, the site of most ports. Suggesttaking
d as together and z as
self 855.
Mnemonic: FIND ONESELF TOGETHER WITH WATER
IN poRT
28r
E
€
tJ
co
NUMBER,cALL, 'IGN
5strokes
€ A coner
€& corvu
number
command
wailing
Formerly +R
fr- is an NGU charactermeaningtiger. Though it looks like a variant of
skin ( 374 itis in fact derivedfrom an extremelystylisedpictograph
ofa riger that appearsto have accentuatedthe fangs
p),
to
and to all intenrs and purposes
$ tto *
represents
a massof claw and fang. A / rL is felt to be legs39 usedideographically,
and
is droppedin most casesin compounds.p is mouth/s
ay 20. i is a Co charactermeaning seeking an exit, and shows a waterweed
twisting up to the surfacebefore
spreadingout flat. Thus
f indicatesa call that is loud and/ordrawnout, i.e. that is precededby a certain build-up suchas the gathering
of breath. 28 I originally referredto a tiger's call, then came to mean loud
call in general. Number is an extendedmeaning
from calling out a person'|s
nameor number,as in the army, andsign is a similarextension
from designation.
Mnemonic: MOUTH CALLS NUMBER
OF TWISTING WEED
M n e m o n i c :E X T R A S H A R P S T R O K E B R I N G S H A P P I N E S S
82
#€sANco
83
KoN, ne
ROOT, BASE
10strokes
fR Zs roNIPoN
t fF OencON
E tR Yewe
basis
giantradish
roof
t8o
Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE AT TREE ROOT
b-
t(}(
,)ll-r
*
FESrrvAL,woRSHrp
11strokes
* € seroeN
€ # 'U.MATSURI
287
{R
holiday
E SeUffSU
artar
festival
Mnemonic: HAND PUTS MEAT ON ALTAR IN FESTML
zJ. {f
gg2g11q1
use
ambassador
servant
't is person 39. d i, ,t" earlyform of thing $ zezq., ., here
meaning
of work. Thus 287 originally meantworking person. I n time
with its original
meaning,i.e. to make a person work, and employ/use
a
causative
it also acquired
inanimate objects also. See also official t t894, ana
to
extended
eventually became
as
this.
suggesttaking {
OF WORSHIP
Mnemonic: OFFICIAL PERSON USES SERVANT
craftsmanship
fiHI SnUcU
HOSONAGAI
slender
\r.
#ffiF
KOMAKAni
minutely
Xfi /.
288
Oncewritten !6, showingthread h t A Zl and brain 6lr!
t:t. ffl actsphonetically to expressthin, and also lends an idea of fine crenellations. Thus fine, thin
thread(s). Suggesttaking @ as field 59.
I I
JttC\
(fZ
SHI, hajirzerulmaru
BEGTN,FIRsr
8 strokes
throughout
fbfi{ SIIrr0
starter
ffigr W' srDoKI
4t ffi kt 6 SrlHAnMERU
start to do
Somewhatobscure. Once written ?,4 andearlier as Ql'. The later forms clearly show
name oneself 6 166 q.v. The early form appearsto usejust self/nose b I t> nq
is known to have
without the mouth/say element 9 20. + is woman 35. t:/6
actedphonetically to expressstart, giving start of females and by extensionfirst-born
daughter. Opinion differs, however, over its semanticrole. Some scholarstake b I l>,
to be plow 419 q.v., used in its meaningof starting point and thus reinforcing the phonetic start, and take 6 tobe a miscopying. However, it seemsquestionablewhether
plowhadacquiredthismeaningatthetimeoftheform 4]'. Otttetscholarstakeletobe
self 134,with an associatedmeaningof first person, and take $ to be a later deliberate
useof 166 in its meaningof announce oneself, since the lrst born daughterwould have
spokenon behalf of all the daughtersof a family. In any event, from beginning of fe'
male line 288 cameto meanfirst and beginning in a broad sense. Suggesttaking 1i
in its modem meaningof ptatform.
Mnemonic: SLENDER PATH THREADS THROUGH FIELD
ft 5 SruCOrO
ft f Sfrxere
4t /# + SHIKUMI
{F H sruvo
t'[f resru
SHI, tsukaz
USE, SERVANT
8 strokes
oncewritten'ft.
Once written 4t', clearly showing a hand 3-placing meat 4 365 on an altar .f.. 695,
thus indicatinga sacrificeduring a religiousceremony. Festival and worship are associatedmeanings.
SHI, JI, tsukaerz
SERVE, WORK, DO
5 strokes
,V ?:;TX
corpse
death
early death
BONES
Mnemonic: PERSON FALLS IN DEATH' SOON BARE
SAI, matsuru, matsuri
SAI, hosoi,koma,tai
SLENDER, FINE
ll strokes
7U
V1\ SHITAI
,6 a; SHIKYO
:F,
ntr kr
WAKAJINI
E
/u
\!
SHI. shi.:-
'meatlessness'
inis a variant of bone ,fr 867 q.v., its
Oncewritten A/|, A @ow { )
person
replaced
now
by
is
39,
henceskeleton/ death. A
arcalng bare bone(s) and
reinforces the idea of death. Thus death of a person,
which
238
person
U,
fallen
now death in general.
Tree
69 and stopping and staring F. 263. The latter acts phonetically to express
root/base and also lends an idea of'rooted' to the spot. Thus root which fixes
tree in place, now also root/base in a figurative sense.
283
-r-
work
way,means
arrangement
Person t[ 39 arrdsamurai t 494. A samuraiwas a personwho served his master.
Do and work are associatedmeanings.
Mnemonic: SAMURAI IS PERSON WHO WORKS AND SERVES
Mnemonic: FIRST WOMAN BEGINS TO MOUNT PLATFORM
85
84
\
289
| tf
T\J
-al fa
-{ EI
SHI, yubi, sasu
FINGER,PoINr
g strokes
lE z< Srnn
#, fE oyayusr
fE tr Sesruzu
indication
thumb
d.irecrions
{ is hand 32. P is gooO 1312,hereusedphoneticallyto expressbranch and possibly
also lending an idea of good in the senseof skilful or useful. Thus (useful?) branches of the hand, i.e. fingers. Point is an associatedmeaning. Suggesttaking 6 ut
person sitting 6 238 andsun A 62.
Mnemonic: PERSON SITS POINTING AT SUN WITH FINGER
SHI, ha
TOOTH
12strokes
dentalroot
ffi fR SHIKON
HAISHA
dentist
ffi E#
gear
ffi € ffeCURUMA
IL
Formerly tb , *d earlier E. The earliestform ffi is a pictographof teeth in a mouth
r? 20. Stop lL 129 was addedlater largely for its sound,to expressrow, but may also
have lent an extendedmeaningof clamp. Its bottom strokebecamefused with the upper
strokeof mouth.Suggesttakingthe modernform as rice *201.
JI, ZU, koto
THING, MATTER' ACT
8 strokes
293
imponance
curiositY
l.S Peu
*t4 rozv
DEKIGOTO
event
theprecisemeaningof fis
un
H *S
a hand,but
earlieras f*t,
Oncewritten {, and
pole
Y-(see333)' with some scholarstaking rz to
a flag on a
Jt"r. U upp"-i to show
for the flagpole (see55) and others taking it to be a placard or signil" * ou,", ,upport
likely that 293 originally showeda hand holding aloft some
O""rU. In any event it seems
to indicate a guild or similar engagedin a par:ticulartype of
rorlll or identification, taken
pole once seenoutside a barber'sshop in the West)' Cer*orf. <no,unlike the distinctive
and by extensionworker/servant, and in Chineseit
,ri"t, i,r early meaningwas work
major meaning. It is also the prototypeof servant{{
still retainsservantas a reasonably
Its presentmeaningsare all felt to be extensions
il ,.u.(and seealsoofficial e 1894).
ofwork.Suggesttakingthemodernformasamixoften*33'boxn'andhandA'
SMALL THING
Mnemonic: HANDLING TEN BOXES IS NO
'"#;:
tN++Ta+1,'#,o*u,"'
#;l3il#^"E,MArNrA
2s4
+*
Ef+b
estrokes
,{<f,
NAGAMocHtdurability
Mnemonic: TEETH ENSURE RICE STOPS IN MOUTH
2sr :J= *
p-.1
sHI
POETRY
13strokes
# A smnN
# F! srurerr
#lE surro
poet
poetic
poeticfeeling
{ishand32.tfistemp|el33q.v,,hereactingphoneticallytoexpressuseandalso
Though somelendingits early meaningof use of the hands. Thus to use the hands.
leadingto the
up,
something
hold
what vague,this appearsto have originally meant to
in the exfound
is
also
presentmeaningsof support/ maintain and hold/ have. Hold
tendedsenseof hold out, i.e. last/ endure.
f, is word 274. 4 is temple 133 q.v., here usedlargely phoneticallyto expressfeeling but probablyalso lendingconnotationsof regular, i.e. in this caserhythmic. Thus
rhythmic words of feeling.
Mnemonic: HOLD HANDS AT TEMPLE
295
Mnemonic: WORDS FROM TEMPLE ARE PURE POETRY
292
\
{
JI, SHI, tsugi, tsugu
NEXT, FOLLOW
6 strokes
- K SeNff
tertiary
gradually
ik ffi SrUOetni
fH K U-' t AITSUIDE in succession
Once written :{, showingthat 7 derivesfrom two = 61. ?-is lack/ gaping mouth
471 q.v., here meaningyawn. When one personyawns, a second invariably follows
suit. Thus s€quence. Suggesttaking 7 as ice 378.
llf,
\
:
SHIKI
CEREMONY,FORI\I
6strokes
t\
oPeningceremony
! is carpenter,ssquareI13, heremeaningm€asure. { is a stake l'17. 295 originally
referred to stakesplanted in the ground at measuredintervals, giving scale. Scale then
it alsorecr[ne to meanset format or order, leadingto pattern, style etc. In Japanese
fers by associationto a formal ceremony.
Mnemonic: CARPENTER'S SQUARE lS A FORM OF STAKE
Mnemonic: LACK OF ICE FOLLOWS NEXT
86
*[=( sruNsnmt newstyle
formula
f fr Hosurzu
KAIKAISHIKI
ffi Afr
87
296
JITSU. mi. minoru
(BEAR) FRUIT, TRUTH,
_->,
\:fr
;K
--
'p
REALITY
\
€'tr
SX
X
llxro
nrrrsu
g MIrRr
carr-vingout
fact
crop, gains
and originally
appeared,Ieaving such meaningsas crop, fullness, substance, ripen, and by extenidea of bumpercrop was also
sion bear fruit and reality. Unusually,the semi-abstract
extendedto the physical crop, giving fruit, nut, etc. The use of threaded money fr
1102is a longstandingmiscopying, thoughit still gives a meaningof prosperoushouse.
Suggesttaking fr
aurhor
thelatter
young people
8 strokes
,g is field full of ripe crops 504, with shell/
@
money fl 90 emphasisingthe valueof the crop. a is building2S. 296 originally referred to a housemade prosperousthrough bumpercrops. The idea of househas now disFormerly
{G# serusne
'tA :<6snl.
#
# # waxeuoxo
SHA, mono
PERSON
8 strokes
298
as a big man li
Formerly # arrd".ti", t . @ is a storage box (container U plus contents-), while
', :
| )< 8 and wood ^ 69). Thus box
{ b tinating (felt to be a combination of fre
for storing kindling. This becamebox for storing odds and ends, and eventually
just odds and ends or various things. Thing later becameusedas a somewhatunflattenng referenceto certain persons, and later becameperson in a generalsense. Suggest
tak.trtg)L as buried in the ground 117,with El as day 62. Note that in compounds
298 often lends an idea of many (from various things).
53 with six arms.
Mnemonic:PERSONWILL BE BURIED IN GROUND ONE DAY
Mnemonic: IN REALITY. A BIG SIX-ARMED MAN IS IN THE HOUSE!
299
297
la?
E
T
SHA, utsusu/ru
5E
Sffesffnl
COPY, TRANSCRIBE
5*
SHAJITSU
photograph
realism
&.tr,+* FUKUSHAKT copier
5 strokes
'fi
. n is building 28. A is a CO characternow used
in a numberof rather unhelpful meaningssuchas shoe and large. It comprises/o, which
is a simplified form of bird .% 174, andmortar g &8, and this appearsto be a variant
Somewhatobscure.Formerly
\
SHU, nushi, omo
I A SrfufIN master.husband
MASTER,OWNER,MAIN i& E nm;Sm
landowner
principal
5 strokes
= P SHUY6
-E.
From a pictographof an ornately stemmed burning oil tamp f . tt becamea symbol of the master of the house,who issuedthe commandfor the lamp to be lit. Master led
to extendedmeaningssuch as lord, owner, chief/main etc. Suggesttaking as king g
5andabit'.
of a similar combinationof bird and mortar (with the latter usedpurely phonetically)found
in owl fi 648 q.v. Thus presumably $ also originally meantowl, which is a large bird
(thoughhow it came to mean shoeis not clear). In the caseof 297 it is known to have act-
Mnemonic: KING WITH BIT EXTRA IS REAL MASTER
ed phoneticallyto expresstransfer, to give a meaningof transfer from one building
300
to another. Its semanticrole is not clear, thoughsomescholarsfeel it could also mean
with removingitems. It is alsopossiblethat € suggested
talmagpie,a bird associated
ons,andby extensionseizingand removing. Transferfrom one building to anothercame
to meantransfer in a broadersense,and for someunclearreasonlater becameparticularly
associatedwith transferringwritten items, i.e. transcribing or copying. The modern
+
SHU, SU, mamora
PROTECT,KEEP
6 strokes
conservatism
ffi T Hosuu
RUSUBAN caretaker
e+#
fOUOzu*
nursemaid
TT
Building/house *2 28 and hand/measure -f 909, here meaningregulate or administer. Thus looking after a house,later to keep or protect in general.
form usesconvey -+ 1873,partly as a graphic simplification and partly for its meaning.
Mnemonic: TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT HOUSE
Mnemonic: CONVEY COPY OF BUILDING
88
89
ti
ii
THIRD GRADE 301-303
I
301
g(
I
I
THIRDGRADE 304-306
ry 4+ SHUTOKU acquisition
takeout
Wb fr f TORIDASU
control
+ W. b GYLIIIRU*
304
iTi#t.-rRol
A hand ( taking hold of an ear H 29. Usuallyexplainedas seizinga personby the
ear,with the explanationoften extendedto ripping off the ear of a prisonerof war as a symbol of capture. Ripping off an ear by handwould be no easymatter,but it shouldbe noted
that thereis a CO characterglrl , using ear and cut rl 181,which meanscutting off a prisoner'sear. This was actually a punishmentrather than a symbol of capture,but it may account for the popular misinterpretationof 301. It seemsmore likely that the ear actually
representedan animal'sear. When seizing an animal that may bite or gore the ear is the
safestpart to take hold of. It is also a tenderpart, both for animalsand humans,and thus
an importantpart when attemptingto control or subduethese.Thus hand holding ear
both seize/takeand control, thoughthe latteris now a minor meaning.
represented
| | |
UtrlU
I
ll
\
a1r
jfll
SHU, sake. saka'
s{KE
;li.?:#:''
6strokes
f|'|#AsH0crKAr
oncewritten \{\ unaearlieras {l{, showingasandbank o in a river 11\+s. rne
ideaof smallamountof landsurrounded
by watergaveriseto separatearea,i.e. a state
or province.
Mnemonic: SANDBANK IN RIVER IS SEPARATE PROVINCE
SuU, "t0, triroa
305
PICK UP, GATHER,
TEN
drinking
BRiE nsnu
14
tavem
SnXeSR
iA
{Wffi.4 SAKENOMharddrinker
S is a pictographof a wine jar , and symbolisesalcohol in general. (It now exists as a
minor NGU characterindicating a zodiac sign, deriving from the fact that a particulartype
of spirit was brewed [actuallyfrom millet] at a hxed point [the eighth month] of the year.)
jar, i.e. alcohol. In Jap7 is water 40, here indicatingliquid. Thus liquid in wine
aneseit also refers to sake.
Hand * 32 andjoin
tzt, to give the idea of using both hands to gather or pick
up. It also cameto expressten, i.e. the fingers of two hands, and was in fact the precursoroften f
33.
Mnemonic: JOINED HANDS CAN GATHER OR COUNT TO TEN
SH-IJ, owaruleru
#{,R SHUTEN end,rerminus
termination
#{ rt SUUSfI
re b 9 OWARIni
finaly
I I strokes
JUKENSHA
I F urerozu
Pff ursrsurs
exammee
receipt
reception
€
Once written 9r1 , showinga hand reaching down (t (now an NGU charactermeaning claws/ talons),a hand reaching up ,i. , andH ,the prototlpe of boat S t:S+ q.".
which was often used as a symbol of conveyance. Thus to convey from one hand to
another. 303 cameto indicatethe receiving hand,whereasthe giving handis now expressedbV IQ-702, which addsafurtherhand { 32. Suggesttaking r'r as a baton.
Mnemonic: ONE HAND RECEMS
I
Il
Formerly k9 , ^donce Q and 6). o is fert to be a pictographof ropes with a knot
in eachend (to preventfraying),and
Q to be ropes tied together. Ropestied together
also led to knot, which by associationmeanttying off and thus finishing. Thread
ft
27 was addedlaterfor clarity. Suggesttaking
as winter lg2.
!
Mnemonic: THREADS FINISH IN WINTER
BATON FROM ANOTHER HAND
90
control
bargain
eleven
E
FINISH
* W#
JU, ukeru
RECEIVE
8 strokes
303
4f fA' sH0sHu
h V'+)n HIRoMoNo
fS € nncm
9 strokes
306
Mnemonic: WATERY ALCOHOL IN WINE JAR
Honshu
sandbank
stateparliament
Mnemonic: HAND TAKES CONTROL OF EAR
302
SHU, su
Ai\,l HoNSHO
pRovrNcE, SANDBANK D i'tj sesu
91
THIRDGRADE 3IO-312
THIRD GRADE 307-309
307
ffi B nnNsg0
E ? sutfll
_F,B tr, MINARAI
SHI-[ narau
LEARN, TRAIN
11strokes
practice
penmanship
apprentice
Somewhatobscure. Once written 18 , *doriginally I . ffr" upper part is wings ,ltr
812. The meaningof the lower part is unclear, but it is known to have actedphonetically to expressrepeat, giving repeated (flapping of the) wings. This was a reference
to a fledgling learning to fly. Some scholarstake € | h to be a simplification of self
ft 134 q.v., usedto symboliseproper being and thus giving an idea of the fledgling
learning to becomea prcper (i.e. mature) bird. However, the earlier form O does nol
support this view. It may be mouth O 20 (later say A 688 or a variant of it?), thus
suggestinga fledgling learning to becomea bird through using its wings and mouth. Suggest taking € as white 65, which may even have been useddeliberately at a later point
since it has connotations of innocence,youth, and amateurishness (cf. shirdto, though
technically this usesa different characterfor shiro).
Mnemonic: WHITE WINGS LEARNING TO FLY
308
SHU
WEEK
1l strokes
t+
)E
rEt SENSH0
r@
tEl
rrEfl
trl
rl
hst week
week
SHUKAN
week
NISHLJME second
Movement Ll29 and around Fl SO+. It originally meant to go around, giving both
cycle/ circuit and walk around (both still retained in Chinese). Cycle eventually came
to meAn cycle of time and was used to mean week, especially in Japanesewhere it is
now the sole meaningof 308.
Mnemonic:ANOTHER WEEK ROLLS AROUND
309
SHB atsumerulmaru
GATHER, COLLECT
12strokes
AH
iDM 9R
SHUDAN
HENSHU
SHacH0
grouP
editing
concentration
:8.'
Formerly ft , showingbirds fl 216 gathered in a tree K 69. Now gather or assemble in general,including transitively.
Mnemonic: BIRDS GATHER IN TREE
3'o
rfi
i*'iffi:"'n"
fr FFfisHo
& € rtnexu
E 4 + suMIrE
{ is person 39. Z is master 299 q.v., here usedfor its literal meaning of oil lamp lit
by rnasterof house. Thus where a person is master of the lamp, i.e. the house
wherehe lives.
Mnemonic:WHERE PERSON LMS
3Lt
g
a
IS WHERE HE IS MASTER
JII CHg kasanerulnaru,
omoi. e
HEAVY, PILE, -FOLD
9 strokes
E t ruoel
E € OuOse
= E
UfB
seriousness
weight
threefold
Oncewritten | , showingperson A 39, ground j1 60, and east
* t ?*lg4 q.v.,
hereused for its literal meaningof (heavy) sack. Thus person standing on ground
carrying heavy sack, leadingto heavy in generalincludingfiguratively as grave pile
(up) and -fold are felt to derive from the idea of adding to the weight being carried. 3 11
is unusualin that, althoughit is an ideographand not a pictograph,it showsthreeelements
arrangedvertically, whereasone might haveexpected4$ * similar in the interestsof balancedappearance(see also 363). Suggesttaking it as a 'double wheeled' vehicle $
31.
Mnemonic: HEAVY VEHICLE HAS DOUBLE WHEELS
312 -)
fiT
SHO, tokoro
PLACE, SITUATION
8 strokes
E ffi sesuo
ffi 4- SHOVU
E E[ norono
ptace
possession
address
Door p 108 and axlchop 4t tne. Usuallyexplainedas the doorwaybeing the place
wherewood was chopped,which is a useful mnemonicbut almost certainly incorrect. p
wasusedpurely for its sound,which was originally Ko (cf. English cut) before changing
to CHO (cf. English CHOp) and finally SHO (cf. English SHEar/SHOre/SHOrn). Thus
the KO (CHO/SHO) sound of something being chopped. It is not fully clear how
it cameto mean place. Some scholarsfeel it was borrowedphoneticallyas a substitutefor
SHO place
fu ZSe,but it may also have derived from a particular place associatedwith
chopping (wood). Thus there may be some slight support for the 'chopping in a doorway'
theory.Ptacehas alsocome to be usedfigurativelyto mean situation or circumstances.
Mnemonic: CHOP DOWN DOOR WITH AX TO GET INTO PLACE
92
address
dwelling
occupant
93
THIRD GRADE 313-316
313
THIRDGRADE 317-318
SHO, atsur
HOT (WEATHER)
12strokes
hear
H; E KOTUSHO intense
W Z rb, HISHOCHI coolreson
heat
* € efsuse
Formerly
. 9 is sun 62. ft t fr is person 298 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto
S
expressburn and possibly also lending looseconnotationsof much (mucly'manybeing an
occasionalconnotationlent by 298, felt to derive from its idea ofvarious bits and pieces).
Thus (much?) burning sun, i.e. heat.
Mnemonic: PERSON UNDER HOT SUN
314
gl * fOSgU
assisrant
tst )l IOXVOKU help,support
M tr| 6 h TASUKEAI mutualaid
JO, tasukerulkaru
ASSIST, HELP
7 strokes
Strength lt 74 andfurthermore/ cairn L 1091 q.v., here used for its original
meaning of build up/ add. Thus added strength, i.e. help.
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE, HELP BY ADDING STRENGTH
315
Fd f,n SuOwe
Showaperiod
Ffi FE SH6SHO
brightness
pEft Sumat enlightenedera
SHO
BRIGHT, LIGHT
gstrokes
317
\
ffi
SHO akinaa
TRADE, DEAL, SELL,
SHANG CHINA
I 1 strokes
F6A
rd Jt
SHOGYO
SHONIN
SHOBAI
coulmerce
merchanr
busiress
obscure' owing to its similarity in meaningand shapeto seil
fr, r92 q.v.it is often felt
to be a variant of the latter,with mouth/say g 20 indicatingffil;.
However,the
old forms of both chiuactersshow clearly that there is no connection. Tf,e
oldest forms of
3r7 are x *d & . n is almost
spread thighs (seearso 1103),the prump"".ruinty .z
nessindicating femalethighs, with opening
Z0 addJdto inaicate
is the
earryform of needle + 1432, which was often used to symbolise pierce/
""gir". {
penetrate.
Thus 317 appearsto have originally meantvaginar penetration,
i.e. coputation. From
thispoint the link with trade seemsclear,i.e. the world'sordest
tradeof jrostitution. A
however,
whileaccepting
th;
is
r.r vagina,
:lTy$ ll"lji::,::::_j:li,_"
::_n:rars,
to be used purely,phonetically
take
to expressbirth, giving o'p"rring in femate
thighs that gives birth and_thus
reinforcingthi meaningvagina. That is,
they feel that
377meantsimply vaginaand not copulation,and that it was
ttrenuo*o*J pureryphoneti_
cally as a substitutefor a complex charactermeaning peddle.
to
This doesnor seemespe_
cially convincing' Even lessconvincingis the obviously
incorrectbut often heardexplanation that 317 is a variantof ulllhigh
A lg,to the effect that it meanthigh ptateauand that
this name was given to dwellers of the high plains
who were noted tradersand who also
becamethe ancientShang dynasty. certainly,
however, the shang period was associated
with trade (and not prostitution or vaginas,
irrougrrthe apparentcontemporaneityof
the
to somesources,
and
B is sun 62,here indicatingbrightness. 3 is summon 1387,here actingphonetically to expressclear and probably also lending an idea of muster. Thus (a musteringof?)
clarity and brightness.
1766-lr22 B.C. ac_
il,:X::::ll::l1oo,-:;too0.B.c.according
cording
to othersl and the early forms givei above
tc.l500 B.c.l might be felt to leave
someroomfordoubt).Suggesttaking
d as avariantofstand i li,.ras acounter,
lLas legs 39, and ru as mouth 20.
Mnemonic:rSUMMON SUN. AND LET THERE BE LIGHT
M N C M O N i C : UM
SB
OUTH AND LEGS TOTRADE,STANDINGAT
316
;H
:/& & SHOFil
SHQ kesa,kieru
consumption
7Sf-'r.
EXTINGUISH,
KESHIGOMU
eftrser
la ,L 9e
V A N I S H ,C O N S U M E
l r l 7 \ 6 n SHOKAKI
10strokes
fte extinguisher
lTJ
Irj
L/*
318
FL
q
Formerly y'S' . 7 is water 40. 'A'/ fr is Ue like 1391 q.v., here acting phonetically to
expressfew/ little and also lending an idea of reduced from its original meaning of
miniature version. The original meaningappearsto have been reduced to little water, leadingto the idea of consuming and hencevanishing. Suggesttaking .lz as a variant of little rl.. 36 and ):l as moon 16.
Mnemonic:WATER HAS VANISHED FROM OUR LITTLE MOON
sH0
BADGE, CHAPTER
1I strokes
;d + KISHO
medal, badge
{ F BUNSHO writing, prose
H 6: sHorU chapter,passage
oncewritten
. g tt needref t+rz. Theexacrmeaning
of e is notclear,butit is
I
influe"i:.d o, needrei i: q..,,.,whichwasoriginauy
written I
- indicating
Ilir,..o::::llisation
;'"r".
:l:1.
needle,and was used
whereas
33was;'"1;l;ill".lJil#tJ::,tJ,H::1,1,
"
in particular for tattooing slaves(usually on
the forehead). The tat_
*"t an identifying mark.
This gave ri-seto the meaningsign or badge.
1:
It also
cameto meanpattern,
*d
omame-ntaland beautiful (still retainedin Chinese),
which
was then applied
"u"n
to a Dieceof writing (not unlike pattem/text
{- 6g). Suggesttaking
asshnd
lL 73 andquickty F 50: i"" urro :+0.
Mnemonic:BADGE
eUICKLY STANDSOUT
94
COUNTER
95
SHQ karsu,masaru
WIN, SURPASS
l2strokes
ffi fU SHOru
,B A SHOBU
KACHIKI
WbR
victory
our.orn.
spiritedness
Mnemonic: PREGNANT WOMAN HAS CONSPICUOUS BODY
embarkation
*. flA fOSSN
multiplier
* # 16S0
X 9 +rJ NORMONO
vehicle
ed meaning.
Mnemonic: GODS SAY SOMETHING SPIRITED AT ALTAR
69 and straight
Mnemonic:drnercHr
?7','
€
i
ffi\h srrcrcuBUTSU flora
riceplanting
E tE I TAUE
j&
sgoruMINcHI
colonv
ffi. R
SHIN. mrisn
sAY, EXPOUND
5 strokes
pLANTED
Fh tf.
SHINKOKU
MGHIKOMU
L-aRMGHIWAKE
H LjAt-r
+
report
apply
excuse
Mnemonic:FIND DEEP WATERHOLE NEAR TREE
SHIN, susumulmeru
ADVANCE
ll strokes
Once written Ep and b/3,showinga jagged bolt of forked tightning. It is in fact the
prototype of lightning/ electricity @ nO q.v. How exactly it came to mean say/ expound is not clear. Some scholarsfeel it was borrowed purely phonetically, others feel
that it (also)lent a meaningof speakingwith the impact of Iightning, i.e. a forceful or
dramatic speech,while still othersfsel that lightning was consideredthe voice of the gods
(seealso 324).lt usually meansspeakin detail. Suggesttaking as a pierced I sun p 62.
Mnemonic: SUN IS PIERCED:
profundity
deepsea
goingdeeply
tttl ) is water 40. A is an element showing hote R 849, hand
Oncewriuen U*
#, and fire K 8. It originally referred to a hand reaching into a chimney to remove the
soot,then came to mean chimney-tike hole. Thus hole in water, indicating a deep
part of a river or similar. The modernform has mistakenlyusedtree t- 69' with p being a variant of hole it .
349 q.v., meaningto make a tree straight, i.e. plant.
rREE IS pRopERLy
K € SrnxeN
K E Srm.xer
W L b FUKAIRI
SHIN, fukai/meru
DEEP, DEEPEN
ll strokes
325
Mnemonic:TWO COME RIDING
Tree /i
spirit
priest
goddess
Formerly ;.tp . fr.14 is altar 695, here in its extendedsenseof related to the gods.
q.v., herein its literal senseof lightning. Lightning was thoughtto be a
f is say 322
manifestationof the gods (some scholarsfeel voice of the gods). Spirit is an associat-
'fr
Formerly *
and earlier
, while the oldest form is { , showing a person d S:
on top of a tree fl69. Thus to climb a tree, with climb giving mount and thus ride,
and load being the transitiveform. The intermediateform fi showsperson A39, tree
fl, and opposed feet { g 422, indicatirnga firm position in the treetop. Suggestremembering by associationwith come * zt'l ,taking L as a variant of two = 61.
ueru
ffi tF sstsrilN
if /l sruxPu
4 if UgCevf*
SHIN, JIN, kami
cOD, SPIRIT
9 strokes
Mnemonic: WITH EFFORT. TWO FIRES CAN SURPASS MOON
J6, norulseru
RIDE, MOUNT, LOAD
9 snokes
bodv
oneseH
status
of a pregnant woman. It origiOncewritten fl , showing a side-onview of the body
meanbody in a broad sense.
nally meantpregnantbody, but later cameto
Formerly Bff . i is strength/effort 74. W / flK is a variant of royal we E* teO:
q.v., here lending its sound to expressraise and also lending similar connotationsof its
own. 319 originally referredto exerting oneself in order to raise something. This
c€rmeto m€an succeed,leadingto win and surpass. Suggesttaking ff as moon 16,
and /1 as two ; 61 fires (
8.
320
,4 {+ sruNret
EBlsruN
I f trnnuN
SHIN, mi
BODY
7 strokes
323
Movement
Ll2g
WHAT CAN ONE SAY?!
97
^\
advance
evolution
proPosition
and bird E, XA, giving move like a bird, i.e. forwards.
Mnemonic: ADVANCE LIKE MOVING BIRD
96
ff'JE zgNsun{
E'fh Srmire
E E STNCEN
THIRD GRADE 327-330
327
THIRDGRADE 331-333
century
E ffi sgtxl
SEI, SE, yo
care
it if spwe
woRLD, GENERATION
D
YONONAKA
the
worlcl
tr,
+
5 strokes
Oncewritten *Jf and &,Uottrbeingstylisedversionsof three tens f 33. Thirty
years was the norm for a generation, and this later came to mean the times and the
world at large. Seealso 405.
Mnemonic:ODD WORLD OF THE THIRTIES' GENERATION
arrangemenr
E E SEIzu
maintenancc
#'fffi Semr
M-aH# BICHOSEI finetuninr
SEI, totonoa/era
ARRANGE
l6strokes
ff. is proper/ correct 41. *{ is edict 1600q.v., herewith is literal meaningof enforcing correct action. Thus to make someoneact correctly, giving bring order
and thusarrange. Suggesttaking {d literally as bundle * 1535and stick in hand/
force ( tOt.
Mnemonic: FORCE CORRECT ARRANGEMENT OF BUNDLES
,4f,ffi PnssEN
derailment
lightrav
)t ffi rdsPN
line
cUOTUSEN
straight
tr #fl
SEN
LINE
15strokes
fr. isthread.27. fris source/spring 915, hereactingphoneticallyto expressslender
and also lending a similar idea (from a thin sneamof water). Thus slender thread,
eventuallygiving line.
Mnemonic: TRACE THREAD-LIKE
330
LINE TO SOURCE
ZEN, mattaku
€ *[ zeNsu
WHOLE,COMPLETE(LY) t I ZeNSrilN
6 strokes
4 € eNzeN
all
wholebody
safety
-a
is jewel 102.Thus jewel under cover, indicatinga protectedand
Ais a cover 87.
thereforepreciousjewel. A preciousjewelwas a perfect, unblemishedone, and the idea
of perfecteventuallycameto meanwhole or complete. Suggesttaking a as king 5.
331
\
.r
:)
f
- , f\
SO okuru
SEND
9 snokes
tL
l5
l5
v
HOSO
SOKn\f
)A
a
MIOKURU
broadcasr
remittance
seeoff
Lis movement 129. X is the right handpart of royal we fl/. tooz q.v., with its
grcaningof raise repeatedly. Here it lends an extendedidea of following on (from repeat),and also lends its sound to expressfollow. Thus move and follow. This originally referred to a servant following his master. Then, in very similar fashion to servant
following/ send i3. 1220q.v., it cameto meanservant sent on errands and then iust
send. Suggesttaking { as heaven58 and ./ as away 66.
Mnemonic:SENT AWAY FROM HEAVEN
332
d
NI
SOKU,iki
ffi,H. xy0soru
rest
BREATH,REST,CHILD k k5 ,e TAMEIKI
10strokes
,H.T tvtUSUfO*
sigh
son
6 is self 134 q.v., here with its literal meaningof nose. rt,. is heart 147, heremeaning
essenceof life. The essenceof life associatedwith the noseis air that one breathes.
It is not fully clear how this also came to meanrest and child, but it is possiblethat rest is
anassociatedmeaningof breath(cf. English [take a] breather).
Mnemonic:HEART BREATHES THROUGH NOSE
333
xffi
ZOKU
CLAN, FAMILY
ll snokes
d-E
I\
iD.
IEffi
KAZOKU
MIt\ZOKU
SHUZOKU
family
race
tribe
Oncewritten Yf, showing an arrow
-i,ed
? / e 981 under a streaming banner
to a crude pote Y . There is somedisagreementover the exact role of these
elements,but
many scholarstake them to indicate a musteringor rallying of arms under a banner,with
theidea of people forming a group eventuallyleading
to clan and family. It can also
occasionallymean gather. The modern form
of streamingbanner,ff , derives from a
rntherconfusingstylisation
*ts. Sugg"r,takingitasside J- 204andperson p 39.
MNcmonic:PERSON WITH ARRow
IN SIDE IS oNE oF THE CLAN
Mnemonic: KING COMPLETELY UNDER COVER
98
tb
99
ilil
THIRDGRADE 337-339
334'336
rHIRDGRADE
ffi,ft
334
'fb A ret.ItN
'fE E reroru
,f&EF Yoso*
TA, hoka
OTHER
5 strokes
stranger
foreignland
elsewhere
person ,f 39 and twisting creature &r 167. Some scholarstake the latter to mean
twisting, which could sometimesmean by extensionunusual (seealso 1041), thus giving unusual person and hencestranger or person from other parts. Other scholars
take twisting creature(either snakeor scorpion)as a symbol of somethingdangerous,giving dangerOus person, which was also a referenceto an unuSual person and hence
personfrom other parts. Personfrom other partscameto meanother in general.
33s
tf
o*,li,"#*,*"
{J
TI
f i b E *b-
DASHA
DAGEKI
UCHIKAESU
) _b
tl-Jfr
TAI. marsa
-l
9 strokes
-I
awaitingchance
ffi 4# rlrc
fE ffi suorel
invitation
'#
MACHIBUSE
t
ambush
b ffi.
w-a-Ir
Movement along a road /,1 118 and temple fr tzl q.v. The latter actsphonetically
to expressstop, to give stop moving and hencewait. It is not clear why lr was used
insteadof the simpler stop )r, 129,but it may possibly lend an idea of being active (with
the hands),thus suggestingoccupying oneself while waiting.
Mnemonic: WAIT AT TEMPLE BESIDE ROAD
Mnemonic:OTHER PERSONIS LIKE TWISTING CREATURE
k
337
338
D L\
41,
batter
|
blow
hit back
\
DAI, TAI, kawaru/eru,yo
1t ft seoet
generarion
REpLACE,woRLD,
t ft rorer
dternation
GENERATION, FEE
5 strokes
*[ tr ft
HEvADAT
roomrent
possibly also
+ is hand 32. T is nail 346, actingphoneticallyto expressstrike and
lending an idea of something to be struck. Thus to strike with the hand, now
strike in a broader sense.
'f is person 39. t, is stake l77,here actingphoneticallyto expressreplace and possibly loosely lending similar connotationssince stakeswere generallyof a set size and thus
Mnemonic: HAND HITS NAIL
tensionthe times/world, and also to meanexchange in a generalsense. Fee is an associatedidea, being exchangedfor goodsor services.
336
\
I
<r?4'
TAI.TSUI
OPPOSE,AGAINST,
/-l ;lJ}",
E. *i rnn-rru
-x'J
4 TAISHd
"x'J6l rSurrU
opposition
object
couplet
interchangeable. Thus replacement person, meaning a representativeor stand-in.
This gradually broadenedto mean generation, i.e. people who replaceothers,and by ex-
Mnemonic: PERSON REPLACED By STAKE
339
Formerly {.1
f is the samecomplex musical instrument seenin profession {
=f
is measure/hand 909, herewith its meaningof regulate. Thus 336 origi260 q.v.
nally referredto adjustingthe complexinstrument.This involved balancingthe crosspieces
from which the bells were hung, leading to an idea of counterbalance. This eventually
came to mean be set in an opposed position, usuallyof items in a pair. Suggesttako* asavariant oftext *1 0S.
in1
Mnemonic: MEASURE OPPOSITION TO TEXT
100
DAI
GRADE, ORDER
I I strokes
ffi -AX. DAINIKA ChapterTwo
lt<ffi E SHIDAISHO program
makinggrade
&-ffi fYVOlt
is bamboo 170, here meaningbamboo tablets usedfor keepingrecords.
fi1 is a
variant of younger brother
177
q.v.,
here
with
its
literal
meaningof order/ seA
quence. Thus to put bamboo tablets in
order, leadingto order/ sequencein general. Seealso 361.
MNCMonic:BAMBOO TOPS YOUNG BROTHER
IN ORDER oF THINGS
101
340
EB
DAI
SUBJECT,TITLE
18strokes
ItrJ EB
q6 ,9
,r5 -El
Erl rt5
MONDAI problem, issue
DAIMEI
title
WADAI
tooic
6 is head 93. f is proper 910, hereusedphoneticallyto expresshairless and possibly also loosely lending an idea ofstraight and by extensionflat. The (flat?) hairlesspart
of the head is the forehead, the original meaning of 340 (a meaning still listed in some
Chinesedictionaries). Somescholarsmake a direct link betweenforehead and title in the
sameway as the English term heading. This is a useful mnemonic,but it seemsmore
likely the evolution was somewhatsimilar to badge/chapter fl Ztt q.v. That is, slaves
were tattooedon the foreheadwith identifying marks, with identifying mark coming to
mean title or subject. Suggesttaking fu as day A 62 and correct &-41.
A variant of remarkable/show/wearlarrive fi
986, A as eye72, artd / as a line.
Mnemonic: SHEEP ARRMS
344
A
lx.
TAN, sumi
CHARCOAL. COAL
9 strokes
41 IX, SEKITAN
I R 4 TANSO
4
.lIR Y\ SUMIBI
342
coal
carbon
charcoalfire
FROM MOUNTAIN CLIFF IS COAL
TAN, mijikai
SHORT
12strokes
*
J.''-
Somewhatobscure.Popularly explainedas combustible material (from fire { 8) taken from the side (from cliff f 4, of a hill (mountain) ,)A 24. This is a useful mnemonic for the modernform, but the older form ft snows that f is not cliff, but a simplification of f . This appearsto be hand, with fr /,f14 seemingto be ash 818 q.v.
Thus ash and hill, presumably a referenceto charcoal burning that was normally carried out in the hills. However, somescholarsmaintain that f
is usedas a purely phonetic elementmeaningreturn, giving fire that returns (to fire), i.e. charcoal. Coal and
in meaning.
charcoal areassociated
Mnemonic: FIERY MATERIAL
\
_-f
-,
Mnemonic:
GET SUBJECTHEADING CORRECTON THE DAY
341
CHAKU, tsuku,kiru
ARRIYE, WEAR
12strokes
343
shortcoming
€ E[ reNsgo
ffi fi, remcl
shorttemper
brief
+ E rt' TEMITIKA
FtJE rOCgaru
arrival
E t2 rnaoNo
clothing
fr]E t FUNATSUKI anchorage
937,q.v. Suggest
taking ft assheep
WEARING EYE-LINER!
CHU, sosogu
PouR, NorE
8 strokes
rI H CHUMOKU
E +I cHasHA
rE fi CHaSHAKU
anenrion
injection
notes
7 is water 40. t is master 299 q.v., actingphoneticallyto expresscontinuous and
almostcertainly also lending an idea of column from its literal meaningof long stemmed
lamp (seealso 345). Thus continuous column of water, giving pour. Also usedfiguratively as pour one'sthoughts,i.e. pay attention.
Mnemonic: MASTER POURS WATER
CHU, hashira
COLUMN, PILLAR
9 strokes
pillar
& E Crt0SEfr
OBNCHU
pote
tetegraph
€ &
)_k& rSuRaRa*
icicle
fliswood 69. t ismaster 299 q.v., actingphonericallyto expressfirm and also
lendingan idea of column from its original meaningof long stemmedlamp. Thus firm
wooden column, now column or pillar in a broadersenseincluding the figurative.
Mnemonic: MASTER WOODEN PILLAR
346
CHO TEI
BLOCK, EXACT
2 strokes
T E Cgooo
T € rewsr
T E CgOttm
exactly
civility
city block
Arrow & SSt and food vessel 3. rcqO. Arrows were generally of a fixed length and
were occasionally used as crude measures (cf. English measuresrod, perch, pole etc.,
and note ttratthe additionof big/ carpenter'ssquare E ll53 gives the NGU characterrule/
measuringsquare [9. ). Q actsphonetically to expresssmall, and almost certainly lends
a similar idea of generallyfixed dimensions. (Thoughin many cases Z is usedin
charactersin a rather vague senseto mean food vesselin general,technically it refers to a
small one-leggedtable for one person [takatsuki], of a more or less fixed height.) Thus
small measurement (comparableto ilrow and food vessel),i.e. short.
Once written T, depictinga nail. This meaninghas now been taken over by an NGU
characterthat addsmetal Q 14, X, while 346 itself hascome to be borrowedwidely,
both for its soundand its shape. Block comesfrom the idea of intersectingpaths/lines
suggested
by the shape(seealso town/ block tI 57), while exact may, like the English
term to a T, come from a suggestionof a carpentryjoint.
Mnemonic:BOTH ARROW AND FOOD VESSEL ARE SHORT
Mnemonic:BLOCK IS EXACT TO A T
t02
103
THIRDGRADE 350-352
THIRD GRADE 347-349
f ffi rBcg6
fiRB cH6sn
E&fF KAYA*
CH6
REGISTER.DRAPE
11 strokes
notebook
desk
counter,
net
mosquito
TSUI, ou
CHASE, PURSUE
9 snokes
350
€ 4 rsuxyO
€ ff rsurso
\.^
€ +A9 olrnneu
inqurry
banishment
drive off
f is cloth 778. A is long 173,herealso actingphoneticallyto expressspread. Thus
long spread cloth, giving drape. It is not fully clear how it cameto meanregister, but
it seemslikely that records were kept on (rolls of) cloth before (scrolls of) paperbecame
common.
129. Q ttaslong beenconfusedwith terraced hill g / P 229,
3_is movement
andeven exists as a CO charactermeaningpile or heap,but the oldest forms such as 6
showthat it is in fact a pair of buttocks. Here it acts phonetically to expresschase, and
Mnemonic: LONG CLOTH DRAPE USED AS REGISTER
alrnostcertainly lends an idea of person's rear. Thus to move in pursuit of a person.Though it originally meant chasein the senseofpursue, it can now also mean chase
348;Fil
off. Pursuecan also be used in the senseofconduct (investigationsetc.).
CHQ shiraDeru, totonoeru
ADJUST, INVBSTIGATE,
TONE, TUNE
15strokes
adjustment
;E # CHoSet
investigation
;E A CHOE
-qE
* CgOSm tone,condition
Mnemonic:PURSUEMOVING BUTTOCKS
351
Words/speak Z 274andaround El 504. The original meaningwas discuss com'
prehensively (i.e. talk all around a topic). From this it acquired meanings such as examine, adjust (one'sviews), and overall situation (leading to condition). Adjustment and condition were also applied to music, giving tone and melody (cf. English tune,
etymologicallythe sameword as tone).
tr
Roof/building h
TEI' JO, sadameru
FIX, ESTABLISH
8 strokes
;E tr TEIKI
fixed term
T E rurel
tRE rBrreI
indefinite
decision
Zg and correct L
t n 41. 351 originally referredto the correct
ercctionof the framework of a building, then came to mean establish or fix in a broader
sense.
Mnemonic: INVESTIGATE BY TALKING
349
AROUND
CHOKU, JIKI, naorulsz,
sugu, tzdachi
DIRECT,UPRIGHT,FIX
8 strokes
tE
+b
Gtr
EX
CHOKUSETSU direct
honesty
SHdilKI
erect
CHOKUzuTSU
Oncewritten 6, andearlieras b . p I g iseye72, here meaninglook. l/t is
needle 33, here acting phonetically to expressdirect as well as lending an idea of pierce'
Thus direct, piercing stare. The later addition l- is a corner, felt by somescholars
to indicate the object of the stare being fixed in place, and by others to indicate
(attempted) concealment,giving stare at somethingsupposedto be hidden. In
very similar fashion to the English term fix, which can mean fix with a stare or make
straight and/or firm, the meaning of 349 broadenedfrom lix with direct stare to fix in
the senseof mend, while direct also cameto meanstraight and proper and by extension upright/ honest. Suggesttaking -f in its modern senseof ten.
Mnemonic:FD( ROOF CORRECTLY
352 jl-
re.
4_
TEI. niwa
X E X1irSI
cARDEN, coURTYARD E E TEIEN
lo strokes
E TM NIWASHI
mastergardener
l- is large building I14, here meaningpatace. J€ is court 1610q.v.,herewith its
Iiteralmeaningof peoplestanding around at court. Peoplegenerallydid theirwaiting
at the palace/court in the courtyard or garden.
Mnemonic:PALACE COURTYARD IS FINE GARDEN
Mnemonic: TEN EYES FIXED DIRECTLY ON CORNER
104
household
garden
105
TETSU, kurogane
IRON, STEEL
13 strokes
fft fE rePPeu
steelplate
}eTffi CHIKATETSU subway
E H rgtoo
DO, TAKU, tabi
DEGREE, TIMES
9 strokes
356
trffi rorurETSU
iH E ONDO
._ E rcruno
degree
temperature
once
(former) National Railway
Formerly if" . E is metal t+. fn (alsofi,') ir an elementknown to havemeantbig,
though for unclearreasonsit is listed in someChinesedictionaries(without illustration) as a
charactermeaning scrapeor advantageous.It was once written f! , showing that { is
not the usualcut \872, which is to all intentsand purposesa variantofcut/ halberd{
493, but 493 plus big K 53. Z is offer 1611. Thus fli presumablyoriginallymeanr
cut up a big offering. In the caseof 353 it actsphoneticallyto expressblack, and presumablyalso lends an idea of big (i.e. massive). Thus massive black metal, a referenceto iron and by extensionsteel. Note that kuroganeliterally meansblack metal.
Suggesttakingthe modernsimplification 4( as lose501. Seealso 263.
of various rt. t:St, and also actsphoneticallyto expressmeasfr is an abbreviation
ite. L is hand, which was often usedfor measuring things. Thus to measure vari'
ous things with the hand, finally giving measurement in a rangeof senses.It is not
clearwhy measure/hand<f 909 was not usedinsteadofjust hand.Suggesttaking f as
building 114,with 1/ as two tens f 33 andon€ - 1, i.e. twenty-one.
Mnemonic:HAND MEASURES TWENTY-ONE DEGREES IN BUILDING
&f rosnu
& F ronv6
ii
ff f Necpoesu
&
TQnageru
THROW,CAST
7 strokes
pitcher
vote
abandon
Mnemonic: LOST METAL PROVES TO BE IRON
+
f,f
?A
TEN,korogerutgarulgasulbuFrX fgNSO
forwarding
RorATE, ROLL, TUMBLE ,€ F; un-rex
driving
11strokes
bicycle
E E€ JITENSHA
Formerly $f
. 4 rt vehicle 31. $ is the old form of exclusive ft
St+ q.v., here
acting phonetically to expressmove and also lending an idea of rotating from its literal
meaningof spinningweight. Thus rotational movement of vehicle,i.e. roll. It is
also usedto mean rotate and tumble. Suggesttaktng I as two z 6l noses h 134.
VEHICLE ROLLS OVER TWO NOSES
"'#P #*tli'Tiil1Tono""
€D rtr TOSHI
E#[ snuro
t[A rsuc6
city
capital
circumsnnces
p is not h:d.l229but an elementmeaningvillage, deriving from the NGU charactervillage
p (on"e | , teltto show an enclosure tr and a sitting person 2 , indicating at ease).
{ is person 298 q.v., actingphoneticallyto expressgather and also lendingits connotations of many and various in additionto person. Thus village where many and
various persons are gathered,i.e. a big town.
Hand f 32 andstrike with ax Q tSZ. The latter also acts phoneticallyto mean
throw. Thus throw a weapon, thenjust throw.
Mnemonic: HAND STRIKES BY THROWING AX
TQ shima
ISLAND
l0 strokes
358
vtffi
@4
ffi
Formerly ,!.% and ,p , clearly showingbird ,% 1?4 and mountain ,b 24' Mountains where birds alight is a referenceto islands in the sea. Some scholarsfeel that
.ft atso actsphoneticallyto expresstide and by extensionsea,thus clarifying the interpretation of the character.
Mnemonic:BIRD ALIGHTS ON MOUNTAINOUS ISLAND
359
E
r,ft
I4Il
7 is water 40. h
publicbath
ffi i4 sPr'no
stearn
W F" YUCP'
x a lh CHANOYUteaceremonv
TO, yu
HOT WATER
12strokes
is rising sun 144, indicating becoming hot. Thus heated water.
Mnemonic:METROPOLIS IS VILLAGE OF MANY PERSONS
Mnemonic: RISING SUN HEATS WATER
r06
H:l
RETTO
archipelago
islanders
fONAnI
SHIMAGUNI
island nation
t07
360
e
TO TO, noboru
CLIMB
12strokes
6 E
H.E lolo
appearance
6 t! fOZeN mountaineering
^ 6. I KINOBORI ree climbins
-6
rising) feet. The last theory seemsthe most likely, though the frst is perhapsthe simplest to remember.
Mnemonic:TWO FUNNY FEET CLIMB FOOD VESSEL
s
-
€ fmo
-t *f loro
roersusBN
SEffi
cnuqs rruno
written f , pssibly the most estheticallyunbalancedof all the
Sornewhatobscure. Once
four elementsvertically. The elementsare,in descendingor,h*r,"rt in that it combines
184' andground 'f,.
tllz,eye p lA 7z'easVsack h tL
arr, nu"ar" Y l*
that it is the earlikely
it
seems
and
slave,
have
been
to
is
known
meaning
66.The original
ground carrythe
person
on
standing
q.v.,
namely
311
ly form of heavy ? tt
(tattooist's)
/t
eye
and
of
replaced by the combination
ing heavy sack, wiih person
vertical alignment.) Slaves
n""O". (This substitutionwould partly explain the awkward
(see 340), i.e. above the eye, and it
had an identification mark tattooed on the forehead
Thus Slaye standing on ground
slave.
indicates
probable
that
therefore seems
*
not clear. Child slaveswere far
is
mean
child
to
came
carrying heavy sack. How this
meaning,
thoughthis is unlikely. Some
from uncommonso it may havebeenan associated
person
scholarsfeel it was usedinsteadof a CO charactermeaningchild, f* , comprising
tg
is believedto lend a meaningto the effect of per| 39 ndslave $. 363, in which
son not having full rights as a citizen as well as lending its soundto expressgrow'
ing up. Suggesttaking the modern form of 363 as stand !- 73 andvillage Z 219
eral feet high). Others take f, to be used purely phonetically to expressclimb, giving
climbing feet (and hands). Still otherstake the handsto be offering up the food vessel (here meaningjust dish of food), and take the element f.1 to be usedphonetically to
expressclimb as well as lendingconnotationsof raise/ rise, thus giving climbing (and
TQ hitosftii,nado
CLASS, EQUAL,
ETCETERA
12strokes
E rL' t-l-,rstt.n
t2 rnot",
-.=.
Somewhatobscure. Once written [f] , showing two feet \y,l)129, hands F{, anO
food vessel f
1640 q.v. It is not fully clear how these elements combined. Some
scholarsseethem as as a virtual pictographdepictinga child or similar clamberingonto the
food vessel (this being taken in its literal meaning of a single legged table that could be sev-
361
ffigilH" "*:"n?,#:
3hJ;*'"
frst class
highctass
isobar
Mnemonic: CHILD STANDS IN VILLAGE
NAIBU
KANAI
f,f x\ UCHIKI
NAI, DAI, uchi
INSIDE
4 strokes
Bamboo Erf l7O, here meaning bamboo tablets used for keeping records,and temple
4- 133 q.v., which acts phonetically to expressarrange and also lends its idea of work
f,l
Fp
x8
lnner part
wife
shyness
with the hands. Thus to arrange bamboo tablets (with the hands). This is very similar to order/ arange bambootablets fl 339, but whereas339 meansputting in sequential
order, 361 meansputting in gq;fgl g411pg. Group of equal or similar items led to class,
Formerly1fi , andearlier (il , showingenter t | 7: 63 q.v. anda dwellinc nln
taking A asperson39 and l-1 asa hoop.
Onceentered,
oneis inside. Suggest
equal, and by extensionetcetera.
Mnemonic: PERSON TRIES TO GET INSIDE HOOP
Mnemonic: BAMBOO TABLETS AT TEMPLE ARE ALL EQUAL
365
362
gh illii-:'.^'
fih+rrmSUfSU
a9J+
9rtHJ
animal
JDOSFIA
vehicre
UGOKIDASU moveoff
NIKU
MEAT, FLESH
6 strokes
/iit
tn
IAE
r:J
HI\
BAMKU
NIKUYA
MKUGAN
horsemeat
butcher
nakedeye
Froma pictographof a fillet of meat showingthegrainingof theflesh @ . It a radical
remembering
usually pl , andoftenhavinga meaningof relating to the body. Suggest
asinside de 364q.v.andperson L 39.
/j is strengthT4. e is heavy 311, which also acts phonetically to expresssway
Thus to apply strength and causesomething heavy to sway, leading to move.
Mnemonic:INSIDE PERSONTHERE IS MEAT
Mnemonic: STRENGTH MOVES HEAVY OBJECT
109
108
\-.
.I-HIRD
THIRD GRADE 366-368
366
dtr
F.
HE Nao
H R NotvttN
€ * Nocvd
NO
FARMING
13 strokes
farm
farmers
agriculture
36e
ib *iii.,l*:"
ffa is now an NGU characterused for dragon, but its original meaning was clam (now
conveyedby an NGU character.f6, that addsinsect fi, 56). It derivesfrom a pictograph
of a clam with fleshy feelersprotruding ft. The clam shell was used as a crude cutting
A
tool, and to F* occasionallysymbolisescutting, as here. ffi is not bend # 2et,
though it may be helpful to rememberit as such. One early form of 366 showsit as EAJ,
which clearly revealshands L J held to a brain/head A 131. This has beeninterpretedbv
some scholarsas racking one's brains, and has resultedin someintriguing theoriesat-
Mnemonic: BURNED FIELD IS A DRY FIELD
tempting to link clam, racking one'sbrains, and farming. However, still older forms such
as Jl44 and $61show that l8d is a miscopyingof field E 59 and eitherplants/grass
ft9 or trees zf- 69. Thus the original meaning of 366 was cutting grass/trees to
clear fields, giving working on the land and hencefarming.
frequency
E & sHune
soundwave
* & orvPn
surfing
ffi-R I NAMINozu
7 iswater 40. fr-isskin 374 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressrise and fall
and probably also lending an idea of peeling off. Thus water which rises and falls
(and peelsoff?), i.e. wave.
Mnemonic: WAVES FORM SKIN OF WATER
368 H"'::#ili"
Ee
,u'EL srurvp.qr
Bdr€ Hetrersu
Bd 9 +
110
ft
wheat field
@ 59 and fire
HATSU, HOTSU
DISCHARGE, START,
LEAVE
9 strokes
J(
8, giving field that
4 t rnPPYd announcement
# tr HOSSOKUinauguration
ft ffit#., HATSUDENKIgenerator
. lo is two (planted) feet 360, here indicating standing firm. I is
bow 836. { is strikei hand holding weapon 153. Thus to take up firm stance
and shbot arrow from bow. This has led to a rangeof derivedmeaningssuchas discharge, leave, and by extensionstart. Suggesttaking ft- as two :-61 bent legs tL
39.
Mnemonic:DISCHARGED WITH TWO BENT LEGS AND FUNNY FEET
371
reaction
E tr"ugeuNO*
anti-nuclear
O P P O S E , A N T I , R E V E R S E , F' & uaNreru
textiles
B E N D . C L O T H , M E A S U R E F. f2 r.q.tinaoNo
HAN, TAN, sorulrasu
4 strokes
worry
delivery
KUBAzuTE (card)dealer
-tA
302 and a kneeling per'
Somewhatobscure. Once written S f" , showingwine jar
son A-39, but the role of theseelementsis not clearas thereis almostno exampleof historical usage. In the absenceof evidenceto the contrary it is assumedto indicate a person
pouring-- i.e. distributing -- wine. Suggesttaking 7! as self 855.
Mnemonic:DISTRIBUTE WINE TO ONESELF
370
A fH cHnsATAKE teafield
field,estate
E'XH regern
N
UCBATAKE
E,XM
Formerly 4t
Mnemonic: FARMING UNEARTHS BENT CLAM SHELL
367
tR. l:Jj,''
'made in Japan'charactercomprising field
is burned off (as opposedto a paddy field).
GRADL,'369-37I
( is a hand.
turn over, and probably also
f is cliff 45, actingphoneticallyto express
lendingan idea of abrupt (an occasionalconnotationof cliff, from the idea of abruptrise).
371 originally meant suddenly turn the hand over. This led to arange of derived
it
meanings,such as go against or oppose,reverse,and twist or bend. In Japanese
mean
a
and
can
cloth,
is also used of cloth, from the idea of a draperflicking out a roll of
neasure of cloth ( a roll of some10m),as well as a measureof area'
Mnemonic: CLIFF OPPOSES HAND
111
THIRDGRADE 376-379
THIRD GRADE 372-375
steePsloPe
€. E fYunN
sloPe
!E E SAxIMICHI
KUDARzAKAdownhill
T 9e
HAN, saka
SLOPE
Tstrokes
376
BI, utsukusftii
BEAUTIFUL, FINE
9 strokes
* A stnN
a beauty,
belle
SUUTSU
fine
fiT
arts
*
esthetics
* # ntCeru
Ground l- 60 and oppose F* llt. The latter is usedprimarily for its sound,to expressslanting, but may also lend an idea of reverse (i.e. a slope can be either an upgrade
or a downgrade) or of opposition/ resistance (i.e. an upgrade). Thus slanting
ground.
Sheep * 986 and big ,< 53. A big (i.e. fat) sheep was highly prized and desirabte. Desirable appearanceeventuallyled to beautiful in a broad sense.
Mnemonic: SLOPE IS OPPOSED GROUND
377
R fF roruseN
fF ffi freceur
fE Bfl ffeueg
HAN, BAN, ita
BOARD, PLATE
8 srokes
blackboard
cardboard
chef
The larteris usedprimarily for its sound,to express
Wood f O ana oppose F-llt.
thin (and flat), but may also lend an idea of reverse (i.e. a board is reversible). Thus
thin, flat piece of wood, i.e. board, now also used of non-woodensheets or
plates.
Mnemonic: OPPOSED TO WOODEN BOARDS
374
HI. kawa
SKIN, LEATHER
5strokes
skin
F E ruru
sarcasm
ruurU
A
E
bark
KINOKAwA
^AR
From a pictograph 11 showing a hand -\ pulling the hide off an animal with its head
by associationwith oppose F= 371' with I as
still attached $ . Suggestremembering
one stroke.
Mnemonic:OPPOSED TO SKINNING WITH ONE STROKE
tragedy
l"h FU rnCen
HI, kanaslrillshimu
I
!'
qB IilMEI
shriek'wail
/$
sAD
7
Y
/S L A KANASHISA sadness
12strokes
.i f >
t\;
,u isheart/feelings14
l F7i.s n o t T T 3 q . v . , a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y t o e x p r e s s s a d a n d
of
splitting open(fromits literalmeaningof wingsopeningin
lending
connotations
also
oppositedirections).Thussad feelingswhich rend the heart.
375
Mnemonic:BROKEN HEART DOES NOT WANT TO BE SAD
t12
Mnemonic: BEAUTIFUL BIG SHEEP
BI, hana
NOSE
14snokes
F#
BION
nasalsound
HANASAKI
tip of nose
HANAGUSURI
bribe
Formerly h
a is self/nose n4. # is a CO charactermeaning give, but is also
known to lend a meaning here of prominent. (Its old form ft suggeststhat /t is not
derivedfrom handsoffering p1 [the usual origin], but representsa table. (D presumably
representsan item, giving a meaning of item intended as gift promrncdly displayed on
table.) Thus prominent nose, now just nose. Suggesttaking @ as field 59 and -lt
as two tens +
33, i.e. twenty.
Mnemonic:OWN NOSE FOLLOWS TRAIL THROUGH TWENTY FIELDS
378
HY6, t<ori
ICE
5 strokes
)J<tr rrvoceN
icefloe
point
>k ,rt HYOTEN freezing
)k zk xdrul{IZu
icewater
Formerly:7K , andoriginally Alll. ll\ / zK is water 40, while f, 1no* ) ) represents
thecracks in ice.
Mnemonic:ICE IS FROZEN WATER
379
HYQ arawasu,omote
surface
F iF Hv6NaeN
expression
SHOW, SURFACE, LIST
t ii, ffVmEN
timetable
8 strokes
W ,l! t nKoKUtIYo
Once written
p +ZOand hair/fur €
f , combining the early form A of clothing
210. Fur clothing was wom on the outside,thus giving outer surface and by association manifest/ show and tist (cf. English term ship's manifest). Suggestremembering
bY associationwith long
A n3.
Mnemonic: SHOWN LONG-LOOKING
LIST
113
380
fr)
-
f,) Nrsvo
D ff sYosHD,r
i:nY(oFrIME)
f):8 nvosoru
two seconds
secondhand
speedper second
'f isfewllittle 143 q.v., here with its
f is rice pfant 81, heremeaninggrain plant.
original meaningof miniscule. 380 originally referredto the tip of the ear of a grain
plant, but then came to meantiny bit and eventuallysomethingeven smaller than minute,
i.e.second.
Mnemonic:LITTLE RICE. EATEN IN A MERE SECOND
)- [-".
Jf
/'I
BYd. HEI, .vamu.yamai
ILLNESS
10strokes
,av
fi fi syoKl
fi A sy6]'uN
b 6 ffi RAIBYo
illness
sickperson
leprosy
-;- is an elementindicatingsickness. It was once written f , showingbed ld 1389
and person A 39 and indicatingsomeone 'laid up'. r*l is third rate 1773 q.v.,
here acting phoneticallyto expressincrease, giving illness that increases(in severity). There is somedisagreementas to the semanticrole of fi . Its original meaning was
big altar, leadingsomescholarsto assumethat it lendsan idea of big, giving major illness. Otherstake it to suggestrigidity and immobility, sincethe altar was sturdy and
rigid, giving crippling iltness. Still otherstake it to symboliseabout to die, from the
idea of sacrifice associatedwith the altar, giving fatal illness. In any event, 381 originally
meant serious illness, but is now usedof illness in general. Suggesttaking fr in its
modernsenseof third rate.
Mnemonic:THIRD RATE HEALTH LEADS TO ILLNESS
commodity
HIN, shina
ffi fi sgorrw
quality
G O O D S , Q U A L I T Y , K I N D ffi F IilNSrilrSU
goods
sFil.{AMoNo
9 strokes
fil +2
Three mouths E 20, indicatinga group of people. This cameto meanassemblage,
and eventually specificallygroup of things rather than people. Quality and kind are
associatedideas.Note that 382 has switchedfrom meaningpersonto thing, whne fi 298
has switchedfrom thing to person.Suggesttakingas threeboxes.
Mnemonic:QUALITY GOODS COME IN BOXES
FU, makerulkasu,ou
DEFEAT. BEAR
9 strokes
383
J-\
W
ffiv\
FUSHO
FUTAN
MAKEGIRAI
wound
burden
unyielding
A 39 and shell/
somewhat obscure' once written ft ' showing a bending person
rnoney a 90. (Thevarianttorm @ usingsword/cut7 l8lisamiscopying.)There
is somedisagreementas to the role of theseelements. Somescholarstake p. to be used
phoneticallyto expressback (as well as having its own looseidea ofback as an extension
oftt"tt;, giving (on) a bending person's back and hencebear, leading to ideassuch
as suffer an imposition and hence defeat. Other scholarstake fl to be usedin its
senseof valuables, as well as possiblyalso actingphoneticallyto expressback, to give
an idea of a person bent under a load of valuables (on their back). This later came
to symbolisebeing defeatedor routed,i.e. fleeingwith one'svaluables.Note that 383 can
alsooccasionallybe usedcausatively,giving to defeat.
Mnemonic:DEFEATED PERSON FLEES BEARING MONEY
*F
384 >
v
BU, BE
PART, SECTTON,CLAN
I 1 strokes
F[ f
nusuN
*[ ffi sUzOxu
E$,trneva*
-a
zlq aut
obscure. once written 6f . ? / p is village 355. & t-t it not say i! I
a CO charactermeaningspit. Its etymologyis unclear,though u is presumablymouth
20. There is some support for a view that fl is a variant of X , the old form of not f,
(readFU) 572ql. The latteroriginallyindicateda bud emergingfrom a whorl of leaves,
and may thus indicate coming out, giving S a meaningof that coming out of the
mouth. It should be noted that in compounds { often seemsto be associatedboth with
dividing and growing, both of which can be interpretedas derived meaningsof sthoughnot, stricrlyspeaking,of S itself. It shouldalsobe notedthat a combinationof
not and mouth definitelyexistsas-ihecharacterdeny $ 962 q.v., which literally means
is a
make the negating sound 'fu' with the mouth. Thus, if the >* part of $
possibility
raising
the
variant
of f ,
variant of f, , this would meanthat { is ipso facto a
'fu' with the mouth. Unfortuthat spit similarly derives from making the sound
natelynot only is the erymologyof { unclear,its rolehere(both semanticand/orphonetic)
is also unclear.Somescholarsclaim that it lends a meaningof division, giving division
or part of a village and henceclan. However,384 is known to have once referredto a
with a village
specificclan in ancientChina,thus suggestingthat the clan was associated
thatthe
claiming
scholars
some
further
divided,
called FU . From this point opinion is
miscopypurely
or
of
borrowing
is
result
meaningdivision and hencesection/part the
ing (involving divide Z:rl 1813),while otherstake the village in questionto be a division
or part of a larger administrativedistrict. Still othersseeit as a village of outcasts(from spit
ouy'reject). Suggesttaking 7 as stand 73 and 5l as (open) mouth'
Mnemonic: CLAN STANDS OPEN MOUTHED IN PART OF VILLAGE
TI4
parr
tribe
room
115
38s
nR
E R * FUKUSO
FUKUJO
EF.'re
}*;:"''YIELD''ERVE
ER*[ HATTORI*
clothing
submission
a suname
Mnemonic: SERVILE HAND PUTS CLOTHES ON HOIST UNDER MOON
FUKU
GOOD FORTUNE
13snokes
iE
lE
cl*
|
rI7
-T-
)<\
.6
=
T- -f
IIEIKI
BYODO
rilKA'-TE
calmness
equality
palm of hand
possibly because388 can mean set ofscales or balance in Chineseit is often explained
as deriving from a supposedpictographof scales,and some scholarseven refer to a mys'pictograph' rf . However, old forms such as
$ in fact appearto show a comterious
2
8
1
w
e
e
d
T
a
n
d
s
mall ,[t J(. f usuallyhasa
w
a
t
e
r
t
w
i
s
t
i
n
g
l
5
binationof
here,
mean
flat, since the weed flattens out
as
can
occasionally,
meaningof bending but
,l'
is felt to be addedfor clarity, to distinacrossthe surfaceof the water (seealso 130).
guish the water weed in question from a larger type less suited to symbolising flatness.
- was addedto later forms to emphasiseflatness, giving
Similarly a lateral stroke
f
and hence the modem form. Scales is felt to derive from flatness, not vice-versa. Note
that scalesis conveyedin Japaneseby an NGU characterthat addsrice (plant) k tt, ly
(i.e. an even measureof rice). Note also that waterweedis now conveyedby a CO character that addsplant + 9, V, and by an NGU characterthat addsplant and water '/ 40,
h view of the symmetrical shapeof 388, suggestusing the scalestheory as a mne#.
monic.
Somewhatobscure. Once written zffl showing a boat )J /# 1354q.v., a person
show boat and a hand
bending { Ae, ana a hand i. . Still older forms such as }{
holding a weapon or tool, suggestingthat the hand is working, and also suggestingthat
the later bendingpersonmay be a miscopying. The early meaningof 385 is known to have
been work, and some scholarsfeel that it meant literally bend down in order to work on
(building or repairing) a boat. Yield/ serve is felt to derive from a combined idea of
bending down and performing work. How exactly it came to mean clothes, however, is
not clear. It is assumedto be a bonowed meaning,though it is also possiblethat 385 once
came by extensionto indicatea servant's livery. Suggesttaking ll as moon, ( as a
hand, and f as a clothes hoist.
386
i6
HEI, BYO taira,hiratai
FLAT, EVEN, CALM
5 strokes
388
XOf'UfU
happiness
FUKUBIKI
lonery
FUKUINSHO Gospels
Mnemonic:BALANCED SCALESARE FLAT AND EVEN
"&
,t u C0 charactermeaning full,
Formerly f.$
f. / 7 is altar/ of the gods 695.
and derives from a pictograph of a (full) wine jar 6 . :S0 originally referred to wine
blessedby the gods and used in religious ceremonies. The idea of blessed by the gods
then came to mean btessedor fortunate in general. Suggesttak'rng $ as single - I
entrance g 20 to field E? 59.
389
4
HEN, kaesulra
RETURN
7 strokes
!29 +
rtrffi
4TEL
HENJI
HENSAI
SHIKAESHI
reply
repayment
retaliation
j-is movement 129. ,( is oppose 371, here meaningreverse. Thus reverse
movement, i.e. return. Now often usedin the transitivesense,i.e. give back.
Mnemonic:ALTAR AT SINGLE ENTRANCE TO FIELD -- GOOD FORTUNE
Mnemonic:REVERSE MOVEMENT AND RETURN
387
BUTSU, MOTSU,
THING
8 strokes
mono
IAh
person
food
SHOKUMOTSU
food
TABEMONO
,/\ f//.J JINBUTSU
k+rr
A.-s+rr
s90 D
An
,V
z
{ is cow 97. 11 is an NGU characternow usedto meannot, but it originally depicteda
variety of streamers S (still listed as a minor meaning in Chinese). Here it lends a
meaningof variety, thus giving variegated cow, a referenceto a type of cow with a
mottled hide. 387 then cameto meancreature, and then thing in a broad (but usually tangible) sense. Suggesttaking n as a 'thing' with four legs.
-
tutaBENKYd
BEN
t
L
srRIvE
9ttu KINBEN
10strokes
RL
P!
rur -f
BENGAKU
stuoy
diligence
study
t is effort 74. *. is avoid 1849 q.v., here used in its literal meaning of woman
striving to give birth. Thus woman striving with great effort to give birth,
nowjust strive/ try hard in general. Give birth is now conveyedby an NGU character
tft, that useswoman tf 35 insteadof effort h , anda CO character &*-, rhatuseschild
+ 2s.
Mnemonic: COW IS A THING WITH FOUR LEGS
Mnemonic: STRM
TO AVOID EFFORT?!
tt7
r16
\
391
rt
M ffi. xamo
[berarion
radiation
tr 9J uosnn
TEBANASU
+ ffr.-f
letso
HQ hanasa/rsa
RELEASE. EMIT
8 strokes
MEI, MYO, inochi
LIFE, ORDER
8strokes
394
'6)p'6 trlEnPr
4'firr' Senagl
,rii.W0 INOCHITORI
order
tfe
fatal
Usually explained as direction f
204 andstick in hand/ strike (
10t, givlng
driving off in all directions and thus radiate and hencerelease. A useful mnemonic, but not quite correct. Old forms suchas Atr show f to be a miscopying of person
\ 39. Thus drive off a person, leadingto discharge and then release and emit.
eOZwith a mouth /say 6 20 addedto emphasisethe issuing of the order.
Order ft
of
an order cameto symbolisethe expressionof will of thosesuperiorswho
issuing
The
including the gods,and thus 394 also cameto mean one's lot or fate,
life,
one's
govern
life.
and eventuallY
Mnemonic: STRIKING IN ALL DIRECTIONS IS A FORM OF RELEASE
Mnemonic: LIFE CAN HINGE ON A SPOKEN ORDER
392
395
MAN, BAN
TEN THOUSAND,
MYRIAD
3 strokes
d t
5 S
N + #
GOMAN fifty thousand
SnNn
everything
MANNENHITSU
fountainpen
MEN, omote, omo, tsura
FACE, ASPECT, MASK
9 strokes
ftr iH cnnragN
itr H XEUPN
€ ffi geNeZURA
exterior
MASK
muzzle
Oncewritten 1,ul. $ is face 93, while A indicatesenclosing or covering. Thus
that which enclosesthe face, i.e. a mask. This led to the idea of external appearance,giving aspect. 395 is alsousedfor the face itself. Suggestrememberingby partial
associationwith eye g 72.
Often thoughtto be a simplificationof $, which tendedto be useduntil recentlyto express
ten thousand, but in fact they are separatecharacters.f was once written Q, and is felt
by some scholarsto be a variant of twisting waterweed 5 ZSt borrowed for its sound.
Other scholarsfeel it is a simplification of the ancientswastika symbol S or it- (both
NGU characters),
which hasconnotationsof all encompassingand by associationmyriad. $ derives from a pictograph of a scorpion $ with the addition of nine/bent erbow |L 12 q.v. to emphasisethe curling tail, and originally meant (striking) scorpion. It
is not clear how it came to representten thousand. Certainly it was used partly for its
sound,but its complexity suggestssomeadditionalsignificance. It may have beenthat
scorpionswere extremely numerous. Suggestremembering
by associationwith
f
direction fr 204, takingit to be a 'wrong'versionof this.
Mnemonic:MASK ENCLOSES FUNNY FACE WITH BIG EYE
H Fl smrsuMoN question
Y Ffi caruuoN scholarship
Ffi,tr roryA/ToNYA* dealer
MoN, tou
ASK
1l strokes
396
Usually explainedsimply as a mouth tl 20 askingat a door/gate ?1 2tt, but some
scholarsfeel that pl actslargelyphoneticallyto expressquestion.
Mnemonic:TEN THOUSAND MARCH IN WRONG DIRECTION
Mnemonic: MOUTH ASKING AT GATE
393
MI, aji, ajrwau
TASTE. RELISH
8 strokes
H 9I IMI
tr ffi rvovr
ffi -F, nmlt
meanrng
interest
tasting
397 , {l
-l^t': a
I
;(
YAKU, EKI
ROLE, SERVICE,DUTY
?t A verumN
it # vaxusna
7 snokes
E if nErErI
functionary
actor
militaryservice
tr is mouth 20. *. is unfinished 794, here actingphoneticallyto expressgood and
also lendingan idea of lingering. Thus something good lingering in the mouth,
i.e. nice taste. It can now be usedof taste in general,but at times still retainsconnotations of appreciation. It is also sometimesusedof an attribute or quality.
Movement along road /4 ttg and weapon in hand t- f Sf. 397 originally referred
to soldiersgoing off to fight (still occasionallyused in this meaning), then came to
meanservice, duty, and by extensionrole.
Mnemonic:TASTE LINGERS UNFINISHED IN THE MOUTH
Mnemonic:MOVE OFF WITH WEAPON IN HAND TO DO ONE'S DUTY
l=
-
119
118
\-
THIRD GRADE 4f/2403
TTIIRD GRADE 398-4OI
pharmacy
* E YexfYOfU
gunpowder
reyexu
.r,k*
* *E rusuRrYUBI
ring finger
YAKU, kusuri
MEDTCINE, DRUG
16strokes
398
f is plant 9. {F- is pleasure 218, actingphoneticallyto expresscure and also lending
an idea of soothing. Thus curative, soothing plant, i.e. a medicinal herb.
Mnemonic: MEDICINAL
PLANT GMS
PLEASURE
YU, Yfl, yoshi
REASON, MEANS, WAY
5 strokes
399
m+
u /t\
#d
cr .{-
YURAI
RIYO
nY0
derivation
reason
frcedom
From the samepictograph of a basket /wine press H as west 152 q.v. Whereas 152
focussedon the falling drops, 399 focussedon the abstractidea of the drops falling from
the basket. From came by associationto mean cause,i.e. reason, and by extensionalso
came to mean significance, means, and way. Suggestrememberingby association
with field A 59, taking I as a derrick (and seeoil d a00).
Mnemonic:THERETS A REASON FOR DERRICK IN FIELD
400
l
YUDEN
YU, abura
/H E
oL
8 strokes
fT ffr rowfroYu
lf, f* esuRAE
oil field
kerosene
oil painting
Basket/ wine press g! 399 q.v. and water/liquid i 40. Originallythe liquid
from the press, later viscous fluid, eventuallyoil. Suggesttaking @ as a field p
59 with a derrick I .
Mnemonic: LIQUID FROM FIELD WITH DERRICK IS OIL
401
owner
ffi H # sHoYtsHA
existence
€ ft UUU
erucnrd* thankyou
EyWl
YU, u, arr
HAVE, EXIST
6sfiokes
Oncewriuen fi- , showinga (right)hand ). 2 holdinga pieceof meat d les. fnis
possession
to meanexisting.
or having,whichalsocameby association
symbolised
402
\
YU YU, asobu
PLAY, RELAX
12strokes
ffiH. vuneN
sightseeing
ffi IJJ YUSAN
excursion
(f
ffi
& ASOBIBA playground
Often explainedas children | 25 gathering undera ftagf
333 (symbolisinggathand
moving
about
playing,
ering)
with relax being an extensionof
Ll29,i.e.
play. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect. # is a CO charactermeaning the billowing
shape of a waving flag (from fluttering flagf- , with child f used to mean small part,
and originally referring to the small scallopedparts formed as ttre flag waves). In combination with movement(along a road) j_ it meantmoving in a wave-like and henceindirect fashion, giving saunterand the idea of acting in an unhurried fashion. Thus
relax (or more exacrly,not work) is the earliermeaning,with play being the extension.
Suggesttakingjf
asperson /.
3gandside f
Mnemonic: CHILDREN PLAY AT MOVING PERSON'S SIDE
403
YO, kanete
ALREADY, PRIOR, I
4 strokes
n ffi YOYAKU
+ ffi YoSd
n fr- YOTEI
booking
expectarion
schedule
Fomrerly alsofi^, though technically this is a separatecharacter. Old forms such as tp
show a combination of symbol and pictograph,namely a weaving shuttle o (from 0
)
being pushed I to one side tf . This came to representthe idea of doing one action as
part of a sequence,
i.e. prior to doing the next action. The idea of doing something in
advance also came to mean leaving a margin. Elephant
L 533was addedto give an
ideaof big margin, though it is not clear why sucha complex characterwas chosen.Thus
at one stage403 had a secondarymeaningsimitar to ample/margin
R 800, and it is interestingthat both 403 and 800 have beenborrowed to expressvme. This has always been
assumedto be for purely phonetic reasons,but the coincidenceof meaning may suggesr
someadditional but now unclear semanticconnection. Margin has now faded as a major
meaning,leavingthe earlieridea ofacting in advanceand hencealready.
Mnemonic: I'VE ALREADY PUSHED THE SHUTTLE
Mnemonic:HAVE MEAT IN YOUR HAND
r20
204.
t2r
404- V:
+
/
I3"o*,*ESTERN
Hff A iH'?fi*
yOSHOKU
9 strokes
*i'fin'J
Westernfood
i$ A
tl
Water 7 40 and sheep 4. gAS. Usuallyexplainedto the effect that a sheepindicates
white, giving whitecaps and hencesuggestinga large body of water (i.e. an ovine
version of the English term white horses). Somescholarsfeel that { wasusedin an unknown phoneticrole and that 404 oncereferredto a specificriver in ancientChina (details
unclear) before coming to be applied by extensionto the ocean.The former theory seems
the more helpful. Ocean came to symbolisefrom across the ocean, i.e. foreign and
especiallyWestern.
Mnemonic:OCEAN OF WHITE SHEEP. NOT WHITE HORSES
st * ffi't SHII{YOJU
vQ na
++ E
LEAF
12 strokes
HAMAKI
HAGAKI
conifer
cigar
postcard
Somewhatobscure. Often assumedto be generation #L 327 q.v. of plant-life # 9
on a tree f 69, which is an excellentmnemonic. Sinceit is also possiblethat,through
early forms such as \t ,327 may have becomesomewhatconfusedgraphicallywith a
growing plant and hencelife and generation(seealso 42), as opposedto its literal origin of
threetens (thirty years)and hencegeneration,it would seemquite reasonableto assume
that {
meansgeneration/ plant growth on a tree and that +f is usedmerely to reinforce this. This is especiallyso in view of the fact that {
doesindeedexist as a CO
charactermeaning leaf. Howeve., f. atro meansflat piece of wood/ writing tablet,
and somescholarsfeel that this is its main meaning(from wood 4-, with tf suggesting
groupingtogether,as of woodentabletsbound together)and that its meaningof leaf results
from its later being usedas a simpleversionof X. Thus, accordingto the latter view,
405 meansplant-life resembling a group of flat wooden tablets,i.e. leaves.
LEAVES ARE GENERATION OF PLANTS ON TREE
y0, tri
ltr & yoxvoru
anode
gaiety,
season
tr fi. vOxt
TAIYOKEI solarsystem
^W4
SUNNY, MALE,
POSITM
l2 strokes
Hill
l44,togivesunny (side of) hill. This
f ZZSandsun shining down ft
hasled to various extendedmeanings,primarily the conceptof yang (asopposedto yin fr
1013).
Mnemonic: SIDE OF HILL IS POSITMLY
122
407
EHffifu^"lilH
+,€ilffi*::ii,il'"
t1.
i. u no*
Somewhatobscure. Formerly ti , u"a incorrectly as Er . f,r is tree 69.
defunctcharactermeaningtributary, comprisingtributary/long ja 615 and sheepf
986 (the larter presumablyusedfor its literal meaningof branchinghoms). It actshere
phoneticallyto expressresemble, giving tree that resembles. This was a referenceto
the horse chestnut, which resemblesthe edible chestnut. The reasonfor such a complex
characteroccurringas a phoneticis possiblythat it was initially confusedwith elephant/
resemble f. SZZ,which had the samepronunciationat the time (SHO) and which is also
combinedwith tree ,d(t to give the NGU characterhorsechestnut &. nis not clear how
407 cameto acquire its presentmeanings. Some scholarsfeel they are purely borrowed
meanings,while others feel 407was confusedwith image l*-l+0, from which many of
407 can alsobe usedas a
thepresentmeaningscanbe takento havederived. In Japanese
potite suffix, thoughagainthe processof acquisitionof this meaningis unclear. Suggest
t a k i n gf r
a s a c o m b i n a t i o n osfh e e p I
l+
andwater ,K40.
Mnemonic:
SHEEP APPEARS TO WATER TREE -- AWKWARD SITUATION
408
-f-l-
RAKU, ochirultosu
--*
FALL, DROP
/n
%:T nexxe
W b# ocHIBA
fall,descent
fallenleaf
W L U+rrorosHrMoNo
12 strokes
droppeditem
f is plant 9. ,/b is an NGU characternow usedto refer to the old capital (Kyoto),
but in Chineseit refers to a certain river and originally meantfalling water. It comprises
water :, 40 and each ft' 438 q.v., herewith its early meaningof descend(andstop).
Thus plants falling like water, which was a referenceto falling leaves. It now
meansfall in a broad sense.
Mnemonic:FROM EACH PLANT. LEAF FALLS LIKE DROP OF WATER
SUNNY
t23
409
ffi'
RYLI RU, nagarerulsu
FLOW, STREAM
l0 srokes
ffi.'r1RYLIKO
t m f f i RUFU
NAGAREGI
fn t L ^
fashion
spread
driftwood
4L2
Once written U f,. fl it un inverted(indicatingnewborn) infant I ZS inamniotic
fluid ,rr, to all intents and purposesthe sameelementas birtlr/ raisechildren ft 221 q.v.
7 is water 40, emphasisingthe fluid. Thus the flow of fluid at birth, later flow in a
broad sense.There is also a theory that | | L- representsthe dangling hair of the infant, and
that this servesto emphasisethe idea of flowing (down). This is a useful mnemonic,but in
view of the clear use of amniotic fluid in 227 almostcertainly incorrect. The element fr,
often lends an idea of dangle in compounds,but this is felt to be an extendedmeaning
from flow and not hair. It also exists as a minor CO characterconfusingly listed in some
dictionaries (but without illusnation) as meaning cap with pendants. This appearsto be
a popular mnemonic interpretation with no academicbasis.
\_D
'It-t
ttt\
"/'\a
_
r
t
Suggesttaking ft
trip
tr<'4- RYOKO
traveler
ffi<^ TABIBITO
ffi<H RYOHI travelexpenses
RYO, tabi
JOURNEY
10strokes
\
4'.3
?t
FI )J
RYOHO
MIDORIIRO
evergreen
verdigris
green
as strand.
l*"1*o",",
BOW
x 4 L SHITSUREI
?LERREIFUKU
€fr.4L
KEIREI
STRANDS
rudeness
full dress
bow
Formerly also wrinen i.U and fr$, thoughtechnicallythe two are separatecharacters.,i./
f is altar 695. L is a kneeling figure, not a simplificationof f . Thus kneeling at
the altar, meaningto pray and thus act with propriety. $. is plentiful 790 q.v., literally meaningfull vessel,givng 1g a meaningof offer a full vessel(of sacredwine) at the
altar and thus similarly act with propriety.
Mnemonic: PUT ODD CLOTHES ON ONE SIDE FOR JOURNEY
RYO
BOTH, PArR, COIN
6 snokes
f*e
Mnemonic:WATERYGREEN LIQUID OOZES IN THREAD-LIKE
Once written !f, showing two (i.e. plural) persons 4 39 gatheredunder a streaming banner Y* Zll. It originally referred to warriors rallying under a bannerprior to
setting out on a campaign. On the one hand this came to mean simply set out or make
a journey, and on the other came to mean a group of warriors (specifically five hundred).
The latter meaningis retainedin Chinesebut hasdisappearedin Japanese. Suggesttaking
f a s s i d e I Z O + , a n dT < a s a n ' o d d ' v a r i a n t o f c l o t h e {s + Z O .
4rl
H f i * & f JORYOKUJU
f * F ROKUSHO
(originally drops
Formerly ** . fr is thread 27. fr is an elementdepicting liquid /(
water r( AOl
probably
influence
of
stylised under the
:: -a u symbol of falling | , but
falling from a basket used as a crude wine press fi (inverted venion of E 399). That
;rfi 400. It cameto mean ooze or exude (a meaning it still reis, it is very similar to oil
tains in some compounds),and was used with metal $ t+ to give Sfr< 611 q'v., now
meaning inscription or record but originally meaning verdigris (the green rust which
'oozes' out of copper). fr itself thus becameassociatedwith green, and usually lends
such a meaning in compounds,as indeed here. Thus green threads, and now green in
general. Note that fr exists as a minor CO character,confusinglylisted in someChinese
dictionaries (but without illustration) as meaning to carve wood. This is presumably a
meaning ascribedor assumedunder the influence of 61I's later meaning of inscription.
Mnemonic:HAIR AND WATER FLOW AS CHILD IS BORN
4f0
frfr
RYOKU, ROKU, midori
GREEN
14 strokes
both sides
Mnemonic: PRAYING AT ALTAR IS ACT OF PROPRIETY
both hands
E + RYOTE
rss6 x_ RYOGAE moneychange
414
nl iffi:'*
Formerlyffi , and earlier fi. Popularly taken to be a set of scales symbolising equality, which is a useful mnemonicbut almostcertainly incorrect. It seemsmore likely to be a
gourd (with a wrinkled membraneousinside) split into two equal halves. The role of
is not clear, but it may symboliseunity, i.e. the equality betweenthe
the later addition
two halves. 411 was also used for a measure of silver (in Japanthe old ryo coin),
which probably did derive from associationwith weighing on scalesand may accountfor
the populartheory mentionedabove.
RESSHA
Fl tr. RETSUJI
H"tIrtJ ZENRETSU
tzll
E
train
sequence
front row
Denuded bone F 286 and cut 'l 181. Thus cut to the very bone, which was
originally a referenceto butchery. The meaningof row is felt to stem from the fact that
there was a set sequence for dismembering a carcass(sequence/order is still a strong
meaningin Chinese).
Mnemonic: SCALES WEIGH BOTH PARTS OF A PAIR
Mnemonic: CUT UP BONES LINED UP IN A ROW
t25
r24
>-
ill
4's
f6
l3o'o*ou,"
E EEmno
ffi EFseuno
fR P6rneln
road
rail track
journey
I is foot 51. b is each 438 q.v., here usedin its early meaningof stop and start
and by extension move slowly. 415 originally referred to moving slowly forward, testing the ground with one'sfoot. This came to mean path, and eventually route or road in
a broadersense.
Mnemonic:EACH FOOT FOLLOWS SAME ROUTE
416
D
WA,O,yawaragu,nagoyaka
.#rr
,ft
PEACE,SOFT,JAPAN
8 snokes
F)
f
Y f,u HErwe
A f'u veuero*
peace
Japan
f,[ A WASHOKU
Japanesefood
Formerly also sometimeswritten ofr . Rice plant t St *O mouth/say tr 20. The
rice plant was often a symbol of pliancy and softness,and lends such connotationshere
to mean pliant in speech,i.e. accommodatingand harmonious. This eventuallycame
to mean peaceful. It is also usedto refer to Japan.
MnemoniC:RICE SOFTENED IN THE MOUTH IN PEACEFUL JAPAN
THE 195 FOURTH GRADE CHARACTERS
417
.*
q,H
Ei4q
AI
LOVE
13strokes
,}i
l!! 4
AXO
love
BOSEIAI maternallove
patriot
AIKOKUSHA
Obscure. Often explainedas a hand reachingdown/ convey (t 303, a cover .:r, heart
1ql 147,and stop and start 4, 438 q.v., to give a meaningof convey something to
the heart and (hesitantly) keep it hidden there, i.e. a secret love that one frequently almost reveals. A useful mnemonic,but an old form ft) showsthat .i7 is not in
fact a hand. Somescholarstake $'y to be the prototypeof aiow defunctcharacterfu
meaninga charitable feeling of wishing to give food and hencekindness and warm
feelings. Itcomprisesheart/feelings
tr.i. andsatiatedperson *-6sS,thelatteralso
actingphoneticallyto expressgive. Thus feeling of giving food to a persontill they becomesatiated.In the caseof 417 @ is felt to haveactedphoneticallyto expresshidden,
thoughits semanticrole (ifany) is unclear.Stop and start ,? is felt to havebeenusedin a
senseof move hesitantly. Thus the original meaningis believedto have been move
forward hesitantly and furtively, with the idea of warm kind feelings contained
in fr1 eventuallyprevailing and replacingmove funively. Still otherssee (Q asencircled,/
envelopedheart (see655), and 4xaas oppose
d feet422 q.v., the latter lendingits meaning of all around. Thus that which completelyenvelopsthe heart. The last theory seemsthe most likely, but suggesttaking the modem form as hand <-'zcovering rz
heart rq., with j( as sitting crosslegged.
Mnemonic: SIT CROSSLEGGED, HAND ON HEART, IN LOVE
END OF THIRD GRADE
418
AN
P L A N , C O N C E R N , T A B L ER
10strokes
JIL
<F
A
TEIAN
71. ANGAI
ANJO
proposal
unexpectedly
on the table
Wood t
69, hereindicatingitem madeof wood, and restfut Q ZZI q.v. The latter
acts phoneticallyto expressput down and leave, and may possibly also lend similar
connotationsof being left from its original meaningof a woman being left to rest quietly.
418 originally referred to a wooden tatlle on which eating utensils were set out
and left, i.e. by way of preparation.It is still occasionallyusedto meantable, especially
in Chinese.However, rather like the English term table a proposal, it also came to mean
somethingput carefullyon a table,and by extensiona proposal or plan. Concern is an
associatedidea, i.e. somethingobliging consideration.
Mnemonic:CONSIDER PLAN AROUND RESTFUL WOODEN TABLE
t26
t27
4re
J*
D.T IKe
D)E tuet
Lf,.f| IceI
**#*tiSliJ;Tltii'
l, kakomulu
SURROUND
7 strokes
422
below
within
outside,except
Effi
SHLI
4U tru HANI
f f i V . l 4 t r KAKOIKOMU
EE
perimeter
nmge
enclose
rowed, but it seemspossiblethat plow came to symboliseutensil and hencesomething
used as a means through which an end is achieved.Starting point is possiblyan as-
(see 123). f is a CO characternow confusingly used
Formerly H . nis an enclosure
graphicconfusion with leather/hide $ 821), but
to r"--t"u1tr"./ t ia" (probably through
patrol.
Once written $, , it showsopposed feet d
its original meaning was essentially
L29)aroundacentralpoint o (abstractsymbol),andcan
/& (variantsoffeet lJ ltt
quarters and so on. Here it acts
rneanbe opposed, move all around, guard all
to expresssurround, and also lendsan idea of moving all around. Thus
phonetically
'an
enclosure that emphatically surrounds. Suggesttaking 4 as well 1470.
sociatedidea with through, both overlapping with the conceptof from. Becauseis an
extensionofthrough. Seealso 134.
Mnemonic: ENCLOSURE SURROUNDS WELL
O n c e w r i t t e nd l , d *
6 or L,depictingaperson4lSb"hhaaplow
6.Itisnot
clear how it cameto acquireits presentmeanings. Some scholarsassumethem to be bor-
420
\
I, koromo
CLOTHING
6 strokes
clothing
*fR IFUKU
&F rnut
clothing
Rtr k- KoRoMoGAE
+ F. *
4ff
* iL +
l, yudaneru
ENTRUST
8 strokes
423
Mnemonic: PERSON USES PLOW AS STARTING POINT
Originally { , showing a collar A and sleeves lG and thus ideographicallyexpress
t-*
ing clothing. As a radical usually found as ? , undsometimessplit as
- i<.
Mnemonic:ENTRUST RICE PLANTS TO WOMAN
EKf"fi."."'"':;i::;
Mnemonic: COLLAR AND SLEEVES SYMBOLISE CLOTHING
iilI;EXrENr
committee
entrustment
trustmoney
and pliancy. {f is woman 35, also a
Xf,is rice ptant 81, here symbolisingsoftness
and pliant, which came by extension
pliancy.
Thus
to
be
soft
symbol of softnessand
to others,eventually leading to
leave
decisions
and
then
pliant
affairs
in one's
to meanbe
gathering
rice
crop
was entrustedto women is
the
that
popular
explanation
entrust. The
416.
also
See
mnemonic.
useful
incorrectbut a
changeofclothes
42'rfE
IINKAI
tt'uN
ITAKUKIN
dYsPePsia
H
H 59 IJAKU
9 strokes
,{
From a pictograph of the stomach 6p (showing folds and possibly hairs), reinforced by
flesh/ of the body El 365. Suggesttaking 92 as field 59.
position,rank
1&{f clut
academicdegree
#6t cnrul
+
EL rtltucunet abouttwelve
Mnemonic: FLESHY STOMACH SEEN IN FIELD
Person ,{ 39 standin C il- 73. This referred to a person standingin a row, their position determinedby order of precedence,i.e. rank. By associationposition came to mean
42s 2
tr
extent, which as in Englishalso becameusedof approximation.
IN, shirushi
SEAL, SIGN, SYMBOL
6strokes
E[ ffi|JINSefSu
Printing
seal
F[ #lJ rNseN
E F[ uErnUSHlguidingmark
Originally dn, showing a hand pressing down l.' on a bending person L39' The
original -"uning of press down then came to be used of pressingdown on a seal, with
sealgiving rise to sign or symbol. 425 is also borrowed for the IN of India (Indo).
Mnemonic:PERSON STANDS ACCORDING TO RANK
Mnemonic: HAND PRESSES DOWN ON PERSON AS ON SEAL
r29
t28
\
FOURTHGRADE 429431
FOURTH GRADE 426-428
EI
SUPERIOR,ENGLAND
8 strokes
426
talent
4 7' etset
England
4E nxoru
language
4# gtcO English
.r+ is pfant 9. te is center 429 q.v., here acting phonetically to expressbloom and possibly also lending an idea of blocked off at the head from its assumedoriginal meaning
of person yoked at the neck. 426 originally meant a flower that blossomed but
lacked seed, such a flower being exceptionally beautiful. It can still mean beautiful
flower in Chinese.Exceptionally beautiful came to mean superior, with extendedmeanings suchas talented or brave. It is also usedfor the first syllableof England, largely
under the influence of Chinesein which 426 is pronouncedYING and is a closer approximationto ENG.
Mnemonic: ENGLAND HAS SUPERIOR PLANTS IN ITS CENTER
427
\S
;"t\
5S'u'
31dtiftJlif,i,n,,n,*"
+T
%X rnxEt
estrokes
glory, honor
nutrition
prosperitl
'# . It originally indicated a tree z( 69 covered '-z with flowers as dazFormerly
zling as flame X. 8, specificallya type of paulownia. Eventuallythe idea of blossoming into something dazzling came to prevail, being usedin a range of extendedsenses
such as flourish and shine. Suggesttaking P" as ornate cover.
Mnemonic:TREE FLOURISHES GLORIOUSLY UNDER ORNATE COVER
{28
|
,--
fg
JJm.
tablesalt
AtH sHoruEN
saltwatcr
lHzk sruovtzu
#Lffiffi SEIENSHO saltworks
EN. shio
sALr
r3suokes
or uE . fn" latter is a modifred combinationof supervise/look carefulFormerly
".F
(fromapictographofabasket6
ty&
if iiunA 6, un NGUcharactermeaningsalt
form
of
baskeVwest
6 152 q.v.] usedas a primitive salt
[essentiallythe sameas an early
6j
it
is
felt
to have actedphoneticallyto exis
not
but
clear,
shaker).The exactrole of
idea
careful (salt being a precious
an
of
lent
to
have
presssalty taste and possiblyalso
The shaker-rS was also
carefully).
used
commodity in certain areas,and thus something
given by S. Th" l^tt'
the
clarification
necessitating
usedfor thingsother than salt,thus
also
be a deliberaterefc'rmay
but
of
on
E ,
useof ground .t 60 may be a simplificati
pan.
taking
Suggest
the
salt
S as person F 39'
ence to a principal sourceof salt,
mouth O 20, and dish ru. 1307.
Mnemonic:PERSON THROWS SALTY DISH FROM MOUTH TO GROUND
130
429
0
'l-' ,t
CENTER
5 strokes
CHUO
cenrer
+ R *$ cH0osu
cenrral
Dart
tr * n cHOoGUCrilcenralexit
somewhatobscure.Oncewritten
[, showinga person y'( s: witn what many schol_
yoke
to
be
a
take
on
the
ars
neck. It is felt to haveoriginally meantrestrained at
H
the
neck, with the idea that the neck represented
the central line of the body later coming
toprevail' other scholarsfeel that H is not a yoke but an absract symbol indicating
confines and thus focusingon what lies (centrally)within the confines,i.e. in this case
the
neck/ central line. (Somescholarstake r r as the confinesand
d as man 573.) The
useof ft in 426 q.v. seemsto supportthe yoke theory. Suggesttaking
Ji in its usual
senseof big, and ft as a combinationof /< and opening o 20.
Mnemonic: BIG OPENING IN CENTER
4304R
-ffi
OKU
mOru
2o0million
HUNDREDMILLION
I1H r0oru
billion
l5snokes
ffirtF#
OTUVaNCHOJA
billionaire
'f is person 39. 'ft is thought 226 q.v., here lending
its literal meaningof heart furl
of thoughts and feerings. 430 originally referred to person
a
brimming over with
thoughtsand feelings,then came to mean brimming over
in general.This eventually
carneto mean too numerous to contain, giving the
idea of a very rarge number. It
becameparticularly associatedwith a hundredthousand,
and still representsthis numberin
chinese, but in Japanese,from the medievalperiod
on, it gradualrycame to mean a hundred million (i.e. a squaringof ten thousand
6 3g2).
Mnemonic: PERSON WITH HUNDREDMILLION
THOUGHTS
"'t[
Ii;]T,"ff,*-
ffi )lg ZDKA
increase
4 zln SeXfe
participation
fig k-H KLTwAEZAN addition
Mouth/say p 20 and strength
fr 74. It originally meantadd strength to an ar_
Sument by adding one's own words, then came
to mean add or join in general.
Mnemonic:STRENGTHENED
By ADDED MOUTH
131
Shell/money p 90 andchange 1C238, giving that which can be exchanged for
money, i.e. goods. It then came to mean assets and later also money.
fl is wood 69. fi is admonish 1060. Thus wooden item for admonishing, a refand
erenceto shackles. This meaningis still very occasionallyencounteredin Japanese,
in
frequency
Chinese.
Wooden
more
shackles
came
mean
wooden
to
device
and
with
general.
in
device
then
Mnemonic: CHANGE GOODS FOR MONEY AND VICE-VERSA
433
\
-
-F
a-
t*ffi, xlzu
KA
reCgO
SECTION,LESSON,LEVY #F
ffi' ----& DAINIKA
15 strokes
taxation
head
section
ksson Tu'o
Mnemonic:WOODEN DEVICE FOR ADMONISHING
437
gi is word 274. A is fruit/perform 627 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressconsider and probably also lending a meaningof carry out. 433 originally meantto consider
a person'swords, and by extensioncarry out an investigation (still a major meaning
in Chinese). It becamepanicularly associatedwith investigatingwith a view to levying a
tax or amount of work, and henceeventually came to mean levy. It also came to acquire
connotationsof order and ranking, and some scholarsfeel that lesson and section both
derive from the idea of being part of a sequence,but it seemsmore likely that they stem
from the idea of that which is levied, i.e. a task or section of a task or by extension
lesson to be worked on.
El'
sprouting
4# rierSuCe
GA, me
sprout
bud,
sfumtap
BUD, SPROUT,SHOOT ff#
sprout
bud,
6
MEBAERU
++L
8 strokes
Mnemonic:COVERING LM
438
Mnemonic: PLANT WITH FANG-LIKE SHOOTS
KAI, aratarzerulmaru
REFORM
7 strokes
ME
SONGAI
damage,loss
SATSUGAI
murder
B6GAI
obsnuction
L qz.
+t is plant 9. fr is an NGU charactermeaningfang (from a pictograph of interlocking
fangs fJ ). Thus fang-like ptant, i.e. a shoot.
435
GAI
HARM, DAMAGE
10strokes
Oncewritten @, showingold € 109 q.v., here felt to be usedfor irs assumedliteral
meaningofskull and by extensionhead, and an invertedbasket A ZSS.Thus to cover a head with a basket. It is not clear how this cameto mean harm. Some scholars
feelit meantcover, and that harm is a purely borrowedmeaningthat replacedcover. Others
feel it meantsmother a person, then kill or causeharm in general.Suggesttaking g
asmouth 20, ?1 as a roof and by extensioncover (see28), and ;E- as a variantof life
Mnemonic: SECTION OF LESSON CONTAINS FRUITFUL WORDS
434
apparatus
*3 f* rucal
machine
ffi ffr xxal
ffi ffi, (?, KIKAIKA mechanisation
KAI
DEVICE
I I strokes
436
H.Wfrl; KAMorsusEN freighter
crrrency
@H rOre
sundrygoods
NH. ZercXl
KA
GOODS, MONEY
11strokes
432
MOUTH CAN CAUSE HARM
eachstation
6 ,ffi raruErr
6 tr rerKoKU eachcounffy
& A KAKUJI
each
KAKU, ono-ono
EACH
6 strokes
Originally @ , showinga mouth g 20 and an inverted foot lt t ty 129q.v. Jusras
tt can meaneither stopor go, the invertedform can havea similar rangeof often confusing
meanings,but usually indicatesabnormalprogressin the senseof stopping and starting. It is listed as a CO charactermeaningfotlow, and can also mean go somewhere
and then stop, or fall over, or come down from above. Here it is felt to mean
come down from above and stop, with A acting phoneticallyto expressthe reinforcing meaning of descend. This referred to visits by high ranking dignitaries,who
would visit one place,stop for a while, then move to anotherplace. Thus stop at each
Dlace, eventuallygiving just each. Other scholarsfeel that each is a purely borrowed
rneaning(that replaceddescend).Suggesttaking fL as sitting crosslegged.
reform
KAIKAKU
&€
amendment
d[rE xetSgl
ARATAMETEonceagain
&-b'(
Often explainedas strike/force t( 101 and twisting thread/self a 855' to give en'
force (the straightening of) something twisted and hencereform. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect. Old forms such as ltr show that Z. is actually the samevariant of
serpent f, as in arise ft 250 q.v. 435 originally meant drive off serpents (a symbol of undesirablethings),and thus clear an area and henceby extensionreform. Suggest taking 7! as self.
Mnemonic: EACH PERSON SITS CROSSLEGGED AND OPEN MOUTHED
Mnemonic: FORCE ONESELF TO REFORM
133
r32
\-
FOURTHGRADE 442443
FOURTH GRADE 439-441
439
H
self-awareness
KAKU,oboeru,samerulmasu E H nXefU
awakening
tr H,kt MEZAME
REMEMBER, WAKE
H. LA A oBoEGAKrmemorandum
12strokes
FormerlyFfu . na is emulate manually 10, here meaningemulate/learn. f, is look
18. Thus learn by looking, giving remember on the one hand and be alert and hence
wide awake on the other. Suggestrememberingby associationwith learning f3 10.
Mnemonic:REMEMBER TO BE AWAKE WHEN LEARNING BY LOOKING
\?
,rl$
ftFI KANSEI
.-o*,0..r,
7 strokes
*ft
uxeN
7A
reNzEN
completion
incomplete
perfection
*r is roof/building 28. 7. is origin 106 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto express
fence/watland probablyalsolendingconnotationsof round (from its depictionof an exaggeratedhead,which occasionallysymbolisedroundness).Thus building with fencei
wall around. Some scholarsfeel that complete comesfrom the idea of the fencecompletely surroundingthe building,othersfrom the ideathat the building is truly complet-
trr
I
J
R
policeman
KAN
9 tr TTIKEN
Hffi XANNVO bureaucracy
GOVERNMENT,OFFICIAL
Eff rnNcuo
8strokes
government officc:
Pr is roof/building 28. E is buttocks 350, here actingphoneticallyto expresswork
and almostcertainly also lendingan idea of sedentary. Thus person doing sedentary
(i.e. clerical) work in a building, which came to have particular associationswith an
official doing work for the government.
H
oFHAN
KAN, kuda
PIPE, CONTROL
l4 strokes
lR ;*
faNSHI
character
rogue
Chinesepoetrv
RIVER IN GRASSY HAN CHINA
€ l4 rexnl
controt
fi € rureN
windpipe
€ X *S KANGAKKT
wind instrument
lrt is bamboo 170Q is officiar 441, hereacting phoneticalryto expresspierce and
probablyalso lending an
idea of contror. 443 originally referredto pierced bamboo
which controlled sound, i.e.
a wind instrument. It then came to mean on the one
handany type of pipe and on
the orhercontrol.
Mnemonic:BAMBOO pIpE
UNDER CONTROL
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL IN BUILDING SITS ON BACKSIDE
MNEMONiC:
r34
iF ? reNn
B i4 erreN
honically one of the most obscureof the kanji. Formerly >[ , and eartier ${ and
:\.$. )
is water 40, heremeaningriver. { is known to have actedphoneticallyto expressthe
nameof a river, specificallythe Han River from which the Han Dynastytook its name.
However,as an elementit is obscure. It showsstrong similaridesto the early forms
of
flaming arrow/ yellow & r20 q.v. (unconnectedwith the yellow River), possibly
suggestingHan River gleaming (in the sunset) rike a flaming arrow.
However.
somescholarshaveinterpretedit as a beast being roasted (seeg4g and
then g42, l2g1
and82l), though what connotationssuch a meaning might lend here are not
clear. It also
showsstrong similarities to rare/feilviolet
g42), which is itself of obscure
(see
f
ori_
gin and is indeedtaken by some schorarsto be a variant of
.
However,
variant
or not, it
{
is still not clear what meaningit might havelent. Han China became
a referenceto China
in general,and by associationberongingto china and hence
chinese man and finally
just man (a lessermeaning). Suggestremembering
by associationwith man r<sli.
grass *f 9, and mouth g ZO.
443
Mnemonic:COMPLETELY ORIGINAL BUILDING
\g?
!
KAN
HAN CHINA, MAN
13strokes
Mnemonic:MANFROM MourH
ed when the fenceis erected.
441
+
\
442
135
444
Aq
I FJ
fiilliill.oNNEcrroN
Hf ffi:^
'T":::
Formerly f,qflf f { is gate Ztt. fr is a CO characternow meaningthread/weave,but ir
originally referred specificallyto a treadle on a loom, and derives from (short) threads
A ttl and,crossed
piecesof wood tH(once tl ). Here ffi ucr"phoneticallyto express
bar and also lends its idea of crossed pieces of wood. Thus crossed pieces 9f
wood tlarring a gate, i.e. barrier. Connection is an associatedidea, since a barrier
also representsthe point ofcontact betweenthe areaseither side ofit. Suggesttaking f
asheaven fr
58andaway "
6 6 ( a n d s e e s e n di * - : f t l .
Mnemonic:HEAVEN'S GATES ARE IMPASSABLE BARRIER: SENT AWAY
145
KAN
WATCH, OBSERVE
18strokes
sightseeing
ffi)t rexro
ffi H rc,qusATSU
observarion
ffi6 rem<YAKU spectator
Formerly flfu. n it look 18. f is a CO charactermeaningheron, comprisingbird E
216 anda crest gfi (once iD. (Note that in Japanesethe addition of an extra bird .fu lll
gives the NGU characterstork &" ) Aere it actsphoneticallyto expressturn, giving turn
and look (around), and may possibly also lend an idea of a heron'shabit of looking
around as it wades. The idea of tuming as suchhas now disappeared,but the connotations
of observing widely are retained. Suggestremembering fi as crested bird.
Mnemonic:LOOK AND OBSERVE CRESTED BIRD
446
F€ltkii'w^H
hoPe
xno-
DESIRE,SCANTY,ITARE frX rrfv0
fr ffi rurnrU
7 strokes
H o tll SEKINoYAMA utrnost
14strokes
fr€
Kr. KE
desire
thinness
to-o:Tlt1g::T
interweave
S, showing
wrineri
once
.1
1]]^t^,i1"ll.tll1
threads, i.e. embroidery, and its current meaningsall result from
weaving
I, *qt
borowlngs'
CLOTH THREADS DESIRABLE BUT RARE
Mnernonic:INTERWOVEN
4Ffr rrsBrsu
KI
SEASON, YOUNG
8 strokes
ZQ4
4f'
season
fourseasons
SmK
youngestdaughter
rulO
meaningyoung rice plant. This
Rice plant 4< 81 and child & 25, andoriginally
youngest of a
,o*" io mean young in a broader sense,and is especially applied to the
scholarsfeel
ofend).
Some
fine (and hencevery occasionallyhas an associatedmeaning
young
between
association
thatseasonis a borrowed meaning, others that it stemsfrom
rice and a particular time of the year.
RICE PLANTS IN SEASON GROW LIKE YOUNG CHILDREN
MNCMONiC:
-.ffifi
ffiil,-,ml*
Thread {tr 27 and,self/twisting thread a 855,meaningthread from end to end.
On the one hand this gave rise to end/start, and on the other to the idea of an account or
chronicle (which threadsfrom one end of an episodeto the other).
MNEMONiC:
CHRONICLE OF SELF THREADS FROM BEGINNING TO END
fr fiE# sHIGANSHA applicant
ffigd! cANBoTEKI
wishful
frF\^S NEcAIGoro
Draver
Q is head 93. .K is spring/origin 107,here acting phoneticallyto expressbig. Thus
big head. It is not clearwhy sucha complexcharacterwas chosenfor the phonetic.Some
scholarsfeel that a big headwas seenas a source of intellectual ability, andthat 446
originally meantthereforebig ideas (from a big head). This may serveto explainhow
KI, yorokoba
REJOICE, HAPPY
12strokes
EB\
ffiE
XEO
KIGEKT
KANKI
clronoxoel
comedy
delight
greatjoy
it later cameto meanwish. Othersseewish as a Dureborrowine.
tl is mouth zO. € was oncewriner, p and f , showinga plant t ly (g andvariant 42) and a food vessel p I g- 1640,and essentiallymeansedible plant. Here it
alsoacts phoneticallyto expresssoft. 450 originally meant putting soft plants in the
rnouth, i.e. eat cooked vegetables. This cameto mean simply eat, which in turn symbolisedpleasure. Suggesttaking f as samurai 494.
Mnemonic:WISH SPRINGS FROM HEAD NOT HEART
Mnemonic:
FOOD POT AT MOUTH MAKES SAMURAIHAPPY
136
r37
4s'
iE tif:
Somewhatobscure,though its elementsare clearly fluttering nugfr,333 and winnowing device/that f; 251 q.v. The latteris felt by somescholarsto act phonetically
to express gather, giving flag under which one gathers (i.e. warriors rallying).
Since winnowing symbolisedthe arrival of a specihctime of year it may also lend an idea
of the time having arrived (to assembleand go off to fight). Suggesttaking f,i- u.
person )- 39 andside fi- 204.
Mnemonic: PERSON AT SIDE OF WINNOWING DEVICE HOLDS FLAG
452
# ffi cnoN
A i# xelcr
# * cxel
nationalflas
EE rOrK
HATAMOCHI
Ragbearer
ffi++ b
ffifR. renxrx
billfish
KI, utsuwa
*3R ruCu
VESSEL,UTENSIL,SKILL
A?* SHOKKI
15strokes
83ffi KIYO
discussion
conference
the Diet
peak274. fr is righteousness645,actingphoneticallyto expressmuf, is words/s
ideaof propriety. Thusproper mutual extual (exchange)andalsolendingan
changeof words'
Mnemonic:DISCUSSION INVOLVES RIGHTEOUS USE OF WORDS
455
utensil
tableware
adroitness
KY-l\ motomeru
REQUEST, SEEK
7 strokes
E I vorv0
€ * TSUIKY0
* ffi KYUSHoKU
demand
pursuit
seekingwork
Somewhatobscure.Formerly ?9 -d eatberl{',showingdog /( 17 andwhatappears
to be four mouths a 20. The exact role of theseelementsis not clear. The positioning
of the mouths suggestsa dog wheeling with open mouth (i.e. barking?) to face
all quarters (seealso 1522),though somescholarsfeel 452 originally had a meaningof a
dog panting (i.e. open mouthed).It is believedthat the four mouths eventually dominated
the original meaningand came to suggesta collection of openings/ receptacles,leading to vessel and thus utensil. Skill is felt to be an associatedmeaningwith utensil,
both sharing an idea of enabling a function to be carried out. Suggesttaking y'( as big
53, and $p as four boxes. Note that a sometimesencounreredsimplified form F. it
unconnected
with work I 113.
Oncewritten f,, kno*n to representthe skin/fur of a fanged creature, though it is
notclear whetherit is a pictographof the body with legs attachedor an ideographcombining the headand body Y with bristles t, possibly under the in{luenceof fur/hair lf- Zt\
Mnemonic: FOUR BIG BOX-LIKE VESSELS ARE USEFUL UTENSILS
456
453
f*68 ruNo
function
i* A KrKAI
opporruniry
Wffi.9 HATAORI
weavins
KI, hata
LOOM, DEVICE,
OCCASION
16 strokes
f is wood 69. ft is trow many 1129q.v., here usedin its original meaningof loom.
Thus wooden loom, now also device in general. This gave rise to the idea of the
wherewithal/ means to perform a function, leadingto associatedideassuchas opportunity and occasion.
Mnemonic:ON HOW MANY OCCASIONS IS WOODEN LOOM USED?
138
q.v. 455 originally meantfur coat, which was a highly desirable object. Somescholars
feelits presentmeaningsstem from suchan object being much sought after, while others
feel they result from borrowings. Suggestrememberingby associationwith water zK 40,
taking - as a cross (stroke) and ' as a spot.
Mnemonic:
CROSSWATER TO SEEK SPOTTEDFUR COAT
KYU, sukua
RESCUE,REDEEM
I I strokes
tk 6d 7 4 KYLIMETBUI lifebuoy
relief,rescue
f{ # rvtrEu
*&\.^ fr f
sururPesu
extricate
# is seek/ request 455. f is threaten/ coerce l0l. 456 originally meantto request
threateningly, i.e. demand. Some scholarsfeel ;1{ also acts phoneticallyto express
cease,giving demand a cessation. It is not fully clear how it came to mean rescue.
Somescholarsseeit as a borrowed meaning,others as an extendedmeaningfrom the idea
of demandingthe releaseof a prisoneror similar.
Mnemonic:RESCUE BY COERCIVE REQUEST
139
ltl
'l I
rii
i
H #A rvorv0
E #A Cerrv0
KY0, tamaa
SUPPLY,BESTOW
*< /6 Z
12 strokes
KITAMAE
46._ [Jt"*o.."
t#
suppty
monthly
pay
Comel
Thread {6 27 andjoin 6 l2l, givingjoin threads. The idea ofjoining threadsto
achieve a desired length came to mean furnish by whatever means, later supply/
bestow in a broad sense. It is also used as a verbal suffix (originally polite).
fu is a treblingofstrength 74. + is ten 33, here actingphoneticallyto expressgather
and also lending an idea of many. Thus many persons' strength, i.e. cooperation.
Mnemonic: SUPPLY JOINED THREADS
Mnemonic:THIRTEEN STRONG ARMS COOPERATING
KYO, ageru,kozotte
OFFER, RAISE, ACT,
PERFORM, TOGETHER
10 strokes
458
# *
iE 4
- 4
fyOSffU
spNryO
II(fyO nl
462
4t, #*J"l*"-'
raisinghands
election
at a stroke
soBNKvo
4#ffi
telescope
dresser
ffi 6 rvopet
TEKAGAMI
handmi:ror
# ffi
Formerly 4$
fF ir the old form of give + lS73 q.v., here used both in its earlv
senseof (hands) working together to perform a task and in its later senseof givei
raise/offer. The additional hand * 32 emphasisesthe idea of doing somethingwith the
hands. Suggesttaking X
ur a laden table.
6
f is metal 14. fr is an NGU charactermeaningfinish, comprising sound f
q.v. and a bent figure /W39 and originally indicating the conclusion of a musicalrecital
(somescholarstaking the bent figure to indicate the performer bowing, otherstaking it to
be usedphoneticallyto expressfinish). Here ft is usedphoneticallyro expressscene.
Its semanticrole is unclear,though it may possibly suggesttransitoriness (i.e. soonfi-
Mnemonic:RAISE LADEN TABLE BY HAND: SOME ACT!
459
cYo, RYO
:D
.r.
,
El
r
J rrrl
lF, fl;. cvospN
FTsHING
i,RFE nvosm
r+ strokes
R *
CVOCVO
nished). Thus metal which shows (transitory?) scene,i.e. a bronze mirror, later
mirror in general. Suggesttaking $ Hterallyas shout aloud, and /t as bent tegs.
fishingboat
fisherman
frsherv
Mnemonic: SHOUT ALOUD AT BENT LEGS IN METAL MIRROR
Fish @- 98 with water :/ 40 addedto indicatefish in water, i.e. in the natural state
and not yet caught. This came to mean fish waiting to be caught and eventually
(professional)fi shing.
463
Mnemonic: FISHING REQUIRES BOTH FISH AND WATER
460
KYd, tomo
TOGETHER
6strokes
tfrt ft. tcvorsl
agreemenr
ffi 7: rvonYoKu cooperation
i6 A rvorel
association
*
}r
-W
--TF
I -J
Ify;lft
---
KYO KEI, kisou,seru
# ? rvOS6
coMpETE, BID
# ,F reme
20strokes
ffi9ffi I spzuunr
competirion
race
horse
auction
Formerlywritten
commonalitl
Jt E rvOrsu
jt A U" TOMOGUI cannibalism
+tr+.*
rvoseNSHUGI
ff , snowing tnat iLot derivesfrom $9 , the old form of a CO character
!f meaningargue/ wrangle (comprising words $ 274 q.v. set againsteachother). l-rrshowstwo persons ,{ 39, emphasisingthe adversariesin the dispute. (Note that /,f is
communlsm
a CO characternew usedlargely to mean follow, but its original meaningis simply two
persons.) Thus two persons vying against each other. Suggesttaking as a doubling of elder brother ft, 267 andstand il 73.
Originally R -d later ft, showingtwo hands !\ offering a jewel a la . The
idea of offering was later conveyedby a characteraddingperson 4 39, i.e. offer lf,
839, while 460 cameto focuson the ideaof doing somethingwith tloth handsand by extensionjointly/ together. Suggesttaking # as plant 9 and 6 as a table.
Mnemonic:TWO ELDER BROTHERS COMPETE IN STAND-OFF
Mnemonic:PLANT AND TABLE GO TOGETHER
t4l
140
\
464
I f{-
KYOKU,GOKlJ,kiwameru ]L @ gorrYoKu
EXTREME,PoLE
E ffi SfUCOKU
AUR
12strokes
-l-
Northpole
extremely
iH @ sudrYoKu
neganve pole
!-
/i is wood 69. ;ft is a CO charactermeaningurgency. Its exactetymologyis unclear,
but an early form @. shows a hand L appearingto push a person 4 39 between
two lines I (indicatingconstraint or pressure) into an opening g 20. Here it acts
phoneticallyto expressextreme, and almostcertainly lends similar connotationsof its
own. 464 originally meant wood in an extreme position, and was a referenceto the
ridgepole (the highestbeamof a house),but latercameto meanextreme in general.Suggest taking ;l as poles, with a play on the word pole.
M n e m o n i cP
: E R S O NP U S H E D I N T O O P E N I N G B E T W E E N W O O D E N P O L E S
465
KU
WARD, SECTION
4 strokes
A EIJ KUBETSU
tfu,E cHrKU
It E KITAKU
distinction
district
Kita Ward
Formerly 6 . L is an enclosure. fs is now clearly associated
with three mouths O
20 (see 1034),but probablyoriginally meantthreesmallerenclosures,indicatingpartitioning within partitioning and thus section. A ward is a sectionof a city.
Mnemonic:ENCLOSED SECTION X IS A WARD
466
GUN
ARMY, MILITARY
9 strokes
ruraldistrict
E[ *[ CUttSU
467
A[ il] KORTYAMAaplacename
frF:;il#;:'DrsrRlcrfrNR Eg wAKEGUN
Wake County
p is vitlage 355. fi is governor/ lord 266. Usually explainedas villages under
the same governership and thus forming an administrative district. Some scholars
feelthat fi
villages.
Mnemonic:VILLAGE BELONGS TO LORD OF COUNTY DISTRICT
468
US Forces
Popularly explainedas a covered r-r vehicle * Zt, namely a supply wagon syrrlbolising an army on the move. A useful mnemonic,but incorrect. Old forms such as 6)
urrd q show a vehicle with a protectiveencircling arm ) or womb Q lsee 655). 466
actually referred to carts drawn into a circle to form a protected encampment,an ancient military practicelong beforethe daysof the Wild West. The circle of cartssymbolised
u.
KEI, kata
TYPE, MODEL, MOLD
9 strokes
Mnemonic:MODEL PUNISHMENT FOR EARTHY TYPES
E
KEI, KE
scENE, VrEW, BRIGHT
12strokes
,R,
scene
)t f KOKEI
fgXt
liveliness,
business
F fi,
scenery
F € rrsHxt
El is sun 62. -,C.is capital 99 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressclear and open
andalmost certainly lending connotationsof exposed from its literal meaningof building
on a hill. Thus open to the sun (as a hilltop), i.e. bright. In Chinesethis is still a major meaning,whereasin Japaneseit is usually found in the figurative senseof lively.
Scene/view is an extensionof open to the light.
Mnemonic:SUNNY CAPITAL IS A BRIGHT SCENE
the army.
Mnemonic:COVERED WAGONS ENCIRCLE ARMY CAMP
t42
prototype
zr 4. CEf.UcgI
t 4 OCare
largesize
4 4 F! TENKEITEKI twical
J. is earth 66. fftl is punish 1193 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressmake and
alsolending its idea of frame. Thus to make an earthen frame, i.e. a clay mold.
This later came to mean pattern, type, model, and so forth.
469
? E r0cuN
airforce
militaryman
F A cuNnN
X tr F BETKoKUGUN
alsoactsphoneticallyto expressgather, giving a gathering/ grouping of
r43
r+
f;_
t<
470
cEr
ART, sKrLL, PLANT
Tstrokes
* f,fficeuursu
fE * snucer
*#
Cprsnn
?-l
Formerly 4.
*,-derivesfrom fl"of which *- istree 69, Lisearth60,and {is
a person kneeling L413 with arms outstretched F. thus ffL depictsa person
kneeling to plant a tree in the ground. It was later enforcedby the addition of plant + 9.
Both ffu and fi. still exist as co charactersinterchangeablewith 4 . speak/ vapors
l. 78 was addedlater in a phonetic capacity to expresscultivate, but it should be noted
that l. , the de facto simplified form of & , is not a mere graphicsimplification. It still exists in chineseas a separatecharacterfrom f , with a meaningof fragrant plant (i.e.
plant giving off fragrantvapors). Thus E may havebeenchosenpartly with this in mind,
i.e. to link up with the other addition +r and lend an elegantconnotationof plant a fragrant tree. The idea of planting a tree properly cirmeto mean horticultural skill and
then skill in a broadersense,usually in relationto artistic accomplishment. Suggesr
taking fi' as two : 6l noses L\ 134.
fili.u'kakutkeru
,b
4 strokes
n-
R td
KAKEME
Mnemonic: HEALTHY
475
break
rrS
rf\I-
ca
r--
t
yuu
KETSU,musubu,
BIND, JoIN, END
12strokes
ntr ,(E' KEKKON
^ f r X KEKKA
ffiL[ E
MUSUBME
PERSON STANDS ERECT
il,ffi
KEN
EXAMINE
18snokes
x,B
fEffi
SHIKEN
JIKKEN
KEIKEN
examination
experiment
experience
Formerly -$fi . .h is horse 191. fr is a CO charactermeaningwhole/all. It derivesfrom
plurality of opinion,
f1r, showingtwo talking persons NN- 267, here representing
b
of opinions,
Thus
synthesis
and cover
87, heremeaningbringing together.
lends
connotations
it
often
leadingto unity and henceits modernmeanings. In compounds
[n
the
case
of 475 it
forth.
and
so
suchas overview, arbitrate,combine,discuss,examine,
in
a broad
examine
eventually
giving
horses
and
essentiallymeansexamine,
examine
meaning
elder
of
more
common
in
its
sense,including try out. Suggesttaking f,,
brother.
Mnemonic:PERSON WITH GAPING MOUTH LACKS DIGNITY
,
l_
St T
<na.
health
rgxrO
soundness
feNZeN
KENPITSUKA
prolificwriter
person y' 39 and ercct t* 473. A person standing erect is a sign that they are
healthy. Some scholarsfeel that ft alsolends its sound to expressstrong.
From a pictographof a person yawning | 1p".son tL39 with gapingmouth ? ).
Gaping mouth cameto meanbe wide open, then be vacant, then be lacking. The
characrer Ek is often assumedto be an old form of 471of which K is assumedto be a
simplification,but in fact it is a separatecharacterof similar meaning. It comprisescontainerlbottle Ei 1095and open k 271, and originally meantopencontainer.
472
&t F
@4
ffi #X
KEN, sukoya,ta
HEALTHY
Il stroKes
474
rgsseKlsHA absenree
faulr
,*, xrrteN
E
building
erection
building
Mnemonic: HAND HOLDS PEN ERECT
R /m #
/T'
€ # feNSpfSu
€ V xoNnvu
&4fu rxnMoNo
ylovement A-Og and hand holding brush { A2. 473originally referredto the
The brush was held erect, leading to make
movement of a brush when writing.
to
build'
English,
erect and then, as in
Mnemonic: TWO NOSEY PEOPLE EXAMINE ART OF PLANTING
47r
KEN, KON, tatsulreru
BUILD, ERECT
9 strokes
473
an
planting
geishi
marriage
result
knot
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER EXAMINES HORSE COVER
476
ft is thread 27. E is good luck ll42 9,.v. Somescholarstakethe latter to act phonetically to expressentwine, giving entwine threads and thusjoin them. Otherstake it to
lend its early meaningof lidded container, giving bind lid on container. It may in
fact combine both phonetic and semanticroles, giving bind lid on container by entwining it with thread. End/ conclusionis an associated
meaning,as in the English
termtieup. Suggesttaking5 assamurai -t 494andmouth p 20.
KO,katailmeru/maru
HARD, FIRM, SOLID
8 strokes
E fA KOTAI
fd H KYOKO
E t 9 KATAMAzu
solid state
soliditY
lumP,mass
E is enclosurel23. fr is old 109,hereactingphoneticallyto expresssolid and probably also lending an extendedidea of long in place and thus firmly established' 476
originally referred to solid walls surrounding a castle, then came to mean solid in a
Seneralsense.
Mnemonic:BIND SAMURAI'S MOUTH WITH THREAD
Mnemonic:SOLID OLD ENCLOSURE
145
t44
L.
FOI.IRTHGRADE479481
FOURTH GRADE 477-478
477
t
rlrj
h#
y,"":-?sERvICE 4f
J
Strength/ effort
spxo
rdzx
success
prosandcons
rono
distinguished
service
tl
14 andwork a
113,giving dedicated work.
Mnemonic: MERITORIOUS SERVTCE ENTAILS EFFORTFUL WORK
478
nfrf*]""..
ff:;il
{€ F*[*,i,il;r'ir;
41s
Sfr if,Ll-J:"^""
,T[L?
down to protectthejudges,thoughsomescholarsfeel it indicatedthe targetitself) and hy
extensiontarget. Thus ft is target person, meaninga person one wishes to meet/
greet. In the caseof 478 a further person ,l was addedfor clarity, while the bent person h 11, which originally seemsto haveappliedto the personbeing met, camethrough
flighr
seavoyage
route
$ isboat 1354. i, is an NGU characternow meaning high, but in chinese it can mean
neck and does in fact derive from f , showing a person A 39 and an exaggeratedneck
held erect l-l . In chinese it can also mean stiff, prim and proper, erect, straight, and
haughty'and often lends suchmeaningsin compounds.Here it actsphoneticallyto express
side (by side),and also lends a meaningof straight. 479 originally referredto lashing
boats together (side-on) in a straight line to form a pontoon bridge. This came to
meancross water, and eventually voyage. Suggesttaking J- as a top and tL as a
desk 832.
Mnemonic:DESKTOP BOAT VOYAGE
480
Somewhatobscure, having becomeetymologically confusedwith marquis l>A 1256 t1.v.
,( is person lg. lrt is a variantof fr, a now defunctcharactermeaningmeet/ greet.It
derives from bending person ll (originally [ ) and f-. The latter is a now defunct
charactermeaning target range ( K being arrow 98 1 and I- being a leathercurtain hung
KOKU
ffi @ roxer
ffi,96xono
KO
PEACE, HEALTH
I I strokes
,J.,R snoro
respite
4 ffi H FUKENKd
iil health
&FR {6 KENKdTAIhealthv
bodv
originally wriuen A, showing hands rp\ holding a pesfle
T 110 poundingcereals/
rice, with bran : i being produced. 4g0 originally meantrice-bran.
This meaningis
now conveyedby an NGU character ffi that addsrice
;( 201, while 4g0 itself has becomeusedas a substitutefor a complex charactermeaning peace.
Health is an associated
meaningfrom the idea of nothing to causeconcern. Suggest
remembering f as hand
holdingpestle,i.e. pound, with
as building I14.
I
its bentposture(apparentlyactuallyjusta stylisation)to be takenas the personinstigating
the meeting,whosebent posturewas takenas a symbol of humility. Thus at this stage
478 meant humbly awaitlrequest a meeting or visit. It can still mean request or
its use
greet (or await in Chinese),which all stemfrom this early meaning. In Japanese
as a polite suffix and its meaningof serve also stemfrom its early connotationsof humeaning,from the ideaof havingan audiencewith a superimility. Sign is an associated
or, statingone'sbusiness,and watching for signs indicating the superior'sresponse.In
Japanese
sign hasextendedto weather. Unfortunatelythereis no easymnemonicfor the
entire character,but suggestrememberingby partial associationwith arrow ft
son ,f , perhapstaking 1 as a pointersymbolisingpoint.
Mnemonic:PERSON POINTS TO WEATHER SIGNS WITH ARROW
and per'
Mnemonic:HAND POUNDS HEALTHY
BRAN FLAKES IN BUILDING
481
KOKU, tsugeru
PROCLAIM, INFORM
7 strrckes
fir €
A €
E €
rOrOru
complaint
fOI(OfU
publicnotice
TOKOKU adverrisement
written $ , leading to the popular explanationthat it is
codbull * 9l and
!'ormerff
mouth/say o 20 to give roar rike
a buil, i.e. proclaim. A usefulmnemonic,rhat
maY*infact havebeenbelieved
for many centuries,but incorrect. very ancientforms such
q! u and
u show that |L derives from a variant of growing plant
42, which
f
actsphoneticallyto
expressadvance/ proffer and may arsolend an idea of emerge (a
plant emergingfrom the ground). Thus to proffer
from the mouth, i.e. ver.
::::t"t
'atty, meaningto
make a statementand henceproclaim or inform.
MNcmonic:PROCLAIM
WITH BULL-LIKE ROAR FROM MOUTH
r46
147
FOURTHGRADE 485487
FOURTH GRADE 482-484
482
E,
ffi# nse
time lag
Once wriuen fl . :lAis a plant with new side-shoots/ leaves hanging down (see
g07). b is left hand 22,actingphoneticallyto expressuneven/ unequal. Somescholars feel that it also lends a similar connotationof unequalby implied comparisonwith the
right hand, to which it was consideredinferior in terms of strength. Thus 482 originalty
appears to have referred to the uneven lengths of the new shoots on a plant,
though some scholarsfeel rather that it indicatedthe un€ven length of fingers on a
hand, before coming to mean unevennessand thus difference in general. It is not fullv
clear how it came to mean thrust, but it is assumedto be an extendedmeaning from the
idea of the new shoots(or fingers)thrustingout. Suggesttaking as a modified combination
of sheep * 986andleft E 22.
{cb
SAI, na
VEGETABLE,RAPE
1t strokes
-*."
f *
*f€
*A+#
vegetables
Yaser
rape-seed
NereNs
SAISHoKUSHUGJ
.
vegetanamsm
hand i.'
fr is an NGU charactermeaningtake/gather/pluck, and showsa reaching
303 and tree/shrub +,69. Somescholarstakeit to be a handplucking a shrub,othersa
handplucking fruit from a treeor bush. rt is plant 9, giving gather/pluck plants. 483
with the
meansedible plants in general,i.e. vegetables,but has particularassociations
rape plant.
Mnemonic:HAND PLUCKS VEGETABLES NEAR TREE
484
fr.
biggest
frX sePel
last
ffif{ snrco
ffiffifr SAISHINSHIKI
SAI, mottono
MOST, -EST
12strokes
lateststYte
Once wriuen lfrl, showing that B is not sun g 62but a variant of warrior's helmet E
at1812q.v., heresymbolisingattack (andto all intentsandpurposesa simplificationof
This
b6
force.
by
i.e.
seize
l8l2).fV is take 301. Thus to attack and take,
tu"k
meaningis now conveyedby seize lf?,l?,05, that addshand { 32, althoughin Chinese
mean
484 itself still has the relatedminor meaningof gather.How exactly 484 cameto
as an
it
see
others
meaning,
most is not clear.Somescholarsassumeit to be a borrowed
sun'
p
as
taking
Suggest
meaningfrom the ideaof extremeforce/behavior.
associated
TAKE MOST SUN WHEN IT'S AT ITS HIGHEST POINT
MNCMONiC:
148
ffi * z/tnloxu
timber
fi- Fl' ZenVO material,
data
A ffi JilitZll talented
person
*. is tree 69. / is dam 126,actingphoneticallyto expresscut down (somescholars
feel use) and probably also lending an idea of fallen trees. Thus felled trees (i.e.
trees cut for use/ timber). It later came to mean material or resource in a wider
sense,including the figurative idea of resourcefulness.
Mnemonic:LOTS OF TIMBER IN DAM OF FELLED TREES
486
I
NE
L- ' l
Mnemonic: SHEEP ON LEFT IS D IFFERENT
483
zLl
TIMBER,RESOURCE
7 strokes
THRUST #.EtJseeersU discrimination
iii'i;J"*"",
insen
t Lr tr SeSrnXOuU
F
trF E SAKUJITSU yesterday
Ff & sexuye
hstnight
W + SAKUNEN lastvear
SAKI.J
YESTERDAY,PAST
9snokes
E is day 62. $ is make 127, here acting phonetically to expressaccumulate and probably also lending an idea of build up. Thus accumulated days, indicatingthe passage
of time and by extensionthe past. It becameparticularly associatedwith yesterday, accordingto some scholarsbecauseits sound could also expressremoved one unit of
distance.
-F{
Mnemonic:PAST MADE Up OF YESTERDAY AND OTHER DAYS
EflffiiJ
ffi rNsATsuSHoprintery
ffiLI
#i sassrrnr
reform
W.E ffiiJ9 KoSErzuRr proofs
i:ffirT;
Etymologically somewhatindelicate.
originally the idea of rubbing was conveyedby a
character7$1 which in chinese
is interchangeablewith 4g7. It shows buttocks 11 n6,
cloth rp zZA,and a hand
.L , and lust meant wipe the buttocks with a cloth. It
thencame to mean rub/wipe
in a broadersense,including the idea of rubbing in order to
print (an early
technique). As the associationwith printing becamestronger,hand r. was
rephcedby
cut ll tat, to refer to printing by engraving. However,it still retainsthe
ideaof rubbing,
thoughas a minor meaning.
MNEMonic:IBUTTOCK
CLOTH, HAs FINELY CUT PRINT
r49
FOURTHGRADE 491493
FOURTH GRADE 488-490
488
fr
murder
SATSU,SETSU,korosa iqA snrsurni
suicide
KILL
H# rsersu
killer
10strokes
#,UB KoRosHrYA
Once written {l , showingthat { is a comrptionof pig * 1670. ft is strike/ weapon in hand 153. Thus 488 originally meant kitl a pig, then kill in general. Suggest
taking f,r as a wooden .f,- 69 cross X .
Mnemonic: KILL BY STRIKING WITH WOODEN CROSS
489
R
SATSU
JUDGE, SURMISE,
REALISE
14strokes
police
€F ruIsnrsu
inference
Hfi snrcru
observarion
ffi H TANSATSU
Somewhatobscure,thoughits elementsare clearly roofi building ;'t 28 and worship
l& 283 q.v. Most scholarsfeel that from its literal meaningof sacrifice fi had strong
connotationsof purify, i.e. make clean, which cameby associationto meanopen up.
ir is taken here to mean cover. Thus open up that which is covered. By figurative
extensionthis cameto mean realise,leadingto surmise andjudge.
Mnemonic:SURMISE WHY ONE WORSHIPS UNDER ROOF
4eo*
4ln
SAN, mairu
INLOVE, ?€
ATTEND,GO,BE
4iff
BE AT A LOSS, THREE
8 strokes
Sem<e
SeNxO
seNcl
participation
referentc
Councik:r
491
Sornewhatobscure. 4 is Uirttr/tife a2. f appearsto be a simplification of handsome/
(forehead)fr SZ. f is kno*n to have actedherephoneticallyro expressbirth/
atg1acirve
growth, thus reinforcinC*- , but any semanticrole is unclear. Produce is an extended
ureaningfrom bear. Suggesttaking / as a combinationof stand f,73 and,cliff f 45.
Mnemonic:LIVE BIRTH STANDING ON CLIFF
1e2
Jt r ::);T;;'""
and A as nose 134.
Mnemonic: GO TO GET BIG NOSE WITH THREE HAIRS ATTENDED TO
150
ff f sexpo
ff d snNreuN
ffi b L cHTRASHT
H^.-.=:':-
suoll
prose
leaflet
#.1Oncewritten c ^ and earlier just #4, showing that lt is derived from a doubling of
wood/shrub K 69, in fact indicatinghemp (see 1829). K is strikewith stick l0l.
492 originally meant beat hemp with sticks (to make cloth). This led to pulverise and
hencebreak into little piecesand scatter. Meat 4 / fl ZSSwas addedlater,to give
a meaningof shred meat, but has now becomeredundant.Suggestremembering 1! as
two tens t 33 and one - l. i.e. twentv-one.
Mnemonic:HAND STRIKES MEAT, SCATTERING TWENTY-ONE PIECES
493
Formerly
andin ancienttimes Y , showinga kneelingwoman 2 (see35) wear$ ,
ing either atiara or, more likely, three ornamental hairpins. The original meaningwas
attractive woman. Three hairs /2 93 wasaddedlater for its reinforcingmeaningof
eran early stagethe characterwas usedto express
delicate and attractive, giving K.
three, both for its soundand for its trios of pins and hairs. How it came to acquireirs
other meaningsis not fully clear. Somescholarstake them to be borrowed,othersto be extendedmeaningsfrom the idea of suitorsflocking around an attractivewoman,falling
in love, and losing their senseof reason. Still othersfeel that it acquiredan idea of
cluster from the three hairpins,that cluster came to meanon the one hand gather and
thenceattend and on the other too many to choosefrom and thus confusion, and
idea with confusion. Suggesttaking y'1 as big 53
that falling in love is an associated
E
4 E SETSAN production
E 42 SeNsuTSu
product
fi E snusseN
birth
SAN. urnz
BIRTH, PRODUCE
1l sffokes
ZAN, nokora/sl
LEAVE, CRUEL, HARM
10strokes
E # zemcrN
E A zalnrsN
E d. zerwrN
balance
regret
brutality
Formerlyn{ . y' is bare bone/ death 286.
* is an NGU charactermeaninglance/
halberd, deriving from a pictograph
{ (essentiallyan elaborationof stake d tzz;, rrere
doubledfor emphasis.
{ often meanscut, pierce, kill, menace,or similar. Here it
meanscut and kill, giving kill someone
cruelly by cutting them to the bone.
Thusthe meaningsof cruel, harm,
etc.,which are still 493'smain meaningsin chinese.
Rernain/ leave is felt by some
scholarsto be a borrowed meaning, by others to derive
from the ideaof hacking
person
a
till only the barebonesremain. suggesttaking { as
nalberd
{" anOtwo :. 61.
MNEMonic:
TWO CRUEL HALBERDS LEAYE ONLY BARE BONE
151
Et:t suSHf samurai,
SHI, samurai
warrior
WARRIOR,SCHOLAR,MAN*E SnUclN militaryofficer
3 strokes
44* SH0SH Master(degreey
494
Often explainedas a stylised simplihcation of man standing i 73, but this is incorrect.
Very old forms such as Jl show a symbol indicating being erect, a referenceto the erect
male organ. The later cross-strokeis seenby somescholarsas an estheticembellishment
to give balanceto the character,by others as a stylised indication of the glans. The erect
male organ symbolisesmasculinity, and henceman. Samurai/ warrior is felt by
somescholarsto be a borrowedmeaningfrom serving^
lt 285 q.v., but this is sonrething of a circular argumentand unconvincing. It is more likely that the warrior was seen
as the epitomeof masculinity. Scholar is an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic: SAMURAI STANDS ERECT
4ss
2
I llz-\1
SHr, uji
CLAN, FAMILY, MR
4strokes
ft€ smrraet
ft ffi sruzoru
,uL)ftxnrdsru
full narte
clan
Mr Kato
!-
Oncewritten {, showinga utensilthat was essentiallya ladle with a cuttingedge.Clan/
family stemsfrom 495'sbecomingconfusedwith (or deliberatelybeing substitutedfor)
hill fi (now p ) 229. Since noble families invariably lived on hilltops ft, then became
usedas a referenceto a particular noble family. It is now usedof family regardless
of socialrank. Mr similarlv relatesto referenceto a family.
Mnemonic: MR HILL BORROWS FAMILY LADLE
496
SHI
,E-{. ngrusru
HISTORY,CHRONTCLER44. losHt
5 strokes
4.t sHtro
history
Miss,lvlrs
in history
Often thought to be associatedwith official *- ftSq, but old forms such as t reveala
hand I holding t . fn" latteris thoughtto be a combinationof a counting-stick I and
mouth/say d 20, to give a meaningof person counting out loud or tallying and bY
extensionrecording things. f is confusinglythe sameshapeas middle f SSq'v ,
and indeedsomescholarsfeel that the graphicevolution of the latter was influencedby the
S of 496. Suggesttaking / as a variantof middle/ center.
Mnemonic:HAND OF MAN CENTRAL TO HISTORY
1,52
497
6I
al E srltgo
judicature
A + F[ SHIREIBU headquarters
STIIKAISHA
A+#
SHI, tsukasadora
ADMINISTER,OFFICIAL
5 strokes
masterof ceremonies
image of anus 6 858 q.v., i.e. an opening g 20 unOncewritten J , being a miror
(Justas the elementsof characterswere sometimesrepositioned
der buttocks t tP ZZS.
p.g. 416), so also mirror images were not unknown, though it is not clear whether they
497 carneto mean administer/ offihad any particular significance.) It is not clear how
or
cial. Some scholarsfeel it results from borrowing confusion with chronicler L 496,
but in view of the fact that buttocks in a building V 441 q.v. came to mean sedentary
qtme
work and hencegovernmenVofficial, it is not impossiblethat anus/posteriorsimilarly
to symbolisesedentary work and henceofficial' Suggesttaking E/ as entrance,
-l
as a corner.
asone 1, and
Mnemonic:ONE OFFICIAL ADMINISTERS CORNER ENTRANCE
4e8
tF
ill#"'o'"*
tfr e /'
ffi t
fffiffi tFffi
NEESAN* eldersister
eweuE
ElderSister
SHIMAITOSHIsistercity
Formeriy ffi. t is woman 35. 6 is confusinglysimilar to binding on a stake/order/
youngerbrother
TL tlt q.v., but is takento be a vine winding round a stake to symbolisegrowth and by associationstarting point. It also acts phoneticallyto express
start. Thus female starting point, meaning the fust born daughterand henceelder
sister(seealso288). fi laterbecameconfusedwith city ft 130,which lendsno meaning but still actsphoneticallyto expressstart.
Mnemonic:ELDER SISTER WORKS IN CITY
499 \Ef
*rTt
I r
SHI, kokoromiru,tamesu ilA
TRIAL, TEST
il,ffitr
13strokes
il4
match
Sruel
sHTKENKANexaminer
roronour
trial,test
F-\
? is words 274. ^ is form 295, which also actsphoneticallyto expressobserve. 499
originally referred to observing which form of words was most effective, leading
to test.
MNCMonic:TEST FORMS OF WORDS
r53
)
s00
t+
-
" n*TrEiiiT,,;,[Y,."'"'':;;H
t'{#:$"LrNE'LEAv
6i
Somewhatobscure. Formerly written r!* - ,t' d"tiu"t from Q , showing hands
judge
perceivet
untying a knot & , and came by extensionto mean unravel, solve,
and so forth. * is (tattooist's) needle/ sharp 1432. Some scholarstake the latter to
symbolisea prisoner (who, like a slave,was tattooed[see318]), and take 500 to have
originally meant judge a prisoner. All its modern meaningsare taken to be essentiallv
judge's pro'
borrowed. However, words may possibly have evolved from the idea of a
nouncement, or else simply from confusion betweenthe simplified fotm t and tongue
Other scholarsin fact feel that frorr
$ llZ,i.e. giving sharp tongue/ incisive words.
the outset ft meutsharp, giving '$; a meaningof sharp insight. This is felt to have
come to mean be to the point, then speak to the point, with $ thus being a laterdeliberateuse of tongue(symbolisingspeak) and not a mere graphic simplification' In view
of the fact that the words in 500 cameto have a particular associationwith refusal (which
might be considereda form of speakingto the point), the latter theory seemsthe more help-
11, here acting phonetically to expressslow and
probably also lending an idea of ponderous. 503 originally referredto a particular
type of late ripening rice, then came to mean type/ kind in general.Seed is felt to derive
frorn a reinterpretationof 503's elementsas heavy part of the rice (or grain) plant,
namelythe seed-bearinghead.
Mnemonic: KIND OF RICE PLANT HEAVY WITH SEED
504
meaningofrefuse.
fui. Leave is an associated
Mnemonic:DECLINE WITH WORDS FROM SHARP TONGUE
501
fE lssgu
a kind. sort
humankind
A fE fnrSHu
TANENASHI
fF ft L
seedless
dictionary
1QHt srmPel
ft& snrxrl
SHITSU, ushinaa
LOSE
5 strokes
failure
rudeness
ft# srursucYo
unemPloYntcnt
g is hand 32. a is a variant of odd L l04l' here acting phoneticalOnce wriuen I
ly ro expressloie but also felt by many scholarsto suggestthe idea of slipping by its
shape. Thus to lose by stipping from the hand. Suggesttaking J( as man 573 and
./ as a baton.
Mnemonic:MAN ABOUT TO LOSE BATON
E Z sutltreN
E 5tj SHUro
perimeter
circumspect
.. E
a lap, circuit
ISSHI
Formerly l. l and once liB or H, showinga field E 59 completety full of crops
'.I (i.e.in all comers). This gaverise
to the idea of complete, leadingby associationto
completionof a cycle and hencearound. The later element g appearsto be a circle,
reinforcingthe idea of round (as 228). However, some scholarsfeel that g1 is actually
mouth20, giving what was originally full mouth (or, accordingto one view, a completely
closedmouth, with ltl acting essentiallyphonetically to expressclose)before it was borrowedto expressaround. Suggesttaking p as mouth, j- as earth 60, and l-l as a
hoop.
Mnemonic:EARTH AROUND MOUTH OF HOOP
so2
.F
"lE
".tii}*-:',i3*'
4S
"E:Tffiffi'"'ffi";;
,{ is person 39. E is past 1481 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressimitate and
of
probably also lending an idea of duplicate from its original meaning of succession
its
in
iuyr. SilZ originally meantimitate a person, the idea of deceptionstill being found
rerrl
not
the
mean
to
it
came
this
From
pretext
of.
a
minor Chinesemeaningof make
sornei'e.
own,
one's
really
not
mean
something
to
thing, which by associationcame
thing borrowed or rented.
SHf[ mawarj
CIRCUMFERENCE,
AROUND
8 strokes
s05
SHUKU, yado, yadoru
LODGE, SHELTER,
HOUSE
E ffi snu<uoRt homework
ffr E yeooya
inn
Tffi^
GESHUKUNIN boarder
I I strokes
*u.n
f6l , showingbuilding A tn 28, person 7 t 4 zg,anda rush mat
?n..
\oedding,symbolisingresting)
[fl . fhus buitding in which a person can rest, i.e.
nouseor inn.
The useof hundred 6 67 resultsfrom a long-standingmiscopying.
MNCMONiC:
HUNDRED PEOPLE LODGING IN ONE HOUSE
Mnemonic:PERSON WHO HAS BORROWED IN THE PAST
t54
r55
-/
FOURTHGRADE 506-508
s06
IlH,
FOURTFIGRADE 5@-512
JIFF ruNlo
JUN
SEQUENCE,COMPLIANCEfrllF rtnuN
llFiE ruNcHoni
12strokes
sequence
obedience
favorably
so'.14 ;ffi^i"tfi'J' ,wff'ffi.xHR,ffiH
l-rfb
fi is head 93. yr1is river 48, hereactingphoneticallyto expresscomply and alsolending an idea of flowing down and by associationnot being upright (i.e. bowing)' 506
originally referred to a person bowing their head in compliance. This gave rise to
follow and henceorder or sequence,the latter meaningsprobably also influenced by the
srrong presenceof river/ flow. Note that the English word order similarly has associations both with sequenceand compliance(but the latter from the causativerather than passiveperspective).
Mnemonic:ROAST THIRTY-ONE LEGS ON FIRE
570 faf?
gfl
t {ff
SHO, hatsu-, hajime
BEGINNING. FIRST
fr?z satsgo
4ll b'C
HAIIMETE
il7$ gersuxot
7 strokes
first
frst time
YAKIIATE freshbaked
;1. it uco charactermeaning
high (literally raised
Formerly **, - )tis flames/fire 8.
earth,from a trebling of earth J- 60 and IL, an NGU charactermeaning high that is to
all intentsand purposesa varianr of upper part fu 106). Thus high flames, indicating burning. Suggesttaking s as three tens t 33 and one - l, and ,L as legs.
Mnemonic: COMPLIANT HEADS IN SEQUENCE LIKE FLOWING RMR
507
'ffi E t (
l2strokes
SHQteru/rasu
TLLUMINATE, sHINE
13srokes
4 F( S4NSHO
*i fR rersno
ffi. EE SHONCI
reference
conrrast
illustration
Bright ligft AA 315withfire ,.,, 8 emphasising
brightness.Thusshine/iltuminate.
fustlove
Mnemonic:
ILLUMINATE By BRIGHT LIGHT OF FIRE
/ is clothing 420. , is cut 181. Thus to cut cloth to make clothes. This came
to mean set about doing something, as well as new and therefore for the firsl
time.
sHO
PRIZE, PRAISE
*
15 strokes
Mnemonic: CLOTHES MUST FIRST BE CUT
508
SHO tonaera
RECITE. PREACH
"H
ffi PEretsu6
A PEcessHo
PALIH
I I strokes
TONAENE
advocacY
chorus
askingPnce
tr is mouth/say 20. I is an NGU charactermeaningbright or intense, comprising
two suns A 62, which also actsphoneticallyto expressraised. (Somescholarsfeel that
originally $ was actually a symbol showing the position of the sun higher than its earlier
as
position, and that it thereforemeanthigh/ raised, though it soon becameinterpreted
double sun in the senseof bright/ intense.)Thus to speak in a raised and intense
voice,as when reciting or preaching. Suggesttaking A
in its meaningof day.
Mnemonic:PREACHER'S MOUTH RECITES FOR TWO DAYS
Hffi
H #
sHorilN
sHoseN
++ H
fffOSffO
lust prize
fl is shell 90, heremeaningmoney or valuable item. *F, is a variantof furthermore
#l 1392q'v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressbestow
and alsolendingconnotations
of
esteem. Thus bestow varuabre item
as token of esteem,leading to prize and
praise(note that the English
rermsare etymologicallythe sameword).
Mnemonic:MOREOVER,
SHELLS ARE PRIZES
SHIN, JIN
RETAINER, SUBJECT
7 0r 6 strokes
H T SHINKA
H tr SHINMIN
t FI DAUIN
VASSAI
subiects
_iniste.
yt:"". Q ' showingan eve with deliberateexaggerationof the pupil to symbolise
3lt:
alertness (cf. English keep an eye out). This cameto mean guard,
and by
.#::o
-^rEnslon
retainer, servant,public servant,and subject.
Distinguishhuge p. 1153.
MNCMONiC:
RETAINER KEEPS WATCHFUL EYE OUT
156
oize
p.ui,"
r57
FOURTHGRADE516-518
FOURTHGRADE 513-515
sr3
)Z
1A
iiltlit' BELIEVE
estrokes
rust
4Affi srilN"Yo
superstition
*4E uglsrnN
6EI; KAKUSHIN conviction
Word t 274 andperson 4 39. A person'sword is somethingwhich can be believed
and trusted.
Mnemonic:PERSON'S WORD IS BELIEVED AND TRUSTED
514 ..l-6
q--
fi
truth
E* sruNnrsu
SHIN, ma
camera
SHASHINKT
tr
Ht#,
TRUE,QUINTESSENCE
H = E MASSHIRO* purewhite
l0 strokes
Formerly E- and earlier F . p is fallen person 238. R / R Oe.ilo"sfrom an inverted head. 6 139 (seealso 273). 514 originally meant person upside-down and
then upside-down or overturn in a broadersense. This meaningis now conveyedb1'
an NGU character&F tnutaddsa further head Q 93. It is not clear how it cameto mean
truth/ essence. It is generallyassumedto result from borrowing,but it is probablethat
upside-downpersonmeant dead person,and thereforepossiblethat this led to the idea oi
soul or spirit, giving in turn essenceand eventuallytruth. It should be noted that in
Chinese514 has strong connotationsof the human soul or spirit. Suggesttaking as
equipment 9L 265 andten + 33.
sornewhatobscure, though its elements are clearly eye 6 i2 and,few/ litfle ,y 143.
Somescholarstake the latter to act phonetically to expressobstructed, as well as lending
a rneaningof small, to give reduced vision, and take all the modern meaningsto be borrowings. However, most scholan take the elements to be usedideographically to give a
meaningof narrowing onets eyes in order to scrutinise. Scnrtiniseled to examine,
andbecameparticularly associatedwith the idea of scrutinisingin order to trim to an opfimum, i.e. by removing unnecessaryelements.
This led to omit. Examining also appearsto have becomeassociatedwith government, leadingby associationto government ministry (and administrative district in Chinese).Note that a different positioning of the sameelementsgives the NGU character Ef , whichmeans both minute and
squint.
Mnemonic: FEW EYES EXAMINE MINISTRY:
AN OMISSION
st7
iF R spxersu
cleanliness
# t9 seuo/sHdJd puriry
iH zJ<srmazu* springwater
Mnemonic:IT'S TRUE THAT EQUIPMENT IS IN TEN PIECES
515
SEI, Jq narulsu
BECOME, MAKE,
CONSIST
6 strokes
,fiA
ffi 9
sEIsuN
rlA sntnN
-)Lb
NAnrrecru
Once writren ff , showingexact T 346 and 4 . fne latter derivesfrom trf , showing
blade >/F . The largebladewas alsousedfor
halberd \ t *qgl with an exaggerated
shavingwood and fine trimming, and in compoundsoften lendsan idea of making just
so. It lendssucha meaningin 515,reinforcedby T. It meantexactly right, giving
meaningfrom the idea of being
make right or be right. Consist is an associated
properly formed. Note that thereis a rangeof half a dozenor so CO and NGU charac:ters basedupon rt , chiefly being usedeither for zodiacsignsor for conceptsinvolving
cutting or weapons. They appearto have becomesomewhatconfusedetymologically. For
* is a CO ctrara"ii. meaninghalberdor battle ax, while fi, is tisted as a zodiac
"*u-fl",
sign,tut they areclearlyessentiallythe samecharacter.Suggesttreatingthem all as vari-
\
-
t
component
adult
formation
SEI, SH Qtra buku,kaerimir u E € rmNSEt
reflection
MINISTRY, OMIT,
€PF SHdnyAKU omission
EXAMINE
tr+'$ rosersuo
9 strokes
Welfare Ministry
516
t
fi
SEI, SHq kiyoilmeru
PURE, CLEAN
l l strokes
7 is water 40. t is blue/ green 43 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressclear/
clean and also lending an idea of fresh. Fresh clear water
came to mean pure in
general.
Mnemonic: BLUE WATER IS PURE AND
CLEAN
518
SEI, ikioi
POWER, FORCE
13strokes
4I
sErnyoru
f,.4 gzgt
( xroryoru
*v'I
power
multitude
vigorously
antsof halberd f .
lr isstrength 74.
Et-iskneering to prant a tree 4lo,here meaningprant in general.
rrantrngrequiresgeat
strength,thus the strength required for planting indicatesconsiderablepower.
Suggesttaking frh"as round ft, g30 and mounds of earth
E sgi.
BECOME EXACT AFTER TRIMMING WITH HALBERD BLADE
MNCMONiC:
MNCMONiC:
STRONG POWER FORCES UP ROUND EARTHEN MOUNDS
158
159
FOURTHGRADE 522-524
FOURTH GRADE 519-521
sle ["""""?;T1"#'^"'"
.HH
;:"':]'i:
#iim^.
t?
SETSU, ori, orulreru
BEND, BREAK,
OCCASION
7 strokes
522
Formerly f;$ . Somewhatobscure,though its elementsare clearly green fi 1ft +l q.v.
and conflict h t b SZgq.v. Somescholarstake the latter to act phonetically to express
beautiful, giving beautiful green color, and take quiet/ calm to be a borrowed
meaning. However, if 519 did indeedoriginally meanbeautiful gteen,then it might be feh
that quiey calm is an associatedmeaning (from the apparentlyuniversal interpretationof
green as a restful color). Other scholarstake ft to indicate clear (partly phonetically.
partly from its own idea of fresh [and clean]), and take Q in its meaning of conflict, to
give clear of conflict. Still others take f; to mean fresh/ pure and take f to mean
stop/ stay (from its assumedliteral meaningof one arm stopping another)' to give staying pure. Quie/ calm is then taken to be an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of desirable lack of movement. It should be noted that 519 has a lessermeaningof pure in
Chinese.and that it also has connotationsof lack of movement, suggestingthat the last
theory is the most likely.
SEKI
SEAT, PLACE
l0 strokes
tI
/r'fl
-/\
tm
a/m
SHUSSEKI
KESSEKI
KaSEKI
attendance
absence
emptyseat
A much changedcharacter. Originally written [|, showing a rush mat (see505) usedas
crude seating or bedding. Cliff f 45 was addedas a phonetic to expressspread, giving
t:tt, usedin
f-g,later beingreplacedw I .The lauer is an abbreviationof various ft.
plurality.
Finalan
idea
of
to
lend
presumably
used
also
a similar phoneticrole to f and
in
improvement
an
presumably
indicating
778,
cloth
ly rush mat |3 was replacedby
4-r
33
two
tens
as
I
14
and
t
building
t
as
taking
the quality of the seating. Suggest
I
and one - 1, i.e. twenty-one.
Mnemonic:BUILDING WITH TWENTY'ONE CLOTH SEATS
521
,+
.L- =
-,f Ef
SEKI,tsumuimoru
PRoDrjcr. PILE
16strokes
6 fF Nar,NsEtc dimensions
snowdePth
ffi I SETTSETSU
TSUMORI intention
ffi69
t r\
gatberlf. is rice ptant 81. fi is btame 128 q.v.,here actingphoneticallyto express
521
accumulate.
of
connotations
its
similar
lending
own
possibly
also
accumulate and
pile.
Product
in
a
heaped
gathered
and
being
rice
crop
to
the
originally referred
is an extendedidea from pile/ total.
Mnemonic:HAND-AX CAN BREAK OR BEND
s23 ,?r
SETSU, SECHI, fushi
-nEHF
CUOSETSUadjusrnent
sEcTroN,JorNT,pERrOD,
HfffrreNssrsu
FP
POINT,TUNE,RESTRAIN
13strokes
frFXrUSfneNe
joint
knothole
ff is bamboo 170. Bp is namely 1534q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressdivision and also lending an idea oforder (from seatingorder at a table). Thus ordered division of bamboo, a reference to (the ordered arrangement of) its nodes and
sections.This gave rise to a wide range of extendedmeanings,including a sectionof time
(period), a sectionof a song (originally a stanza or verse, now tune), and even the idea
ofkeepingoneselfin order (giving restraint and integrity).
Mnemonic:BAMBOO HAS JOINTS, NAMELY SECTIONS
s24
EN
SETSU,toku
PREACH. EXPLAIN
14strokes
ifi, EE sersuvgl
explanation
4.=# snosersu
novel
Y# cerusETSU theory
€
words/s peak 274. f- is an NGU charactermeaning exchangeor barter (or issue
-is
in Chinese),comprising
speaking person Nr 267and away/out/disperse ., 66 and
uterally meaning a person
dispersing words. Here Y, meansissuing words, and
also acts phonetically
to expressconstruct. Thus speak while issuing constructive
i.e. preach or explain. Suggesttaking
X, in its modernmeaningof elder
Iot9t,
Drother.
MNCMONiC:
ELDER BROTHER DISPERSES WORDS. PREACHING AWAY
Mnemonic: TAKE BLAME FOR PILE UP OF RICE PLANTS
160
refraction
fold,crease
orieami
fT isax/chop 1176. Usuallyexplainedas'chopping'with the hand,
{ ishand 32.
or
breaking.
In fact, while an old form $| showshand g, the earliest
i.e. bending
forns such ut V(? show two plants V 9. Plant $ was occasionally used to mean
tree, insteadof the normal f 69, and in fact 522 originally meant to chop down trees.
However,the miscopying is of very long standing,and the original meaninghas long since
disappeared.It is not clear how 522 also came to mean occasion (Japaneseonly).
MnemOniC:CONFLICT QUIETENED BY SIGHT OF CALMING GREEN
520
,E ffi rUSSgrSu
tfi b tr ORIME
ffi I ffi, ORIGAMI
161
I'\JIJI\
I I I \JI\f\I-,'"D
FOURTH GRADE 525-527
<t<
\
\
I
JV
& H sgNPexu shallowness
shallows
ii iF ,q,sesB
light
esecl
Yellow
it A
SEN, asai
SHALLOW, LIGHT
9 strokes
here actingphoneticallyto exFormerly )A. . , is water 40. 4 is two halberds 493,
and therebyreduce' Thus
presssmall (amount) and also lending an idea of cut away
Light is an associatedmeaning.
water reduced to a small amount, giving shallow.
Mnemonic: WATER SHALLOW: DEPTH OF TWO HALBERDS
s26 t
J 6-J
SEN, tatakaa,ikusa
FIGHT, WAR
13strokes
t Fl retseN
$tr 'E sgNlo
'fG*i snxuseN
majorwar
battleground
strategv
and war.
Mnemonic: FIGHT WAR WITH SIMPLE HALBERD
* iE rose'N
:E * srNsgu
iE LF fr f BnesDesu
Mnemonic:DULY EAT ROAST DOG MEAT, BUT...
S2g
In later times the halFormerly${ , and originally just {,' , namelytwo hatberds 493'
in its literal sense
q
added
542 q'v' was
l+
berds were reducedto one, while simple
indicatingfighting
of forked thrusting weapon. Thus two (i.e. many) weapons,
s27
s [*iii"""
Fire,... 8, meat H 365, and dog K 17. 528 originallymeantto roast dog meat,
thencame to mean roast or burn in a broad sense. It can still occasionallymeanroastor
burnin Chinese,but in Japanesethis meaning has been entirely assumedby :tS. 765, that
.l{ 8. It was later borrowed phonetically to expressthus/ duly/ as
addsan extra fue
(but
should
be
derives from an inflexion of this term lshikaru to shikashi],to the
tlrings
may).
be
that
as
it
It is not clearwhy such a complexcharacterwas chosenas
of
cffect
possible
but
it
is
that
528 had connotationsofcontentment, and was thusconaphonetic,
appropriate
to
express
as
things should be.
sidered
elecrion
PlaYer
Pickout
It
movement (along a road) 129' * t ?' is somewhatobscure'
Formerly € . ii,
to
appeals
core meaning
exists as a CO characterwith a crurentmeaningof bland,while its
as follow and comply
such
meanings
be arrange in sequence,giving rise to extended
(or
twisting serpentsg
(hencebland). It appearsto comprisetwisting threads a 855
it actsphoneticallyto
250 ), indicatinga line or sequence,and together * 460' Here
lends similar connotationsof its
expressfollow (after someone),and almost certainly
a road. Some scholarssee
own. Thus 527 originally meant follow someone along
while othersseeit as a borchooseas being an extensionof this, i.e. choosinga leader,
rowed meaning.
Mnemonic:CHOOSETOMOVETOGETHERLIKETWISTINGTHREADS
j7
Fi?
=V'+U^
ffi+#
Sd, arason
:O'\FLICT'
?
\ IE
I
sBNso
trARASoI
ryososHe
!
('!-. This clearly showsa hand reaching down (.r
303 and
Formerly$ ,and earlier
anotherhand \ holding an item /, for possessionof which the handsare presumably
vying. However, still older forms such as f1 reveal that rA is a miscopying of a hand
dseizing an arm with bulging biceps ,f (the prototype of strength f 74). 529 onginally meant to take hold of someoneand restrain them, indicatinga conflict. Vie is
anassociated
meaning.Suggesttaking D as bent person 145,and f as hand holding stick.
Mnemonic: VIE WITH BENT OLD MAN, STICK IN HAND
530
Sq Su6, aiMUTUAL, MINISTER,
ASPECT
9 strokes
discussion
fH-# SoPeu
otherparty
+H* effE
6fH suUSH6 PrimeMinister
Somewhatobscure,though its elementsare clearly tree f 69 and eye pl 72. Most
scholarsassumeit to refer to an eye watching from bebind a tree, symbolising cautious
observation. It still meansobserve carefully in Chinese.Mutual is taken by some
scholarsto be an associatedmeaning, sincethe observermight himself be under observalon (asin two adversariescarefully weighingeachother up). Otherstake it to be a borrowln8. Simitarly some scholarstake minister to be an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of
exarniningor keeping alert, as in
the caseof examine/ministry )9 516or keep alery'
Publicservant E 512, while others take it to be a borrowing. Aspect, in the senseof the
aDpearanceof a situation, appearsto
stem from careful observation.
MNCMonic:
MINISTERS EYE EACH OTHER FROM TREES
t62
war
ouanel
competitor
r63
FOURTHGRADE 534-536
FOURTHGRADE 531-533
SO kura
ff;' A SSNSO
WAREHOUSE,SUDDEN A € soro
A ffi runem
10 strokes
531
ship'sholcl
bustre
SOKKI
s34
)#:3f"";,TfifumiYaka## JISOKU
H.6 E 86 fmOfUOdRO
tostrokes
<C-
shorthand
speedper hour
freeway
warehousegoods
i
Formed from a cover ,A 87, here indicating preserving, and f . The latter is a now
defunct charactermeaningdoor (comprisingopening/entrance tr 20 and avariant /
of door f tOtl. Thus that which is covered and behind a door, a reference1e
also lent its sound to express
goods in a storehouse. Some scholarsfeel that f
smell, being a referenceto the smell of storedgrain. The minor meaningsudden is assumedto be a borrowing,but may possiblyrelateto the idea of hurrying to put cropsin
storage.
Mnemonic: WAREHOUSE HAS COVER AND DOORED ENTRANCE
s32fEf
so, so
j-is movement (along a road) 129. *- is bundle/ manage 1535,actingphoneticallyto
expresshurry and also probably lending an idea of control Thus (controlled?) hurrying movement.
Mnemonic:MANAGE FAST MOVEMENT
s3s
e{
^HPH:HH,"ff;ffi:
:li-","-a'gawa'sob
,{ is person Zg. Q1lis rule/ model 742. The role of the latter is disputed. Some scholarsfeel it acts phoneticallyto expresslean and that742 meantleaning person, i.e. a
E ffi crnruso
I4 ffi zuSo
concepr
ideal
€ ,€ etsoletso
affablity
scholarsfeel that E'l did expresslean, but that this was usedin the figurative senseof
tend /incline, and that it also lent its own meaningof model. Thus a person whom
ru; is heart/ feelings147. #tsis mutual 530q.v., here usedfor its literal meaningof
examine. Thus examine carefully in one's
observe carefully and by extension
one looks upon as a model and towards whom one inclines. One is always at
the side of such a person.
r\i
IDEA, THOUGHT
13strokes
cripple,before coming to mean leaning to one side in generaland henceside. Other
h e a r t , i . e .c o g i t a t e .
Mnemonic:BE AT SIDE OF MODEL PERSON
Mnemonic:THOUGHTS CAN BE MUTUAL FEELINGS
536
533
*.W zacn
zQ sud
ELEPHANT, IMAGE
12 strokes
ivory
impression
Eil 4 INsgo
* M *1 sHocHorEKI symbolic
. fft" elephanthasa dramaticform, and thus533
f
also acquiredconnotationsof form, shape,and image. By associationit can also occasionally mean resemble. Suggestrememberingby associationwith pig fr'l670,per'
From a pictographof an elephant
hapstaking @ as two big ears and n
zoKU, tsuzukuikeru
coNTINUE, SERIES
)E
Kt7
-f--.tl
D)\FJ
I
13strokes
FormerlykA .
ft is thread 27. *. tfrri"sell 192,hereactingphoneticallyto express
join and
also lending an idea of equivalence (from the idea of exchanging goods for an
equivalentamountof money). Thus to join threads of equal length, giving the idea of
continuity and
succession.
as a curledtrunk.
MNEMonic:CONTINUE
To SELL THREADS
MnemoniC:ELEPHANT RESEMBLES PIG WITH BIG EARS AND TRUNK
r64
ffn ffi, zoxvzoKu successively
jE ffi neNzOxu
continuiry
+ ffi. t TETSUZUKIprocedure
165
FOURTH GRADE 537-539
537
+
SOTSU
SOLDIER, END
8 strokes
4 *
SOTSUGYO gaduation
E # nntsorsu
# * sorcyo
soldit,r
dearh
Once written a . A is the early form of clothing K 420 q.v., with the lower stroke
lengthenedin order to accommodate/, aCO charactermeaningdash or mark. 537 originally referred to marked clothing, indicating a slaveor, later, a soldier. The lesser
meaning of end is borrowed. Suggesttaking J- as a top hat, /v\ as persons/men 39.
and *
as ten 33.
ffr
lt'*ou*,,
El9ft rmtret
F ffi CUNTTEI
*$l9ftsuret
soldier
anny
troop
gill F 229 and (group oQ pigs moving ta 1458 q.v. The latter acts phonetically to
down and almostcertainlyalso lends an idea of moving in an ungainly
expresscome
originally meant fall dovm a hill (still retainedas a minor meaningin
540
fainion.
is
not
fully clear how it cameto acquireits presentmeaning. Some scholars
Chinese).It
the
result of borrowing, but since hills were often associatedwith troop
feel it is purely
there
may be some loose semanticconnection such as commotion on a
encampments
hillside or similar.
Mnemonic:UNIT OF PIG-LIKE SOLDIERS ON HILL
Mnemonic: TEN SOLDIER-MEN IN TOP HATS
s38
#fi*;;*ri;^
6
F.UURI'H GRADE 5q-542
T ffi STUSON descendrints
# 1l t MAGOBIKI requouri,,n
ffi iF UecoMUSUME
granddaughter
Originally f8, showingchild P/+ 25 andshort thread B lA lll. The latter sf nrbolisedvery small, giving very small child, a referenceto grandchildren. Desccndants is an associatedmeaning. The modern form usesjoined threads/ lineage 6
844.
541
i*
TATSU, -tachi
ATTAIN,PLURALSUFFIX
12strokes
4*
€A
A€
rnrrATSU development
rRrSUfnq
expert
people
ffffOfnCm
j-is movement 129. {- wasonce written f, , comprisingsheep + 986 and big/i
53,andrefers to the easewith which sheepare born and grow big (note that a different arrangementof the sameelementsbig and sheepgives beautiful fa nel. Here fi. acts
phoneticallyto expresspass, and aiso lends connotationsof ease. Thus easy movement, indicatingthe attainment of a goal without difficulty. In Japaneseit was later
bonowedas a plural suffix, though the exact reasonfor this is not clear. In Chinese541
canalso be usedto mean lamb. Suggesttaking a. as ground 60.
Mnemonic:DESCENDANTS ARE CHILDREN IN THREAD-LIKE LINEAGE
Mnemonic:SHEEP MOYE ON GROUND TO ATTAIN GOAL
539
$
TLl, obi, obiru
BELT, OBI, WEAR,
ZONE
l0 strokes
zone
}'dlffi cHtrru
obimaterial
ffi J& onm
fish
f, ffi R. NETTArGYotropical
Formerly S , combiningcloth rp 778 and a pictographof a belt/ obi with itens attachedto it fnb Also usedfigurativelyas a belt/ zone of land. Suggestrememberinglrv
associationwith mountain rh 24.
Mnemonic:FIND CLOTH BELT IN MOUNTAIN ZONE
s42
\\)
Efl
f
TAN
H{f rnu
SIMPLE,SINGLE,UNIT Hftfr TENruUna
9 strokes
Ftr4 rexooru
I
Formerly
and in ancienttimes f, sirowinga forked thrusting weapon Y(r".
$
also825) with guard - and exaggeratedbinding € . It was borrowedessentiallyphonetically to expresssimple -meaningsof rhis -- but
with single and unit being associated
asa primitive weaponmay
also havehad its own connotationsof simple. Suggestrememberingby association
with ten f 33 and field tg 59.
MNEMonic:SIMPLE UNIT
oF TEN FIELDS
t66
unit
simple
solo
r67
FOURTHGRADE 543-546
-&
adviser
+E 1*. sooelwaru
DAN
-#
conferenqg
rennN
*
TALK
CONVERSATION,
conversation
# ;f, oeNwn
15strokes
I
Words
Zlq and leaping flames
€
h
rcZq, indicatinga spirited discussion.
Mnemonic: CONVERSATION OF FIERY WORDS
544
\
,1}:.
s,ts
/g
-s41
-,"fir#
ffi:s?'Tiil?:l F#'[*g
FOURTHGRADE 547-550
CHI. JI. osaneru. naos4
EH ,IL
r
{El
GovERN' RULE' CURE
8strokes
t h E CHIAN
i6ffi CHIRYO
SEIJI
politics
public order
of the body 36s. ffi is rising sun 144, here acting phoneticalry
fl is flesh/
to exprobably also lending an extendedidea ofpath/ passage(i.e.
and
presslong
the courseof
the sun). Thus long passagein the body. Note that long itself, e tlz, combines
with $ togivedistend nfu:sg3.
Mnemonic: FLESHY INTESTINES EXPOSED TO RISING SUN
remeciy
548
Somewhatobscure. 7 is water 40, while 6 is platform/ self 166. Some scholars
feel that 544 originally refered to a certainriver in ancientChina and that its presentmeanings result from borrowing. Others feel that it meant to bring water to oneself, i.e. by
irrigation, and that this symbolisedcontrol over the environment,with its presentmeanings being extensionsof control.
Mnemonic: GOVERN FROM A WATERY PLATFORM
CHI, o,tu
PUT.PLACE
l3strokes
asis
leaving
ffi tr goCHI
ornament
oKMoNo
trtW
rePository
OKIBA
EtE
s isnet l%. & isdirect 349,hereactingphoneticallyto expresserecVsetup and
also lending connotationsof directly. Thus to set up a net directly (in something's
path), leadingto Put in Place'
D?
TEI, hikui
fr,f6 serrgr
.*ff;'j
lf#ffi,T*"
tE ,"ox*
lowest
,1 is person 39. frr is bottom of a hilr, comprising scoop/ hilr k, qss q.v. and a
base line - . Thus peopte at bottom of hi[, i.e. rowry commoners as opposed
to
thenobleswho lived on top of the hill (see99). L,owly personlater came to mean
row po_
sition and then low in general.
Mnemonic:PERSON SCOOPS LOW, DOWN TO BASE LINE
TEI, soko
BOTTOM, BASE
8 strokes
E E XeffSI
seabed
4 E OTUSOTO
depths
E ifi rSR.yU
undercurrent
I isnuilaing ll4,and f, isbottomof hi[ 54g. Thusbuirdingat bottom
of
hill, laferbottom or basein general.Suggest
taking fi literallyashilV scoop fi, 495
andabase-.
Mnemonic: PUT NET DIRECTLY IN PATH
s46
Hf '*-f,;ru'
savings
Fi S cuorrN
storage
Fi ffi cHozo
Fi zJ<rtb cHosuICHI r€servoir
MNcmonic:
SCOOPoUT BASE oF BUILDING
sso
,>
/tgI F : '
l'J
-!
rEr
sroP
ll strokes
,fsrh rersru
sbppase
I+ + FfiTErsr{AJo starion
'fF € rgrosN
powercur
Once written fl, showing a frame for storing yarn (now simplified to f ). ShelVmon'
ey Q 90 was addedlater to give the idea of storing assets/wealth. Suggesttaking "7
as roof 28 and f as exactlY 346.
Person y'
39 andinn Jp 1614,giving inn where person stays and eventualy
stay/
stop in general.
Mnemonic:STORED WEALTH FITS EXACTLY UNDER ROOF
MNcmonic:PERsoN
STOPS AT INN
FOURTHGRADE 551-553
FOT]RTHGRADE 554-557
purpose
EfJ
MOKUTEKI
TEKI, mato
ideal
Ttrffi 6'! RISOTEKI
TARGET, .LIKE,
MATOHAZLIRE
ADJECTIVAL SUFFIX ffi ^ f '
off the mark
8 strokes
551
White A 65, heremeaningconspicuous, and ladle/ scoop 4 1342,here meaning
select and by extensionset apart. Thus something conspicuous and set apart,
i.e. a target. (Someold forms suchas O$ show sun/bright B 62 insteadof white fu ,
but the meaningof conspicuousis unaffected.)Settingsomethingapartalso gaverise to the
idea of classification, which in turn gaverise to likeness. The idea of 'like becamea
common way of forming adjectives.
fr* 4 nreN
4 dru rEucYo
4 4. rgwrgl
TEN, nori
coDE, RULE,
PRECEDENT
8 strokes
dictionaq,
authority
type,model
Mnemonic:BEND SIX RULES
DEN. lsulaeruitt'oru
{76,
::Jl":''
rR{\s}IIr
V^ dn
DENSETSU
lA
DENKI
FLr
legend
biograPhY
IE 4< IA DENSENBYO
contagiousdisease
gtq q'v', hereused
Formerly (* . 4 is person 39. * is the old form of exclusive *
for its literal meaningof spinningweight to give an idea of rotating' Thus to rotate
arrd
amongst people, i.e. convey or transmit. Suggesttaking /. as two i- 61
nose /^
sss
&Z
'fl
134.
TWO PEOPLE NOSE TO NOSE CONVEYING SOMETHING
MNEMONiC:
170
,*;:lT
3$;fl'J6iil,."
*74331;3f$*
Tstrokes
4k5< TSTJTOMETE
,/ \
Strength/effort fi
Originally }s. 16 is the prototypeof books i*| 874 q.v., namely a collection of writing tabletsboundtogether,while A is a table/ desk. Thus collection of written material on a desk, i.e. referencematerial,leadingto codex' code, law etc. Suggestremembering by associationwith bend & 261 and six 'x 76.
D-
16l q.v., giving
usually explained as movement along a road 4 ll8 and run I
run along a road and by extension pursue and follow. A useful mnemonic,but old
formssuchas 7E show that fl is not run but literally foot d- 129 and,ground.l
ffi. 554 originally meantsomeonewho went on foot, especiallyfoot soldiers(still a
meaningin Chinese)but also crowds and followers. Follower later c.rmeto prevail as the
rnainmeaning. It is not clear how 554 also came to meanfutility, though it may be an
ideaassociatedwith the difficulry of travelingon foot (asopposedto horseback).
Mnemonic:FOLLOWER RUNS FUTILELY ALONG ROAD
Mnemonic:WHITE LADLE MAKES GOOD TARGET
5{3
TO, ada, itazura
SEITO
pupil
FOLLOWER,FUTILITY Ift T 4
TOHOSFIA
pedestrian
l0 strokes
17t IL ADABANA wastedeffon
to bestof one'sability
74 andslave fr-
1638,giving work tike a srave,i.e. try hard.
Mnemonic:TRY WITH SLAVE-LIKE EFFORT
ss6
',l'n::i'i,
i:*riLAMP
H;l#ffi
iT
Formerlyt6 . 1( is fire 8. # is climb 360 q.v., herewith its literal
meaningof atop a
pedestal. Thus fire atop a pedestal,i.e. a beacon
or lamp. Exacfly ! 346was used
partlyas a graphicsimplihcationandpartly for
its standlike shape.
Mnemonic:LAMP'S FLAME IS EXACT
ss7
.*n
J!-
D0
HALL, TEMPLE
ll strokes
#HropO
auditorium
A € SUOXUDO d"ininehall
H € mDO
grandly,iairly
Furthermore
#t 13929,.v.,herewith its original meaningof tall building (with winoow),and ground
l- 60, here meaningmound. Thus tall building on raised
ground,indicating
an important and statelybuilding.
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE,
HALL IS ON RAISED GROUND
FOURTHGRADE561-563
FOI.IRTHGRADE 558-560
ss8
&nt?,it:'",,
labor
)i lEi nom
HATARAKTTEworker
Ett+
Eh b Z HATARAKIMoNo
hard worker
A'made in Japan'character,though it is now also used in Chinese,ideographicallycombining person ,l 39 and move p? 362 to expressthe idea of being busy and working.
-a
+
4- #
^O#
DOKU
POISON
8 snokes
,At\\
NEN
AltlSNzuKI
will
THOUGHT, CONCERN ft, L 9 NEMRI na
careful
8 strokes
A{A NgNBtttt
Buddhistprayer
ru. isheart/ feelings147. q isnow 125 q.v., here usedin its early senseof cover/
hide and also acting phoneticallyto expressfirmly possess.Thus something firmly
possessedand hidden in the heart, such as a religious conviction or similar. It has
now broadenedto mean profound thought, and in chinese can also mean remember.
Mnemonic: WORKING PEOPLE ON THE MOYE
559
561
VtjooKU na poisonous
sorr,v
KTNODOKU
A + # sHoKUCHaDoKU
food poisoning
Somewhatobscure. ;E. is generallyseenas a simplificationof growing plant/ life {.
42, and 4l as mother 2O3. It is not fully clear how theseelementsdiffer from the similar
elementsof every .4. 206 q.v. Some scholarsfeel that S acts phonetically to express
harm, giving either harmful to life or harmful plant dependingon the semanticrole
ascribedto *. . However, it would seemunlikely that the characterfor mother, with such
benign and life-giving connotations,would be borrowed for such a negativephoneticrole,
and perhapsmore likely that 559 originally meant tife-giving plant, then powerful
herb/drug, then somehowacquiredthe sinisterconnotationsof drug able to control/
Mnemonic:HAVE THOUGHTS IN HEART EVEN NOW
s62
K3"1'l{ij"""
HTFTHAISEN
Eftfr HAISO
-[V ): +
E'|a
v4uLa
lost fight
rout
HAIBOKUSHUGI
defeatism
p. is shell/money 90, heremeaningassetor property. f is striking hand l0l, here
meaning attack and damage. Thus to attack and damage someone's assets,
meaningto defeat/ destroy. It has now generallycome to be usedin the passivesenseof
be defeated.
Mnemonic: SHELL 'DEFEATED' By STRIKING HAND
take away life.
Mnemonic: MOTHER LIVES ON, DESPITE POISON
s6o
R 1,31t",""''
ft ,f-' NESSfUN
fervor
troPics
fl ffi xerral
fu )l + NETSURIKIGAKU
thermodYnanltcs
,... isfire g. fdt is personbendingtoplant nee470 q.v., here meaningby association
person kneeling holding a stick, as in early methodsof making flue. According to
somescholars HL also actsphoneticallyto expressrising heat. Suggestremembering
by associationwith round fu 830 and mound of earth &. 597.
s6-1
'/;},
I
1p
ilir"r. .F.LD
l Os r r ok es
five-fold
doubling
multiple
'{ is person 39.
4 is the obscureelementspit 384 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressturn against and probably
alsolendingan idea of division andy'orrejection. 563
originally referredto two persons
turning their back on eachother. This cameto symbolise
division into two, and
by extensionthe idea of a mathematicalmultiple. suggesttaking
* as stand fi 73 andopen mouth a 20.
MNCMONiC:
PERSON STANDS OPEN MOUTHED WITH DOUBLE
Mnemonic:EARTHEN MOUNDS ROUND FIRE BECOME HOT
172
f, ffi coBAr
'fBln naxe
ffi 4{ sersU
173
.
Il
FOURTH GRADE 564-566
564
FOLTRTTIGRADE567-570
J€*
HAKU, BAKU
€ fft
SPREAD,
EXTENSIVE,
TH,+,J
ffi
GAIN, GAMBLE
12strokes
Ph.D
neresn*
gambler
seruro
HAKUBUTSUKAN
to expressbig/ extensive. f is ten 33, hereusedto meannumerous and also lendine
with the fingersof both handsand thus to
connotationsof acquire from its associations
pick up (seeten/ gather d$ 305). Thus the overall idea of spreading and making numerousi extensive gains, with gamble being an associatedmeaning. Suggestusing
' as a point.
exctusive fl as amnemonic, taking the extra stroke
GAIN TEN EXCLUSIVE POINTS BY EXTENSIVE GAMBLIN(]
MNCMONiC|
HAN, meshi
COOKED RICE, FOOD
12strokes
€ Fl rfvO
cosrs
lH H. # SHdHISHA consumer
+ffi H SEIKATSUHI
costof living
museum
Though confusinglysimilar to exclusive f, St+, ft is adifferentelement. It can also
with spreacl
be wntten 6 ,-a as suchis a CO charactermeaningspread (interchangeable
q.v.
andmeasure/hand
{ 909, a
9\t4r,1756). it comprises(crude) start ffi 970
crude startto measuringbeing to spread the fingers ofthe hand. F atsoactsphonetically
505
HI, tsuiyasn
SPEND
12strokes
567
rice,food
6{ €R coseN
lunch
Ei ffi runuMESHI
asurname
ffiE uo,q*
,fi is fooO/ eat 146. I is oppose 371 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresseat and
almost certainly also lending its literal meaningof turn the hand over. Thus to eat food
(turning the handover in so doing). It can still meaneat in Chinese,but has generallycome
p is shelv money 90. & is u co characrermeaningnot. It showsbinding
4 (see
177)beingundone / \ (see66), and originally meantundo/remove/disperse. Thus to
dispersemoney until none is left, i.e. spend (heavily).
Mnemonic: UNWIND AND SPEND MONEY
568
t
,2.E rrrrsuyo
,Z'lE russruno
HITSU. kanarazu
NECESSARILY
5 strokes
,Z. *{
tilTSUZEN no inevitable
Oncewritten ){1, showinga halberd/ Iance * 493 betweentwo poles } l. The poles
werestrappedto the lanceto preventthe possibility of the latter'sbreakagewhile not in use.
It is not fully clear how this came to meannecessarily,but some scholarsfeel that the
ideaof keepingsomethingsafe and secureled to the ideaof sureness,with this eventually leadingto surely and henceby associationnecessarily. Suggestrememberingby
associationwith heart rs' 147, takjng / as a bent lance.
Mnemonic: LANCE THROUGH HEART IS NECESSARILY BENT
569
HITSU, fude
WRITING BRUSH
12strokes
fA € EfvpnSU
pencil
€ # rusSne
writer
S iE t-' FUDEZUKAIpenmanship
to refer to the food being eaten(especiallyrice) ratherthan the act ofeating.
Bamboo ,ttT 170and brush in hand
fi
Mnemonic: OPPOSED TO EATING COOKEDRICE
Mnemonic: TAKE BAMBOO WRITING BRUSH IN HAND
ft fi &q HIKdKI
flt # ruco
flt LL ,91f rOsDRsu
Hl,tobu
FLY
9 strokes
airPlane
wildrumot
jumPout
Once written -vff, showing a long-necked crane with spread wings, soaringupwards
'streamlined' cranes with particularly slim bodies
in flight. Suggesttaking as two
low through tall reeds 'f I '
and long beaks {!,skimming
REEDS
Mnemonic:TWO LONG BEAKED CRANES FLY THROUGH TALL
570
fr.
t+2.. originally bamboowriting brush.
HYO
voTE, LABEL, SIGN
I I strokes
-P i* rryoxrrsu
& ,F rouvo
6 H oer.rpyo
vore
vorine
chit,slif
.l is flames/ fire 8. EAJis often taken to be a variant waist
q
of
;a:.:.yn,::"
@
593
(literally hands E J'gatheringin' a backbone
[ ;, but it seemsmore likely that A is
brain/ head 131 and that
!$f thereforemeansneck ratherthan waist. Here it actsphonetically to expressleap and probably also lends an idea
of upper tapered part. Thus
leaping (tongues of?) flame. 570 was
later used as a simpler substitutefor mark/
sign ffi 571 q.v., and by associationalso
came to acquireconnotationsof vote. Suggesttaking.aswest iE 152and
show ,i. 695.
Mnemonic: VOTE SHOWS WEST IS BEST
t74
need
desperate
r75
571
HYO shirushi
SIGN(POST),MARK
15strokes
H 4 rfyOfUN
E€H
nrrel}Iyo
H ffi ffvOSfUru
standard
milestone
signal
/i is tree 69. F. is sign 570 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresstip and almost
certainlylending an idea of upper tapered part. Thus the tip of a (particularly talt)
tree, which by extensioncame to mean landmark and then mark or sign in general.
Suggesttaking p aswest & 152 andshow f. 695.
Mnemonic: TREE IS A SIGNPOST SHOWING WEST
572
T EE rUugt na
4 * PUfmI
4 RW BUKTMIna
FU, BU
NOT, UN-, DIS4 strokes
unclear
complaint
weird
Originally ft (later f, ), showinga calyx (bud I surroundedby a whorl of leaves
7\ ). It was later borrowed purely for its soundFU, this being a soundof denial and negation (cf. English Huh, Phooeyetc.). Suggestrememberingas one - 1 and three
down-strokes.4.
Mnemonic:PUT DOWN ONCE. THEN THRICE. FOR EMPHATIC 'NOT SO'
573
FU, FU, otto
HUSBAND, MAN
4 strokes
A * tutwu
* A f'UnN
* {fr FUFU
laborer
wife,Mrsmarriedcouple
Originally rt , showinga big (i.e. adult) male J<- 53 with an ornamentalhairpin throughhis hair (a sign of adulthood in ancientChina).
57s
FU
govemmenr
&F sgru
GOVERNMENT CENTER, ,FR PureN
prefectures
URBAN PREFECTURE ,F.AP}f.JKYOTOFU
8 strokes
Kyoto Prefecture
f islarge building ll4. 41 isattach 574 q.v. The original meaningof 575 was
storehouse(still retainedin Chinese). Some scholarsarguethat this meaning sremsfrom
that attached to a large building, i.e. an annex and by extensionstorehouse,others
that it stems from large building for that attached to one, i.e. one's belongings.
Somealso feel that ,{:t acts phonetically to expressaccumulate. The presentmeanings
arefelt to derive from the extendedidea of large building belonging to the government (though there is no specific element referring to government: see also 273), and
henceeventuallyjust attached/ belonging to the government (including an administrative district).
Mnemonic:LARGE BUILDING ATTACHED TO GOVERNMENT CENTER
s76
E,l
P=lJ*rurucyo
side-job
Fuxustil
adverb
E=U
fFS FUKURYdnvice-consul
;,,H,f..:::'vIcE.'
suB e=ilfil
tl is sword/cut 181. 6 is fuU 386, usedphoneticallyto expresscut open and probably
alsolending an idea of wide open from its original meaning of wide-lipped jar. Thus to
cut wide open/ split. Splitting led to the idea of duplicating (i.e. making one large
item into two smallerparts similar to eachother), which by associationled to substituting
andhencethe presentmeanings.Suggesttaking g as single - I entrance o 20
to fietd 6, 59.
Mnemonic: BIG MAN WITH PIN THROUGH HEAD IS GOOD HUSBAND
Mnemonic: DEPUTY CUT DOWN AT SINGLE ENTRANCE TO FIELD
574
FlJ, tsukulkeru
ATTACH, APPLY
5 strokes
ff E f'UCgeru
'f.j E A i rSurueu
4 t{ IJ 6 NezurERu
adhesion
associate
name,call
Originally 44. showingperson 4 Zg na a hand reachingout holding something A.
The original meaning was to reach out and give something to someone. The idea
of give to later came by associationto mean add to or attach. Later forms use hand/
measure d 909, which appearsto be a miscopying.
Mnemonic: HAND ATTACHES MEASURE TO PERSON
t76
s77
FUN, kona, ko
POWDER
10strokes
pollen
7L# xefUN
ffiffi xONacONA fragments
whearflour
E # uUCffO
Rice ){ 201 and divide/ cut into minute pieces
ft lgg. Originally reduce rice
to powder, now powder in a wider sense.Still occasionallyusedto mean fragments.
Mnemonic:MINUTELY DMDED
RICE BECOMES POWDER
t77
FOURTHGRADE581.583
FOTTRTHGRADE 578-580
578
k
tr t mrsm
F E sornt
E ?$ rmxr
HEI, HYO
SOLDIER
7 strokes
,\
soldier
infantry
weapon
Originally9&.,showinganax fi lft 1176beingheldwith both hands ${ andinditaking n asa table.
catinga fighting man. Suggest
Mnemonic: SOLDIER PUTS AX ON TABLE
s's
Stl Hff-i?,r
EU4 sprsuMEt
€ EU roruBETSU
ItJ f1
1Y51qRE
atias
speciar
paning
tt a variant of bone fr 8(tl.
Once wriuen *5.
$ ttl is sword/cut 181. Rt f
Thus to cut through a bone, leadingto chop up and divide in a broad sense. Differ
meaning(i.e. somethand diverge areextendedmeanings,while specialis an associated
ing setapart).Suggesttaking f, as mouth tr 20 with .b as a variantof cut /l I 8 1.
Mnemonic: TWO CUTS TO THE MOUTH MEAN SPLIT LIP
5S0
\
{
-,,
11
rI
Z ffi rmxrYo
v I c I N I T Y , B o u N D A R Yf Z rrxPrN
HEN. atarj. be
/II ]Z KAWABE
5 strokes
frontier
. i-tr movement 129. $ it ^nelementmeaningblind (of unciearety'
Z0l'
mology, but apparentlycomprisingnose/self B nq,hole rft 849, and direction t
here
-fr
is
used
and presumablyhaving a meaningsuchas headingblindly into a trap/hole).
un'
phoneticallyto expressedge/boundary, and almostcertainlylends an idea of with
lintits
certainty. Thus to move with uncertainty along a boundary, i.e. reachthe
i e'
of known territory. Boundary came by associationto mean that included within,
also
general area. This in turn cameto meanvicinity, which, like the Englishterm, can
as sword/ cut 181'
Mnemonic:MOVEMENT CUTS THROUGH BOUNDARY
178
,A nt fnNSgt
HBN,kaerulwaru
meramorphosis
CHANGE,STRANGE
t A rerrnN
very
9strokes
A.b9#feWAnmONOeccentric
438but a varianr of striking
Forrnerlyff , showing that A is not stop and start \
101.
ft.zk
is
a Co charactermeaningtied together (threads h 2j
hand,/coerce 4(
put togetherlike words Z Zl+1, and actsphonetically to expressreverse as well as lending an idea of complicated. Thus to coerce someone into reversing something
complicated. This becamecauseto changein a wider sense,and eventuallythe causative aspectfaded to leavejust change. Suggesttaking ,rr. as a 'sort of variant of red if,.
46. Suggesttaking ll as sitting crosslegged.
CHANGE TO A SORT OF RED AS ONE SITS CROSSLEGGED
Mnemonic:
s82
{€ s5i#*qfl
{F fU sgI.IRI na
E E[ gENro
S tr vDsDi
convenient
toilet
mail
,{ is person/man39. € is change 1248,hereactingphoneticallyto express
servant
andalso lending an idea oli bring about a result. 5g2 originally meantefficient
servant' but later cameto meanservice and henceconvenience. As with the English
term
convenience,it also haseuphemisticassociationswith bodily waste. Mail is
an associated
ideafrom service/servanr.
vicinitY
riverside
Formerly €
be usedof approximation. Suggesttaking ttre modern form lJ
sst;ifi
Mnemonic:CHANGE OF MAIL MAN LEADS TO
CONVENIENTSERVICE
583
HQ tsutsuza
WRAP, ENVELOP
5 snokes
,J'A 4 KozursuMr
parcel
€ ffi rtOt
encircle
E 4 /#, TSursuMrcAMr
wrappingpaper
Formerly
@,, and originally O
Ois a womb 655, while t-r, thoughhavingthe same
shapeas serpent
L / e z5o,i, u huo,unembryo. The idea of carrying a child in the
womb broadenedto envelop
in a generalsense.
MNcmonic:SERPENT-LIKE
EMBRYO ENVELOPED IN woMB
179
FOURTHGRADE588-590
FOURTH GRADE 584.587
E # gocexu
{ iE suNpo
6 i* pugd
Hq HATSU
LAw
8 strokes
584
jurisprudence
g.ur.*
illeeai
588
;*
? is water 40. x is leave 258 q.v., here usedin its early senseof tight-lidded container and also acting phoneticallyto expressenvelop/ hold securely. Thus a tight.
lidded leak-proof container holding water. This was later applied figuratively to
the law, which similarly contains/ constrains human behavior.
Mnemonic: CONSTRAINED BY LAW TO LEAVE WATER
+,?
BO MO nozomu
WISH, HOPE, GAZF.
11strokes
*. € sHlrsusd
despair
,ffiF€ Cef.nvfOlCe.f.fSo wish
€ -F, SOKEN watchfrom afar
Once written Qf , sfrowlngg person y' 39 standingon the ground .l 60 gazing
with wide openeyes t lE 5l2atthe moon 4 lA 16. RatherliketheEnglish
terms stadnginto spaceor wishing on a starthis symbolisedwishful thinking, thoughit
can also be usedliterally as gaze. Suggesttaking t as death 973 and 3e as king -5.
Mnemonic:KING GAZES AT MOON. WISHING FOR DEATH
586
BOKU, maki
PASTURE
8 strokes
pasrure
WE BOKUJO
grazing
ffi. W. HOBOKU
W.E ,* MAKIBATozu
meadowlark
Cow F 97 andstrike with stick 4t 101,areferenceto herding cattle and by association grazing ground/ pasture.
-
MAN, michirultasu
FULL, FILL
12 snokes
<w )1 MANGETSU full moon
iE IE MANZOKU
satisfaction
rffi Fl MANCHO/ MICHISHIO
full tide
/
join both halves of a
Forrnerly)ffA . , is water 40. ffi is known to have meant
qn and +f assumed
(halves
gourd)
clearly
being
of
a
both
6l
/'fi
with
ffi
oourd,
joining (though the latter is somewhatunclear). ffi atso acts phonetiio U" u ty.nUol of
full/ overflowing. Thus a gourd full of water to the point of
express
cally to
taking +f as grass 9.
Suggest
overflowing.
Mnemonic:BOTH GRASS AND WATER CAN BE FILLING
589
ff-tt€ vrYexxeN bloodvessel
ore-vein
fr EI-nroivryeru
MYAKU
VEIN, PULSE
10strokes
rl ffRsemweru
mountainrange
denvesfrom a depiction of
Formerlyalso fl;6 . )1 is flesh/ of the body 365. illrt<
a tributary JF (seealso 955 and 615). Thus tributaries of the body, i.e. veins.
Pulse is an associatedmeaning. As in English, vein is also used figuratively to mean
branchor line.
Mnemonic:VEINS ARE TRIBUTARIES OF THE BODY
590
MIN, tami
PEOPLE, POPULACE
5 strokes
FF
E++AII4
t=l
Jd
Jd
IEJ
KOKUMIN
nation
private
MINKAN no
MINSHUSHUGI
democracv
Originally the samecharacteras immature * 794 q.v., with both deriving from a pictographshowingthe top of a tree ,t (t."" .K 69 with an additionalcross-stroke- indicatingthe topmost branches). Whereasthe shortcross-stroke
in794 cameto indicate
fresh/younggrowth, the fuller cross-strokeof 587 cameto indicate the treetop proper, and
by extensionextremity or tip. Thereis still someoverlapbetweenthe two characters.
Somewhatobscure. Once wriuen 4
t /\ is needle t 33, but there is somedifferenceof opinion as to whether y' is a handle, making
a pictographof a gimlet (i.e.
{
needlewith handle), or a variant of eye p /
B 72, making ( an ideographmeaning
blind (i.e. needlein the eye). Scholarsof the latter view feel that blinded person symbolisedslave (blinding being a common punishment),which later came to mean lowly people or commoners in general. Scholarsof the former view feel that 590 was borrowed as
a simplesubstitutefor a more complex charactermeaningoutcast, with outcastthen comlng to meanlowly peopleor commoners.
590 is unconnectedwith the graphically similar
ctan
(though
495
that therewas somemutual influencein
q.v.
possible
it
is
remotely
ft.
thegraphicevolurion
of 495 upon 590), but it may be useespecially
forms,
of the modern
tul to take590
'substantial'version
495.
of
as a more
Mnemonic:TIP OF TREE
MNEMONiC:
POPULACE IS MORE SUBSTANTIAL THAN CLAN
Mnemonic:HAND WITH STICK MAKES COW GO INTO PASTURE
587
MATSU, BATSU, sue
END, TIP
5 strokes
180
.6+
r@-^ SHUMATSU weekencl
* = * SUEKKO* youngestchild
Hf€*
SEIKIMATSU fin de siecle
18r
sel
$? n:*:*:l***"il"Tn
YAKUSOKU
promise
SETSUYAKU economise
594
YAKUGOJTININ
YQ yashinaa
REAR,SUPPORT
15strokes
* fl vOSeI
X#+ErydSFil
#i E 6VOVO
training
dietitian
culture
aboutfifty people
Formerlyalso frfl . ft it thread 27. 4 t q it ladle/ measure1342,hereusedphoneticaliy to expresstie tightly. Thus to tie threads tightly (into a knot). On the one
handthis cameby figurativeassociationto be appliedto binding agreements,and on thr
Sheep * 986 and food/ eat Q
in 4 broadersense'
Mnemonic:REAR SHEEP FOR FOOD
elements,i.e. summarizc.
other to meantighten up in the senseof removenon-essential
595
By further associationsummary/gist led to approximation.
Mnemonic:KNOTTED THREAD REMINDS OF PROMISE ABOUT LADLE
592
E
TT
Once written
YU isatnulmashii
BRAVE, SPIRITED
9 strokes
4# vusse
F =x\ YTIKI
* + tr. ISAMIASHI
hero
courage
Ue. Originally to rear sheep for food, now rear
iA € yOTUSHITSU bathroom
E Jt(6 MKKoyoKUsunbathing
/( FALL MZUABI
bathine
YOKIJ, abiru
BATHE
10strokes
3/ is.wxter 40. 'E is valley 122 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressspray and also
lendingan idea of cleave open. Thus to cleave open water and send up spray, as
in plunging into a river in order to bathe.
rashnes:
Mnemonic:VALLEY WATER IS GOOD FOR BATHING
showingbreak through/emerge fr I rtf 176andstrength ll tl
74, andexpressingthe idea of having enoughdeterminationto succeed.The modernfornr.
RI, kiku
fU A RIeru
PROFIT,GAIN,EFFECT
fU H nfvO
7 strokes
fIJ -4 E KTKIME
which uses 1fr insteadof fr, may havebeeninfluencedby man fr Sq.Suggestusing
this as a mnemonic,taking Z as a bent figure (see176),i.e. bent with age.
profit,gain
utilisation
efficacy
Mnemonic:OLD MAN BENT WITH AGE BUT STILL BRAVE
Rice plant 4< gt ana sword/ cut r_[ 181.The idea of reaping the harvest led to
profit and gain on the one hand, and on the other to the idea of cutting the plants with the
593
sharpest
and thusmost effectivetool possible(presumablyto maximisegain).
YO iru, kaname
T,Y' *
NEED, VITAL, PIVOT
9 strokes
FUHITSUYounnecessaq
4,*, vorEx
6 P luvo
gis:
imponanr
Originally tfi, showing hands b{ holding in a waist 8 (somescholarsseethis as a
waist itself, othersas a backbone),with .n being legs. Woman f 35 laterreplaced
legs to emphasisethe focus on the waist, which was the original meaningof 593. Waist
then came by associationto mern middle part, leadingto pivot and the idea of being
Mnemonic: EFFECTM
597
SHARP TOOL CUTS RICE FOR PROFIT
RIKU
LAND
11strokes
EFzuxuCuN
tBlOnncU
t ts ferufU
army
landing
conrinent
essential. Waist itself is now conveyedby flp t SZl, a characterthat addsflesh/of the
body H 365. Suggesttaking & as west 152.
P is hill 229. f;. is a CO charactermeaningmound(s) of earth/ hill(s). It was originally written
S, showingearth l- 60 piled up like houses A (r"" 76), and later f
andfinally f . ttrus 597 meansnumerous hills, i.e. land as opposedto sea.
Mnemonic:EVERY WESTERN HAS VITAL NEED FOR WOMAN IN IT
MNcmonic:HILLS AND EARTHEN MOUNDS INDICATE LAND
182
183
FOI.IRTHGRADE ffi24y
FOURTHGRADE 598-601
se8
El
IIHH
ftE
#?fiil:::
worth,quality
€
-R. Yos'l
$8'J"',
7 snokes
D(
showing a sieve o into which materialwas poured 1l and from
Once writien \,
which sifted material flowed 11 . Sifting led by associationto selecting the good.
Suggestrememberingthe modern form as eatl food 'f,-14e without the tid ^.
Mnemonic:TAKE LID OFF FOOD -- LOOKS GOOD
Ry[
Ff4 CgNnvO
MATERIALS, MEASURE, Fl # nvoxnl
f+Ig RYORI
CHARGE
10strokes
rawmaterial
charge,
fee
cookinc
Rice l( 201 and measure + 1633,and originally meaningmeasure rice. In that regard it is similar to measure** 81 q.v., but whereas81 cameto connotesorting,599 generally came to connoterather the substanceitself, as well as the quantity. Charge is
felt to be an associatedmeaning,from the idea of apportionment.
602
fF
weight
ltrnvo
quantitv
nUrvnvO
rAIRYosElsAN
massproduction
Zl't q.v., but minus person A to
Once written E
I is the prototype of heavy ltfl
c, full of something-, reinO
vessel
just.heavy
is
a
ground
.
sack on the
leave
f_
forcing f . 1.nusa heavy (i.e. full) sack of something left on the ground, indicating a completed measure or quantity. Suggesttaking as viltage 9 219,one
1, and day e 62.
GETS MEASURED QUANTITY, FOR ONE DAY
and denves
$ is vehicle 31. ;fi is a CO charactermeaningarrange/ align neatly,
wrtn
from a bundleof bambootabletsbound togetherand stackedon end r* 874, capped
express
a lid A 121to indicatebeingneatlyfrnishedoff. It alsoactsherephoneticallyto
roll. Thus aligned rotling parts of a vehicle, i.e. the wheels'
*d:""''ARIETY'
Mnemonic:VARIETY OF RICE WITH BIG HEAD
603
A
?
REI, RYO
ORDER, RULE
5 strokes
A fi nrlo
warranr
ft A E MEIREIHO imperative
A 6H SHIREIKANcommander
Also f', and originaltl d.
{ is a kneeling person 39 (seealso 425). Ais cover/
cap 87ll2l, here actingphoneticallyto expresssummon and probably also lending an
ideaof imposing from above. 603 originally referred to people summonedto hear
the
ordersof their lord, but now meansorder or rule_
Mnemonic:KNEELING PERSON ORDERED TO DON CAp
604
-,4\
J<
601
;ffiHl^ffi:J'"'i:ll
ffi xT"l"-kHooP
Mnemonic: VILLAGE
REI, tsumetai,hierulyasu,
/6 ffi, Xn]Zd
refrigeration
sarnerulmasu
/? # RglSgl na
cool-headed
FREEZE, COLD
l+ Z,Y+ HlESHOsensitivityto cold
7 strokes
Also ,$' . ; is ice 378.
6 /f
is order/ rute 603, here acting phoneticallyto express
trernble and
also lending an idea of prevail/ dominate. Thus tremble as a result of
prevailing
ice, now freeze or ice-cold.
MNCMonic:ICE RULES
IN FREEZING COLD
Mnemonic:VEHICLE HAS ALIGNED AND CAPPED WHEELS
184
sort.kind
classification
resemblance
Foroerly f( , clearly showing rice ;K 201, dog ,( 17, and head A SZ. Rice and
headonce formed a now defunct characterJ* , meaningclose resemblance (i.e. as
headsof rice)' This was then borrowed -- largely for its soundbut also for its meaningof
-resemble and combinedwith dog K to give ffl , which originally referredto a mythicalraccoon-likecreature(a meaningstill occasionallyfound in Chinese). Somewhatunusualy, ffi replacedthe simpler characterfi , acquiring the latter'smeaningof resemble.
variety and sort are associatedmeanings. The modern form usesbig ( 53 as a simplificationof dog K.
Mnemonic: MEASURE OF RICE HAS FIXED CHARGE
EE
RY6, traxaru
AE
MEASURE,QUANTITY
X+:*+E
12strokes
fE ffi SnunUI
4 ffi SUNRUI
ffi'fl). nUtn
r85
lr
FOURTHGRADE 608{10
FOURTH GRADE 605-607
,lr
'i
li
I
6os
t'{ ii+$-rLrKE\'
exception
fU f\ ngtcAt
normalyear
fU 4 nenwN
FtJZ lti TATOEBA forexampls
person ,! Zg na line/ row grl 414. 605 originally referredto people lined up in
proper order, but gradually changedto a meaning of comparison (cf. compare tL
meanings.
771). This led in turn to its presentassociated
Mnemonic: PEOPLE IN LINE SHOW EXAMPLE OF PRECEDENT
606
rF
fFr.
/JE
re F. X REKISHIKA historian
pastceueer
f# ffi xgneru
rravels
l6,E nPNneXf
REKI
HISTORY, PATH
14 strokes
Formerly written 4 , i"ancient times f , and nowadayssometimessimply as /- . ty/
JL-is footprint 129q.v., here usedin the senseof trail. 4* is a doublingof rice plant
81, meaningplural rice plants. Thus f, meant a trail of rice plants, a referenceto rice
plants in an ordered,regularly spaced row. The role of the later addition /- is not
clear. It appearsto be cliff 45, possiblyusedin someunclearphoneticrole, but may possibly be an abbreviationof large building /" 114, indicating a building in which rice
seedlingswere planted. In any event,regular rOw Of rice plants cameto mean regu'
lar row or path in a wider sense,and was eventuallyappliedfiguratively to history and
60g 2 +
ftK
REN, nerr
;/llffi TUNnEN
training
*n"o';,T
I1::|":'"*EAD'TRAIN
*Tf-HHi
*. is thread 27. *-is a co characrernow meaningselect,and is felt to
fornerly f*.
a
combination
of bundle f, tSfS and disperse/away \ r 66 (i.e. remove sederivefrom
from
a
bundle).
items
lssted
fi- also lends its soundto expresssoften by boiling. Thus
to soften selected threads by boiling, which was a referenceto the glossingof raw
sirc. This led to associatedideas such as kneading, improving, and by exrension
training. Suggesttaking #- as east 184.
Mnemonic:REFINED THREADS FROM THE EAST
RQ oira, fukeru
oLD, AGED
6 strokes
609
Z A nOnN
Z ffi nonrN na
2,ffi+6
old person
vereran
nonrruENKrN
old agepension
O r i g i n a l l y{ ,
s h o * i n g a n o t dm a n X , I l l T q . v . l e a n i n g o n a s t i c k t - / b . A s
with 117,suggesttakjng
/ as half buried / in ground -l 60,with ts. asfallen
person 238.
to a career path or similar. Suggesttaking .r.E in its usual senseof stop.
Mnemonic: OLD MAN FALLS, READY FOR BURYING IN GROUND
Mnemonic: HISTORY STOPS WITH INDOOR RICE PLANTS?!
610
6o1
:
.}
A Ifl
V <?
L
REN- fsr-rreru. tsuraneru
rcCoilIPANY.Ro\l'
l0 strokes
B f6 flA RENRAKUSEN fertt
€ + RENCHO/RENJ0Pxrty
ie ffi RENS6
thoughtassociatton
tZS and vehicle 4 Zt, giving (successionof) moving vehicles'
Movement L
the
This came to mean row on the one hand, and be part of a group/ accompany on
other.
:r,.l
Ro
fr I6tE nooosue
W ='.=*il.-l'""
# f
fUnO
X EXffiffi nooorcem<er
labor relations
Formerly 'W .
wttcovered in flame 427 while i is strength/ effort 74. The
original meaning
was to do physicar work under torchright, which came to mean
work hard and long
in a generalsense.Suggesttaking ij4 as an ornate roof.
MNCMonic:LABOR
WITH EFFORT UNDER ORNATE RooF
Mnemonic:ACCOMPANIED BY ROW OF MOVING VEHICLES
186
laborer
pains,trouble
187
il
FIF'I]] GRADE 612-613
rouRrH GRADE611
I
ll
I
i
l
6Lr
ROKU
RECORD, INSCRIBE
16strokes
;d ffi runoru
* ffi lnsuRoKu
ffi E noruoN
i
record
truerecord
THE 195 FIFTH GRADE CHARACTERS
soundrecording
METAL
Mnemonic: RECORD ON GREEN
E 7J ersuRYoKU pressure
voltase
€ E oeNarsu
E EI]*' A]TOTEKI
ATSU
PRESSURE
5 snokes
f,1 isexude 412q'v' 611 originallyreferredto
Formerly EI. E ismetal 14'while 'exuded'
from copper. Having largely had this
,rr"".;;,
; verdigris which is
,n"
-"u;,n,takenoverby412,61lcametomeanmarksonmetalinabroadsense,andlat.
with inscriptions' A metal inscription is an enduring
b"rui'" particularly associated
".
with green fr< ltZ'
record. Suggestrememberingby association
overwhelming
FormerlyfL . I is ground/earth 60. ,,fli is un NGU charactermeaningsatiated/
tt+), here meaningcover and by figurative
weary. It derives from roof /- (variant f
smother,dog K lT,meat n 365,and B ,asimplificationof sweet d
extension
1093,and its original meaningwas be smotheredin sweetdog meat (i.e. have a surfeit of/
END OF FOURTH GRADE
be satiated with sweet dog meat). This came to mean be bloated,with connotations
ofready to burst and thereforepressure. In the caseof 612 [qt also actsphonetically
to expresspush/ press. Some scholarsfeel 612 originally meantearth pressing as if
to burst, as in a cave-in,while othersfeel it meantpush with earth, as in attemptingto
reinforcedefensiveeafihworks. The idea of earth graduallyfaded,leaving press/ pressurein general.
Mnemonic:ROOF UNDER PRESSURE FROM EARTH
613
IF*
fo E IJU
FoR IMIN
il,1y;"x'MovE
&8n Do
migration
migrant
move
Rice plant f St ana much/ many
$ rc2, with the latter also lending its soundto
express
sway. 613 originallyrefenedto a field full of (i.e. many)rice plantsswaying(in
thebreeze),but laterbecameconfusedwith
with 613 and,
1[, a CO characterinterchanged
cleuly meaningmuch movement (seemovement j.-.-129).
MNCMonic:
TRANSFER MANY RICE PLANTS
188
189
FIFfi{ GRADE 614-616
IN, yoru
F E ceNiN
cause
CAUSE,BE BASED ON,
causeof dearh
lE E SunN
DEPEND ON
tERffiffi tNcex,qNrel
6 strokes
cause-and-elfsgl
614
Of disputedetymology,thoughits elementsareclearly (big) man < 53 and enclosurs
n n3. Somescholarstake it to be an enclosedman, i.e. a prisoner,which by association raisesthe questionof the cause of his imprisonment,with based on/ depend ox
being extensionsof cause. Other scholarssee fl as symbolisinga territory (or even
house),and take i< to act phoneticallyas well as semantically,lendingits soundto expressvisit/ stay. Thus a man visiting and stayingin a certainterritory/ house,meaning
that he is based there and is also dependent upon the goodwill of the host. Cause is
seenas an extensionfrom dependent.A combinationof the two theoriesseemspossible.in
that enclosedman might suggestprotectedman, who is dependent upon his prorecor,
with based upon and causebeing associatedmeanings.
617
ffi
\
tt(
EI, nagai
LONG, LASTING
5 strokes
z]<ra EIEN
TKMT
Z\ ti: -E
etemiry
perpetuiry
EZ_OKU
EIJUSHA
perman€ntresident
From a pictographof the confluenceof a tributary and main river {t(se. ulss -589
and 955). 615 originally meantlong distance(presumablyfrom the idea of an extensive
river-system),but eventuallycameratherto meanlong in the senseof enduring (possibly
becausea confluenceof riverswas a lastingsourceof water). Suggestrememberingby associationwith water { 40 and ice iK 378, from which distinguish.
Mnemonic:WATER LOOKS ICY FOR A LONG TIME
616
El, itonamu
CONDUCT, BARRACKS
12strokes
frTH rgmt
Etcvo
H*
HEI ersuo
OPENINGTO GO ON GUARD FOR ALMOST FM
Mnernonic:
EKI, I, yasul,yasaslzll
EASY, CHANGE,
DIVINATION
8 strokes
618
Formerly 'g . g5 is coveredin flame/ light 427, heremeaningsurrounded by torch'
es. E is joined rooms 256,hereindicatinga large building/ encampment. Thtts
large building/ encampment surrounded by torches,a referenceto military bar'
racks. It was later alsousedto expressconduct, panly throughconfusionwith conduct
R 1003. Suggesttaking r'" as an ornate roof.
Mnemonic:ORNATELY ROOFED BARRACKS WITH JOINED ROON{S
190
guard
self-defense
H- h
E #
ft fi
sozKl
Yxls}l,e.
ANlna
YEARS
trade
forruneteller
easy-going
',.
. 618 oig\Oncewritten ,fl , showing a big-eyed tizard \ -d rays of the sun
nallyreferredto the sun'srays reflecting off a [zard's (iridescent)skin. This led to the idea
of readilychanging, giving both change and readily/ easy. Divination is an associatedmeaning,from the idea of interpretingchanges.The graphicevolution of the charactermay havebeeninfluencedby sun shining down ft 144,though somescholarsfeel that
thesunrays t, becamemisinterpretedas the lizard's legs. Suggesttaking g| as sun 62,
and ,tp as legs.
Mnemonic:SUN BOUNCES EASILY OFF LIZARD'S CHANGING LEGS
619
managenrent
business
barrrcks
hygiene
of guard all directions f +ZZandgo /11 ll8, givingpatrol/ guard
6 cornbination
taking !- as 'almost' five T 19, + as'almost' year ft
thoroughly.Suggest
64,^ndfl asoPening20.
Mnemonic:ENCLOSED MAN HAS CAUSE TO DEPEND ON OTHERS
615
Gi4 ptser
i? Gf snust
E fry nPt
EI
GUARD, PROTECT
16 strokes
)+
,
-\, \
a-fFl-
EKI, YAKU, masu
GATN, PROFIT,
BENEFTT
10strokes
E #
.6 A
fl # AE*
YI.IEKI
profitable
MASUMASU increasingly
RIEKIHATTO
dividend
Formerly
'.ll/zK40.
6.
r O i s d i s h 1 3 0 7 . R . d e r i v e s f r o m3 - , a v a r i a n t o f w a t e r
Thusdish full
of water, leadingto overflowing and by associationprolit and gain.
Suggest
taking r / as a variantofeight r\ 66, and z\ as a table.
MNCMONiC:
MAKE PROFIT ON EIGHT SETS OF TABLEWARE
191
f,ft,'IHGRADE
FIFIH GRADE 620-622
620;R
'&t
'(&(L
ffi'&,u
it":'*
EKITAI
liquid
EKIKA
liquefaction
KETSUEKIGATA
bloodtype
I
) is water 40, here meaningliquid. I is night 212, here acting phoneticallyto expressimmerse and possibiyalso lendinga looseidea of engulfing. Thus liquid in
which things are immersed (and engulfed?), eventuallyliquid in general.
Mnemonic:NEED FOR LIQUID, EVEN WATER AT NIGHT
621
:.)^f
-rE
EN
ACT, PERFORM
14strokes
iH fr ENSHUTSU production
lN iH SHUTSUENperformance
iH # ENZETSU
speech
,/\
'f is an NGU characternow borrowed to refer
) is water 40, here meaning river.
ro
a zodiacsign. However, it was originatly written fd , showing two hands t I straightening an arrow I tZOOZt,and meantstraighten an arrow. This cameby associarion
ro
mean lengthen/ extend, and when combinedwith ) meantlong/ extensive river.
The river elementeventuallyfaded,leavingjust extensive.This is still one of 621'smeanings in Chinese,but in Japanese
it hasgiven way entirelyto derivedmeaningssuchasextended performance, and even simply performance and act. Suggesttaking .!r 3s
roof / building 28, and fr
as a variantof yellow S
tZOq.v.
Mnemonic:PERFORM IN BUILDING BY YELLOW RIVER
622
-)-
l\
r-
0
1f
tr,fi
OTO
HANNO*
/Ll
OYO
i:":?""'."'REAcr
t|l
response
reacfion
application
Formerly ,E . ,w is heart/ feetings 147. fi& is the prototypeof the NGU character
hawk $; (which addsan additional bird g fi4). lt now comprisesroof / ll|,here
meaningby extensionshelter(formerly illness t' 381, suggestingcare for), person 'f 39'
and bird E 216, to give bird sheltered by person, i.e. taken in hand. In the caseoI
622 lig lendsits soundto expressrespond, and possiblyalso lends an idea of takin9
in. Thus to (take in a situation and?) respond with one's heart, now simplY
react/ respond.
623
lI_
f'#:*",
PASr
rere
IL
14,
/+
\+t
1LX
OfUfU
^,,
\JJl
6nef
623425
roundtrip
tnlngs past
comingandgoing
Oncewritten'48, andearlieras $, showingking & / t- 5and foot ty I )L l2g.
Ihe lattet is usedin its senseof move, while E is usedboth for its sound,to express
go, and for its idea of leading person. f meantperson going in front, with go/
// ll8 addedlater for
emphasis. Rather like precede ft, 4g q.v., this idea
movement
led
to
that
past.
of
things
It is not clear whetherthe later use of master f
eventually
!99 is a purely graphicsimplification or one that purposelykeepsan idea of leadingperson.
Mnemonic:MASTER GOES OFF
624
EI
r\i
ON
ONJIN
,K
benefactor
FAVOR, KINDNESS,H.ft b f ONSHIRAZU
ingrate
10strokes
,K jE L ONGAESHI return favor
,u is heart/feelings 147. B is cause614 q.v., which actsphoneticallyto expresspity.
Theexactsemanticrole of the latteris uncleardue to its unclearorigins,but it would presumablylend either supportingconnorationsof pity (for an imprisonedman) or charity
(for a man needingprotection and/or lodgings). Thus feerings of pity, leading to its
presentmeanings.
Mnemonic:FEELINGS ARE CAUSE OF KIND FAVOR
62s
lRffi;'il'FAL*
iE # resersu
hypothesis
(F trc KARIni
provisionally
{E ffi fEsvo
feigned
illness
Formerly p?a, and,earlierp{ . The latter, which is
still found as a co charactermeaning
false,was still earlier written
61. fnis revealstwo hands V d and F , a variantof
cliff /_ 45 (possiblyshowing
terracingor steps : ). The two handsare felt to show
rnanual dexterity and
by exrensionemulation (see10), while f, actsphoneticallyro
expressfalse/ deceive.
Thus f+!l Fi<(the Iatterapparentlya graphicconfusion)means
literally to emulate
skillfully and deceitfully. person y' 39 was addedto give the
ideaof a skilled
impersonator, leadingby extensionto the presentmeaningsof tempoano false. The modernform replaces p{ with oppose
fu37r q.v., partly for its
,l-rv
q.of change
andpanly for the fact that it usesessentiallythe samecomponentsof cliff
andhandbut
in simpler form.
MNCMONiC:
PERSON OPPOSED TO EVEN TEMPORARY FALSEHOOD
Mnemonic:REACT WITH FEELING TO BUILDING
t92
193
tsIi. Ifl
UKAUE,
020-0l'6
FIFTI{ GRADE 629-631
ll
626
D -;f-llr
., lllll ll rl f
KA. atai
PRICE, VALUE, WORTH
8strokes
tqt
fff{6 xecru
fff ffi rareru
|ht{ffi svr<Kt
value
pnce
to have developed strong connotationsof the act of buying and selling and of the
items being traded and their value ratherthan the persondoing the trading.It retained
theseconnotationsdespitethe later addition of person | 39, and in pa-rticularbecameassociatedwith value and price. Suggesttaking ff as west 152.
Mnemonic:PERSON FROM WEST HAS PRICE ON HEAD
KA, hare,hatasu
FRUIT, RESULT,
CARRY OUT
8 strokes
SEIKA
res.Lrlt
R*b rcvotMoNo*
fr.rit
EtR
R/.
U<
result, and by extensionalso cameto meanbring about an outcome,i.e. carry out/
perform.
Mnemonic:TREE, LIKE FIELD, PRODUCES FRUITFUL RESULTS
: -t
KA. karva
ial n
'14W
iE,F
ieJ lt;"?:,
KAKd
FUGU*
KABA
rivermouth
globefish
hippopotamus
7 is water 40, heremeaningriver. El- is can 816 q.v., herewith its literal nreaningof
coil (slowly) to a mouth and also lending its soundto expresstwist/ meander. Thus
river meanderingto the sea,now usedof rivers in general.
KA,sugiru/gosu,ayamachi Effi fStXe
passage
PASS,EXCEED,ERROR )E*V
KAKOKET pasttense
12strokes
=t^ffi A. ttSUCt
exaggeration
129. ft is bone/ vertebrae 867, here lending an idea of flexibility
J-ismovement
and by extensioneaseof movement.opinion is divided as to whether
andsuppleness
tr
another
vertebra(see256) or mouth 20 (thusgiving twistedmouth or similar).
represents
In anyevent,p7 is known to haveactedphoneticallyto expressmucv substantial. Thus
629oiginally referred to making easy and sutrstantial movement/ progress. As
well as leadingto the idea of slip by and pass,it also led by extensionto the idea of going too far, includingin the senseof making an error. Suggesttaking g as mouth.
EXCESSIVEMOVEMENT MAKES BACKBONEPASSMourH!
Mnemonic:
630
GA
H;-J CaSru congratulations
CONGRATULATIONS 4 Hft NENGAJdNewyearCard
12strokes
tnHa^ SHUKUGAKAT
HATASHITE asexpected
Originally P, showingfruit tr" on a tree ^ OS. From an early stage o"owas replacedby full rice field l:E 504 to give the ideaof abundant crop, andlaterthis was simplified to just field E 59. As in English,fruit was usedfigurativelyto meanoutcome/
628
I?l
{i*!l
-l|!]]!
priceof 9oo65
Formerly 1g . H is an NGU charactertechnicallymeaningtrader (perhapsbestthought
of as a variant of the old form ft of sell ft tgz),though it appearsfrom an early stage
627
629 \
celebration
fq is add 431. 7 is shelVmoney 90, hereusedro meanvaluable item. To add valuableitems was a referenceto addingone'sgift to a numberof
other gifts. i ndicating an
occasion
for congratulations.
Mnemonic:CONGRATULATIONS ON ADDING TO
ONE,S MONEY
63r
""00":i,,
,hb ffJ;XllTlt"""o"u.
",]flff
:HJf#
'lRtfr
7 strokes
l/
rexatsu
\
HearVfeelings ,f
l+l and open up R 271, givingto be in an expansive mood and
hencecheerful.
Pleasantis an associated
meaning. Suggestremembering { by associationwith 'waterless,
a
(seewarer ) 40) decide :/-271.
Mnemonic:No
WATER, BUT DECIDEDLY CHEERFUL FEELINGS
Mnemonic: WATER CAN FORM RMR
194
cheerful
195
FIFTH GRADE 632-634
{lt
632
ffi
FIFT}IGRADE 635437
KAI, GE, toku
UNRAVEL, EXPLAIN,
SOLVE
13strokes
n is sword,/cut 181, 4 is cow 97,and ff is horn 243. Somescholarsfeel that a
and { combine to give cut up/ butcher a cow, with ffi actingpurely phonetically by
way of emphasisto expressdissect,while othersfeel that the threeelementscombineideographically to convey the idea of cutting off a cow's horn to disentangle it. The
presentmeaningsare extensionsof eithercut up or disentangle.
Mnemonic:SOLVE PROBLEM BY CUTTING OFF COW'S HORN
633
qualification
KAKU, K0
A ffi SfurerU
'Wffi
STANDARD, STATUS
SEIKAKU
character
genitive
10strokes
SHOYUKAKU
ffi
FfrE
fi is tree 69. b is each 438 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresstall and possibly
also lending its own connotationsof descendingfrom a height. 633 originally meant
tall tree, leading to various extendedand associatedmeaningssuch as reach a height
(still a meaningin Chinese)and thereforeachieve status as well as set a standard. It
can also meancase (in grammar).
Mnemonic:EACH TREE SETS A STANDARD
KAKU, tashikalkameru
ASCERTAIN. FIRM
15 strokes
precise
E-ffi SEIKAKU
--#
raruNtN
conhrmation
FE
rCliAbIE
W+. KAKUJITSU
variantform 6€ is a nrtsby associationreliable. Note that the occasionallyencountered
copying. However,it may be usful to remember ,zt as a variantof roof .-b 28, with a
pun on rock and roc (a mythicalbird).
Mnemonic:ASCERTAIN THAT BIRD UNDER ROOF IS A ROC
rll
# f f i KINGAKU sumof money
ffi H GAKUMEN facevalue
ffi,W HITAIGIWA
hairline
Forrrerlyalso wrinen €{ (still found in chinese). fi is treao 93. + is each 43g q.v.,
wttle E is visitor 252 q.v. Both $ and,fi actphonetically,o-"*p."r, shave,and
bothmay also lend extendedconnotationsof atiend from their original meaningof visit
and stay' Thus shaven part of the head (to which one attends?). This was a ref_
er€nceto the forehead, which in ancientchina was often exaggeratedby shavingback the
lxirline. Frame (of picture etc.) and plaque are felt to be associatedmeanings,from the
ideaof clear' angular area (thoughit is not impossiblethat theremight be someconnec_
tion with the ancientpracticeof tattooing/identifying slaveson the forehead__see340). It
is not clearhow 635 alsocameto meansum, thoughsomescholarsfeel it may stemfrom
theideaof high point (cf. taka S 119,meaningbothheightand sum).
Mnemonic:VISITOR'S FOREHEAD LOOKS LIKE pLAeUE
636
ftj fi reMO
Fj-tll"'ENGRA\E
E +lJ MKKAN
4 TlJ ru.rreN
T,l
pubtication
daily issue
launching
tf issword/ cut 181. f is dry g25 q.v., here actingphonetically
to expresscarve/
engraveand also lending an idea of cut from its original meaning
of thrusting weapon. The originalmeaningwas simply engrave,but it
thencameto be associated
with en_
gravingas part ofthe printing process.It now
meanspublish in a broadsense.
MNcmonic:PUBLISH BooK oN How To
KEEP SWORD DRY
once written AE. A is rock 45. H I € ir a crested,/- btd,P 216, specificallya
crane (now conveyedby an NGU character ffi thatadds an extra bird &t tl+: disin'
guish heron fi 1 $ ++5). Here ft actsphonericallyto expresshard, and is alsofelt
by somescholarsto lend an associated
ideaof white (cranesbeingpredominnntlyu'hite)'
Thus hard (white?) rock, a referenceto granite. This cameto meanhard or firm ano
t96
GAKU, hitai
SUM, PLAQUE,
FRAME, FOREHEAD
18strokes
ffi Efi, retsErsu cornmentarv
understandin;
E E4 ntrel
SUNKAI
break-up
fr ffi
637 ffrilft,1'uJ,o,*
trffffiii.-:flt5
+r+
*n . .* is tree 69. {A is a variantof ?A, a CO charactermeaningsun3:::^Y:"1
rising sun f, 175and a person A 3i presumablywatching
it, ihough
;;:E_(comprising
ne exactrole of
A is unclear). f actspionetically to expressbase/ support, and alnlost certainly
also lends an extendedidea of rising straight up. Thus the
base of a
up, i.e. the trunk. Main is an associated
jSt
meaning. The modl}t
"trs.straight
+ 825 q.v., which is generaltyassumedto be a miscopyingbut may
ii';;:.T:::t,o.TI
:'
'cur mak€deliberate
useof g25'sliteral meaningof thrusting wooden item. suggest
akjng
literally
as sun a 62 rising throughgrass
?
f 9.
MNCMONiC:
PERSON DRIES TRUNK AS SUN RISES
THROUGH GRASS
r97
FIFTHGRADE6424M
FIFTH GRADE 638-641
'"::Til:;
638
llffii
Effi
,fgt ffi;litrll'EDro
tt 'lHit /a voNensrRworldlv-uiss
t4 strokes
I
Kl, yorulseru
E 5 ffyO
contribution
DRAW NEAR, SEND,
# € & YOSENAMI
SUTf
VISIT
nbE
A TACHTYORU visit,call
I 1 strokes
642
t R
,f is heart/ feelings 147. fr is pierce 1102 q'v', here acting phoneticallyto express
literal meaningof threaded
accumulate and also lending similar connotationsfrom its
increasing familiaritv'
to
reference
a
feelings,
amountof money. Thus accumulate
Mnemonic:BECOME USED TO HAVING HEART PIERCED
I
welcome
ffi)q KANGEI
Pleasure
ffi * fANRAKU
fratemisation
fOreN
4 €k
KAN, yorokobu
REJOICE, MERRY
15strokes
phoneticallyto express
Formerly S( . Et E itcrested bird/ heron 445 q.v., acting
the heron was a delibanquet and possibly also loosely lending similar connotationssince
cacyatbanquets.(islack47irq.v.,herewithitsliteralmeaningofgapingmouth.
Thus to gorge oneself at a banquet, symbolisingmaking merry'
Mnemonic:MERRIMENTISGAPINGMOUTHFULLoFCRESTEDBIRI)
is strange/ unfamiliar 1123,which also acts phonetically
n isroofl house 28. f
protection.
seek
642 originally referred to seeking protection in a
to express
house.
This
gave
rise to a rangeof extendedand associatedmeanings,particstranger's
and
by
association
visit
draw near. Send is the causativeform ofvisit.
ulafly
Mnemonic:DRAW NEAR TO STRANGE HOUSE
643
iEl
N\a
*f, FU rlsoru
rule
Srto*oooo,MEASURE€ *E rocr
1l strokes
t
tn H DATKIBO
rule(r)
largescale
f, is (personbecoming)adult male 573q.v.,usedhereto indicateatrainmentof a certain
standard and thus somethingto be measured against,while fu is look 1g q.v. Some
scholarsseethe two elementsas combiningideographicallyto give adult male looked
upon as a standard. Others see fo as being usedessentiallyphoneticallyto express
round, thoughit would almostcertainlyalsolend an ideaof observecarefutly (from its
literal meaning of person kneeling to stare). Thus a round measure (which is observed)' i.e. a compass. The fact that 643 can mean compassin chinese suggests
shonglythat the latter theory is correct,though the former may be more helpful as a mnemonic.
640
"Hm
HR i,+ii:'"-" xffiKx-:ffit:'
bloodshot eYes
phoneticallyto expressround.
s is eye 72. ?. is stop and stare 263,herealso acting
eyed eventuallyled to
Thus to stop and stare with round eyes,i.e. wide eyed. wide
just eye.
Mnemonic:STOP AND STARE WITH WIDE EYES
KI, moto, motozuku
BASE
11strokes
4 A ftFION basis'standard
foundation
t<tt<IN
4G
(armyetc')
base
rrcrn
J&,
4
seton a base/ stand A
Formed from winnowing device * zst q.v., which is itself
60. Thus earthen basei
and here lends such connotations,and earth/ ground I
foundation, now base in a broad sense'
Mnemonic:ADULT MALE LOOKED UPON AS STANDARD
-
ti.8loili",^,""
technique
engineer
acting
t issupport 691 q.v., herelendingboth its literal meaningof hold in hand
and its
soundto express
work. f is hand 32, theadditionalhand giving both hands. Thus to
work with
both hands, suggestingan intricate task. By associationthis came to
rneanskill
and craft.
MNCMONiC:
SUPPORT FROM SKILLED I{ANDS FACILITATES CRAFT
GROUND
Mnemonic:WINNOWING DEVICE BASED ON FIRM
198
tl f,fficlursu
{l Hfrcrsru
iF ffi pxct
r99
FIFTHGRADE 648449
FIFTH GRADE 645-647
GI
RIGHTEOUSNESS
13snokes
645
*.* snuct
#IE cnr
Ht tct
principle,isq
justice
significance
Somewhatobscure,though its elementsare clearly sheep € 986 q.v' and U self {\
817 q.v. Somescholarsfeel that sheepis usedin its extendedsenseof praiseworthy, 16
give the idea of being able to consider oneself praiseworthy (i.e. through one's
righteousness).Otherssee #$ as being usedpurely phoneticallyto expressceremony,
giving praiseworthy ceremony, i.e. one that is performedproperly (with righteousnessbeing an extensionof proper). Still othersagreethat it meantproper and praisewonhy
ceremony,but arrive at this throughinterpretingthe elementsideographicallyasslaughter
(i.e. sacrifice) a sheep ({d literally meaningto kill with a lance/ halberd). The first
theory is perhapsthe most helPful.
Mnemonic: I AM LIKE A SHEEP, FULL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
146
646
-.
'>
:k
},
||
....-t
,,)
REvERSE,oPPosE
rsuvtsrc))rurr
retrogression
\J t Nv
J GYAKKO
)8',47
)z-1
d-# cverusETsu paradox
9 strokes
tad
saKarau
sakarau
I Alrur
GYAKU.
ti
648
HANGYAKU
treason
(big) man
l_is movement 129. f derivesfrom { , a stylisedand invertedvariantof
i 53, the inversionindicatingopposite to normal. Thus a man going backwards
leadingto reverse and by associationoppose.
647
perrnanence
zx A EKY0
KYU KU, hisashii
eternity
ruoN*
TIME.
LASTING
AE
LONG
3 strokes
^ U+E 9 HISASHIBURI
for thefirsttimein ages
7 39
Somewhatobscure. Early forms suchas A. have beeninterpretedas a person
stay
hetd in place (indicatedby the abstractsign r. ), with this leadingby extensionto
\
in place and hencelast a long time. Suggesttaking 0 as astooping person and
a sa p r o p .
lE ts rvtm-l
lE flrt fYtnn
lE fr fYUSrUfr
nally a mouth with grinding teeth (old form (l ). Here [f is used purely for its sound
a meaningof crested bird with a cry of KYLI which was a referKy[ to give f
(white-horned)
owl. (Note that $ was onceinterchangedwith l*.4 , a CO
enceto the
combines
bird
.4 tl + with KYU rest {{ l3 and which similarly means
which
character
owV bird that criesKYU.) p *as then drasticallysimplified to ta and
white-horned
usedas a phoneticalternativeto KYU long time K 647,eventuallyacquiringits own
particularconnotationsof old and past. It is not clear why any needwas felt for an alternativeto the alreadysimple { , but it is possiblethat El was seenas day 62 and I as
draw (bowstringTT),giving the drawing out of days or similar. Suggesttaking g as
day and I as one.
Mnemonic:ONLY ONE DAY OLD, BUT OLD NONETHELESS
KYO, iru, oru
BE, RESIDE
8 strokes
E E KYOJU
dwelling
e Fi ftxYO
dwelling
IDOKORO
Ffr
whereabouts
E
F is person sitting slumped 236. # is old 109, here actingphoneticallyto express
crouch and possibly also lending
an idea of the passing of time. 649 originally refened to a person
staying in a crouched position. This came to mean be immobile and stay in
one place, leading to the idea of residing and by extensionbeing/
existing.
MNCMONiC:
OLD PERSON SITTING SLUMPED IS AT HOME
Mnemonic:STOOPING PERSON PROPPED UP FOR A LONG TIME
200
oldfriend
oldschool
oldstyle
and,E . e is not the CO characterreet ft Qierally bird-grass,from bird
Forraerly fi
grass
+ 9). Old forms suchas $ show that it is a crested bird, though
and
E 2L6
E tb qqsandcrestedbird/craneE ezq. Itisinfact
drffercntfromcrestedbird/heron
(seebelow). !l is an NGU charactermeaningmortar, taken by some
a white-homedowl
scholarsto show a bowl with bits in it (from a stylisedold form qJ) but more likely origi-
649
Mnemonic:BIG UPSIDE-DOWN MAN MOVES IN REVERSE
I
KYU
oLD, PAST
5 strokes
201
FIFTHGRADE 653-655
FIFT}I GRADE 650-652
6s0a+
#4-
PERMIT, FORGIVE,
ffi;? rol<Kvo
*#i reuoro
PLACE, HOME
permission
fyOfa
K YO, yurusa, moto
parent
athand
I 1 strokes
phoneticallyto expressapJ isword/ speak274. f isnoon 110 q.v., here acting
possibly
lending an idea of poundalso
prove/ forgive and accordingto somescholars
ing (a table or similar) as a sign of hearty endorsement (from its literal meaningof
pestle, which could symbolisepounding). Thus to approve/ forgive someone's
words. It is not clear how it acquiredthe meaningof place/ home, but it may possibly
have been used as a phonetic alternativeto reside (and by extensionresidence)KYO E
649.
KYO
BOUNDARY, BORDER
ffi8
frontier
KEIDAI
preclnct
ril
Yat
,lt
ffi,trffi rvdrelspN
14 strokes
--J
JJ-_J
6*
__J
2_J
t4
|
.t\
TIEIKIN
KINTO
FUKINKO
average
uniformity
imbalance
obscure. f is ground 60. A is often thought to be a variant of ladle/ measSornewhat
kJ 1342,but in fact old forms suchas l) and t? show coiling (some scholars
/
$e A
takettrelatter form to derivefrom a pictographof a snakecoiled on the ground,but it is saf-er to think of both forms simply as symbolsof coiling see655). EJ is known to have
presumably
to
express
flat,
and
it also lent similar connotationsfrom the
actedphonetically
ideaof coiling (coils lying flat). Thus flat ground, leadingto level and by figurativeexmeaning,from the ideaof norm. Suggesttaking
tensionaverage. Alike is an associated
of ladle tsl and one - l.
combination
a
as
{
654
tr€ xomvd
KEI, sakai
vfr
Mnemonic:LEVEL GROUND WITH ONE LADLE?!
Mnemonic: PERMIT SPEECH AT NOON
651
kt
I1 ililiu'""'
ff,L
AL
KIN
BAN, FORBID
13 strokes
6,tffi
AE
dt&
RX
7J<
KINSHI
prohibition
'No
KINEN
Smoking'
GENKIN
strictly prohibited
boundary line
7t, is finish 462. Thus finish of a piece of ground, i.e
, is ground 60.
boundary. Suggesttaking l- as stand 73, E assun 62, and tL as legs.
f. is show/altar 695 q.v., here with its connotationsof retigious/ of the gods. d*.is
forest 75, used purely phonetically to expressabstain. Thus abstain for religious
reasons,leadingto abstain/ taboo/ ban/ forbid etc. in a wider sense.
Mnemonic:ALTAR IN FORBIDDEN FOREST
Mnemonic: STAND ON SUNNY GROUND, LEGS ASTRIDE BOUNDARY
6s2
ffi
655
4€ rorux
KYO, KO okosulru
R I S E ,R A I S E , I N T E R E S Tf ER P U X r c O
qffiKh
16 strokes
excitement
revival
KYOMIBUKAI
veryinterestlng
showingraise/ hands working together $^{ +SSlrSZ:and same
Oncewriuen fl,
givin!
A W, here also meaningtogether/in unison. Thus to raise up together,
raise and rise. Interest/ excitement is an associatedmeaning,from the idea of raiseo
feelings. Suggesttaking F 1 as hands and 7\ as table.
KU
PHRASE, CLAUSE
5 strokes
E is mouth/say 20, here meaningword. t is an elementgenerallymeaningcover/
wrap/ encircle. Srictly
speaking,in the caseof 655 its old form is L'l , showingintertockingsfokes
to convey the idea of intertwining/ wrapping around . However,the
Sraphicevolutionof r.1 inle i7 seemsto havebeeninfluencedby a numberof other
tormsof similar
meaning,suchas encirclingarm a /rJ ,womO Q/r] , and possibly
qso coiled
snake Q t fl . Intertwining words led to phrase,clause,etc.
MNCMONiC:
MOUTH WRAPS ITSELF AROUND PHRASE
Mnemonic: SAME HANDS RAISED AT TABLE -- HOW INTERESTING
,lt
202
phraseology
7 n l IIKU
6J +rJ9 KUGIRI
punctuation
*. E) MONKUwords,complaint
203
FIFTH GRADE 656-658
6s6
a,l
FIFTHGRADE 659661
ell ffi, 4 KUI.TYOMI kunreading
EIIffi + KUNRENSHI trainer
edifyins
+\ zJll*t rvorur.rrgKl
KUN
LESSON, RULE,
KUN READING
10strokes
f, is words/ speak274. ltl is river 48, here actingphoneticallyto expressorder and
also lending an idea of flowing in a given way. 656 originally meant logical argument, then came to mean teaching and by associationlesson,standard or rule. It is
asopposedto Chinese).
also usedfor the kun reading ofa character(i.e. the Japanese
Mnemonic: WORDS FLOW LIKE RMR
657
IN LESSON
GUN, mura, mure/reru
GROUP, FLOCK
13 strokes
crowd
H F cuNsg0
schoolof
fish
ft. H CYocUN
H E CUtu<YO gregarious
qi is sheep986. f is lord 266 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressassembleand
also lendingits literal connotationsof command (with a stick). 657 originally referred
to herding sheep,but then cameto focusratheron the group of animals. Now also
usedof humans.
Mnemonic:LORD OF SHEEP FLOCK
6s8
ffi nTil;ll'o"u"'
f* iF rpzer
fiTffi rersEu
f4 i6 xrtre
economy
hand ?..
Mnemonic: GUIDING HAND PASSES THREADS TO GROUND
R F rrPpAKU na immaculate
R ffi GPpEKI na fastidious
R < ISAGryOKU valiantly
/ ff\
Foflrnetly)T- . + is a tally, namely a piece of wood with serrationsthat was interlocked
with another serratedpiece (i.e. the matching other half) upon the proper fulfilment of a
or similar. Sword/ cut z7 181 emphasises
the idea of cutting notches.As with
corrf:act
term,
tally
has
also
connotations
of
making
English
thingsright and proper. when
the
with
thread
gling
27,
ld
the co characterfp , it originally meantto adjust
cornbined
threads and make them right, though it presentlycame to mean simply to correct.
rhe additionof water 7 40 gaveto correct with water, i.e. to purify by abtution.
this cameto meanclean or pure, including in the figurative senseof honorable. Seealso
1195.Suggesttakingf asavariantofmaster I 299.
Mnemonic:MASTER CUTS THREADS, WASHES CLEAN IN WATER
660
{+
[?il'-o""*
I ff rrrnN
H i4 votcpN
.ft f4 IOKEN
condirion.term
Person '( 3g andcow F 97. 660 originally referredto a person teading a cow
away from a herd, having selected and purchased it. It was later usedof soning out
itemsfor businessin a generalsense(includingslaves,an early meaningof 660), and thus
cameto mean something to be attended to. Note that in Chineseit can still mean to
sepiuate.
MNcmonic:PERSON LEADING AWAY Cow IS A SERIOUS MATTER
passage
661
KEN
fR # nyorgru
passpoft
TICKET, PASS, BOND
iE # SHOTEU
bONd
8 strokes
ft_ ffi + TElKlKENcommuterpass
7l-is sword/cut 18 l.
it is an elementoncewritten fi , showingrice (plant) 8 t *,
8l' and two hands
f{. It originally meantto roll rice. It actsherephoneticallyto expressnotched pledge/
talty (see659), but it is not clearwhetherit also lendsany meanln8' Thus cut/
notched ta[y, which in addition to being a symbol of a contract or
Pledgewas alsousedas a symbolof official
businessor authority,and hencea guarantee
of safe-conduct,
i.e. pass or ticket (cf. Englishterm talry). Suggesttaking tri as two
= 6l fires
X. g.
Yn"ront., START TWO FrRES WITH CUT Up TICKETS
204
incident
business
meridian
. 4 is lengthwise threads on a loom (warp) 269, reinforcedby
meanings. Sincethe
thread k 27. Pass (through) and longitude are associated
warp threadsact as guides for the crosswiseweft threads,658 also came to represent
guiding principles, includingthe sutras. Suggesttaking f as ground ! 60 and
Formerly&
6se
:},IJ Hlit;Tfli'
r-{s:okes
205
tll
l, ,l
rl
FIFTH GRADE 662-665
662
FIFTHGRADE 666-669
KEN. kewas/rii
STEEP, SEVERE,
PERILOUS
11 strokes
te
v
4,
/u.
ffih
w.t
KENAKU na dangerou5
insurance
HOKEN
precipitoug
KENSO na
opinion 475 q.v., hereactingphoFormerly 7E . F is hill 229. &. I R is synthesised
connotationsof its own. Thus
similar
lending
and
also
express
combine
netically to
particularly
hilly
terrain
and hencethe presentmeanreference
hitls,
to
a
combined
cap A 87ll21 and elder
of
cover/
combination
as
a
modified
taking
ings. Suggest
€
267brother L
ks
*o*#EHli+il*on"T
1fuigxi3'ii
tR,
102 and see Q' 18. Thus to seea jewel. on the one hand this came
ro refer
leyel f(still listed as a minor meaningin Chinese),and on the other to
luster
to its
the idea of being visible/ appear. Exist and now are associatedmeanings,from the idea of beine
beforeone'svery eyes.
Mnemonic:sEE JEWEL THAT NOW APPEARS
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER DONS CAP TO CLIMB STEEP HILL
tA;-'j revrd
4 fA reNrEN
KEN
INVESTIGATE
fA A F. KENSAIN
12 strokes
GEN, heru/rasu
DECREASE
l2snokes
enqurry
exploration
inspecror
opinion475 q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto express
Formerly t& . F/€ is synthesised
store safely and also lendingits meaningof examine. {is wood 69, here meaning
woodentablet upon which recordswere kept. Thus to examine wooden records, now
investigate in a broad sense. Suggesttaking Q' as a modified combinationof covcr/
cap A 87/l2l and elder brother ft.. 267.
664
KEN. kinu
SILK
13 strokes
Mnemonic:DECREASED WATER BRINGS oN HEARTLESS FEELING
Mnemonic:SILK THREADS FROM ROUND FLESHY WORM
665
,tr
I
FRff. cemo
FRF CENXET
ft FE iraucEN
GEN, kagira
LIMIT
9 strokes
Ko' yue
PAST, REASON
silkcloth
rayon
silk goods
*. is thread 27. fi is a CO charactermeaningsmall worm or coil (coil/ circle/ round
ra and flesh H 365), hereactingphoneticallyto expressthe color cream and almost
certainly also lending connotationsof silkworm. Thus cream colored thread (from a
w o r m ) , i . e .s i l k .
9 strokes
S &k JIKo
tt S rOl
Afu[r E ft royevepesrn
accidenr
historv
the late Mr yamada
stick in hand/ coerce r
101, here actingas a causativeerement,and ord 6 r0g,
he-reindicating the past. Thus to make
something a thing of the past. This led on
urE_one
hand to past/ deceased,and on the other to the idea of causality/
reason, i.e.
with pasteventsinfluencingthe presenf/
future.
MNcmonic:OLD STICK IN HAND
A THING oF THE PAST
66e
linrit
bOUNdAry
infinitY
decrease
extent.stare
weightloss
7 is water 40. 6\ is unison246 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresssmail amount.
In view of its complexiry r!' mustpresumablyalsohavelent somemeaning,possiblythe
ideaof cuningaway/reducing from its rrirnming/halberdelemenr /tr 5 15.Thus a small
amount of water, symbolisingreduction and decrease. suggestrememberingby
as_
ociationwith feeling (3 246,taking /1 as a 'heariless' version(seeheart
,\!. I47).
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER INVESTIGATES WOODEN COVER
',r1tfi KENPU
fE TINKEN
ftft +rn KINUMONO
iH ,/. CSNSH6
ln ffi raceN
8ffi,
MEBERI
'fEA ronN
Ko
individual
couNrER
*o';;?#:
gffiffi"''
lil?J""-'i"^L'
l Ef
)a
p ishill 22g. k isstop and stare 263 q.v., actingphonedcallyto expressdifficult
and almostcertainlyalsolendingan idea of turning round. Thus to reacha difficult hill'
stop, and turn to look back, suggestingthat one hasreachedthe limits of familiar territory'
4 39 andhard r{r 4i6. 66goriginalry referred to a person wearing
l*.ton
armor (i.e.
madehard), but
from an early stagebecameconfusedwith
q.v.,
1054
which
was a
ffi
counter for
bambooslats. probably becauseof the presenceof person
669has
strong
4
,
associations
with the idea of individuality.
Mnemonic:STOP AND STARE FROM HILL, HAVING REACHED LIMITS
MNCMONiC:
THAT INDIVIDUAL IS A HARD PERSON
206
207
FTFTHGRADE 670-672
670
GO
DEFEND,PROTECT
20 strokes
E€
BENGoSHI
# #+
lawyer
goCo
protection
ffi #
guard,esq6n
# fu coel
F]FTHGRADE 673-675
6'
#i$,i;x;
f# 1& xdCru
#f {G roseru
Ffr , fu f# roumcr
arable
land
farming
cultivator
f, is words 274. f is crestedbftd, * 648 in hand L, herelendinga meaningof se.
izel snare and accordingto some scholarsalso acting phonetically to expressspin/ make
dizzy. Thus to snare with words (making the other party dizzy?), a referenceto provwith defenceagainstan uqing an argument. This cameto haveparticularassociations
just
leaving
defend/ protect. Suggesttakcusation. Eventuallythe ideaof wordsfaded,
ing f as bird & 216 and grass rf 9.
Formerly^* . llis a CO charactermeaningplow (of unclearetymology, but once wr:it,rn * ,suggestingtree/shrub S OSana possibly serratedwood f 659, hererepresentinga sawor similar cutting device, to give an idea of cutting away shrubsand thus preparing giound). fr is well 1470,acting phoneticallyto expressconquer and possiblyalso
lendingan associatedidea of fertile. Thus to conquer with a plow (and make fertile?),i.e. till. Suggestremembering f as a many branched tree { 69.
Mnemonic:WORDILY DEFEND HAND SEIZING BIRD IN GRASS
Mnemonic:TILL AROUND WELL AND MANY BRANCHED TREE
671
i,J
*rvlR rore
E rfi vuro"a
KO, kifta
EFFECT, EFFICACY
XJtt A KIKIME
8 strokes
effect
valid
effect
V*.isexchange115,heremeaninginterchange and by extensionmatch/
e m u l a t e ( s e e a l s o 2 D .T i s s t r i k e / c o e r c e l 0 l , h e r e a c t i n g a s a c a u s a t i v e e l e m eTnhtu. s
to make someoneemulate, i.e. make them learn to perform a given task. Eventually the causativeaspectfaded,leavingjust ability to perform a given task,i.e. efficacy. In modernpopular usagecoerce ( has beenreplacedby strength t 74. Note
that in Chineseboth forms now exist as separatechamcters,with 7( meaningemulate/ef-
Formerly 4\.
fect and tt
meaningtoiV effect.
Mnemonic:EXCHANGE OF STRENGTH PROVES MOST EFFECTIVE
ot:
a
E
, 2- \ '
-
*[ ,tr euarSU na bulky,thick
welfare
/9 4 KOSEI
courtesy
,trlF xolo
A\-rr atsu!
THICK' KIND
gstrokes
la7 isaninversionof *lE'
O n c e w r i t t e n/ 9 a n d l a t e rQ . f i s c l i f f 4 5 . g l ?
a tall watchtowerthat is the prototypeof tall h 1lg. 6?2 originally meanttall cliff' The
reasonforthe inversionis not clear,thoughit is possiblethat the originalmeaninghadspe'
cific connotationsof descendinga tall cliff. Tall cliff eventuallycameto meansimply sub'
meaning,from the ideaof depthof feelstantial, leadingto thick. Kind is an associated
ing. Suggesttakingf
asday E
62andchild $
25.
674
fftZ xoeursu
9( E xosBrr
fr fi r.turco
KO
MINERAL, ORE
13strokes
CHILD PLAYS DAILY BY CLIFF
208
ore
colliery
Formerly?fi , and,earlier 5{. The early form shows rock E 45 and yeltow
f / *.
120' giving yellow rock and hencemineral/ ore. Yellow
ff was later replacedby
wide/extensive * t ft^ ll4,possibly as a resulrof a miscopyinginfluencedby the cliff
part ;- of E but possibly also for semanticreasons,and rock itself was replacedby met-
at $ t+.
Mnemonic:EXTENSM
675
METAL ORE
KQkamauleru
BUILD, MIND
14strokes
ffi ft KOSEI
construcrion
ffi ffi rgrxd
strucrure,
fine
,., ffi Z KOKOROGAMAE
mental readiness
f is wood 69. & is a co charactermeaninglarge amount or accumuration. It was
originatlywritten
$ , showingtwo bamboo(storage)basketspiled up (one inverted).
actsphoneticallyto expressinterweave and also lendsa meaningof accumuF
It:
late/ build up.
Thus to buird up by interweaving wood, a referenceto erectingthe
tirntrerframe
of a building. This cameto meanbuild in a broadersense.Mind/ care is
an associated
meaning,from the idea of building up thoughts/worries. SuggestremembertnC
f. as buitd with baskets.
tr
Mnemonic: KIND BUT'THICK'
mineral
yOU MIND IF IT'S BUILT WITH
WOODEN BASKETS?
Itn.monic, DO
209
FIFTH GRADE 676.678
676
-
FIFTI] GRADE 679482
ffi * Kdcr
ffi iF KoEN
ffi HmKOsFil
KO
LECTURE
\
-
17 strokes
lecturer
f, is words 274. & is accumulation675 q.v., heremeaningbuild up and accordingto
some scholarsalso acting phonetically to expressclarify. Thus something built of
(clarifying?) words, i.e. an argument, speech,lecture, or similar. Suggesttakins
f
hterally as build with baskets.
\
\
ET
ru
KON, majirulzeru
MIX.
E + SAISEI
regeneradon
tr +IJ SAIKAN
TepTint
E *. + SARAlNENyearafternexr
lower part of accumulate/build with baskets
f is the
$, elS, namely an inverted
- 1 was addedto indicateone further
one
basket being addedto the pile.
basket.
Theideaof one more led to the presentmeanings.
Mnemonic:ADD ONE BASKET AGAIN
Mnemonic:LECTURE BUILT WITH 'BASKETS' OF WORDS
677
SAI, SA, futatabi
AGAIN, TWICE, RE.
6 strokes
lecture
address
CONFUSION
11 strokes
ffn
iE -ffi. xoNxeTSU mixedbknd
confusion
/E frL roNnqN
MAZEMONO
nlrxrure
lil't W
7 is water. fu is multitude 1276q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressspin/ srvirl
and also lendingits own idea of confusion (from peoplemilling around). 677 originally
referred to water rushing and swirling with no fixed course,as in a flood (still a
D,
\;)
,\
,
SAI, wazawai
,1. W
cALAMrry
7 strokes
,i E sArcAr
l< 12 KASAI
pure elementscan becomemixed in. Suggesttaking fu as sun E 62 andcompare 1{,
77l.
8strokes
inspection
KENSA
SHINSA
investigation
A f"1 sAMoN
inquiry
& E
-tA
#
tR *
^*
fu 1091q.v., herewith its literal meaningof build up and accordingto somescholarsalsoactingphoneticallyto express
crosswise. Thus to build something with timber (laid crosswise?). In Chinese
it hascometo be
meanings,suchas raft, but in Japanese
it can still be usedin associated
Wood :F. 69, heremeaningtimber, and furthermore
usedpurely in the borrowedmeaningof investigate.
MNcmonic:WIFE HOLDS BRooM
IN HAND
SAI, tora
TAKE, GATHER
I I strokes
fN ffi sArYo
ffi R SAISHU
# ry sArsHu
Hand plucking (fruit)
from a tree *- qiZ,with an extra hand d
uB
literally
fr
as (reaching)hand Q 303andtree *-eg.
MNEMONiC:
GATHER FRUIT FROM TREE WITH TWO HANDS
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE. WOOD SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED
2ro
GOSAI
secondwife
FUSAI husbandand wife
FIITozuMA
f is woman 35. fl derivesfrom ?, showinga hand a
holding a broom S (to
all intentsand purposesa variant of hand
hording broom
96).
See alsoll9.
e
Mnemonic: COMPARE SUN AND WATER -- A CONFUSING MIX
A
disaster
conflagrarion
Mnemonic:FIRE AND FLOODING RIVER ARE POTENTIAL
CALAMTTTES
SAI, tsuma
WIFE
t
calamity
once written Ip, showingriver l1l4g, heremeaningflood, and fire .l( g. Fire
and
flood were symbolsof calamity.
meaningin Chinese).Confused waters then came to mean confused in a broader
meaning,from the ideathat in a stateof confusionsundrvimsense.Mix is an associated
SA
INVESTIGATE
9 strokes
SAINAN
2Il
FIFTHGRADE 686-688
FIFTH GRADE 683-685
t,
SAI, kiwa
OCCASION,EDGE,
CONTACT
14strokes
i
I
acruatiry
* H nssel
E ffi fOXUSnl inrernadonal
Ai K MADOGIWA
besidewindow
p is hill 229 q.v.,here meaningearthen rampart. ffi is festival 283, actingphonetically to expressmeet/ come into contact and possiblyalso looselylending similarconwith a festival). Thus earthen
notationsof its own (from the idea of meetingassociated
ramparts meeting, i.e. the junction of walls. This later cameto mean meet/ come into
contact in general. Edge is an associatedmeaningfrom that which comesinto contact.
Occasion is also felt to be an associatedmeaning,i.e. when one can come into contact
6s6
@
4F
Mnemonic: FESTML
Mnemonic:NOT A NETWORK, BUT STILL CRIMINAL
AT EDGE OF HILL IS QUITE AN OCCASION
ZAl. aru
BE LOCATED,DWELL,
COUNTRYSIDE,BE
6 strokes
F & soNzel
& ffi ZAIRYU
Effi zeslH,o
existence
residence
countryhome
by exten/- is a variantof talent t 126q.v., hereusedin its literal meaningof dam and
sion barrier. -t- is earth 60. Thus earthen dam/ barrier. The idea of substantial/solid
barrier led to the idea of being firmly in place, eventuallygiving be located and simply be. Dwelt/ reside is an extensionof be located. It is not fully clear how 684 also
i'e'
came to mean countryside, but it is assumedto be an associatedmeaningof dwell'
one'scountry home.
dE# uexzet
crime
5E,E zenxu
vice
W WV TSUMIBUKAI sinful
Sonewhatobscure. r@is net 193, here with connotationsof catching. /l-isnot173
q.v. Somescholarsfeel the latter actspurely phonetically to expresscatch, giving catch
in a net, while othersfeel that it lendsits literal meaningof going in opposite direcfions to refer by extensionto rebels, thus giving catch rebels in a net. It is also not
clearwhethercrime/ sin is a borrowedmeaningor an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of
thatwhich resultsin one being caught,thoughthe latter seemsmore likely.
687
with others.
ZAI, tsumi
CRIME, SIN
13strokes
--at|..
M
ztrsUDAN
chitchat
*S # zersuoN noise,static
ZATSU, ZO
MISCELLANY
14strokes
M R
68s
Rt
M fr, ZAISAN wealth,assets
foundrdon
W fr zAIDAN
g1
zAISEITEKT financial
W W.
ff#i,AssErs
wealth/ assets. / is talent 126 q'v', here acting
fl is shelVmoney 90, here meaning
phoneticallyto expressaccumulate and also lending a similar idea from its literal meanin9
of dam (i.e.that which causesa build-up). Thus accumulatedwealth/ assets.
Mnemonic:DAM FULL OF MONEY MEANS GREAT WEALTH
212
rank and file
Formerly*€ . llit cloth 420 q.v. *E is a variant of *- ,an elemenrshowing tree f.
69 and bird E 216 and meaningbirds gathering in a tree. Here ft actsphonetically to expressgather and also lends a similar meaning. 687 originally referredto gathering bits of cloth and making up a patchwork garmentfrom them. Rather like the
Englishterm patchwork, it came to mean miscellany in a broad sense.cloth
JL was lar
er replacedwith nine /6 12, presumablyto indicateplurality/ many (i.e. gathermany
bis). It is somewhatsurprisingthat the cloth radical
] wasneverused,to grve fl![ .
Mnemonic:NINE MISCELLANEOUS BIRDS GATHERED IN TREE
688
SAN, kaiko
SILKWORM
10strokes
SANGYO
sericulture
YOSAN
sericulture
SORAMAME* broadbean
Formerly g
FUNNY DAM IS LOCATED NEAR COUNTRYSIDE DWELLING
MNCMONiC:
zOffvO
. hh is insect f 56 doubled for emphasis. 6 is a Co charactermeaning
It.comprisesthe co characternot/ without { (of unctearerymorogy,
l11.tlpl*ilg.
out
derivedfrom
fr, felt to show a personkneeling [at a table] with headtumed, indicating
utaltheyare unable
to eat any more),and rheNGU charactersay 6 (often written as E
and-confused
with sun/day fl 62,butin fact the cross-stroke
is only threequarter
sizeand
a tongue - inside a mourh E 20, not unlike the lower elementof souna
il::1'::grving
f e;,
a meaning of not actuaily stated and by extension(but) ifl supposing
"tus
(that)' In^the
cas. of ?88 ff actspr,on.tr"uiryto expressswoilen, to give swouen in.,^i.'^,1,tttlt"nce to a silkworm full of silk threads. In view of its complexity $
somemeaning,but this is unclear. It may have lent connotationsof
[::10'L9t.lent
bloatedfrom the satiatedpersonelemen|
;J::,.n/
*. , or may havelent someidea of hy,po_
toeticalitY,
as in a silkworm which shouldproducesilk. suggesttaking ( as heaven5g.
h"*ON'".
SILKWORM IS A HEAVENLY INSECT
213
I
I
689
SAN, sul/ppai
ACID, BITTER
14strokes
a1rA
,JtlI\W*_
fE_
@ * SeNso
oxygen
@,8 snNset
acidity
ffi ffi ENSAN hydrochloric
aci6
meaning slow progress,and A , which appearsto be self t-\ 134and legs rt). Here
I
actsphoneticallyto expresssharp, and almostcertainlyalso lendsits meaningof linger.
T h u s s h a r p a l c o h o l - l i k e l i q u i d ( t h a t l i n g e r s i n t h e m o u t h ? ) , I e a d i n gt o b i t t c r
taste and eventuallyalso acid. Suggestrememberingf
as linger.
E ET SANSEI
A + ffi SANBIKA
A tr+ SANJI
SAN
PRAISE
15 strokes
approval
eulogy
as male 573.
Mnemonic:TWO MALES PRAISED AND GIYEN MONEY
BRANCH. SUPPORT
4 strokes
q E SHITEN
q f+ SHIJI
q ,*, SHITEN
SHI
#iHtr rvOSru
teacher
TEACHER,MODEL,ARMYHfr* SrurrvO
paragon
10strokes
HfrM SfmeN armydivision
hymn
meant to offer someonea valuable object, leadingto the idea of reward and praise.
SHI. sasaera
will
aspiration
voluntary
494. A usefulmnemonic,but
as the heart rrg' 147 of a warriorX
Usually
-**""r. explained
Old forms suchas $ and S show that f derivesfrom emerging plant
g /t +2, here actingphoneticallyto expressmove and also lending similar connotations
(from growth/ emerge). Thus movement of the heart, indicating intent or
of its own
will.
693
Formerly p' . p is shelVmoney 90, here meaningvaluable object. ftft, is precede/
advance ft,49 doubled for emphasis. The latter lends its soundto expressoffer, and
may also lend an associatedtransitivemeaning of advance/ proffer. 690 originrll.v
Suggesttaking {
kokorozashi,s.:ff ISfff
SHI,kokorozasu,
fr€ STUNO
WILL, INTENT
7 strokes
E-fr vusru
Mnemonic:WARRIOR'S HEART SHOWS WILL
Mnemonic:ALCOHOL HAS LINGERING BITTER ACID TASTE
690
i
r\i
\
S is wine jarl alcohol 302, here meaningalcohol-like liquid. ft is a Co character
meaninglinger/ dawdle (of unclearetymology,but showingstop and start jL 438 q.v,
691
692
branchoftlce
support
fuicrunr
Once written S, showinga hand 3- holding up a branch/ sectionof bamboo A (see
170). It originally meant break off a branch/ small section/offshoot. The physicll
Somewhatobscure. p is shown in someearly forms to be hill 229 q.v. and in othersto
be buttocks 350 q.v., though in both casesthe meaningis known to be swelling/
rising. if is an invertedform of I , itself a variant of growing plant ff- 42 q.v.,
which actsphoneticallyto expresshill and also lends a similar meaningof rising (from
theideaof growing up from the ground). Thus prominent hill. Hills were often associatedwith troop encampments(see540), and 693 eventuallycameto acquiresuchassociationsitself, leading to the presentmeaningof army. Teacher resultsfrom confusion
with commander/ leader A,p U54 q.v., of which it is an extendedmeaning, while
modelis an associated
meaningwith teacher. Suggesttaking @ as buttocks, and fr
ascloth rlz 778 andone - l.
Mnemonic:MODEL
TEACHERHASONE BITOFCLOTH OVER BUTTOCKS
694
SHI
CAPITAL, RESOURCES
13 strokes
lQA srroroN
At* srunvo
AG srnrnr
capital
rawmaterials
funds
the idea of holding up.
R is shelVmoney 90. :7 is next 292 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresspossess
andalmostcertainlyalso lending an idea of continuity. Thus to possess(a continuity
of?) money, i.e. capital/ resources.
M n e m o n i c :H A N D S U P P O R T S C R O S S - S H A P E DB R A N C H
MNCMonic:
NEXT SUM OF MONEY PROVIDES CAPITAL
branchis now represented
by f{ 1315,that addswood,/tree/i69, whereas691 hascorne
refer
branch
in
the
figurative
to
to
sense(asin branchofhce etc.) Support derivesfrotn
2t4
2t5
FIFTHGRADE 698-700
FIFTH GRADE 695-691
I
<r-
;F
IM:
HF ,1\
JI, SHI, shimesu
SHOW
5 strokes
iF Zr
ANJI
TENJI
7r<+\ SHIKY6
Oncewritten T or il . T is aprimitive altar. i'l " is drops of blood(orpossibly
- was addedlater to indicate a sacrifice/ item placed on
sacrificial wine). A top stroke
the altar. Though as an independentcharacter695 is no longer usedto mean altar, as a radical (usually i ) it freeuentlyhas a meaningof related to the gods. Show is an extendedmeaning,from the idea of the outcomeof a sacrificeshowingthe will of the gods.
Mnemonic: DROPS FROM ALTAR SACRIFICE SHOW WILL OF GODS
"
{Y.
,al'l F
vtra
lt,t 1v
*'il*#u""
ty,^ /y
4U
t1
-/
RUIJIHIN
ESE-*
NIAU
uTuIatl0n
false, sham
be suited
{ is person 39. t'L is starting point/ means419, actingphoneticallyto expressresem'
ble and possibly also lending an idea of starting point. Thus to resemble a person
(whom one takesas a startingpoint?). Now usedof resemblein a broadsense.
6s7
/u
lE
JI, NI, ko
CHILD
,)'IY, SHOM
NE.X.+
7 strokes
orphan
infant
JDOBUNGAKU
juvenile literature
A/lt- showsa person kneeling (i.e. not standing)
Formerly9L , andearlieras *
ex39, while €jt is mortar 648. Somescholarsfeel the latter is usedpurely phoneticallyto
pressweak/ helpless,giving hetplessperson (unable to stand), that could originally apply to a very agedor sick personas well as a very young one. Othersfeel that u
the
is used in its literal senseof grinding teeth, referring to young children during
teething stage,and take ru to refer to crawling. Thus crawling, teeth-grindins
for
person. The latter theory seemsthe more likely. (Note also similar English slangterms
a teething,crawlinginfant, suchas anklebiter.)Suggesttaking tE as old 648'
Mnemonic: OLD PERSON IS REALLY A CHILD
lil
216
6fr fOSmXf
common sense
awareness
CHISHIKIJIN intellectual
H r'{ ISHIKI
xll il* ,/\
g is words 274, ry is sound 6, and d' is lance/ halberd 493, though there is some
disagleementas to how theseelementsare grouped. { is known to have acted to mean
narker or sign. (A lance was sometimesthrust into the ground -- in some caseswith a
-bannerattached as a crude marker or pointer [note also the graphicand semanticoverlap
177).)
Somescholarstake fi as the NGU charactermemorise, ascribin!
with stake L
to
698
of
memorise signs and therefore possessknowledge. others take
a meaning
(It is in fact a CO characterwith a range of borrowed meanings,
meaning
marker.
pi as
original
meaning
is felt to have beenlance that produces'sound',i.e. conveysa
butits
This
was
a
reference
to the fact that messagesas well as bannerswere sometimes
message.
to
marker
lances.)
Thus
marker that produces words, i.e. with words ! reattached
the
message-conveying
role
discussedabove. Conveyinginformation thencame
inforcing
mean
to
intelligence/
association
knowledge. Since f
by
and i have becomecombinedto |d, suggestingthat they are treatedas one element,and since the elementoccurs
with somefrequencyin compoundcharacters,the latter theoryseemsthe more likely.
Mnemonic:HAVE KNOWLEDGE oF A woRD
699
Mnemonic: STARTING POINT FOR PERSON IS TO RESEMBLE ONE
fA .fE xon
'ffi
SHIKI
KNOWLEDGE
19suokes
hint
display
guidancs
H
SHITSU, SHICHI, CHI
QUALITY, PAWN
15strokes
SOUNDING LrKE LANCE
ffi F ruNsHrTSU
quality
pawnshop
H E SmCruye
A H ruronCnr
hostase
fl is shell/ money go. fiftis ax 1176 doubledfor emphasis,acting phoneticallyto expressequivalence and almosrcertainly lending an idea of chop
up (figuratively) and
henceanalyse/understand(see199).Thussomething whose monetary
equivalence
is understood,leadingon the one handto quality and
on the other to pawn/ pledge.
MNCMonic:TWO AXES CHOP PAWNED SHELL To ASCERTAIN
QUALITY
700
SHA
HOUSE, QUARTERS
8 strokes
,4- Ar4
ffi
SHUKUSHA
lodgings
SIIAEI
billet
INAIA\MONO'!
yokel
€ , and earlier f, . tr is mouth 20, here meaningby extensionbreathe. A/
}T.a.tt
o, rs margin R SOOq.v., herelendingits connotationsof easily. Thus breathe
":^l
Possiblybecauseof the roof/ buitding elemenr A in A , 700 presently
::1y/..:elax.
(tike 800) to mean buitding where one
can relax, i.e. one'shouse or quarters.
i]-e
euggest
taking A as roof, f_ as ground 60, and El as opening/entrance.
MNCMonic:
QUARTERS WITH RooF AND ENTRANCE BELow
2t7
GROUND
rllllil
I
l
li
n,
I
F{FTI{GRADE 7U-706
FIFTH GRADE 7OI-703
til
SHA, ayamaru
APOLOGIZE, THANK
17strokes
701
i
i
# # sHezet
# iL srnnBl
ffi # reNsHe
apology
honorar-iu,
gratirude
tla4 D, E
Al+
llp
SHII SHU,osamerulmaru
i4 tr snuzu
pRACrrcE,
MAsTER ,f4E su0snr
"_"rfffr
Ib X snucvolss0cvo
lostrokes
study
phoneticallyto expressleave andal
f is words 274. n{ is shoot 882 q.v., here acting
(from
an
arrow leaving the bow, and cf. Eng
most certainly lending similar connotations
'shootoff meaningleave). Thus words said upon leaving.
lish slang
Mnemonic:WORDS OF APOLOGY AND THANKS AS ONE SHOOTS OFF
702
tr * JUGYo
ffiE ruYo
+\& KYdru
luoo"ilKi"o'n
dR
tuition
confermsnl
teaching,professor
Receive Q ZOZq.v., here in its literal senseof convey, with an extra hand f, 32.
Whereas303 cameto meanreceive,702 cameratherto meanconfer/ bestow,including
in the senseof confer knowledge/ teach.
Mnemonic:TEACHER'S HAND CONFERS RECEIPT
703
SHff osanerulmaru
oBTArN, STORE,
SUPPLY
4 strokes
lX
4X d
W.E h
income
sHUI\ryu
gains
SHUEKI
suwonYoKU caPaciry
Formerly {f, . { is striking hand/ coerce 101,hereusedas a causative element.I
derivesfrom [, showingintertwined threads and meaningput together/assemble'
and by extensiongather. Somescholarsfeel tl also actsphoneticallyto expressseek
Thts
out. Thus to cause threads to be (sought out and?) gathered together.
came to mean simply gather and by extensionobtain, with store being an associateo
form
meaning. Supply is felt to be in turn an associatedmeaningwith store. The modern
useshand l. insteadof strikinghand {. Suggesttaking l'l as a pitchfork'
Mnemonic:HAND OBTAINS PITCHFORK FROM SUPPLY STORE
2r8
iairs 93 q.v., herelendingan idea both of
eregant andof brush./t{
I isdelicatestick
in
hand/
(.
strike
tOt,
a
further
conprises
stick I , and person 4 39, and
neansto strike a person with a stick. 704 originally referred to ,striking,a person
with a brush in order to make them appearelegant,i.e. brushing specksof dust/ dirt off
theirclothes.It then came to mean make something just so, leading by association
to
practice and master.
Mnemonic:PERSONPRACTTCESTo MASTER STRTKINGWITH BRUSH
sHU, SHU
MULTITUDE,MASS
705
*
12 strokes
A fr K0SH0
public
t ft retsllu
themasses
4fttr
GASSHUKoKUUSA
Fonnerly ff. An early form
fi showsthat p derives from eye d t a ntilted on a
horizontalaxis' while the oldestform
$1 showsthat it is in fact a miscopyng of sun o /
a 62' 4n showsperson 4 39 nebredto indicatea rarge
number. Thus a rarge
number of people gathered (working?)
under the sun, larer presumablymisinterpretedas a large number ofpeople
gatheredunder a watchful eye. The reasonfor
the later additionof / over the eye is
not clear, but suggesttaking it as an eyerash,with play
a
on the word lash.
MNEMONiC:
MASS OF ODD PEOPLE UNDER WATCHFUL
EYE WITH LASH
706
SHUKU, SHD, iwaa
CELEBRATE
9 strokes
mH SHUKUGA celebration
tt fr* SrruxUJIcongratulations
tft V" S IwAIcoTo happy
event
t'"" ' ft /+ is artar695. f,, is erderbrother267q.v.,here
usedin itslir
$::y"
- e!',ic or person
speaking (and crouching/ bending?). Thus
,r
person
tttneeling?)
a t a l t a r , i . e .g i v i n g t h a n k s .
trhCMONiC:
ELDER BROTHER CELEBRATES
AT ALTAR
219
FIFTHGRADE 7IO:712
FIFTH GRADE 707-709
707
iE
Bt 16 ZENJUTSUno thesaid
,d ffi ruTSUGO
Predicate
,fl fi JOJUTSU descriptiqn
JUTSU' noberu
STATE, RELATE
8 strokes
.3- with bits (of glutinous
Originally /S, showingmovement 1"1 Ll29 anda hand
ttrushas a meaningof stick/ adhere, and 707 originally
rice).: sticking to it. ,'i-/fi
'sticking' to a person as they moved, i.e. following them' This came to mean
referred to
'shadow'a personin a broad sense,including repetition of their words' Repeatthen
'funny' tree f 69'
cameto mean simply relate or state. Suggesttaking f,t as a
Mnemonic: STATE HOW ONE MOVED AROUND FUNNY TREE
708
&F r'"'j'f:''ill*'*'ou"
1t0
F
f { roeuN
preface
order
F fU ronprsu
ordinalnumber
tr ft lOs0
building na. fr is already/in advance403. Thusthat which one doesin
f is
(erecting)a building,namelylay the foundations.Thusthe beginning
advanceof
(proper)
andby extension
order.
ofsomething,
Mnemonic:BUILDING ALREADY BEGINNING TO SHOW ORDER
7ll
t[.'rfr fu:l GIrursurEKI technical
+'rV il1 GEITTSUTEKrartistic
operution
F ffi srrulursu
( i s g o l 1 8 , h e r e a l s o l e n d i n g i t s l i t e r a l c o n n o t a t i o nrsooaf d s . i I i i s a d h e r e 7 0 7 q . v . ,
hereacting phoneticallyto expresstwisting and almostcertainlylendingits meaningof
to the
adhere/follow. Thus twisting road/ path to which one adheres, a reference
asa
taking
goal.
;Ii
Suggest
one's
means/ technique to be followed in order to achieve
'funny'tree fi. 69.
JO, tsuide
BEGINNING, ORDER
7 strokes
JO, JI, nozoku
EXCLUDE. REMOVE
10strokes
FA* JoKYo
ft.W MENJo
ffi h sorl
removal
exemption
cleaning
f is mound/ hill 229 q.v. A is margin/ surplus 800 q.v. Some scholarsfeel the
latterlends its literal meaningof open up to give open up hilly ground, i.e. by removing obstacles.others feel that p is usedin its senseof terracing/ stepswith ft
actingpurely phoneticallyto expressorder/ sequence,giving sequenceof steps,and
thatthe presentmeaningsare borrowed. The fact that in Chinese711 hasa lessermeaning
of stepssuggeststhat the latter theory is correct,though the former may be a useful mnemonic.
Mnemonic:GoAROUNDFUNNYTREEWITHCERTAINTECHNIQUE
709
JUN
LEVEL, CONFORM,
QUASI.
13 strokes
'# lffi
ruNBI
PreParatlon
standard
zJ<€ SUIJUN
'#'e
W JUNKESSHOsemifrnals
meaning
Formerly also,$ , with ice > 378 rcplacingwater ) a0. * is a CO character
phohere
is
used
'
ft
hawk, deriving from bird E 216 and either talons or a branch t
of
idea
from the
neticallyto expresslevel, and possiblyalsolendsconnotationsof settled
and
a hawk settledon a branch. Thus 709 meant water (settled?) at a level. Quasias
Suggesttaking *
conform both stemfrom the ideaof more or lessattaininga level.
ten 33. Seealso 1376.
Mnemonic:SURPLUS HILLS MUST BE REMOVED
7'.2
$
Iland
TE F.+ SHOTAI
iJ'";#:Hil*".-
d 32 andsummon A
Now invite in a
broadsense.
+nk
J
v,t!
J H
(
\
TEMANEKU
convocation
beckon
1387q.v.,giving summon with the hand/ beckon.
MNEMonic:INVITE
BY SUMMONING WITH HAND
Mnemonic:TEN BIRDS ON WATER, ALL AT SAME LEVEL
220
SgOSH0
J H : K
.+1
invitation
22r
F]FTTIGRADE716-718
FIFTH GRADE 713-7T5
consent
Afu SnoCru
SHO uketamawarl
recognition
RECEM, HEAR, KNOW A--# SgOUnq
g strokes
t$ts# KEISHOSHA successor
713
holding up an object yo1'
Originally {+, showinga hand E'l+ 32andtwo hands
460 q.v., but confusThe latter is to all intents and purposesthe prototypeof together *
sincethe formal manner
ingly, the samepictographcan alsoindicate(ashere)receiving'
extrahana I is theoreticalofreceiving is to hold tn" it"- up level with the forehead.The
betteraddedto 460 thanto
have
been
it
would
ly for clarity, though it might be arguedthat
mouth/ say 20' 713 also
as
713. Possiblybecausethe object o was misinterpreted
leadingto hear and
came to acquireconnotationsof receiving spoken information,
know.Suggesttaking?asababy$'25withbristles='and'<asavariantof
water 7[ 40.
JO
CLAUSE, ITEM, LINE
7 strokes
116
ffi + ++ MUJOKENunconditional
* ff fOvAKU
treary
gt
r6rErsu
*
bar_iron
Formerly{t[ , showing wood/tree /( 69 and hand striking person with stick/r(
794. Thus wooden stick/ branch for striking. On the one hand stick led to the idea
of somethingstraightand thus line, including in the hgurative senseof a line of argument,
andon the other branch led to the idea of somethingsmall broken off from the main part,
andthus acquiredconnotationsof small part and henceitem/ detail. The two meanings
to give a detailedline of argument,leadingro clause. suggesttaking ( as
overlapped
crosslegged.
sitting
Mnemonic:ITEM ABOUT SITTING CROSSLEGGED IN TREE
Mnemonic:HEAR ABOUT A BRISTLY WATER-BABY
7t4
tk
,.fl\
ffe :ffi:l^
cHANr
iHl,r",NAr\rE,
untsso
4ffi
losuokes
title
praise
name
717
JO
tA ff lornl
CONDITION,LETTER
}f fr GENJO
7 strokes
+tr'ffi+X SHoTAxo
situation
status
quo
letter of invitation
basket
(r
is
#
303.
down
reaching
is hand
Formerlyffi . f .is rice plant 81.
Formerlyf(.
( is dog 17. H is ueo 13g9,here usedpurely phoneticalry
to express
6T5.Thushandreachingdownto(ptuck)riceplantsandputsameinbasket.
T h i s w o r k w a s i n v a r i a b l y a c c o m p a n i e d b y s i n g i n g a n d c h a n t i n g , a n d t h u s T 1 4 l a t e r c l t m e appearance. Thus appearance/ condition of a dog. This later came to mean condi_
tion/ situation in a broad sense,and also extendedto the idea
meaning. Praise is also felt by somescholltrsto
to meanchant. Name is an associated
of writing a report about a
bY
if'
remembering
Suggest
a
borrowing.
to
be
situation,henceletter.
meaning,andby others
be an associated
Suggesttaking;f asabar I ofice 7 3lg.
partial associationwith bamboo 4+f I10 and eight r: 66 '
Mnemonic:
DOG EATS BAR OF ICE. NOW IN BAD CONDITION
Mnemonic:PRAISE EIGHT BAMBOO-LIKE RICE PLANTS
7t5
\
-aTAssoxtN
sHo
-aT
noNsgo
ffi
-aT
EE SgotttEt
au
rf
<r2
EI.
PROOF
12 strokes
witness
demonstration
proof
is words 274'k:
Formerly alsofr, though technically they are separatecharacters.f,
an
and possibly also lending
is climb 360, acting phoneticallyto expresscteai/ clarify
has.
i.e. provei proof' fr<
idea of offer up. Thus (to offer up?) clarifying words,
a characterof long stano'
actually
is
now beenreplacedwith correct [. 4 I , though !tr
counselagainst'
ing thatoriginallymeantremonsEate/
Mnemonic:CORRECT WORDS ARE PROOF
222
7r8
\S
Yp
*;,ill.^r,rA's
rr s*oKes
)F H HIJO
H fU lonrl
FI H MCHIJo
ttt is cloth/
threads 778.
emergency
convenrion
dailv
vt is furthermo re r39zq.v., hereactingphoneticallyto exPttsslong and probably
also lending an idea of trairing from its original meaningof
wt
ot"n, upwardsfrom a window. Thus rong
trairing threads, later usedfigurauvely to
describesomethingongoing and henceusual/
always.
trtnemonic;
FURTHERMORE,THE USUAL CLOTH. AS ALWAYS
223
FIFTI{GRADE 722-725
FIFTH GRADE 119-721
J0, SEr, nasake
FEELING, PITY'
11 strokes
,f is heart/ feeling 147. q is blue/ green 43 q'v'' here lending its connotattonsof
to compassion (cf. English
fresh and pure. Thus pure heart, leadingby association
'heart,). Fact/ situation stemsfrom the idea of a heart with nothing to hide' i'e' exposing the truth.
ffiUE SEIDO
,6rjrt
SEISFII
lfi ffitJ rvOssr
svsrem
restraint
compulsion
orce wn11n f;f, showing sword,/cut , /tl181 and a many branched tree $ (variant
722 originallymeantprune a tree, leadingby extensionto put in
fee69).
order
control,
with system being an associatedmeaning. Suggestremembering
ad thence
ff,
bypardal associationwith cow { 97.
TREEcur rN SHAPEoF cow sHows sysTEM oF soRTS
Mnemonic:
OF PITY
Mnemonic: HEART MADE BLUE WITH FEELING
720
ffi&
#g ffi 6!
ffi*tSHrKr'oru
ffibW
loom
SHOKKI
SoSHIKITEKIsystematic
textiles
oRIMoNo
an ideographic
27. &, is marker-lance 698. Some scholarssee 720 as
ft is thread
stagein $'eavcertain
at
a
used
combinationof theseelementsto give marker threads,
ing.Othersfeelthatftactsphoneticallytoexpressstraight/upright,aswellaslendin the ground)' to give up'
ing similar connotationsof its own (from a lance thrust upright
the start of weaving' Sugright threads, a referenceto the warp threadsthat symbolise
literallyaslance 4i 4g3andnoise S 6'
gesttaking fi
SHOKU
EMPLOYMENT' JOB
18strokes
artrsan
d:l
qs{,/\
SHOKUNIN
f;ad; *
SHOKUGYO Profession
staff
SHOKUIN
4s.\ x
4e-\ F.
f i s e a r 2 g , h e r c u s e d f i g u r a t i v e l y t o m e a n f l a p / a t t a c h e d i t e m . f r . i s m a r k e r . | aThus
nce
in groundto indicatesomething'
69g q.v., hereusedin its literal senseof pole stuck
t0
(flag or similar) attached
721 originally meant marker-pole with something
outsidetheir premisesa flagpole
it. This was a referenceto tradesmen'spracticeof erecting
to em'
business.Hence 727 cameto refel
bearinga flag which indicatedthe natureof their
+Sl and noise f 6'
ployment. Suggesttaking +i literally as lance I,
IN EARS
Mnemonic:JOB AS LANCER LEAVES NOISE
224
sEI, sHO
NAruRE,sEX
723 L.l
,Uf
sstrokes
l.}
E {4 oaNser
ts F'! serreKr
,Hf
SHOSUN
mate
sexual
disposition
Heart/ feeling 'l' 147 and birth { 42, giving the heart one is born with. i.e. one,s
nature. Gender/ sex is an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:ONE'S NATURE IS THE HEART ONE IS BORN WITH
724
?D,V_
;,1ll,
--
sEI, sHO matsurigoto
flEk
GOVERNMENT
Wlh X
I
9strokes
F:
+*Ekffi
cvosel
administration
SEIJIKA
polirician
cs0osprru
\
Central government
'i[ is correct 41. ( is strike/force 101, here acting as a causariveelement. Thus
to
makesomething correct, leadingto govern
and government.
A LANCE
Mnemonic: WEAVE THREADS WITH NOISE LIKE
721
SEI
SYSTEM, CONTROL
8 strokes
sympathy
E'f€ mlo
'ffi4!"
situation
rosst
FACr
IF iJ ft- U" NASAKENAIwretched
Mnemonic:GOVERNMENT FORCES
CORRECTNESS
72s
*fi n'h'*,i'mn"'
ffi h
fH ffi
6 ffi
SEIRYOKU
SEIMITSU
BUsHo
vitality
precision
indolence
201. q is brue/ green 43 q.v., here lending its connotarions
of fresh and
S-lt *"
'n)t pure rice. This led by extension refine,
to
with detair being an associated
,n1"1,
(i'e. going into detail by removingeven
the tiniestimpurity). spirit is an asso;::"t
-"!u meaning
with purity (cf. Englishquintessence),
leadingby extensionto vitality (cf.
cn$ish
spirit).
MN*ON'".
REFINED GREEN RICE FILLS ONE WITH SPIRIT
FIFTHGRADE 729-731
FIFTH GRADE 726-728
726
H
utxr"ruRE
# €
ffi H
E A #
manufacruls
SEzd
refining
SEISEI
NIHONSEImadein Japan
lending its meaningof cut to
fr. is clothin g a20. 0l is system/ conrrol T22 q.v., here
shape. Thus cut clothes to shape,i.e. make clothes,later make/ manufacture in
a broad sense.
Mnemonic:SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING CLOTHING
727
fn i'*;.""
rax
ffi + zEIKIN
ffi,# Fn zEIMusHo taxoffice
ffi 1+tfi. sHoroKuzElinconrerax
*. is rice (plant) 81. f, is exchange524 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressdi.
vide and also lending connotationsof disperse/give away. Thus to divide up rice and
give (part of) it away, a referenceto paying a tithel tax. Suggesttaking {, literally
as elder brother X- 267 and away 'z $S.
Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER GMS
728
+
<rF
R
AWAY RICE'TAX
SEKI, semeru
LIABILITY, BLAME
I 1 strokes
P. t+ SEKININ responsibiliry
self-reProach
F F JISEKI
dutY
F. tX SEKIMU
popularly explainedto the effect that A is shell/ money 90 and :E is a vat'iantof
growth E 42,giving a meaningof growing/ accumulating money and by associasuchas
tion growing responsibilities / liabilities. A usefulmnemonic, but old forms
Here it actsphoneticallyto exfr show that i is in fact a variantof taper * SlZ.
lvhich
pressdemand, and may possiblyalso lend connotationsof sharp. Thus money
Chinese'and
can be demanded (sharply/promptly?),i.e. a loan/ debt (still retainedin
Blame
seealso debt/ loan le n92). A debtnecessarilyinvolvesthe idea of liability'
lend a mes,
is felt to stemfrom an associatedidea of culpability. Since728 often seemsto
'growing6oneY.
ing of accumulatein compounds(e.g.521and729) itis possiblethat the
is a concept
interpretationis oflong standing,thoughit is alsopossiblethat accumulation
associatedwith debVliability.
LIABILITY
Mnemonic:GROWING MONEY DEBTS MEAN GROWING
226
;,
ll["*"*ENr,sPrN
*T,*'#j
#ffi}:'iF
$F
27. A is blame/ liability 728 q.v., hereusedphoneticallyto expressjoin
f. is thread
andpossibly also lending an idea of accumulate. 729 originally referred to joining
threadsby spinning, and also had strongconnotationsof the amount of threadspun.
Amountled to the figurativeachievement.
BLAME THREADSFoR PooR ACHIEVEMENTSIN SPINNING
Mnemonic:
SETSU,tsuga
CONTACT, JOIN
11 strokes
730
E E UTNSETSU interview
1* frt sersUZoKU connection
f* A' E TSUcTME
ioint
{ is hand 32. { is an NGU charactermeaningconcubine.It wasoncewriten l, sno*ing that i, is a variant of (tanooist's)needte ( t+zz, while f is woman 35. some
interpretneedle fr. as symbolisingtartooedslave (see340), giving slave womscholars
an,but as it could also symbolisepenetrationand by extensioncopulation
fi may simply mean woman with whom one copulates. In fact, in view of its srong connorationsof join (e.g.with nee f 69 it gives the Co characrergraft
ft ) the laner explanation
seemsthe more likely. In the caseof 730 f,- actsphoneticallyto expresstake and
almost
certainlyalso lends a meaningof join, giving take someoneby the hand/ join
hands
andhenceeventuallyjoin/ contact in a broadsense.Suggesttaking g
as stand 73.
MNcmonic:JOIN HANDS WITII woMAN
731
ift
fix.
SETSU, mdkeru
ESTABLISH, BUILD
I I strokes
STANDING ALONE
# E snrcru
founding
=#
it sErrnt
design
# V SETSURITSU
foundine
oncewritten
$!, uut earlier still as i&, showing that words $ /!
isin fact a miscopyt Y , which is assumedto be a wedge
or
stake. Z-/k is a striking hand holdl:
.[g a utensil
(see153),in this casea malletor hammer. 731 originallymeantto set
Qout laying
foundations by driving in stakes, and hencecame to mean buird,
round,
and so fonh.
Mnernonic:
BUILD WITH WORDS, DESPITE HAMMER IN HAND
227
II
I
FIFTH GRADE 732-734
73:
#
4MU
F+-X.
i8]:"H'"" z'=
2t
11
)T
4a
11
ZESSEN war of wor6s
SHITATARAZU lispinr
BENZETSU eloquence
Once writren $ , showingmouth A 20 and dry/ forked thrusting weapon f 71
825 q.v. The latter actsphoneticallyto expressemerge,and also lendsits own connotations of thrusting out. It may also be felt to lend an idea of fork, a forked tongue beingq
distinctive symbol of a tongue in general. Thus that (forked item?) which thrusts
forth from the mouth, i.e. the tongue.
Mnemonic: TONGUE SHOWS DRY MOUTH
733
ZETSU,taeru,tatsu
CEASE,SEVER,END
12strokes
ffiq
ffifi6!
ffi,z-f
ZETSUBO
despair
ZETTAITEKI
absolute
unceasingiy
TAEZU
Formerly k?, andearlier p{, showing tnat E is not color 0' VS but a miscopyingof
bendingbody 2 tV,l45 andsword/cut .6 ln l8l. ft, isthread 27. P' actsphoneticallyto expressbend/ break and almostcertainlylendssimilar bendingconnotations
of its own (bendand break conceptuallyoverlapping).Thus to cut and break threads,
leading to sever and ceasein a broad sense. However, suggesttaking @, as color.
Mnemonic: SEVER COLORFUL THREADS
734
SEN. zeni
SEN, COIN, MONEY
14 strokes
zJ.ffi KOZENI small change
money
+ ffi KINSEN
offenory
6 T" ffi SAISEN
Formerly ffi , showing gold/ metal/ money $ t+ anatwo halberds { +ef q'n'
Since the latter often has connotationsof cutting away / reducing and by extension
small amount it is often assumedthatT34simply meanssmall amount of money'
This is a usefulmnemonic,but not quite correct. {. alsohasconnotationsof sharp' and
'134
notonly lendssucha meaningbut also actsphoneticallyto expressta'
in the caseof
per. E is usedin the senseof metal ratherthanmoney. The characteroriginally meant
sharp tapered piece of metal, and referredto a plowshare. Note that it still retains
this meaningin Chinese. Sinceone of the ancientChinesecoins (of smallvalue)resernit is
bled the shapeof the plow 734 carnebyassociationto be applied to this coin, though
retnpossiblethat this processmay also have beeninfluencedto someextent by a popular
ts
,s
In
Japaneseit
money).
as
ierpretationofthe elementsofthe character (or at leastof
Su9uppti.a by further associationto the sen coin, equivalentto one hundredthof a yen'
-6l halberds L 493.
gesttaking d as two
135
s
I.]IF'THGRADE735:737
ZEN, yoi
GOOD, VIRTUOUS
12strokes
oncewritten 3 , *a earlieras *W. + is sheep9g6q.v., herelendingits connotations
of fine andpraiseworthy. $3 is theold form of argue ie 4$ (literaly wordsf
274setagainsteachother).Thusa praiseworthyargument,i.e.a fine debate.This
larcrcameto meanfine or praiseworthyin a broadsense.Suggest
takingasa combina_
tionof sheep* ,one - 1,small ,1. 36,andmouth A 20.
SHEEPHAS ONE SMALL BUT GOOD MOUTH
Mnemonic:
736
in lk-"i.'".
4H ft, soSEN
ancesrors
ft, +E SENZO
ancestors
ffi A E SOFUBO grandparents
Formerly,f.f . fr17 is artar 695, here indicating (worship) gods.
fl is further.
more/ cairn 1091,here indicatingaccumulation and also felt
by some scholarsto act
phoneticallyto expressbeginning. Thus (worship)
an accumuration of gods
(going back to the beginning?). Gods
conceptualryoverlappedwith ancestors.
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE, AT ALTAR
oNE woRsHrps
737
SO, SU, moto
ELEMENT, BASE, BARE
l0 strokes
ANCESTORS
n * ceNso
P * voso
*,8 sunsru
element
factor
bare feet
*n.^
{ , showing thread Q. t fr zl and the prototype ih of droop
vot.
T::
$
rre htter actsphonetically
to expresswhite and almostcertainlyalso lendsconnotations
of
soft' Thus
soft white threads (i.e. silk), readingto white
sirkcloth. white silkcloth
representsomethingunpatterned and
thereforeundeveroped/ pristine in a
H:'o
-'"c. s€rS€,
giving erementar,basic, bare, etc. Suggest
taking f as a variantof life/
taw
E qz.
IVhCMONiC:
RAW THREADS ARE BARE AND BASIC
ELEMENTS
Mnemonic:TWO GOLD HALBERDS REDUCED TO MERE COIN
228
# ,e.o ZENI
goodfaith
#, * SHINZEN
friendship
#'& ffi. ZENGOSAKU remedv
229
FIFTH GRADE 738.740
FIFTI{GRADE 741-743
SO subete
WHOLE, TOTAL
14strokes
fihffi soceru
rotalamounr
SOCO
synthesis
ffi A
fiAretF sozuoeuw
)
pnme mlnl\ter
StS, hereacting
Formerlyf.ft
ft is thread 27. S. i, un old variantof window €.
phonetically to expressgather and possibly also lending an idea of widely (wide/ swggping being an associatedconceptwith window). Thus to gather threads (widely?),
eventuallyleadingto the idea of assemblingevery item in a categoryand hence$hole/
total. Suggesttaking f' as public 277 and r$ as hearil feeling 147'
Mnemonic: THREAD RUNS THROUGH PUBLIC FEELING
739
ZQ masu,fuerulyasu
INCREASE, BUILD UP
14strokes
141
i+
)€ trA zoseN
ZQ tsukurn
MAKE, BUILD
10strokes
^ E
€
MOKUZO
JINZO
shipbuilding
wooden
manmade
1354and proclaim V t+ qU q.v. The latOncewritten ,V$,showingboat H l+
ter acts phoneticallyto expressreach and may also lend its own loose connotationsof
reach (from the idea of reaching a point where words emergefrom the mouth)' Thus to
reach somewhereby boat, with boat fi later beingreplacedby movement L 129
to give just reach/ arrive andby extensionattain. Note that 739 still retainsthesemeanings in Chinese. It is not clear how it came to mean make/ build. Some scholarsassume
l'e'
it to be a borrowing, while others seeit as an associatedidea with traveling by boat'
general
the
to
leading
building a boat in order to reach the other side of a body of water,
idea of making somethingin order to attain a goal. The fact that in Chinese739 has snong
connotationsof acting with hasteand expediencysuggeststhe latter theoryis colrect'
Mnemonic: PROCLAIM THAT ONE HAS MADE A MOVE
rtRI* sozd
f i*
tfi, (*
imagination
woodenstarue
llOfUZO
ceNzo develoPing(film)
to the irn'
Person/ man { 39 and elephant/ image *. 533. 740 originally referred
age of a person, but is now usedof image in a broadsense.
Mnemonic: IMAGE OF ELEPHANT MAN
230
zaotl
ffi ffi, zaz\I
H fiE ZOfUfU
increase
taxincrease
amplitrcation
. f is earth 60. @ t &.
NGU characternow used to expressforFormerly*
"an
it originally meant build up (symbolically expressedas steamissuing forth A
but
nredy,
66froma rice cooker E 87, indicating a build up of steam/pressure).Thus 741 originala build up/ accumulation of earth, as in a rampartor dam, but now means
f meant
build up or increase in general. Suggesttaking f; as eight r I 66, field lp 59, and
daY A 62'
Mnemonic:BUILD UP EARTH IN FIELD OVER EIGHT DAYS
-r'
740
4&#**
IE)<
742
.#ilftf*fl;:]i:
H,lx*r.#:'""
Oncewrirten Flf, showingthat f is not shelVmoney
fl 90 but a simplificationof
kettle & 228. 17I ,1 it sword/cut l8l.
phonetically
acts
to expressmark/ cut
Q
(notches),and may also lend similar connotations(i.e.
the kettle may have beenmarked
witha seriesof notchesas a scaleof capacity).Thus cut marks,
a referenceto a scaleor
measure,leading to the presentmeanings. Suggesttaking
as
money.
f[
MNcmonic:RULES REGARDING THE
CUTTING oF MONEY
743
fflfl i,""11;lTih,*,o,
Hlfril::H -"Tffff::
Jr(.|
12strokes
#l b W V-\ HAKARIGATAT
hardto fathom
7. is water 40. qtis rure 742q.v.,here
usedin irs senseof measure.Thusmeasure
depth of) water, i.e. fathom.
Like the Englishterm,fathomis now usedin a
:oe
otoadsense.
Uh..NONi".
MEASURE WATER WITH FATHOM.RULE
231
rl
liI
FIFTHGRADE 744-745
744
iI
I
FIFT}IGRADE 746:748
ZOKU
BELONG, GENUS
12strokes
# E rnqzoru
ff E ruzoru
ffi A
metal
artached
,B*
commonly used of testicles),and take fi to act phoneticallyto expresscontinually
emerge. Thus that which continually emerges from a vagina, namely a succes.
sion of children. The childrenall belong to the samemother,and thus form a categg'
Ps7similarly to act litry (the latter leading to genus). Otherstake tail literally, and take
erally as caterpillar as well as acting phonetically to expressimmovable. The character
is then seenas a referenceto the habit of the caterpillar of coiling itself headto tail in whatis
in effect an immovable position. Belong is seenas deriving from the idea of the tail being
firmly joined to the headin such a position, and genus is seenas an associatedmeaning
fA E rorel
RETREAT,
wrrHDRAw .E ffi felSHOfU
9strokes
E {t ren
Often explained as movement L tZS and stop and stare k Ze\ the latter with its
connotauonsof turning back, to give move back. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect.
reveathat p is actually derived from sun g 62 andinverted
old forms suchas #
foot A 438 q.v., the latter lending its idea of coming down from above. Thus 746
originally referred to the movement of the setting sun, i.e. declination and by extensionwithdrawal and retreat. The graphic evolution of S into p (as opposedto f.
or p ) suggestsa longstandingconfusionwith stop and stare ft.
STOP AND STARE,THEN MOVE BACK IN RETREAT
Mnemonic:
747
TAI, kasu
LEND, LOAN
12strokes
€ H
HL+
H l- X
rAIHI
loan
KASHTKIN
loan
KASHryA houseto let
Mnemonic:LOAN IS REPLACEMENT MONEY
74E
74s
€.8
=nEAH:r#'"-$:
\\\l
tH L"#lL*"'
sliP of the tongue
phoneticallyto expressremove and
{ is hand 32. Q ismember 228q.v.,here acting
with a round
also lending its literal connotationsof round vessel. Thus to remove
com'
(i.e. cupped) hand. Removing some part led to the idea of being less than
plete/ full, i.e. having something missing, henceloss and spoil'
-- SERIOUS LOSS
TAI, waza, zama
APPEARANCE,INTENT
14strokes
tr H
ffi.4
,ff tr
TAIDO
TAISEI
wAzAwAzA
attitude
position
purposely
Somewhatobscure, though its elementsare
clearly heart/ feelings r\i. 147 and ability
lb rceq.v. Some scholarstake the lattsr to lend connotationsof
speed, giving quickly
changing feelings and
by extensionfeerings/ attitude/ intent/ appearance of the
monent. of the moment is then
assumedto have faded with time, leaving just appearanceand intent. others
take fif, tobeused primarily phonetically to expresspraiseworthy, as well
as lending an extendedideaof dependabre,thus giving praiseworthy dependable
heart/ spirit. Appearance and intent are then assumedto be borrowed
neanings.
MNCMONiC:
HAVE APPEARANCE OF ABLE HEART
232
retreat
retirement
aMication
shelvmoney fl 90 andreplace {.{ 33s,to express
the ideaof providing money
againsta surety.
GENUS?
Mnemonic: MEMBER HAS HAND MISSING
TAl,shirizokuikeru
as buttocks 236, and ft as
TO
Mnemonic: INSECT WITH BUTTOCKS, LEGS, AND HEAD BELONGS
WHICH
{ le
<C:-
ZOKUIIIEI genericnarn.
q.v.,while
Somewhatobscure. Formerly written
fu is avariantof tail f4 n3a
(specifically, alarge eyed @ 72 colled \
S is an NGU charactermeaningcaterpillar
655 insect E 56). Beyond this point opinions diverge. Somescholarstaketail ff- in its
euphemisticrole of genitals, specifically vagina (thoughit should be noted that it is more
from the idea of belonging (together). Suggesttaking /
/
insect fi, 56 with long legs f-J and head .
146 \;fl
233
FIFTH GRADE 749-751
749
F.]FTHGRADE752-754
DAN, TON
GROUP, BODY, MASS,
BALL, ROUND
6 strokes
group
M fA DANTAI
becl,fing
ffi M FUTON
Mffi DANKETSU solidriri
Formerly )€] n is a circle and/or a symbol of rotation (seerotate @ 86). * i, the
old form of exclusive ft Stl q.v., here lendingconnotationsboth of round and force
from its literal senseof spinning weight and also felt by somescholarsto lend its soLrnd
to expressround. 749 originally referredto something made round, i.e. a ball. gy
extensionthis came to mean lump, mass, body, etc. Group is also generallyseenas
an extensionof the idea of compressing,though somescholarsseeit rather as derivins
from circle (of people). The modernform usesjust the measur€/hand element .t COd
o t9 .
MEASURED CIRCLE PRODUCES WELL ROUNDED GROUP
DAN, kotowaru, tatsu
cur, DECLTNE,WARN,
JUDGE,BE DECISIVE frf
ffi-
I I strokes
SETSUDAN amputrtion
DANGEN
affirmation
KOTOWARIGAKI
p r()\.1
so
FormerlyW
ll is ax I176, hereindicatingcutting cleanly. ffi is an elementindicating cut threads (truncatedthreads A lll and a symbolof cutting/compartmenringb. ).
Thus to cut threads cleanly, later cut cleanly in general. This gave rise to a rangr:of
extendedand associatedmeanings,such as to be decisive and hencejudge, decline,
etc. (cf. the cutting connotationsof the English deqisive). Suggesttaking the moderniurm
$ asrice *201 inacorner L.
CHQ haru
STRETCH
1I strokes
1s2
*' ffi SguCuO
ffr dfi rerUCHo
nffi b MIHARU
836. fr is long 173,hereactingphonetically
to express
swelucurve outa is bow
also
lending
its
and
connotations
of
drawn
out.
Thusto draw out bow till it
flards
curves'i.e.stretch.
DRAW LONGBOW TO FULL STRETCH
Mnernonic:
TEI, CHO sageru
HOLD, CARRY, OFFER
12strokes
753
*,€
building
KENCHIKU
KENCHIKUKA architect
KIZUKINAOSU rebLrild
#Effi retsrrurSUpresentation
BfrfE zer.rrel
premise
f€ tkl cgocruN*
lantern
f is hand 32. ft- is proper 910 q.v. The latter actsphoneticalryto expresshord, but
its semanticrole is not clear. It is possiblethat it lends its later meaningof proper, to give
hold properly in the hands (as when formally offering/ presenting something),
but
alsopossiblethat from its literal meaningof spoon it lends an extendedmeaning
of scoop
up' giving scoop up with the hands. Offer/ present can then be taken
as an extended meaningof hold/ carry. Somewharconfusingly,753 is now also
usedfor dangling
somethingfrom the hands,suchas a bucketor similar (seealso sageru
T- T).
Mnemonic:HOLD pROpERLy IN HAND
7s4
E E repo
rE& rerer
Mnemonic:DECISIVELY DECLINE RICE CUT WITH AX IN CORNER
CHIKU, kizuku
BUILD
l6 snokes
assertion
extension
guard
+i,;ll#:ABour,
E fi t^ HoDocHIKAI
degree
process
near
,4. is tree/ wood 69. Tfu is an NGU charactermeaningpercussion instrument lt.
comprisesbamboo tlf 170and ftt, which was originally written r\. This showsa hano
holding a plectrum/ stick or similar \ and the instrumentitself T- (possiblya string),and
referredto a stringedinstrumentstruckwith bamboo.Here fifi" actsphoneticallyto express
pound and lends similar connotationsof striking. 751 originally referredto a rvooden
stamper usedfor tamping down groundprior to building, and later cameto refer to the act
of building itself. Suggesttaking t as work 113 and f-1.as mediocre 1827.
sornewhatobscure.
f is rice prant g1. f ispresent (verbar report) 1611. some
scholarsfeel that
754 originally meant present a verbar report concerning the rice
crop, and that
this involved estimation/ approximation, thus leading to the present
meanings(cf.
English in the order of). others feel that
E. actspurely phoneticallyto
ex-press
arrange in order, giving pire up harvested
rice in an orderry fashion.
urder is then
felt to havegivenrise to the associated
meaningof degree/extent. Suggest
t&ing g
as mouth p 20 and king g 5.
Mnemonic: MEDIOCRE WORK WITH WOOD AND BAMBOO IN BUILDING
Mnemonic:
To AN EXTENT, RICE ENDS Up IN KING'S MOUTH
234
235
|,il
I
FIFTHGRADE 755.757
/tt
FIFTHGRADE 758:7ffi
TEKI
SUITABLE, FIT, GO
14strokes
rH * tgffrOna
,64!L rexrSPI
suirabte
uptituo.
fouowins
l6/fr rsKKr leading,
i is movement 129. fi1 is aCO charactermeaningbase/starting point. The latter
is of somewhatunclear etymology, though it is known that fi is a variant of emperor/
altar ffi 1616q.v. Somescholarstake this in its early senseof altar and take E 3' n
block at the base of same. Others take ft as emperor and take g to be mouth/ say
20, giving emperor's words, which were seenas the basis/ starting point of all nstions. In compounds frfr oftenlends a meaningof appropriate, suggestingthat the latter
theory is corect. Here it lends sucha meaning,and also actsphonetically to expresspro.
ceed. Thus to proceed in an appropriate fashion, leading to go about one's
business and eventually go in a broad sense(now a minor meaning in Japanese,but reasonablymajor in Chinese). Suitable is felt by some scholarsto result from confusion
with match 1tg lS0 q.v., and by othersto be an extensionfrom proceedingin an appropriate fashion. 755 also occasionallyhas a meaningof by chance,which is felt to stem
from the idea of things happeningby chanceto be suitable. Suggesttahng ffi as a combinationof emperor S and old # 109.
Mnemonic: MOVE IN MANNER BEFITTING OLD EMPEROR
7s6
ht
lf^1'a'll'ifi"*'
hostility
ffiH rexn
ft ffi uurgxr no matchless
ffi-d b KATAKIUCHI vendetta
( is strike 101, here meaningattacld fight. $1 is base/startingpoint 755 q.v., hereacting phoneticallyto expressequivalenceas well as lendingits connotationsof appropri'
ate. Thus to fight with someone appropriately matched, leadingto both enemy
and match. Suggesttaking fi as a combinationof empero, fr 1616and old fr 109'
as well as rememberingby associationwith suitable ifil 755.
iss
$n fo8:,..i}I"""
ffi ( DozD
ffiH. mx,A
tr ffi SEID6
bronze
srarue
coppercoin
b,ronze
metal 14. IA is same 187, usedphonetically to expressred and possibly also be$ is
as a phoneticdue to its similarity to red J* 1563. Red metal is a referenceto
ingchosen
meaningliterally red metal).
(akagane
.opper
COPPERIS SAME METAL AS RED METAL
Mnemonic:
759
DQ michibilu
GUIDE, LEAD
15strokes
+E€ sHIDo
guidance
+ € f& snuDoKEN initiative
E € DEND6
conduction
Hand/ measure -f SOS,heremeaningcareful use of the hand, and road/ way 1[
188. Thus to lead someonecarefully along the road by hand, now lead/ guide
in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:MEASURED GUIDING HAND LEADS ALONG WAY
760
TOKU
SPECIAL
10strokes
# E roKUcHO
forte
ffi E ToKUYUno peculiar
H@, ToKUSHoKU
characteristic
ft is thread 27. #, is full 1362 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressbeginning
and also lending similar connotationsfrom its literal meaningof newborn babe(i.e. at the
ltsbeginningof its life). Thus the beginning of a thread. Sincethis is also the sameas
of
idea
The
tineage.
and
by
extension
end,757came to mean thread from end to end,
following a threadfrom end to end led to overview and supervise.
Somewhatobscure,though its elementsare clearly cow/bull * 97 and.temple
+ 133.
Somescholarstake the elementsto be used ideographically, giving cow/bull in temple
grounds. Such a creature,which was kept for sacrifice,
was usually a bulr, moreover a
bull of outstandingand thus special quality (seealso sacrifice
M., tt+01. others take f
to be usedpurely phonetically to expressmale (as
an alternativeto male/warrior * 494,
both charactershaving the samepronunciation
SHI at the time), thus giving male cow,
t'e' bull. Special is
then taken to be a borrowedmeaning. However, this theory does
not accountfor the
difference between I!
andthe NGU characterbull/male tf , which
doesuse male f,
, nor is it clear why there should be any needto replacethe three stroke
character
t with the six stroke.f,, especiallysincethe latter hasno intrinsic semanticrelevanceto the
conceptof male. Note that in Chinese760 can still mean bull and male (the
utter presumably
being an associatedmeaningof bull if the former theory is followed).
Mnemonic:SUPERVISE LINEAGE FULL OF THREADS
5"toni.,
Mnemonic: OLD EMPEROR STRI KES SUITABLY MATCHED ENEMY
7s7
#:{{f"F',
ftn
LINEAGE
236
6ffi nemd
ffi-=J rOfSI
xffi'fiA nerronYd
radition
statistics
President
SPECIAL BULL SENT TO TEMPLE
237
lll[
FIFTH GRADE 761-763
76'
:t
+
TOKU, eru,uru
GAIN, POTENTIAL
I 1 strokes
{S ,*, ronurEN marks,5q61.
incorne
ff {S sgororu
possible
E 9 R 6 ARIURU
Originally E!1, showingshelf money/valuable item F€tF, 90 and a hand d, andindicating obtaining something valuable. Hand \ was later replacedby measure/
hand <f 909, presumablylendingan idea of handle carefully. Go/ move { 118
was addedat a still later stageto give a meaningof go somewhere to obtain someth.
ing valuable. This led to do something (potentially) to one's gain. Suggesttaking *
as day A 62, one -
1, and measure {.
164
t+
,lt\l
E ffi lOrOrU
lE,#, TOKUGI
ffi,rtt1 TOKKURI*
moratity
integrity
saketxrttle
Formerly ,4&-. andearlier $
'v is heart/ feeling 147. & is a variantof direc/ upright fu 349. Thus upright heart, meaningvirtue. Go/ move / 118was added
later, with @ being usedphoneticallyto expresslofty and also lendingconnotationsof
steep, to give go to a steep and lofty place, but eventually the meaning revertedto
thatof {, ,i.". virtue. Suggesttaking + as ten 33 and @ aseye72.
Mnemonic: MOVE THAT VIRTUOUS HEART IS WORTH TEN EYES
763
{B;[1ft:ui*'*"
IAi€
\fr 9 =
'S V
DOKUEI Anglo-German
HlTozucoro soliloquv
DOKURITSU
indePendence
Formerly,ffi . h is dog 17. fr is caterpillarT44q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressfight and probablyalso lending a meaningof join firmly together. 763 originally referredto dogs locked together in a fight so tightly that they are inseparable and
as if one body. This later came to mean as if one in a broad sense,leadingto alone'
763 is also usedto refer to Germany (Deutschland/paitsu). The modernform usesin'
sect S, 56.
Mnemonic:INSECT.RIDDEN GERMAN SHEPTIERD DOG IS LEFT ALONE
238
ff -ft l.Ilr.ntagl
appointrnent
ff H urq no
optional
R tr X SEKIMNSHA
personin charge
ENTRUSTJEWELS TO PERSONON DUTY
Mnemonic:
765
i4suokes
NIN, makasera
DUTY, ENTRUST
6 strokes
,{ is person 39. + derives from f , a spindleon which threadis wound. The latter acts
phoneticallyto expressburden and also lends similar connotationsof carrying/ bearing.
Thusthe burden borne by a person, leading to duty and by associationgiving/ enFusting a duty to a person. Suggesttaktng ! as a variant of jewel t 102.
M n e m o n i c : M E A S U RP
EO T E N T I A L G A I N S I N M O V E M E N T O V E R O N E D A Y
:____
?rG;;;,
FIFTI{ GRADE 7&-76
\\\
NEN, moeralyasa
BURN
16strokes
ffi Fi- lnxnvo
f* BE weNsno
'ffi t- ff ( uorrsuru
fuet
combustion
ignite
Originallythe sameas duly/ roast dog meat f:. 52g q.v.(titerally fire ,,.. 8, dogf.17,and meat i{ 365), but with an extra fire l( 8 addedwhen fI. underwenta change
in meaning.
Mnemonic:DOG MEAT DULY BURNS WITH EXTRA FIRE
766
ftH
NO ator
ABILITY, CAN, NOH
l0 strokes
El 6E,l+ KANOSET possibility
62 )] NORYOKU
AbiIitY
6E H NOUSN
Nohmask
Originally
&l., showlngclaws and chest t(, head or body 6 , and flesh/ of the
body ,f / n 365. Later forms suchas
$f ,t o* ,,ose b / b 134 insteadof body/
head 6 . Thus creature with fleshy
body, craws, and prominent head/ nose,a
referenceto the bear. (Some
scholarsfeel that fi also actsphonetically to give black,
t-"' bt""t bear.)
Bear is now conveyedin practiceby the NGU character
ffi , that adds
fit" "" 8, but it should
be noted that ffi technically meansraging fire (literally a lue as
lnonc and fierce as a bear),a meaning still found by associationin the lessermeaningof
highv glare that ff6.
has in chinese.Ability/ can is assumedby some scholarsto be a
meaning,and by othen to be an associatedmeaningstemmingfrom the attributes
:y:**
wr
a bear(strength,agility,
etc.). In Japanese
766 also refersto Noh drama, which appearsto
be an extensionfrom abilirv.
YNCMONiC:FLESHYBEARWITHCLAWS AND NOSE CAN PERFORM NOH
239
FIFTI{ GRADE 770:772
FIFTH GRADE 767-769
767
6a;i;'^?5[ffi
HAN
PRINT, BOARD
8 strokes
bankruptcy
6&E HeseN
damage
W-tR nAsoN
YABUREME
teal
1rtfu tr
fr f,n #
trE E
SHUIPANSHApublisher
HANGA woodcutprint
f,n tE HANKEN
copyright
phoneticallyto expresssmall piece an6
I is rock 45. IL is skin 374q.v., hereacting
into small
also lending an idea of pulling/breaking apart. Thus to break a rock
pieces,later break in a generalsense.Possiblybecauseof the presenceof skin, which
piece of wood969. I isoppose 37I q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto exfi isthin
presscut thinly and possibly also lending an idea of reversible (a board being reversiblc). Thus thin wooden board. 770 is very similar to board ffi 373, but has come to
may be felt to suggestclothing or material, it has also acquiredparticular connotationsof
tearing.
acquireparticular connotationsof an engraved plate or block usedin printing, and by extensionPrinting and Print.
Mnemonic: SKIN A ROCK!? MUST MEAN BREAK IT
Mnemonic:OPPOSED WOODEN BOARD MAKES PRINT
768
{gi;x;,i':,'s?,
dEA
lE €
\P.+ +
criminal
HelfNnI
malice
HAI.U
HANZAIGAKU
criminology
(to all intents and purposea variant of
N is dog 17. c is a slumped/prone figure
in'
slumpedfrgure V 238), which is felt by some scholarsto lend its sound to express
jure as well as lending its own idea of injured person. Thus person injured by dog'
and
leading to assault and a number of associatedand derived meaningssuch as crime
commit.
DOG COMMITS CRIME OF ASSAULTING PRONE PERSON
MNEMONiC:
76s
+,I
*l Ef rnNonN
+rJ+ HANII
#l f nemco
srzE
I,i;x":tlAL,
judgment
judge
seal
Personal
in two
rl is sword/cut l8l. * is half 195 q.v., here usedin its literal senseof cut
cameby associaand by extensiondissect. Not unlike dividel understand h lgg'this
led to engraving ano.
tion to mean analyse,judge, etc. The idea of cutting finely also
this is assurned
henceseal. It is not clear how it also came to mean size (in printing), but
to stemfrom the idea of cutting to size.
Mnemonic: CUT IN HALF
711
Hl, kuraberu
COMPARE,RATIO
4 strokes
companson
once written l( , showing two figures sitting next to each other. This led to the
ideaof comparison, while ratio is an associatedmeaningwith compare.
Mnemonic:COMPARE TWO PERSONS SITTING SIDE By SIDE
772 it;;;J:';x.,""
nE
EEf,+ HIRYd
fertiliser
,[8 iffi rmaeN
corpulence
EEz X. KOETSUCHI richsoil
i is tlesh/of the body 365. @ is bending body (i.e. person not standing) 145.
Somescholarstake
the elementsto be usedideographically,to convey the idea of a person
too fleshy (i.e.
fat) to stand up properly. Otherstake g to be usedphonetically
to expressincrease/
add, to give added flesh (or possibly that added to the body),
i'e' layer of
fat. A combination of both theoriesseemspossible. Enrich is an associated
ncaning with
faV fatten.
!hCMONiC:
FLESHY BENDING BODY HAS BEEN FATTENED
-'A JUDGMENT WITH SOLOMON'S SEAL
240
Ib fU runBl
proportion
Lt,*t HKAKU
comparison
k "\ +fu KURABEMoNo
241
Ii ,l I
l
FtrTHGRADE776-779
FIFTH GRADE 773-775
773
9F
/F A
rumN
'non-perso.'
+F6 W Et rucorureru irradcinat
i',T,J.'FAuLr/F fi
ruxO
;'
misdemean6p
Originally .YV, depictingthe wings of a bird spreading apart as it flies off. 773 originally meant to move in opposite directions, then, not unlike oppose ( 37I q.v.,
cameto meananti- and by extensionun- andnot. Going in oppositionto somethingle6
by associationto misdemeanor or fault, i.e. going againstthe rules.
::E
tl
Bl, sonaerulwaru
EQUIP, PREPARE
12 strokes
faciliries
4;ffisefsunl
prepulrion
JUNBTCHUin
4ffi+
4ffiL 4t hi solrnersuKE
equlprnent
Somewhatobscure. ,{ is person 39. ffi is felt by many scholarsto derivefrom &, a
quiver with arrows in it. Thus a person equipped with arrows, i.e. prepared to
fight. Later forms such as ffi and fi1 upp"- to show confusion with use f( / E
215,presumablybecauseof the similarityboth graphicallyand semantically.Suggesttak114).
ing ffi asuse ffi,grass +f gandroof 7 (variant f
Mnemonic:PERSON EQUIPPED WITH GRASS USES IT FOR ROOF
IPPYO
one bag
KOMEDAWARAricesack
DOHY6
sumoring
sandbag,
list/
A somewhatobscurecharacterof relatively late origin, comprising person 4 39 and
light/
show ft 379. Some scholarsfeel the latter actspurely phoneticallyto express
dis'
(including
nimble, giving light and nimble person, and that its presentmeanings
(its sote
tribute in Chinese)are borrowed. However,the Chinesemeaningof distribute
remeaning)suggeststhe possibilitythat personsto whom distributionswere madewere
Discordedon a list, i.e. that the elementsactedideographicallyto give listed persons'
these
tributionsmight also havebeenmadein sacks and bags,thoughit is not clearwhy
R fu HINKETSU
A E HINKON
RZ L BI]rTBOJIN
242
anemia
povefty
pauper
E is shelVmoney 90, heremeaningwealth. 6' is cut up/ divide 199 q.v., heremeaning reduce to miniscule pieces. Thus wealth reduced to a miniscule amount,
givingboth poor and by associationmeager.
Mnemonic:MONEY DMDED.
SO NOW POOR
E;ENF HAIFU
+ tfr MoFU
TFTfu,NUNoJI
Oncewritten
ir/ fr is an NGU characternow meaning towel but clearly showing
S.
threads and generallyhaving a meaningof cloth in compounds,as here. \is hand
holding stick/ strike 101, simplified in the modern form ro just hand / 2. Thus
hand beating cloth, i.e. hemp or similar, now cloth in general. Spread/ stretch is an
associated
meaning.
MNCMonic:HAND WORKS ON SPREAD oF cLoTH
l]fr ^
+ {d
{d R
FU
WOMAN, WIFE
I I strokes
Wornan
Pt
+
THREADS
FUJIN
SHUFU
FUCHO
woman
housewife
chiefnurse
{ iS anohand holding broom fr vo q.u. Seealsowife/ womanholding
681. Somescholars
feelthat fi actspurelyphonetically
to express
elegant,
$ving elegantwoman, but
this is not convincingin view of 96 and 6gl.
MNCMONiC:
WOMAN HOLDING BROOM MAY BE WIFE
Mnemonic:LISTED PERSONS RECEM
notoriety
388, giving even/ balanced words, i.e. fair ap-
HIN, BIN, mazushii
POOR, MEAGER
1l strokes
'#
meaningsare not also found in Chinese.
* "1' eXUrrVO
Mnemonic:EVEN WORDS ARE FAIR COMMENT
-#
77s tr&Sru
#
{fr
12strokes
274 and flat/ even ft
Words Z
comment.
graistll
Mnemonic: WINGS UNFOLD -- NOT A FAULT
774
3i,?,",r',
coMMENr
#ff HBfi. ,:iffi:#
SACKS
243
iI
FIFTI{ GRADE 780.782
780
g
E
FIFTI{GRADE 783-785
FU, FU, tomi, tomu
WEALTH, RICHES
12strokes
H rc FUY0
wealth
lonery
H ( ll ToMIKUJI
H + ilt FUJISAN MountFuii
FUKU
DOUBLE, AGAIN
14strokes
H fE.
EW
w.M
CHOFUKU
repetition
FUKUSEI reproduction
FUKUZATSU complexity
386. The latter acts phonetically to expressrich and
also lends its own connotationsof full. Thus house full of riches, later just riches/
'6
wealth. Suggesttaking
as single - 1 entrance g 2Oto field 9 59.
clothing v 420 and go back K 782 q.v:, herewith connorationsof duplicate. Thus
p duplicate clothing, i.e. wear double layers. clothing graduallyfaded to leavejust
duplicateldosomethingagainl doubre. Suggesttakingra asperson F 39,sun
g 62, andsitting crosslegged (.
AT SINGLE ENTRANCE TO FIELD GROWS WEALTHY
Mnemonic:HOUSE
Mnemonic:PERSoNCROSSLEGGED IN suN wrrH
Roof/ house -
28 and full
Z
BU, MU
fr + iE BUSHIDO warriorcode
weapon
MILITARY, WARRIOR
fr ?* nurl
g strokes
warrior
fi # MUSHA
781
Oncewritten ,fi . tf isfoot l29,here meaningadvance (on foot). { ishatberd
493. Thus advance on foot with a halberd, a referenceto a warrior and by extension things military. The reasonfor the changeof strokearrangementin the modern
form ( { going to {) is not clear,but it is assumedto be a stylistic variation.
Mnemonic: WARRIOR ADVANCES ON FOOT WITH HALBERD
782
1L
6
FUKU
AGAIN, REPEAT
12strokes
,&
ffi FUKKATSU revival
@,& KAIFUKU recovery
.EE FUKUSHO revision
Q is aCO charactermeaninggo back. It derivesfrom a food containerof reversible
shape p (now ki ), indicatingreverse,andinvertedfoot 4- 438 q.v., herein its sense
of go somewhere and stop. Thus to go somewhere and then reverse (ones
steps),an idea reinforced in the caseof 7 82 by the addition of go N I I 8. It is still occaa
sionallyfound in the senseof return, but in generalhascome to meanredo/ repeat in
broad sense. Suggesttaking rV as person r 39, sun B 62, andsitting cross'
legged 4r.
Mnemonic: PERSON GOES REPEATEDLY TO SIT CROSSLEGGED IN SUN
794 D I
E '_
tlA
DouBLE
CLOTHING!
BUTSU, FUTSU,hotoke ,f/.#f suKKvO
Buddhism
BUDDHA,FRANCE
pl,fA rosursu
death
4strokes
aE(LNoDoBoroKE
Adam's apple
Formerly lfr . 4 is person 39, while ft is unwind/ disperse/not 567 q.v. The lauer
actsphoneticallyto expressresemble, and may also lend an idea of not. Thus 7g4
origi_
nally meant resernblea person (but not reauy a person?). It was then
borrowedto
expressthe BU ofBuddha (possiblyalso being consideredto havean appropriate
senseof
he who resemblesa [normar] person but is not), and also to express
the FU of Furansu/France. Suggesttaking ( as nose 134.
Mnemonic: BUDDHA HAS PROMINENT NOSE
785
HEN, arnz
EDIT, KNIT, BOOK
15strokes
HENSHUSHA ed.itor
ffi*#
ffi FI FIENSEI
compilation
ffi 4 +fu AMIMoNo
knitting
;ft-is.thread 27. fr rs an NGU characternow meaninglevel or small, but its
original
was doorplate (still retainedin chinese). It comprisesdoor p
l}gand book/
T:it-"c
uundleof bound
writing tabrets m /++ g74q.v.,thelatterindicatingwriting tabwriting tablet at the door. Its presentmeaningsare presumabry
extensions,since
:::.T"t
flat -- giving lever -- and sma[. It shouldarsobe notedthat in
compounds ft
H::*:ft
to lend an idea of to one side,presumablybecausethe doorplatewas
ill1t]i:i't:ppears
door. In the caseof 7g5
ffi seemsto be misused,lending a meaningof
;"":".:1:tthe
*'tq
logether that is properlyconveyed
by
tfi rather thanffi, and also actsphonetical'r tu express
arranse in order. Thus to bind together in ordered arrangement
usingthreads,
leadiig to knit on rhe one handand edit/ compitation
on the other.
IIETNONiC:
BOOKS BOUND WITH THREAD LEFT AT EDITOR'S
DOOR
244
245
FIFTHGRADE788-789
786
SPEECH, KNow,
PETAL, BRAID
packedlunch
packed
BENTO
BENT6
tunch
argunent
seNRoN
fffi
VAIVE
JIflF BENMAKU
1t
Jl \
BEN
vALvE,
188
4 i& gOCFil
graveyard
€ H nOrrvO
gravemarker
H4 9 HAKAMAru gravevisit
BO, haka
GRAVE
13strokes
5 strokes
An awkward characterin that it is actuallyfour separatecharacters,being the modernforrn
of speech fi{ , knowle dge 4,W , valve/petal {N , *d braid ffi . In all casesthe
key elementis 'i{ , which is a doublingof needle/ sharp f 1432 andbasicallymeans
great sharpnessor penetration. In the caseof speechF+ ft combineswith words/
speak A 274 q.v. (itself formed from needleand mouth), to give very penetrative/ articutate words. In the caseof knowledge A* it combineswith sword/ cut tl 181,
here usedin the senseof incisiveness/analysis (seealso 199 and 769), to give penetit combineswith melon tl\ I Z:q to
rative analysis. In the caseof valve/ petal ffi
give cut open a melon cleanly, leading by extensionto that which opens cleanl-v,
suchas a petal and valve. In the caseof braid #{ it almostcertainlyactsin the literal
senseof needle and by extensionsew, combining with thread A. Zl to give sew
threads. ff itself derivesf.om ft , showingtwo hands 7{ offering up a cap (of
office) A , and originally indicatedsomeonebeing raised to a certain rank or position (a meaning still retainedin Chinese). It was then borrowed as a simple phonetic substitute for the above four characters. Suggesttaking A as nose 134 and 7f as trvo
tens t
Mnemonic:SPEECH ABOUT TWENTY NOSES!?
{R
extensionto undefined and even unlimited and vast. Here it acts phoneticallyto expresscover and also lends such connotationsas covered, out of sight, and ceasing
to exist. Thus to cover with earth that which has ceasedto exist, i.e. bury the
dead,leadingto grave. Suggesttaking -rr as grass, a as sun, and r'<- as a variant
ofbig K 53.
Mnemonic:SUN SHINES ON BIG, GRASS COVERED, EARTHEN GRAVE
789
33, i.e. twenty.
787
60. 7 is an NGU characternow mostly usedto expressnot. It derivesfrom
J, is earth
sun Q 62 and grass/plants YY 9. confusingly, whereassun among
$, showin8
ptants fl t fl tls meanssun rising, this sun among (many) plants $/ p .rr"un.
nts,that addsan extrasun B ).
sunsetting (a meaningseenmost clearlyin sunset {
it
often
lends
a
meaning
in
result
compounds
of sinking out of sight, disappearAs a
ing, hidden, ceasing to exist (from which it takes its presentmeaning of not), and
occasionallyextendedmeaningsfrom hidden of obscure and vague, leading by further
HO, Hq tamotsa
6ER KAKUHO
PRESERVE.MAINTAIN
RH
HOZON
securitY
preservation
SEIMEIHOKEN
+.1-',r.ffiVt
9 strokes
life insurance
Oncewritten 4* andlater 4 . 4 is person 39 (heremother or nursemaid) and I
the
/ :L is child 25. / indicatesa carrying blanket by which the child was strappedto
mother'sback. The reasonfor the later stroke I is unclear,but it is assumedto represent
the idea of the blanketthoroughly wrappingthe child (i.e. on atl sides).A motherwith
a child strappedto her backcameto symbolisecare and protection, with maintain beinB
an extendedmeaning. Wrappedchild f; later becamegraphicallyconfusedwith treel
69. Suggesttaking fr as wood 4 and box s .
wood t
HQ mukuira
REPORT,REWARD
12strokes
f is not good fortune S 279,though it may be useful to rememberit as such,but
prisoner/ criminal 233 q.v.
F_ derivesfrom pq,showinga hand .t seizing a per_
son
) (actually bendingperson/buuocks236, indicating being seizedfrom behind).7g9
originallyreferredto seizinga criminal,
readingby extensionto pronouncingjudgment
and meting out justice. Thus give
to
someone that which they deserve,i.e. reward in the full (not just positive)
sense. Report is felt by some scholarsto be a borrowedmeaning,
and by othersto be an associatedmeaningconnectedwith thejudicial process.
MNCMONiC:
BY GOOD FORTUNE SEIZE PERSON, REPORT FOR REWARD
Mnemonic:PERSON PRESERVED IN WOODEN BOX
246
+R€ HoKoKU
repon
€ +R DENpo
telegram
uOSnU compensation
fR 6,111
247
Ii
I
nffi
FtrTI{GRADE793:795
FrFrHGRADE7so-7s2
l-o^
790
dt
*tf
g,
.,..
HQ yuta,tc
lrd
ABUNDANT, RICH
13strokes
uno {.
Formerly H , -d earlle, p
$ ,no*, food vessel ptus edible plant i
450, with additional plants Yf (variant growing plant $. 42). Thus food vessel full
of edible plants, indicating abundance and plenty. Later forms appeal to have confused plant V with a further vessel 'JJ / LJ, and to have usedfood vessel I 1640in
-g
as opposedto 9 ). * is
its modern form (i.e. with the extra top stroke , giving
261.
bend
as
taking
&
alsoa variantofplant {. . Suggest
Mnemonic: FOOD VESSEL BENDS UNDER WEIGHT OF RICH CONTENT
7sr
rr
gonyoru
Bq BAKU, abarerulku
*,
violence
VIOLENCE, EXPOSE
# ffi nexuno
exposure
15strokes
* *L # ABAREMONOroughneck
goodharvest
€ {f uosnru
HOru
na
rich
H H
€ iffi UOUANna corpulent
T ffi- voso
ffi zk nosul
W fu B6ET
iiTi'itDEFEND
preventlon
waterproof
.^
yf,1, showing rice * 201, sun o 62, and.f{, ttre prototype of
offer f,<
once written
fl93 compising two hands v{ offering up a thickly growing plant f (variant growing
pll,rnt 4 42). 793 originally meant expose rice to the sun (to dry it), then came to
nean exposein general. Violence is popularly believed to be an associatedmeaningrehted to torture by exposureto the sun. Though useful as a mnemonic, this is almost cerBinly incorrect. The word abaku can mean both divulge and violate a grave, suggesting stronglythat violence stemsfrom violate, which in turn stemsfrom taying bare/
open (disturbingprivacy/ sanctity). Suggesttaking { as together 460, and ;1,. as an
'insufficient' variant of waterK
+0.
To VI0LENT suN TOGETHER WITH INsuFFICIENT
Mnemonic:EXPOSED
WATER
defense
794
MI, mada
IMMATURE, NOT YET
5 strokes
f ZZSand side fr 204. Thus a hill/ embankment to one
side, which came to symbolisedefenseand by extensionprevention.
Hill/
embankment
Mnemonic: DEFENSM
HILL TO ONE SIDE PREVENTS ATTACK
BO
TRADE, EXCHANGE
12strokes
trading
H.D# ndErucYo
wind
trade
s6Exrr0
R
H- h
Fader
sosKrsHA
H.n#
Tree fr. 69 with additional branches - at the top. originally the same
as end/tip R
587q.v., but in time the shoner tip of 794 came to indicatestill growing/
immature/
not yet complete.
MNEmonic:GROWTH oF IMMATURE TREE NoT
YET FINISHED
79s
p is shelVmoney/ valuable item 90. 67J derivesfrom 4F, showing a horse's bit'
Here it actsphonetically to expressexchange,and almost certainly also lends its own idea
of controlled change (from the role of the bit). Thus controlled exchange of items
for money (or other valuable items), i.e. trade. Suggesttaking 77 as sword 181
and 6 as a symbol ofbending.
Mnemonic: EXCHANGE BENT SWORD FOR MONEY IN TRADE DEAL
^ X MIRAI
future
* *il MICHI
unknown
* * MADAMADA
StiII
MIJ,tsutomeru
(rERFoRM)DUTv
<]T
?$'
^,l!-a
'\t
lt
ll strokes
#ffi crMU
+ ffi m JMUSHo
w,ffi
SHOKUMU jobduties
7'r' is a co characternow meaningperform a task/ work.
It compriseslance/halberd
q.v. and strike/force
,
r0l, and originally meantforce someoneat ranceI
.1843
do something. In time both rance-pointand the causativefaded
to leavejust
::tl:something/
qu
"
perform a task. Here it is reinforced by strengtty' effort
/l 74, giv_
ln8 perform
a task/ duty with effort.
MNCMONiC:
LANCE FORCES EFFORT IN PERFORMING DUTY
248
duty
orfice
249
if
,tF
tii
runrH GRADE7e6-798
'|796
796
#
D_
t \\\
FIFTHGRADE799-801
ft f* vn-nvo
I\{U.
MU, BU,
B nailshi
NOT, NONE,
CEASETO BE
12strokes
ftS
tr(46
freeof charg.
nun na
safe
NAKUNARU vanish
Of somewhatconfusedand obscureetyrnology.#l derivesfrom q7, later stylisedkr.{9.
showing a dancer * (p.tron 53) with exaggeratedlytasseled sleeves iA/XX. r'ne
original meaningwas dance (with flappingsleeves),a meaningnow conveyedby dance
S tlSt q.v. +m was then borrowed phonetically to expressnot/ ceaseto be, thoughi1
is not clear why such a complex charactershould have been chosen.Ceaseto be/ die I
973 was addedlater for clarity, though confusingly its modernmuch abbreviatedform ,..r
isidenticaltofire r,..$. Furtherconfusioniscausedbyanintermediateform$';,1n
which the tasseledsleeveslook very similar to trees X{ l*+- 69. In fact, R doesexist
in Chineseas a corrupt variant of F, causingsomescholarsto evolve convolutedtheories
linking trees,dance,and ceaseto exist. Suggesttaking ,,.r as fire/ burn and ffi asa
sheafof wheat.
199
+h
MEI, mayou
XE6 MEIRO
BE LOST, PERPLEXED #ry MEIMU
9 snokes
X h + MAYOIGO
nraze
illusion
lostchild
i is movement L29. )ft. is rice 201, acting here phoneticallyto expressuncertain.
Thus uncertain movement, as when one is lost or perplexed. It is not clear why /was chosenas a phonetic,but it is possiblethat it was at one stageconfusedwith not yet
(finished)k nq q.v., giving movementunableto be completed(dueto uncertainty).*
may in turn havebeenintendedas a simpler version of ad or 4, NGU charactersmeaning dark/ obscureand henceuncertain(combiningnot yet d with sun/light F 6l and
eyelsee fiN 72 respectively).
800
^#HMOMEN*
COTTON,COTTONWOOL fE€
14strokes
frHH+
Formerlyffi . S is white h eS anAthreads Yt't778,indicatingcotton (thougn
silk),while ft is joinedthreads844.Thus
feelthatit originallyindicated
somescholars
joined
many
white threads. Themodernform simplyusesthread ft. 27.
Mnemonic:MANY WHITE THREADS OF COTTON MAKE COTTON WOOL
250
export
transporrarion
transportation
YO, amarilrulsu
EXCESS, AMPLE, I
Tstrokes
A f yOgUN
surplus
+ "=t yOfSt
superfluitv
f +A g cor0evezu nrtvotu,
MNCMONiC:
EIGHT EXCESSIVELY DRY BEAMS UNDER AMPLE ROOF
cotton
down,fluff
WATAGE
WATAGASHIcandYfloss
lE +ft
YUSO
UNYU
Formerlyalso ft , and in ancienttimes f . ,2.-is cover g7, here meaning roof,
while
{ is a wooden crossframe supponingit. The spreadof the upperbeamsindicatedthat
thebuilding was large,leadingto 'roomy' and ample, wittr eicess being
an associated
meaning. 800 was also borrowed to expressVme. The reasonsfor
this are not clear, but
it shouldbe notedthat already
t 403,which also had a secondarymeaningof margin/
ample,was similarly borrowedto expre-ss
I/me, suggestingthe possibility of somenow
unknownsemanticconnection. Food
E 146 was addedat on" ,tug", giving an ideaof
ample food. This has now disappeared
in Japanese,
but in ChinesJ €F i, ur"d to
pressampleand
"*a to expressI. suggesttaking f,. as dry { g25 and eight z r 66.
801
MEN, wata
+s|Jr5
Mnemonic:TRANSPORT CUT MEAT UNDER COVER IN VEHICLE
Mnemonic: RICE IS MOVED AND LOST -- HOW PERPLEXING
7s8
sF
+fi '!J YUSHUTSU
fft,, though (( is merely a misleading variant of sword/ cut ,J
ro-"Ily.ulto^Ttten
a
co
characrer
is
now usedto expressaffirmation,but it originally meantconlsl. f,i
rf
cut
comprises
boat
,
tr lA / H 1354,and cap b l2l q.u., tr"." usedin the
vey. It
senseof cap off or finish and by extensionsucceed, and originally referred to succeedingin cutting timber in order to make a boat to convey goods (note that
boatandconvey conceptuallyoverlapped,as seenin 303 etc.). In the caseof799 6l also
ac$ phoneticallyto expresstransfer as well as lendingits meaningof convey. vehicle
addedto-give a meaningof convey (goods) by vehicte,i.e. transport.
Q 3l was
associated
meaning.Suggesttaking fl as meat 365 and A as cover (seeg7).
an
is
send
Mnemonic:WHEATSHEAF BURNED. NOW NONE LEFT
797
YU
TRANSPORT,SEND
16strokes
YO, azukarulkeru
DEPOSIT,
LOOK AFTER
13strokes
7F+
f*fi'U
f1rt'0 ;t
YOKrN
deposit
AZUKARININ trustee
AZUKARISHO receipt
phonetically
to express
retaxandprob.f..is already403q.v.,hereacting
fiJ,1111' sjm]lar
cgnnotarions
from
its
early
meaning
of
ample/
margin(i.e.lackof pres;:;:11L*
-'"r uonstraint).
confort,
801 originally referred to a facial expression of relaxation and
andit can still meancomfortin chinese. Its present
meaningsareborrowed.
MNCMONiC:ALREADY
FACED WITH HAVING TO LOOK AFTER DEPOSITS
25r
FTFTHGRADE 802.804
FIFT}IGRADE 805-806
YQireru
CONTAIN, LOOKS
10strokes
802
beauty
* tr W BrydIN
parlor
conrents
I tr NArYo
M tr Ad KETYoSHI adjective
s,5
6n
-fl
RUSUBAN
ilX::;ffirumeru
E;H TOMEGANE
tostrokes
E++
clasp
RYUGAKUSEI
*
overseasstudent
r? is roof/ building 28. /A- is valley 722 q.v., here acting phonetically to express
ample and also lending its own connotationsof ample capacity. Thus building s1
ample capacity, i.e. which can contain many things or people. Looks/ appearance
is essentiallya borrowed meaning,but it may be felt that contain led to content and that
tooks is an associatedmeaning with this.
Mnemonic:ROOFEDVALLEY LOOKS ABLE TO CONTAIN A LOT
RITSU, SOTSU,hikiira
RATE, COMMAND
11strokes
803
6E4 Nonrrsu
ffi * rOSOrSu
6f * zprnrrsu
efficiency
command
taxrare
into rope. Twisting bits of threadinto rope led to the idea of put in order and hence
control/ command. Some scholarstake rate to be a borrowedmeaning,while others
-t
seeit as an associatedmeaningwith order. Suggesttaking r as a symbol of top, and
as ten 33.
Mnemonic:TEN BITS OF THREAD COMMAND TOP RATE
,,
llLA.
r|fIJ
tF
RYAKU
ABBREvIATE, ourLINE
1l strokes
g;.
#/E\lJ derivesfromhorse'sbit 4F lSZ. E isasimplificationof
Formerly
zgg q.v., here acting phonetically to expressthe word for the linkmeans
h
retsonl
the
bit
and the reins, and possibly also lending an idea of connection
agebetween
or means. Fasten to the bit came to mean fasten/ stop in a very broad sense. suggeslaking /J as sword 181, 6. as a symbolof bending, and F as field 59.
Mnemonic:STOP IN FIELD TO FASTEN ON BENT SWORD
Oncewritten 18:, showingshort thread g I A lll and bits :: and originally meaning
bits of thread. * was addedlater, representingtwo devices used to twist threads
804
caretaker
rA ffi nvmuGo
abbreviation
BF;L nverusETsu summary
sketch
BFtr RYAKUZU
806
RYO
fF + RYon
CONTROL, POSSESS,
CHIEF, TERRITORY
14strokes
6F I
RYODO
g €F YONYO
Alsoff; . E it head 93. ?lA ir order/ rute 603, here felt by many scholarsto acr
phoneticallyto expressneck though it almostcertainly also lendsa meaningof rule.
Thus
thehead and neck. As with head/ neck/ chief
fi tzs q.v., g06 camefrom an early
stage(in the view of some scholars,from the outset) to meanchief and by
extensionthat
which ( or he who) rules, with possessand territory being associated
meanings.
Mnemonic:HEAD RULES, CONTROLLING
POSSESSED TERRITORY
END OF FIFTH GRADE
Formerly also [.
E is field 59. f is eactr 438, here acting phoneticallyto express
separate/ divide and also lendingits own idea of separateness. Thus that which di'
vides and separates fields, namely a boundary. Boundaryled to outline, with
summarise/ abbreviate being a figurativeextensionof this.
Mnemonic: ABBREVIATED OUTLINE OF EACH FIELD
252
consul
territory
gist
253
SDffHGRADE 810-813
SIXTH GRADE 807-809
THE 190 SIXTH GRADE CHARACTERS
Stlange
l, kotonaru
DIFFER, STRANGE
1I strokes
abnormality
foreigner,alien
'ft nut led to the popular explanationthat hands y{ areplacing
A misleadingearly form
(D on a tableor altar n ' However,still
somethingspecial(i.e. different from usual)
.lP
showthis to be incorrect,and show a person K 53 putting
earlierformssuchas
meaningssuchas being dif'
on 9=r a mask € (seealso 1128). This led to associated
just differ and
ferent from normal and of strange appearance, eventually giving
strange. Suggesttaking @ as field 59 and d as together 460'
.. HOW STRAN(;E
TOGETHER AGAIN IN DIFFERENT FIELD
MNEMONiC:
hereditY
:E 6 rPgN
I, YUI
loss
LEAVE,BEQUEATH,LOSE :€ft tsnrrsu
will
rEE YurcoN/IGoN
15strokes
9q is precious g34, hereacringphonericallyto expresslose and
iis movem ent L2g.
prouuutyalsolendingitsmearringofpreciousitem.Thustolosesomething
to meanleave behind, which' like
lprecious) while on the move. It thenalso came
the English term, included the idea of bequeath'
MOVE ON AND LEAVE BEHIND SOMETHING PRECIOUS
MNCMONiCI
IKI
AREA, LIMITS
11 strokes
€Fd nYoxt
t&fi crutru
EB.
KUIKI
-. It compriseslane'c/
i is ground 60. l{ is an NGU charactermeaninga certain
€" ' which is to all in(see
and
693),
halberd a 493, hereusedin its senseof marker
afield- 6 59
@ depictingtheboundaries2 of
tentsandpurposesasimplificationof
leadin9
(seealso 85). 809 thus refened to ground in a field delineated by markers'
as olre/
20 and
to area and limits in a broadsense.Suggesttaking I as entrance
sole 1.
LIMIT AREA
Mnemonic:LANCE IN G R O U N D A T S O L E E N T R A N C E . - O F F
ICHI
ONE
trn n
tr+
yen
ICHTMANEN
10,ooo
ISSEN onethousand
7 strokes
* ffi'€
NIJLIICHI
rwenty-one
and earlier ? , showinga doubte-lidded A 258 food vessel g 1640,
Fotmerlyft
of fullness. Its use as the formal characterfor one is the result of
connotations
_ufrirnlua
though it is remotelypossiblethat its choice as a phoneticwas inborrowing,
ohoneuc
fact that full vesselsuggestedcompletenessand by associationbeing whole/
huencedby the
+ as samurai 494,-, as cover, and I as a prone figure 238.
taking
one. Suggest
Mnernonic:ONE SAMURAI STANDS COVERING PRONE FIGURE
:NEEffi50 ""'"il;;
+lFX ucHdTEN
6strokes
ecstasy
f
is roof 28. f is an NGU charactermeaningfrom/ emerge/go. It was originally writ"a -{
- of unclear
ten , showingfwisting waterweed/seekan exit A 281 q.v. and a symbol
of twisting.Hereit actsphoneticallyto expresscomandit alsohasconnotations
meaning,
pletecover, and may possiblyalso lend a looseidea of extensivefrom the lengthy and
convolutedwaterweedelement € . Thus 811 originally meant roof that completely
covers,leadingto eaves and by extensionfirmament/ heaven. Suggestfacetiously
taking A as a'stiff' (i.e. dead) child & 25.
Mnemonic:CHILD LIES STIFF UNDER ROOF. SET TO GO TO HEAVEN
El2 --tn
: lr
I
{ lJ I
tl
\
U, ha, hane
WING, FEATHER,
BIRD couNTER
6stokes
u'L
llffi
--ll
ttvtd
geozu
tcruwe
plumage
haoricoat
onebird
Formerly
abird,swings.
4 . Apictographof
Mnemonic:
FEATHEREDWINGS
EI, utsura/sa,haeru
REFLECT, SHINE
9 snokes
cinema
EIGAKAN
4EfH
reflection
E'4 ueruEI
sunsetglow
t F* X- YtlseE
is sun 62. dtis center 42g,hereacringessentiallyphoneticallyto expressbright but
-E
also lending its meaning.Thus bright (center of?) sun, giving shine and by
llobabtV
association
reflect.
s.*oni",
CENTER OF SIJN SHINES BRIGHTLY
2s5
l
rf
.
SDffI{GRADE 817-819
rxrH GRADE814-816
lat,
-
F
N
nn}
EF
EN,
noblrr,r/b
erulbasu
EIS
EXTEND, POSTPONE
8 strokes
reUWU
eNcuo
extension
poslponement
nNrt
NoBINoBI
delay
r't
ii;lllv'"
*R
tk
E-l{t nce
self
-f
t WAGAMAMAselfishness
ft fk wenrwARE
we
-79-,showing foot/ movement V /
tL 129 q.v. nn4
Somewhatconfused. Once written
'1
/,t
prototype
itself,
showing
that a furof
q.v.
is
in
fact
the
gol move
118
I
/
Jg.
ther foot 1g has been addedin the caseof the modern form. The extra stroke z is felt
by some scholarsto symbolisedragging and thus lengthening and protraction , w6i1.
othersseeit as the CO charactermark / 537, usedpurely phoneticallyto expresslength.
en. Lengthy, protracted movement led to extend and postpone.
?*1-^d&, showinga broadbtaded halberd *lA
515 q.v. and tasOncewrittin
,r,. The tasselswere hung on weaponsto indicate a kiling, rather
like
notchesbeing
sels
gun handle in the West. Thus 817 originally meantto kill with a halberd. It
scoredon a
waslater borrowed phonetically to expressVme/my and by extensionself. why a charac@rwith such an unpleasantlyaggressivemeaning should be chosenas a phonetic is a
rnatterof someconjecture,but it is in line with the being as good as anyoneelse'first personpronoun + ll2 q.v. It may indeedbe appropriateto draw again a parallel with the
gunin the West, which was seenas the greatequaliser.
Mnemonic: DRAG FEET IN EXTENDEDMOVEMENT
Mnemonic:I HAVE A TASSELED HALBERD, A SYMBOL OF ME MYSELF
81s
l/\
/E
i6r# nNceN
l0i6 ENDo
16ffi ENseN
EN, soz
GO ALONGSIDE
8 snokes
coast
roadside
railside
phoneticallyto
) is water 40, heremeaningriver. b- is hollowedout 158,hereacting
expressfollow and probably also lending an idea of from a source (from a different interpretationof its literal elementsfrom/away r- 66 and source/openinCtr 20). Thusfol'
low a river (from its source?), leading to follow/ go alongside in a broadersense.
Suggesttaking o as opening and r r in its commonermeaning of eight.
818
KAI, hai
ASHES
6 strokes
EIX
INE
))<lr IR
Forrnerly fr- arrdearlier fu,showingahand n//
anafire :( g. Somescholars
take f
to be usedphoneticallyto expressuse up, giving used up fire, while others
take the elementsto be used ideographicallyto give fire that one can hold in the
hand. The laner theory seemsmore convincing. Suggesttaking the simplified l- as cliff/
hillside 45.
81effi fi31"T+'61*"o
+/k
ttH
EfrZ KANdna
KA, -bekilshilku
APPROVE,CAN,SHOULD E]'& KAKETSU
IUBEKI
ArEb
5strokes
Possible
aPProval
shouldsaY
an
Once wri$en trf , showingmouth/say d I O 20 and twisting waterweedl seek
q'u''
ZSt
exit f | 5 l-J 281. That is, the componenrsare the sameas drawn out call t
but in this casethey refer ratherto a statementthat is finally made after considerablehesiaap'
tion (symbolisedby the waterweedtwisting its way to the surface),suchas grudging
proval. Somescholarsfeel that 5 /T also actsherephoneticallyto expressapprov:'
Approval led to the idea of that which can be done, and by extensionthat which
should be done. Suggesttaking 1
as a variantof exact t
346.
Mnemonic:SAY EXACTLY WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE APPROVED
256
lime
gray
volcanicash
Mnemonic:
HILLSIDE ABLAZE -- REDUCEDTO ASHES
Mnemonic:GO ALONGSIDEOF WATER, THROUGH EIGHT OPENINGS
816
SEKKAI
HAIRO
KAZANBAI
P)E
WlEFI
SHIGAI
town, city
KAIDO
highway
SHOTENGAI
shoppingstreet
A combinationof go li ll8 q.v.,
herewith its literar meaningof crossroads,and f. .
rne latteris an NGU
charactermeaningedge/angre/jewel. It comprisesearth t 60
to-indicate raised earth, and originally referredto the raised earthen paths
l-Tol"o
tormed edges/boundariesbetweenfrelds (a meaning
now conveyedby the NGU char:lat
u*
that
adds
,
field
E
59).
The
idea
ofraised
ridges also led by association
edges/
ltltt
to facetson jewel
a
(now conveyedby the NGU character d ,that addsjew el
f 102),
andto angle.In
the caseof 8 19 :E is usedphonetically to expressdiverge, and also lends
of multiple paths. Thus many diverging roads, which by
associationalso
:::tt
-'vcss&nlY
meantmanv converging roads (seealso 2g0), leadingto suchmeanings
as
Iown, road,
and a.ei hub of activitv.
MNCMONiC:
ROAD.TOWN IS JUST CROSSROADS OF RAISED EARTH
257
SDffH GRADE 824-825
SXTH GRADE 820-823
lfr t xeruDAI magnificariq.
fE ffk re.ruSAN disseminaris.
+jLF # KAKUSEIKI loudspeaft.,
KAKU
SPREAD
g strokes
Formerly),* .+ is hand 32.while & tl,^ is wide 114. Thusmake the han4s
wide,i.e.spread.
Mnemonic:SPREAD HANDS WIDE
KAKU, kawa
LEATHER. REFORM
9 strokes
Hr+
/\
rrE
-P f'l
+ - + F >a
-l-.
+
revolurion
KAKUMEI
refory1
KAKUSHIN
tanfrery
KAWAKOBA
Oncewritten ep , appatentlyshowinghands L d pulling the skin off a horned creature
V in similar fashion to skin/ leather ft374 q.v. However, still earlier forms suchas {
'hands'are a miscopyingof flaps of skin ea . Unlike 174,
i"O $ show that the later
821 came to be used only of hairless hide (usuallytanned leather), and its connotations of processingeventuallyled to change/ reform. Suggesttaking $- as a combias a horned head'
nationof middle 4 55 andten * 33, with *
LEATHER FROM MIDDLE OF TEN HORNED CREATURES
MNEMONiC:GET
822
H# ffiffiJ'*'.'i:lfi:?
E El fff,H"',.HAMBER
3.:; l'lxunYo
lfil
r-rstrokes
Cabinet metnber
by
Fl isdoor/ gate2ll, heremeaningby extensiona place with a door/ gate and
in
used
p
here
q.v.,
438
privacy.
is
each
further exrensiona place sealed off for
v
i
s
it'
p
l
a
c
e
w
h
i
c
h
d
i
g
n
i
t
a
r
i
e
s
p
r
i
v
a
t
e
i t s s e n s eo f v i s i t b y a d i g n i t a r y . T h u s a
suchas a council chamber or Cabinet.
eA
.HARE,
sruMJ#$
iiii:*,
xl:frff;*""ii*i
**.
69. * is red 1346q.v., hereactingphoneticailyto expressfirm and alsolend_
f is tree
meaning of central part of a tree. Thus that central part of a
tree
ing its literal
'This
firm.
originally referredto its base but later came to meanstump/
wbich stands
part left standingfirm after the tree proper is cut down. In Japanese,
stoc[, i.e. the
but
idea of firm baseextendedto includestocks/ shares in a company(cf.
the
chinese,
not
Englishstock;'
RED TREE STUMP PROVIDESFIRM STOCK
Mnemonic:
825
4 *U suNKArsu
tlj d I wennxr
*U A wezunt
division
discount
rate
and
rl is sword/ cut 181. p is harm 437,actingphoneticallyto expressdismember
probablyalsolendingan ideaof damage/destroy. 823 originally meantcut uP/ dismern'
meaning(cf' EnglishProretal'
ber, leadingby extensionto divide. Rate is an associated
Mnemonic:SWORD HARMS BY DIVIDING
2s8
-F ?Fi reNcgo
ebb/towtide
T ffi reuo
bulwark
+ L A HOsHIMKU driedmeat
originally {-, depictinga primitive forked thrusting weapon
{ with either a large
hand'guard - or, to judge from some almost contemporaneousforms such
as { ,
sturdy binding .. The weapon was usedboth for defenseand attack. It thus
acquireda
largerangeof extendedmeanings,such as attack, defend, thrust,
and fork, and was
alsoborrowedwideiy as a phoneticdue its simplicity. It was borrowed
for its soundto expressdry, although some scholarsfeel that technically
it is an abbreviation of the NGU
characterdrought aa , which has the samepronunciation
and which uses + both for its
soundto expressd.y and for its connotations
of attack, combining it with sun g 62 to
giveattackfrom the sun that causes
dryness.
MNcmonic:FLATTENED FORKED
POLE FOR DRYING WASHING
826
Mnemonic:EACH GATE LEADS TO CABINET
KATSU, wari, wara
DIVIDE, RATE
t2 strokes
KAN, hosa,hirz
DRY, DEFENSE
3 strokes
KAN, maki, ma&u
ffi*#
DAIIKKAN VolumeOne
ROLL, REEL, VOLUME + t +rJ MAKTMONO
scroll
9strokes
x#t
ITOMAKT
bobbin
S andoccasionallyf , thoughthelauerappears
to be a confusionwith settlel:*t:lt
zEo.
1=is handsroriing rice 661,with the ideaof rolling emphasised
::1t 6
by
lli':l^t-lll
or
i .tug bentbodyZ (from ? r4s).rhusrolrandcurt,giving
.ffiH:|Ttl'i'lf"?
?Tt?lj:'il'.""0
hence
vorume.
suggest
taking
fl
.MONiC:LIGHT
TWO FIRES BY ONESELF WITH ROLLED VOLUMES
259
SIXTH GRADE 8N -829
827
SDffHGRADE 830-832
E#rfr KANGOFU
nurse
signboalo
€ fF reNseN
warder
€ f reNsrru
KAN
WATCH
9 snokes
* 32 aboveeye 6 72,to give a meaningof place hand above eye. This wn5
a referenceto shadingthe eyesin order to gaze intently.
Hand
Mnemonic:PUT HAND ABOVE EYE TO WATCH BETTER
828
Eil
bl€ relucoru
advice
bl F rnNsHo encourugement
persuasion
€b# xeuv0
ooo,,,
f$i;iHll'Jl
and determined efforts to achievesomething. This later came to include the idea of exhorting others to make similar efforts,leadingto encourage. Advise is an associated
meaningwith encourage.
Mnemonic: ENCOURAGED BY EFFORTS OF CRESTED BIRD
ffiH xemeNna
KAN
SIMPLE,BRIEF, LETTER # ffi SHOXEN
18strokes
ffi PF xennYAKU
simple
letter
simPlicirY
conciseness,
for
Formerlyatso ffi . rff is bamboo 170, hereindicatingbamboo tablet used
records. Pfl IPA isspace92. Thusbamboorecordwith space(left), indicating
thattherecordis a simpleandbrief one. Brief textlatercameto includeletter (cf'EnE'
lish brief),while simpleandbrief cameto beusedin a generalsense.
titi
i
GAN, maru, marui
il# ceuyexu
pill
ROUND, CIRCLE. BALL, XLffi iuenUlu
roundness
SHIP'S MARK
E AJL NIPPoNMARU
3 strokes
VesselNippon
Originatly F\. f is a bending/ hunched person (mirror imageof I :Sl. a is a
(mirror image of /' qr, acting phoneticallyto expressroll as well
cfff/ hillside
as
lendingits meaning of slope. Thus a person hunched as they roll down a slope,
to ball and by associationround and circle. 830 is also usedof a ship's mark,
:r,adrng
saidto derivefrom the ancientpracticeof licensingvesselswith a round seal. It is not clear
why the elementsin 830 are in mirror image form. Suggesttaking as nine /L 12 with an
extra stroke \
NINE ROUNDEDOFF WITH EXTRA STROKE
Mnemonic:
Formerly iJ
h is strength/ effort 74. € t E is crested bird/ heron 445, acting phonetically to expressstrong and possibly also lending its own loose idea of persistence (from a heronpersistentlysearchingfor food). 828 originally meantto make great
82s
rfr
s30
Mnemonic:SPACELEFT ON BRIEF AND SIMPLE BAMBOO LETTER
831
l{1, abunai,ayaui
DANGEROUS
6 strokes
ftffi, rurt
fth rrrrN
ft€ rucar
harm
Oncewritten
, showinga person crouching r\ 145on the edgeof a cliff /r- qS,
|
fearfulof the danger' This cameto symbolisea dangeroussituation. A further
bending
figure 2 145 was addedlater for emphasis,giving
but
in
time
this
apparentlybeft,
cameconfusedwith prone/ failen figure c 76g, leading to the popular
interpretation
of themodernform as a personkneeling on the edgeof a dangerous
cliff looking down at
hiscompanionwho hasfallen over the edge. This
explanationis technicallyincorrectbut is
a usefulmnemonic. Seealso misfortune
E 1g59.
MNCMONiC:
CROUCH ON EDGE OF DANGEROUS CLIFF -- MATE FALLEN
s32
m
f;l'li,'lTu,"
dl_L' frfOno
rheoretical
dlZ fnmN
aroundtable
+ B ilL JIMUTSUKUEofficedesk
NGu characterpictographicallyrepresentinga small table or armrest(or
occa-t^t'
:"
Iton&llY
stool),whire { is tree/ wood 69. Thus smail wooden
table.
Now
usedfor
table/desk
in a broadersense.
CMOnic:
USE wooDEN TABLE FoR DESK
260
cnsls
danger
261
SDffH GRADE 836-839
SIXTH GRADE 833-835
'*efiffi#-:::fl;il
KYU, yumi
BOW, ARCHERY
3 strokes
€ E XVUDO
d 4t fvUlO
1W 9 YUMITOzu
archery
u."h
archer
phoneticallyto expressagitate and possibly
* is hand 32. fl isarmy 466, hereacting
alsolendinglooseconnotationsofagitatiory'commotion.833originallymeanttoshake
and by extensioncommand'
the hands wildly, leadingto brandish/ wield
of bow g I B , minusthe string. Notethat836canalsobe used
a pictograph
Frcrn
bend(cf.Englishbow,andetymological
connection
or
between
arc,arch,archot*^r"
ery).
Mnemonic: ARMY HAND WIELDS COMMAND
STRINGLESSBOW
Mnemonic:
834
ltt
-El
KI, tattoi/bu,totoi
REVERED
PRECIOUS,
ii roor.",
EK ruzoru
F € ruCqOna
aristcrcrat
precious
Ffi xtrtotANArA*
s37
You
is a simplificationof 9€ , the prototypeof
F is shell/ money/ valuable item 90. 9
p. The latter is now used to mean urge, but has a core meaningof
,i" *Cu
"r,.u","i
whether 9{ derivesfrom a picgather, and in chinese can mean basket. It is not clear
ideographof hands gathering someiogrupt,of a basket (symbolisinggathering)or an
expressaccumulate and also lendsa
tiring -. In the caseof Af+ E actspttonetically to
valuable items, leading to some'
_"Jning of gather. Thus gather and accumulate
is an associatedmeaning' Sugthing of great value und lience precious. Revered
1' with e literally as shell'
g"r,iutini 9- as middle f 55 and one
& 4X rvusg0
absorption
ry.ffi -E KYLIKETSUKIvampire
UhV. ry A SUIT.RU
soakup
*.r"u""?jK"^""
g is mouth 20. A is reach 1148q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresspull and
probablyalso lending connotationsof draw towards oneself. Thus to pull/ draw
w i t h t h e m o u t h , i . e .s u c k / i n h a l e .
Mnemonic:IF IT REACHES MOUTH. THEN SUCK IT IN
838;i.Fii::tn"
;lf fYUSO
6,
GI, utagau
DOUBT, SUSPECT
14strokes
Eft smrsuct
ftFfi clrraoN
WlN) ctn
questlon
doubt
false
Once written Ft'' At very early
Etymologicallyand graphicallysomewhatconfused'
of an
238 but a confusing stylisation
.
forms suchas fi show, L is not sirting person I
---.r:-afi^n
stvlisation
l:ilijiji,,::ftu"iir"Iuonl.
I
) is water 40. -rr is stand 73, hereactingphoneticallyto expresstear and almostcertainlyalso lending an idea of verticality and by associarionfalling (seealso pour;f
3,$4).thus falling drops of 'tear-water'.
MNCMonic:
PERSON STANDS WEEPING WATERY TEARS
+tr
KYO, KU, tomo, sonaeru 7jt
.l+
t-t
OFFER, ATTENDANT
6Et
8 strokes
andconrusing
anextreme
is similarly
(old) man *, whose long har
(through an intermediareform t ) of a pictographof an
. The fact that his head
(a symbol of age)is trailing as his head-oues from side to side €
turn'
about him wondering where to
is moving indicatesttrat nJis in doubt, and looking
/I
19
JttifO 7 | + 25 and fooV stop
At a later stagetwo further elemenrswere added,
the
hence
;;;
,'thus giving ffi and
129, andinfact in someversionsreplacedstick'
looking
lost, standing ititt ana
modern {fr . This originally referred to a child becoming
andreunO
E-f' becameblurred'
Both
Et
to
about him not knowing which way to turn'
fr-ich eventuallyled by association
do,
to
what
knowing
not
of
meaning
a
in
sulted
per'
person' ? as a bending
doubt and suspicion. Suggesttaking (- as sitting
41'
'felled' persons)' 5i asarrolw-981'and € ascorrect
son (thusgiving two
/ l+
v\
yI4
TEIKYO
offer
TOMOMAWARI retinue
KUYd
memorialservice
ll
1n^rs
person 39. rt is together 460 q.v., here with its literal meaningof offer. Thus
'tter something
to a person, laterjust offer. It is not fully clear how the meaningof
Ittendant
evolved. Somescholarstake it to be an extensionof offer to a person,i.e. a
Dersonwho offers something
to anotherperson,while otherstake it to stem from a reinerPretation
of the elementsas together with a person, i.e. companion and henceatrendant.
le
ryrnemonic:
ATTENDANT OFFERS TOGETHERNESS To pERSoN
ARROW? DOUBT IF CORRECT
Mnemonic:TWo PEOPLE FELLED BY ONE
262
crybaby
burstinto tears
OF COLLECTION
Mnemonic: ONE PRECIOUS SHELL IN MIDDLE
83s
imploring
A, Nenuusm
f NRxpe,su
263
SIXTH GRADE 840-841
SDff}IGRADE 842-844
840
HEARr
ffi","*:i:'i[:
[|4 i,l:*:i"ilT Hffi
;r' $'i'il.':Tffi:,1,
vtt
Once writren simply as fr3, and earlier us Q . Q t n is womb 655, here indicating
container, while gi1 is empty container 1159. Somescholarsfeel that Ul alsoacts
phonetically to expressair. Thus empty container (associatedwith air?), a refer-
obscuredue to the obscurenatureof 9- , which was formerly written H and
Sonewhat
isanNGUcharacterwiththeunhelpfulmeaningof
violet(theflower).In
,ntt"t E. f
yellow loam or seasonas well as rare and few, the last two meanmean
can
Chineseit
also found in a number of compoundsin Japanese(such as few words/
ingsof which are
?t 1180C,.v.IZ beingword 2T4landtheNGUcharactertew (€ t 4 becircumspect
Somescholarstake the early form f to show earth -l. 60 plus a com391).
person
ing
horned
of
beast $ (see821) and fire >r( 8, to give a meaning of roast
,f
liiuion
earthen
firepit,
an
in
but it is not clear how any of the presentmeaningscame
a beast
in
event,
the
case
of842 t is known to have actedphonetically to express
about.In any
muscle,combining with strength/effort )x 74 to convey the idea of making a great
physicaleffort. It is also possiblethat E lends an idea of rare, to give make a rare
(i.e.outstanding) physical effort. Make a physical effort eventuallycame to mean
do one'swork/ duties in a broad sense.suggesttaking f as a combinationof plants
*f9,grow | (variant + 42),and(seed-)boxo.
ence to the lungs. @ does in fact exist as an NGU characterthat once meant lung (qn6
still has this meaningin Chinese),but is now usedlargely as a phonetic to representHungary (easilyrememberedby a facetiousassociationwith'hungry', i.e. referring to an empty
containerof a different kind). Lungs led by extensionto the chest area in general.
Flesh/ of the body A 365 was addedlater for clarity. Suggesttaking tsJ as encircle,
and t}l as a scarred * container tJ .
'CONTAINER' IS THE CHEST
Mnemonic:FLESH ENCIRCLING SCARRED
841
KYO, G0
VILLAGE, RURAL
1l strokes
€ ffi soKYO
ffi * COSrU
ffi A rvOPO
homesickness
squire
local
H I srruxrrrv
attendance
gJfu,'W KINBENSEI diligence
gJK'ft TSUToMESAKI
Mnemonic:WORK WITH EFFORT TO GROW PLANTS FROM SEED-BOX
843
^ain ancienttimes
Of somewhatconfusedgraphicorigin. Formerly wrinen 9i$
"t ,lF,
clearlvshowstwo
a s 5 9 ? a n d S b i . ,3. t P . t P t ? ^ * " f o o d & l 4 6 q . v . , w h i l e \ /
persons sitting either side of the food. On the one hand this led to the idea of meeting
over dinner, which just as in the modem West often indicatedmeetingwith a superior
to discusssomething.This meaningis still retainedin the NGU character hti filf , *ni'n
meanslord, minister, or you, andis etymologicallythe samecharacteras 841. On the other
hand it led to the idea of feasting and holding a get-together,indicatinga community
event and by extensionthe community/ village itself. This in turn led to the replaceimment of 5 / with 82, being the prototype ! of village Il 355 q.v. and its mirror
tatage.It is not clear whetherthis substitutionwas done deliberatelyor in error. Suggest
ing 11 as a variant of short thread ?^ 11l, taking this by extensionas string'
Mnemonic: ODD STRINGY FOOD SERVED IN VILLAGE
placeof work
HT
KIN, suji
ffi A rumUfU
MUSCLE,SINEW,THREAD ffiE SUIMICHI
12strokes
ffiA t SUJIGAKI
ntJ
muscle
logic
synopsis
tdris bamboo 170. qh
is an NGU charactermeaningrib, namely that which gives
strength i
74 to the flesh n 365. The ribs of a bambooplant are its fibers, the
3riernalmeaningof 843. In time this came to mean thread, with sinew and muscle beug associated
meanings(probablyalso influencedby the presenceof flesh |l ).
MNCMonic:
BAMBoo
844^
HAS STRONG FLESHY SINEws
KEI
X# f.ercp1
LINEAGE, CONNECTION ffffi ffnO
7 strokes
X fU rgrnErsu
hneage
system,line
succession
Oncervrinen
ahand d. holdingtwothreads fr.t fc zl.Thisindicated
S, showing
quung/.intertwining
them,with intertwinedthreadsbeingusedfigurativelyto de*rro€o lineage
or connection.Suggesttaking t asa symbolof twisting.
CMONiC:
LINEAGE COMPOSED OF TWISTED CONNECTED THREADS
264
265
,,,il
SDffHGRADE 848-850
SXTH GRADE 845.847
845
4t
KEI
PATH, DIRECT
8 strokes
l-x
l€ 6 CgOXfgI
?GSHOfEt_
H'ffi E'fi
dianrerer
shorrcql
s48
cHoKUJoKEIKo
impulsivenes5
Formerly/If. . f is gol road 118. g is lengthwise threads on a loom 269 q.v.,
hereacting phoneticallyto expresssmall and also lendingan idea of direct (from going
in a straightline, though confusinglythe stylised ((< showsunstraightthreads). T1u,
small, direct road, leading both to path and direct. Suggesttaking fr as hand 1
and ground .L 60.
F,l
GEKI
DRAMA, INTENSE
15strokes
EtJ8 cprcuo
FUH! cnrrrgrr
,8tJffi cnrurs0
rheater
dramatic
intense
pain
cut 181, 7p is tiger 281,and fu ispig 1670. Though thereis some
tf issword/
over the interpretationof theseelements,the characteris generallyseenas an
drsagreement
meaning
attack with a sword in the manner of a tiger attacking a pig,
ideograph
i.e.fiercely, with intense being an extendedmeaning.Somescholarstake drama/ dramatic to be a borrowedmeaning,while otherstake it to stemfrom the idea of exciting
andintense (cf. English drama./dramatic).
Mnemonic:DIRECT PATH ENTAILS M O V I N G W I T H H A N D S O N G R O I ] N D
846
KEI. u-vamal
EDti'":"""'*:'
*l-
H ffi soNrgl
ff # fEtCO
t,. 6ft IfpI
respect
politelanguage
awe
j( is strike/force 101,hereactingas a causativeelement. S is an NGU characternow
usedto conveyinsignificance,but a very early form od showsa person bending (in a
position of humility) 4' 39 andspeaking o (mouth/say20), and it originaliy nreant
speak respectfully. The exactmeaningof d / ** ir not clear,but other early fcrms
such as ?t and fu suppo.tthe theory that it showsa minor chieftain'sheaddrcss(of
sheep'shorns),to give a specificmeaningof minor chieftainspeakingrespectfull)'to his
lord. The addition of force {. gave force someone to speak respectfully, but this
hasnow fadedto leavejust show respectin a broadsense. The graphicevolutionrlithe
charactermay havebeeninfluencedby phrase @ 655, which may be usefulas a mnemonic. Suggesttaking -+t as plants 9.
Mnemonic:FORCEPERSON TO USE RESPECTFUL PHRASES OF PLANTS
E{7
Hit
[t^t--. REPR.ACH
iesnokes
policeofficer
I E xgxeN
w*rning
Y € reKoru
alarm
warning'
I *R xrmo
€
cau'
! is words/ speak274. €( is respect 846, here lending connotationsof acting
re'
and
tiously as well as respectfully. 847 originally meant speak cautiously
rvarn'
spectfully,but latercameto meanbe cautiousas well as counselcaution, i'e'
as
As with theEnglishtelrn, warn later cameto be usedin the senseof reproach as well
TIGER ATTACKS PIG WITH SWORD?!-- WHAT DRAMA!
Mnemonic:
u9
R
KETSU, ana
HOLE
5 strokes
f<E
KEKKvoJIN troglodyte
X T eNeco
congereel
N.E k5 ANAUME
stopgap
; is roof/ cover 28. r r is disperse/away 66, here meaningopen up and according
to somescholarsalso acting phoneticallyto expressdig. g49 originally referredto a
spacebeing opened up (in the ground) and covered, a primitive method of forming a dwelling (seealso 15). It later camero meanhole in general.
Mnemonic:TAKE COVER AWAY AND EXPOSE HOLE
850
KEN, kaneru
* # XSNCyO sidebusiness
COMBINE, UNABLE
* H XgtWO
dualpurpose
l0 strokes
H * ja 6 SFtrKANERU cannotdo
winen
ffi showinga hand >r holdingtwo rice ptants f. 81 and symbolising
l1.ce
qoing
two things at once. Its use as a verbar suffix
to expressbeing unabre to do
somethin8
is felt to stemfrom the idea that in trying to do two things at once
one is unable
to do either
thing properly. Suggestremembering
as
prants.
combined
rice
J(
N{NCMONiC:
HAND REALLY UNABLE TO HOLD COMBINED RICE PLANTS
counsel.
Mnemonic: WARN WITH RESPECTFUL WORDS
266
267
ll
SIXTH GRADE 851-852
85r
SDffHGRADE 853-855
KEN, GON
RIGHT, AUTHORITY,
BALANCE
l5 snokes
tE fU ruNnI
f& &[ xglu<6
right,clqin
balance
f&4L CONCE
embodirnsnl
Formerly l#- . +-is tree/wood69. t t E- i"crested bird/ heron 445, here acting
phonetically to expresscream (color) but of unknown semanticrole. 851 originally referred to a certain tree whose flowers were cream. As a result of miscopying it was
later usedinsteadof a now defunct characterf.ff- . fnis comprisedheron f , usedphonetically to expressstone but of unknown semanticrole, and hand t 32, andreferredto
stonesof a more or less given size -- just able to be held in one hand-- which were usedas
weights in a primitive set of scales/balance. Right and authority are felt to be associatedmeanings,from rhefact that the persondoing the weighing had the right to provide
his own weighing-stonesand therebypossibly gain some slight advantage.Balanceis
now a very minor meaning.
Mnemonic: CRESTED BIRD HAS RIGHT TO BALANCE IN TREE
852
KEN
LAW, CONSTITUTION
16strokes
** i*
ff( +
re.oE
xrxPd
constitution
charter
KENSHO
KgI.{PEl milimrypolice
Somewhatobscure. Once written p , showingan inverted basket A /h zgg ^an
eye d I A 72. Some scholarsfeel that inverted basket h l,& actedpurely phonet!
cally to expressquicly'sharp, to give a meaningof sharp eyed. When heart/ feelings
r\.1 147 was addedlater the meaningchangedto quick with feelings, i.e. emotional/
sensitive. Its presentmeaningof legal authority is then assumedto be borrowed.Other scholarsfeel that inverted basketsymbolisedcovering, giving covered eye and by
extensionacting blindly. The later addition of hearVfeeling 'q; is then felt to extendthe
meaningto acting blindly and without emotion, in other words doing something
this
without question. The taw/ constitution is somethingthat should be obeyedin
the
fashion. The fact that in Chinese852 can also meanruter and complacent supports
oI
latter theory, since both meaningscan be interpretedas stemmingfrom a core concept
asa
I'
acting or obeying without question. Suggesttaking rr as cover, and
variant of life E- 42.
Mnemonic:CONSTITUTIONAL LAW COVERS ALL ONE SEES AND FEELS
IN LIFE
l
268
-e1!
v-
\1f
GEN, minamoto
'tK',
.RIGIN
?'""":-t':'
H itrf,sruceN
resources
Itrf,
#. ceNseN
source
UR
ft cBNn Minamoto Clan
origin 107q.v.,herein its earlysenseof spring. Water
2 40 was addfi isplainl
started
to loseits originalmeaning.853is now oftenusedin the figurative
107
irt "t
of origin, thoughit canstill meanspecificallya water source.
sense
WATER SOURCEIS IN ORIGINAL SPRINGON PLAIN
Mnemonic:
854
GEN,GON,kibisiii, ogosokc ffi ffi CeXfefU
strictness
SEVERE, STRICT,
ffifl, Cpttpl
strictlyseqet
SOLEMN
tt ffi SICON
sotemnitv
17strokes
Formetly
.ffi, and earlier ,R. r is cliff 45. K, is daring l 106 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressgape and possibly also lending connotationsof remove and by extension be missing. ,fi" originally referred to holes in a cliffside, i.e. fissures or
caves'but gradually came to meanjust ctiff. In an attempt to shift the focus back to the
holesin the cliff the elementes was added. It technicallyshowsa doubling of moutly'say
g 20 and meansnoisy, but was usedherefor its idea of two openings (also
20) as well
asfor its sound,which like fit expressedgape. However, once again cliff came to prevail. konically, cliff is now conveyedby the NGU character
.&, which addsmountain
A 24, while 854 becameused to expresssevere/ strict/ solemn instead of the NGU
character,{fr . fnis adds person 4 39 and,meansliterally person
as firm as a cliff/
rock. Suggesttaking
as
an
ornate
(see
building
l0
and
ll4).
;#
MNCMonic:DARINGLY ORNATE BUILDING IS
STRICTLY soLEMN!
855
KO, KI, onore
I, ME, YOU, SELF
3 strokes
H d, nxo
f,n- cmrr
fUd, mro
self
friend
selfishness
Froma pictograph
of a twisting thread z , which was its original meaning. Its useas a
'usr p€rsol
pronoun is felt by some scholarsto be a purely phonetic borrowing, but it
hichly likely that it becamegraphicallyconfusedwith the
early form ?i of v setf
:eT:
Confusingly,855 is also occasionallyusedas a secondperson pronoun, a us_
.
-58
nat is felt to stemfrom generalisations
":-l:o.
involving the conceptof self (cf. English useof
Jou instead
of oneselfl.
h*onr.'
I MYSELF FOLLOW THE THREAD -- WHAT ABOUT yOU?
269
{lil
SDffH GRADE 859-86I
SIXTH GRADE 856-858
I
i
856
uf,
,
KO, yobu
CALL, BREATHE
8 strokes
r* & rorvO
,S,r* rguro
wu
YoBIMoNo
+rrJ
rollcall
drawcard
F is mouth/ say 20. f is an NGU characternow usedto indicatea questionor exclamation,but was originally a symbolof exhatation,being written t . fnls sho\\,sseek.
ing an exit 5 281, away .,, 66, and a further symbol of expulsion z . Ratherlike
call ft 281 q.v. (andseealso 816), 856 originallyreferredro somethingemergingfro6
the mouth, and was appliedboth to breathing (especiallyexhaling)and vocalising.
Suggesttaking {r as an'odd' hand $ 32.
Mnemonic:ODD HAND BY MOUTH STOPS BREATHING OR CALLING
857
.hr
6K
;R ffi COreI misunderstrnding
-#
#J coruN
nristrial
--aR
COYnfU mistranslation
#
GO, ayamara
MISTAKE, MIS14 strokes
Formerly gft . kt*
is give 1237q.v., here usedin its literal senseof brag/ cleviate
from the truth, with words/ speak t 274 addedafter 1237'smeaningbecamcvague.
Words which deviatefrom the truth led to mistake and the idea of not sayingldoing
something properly.
Mnemonic:MISTAKEN WORDS GIYEN
858
/)
IA
KO GO, kisaki
EMPRESS, BEHIND,
LATER
H tr roco
tr iE roru
f ,tr coco
empress
queen
y'- is a variantof buttocks 7 t f
236,while rz is opening 20. Opening in the
reference
buttocks was a
to the anus, the original meaningof 858. Not unlike the English term behind, this later also came to be usedin the prepositionalsense,includingot
time. Empress is felt by somescholarsto be a borrowedmeaning,but it seemsfar more
likely to stem from a practiceof referring to the empressindirectly as the one who fol'
by partiatassociationwith ax I
1176. See also497.
Mnemonic: EMPRESS COMES BEHIND. CUTTING OPENING WITH AX
270
r.r ,8, KOI
h-L
& SU_KIna
AJC
,J
goodwill
nice, liked
KODANSHI
handsomeman
the liking a woman t 35 hasfor a child 3 25, symbolising
popularlyexplained_as
loving relationship. However,someauthoritativeJapanesescholarsfeel that
^inealrra
usedessentiallyphoneticallyto expressbeautiful, as well asprobablylending
cbrldt is
of that which one wishes to embrace and/orthat towards which
connotations
to give a meaningof beautiful woman (to whom one feels
tender,
feels
one
attractivethen came to mean fine and good in a broadersense,with
BeautifuV
tender?).
as
an
associated
meaning. It is possible,however,that the evolution of the
seen
being
fke
meaninglike was influencedby the abovepopular interpretationof the elementsas woman liking child, which is a usefulmnemonic.
Mnemonic:WOMAN LIKES CHILD -- WHAT A FINE THING
K0
FILIAL PIETY
7 strokes
860
# T rOsru
+'fr rcor6
zF# pUrO
dutifulchild
flial piew
fital impiew
Popularlyexplainedas an old man + ll7 q.v. and child ] 25 symbolisingthe relationship between the generations,with filial piety being an associatedmeaning.
However,someauthoritativeJapanese
scholarsfeel that child ? is usedessentiallyphoneticallyto expresscare for, as well asprobablylendinga meaningof offspring, give
to
a meaningof (offspring?) caring for an old person. The fact.thatat one
stagechild
? wasinterchangedwith food @ 146,as seenin an early rorm
fi , supponsthis theory
wittr food ff playing a similar phoneticrole and also semantic-auy
suggestlnglook affiet
ter/providefor). However, suggestusing the popular
explanationas a -nemonic, and remberingI asold man by partialassociation
with earth -L 60.
alternoon
6 strokes
lows behind (the emperor). Suggestremembering f
KO suku,konomulmashii
LIKE, GOOD, FINE
6 strokes
*7
tr..t',in--i
MNCMONiC:
FILIAL PIETY IS CHILD CARING FOR EARTHY OLD MAN
86r
a
-fYt
KO 0
EMPEROR
9 strokes
-e t + KOTAISHI crownprince
rfOd
E€
monk-emperor
BE16 x €- upmTENNo*
EmperorMeiji
once-written
showingking € 5 and acrown €. sot originallyreferredto a
-qrg s crown H.,
or ceremonial headpiece(still a meaningin chinese),but later cameto
wr€rto the
personwearingsuchan item, i.e. the rurer/ emperor.
Suggesttaking fi as
wnite 65.
NCMonic:
EMPEROR IS WHITE KING
271
rl
STXIHUKADb,
sIrrH GRADE 862-864
862
*f
ft* rovo
F ft smtu<u
fi# rocne
i'11""
ff",":i#:"Ji:
red lelys5
crimson
brown1sx
phoneticallyto exPresspink and possibly
f: is thread 27. a is work 113,hereacting
This later cameto
also lending an idea of process. Thus (processed?)pink threads.
term rouge,it is
English
with
the
meanpink in general,then red/ crimson/ rouge. As
also usedto refer to cosmetics,including lipstick'
Mnemonic: WORK WITH CRIMSON THREADS
863
@ffi rdu
@ft roruru
RYW I NozuoRI
KG furr, orirulrosu
FALL, ALIGHT,
DESCEND
10strokes
sunender
l47O'
WELL
Mnemonic: DESCEND HILL AND SIT CROSSLEGGED BY
864
cut l8l. 77 is an NGU characterused as the zodiac sign hog, and is to all
rt is sword/
putposesa variant of pig / 1670. Here it acS phoneticallyto expresscarve'
int nt, und
also lends similar connotationsof cutting/ carving from the idea of butcherod possibly
Thus to cut and carve, leadingboth to engrave and to the idea of
ng.n.'. see 195).
i.e. mince. Suggesttaking .t- as a symbol of top and 91 as a
.otttnt twice over,
vuiantof(short) thread tl" lll'
MINCE THREADS BY CUTTING TOPS OFF
Mnenronic:
KOKU
GRAIN, CEREALS
14strokes
getting on andoff
asavariantofwell *
steel
ffi ff rorersu
steelworks
HffiFfi sEtr(oJo
$ffi€ neceNerno steelblue
KO hagane
STEEL
16strokes
A.
It was once written 8, showing hill I I
ffi is an NGU charactermeaning hill.
is
that
Thus hilt
zl' unan", tl l 11 193,the latter lending a meaningof draw in/up.
lends an idea of formid'
drawn up, i.e. one that is towering and formidabte. Here it
with metal 6 Mto
able as well as acting phoneticallyto expressstrong, combining
give strong/ formidabte metal. It is now usedparticularlyof steel'
Mnemonic: METAL IN HILLS PROVES TO BE STEEL
272
H *U nxoru
time,hour
E{l
xorunl
engraved
ltj
seal
KZAMIME
notch
,l+tr
KOKU, kizamu
cHoP, MINCE,
ENGRAVE
8 strokes
rainfall
rill ( f1 438 and
p is hill 229. $ was once wriuen f , showing two inverted feet
(see
438)' giving
down from above
+ 4ZZ). Inverted feet is used in its senseof come
as sitting
come down a hill and hencethe presentmeanings. Suggesttaking I
crossleggedand {
s6s
frrl
UO)-Ub/
#.W xorvMorsu
# ffi roxunut
# A roruso
cereals
cereals
granary
. { is rice plant 81, here meaning food plant. fr. it uvariant of shelV
husk f{ 1075. Thus husked food plant, i.e. grain/ cereal. Suggesttaking t ut
best/ strike 153, t as samurai 494, and <t as cover.
Formerlyf{
Mnemonic:
SAMURAI BEATS RICE UNDER COVER TO MAKE CEREALS
867
€ t[ rossersu
Z € nororsu
KOTSU, hone
BONE, FRAME
10strokes
trffih
HONEORU
fracture
oldperson
strive
Sderives from f , showingskull and vertebrae and meaning bone(s). Flesh/ of
the body
E 365 was addedlater, to give bones in the body/ skeleton. This is still
seenoccasionallyin
ttrelessermeaningof frame, but generally867 has come to meansimPlvbone(s)in a broad sense.Suggestrememberingby partial associationwith cover s7.
MNCMonic:
FLESH COVERED BONES
273
i
SDffHGRADE 871-873
SIXTH GRADE 868-870
868
KON, komaru
BE IN DIFFICULTY
7 strokes
norrble
ffi 4E xoNNeN
harriship
ffi E KONI<U
q,
€
6 KOMARASERU annov
ffi
Widely interpretedas a tree f 6g in a confined area or box ! (see123)' to synrbolise being constrained or in difficulty. However,somescholarsfeel that /i actsrtther in its meaningof wood, as well as lendingits soundto expressbarrier, and that ! i,
openingi entrance 20. Thus wooden barrier barring entrance,leadingby association to the idea of a place that is difficult to enter and eventuallyjust difficulti diffi-
;L
-->D
7t
SAI, SEI, sumutmasu
fi4ffi+
KEZAIGAKUeconomics
iiil"*:'FINISH
ffi*ff ffilKi, ;'ffiff::
. 7 is water 40. tr / * is aLke 1473q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto exFormeily,#
probably also lending its own connotationsof pure (from items prepared
and
oressclear
gods). Thus clear pure water, which by extensionis settled water.
the
to
ior offeing
is
now
conveyedby ; | 1597,while 871 hascome to mean settledin the
Thismeaning
put in order (note the various meaningsof the verb sumu).
and
concluded
of
sense
as
writing/
text ( 68 and an 'odd' moon n 16.
taking
$
Suggest
culty. Suggestfollowing the former theory.
Mnemonic:TEXT ABOUT ODD MOON SEEN IN SETTLED WATER
Mnemonic: TREE IN DIFFICULTY, TRAPPED IN BOX
872
86e
"*o'*
trls*L,*."::i.',i
4}, i,*ti:;l;;"'
tiny
fi is stone 45, while ,}. is little/ few 143 q.v., here used in its literal senseof
inall
869
is
to
that
Note
points. Thus tiny stones,leadingto the presentmeanings.
tentsand purposesinterchangeablewith the NGU charactersA/sHA sandvl ' which uses
water/river ) 40 insteadof stone fr to give tiny items in a river.
870
ZA, suwaru
SEAT, SIT, GATHER
10strokes
rE ffi ZASEKI
-#.
fb
* ZADANKAI
SEB cwzn
Mnemonic:JUDGE DECIDES TO CUT CLOTH WITH FANCY HALBERD
SAKU
policy
Eftffi SerSnrU
POLICY, PLAN, WHIP
f,Jffi retsefU
counterDlan
12strokes
ffifi)X SAKUDOKA schemer
SCAI
syrttposium
thecinza
Formerlyalso written f , showingtwo persons A 39 on the ground -L 60' tnougtt
f ZlSor Y 238)issornetheuseof standingpersonsasopposedto$!ld!gpersons(e.g.
t
persons
on
the ground. Building
sitting
what confusing,870 doesin fact refer to
roof'
roof 1n I 14 was addedlater, giving personssitting on the ground under a
a gathering.
suggesting
Mnemonic:PERSONS SIT ON GROUND UNDER ROOF AT GATHERING
274
Eial
shleds
cut.fir
f1 is ctothing/ cloth 420. 4 is a co charactermeaningwound,/cut, and is to all in'fancy' variantof lance/ halberd/
tentsand purposesa
cut I 493. (Somescholarssee
*fasavariantofnim/broadbladedhalberdili, Sts,butoldformssuchas i',. suggest
ratherthatit is technicallya variantof tasseledlance/halberd4t StZ.) Thus to cut cloth
(into clothing). As with judge/ cut {ty 750, cuuing cameto representbeing decisive
andhencejudging.
873
Mnemonic:SAND COMPRISES LITTLE STONES
SAI, saba&r,tatsu
**|J SeBeN
JUDGE, DECIDE, CUT&b<f
TACHIKUZU
12strokes
e.!2fi TACHIKA'TA
is
.ttf bamboo 170,here meaningthin stem of wood. ft is an NGU charactermeantngthorn (seealso thorn
frrl 1314). It derivesfrom a combinationof tree/ wood {
69 and a symbol of tapering'a giving
,
A -d later {r and hence fr . Hereit acts
Phoneticallyro expressbeat and also lends its meaningof sharply tapered piece of
wood' Thus 873 originally
meantsharply tapered thin piece of wood for beat*d referredto a horsewhip. It is still occasionallyusedin this sense,especiallyin
IS'
Lrllnese' Policy/ plan
is felt to stemfrom confusionwith book/ bamboo records S
q'":' which has the samepronunciation
and sharescommon semanticgroundof thin
l'-1
bamboo/wood.Keepinga written recordof somethingled by associationto the
lj::t
:f
.qeaof formulating
a detailedpolicy/ plan. Suggesttaking
fr as a tree with droopy
0ranches.
MNCMONiC:
PLAN TO FIX DROOPY TREE BRANCHES WITH BAMBOO
275
SIXTH GRADE 874-877
SDilI]GRADE 878-881
flfrT sessru
flS tusersu
ffi flt reNzeru
SATSU
BOOK,VOLUME
5 strokes
paperstrip for poem
Formerly ftft and earlier d{P, depicting a bundle of thin bamboo tablets (used for
records) bound together. Hencecollection of written material.
Mnemonic:
STAC KED B O UN D TAB LETS RESEMBLE VOLUMES O F B O O KS
SHI, itarulri
GO, REACH, PEAK
E b
6 strokes
-1; Et
E+
&-l; l^
SHI, miru
SEE,LOOK, REGARD
ll strokes
booklet
twovolurnsg
emergency
SHIKYO
GESHI summersolstice
imperfect
ITARANAI
From a pictograph [ , showingan arrow $ (probablywith somethingbound to its
stem) falting to the ground - . While this occasionallylendsconnotationsof upsidedown, it usually connotesreaching a point (and stopping), that point being the maximum edge of its range. You may prefer to seethe ilrow the other way up, i.e. | . or
- .
elsetake f as ground jr- 60, nose A 134, and a symbolofflatness
T/\ \f
private
SHIRITSU
we
WATASHITACHI
personal
affairs
SHIJI
Rice plant d 81 andself l^ 134,to give one's own rice and by extensionprt'
vate, personal, and things pertaining to oneself(i.e. V me/ my).
Mnemonic: RICE IS PRMTE
AND BELONGS TO ME MYSELF
4 44 srusel
6 4 VOSru
4 F, sucerevr
SHI, sugata
FORM, FIGURE
9 strokes
Mnenonic:LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S ON SHOW
gitg >?
= 6l
5t:f
ano
1f is woman 35. z'f,-is next 292 q.v., acting phoneticallyto expressvoluptuous
originally
probably also lending a literal idea of people standing open mouth ed. 877
referredto a woman of stunning attractiveness,and later came to mean fine figure
and eventuallyjust figure/ form in a broad sense.
Mnemonic: NEXT WOMAN HAS A GOOD FIGURE
276
SHI, kotoba
ffiiil mSru
verb
WORD,PART OF SPEECHffifl xesru
lyrics
12strokes
#Jt ToToBAGAKIforeword
I isword 274. a isadminister/ official 497 q.v., acting phonetically to express
join and almostcertainly also lending a meaningof control. Thus words which join
(other words) (and contror them?), a referenceto parts of speech and
by exten_
sionwords in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:PARTS OF SPEECH ARE OFFICIAL WORDS
sHI
RECORD,JOURNAL
14 strokes
A# goNsru
4## zeSSru
€ Fd #
SHLIKANS1il
thisiournal
magazine
a weekly
t is word 274. 3 is wiil/ intent 692, acting phoneticaly to express
record and almostcertainly also lending an idea of intent.
Thus to record woros (with intent?),
givingrecord and by extensionjournar.
SuggestEking t. as samurai x 494 and
hearUfeeting
,g. iaz.
MNCMONiC:
SAMURAI'S HEARTFELT WORDS RECORDED
IN JOURNAL
88r
Posture
forrn
ful mirror
eyestgT
vision
disregard
'
is show 695. 3. is look 16.Somescholarsfeel
Fofierly fi'E' f'lT
fl, alsolends
express
to
stop/
fix in place. Thuslook at somethingon show (and fix
sound
is
one,sgazeon it?), laterlook/ regard in a broadersense.
Mnemonic: NOSE FLAT TO GROUND AS ONE REACHES ONE'S PEAK
SHI, wata[ku]shi
I, PRIVATE, PERSONAL
7 strokes
tE 77 sruRyOrU
iEH srufexu
ftiE uUSm
JI
&E nsHeru
MAGNET,
PoRCELAIN &*3 nzu
14strokes
ffii nnyoru
rF\)
Afr
-tl{A
ilT*lf
'
magner
oorcelain
mametism
45.
nowusedto conveythis/here.
? .rrsrone rv^ is anNGUcharacter
;lii,:'fi
ii::ilff;l#fiilH.#"ff.
;il*i1ift
i'"#l;;';fi''lllilil"fr
from its literal meaningof threadsdrawn togetherby a
.;ili',::ffi
e.ril1",";I#il1,yfi
lll',1'i;'":,,""TH';TH:l*;:;l
"Hff
,"i,l]:'::::^:milar,connotations
trhCMONiC:
ROCK HAS INVISIBLE MAGNETIC THREADS
277
882
{ lrv
i+ *J ?3 cn0sHnru
syringg
shootdo,s1
+J 4+tl
t ITAosu
SHA, iru
SHOOT
10strokes
<I\
'7.a,J
ffi ry tr SHAGEKUO riflerangg
ixifl;.1"K""o,"
ffiHsi"ffh""*T#::
1l strokes
fi EE SThTUMEI explanation
:
sults from a miscopying.
. * is the sameapparentconfusionof rice * 201and rice plant fi 8l
'^l."in
"^raerty'-,tfl
pe q.v., and similarlyhasconnotations
of planting. $ is keep watch over
q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressscatter and probablyalsolending
233
l'.-irnrrr
(seeds)(in succession?).This cameto
i^id"uof succession.Thus to scatter rice
in a broadsense,including suchideasas releaseand undo, and
Iean scatter/ disperse
connotationsof undoing/ solving a problem,i.e. explaining. Sugacquired
,vcnrually
g as person ,(39 with a pack t on their back.
gcsttakingthe modemform
Mnemonic:HAND SHOOTS MEASURED ARROW INTO BODY
Mnemonic:PERSON EXPLAINS' IS RELEASED AND GMN
Originally ef< , a pictographshowinga bow B 836 and arrow H 981. A hand 1
was addedIaterto draw attentionto the shooting of the arrow, giving t$1, and this was
then replacedwith measure/ hand i 909 q.v., with its connotationsof careful useq1
the hand. The use of body h ZZZ (early form fl ) insteadof bow and arrow tg ,.-
883 iTl'..H'J
ffi.
E fA rusrn
cnanry
foundting
SUTEGO
ffi<+
( SUfeOfU leavealone
ffi(tr
f is hand 32. E is house/quarters 700 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressput
down (and leave) and possibly also lending its literal meaningof relax/ not rrorry.
Thus to put something down with the hand and leave it (without worrying?),
leadingto abandon.
Mnemonic: FIND ABANDONED HAND IN ONE'S QUARTERS!
88,t
SHAKU, SEKI
MEASURE,FOOT
4 strokes
886
RICE PACK
youth
JAKU, wakai,moslri
# 4 fefUXeN
YOUNG, IF
or
E U < Cd trlOSnn<UWR
youth
8 snokes
# # weraMoNo
show a person kneeling attendingto their long flowing
Veryold forms such as I
long
generally
hair
is
honically,
a symbolof old age(e.g.see173),but hereit symhair.
pliant.
It
combined
wavy/
with
mouth/ say o 20 to give a meaningof pliant
bolised
words,i.e. agreement. This meaningis now conveyedby agreeft
1557,which addedwords Z 274 after the meaningof 886 becamevague. Softnessand pliancy also symbolisedweakness(e.g.see 138),and eventually886 itself acquiredthis meaning.Young
is an associatedmeaning with weak. If is a borrowed meaning. The presentform results
fromanearlymiscopyingof$(variant & ) ur H, 1.".sirowlngaiand \ I / 2 and
plantsgV 9. Suggesttaking fu as right 2 and * as plants 9.
Mnemonic:PLANTS ON RIGHT ARE YOUNG
,R tr SHAKUDO scale,gauge
flUtE
X. Z\ SHAKUHACHI
lrnd
oi
strip
SEKICHI
R f&
887
Once written /\ . / depictsthe elbow and lower arm down to an extended linger
tip, while t depictsa spread hand. 884 thusreferredto the span of a hand, uhich
to
becamea measuringunit roughlyequivalentto one foot (actually30.3cms,as opposcd
30.48for the Westemfoot). It alsocameto representmeasurein a broadsense.Seellso
tOS ana :' as 3 prop'
as a 'topless' variantof door i
1415. Suggesttaking I
'foot'.
with a pun on
JU
NEED, DEMAND
14strokes
demand
ffi*lUVO
,jl'ffi IA HITSUJUHINnecessities
G fA luryUsupplyaddemand
tfr is rain 3.
ft is an NGU characternow usedto conveyhowever, but it derivesfrom
a sVtsed pictographof a beard
X and originally had that meaning (still in fact a minor
neaningin Chinese). Here it actsphonericallyto expresswet, to give a beard
soaked
oVthe rain. (Note
that become soaked is now expressedby the NGU character)* ,
whichadds
water ) 40.) Somescholarsfeel that need/ demand is a purely borrowed
uteaning,while
othersseeit as convolutedlvderivine from the ideaof waitine to avoid besoaked
and
hencewaiting for somethingbeier, leadingto desire anih"nce need/
lo*ing
dernand.
Suggesttaking ft as a rake.
Mnemonic:MEASURE PROP FOR FOOT OF TOPLESS DOOR
S.Moni", RAIN FALLS ON RAKE .. NEED NEW ONE
279
278
I
.i
SIXTH GRADE 888.890
888
#il i,*,?[.:'^."
ffiJNE,JUSHI
resin
foundin"
6
barrr
{ei _\r ruRITSU
&.t& ruHI
}e is edible plant 450, while sI is hand/ measure 909 q'v., t1s,.
Oncewritten f{
meaningcareful use of the hands.The food vesselelement fl 1640q'v. of f, also
acts phoneticallyto expressstand/ erect, as well as lending similar connotationsof its
own (from the fact that the vesselhad a long upright stem). Thus to erect an edible (i.e.
food-bearing) plant with care, i.e. carefully plant it upright. Tree /-- 69 lrng
addedlater to enforcethe idea of upright flora, and presently888'smeaningchangedto
plant a tree, and eventuallytree itself. It is howeverstill occasionallyusedin the sense
rcqOandsamurai t 494.
of erect/stand.Suggesttakingf. asfood pot 9 tL
Mnemonic:SAMURAI'S HAND STANDS FOOD POT NEXT TO TREE
889
r:?'
a
SHU, SO
RELIGION, MAIN
8 strokes
.J\
T
xx
*.
/J-
Jr'a
Vl\
SEUKYO
SOKE
SHUHA
religion
mainfamily
sect
Roof/ building ?', 28 and altar fr. 695,to give building with altar, i.e. shrineor
in somecasesmausoleum.By associationthis alsocameto symbolisereligion. I\lain is
felt to stemfrom the fact that sucha building was the main building in a community.
Mnemonic: BUILDING WITH ALTAR IS MAIN CENTER OF RELIGION
8eoitt-,:.l'fu
accomPlishment
fl ffi 16ru
Ve ffi,V" ( NITSUITE concerning
ffiffi ssUsHoKU
findhg emPloYment
f is
ij. is capital 99 q.v., here in its literal senseof (aristocrat's) house on a hitl'
an NGU charactermeaningoutstanding. Its origin is somewhatunclear,but old forms
age
suchas { suggesta personwith long hair, which was usually associatedwith old
of
lends
connotations
and by associationsometimeswith excellence(see173).Here f,'
prornr'
prominence, and also actsphoneticallyto expressarrive. 890 originally meant
aInent person arriving at a prominent hOuseon a hill, a referenceto a dignitary
riving at a town to take up a new post. Taking up a post led to the ideaof 5.gernin9
involved. Suggesttaking fi' as a dog X 17 with a crooked leg.
{n
4ft
Jfr, shitagaa
FOLLOW, COMPLY
l0 strokes
280
fit X -tr JLIGYOIN
employee
ft
rusHe
follower
-ft c #
.6
SHITAGATTE
accordingly
'tftN isroad,l move 118 q.v. and rrLis foot/ move r.E 129 q.v.,
Fotmerly
with
in
thecombination fact being the prorotypeof move L lzg. ,(A is foltow 463 (literally
two persons A 39). Thus two persons moving along (a road), with one following the other. Follow also came to be used in the figurative senseof compry. Suggest
taktngft as correct ft-l fi- 41 andeight ,t /r:
66.
Mnemonic:FOLLOW EIGHT ROADS CORRECTLY
-
sELFrsH
lF*ii^",
-i.,;f,#**".."*3y,
*R
Formerlyfrt- . lt, is thread 27, heremeaningcord/ binding.
lrLl f|is fottow g9l
q'v', here acting phoneticallyto expressslacken and possibly
also lending an idea of
movementfrom its literal meaningof one personmoving
along after another. g92 origi_
nallymeantsracken binding (thus permitting
movement?). It is still very occasion_
aIIyusedin this sense,but more often in the associated
senseof serfish (i.e. fiom rax and
unconstrainedbehavior). Its most common
meaningof vertical, in which it often replaceslengthwise/warp threads
ttrl oss, is felt to sremfrom a popular reinterpretation
of
its elementsas threads to follow,
i.e. the generallyvertical warp.
MNcmonic:
THREADSTo FoLLow ARE THE VERTICAL
ONES
893
SHUKU, chijimu/meru
SHRINK, REDUCE
lTstrokes
ffi$
ffi zJ. SHUKUSHO reduction
ffi fiffi TANSHUKU contracrion
rLb CHIIMIDOME
shrinkproof
27. fr is todge505q.v.,hereactingphonetically
f":::l*lo
to express
arrangeand
anideaof gatherfromits connotations
of
gathering
a
place
for travi#'tJ::
lending
ro arra-ngethreads (by gathering them
in?). Somescholarsseeits
prc*".".*l_t
*reil ffT'J,-ii,.Hll*;,?llffi
lherronic:
Mnemonic: TAKE UP ISSUE OF CRIPPLED DOGS IN CAPITAL
SDCHGRADE 891-893
ff;:;nsion
ordrawing
together
roose/
srack
REDUCEDTo THREADBARE
LoDGINGS
28r
SIXTH GRADE 894-896
SDflI] GRADE 897-899
trIf, setruru
JUKU
RIPE,MATURE,
cooKED #f, HeNruru
15snokes
F{ffi ruruneN
894 -vlf
\-r
-l?$
maturitV
half-t4;1.6
mastery
SHO
GOVERNMENT
SIGN
13 strokes
897
| \\\
Somewhatobscure.Formerly ?t . tnls now existsas an NGU characterusedto corivev
who/ where,but it was originally written $rl , showlnga person bending and holrlini
35, and what appearsto be a lidded cooking pot ri
something tt , woman 4. lt
(possiblyvariant 6 ST, and its original meaningwas cook by boiting. €. upp.urrio
have becomeconfusedwith receive g; lg 1162,while t has becomeconfusecl
with
-p{,
addedlaterfor clarity, when
i1.s1g
round lL 830 (seealso 470). Fire , ,., $ 'ev45
stanedto becomesemanticallyvague, and it shouldbe noted that !- also existsasnn
NGU charactermeaningboil. Somethingthatis boiledis readyfor eating,leadingby assoas lid r,
ciation to ripe, with mature being a figurativeextension.Suggesttaking f
.]
20.
25,andmouth
o
child
Mnemonic:MATURECHILDPUTS ROUND LID OVER MOUTH OF FIREPIT
8es 2 p
X.rl
I
ffi'f:
frtF ruNsu-l
ft{€ rumnlo
f,f;?# ruNerr
JUN
PURE
lostrokes
puriry
purewool
netprofit
] f l l
'!
Yt
ft is thread 27. € is encampment1669q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresssuperior and also lending connotationsof fresh/ pure from its literal meaningof sprout
(i.e. fresh growth). 895 originally meantsuperior pure (silk) threads, but now rneans
with hair L 210.
pure in a broadsense.Suggestremembering {, by association
8e6
4&
I
&&I4. SHORI
PLA.E &nE sgocrn
,iT,i"*,*"H'
fnf& sgosno
management
measure
hereandthere
policestation
.^ is net 193. # t B is person 298, here also actingphonetically
Formerly8
to
7
897 originally referredto persons given the task of putting the
plot.
cxpress
net in
placedurirrga hunt. It then came to meanemployed person, then official, then place
where officials work. sign is generallyassumedto be a borrowedmeaning,but it is
possiblethat it is an idea associatedwith govemmentoffice.
Mnemonic:PERSON NETTED, SIGNS up FoR GOVERNMENT OFFICE
8e8
i+
ffi
i,.i3,#:Jllr{\y
l5snoxes
# B snoro
islandgroup
# E SfrOrUN 'myfriends'
# f uOnore
bothhands
Formerly/S . !, iswords274. B t & i"person 29g q.v., hereactingphonetically
to expressmany and also lending similar connotationsof its own from its early
meaningof
many various things. 898 originally meant many/ various words,
but then came to
meanmany/ various in general.
Mnemonic:PERSON'S WORDS ARE MANY AND
VARIOUS
899
Mnemonic: PURE THREADS LOOK LIKE HAIR
E 4 sgovnl
signature
OFFICE, EFSHoTN
official
gXZ
KETsATSUSHo
SHQ masa
COMMAND,ABOUT TO
10strokes
tr * suonnl
future
ff F SnOCuU generalissimo
lS K uasn ni on thepointof
once written f 1 , showingtable/ rest/ stool rt 832 and inverted foot { l& lF438 q.v., here in its senseof visit and stop. Thus to visit somewhere and stoPr
to
sitting on a stool. This cameto mean be settled down, leadingon the one hand
l'e'
sense'
place (whereone is settled)and on the other to settlein a broaderfigurative
is a
conclude or deal with. 896 was formerly also written .6" , though technicallythis
wltn
as
separatecharacterof somewhatobscureetymology. It is generallyinterpreted trI!
the additionof tiger F. 2ll,which is felt to actphoneticallyto expresssit casually.How'
ever,old forms suchas l, and f^ suggeststronglythat it was in fact a highly st1'ttscu
pictographshowinga person I sittingdown on a stool I\ beforebecomingconltrssu
with early forms of tiger sucha's S 6,l,6fi . Suggesttaking 4.- as sit crosslegged'
Formerly
flS and earlier Hfr, showingthat measure/ hand =f 909 is a miscopying
of/ substitutionfor
two hands vy (indicatingoffering) and that hand reaching down
,f
* ' j * Yacting
.ttamiscopyingof/substitutionformeat /f{ 365. fl /fl /) isUeOt:tS,
usre
phoneticallvto expressoffer up and possiblyalsolending
a meaningof litter.
E99originally
-.un, off", meat to a superior lthe latter reclining on a litter?).
Some
feel that its presentmeaningof command is
borrowed,while others seeir as
llholars
from the idea of the superiorrank of the person
ll*nt
being offered meat,i.e. that pera commanderor a personwho hascommandedthat
meat be brought. It is not
lll"Tlt, als.oc.amero meanbe about to, althoughit is possible
that this ru4y
may ansu
alsoilavc
have
;"J.,:::
from the ideaof offering meat,i.e.
with
person
the
being
offered
the meat being
{:ll1".*
oouttoreceive/eatit.
S u g g e s t t a k i n g) l a s a b a r l o f i c e > 3 7 g .
Mnemonic:SIT CROSSLEGGED ON STOOL TO DEAL WITH SITUATION
COMMANDER'S HAND ABOUT TO REACH
YTTEMONiC:
FOR BAR OF ICE
282
283
SDffHGRADE 903-905
SIXTHGRADE 9OO.9O2
900
K
# 4 rusno
sHQ warau,e-u
LAUGH, SMILE
10strokes
wrysmite
X.V F WARAIGOE laughter
5milingfacs
K EA sC/,O*
miscopyingof
Of confusedetymology. rrT is bamboo 170, though this is a longstanding
originallyreferredtoa
plant ,y' 9. (isperson with bowed head279. "E l*
becamefurther conIt
ttren
head).
a
drooping
with
type of thistle (presumablyassociated
phoneticallyto exacts
t"t 1303q.v., in which T t *fused with smile/ laugh
"E
presscrease and also lends its own connotationsof thin (from the stemof the thistle),
i.e. smile
combining with mouth A 20to give thin creases around the mouth,
head
bent z,
with
and hencelaugh. Suggesttaking /q literally as big person K 53
a personbent
and following the common but incorrectexplanationthat the characErshows
over (like bamboo bends) laughing.
Mnemonic: BIG PERSON BENT OVER LIKE BAMBOO, LAUGHING
e01
lE
'lnn
*]il;
rEE
:H#:"'*
€
i#"?,H:'itamitmu'meru
trftry 6KrzursuKERuwound
l3strokes
tech,{ is person 39. S is to all intents and purposesa variant of rising sun fi 144,
phoacts
nically showing a person F 39 watching the sun rise (seealso 637). Here $
intense from
netically to expresswound, and may also lend connotationsof (becoming)
sense'
broad
in
a
wound
person,
now
its idea of rising. Thus a (badly?) wounded
SUN
Mnemonic:WOUNDED PERSONS LEFT EXPOSED TO RISING
902
1i
rlll
il[r
SHQ sawarr,r
HINDER, BLOCK
14snokes
imPediment
H € stlocet
shojiscrern
sHoll
H f
# LH 6 sASHISAwARU hinder
bar'
q.v. The latter actsphoneticallyto express
f is hill 229,while f is Uaage318
reis
it
slave
rier, but any semanticrole is unclear. However, sinceit can also symbolise
ftee)'
(i'e' not
motely possiblethat it also lendsconnotationsof impeded/ impediment
Thus hill(s) forming barrier, leadingto block and hinder'
HILL
Mnemonic: GET BADGE FOR OVERCOMING HINDERING
284
ffi T Ef- JOKAMACIil castletown
ffi W W HIMEJIJO HimejiCastle
4 Ml STm.OATO castleruins
JO, shiro
CASTLE
9 strokes
903
g is earth 60. F!, is become/ consist/ make 515 q.v., here acting phonetically to ex,
up and also lending its connotationsof being properly finished. 903 origiorcsspile
properly (i.e. soundly) constructed earthen ramparts, then
ndly refenea to
ca1rebY extensionto mean castle.
Mnemonic:CASTLE CONSISTS OF EARTHEN RAMPARTS
e04
R
once written ;$
* jd, loru
sream
ff B lonvu
distillation
K U E tr. MUSHIATSUI
humid
J6, musu/reru
STEAM
13strokes
, showingplants/ grass W lf
9, two fires s /J< 8, two
hands fl,andsmoke/ heat rising 1 . ttti. was a depictionof hands throwing
brushwood on a fire, and the original meaning was brushwood (still found in chinese).However,it was then usedinsteadof the simpler -4. , a Co charactermeaningheat
rising from a fire (i.e. 904 minus the plants/brushwood# , with hands
refJ/z(
uined in error or else in the senseof handsbeing warmed at a fire). For someunclearreason904 later cameto be usedparticularly of (rising) steam, rhoughit has no elementconnectedwith water. It is possible however that >h becameconfusedwith water .tK 4o.
Suggest
taking ']q as a combinationof water and baby/ child
$ 25, with - as a
hotplate.
MNCMonic:GRASS COVERED WATERBABY
STEAMS oN FIERY HoTPLATE
eos
,1} ..l
$T
tr fl gosmr.r policy,line
ff E& srumno
course
f|# nerucANE
wire
s H IN ,har i
x,::i.:'PoINTER
-0 is rns1t1
14. r is ten 33 q.v.,herein its literalmeaningof needre.Thusmetal
treedle.
IVTTTCMONiC:
TEN METAL NEEDLES
28s
lr
SIXTH GRADE 906.908
e06
<P
4
<-
SDffHGRADE 909-910
E.5
INAI
nNsHe
EI
tUO
EF
JIN, NI
BENEVOLENT,
HUMANITY
4 strokes
lenevolenqs
humanirarian
SUN
MEASURE, INCH
3 strokes
909
Devaking
Popularlyexplainedas an ideographiccombinationof two i 6l and person { 39 to indicatethe relationship between two people,which ideally shouldbe one of hurnani.
ty and benevolence. A useful mnemonic, but possibly incorrect since early forms such
actsphoneticallytoexpfess
as ?: showabendingperson.Somescholarsfeelthati
This is then felt to have
burden.
person
a
bent under
burden, to give a meaningof
come by extensionto a person bearing someone else's burden (possibly under the
influence of two : , suggestingtwo [persons']burdens),leading eventually to the present
meanings.
-j- E SUlrpO
size,plan
- .f ISSUw
tinybit,oneinch
.J-f SuunuN
atittle
written | , trroughsomelater forms suchas -l replacethe dot
with one
onstnally
hand.
a
909
is
originally
referredto the pulse,as looselyindicatedby the po- l. 1
relative to the hand.This was convenientlytaken to be one SUN from the
dot
the
of
sition
baseof the palm, a SUN being the rough equivalentof the width of a finger (commonly
as 3.03 cms, which is a somewhat
takenasone inch, but now specifically standardised
thickfinger). Now also used to refer to measure in a broad sense,as well as small
amount. In compoundssometimesconfusedwith a simple hand, but often combining the
idcasof both hand and measureto lend a meaningequivalentto measured/careful use
of the hand.
Mnemonic: TWO PEOPLE SHOW BENEVOLENT RELATIONSHIP
Mnemonic:PULSE MEASURED AS ONE INCH FROM HAND
907
4i6
SlJl,tarerulrasu
SUSPEND,HANG
DOWN N4iL
SUICHOfU
AMADARE
&tt{n ! rnnrxezazu
8 strokes
venicality
raindrops
pendant
Once written T , showing a combinationof ground J- 60 and *, a plant w i t h
now
drooping leaves. Thus plant with leaves hanging down to the ground'
from
hang in a broader sense. suggest rememberingby associationwith ride fi, 320,
which distinguish.
Mnemonic:LOOKLIKERIDINGHANGINGDOWNTOGROUND!
eo8
*E
#:#
#Ee::rnml
ni*,-"sHAHEAD
atphoneticallyto expressthrust/ push and
d is hand 32. f; isbird 216, here acting
backgo
to
most certainly also lending an idea of forward motion (birds being unable
senseof
figurative
the
in
wards).Thus to push forward with the hand, now also used
promote. Infer is a borrowedmeaning'
Mnemonic:PUSH BIRD AHEAD WITH HAND
286
910
EI
Atr-
Jtfr.
ZE, kore
PROPER,THIS
9 strokes
€ iE zgsrl
correction
€ 6 ronEna
these
ft )F zew
rightandwrong,
at anycost
of confusedetymology. very earryforms such as
! show a spoon/ Iadre $ and a
triple hook v , which was usedfor hangingappliances
on. The original meaningwas
thusspoon kept on (proper) hook. From
an earry stagehook v becameconfused
with foov stop t /
f- 129, with stop being taken transitivelyto meankeep in prace,
andthecharacterbecame
reinterpreted
but without significantchangeof meaningasspoon
t" proper place. Spoonitself is now conveyed
by the NGU character fr,, which
\y
adds L (itself
a CO characterpictographicallydepictinga scoop/ladle),while 910 cameto
conveythe idea
of being in the proper prace, and henceproper in a broad sense.
(However,
somescholarsmaintainthat properis technicallya borrowedmeaning,
not an
extende'd
one.) The modernform erroneouslyusescorrectr proper
iE / E 4r, while
+ has becomeabbreviatedto a form equivarentto sun/ day a 62. This is a
[t"
oonowe.d
meaning.
lhemonic:
suN IS CORRECT-- THI' Is oNLy pRopER
287
I
t
SD(fi{GRADE 914-916
SIXTHGRADE 911-913
l
I
i
I
911
Hv
a
SEI, hijiri
SAINT, SAGE, SACRED
13strokes
alt
1-
SEISHO
SEIJIN
E/\
}6 EE SHINSEI
bible
saint
sanctity
Formerly 6f . fr is ear 29, E is opening/hole 20, and 4 is person standing stitl
1610, here acting phonetically to expressclear and possibly also lending a suggestions1
standing alertly. 911 originallyreferred to a person whose hearing (literally ear.
hole) was excellent(clear), and who could hearthingsnot heardby sther people. Thig
was in turn a referenceto a holy man, who could hear the words of the gods. Thus saint
and sage,with sacred being an extendedmeaning. 911 is also sometimesused as a term
of respectto a ruler, which may have influenced the graphicevolution of f into a fo6
equivalentto king E. 5.
Mnemonic: SAINTLY KING'S EARHOLE IS SACRED
-ufr
ia seu
ifr * sPrnrsu
...fr
K VefOfO ni
SEI, makoto
SINCERITY
l3 strokes
912
sincerity
honesty
ruly
{ is words 274. fi is consisVbecome/make 515 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express pile up and by extensionduplicate and also lending its connotationsof being
properly formed. Though confusingly912 containsno elementspecificallyindicating
hearVfeelings(e.g. rgi 147),it originally referredto words which properly duplicat'
ed one's heart/ feelings,i.e. which containedsincerity. It now meanssincerityin
general.
Mnemonic: WORDS BECOME SINCERE
913
\
@
a
HEsewnnN
ProPaganda
SEN
VETdiCt
H € SET'ITOTU
PROMULGATE, STATE
missionarl
SENKYOSHI
H,+t.fifr
9 strokes
r-
but lt
a is roof/ building 28. @ is an NGU characternow usedto expressrequest,
.'il'
was originally written
, showinga vortex @ 86 within two boundaries 1
that which goes
meant go around in a broad sense(still found in Chinese). Thus '9
also actsphoaround a buitding, namely a fence/ wall. (Somescholarsfeel that
netically to expressfence/ wall.) A building with a wall around it was an imnorta]l
'
building, and this was the originalmeaningof 913 (not unlike instituE Patu 22gO: l;t
oo'
-2
A
days
6l
as two 2
presentmeaningsresult from borrowing. Suggesttak'tng
Mnemonic: STATE THAT ROOF WILL BE FINISHED IN TWO DAYS
288
SEN, moppara
EXCLUSIVE,SOLE
9 strokes
9t4
.+ti
+E
efl
SENM_ON
specialty
SEI.IYO
exclusiveuse
SENSEI
despotism
obscure. Formerly $ and earlier f1, showing a hand \ and a round
sooewhat
device used in spinning f . rhe laner is taken by some scholarsto have
",eigbted
wenla{gely used as a child's toy. Hand i. was later replacedby hand/ measure rf
g0 q.v., which with its connotationsof careful use of the hands tends to contradict
theoy theory. However, adherentsof the theoryfeel that .f simply meanthand,and that
thecharacteroriginally referred to a child holding the toy. Since a child is generallyrelucBnt to releasea toy it then came to symbolisekeeping possessionfor oneself,
leadingto the presentmeanings.Other scholarsfeel that the characteroriginally depicteda
handdedicatedly performing the task of spinning, with dedication leadingto
exclusivedevotion and henceby extensionthe presentmeanings. The third and possi_
bly mostlikely theory is that, not unlike a moderngyroscope,the spinning weight tended
throughits inertia to remain fixed in place, symbolisingunswerving devotion/ de_
dicationandhencethe presentmeanings.Suggesttaking g as ten f 33 fietds EE 59.
Mnemonic:EXCLUSM
915
R
POSSESSION OF TEN MEASURED FIELDS
SEN, izumi
SPRING
9 strokes
lR R.E ONSENJO
F. zj< spNsut
ft F. msEN
spareson
fountain
waterfall
tl:t u pictograph of water emerging from
a hole in a rock/ hiilside ,{l . suggest
takingzK as water 40 and
fi as white 65. In fact, the modernform may have deliberatelyused 6 , sinceit has connotations purity.
of
MNcmonic:SPRING
PRODUCES WHITE WATER
916 \
'ru
4_-H\
41.
l rV
) ro
SEN,arar
sEN.
ara,
ift iL seNnel
baptism
WASH, TNVESTTGATE ift @ sErcrAKU(the)washing
gstrokes
*ft,V' TEARAI
washroom
IN'ESTIGATE
x',t:fl:
ft- is precede
/ tip 49q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressfeet and al*^:::"1:.,
a similar meaningthroughirs elementsof person rv 39 and foot
i)'ijTi:ttlending
916 originally referredto a person washing their feet, and then
cameto
nu,.t^,1r:
rn
general. The minor meaningof investigate is a figurative
"*n
extension,
,h.;.
from
*rsldeO
of making somethingclean.
rernonic:
WASH TIp IN WATER
289
Il l
SIXTHGRADE 917-919
i
917
SDflH GRADE 920-922
t,
t
K
d ) ei n s
lmeru, shimiru *e, S E N S H O K U
SEN, sonrara
DYE, SOAK, PERMEATE'4*b+)]JSOMEMONOdyed g,,e6,
+-4]Att
9 strokes
SHIMIKOMU
^
€IJ€ s6zo
crearion
il n# SOzuTSUSHA
founder
\,^'
sot
€|J
wound
f,:rl:l^l1i':fibu*o
soak1n16
Once written ',lip, showingthat lr; is not nine fu 12, thoughit may be usefulto 1qmemberit as such,but a person bending rt-39. fi- is tree 69, here meaningshrub/
plant. fT /y iswater 40. 917 thus depictsa person bending to soak a plant in
water, a referenceto dyeing using the indigo plant or similar. Thus dye andsoak, with
permeatebeingan extendedmeaning.
c u t 1 8 1 . f r i s w a r e h o u s e 5 3 1 q . v . , a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l yt o e x p r e s s
rl issword/
not clear if f; dso lends any meaning. (It is unlikely to lend its lesser
is
It
wound.
sincethis is a later borrowedmeaning,but by associationwith store*earlrrrgofsudden,
q.v. [note sharedreadingof kura] it may possibly lend loose connotations
houseff 923
person
requiring harboring.) Thus wounded with a sword. start is
of wounded
Mnemonic:SOAK NINE SHRUBS IN WATER TO MAKE DYE
a bonowedmeaning'
ff 4 sANSO
SO kanadera
PLAY, REPOITT
9 strokes
918
accompanimenl
44H socexupo concenhau
roenrperor
4_t solo report
Somewhatobscure,largely sinceits old forms vary considerably. An old form {\ ,ho*s
hands offering f\ what appearsto be a ptant $ (thusmaking it very similar to offcr f
1793q.v.), though somescholarsinterpret v as a variantof cow + 97. f hasbeen
interpretedas ten t 33 (indicatingmany) and (big) person ^ 53' to give a ntcirning
of many persons offering things up (to a ruler). However,thosewho take V io be
cow take t to be a highly stylisedversionofsheep t / + 986 q'v'' a view supported
by anotherold form fS, and concludethat the characteroriginally referredto <lf{cring
animal sacrifices(to the gods). In any event,offer to a high authority camein time
to meanreport to a ruler, thoughit is not clear why that which was offeredbecantenarrowed to information. Play an instrument is felt by some scholarsto be a borrowed
meaning,by othersto derive from the idea of a musicalpresentationfor ttrebenefitof a ruler, and by still othersto be an associatedmeaning,from the fact that the offering of tribute
as
was generallyaccompaniedby a fanfareof musicalinstruments.Suggesttahing d
h e a v e n 5 8 a n dX a s t w o = 6 l b i g m e n K 5 3 .
t\^N
window
fti tr MAD'GU.HI
rvtndow
bow
'iH,6' ogueoo
SO mado
wrNDow
EB.^ posdxat
I I snokes
nr
SO
STRATUM, LAYER
14strokes
alumniasscrciaflon
Somewhatobscure. Formerly @ . fi derivesfrom a pictographof a window,*'itb
ano t'''grille @ (the shortupperstrokd- ' beingfelt to be a stylisticembellishment),
147was
.7< 849 was addedlater for emphasis.At a still later stageheart/ feeling r\'
t'added,giving E (also S ), though its role is unclear.(Some scholarsinterpret r'
'window of the heart',enforcingthe ideaof openingup.) Suggesttaking A as nosc
I{TTCmonic:LAYERS
oF CORPSES BUILD UP IN FIELD ovER EIGHT DAYS
e22
*##:3Jy:*,',#;
i?#;:':',ii'#1,"
+e
l6strokes
F, b ^ Y, Ryarsunrsrr'{cyo
puppet
t is hano32.
meaning
ft is a co character
birdschirping,andshowsthreemouths
tree t- eg. Here *. actsphonetically
to express
take,andmaypossibly
;:1a
loosesuggestion
intensity.
of
Thusto takewith the hand (firmry?).Just
il:.:"1"
Englishtermhandre,thisalsocameto meanmanag
el operatelcontrol.
chasil,T:
-o'oanassociated
meaning
with
control,
from
idea
the
of restraint.Suggest
takingfo
asthree
boxes,and /i in its meaning
of wooden.
l&temonic:
THREE wooDEN BoxES TAKE soME HANDLTNG
Mnemonic:NOSE MAKES HOLE IN WINDOW, LEFT FEELING DOWN
290
TE
reSO
lowerclasses
tr E SOUN
srratus
cloud
H tr C /L KISOBIRU skyscraper
Fwmuly /$ . f is technicallycorpse 236,but actshereas a simplificationof building
E ZZe 6ee also262). I t g i" buitd up 741. Thus buitt up buitding, indicatinga
building of more than one story. It then came by associationto mean story, tayer,
slratum, and so forth. Suggesttaking
., 66, field E 59,
and day E
f as eight
62.
-{n
Mnemonic:TWO BIG MEN PLAY I{EAVENLY MUSIC
etstf'
FOR A START, PUT SWORD IN WAREHOUSE
Mnemonic:
29r
SIXTH GRADE 923.925
SXTH GRADE 926-928
H#
ZO xura
923
zoSgo
'-Nb
,|f,
one'slibrary
SnrborinS
SToRE(HOUSE),HARBOR ffi,w Zaroxu
wine
cellar
E ffi snxeGURA
15strokes
381, hereindicatFormerly ffi . * is grass 9. [- is a variantof sickness HL lf
protect' and I
of
sense
in
an
extended
ing incapacitated. f; is eyel guard 512, here
is halberd/ weapon, here symbolisingwound. 923 originally referredto concealing
a wounded and incapacitated person with grass, thereby protecting them (frorn
their pursuers). This later extendedto mean put away and look after in a broad sense,
and hencestore and harbor. Suggesttakjng f as cliff 45'
ZG harawata
ENTRAILS, VISCERA
19snokes
924
intesrines
flffi,# znw
viscera
E fiff Nalzo
,L.,qff+ SHINZOGAKU
cardiology
fl 365 and store/ harbor
bored in the body, i.e. the viscera/ entrails.
Flesh/ of the body
ffi SZl, givingthat stored/har'
Mnemonic: ENTRAILS ARE HARBORED IN BODY
g25 lL\
A'h
l'fl
zoKU
wORLDLY, vuLGAR,
ctrsroM
'f4i# zoruco
slang
vulgarisation
l6{V' zot<xt
customs
m'f?i FUZoKU
9 strokes
I
CHILD KNOWS OF EXISTENCEOF FUNNY DAM
lMnemonic:
I
I
|
.,)d"
St
<-
which is common).
Mnemonic: VALLEY PEOPLE HAVE VULGAR CUSTOMS
292
SON, tattoilbu,tiltoi
€E
SONCno
respecr
VALUE'EsrEEM,YouR H'IX soNNoKA* ,oyulirt
12snokes
€H sol,nvo
yourwill
and earliervfi, clearlyshowinghands t{ offering up (indicating
doing
l*r'n".r! I
somethingfor a superior) a wine ja. € /6 302. Out of : r 66 was addedlater to
f
of pouring, and hands p{ were replacedby hand/ measure .f
909
lconvey-the-idea
g.v.'to.lendan idea of careful use of the hands.(According to somescholars, -f,
also acts
I
to expressoffer.) Thus to offer and pour wine (for a superior).
some
lphonetrcauy
reel that the presentmeaningsare borowed, but it seemsmore likely
that they are
| ar
:,":lf
ex:elded.or associatedmeanings(i.e. pouring wine being a symbol
of respect, with the
I
*" cha-racter
as a secondperson honorific being an associatedidea). Note that
l:tt^:l
still retainsa minor meaningof wine vessel,while in Japanesethe addition
| 11uhtn:se.92,1
f,69 gives the NGU characrerbarrel ffi . Note also that $ exisrs as an NGU
lT**
meaningsuperioror chief, while in chinese it meansfermentedliquor.
lcnaracter
MNEMONiC:
POUR OUT MEASURE OF WINE FOR ESTEEMED
GUEST
-_
92S
"o
\
@
fi
\-
.{ is person 39. 6 is valley 122q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresstransmit
ele'
(orally) and possibly also lending connotationsof out of mouths from its l\reral
trans'
ments of a doubling of out of ,' 66 and mouth/ opening s 20' Thus that
This led on
mitted orally from person to person, a referenceto common rumors.
(i'e' that
rhe one hand to worldly and vulgar, and on the other by associationto custom
E&#
existence
opinion
SoNZAISrTA u u"inn
in
Very similar meaning and etymology to dam firmly in place/ exist f,a 6g4q.v.(
of_dam.
dam a
126,with child $ 25 actingphoneticallyto expresspite
same
tutt
t 126'
the
is tttr
pile
1T:*
1T:"'ot
f ir
to s.e piled!p dam, i.e. a dam firmly in place and hencethe extendedmianin! or
lun
Whereas684 developedconnotationsof existencein a location 926 cameto ."*
I exist.
a broadersense.It is not clearhow in Japanese
in
it alsocameto meanknowi think.
lexrst
ltZt
Mnemonic:STORE AND GUARD HALBERDS UNDER GRASSY CLIFF
&F SBzoN
;?*,:?L"*,
THINK trtJE 9 zoNrryonr
5s;;^es
;t["",
H'ME
6 strokes
Effi
tr*5S#"il":,ll?ff;
*-€ orexu
lou, you,ho*e
Orcewritten
is roof/ house/ building Zg. X / d is adepictionof a plant
6 . At*
roors are both growing, indicating that it has taken root. Some
schorars
Jlltt,*"0
.-.v ureS€ -""d
elementsto act ideographicallyto expressthe building
in which one takes
toov.settles,
i.e. one'shouse/ home, while otherstake
to act essentiailvphoneti{
open up (alsopossiblylendingsimilar connotationsfrom a seed
openine t
uol'..t] -"*pt"ts
plantl giving open up a house,which was a referenceto aigging
.;ilf"fl::lng
ou-tI
uratwas thenroofed to provide
.-'-l'"
a primitive troglodytic
*"6^vsJ rrwuwwrr'r'
dwelling \)s
*ang
lsee rs;. sulgest I
€ as seven t 30 and atop ,t .
I
€TNONiC:
SEVEN ROOMED HOUSE WITH ROOF
ON TOP
293
SIXTH GRADE 929-930
resPonsibility
fef'{tO
NINAIAKINDO* peddler
%lit#'i;l;''""
+!| I
te v.6
*r ,E
^ - TE GAKUSHUFUTAN
F E
studyload
Formerly
and obscureetymology'
Of somewhatconfused
jt
4$ ' Both of
*dearl\er
per'
t h e s e n o w e x i s t a s C o c h a r a c t e r s w i t h s i m i l a r m e a n i n gds o
a r r y32
a band
u r d e'fn , ti's
ho
ughiis
isf chand
is theoldercharacter.
tfr
,*"i3..
u
also usedto express
;lll3com3e.$ rsa"o"t"J"' *r't'u*nru'i"t::::.::t.:::"."::
son
i'lllJit in
rrequencv
andit is alsousedwithsome
lllil;"3'i:'",":;J'*d
excellent'
oounds,thoughitlendsnoobviousorconsistentmeaning.Itisofunclearetymology,but
39.,and an unknown
^
l'-*---'
\
- ,s words & l-z 21+,bendingperson ln
revear
form
fg
an old
-^- -u^-atinqllvto exoressbear/ carry' thusgivinl
'"'"*
I"*:J,T,f
il ;;
sgiving
thu
arf
;t rnoledc
"''
::"".:':"'":::'"?
meaningof carry someth'
something and f,S a
of person carrying
4t a meaning
u '-ui'"'
ing in the f,una t'ugg"'tin'
form
load)' The modern Japanese
f- Hffi;";;
oif letymology
charactermeaning to dust
th'.t lg-exists as a separate
l'
of day and - as one
;";
I in its meaning
unclear)' Suggest
WHOLE DAY
TTIPTTF"N
IN HAND FOR ONE
BURDEN
CARRY
Mnemonic:
e3o
ff.
detecson
4 fn reNcm
researcher
W n # TANKY0SHA
lll;,.1i1?;',i3ii.
WDfrfsecuRP'qsu
searchout
ut
H a n d d 3 2 a n d h a n d r e a c h i n g i n t o a h o l e f . 3 2 5 q . v . , iprobe'
d e o g r aSuggest
p h i c a ltuking
l y e x p r#e s s i n g
searchl
Hence
for something'
the idea of groping about
of hole is 849'
tree 69 and r;1' as a variant
HOLE IN TREE
Mnemonic: HAND PROBES
ii}}, GRADE
'--:-'.:
F*Ln,
tr19
€,r
PE
TA
steP,grade
DANKAI
graduallY
DANDAN
MAWARIKAIDAN
sPiralstairs
.F{ lt is interpret: (seealso625Lbut asa-resultof a laterrorm
^l^wsstepsoI telTacng
1567
F of thep(ototype# "^fl*ll^:tant #
l'r-i.,ottersasderivingto*o.o-l-,
931
see 931
theory see
cliff theory
the criff
w -'
of the
.
Adherents of
Adherents
. .
:^^^rr ^G-^*a.r,hqr '.nclent
etvmolosv.
etymology.
unclear
r_rl"Tffir";;"ir"r-"*n"
-"--r-,o-*trtuo.
in a ctifii hitlside and hencestep/ grade' Adasan ideograpn
phonetically to expressbeat as well as
rhe busny plant theory take I to act
herentsof
grain' The presentmeaning of
o' g'ui; pr"nt' to glu" Ueati^ittresh
meanlng
a
bndrng
themorelikely'
fn" ctff theoryseems
ffi.&,
is thenseenasutorro*in!.
BY STRIKING CLIFF
Mnernonic:CUT STEPS
Wkai'marume*
-ffit#J
wF3#3'
a i s s u n 6 2 . f t \ s a n N G U c h a r a c t e r n o w m e a n i n g a t t h i s p o i n tdown
, b u t i t o/vr i g303'
i n a l lhand
ymeant
hand reaching
draw up/ draw to oneself' It comprises
hauling
person
(once ) )' and indicatedone
reachingup t. and a knotted rope f
expresswarmth'
Here
rope'
f; actsphonetically.to
up anotherby meansof the knotted
to oneself' Thus (to draw)
andalmostcenainly ufso t"nA' its meaningof drawing
sensebut usually of amthe warmth of the sun (to oneself),later warm in a broader
a later version of the NGU
bienttemperaturerather ,i* *ur,n to the touch. 932 is in fact
Suggesttaking 7 as a varicharacter
warm {k , which usesfire l{ 8 ratherthan sun'
antofanotherhand, $ 32.
Mnemonic:THREE HANDS WARMING IN THE SUN
*
s,f,ii"t_::*""
.,::{;i
H.EEffis"ff"
{E
{ i, puiron :S. d. i, fix/ direct 349, which acts phoneticallyto-expressequivalent
(directty?) equivalent
u"d p."b.bl" ;;"1;r
its meaningof direct' Thus a person
(t..;;th.;i
any other person,and
as
the idea that a personis worth as much
;;;;"r*
nencevalue
and price.
MNEMONiC:
PERSON HAS FIXED PRICE
295
294
a!
'l"J#$l:L*:?"'#$'?"TJ
?fiTdl;y#:l:i",3J::;'nX*'.ffi
usesthe NGU
dawng *i;'ut" 'un a 62:":1'.t:
and
bear'
character
l"Y"l
.; used
::.ii'::l:;:,illl
tomean
e ift isst'l
*"uti"ct'in"'
;:ffi::: l;l;
{
FX PE
SIXTH GRADE 934-936
s34
rf+ Fililn"'.
SDffH GRADE 937-938
'fSfi cuUset
mediatiqn
,fSA Neropo* go-betweel
,f+ R ( NAKAYOKU cordiallv
Person 4 39 andmiddle + 55,givingpersonin the middle and by extensiona
relationship(involvingthosepartieson eitherside).
Mnemonic: PERSON IN MIDDLE MAKES FOR GOOD RELATIONSHIP
935
B
+ H fl; ucsUseN
spaceship
ffiiE9 cgrrengzu somersaulr
aerialsrunt
ffi * 9 cgtlNoru
CHU
SPACE, SKY
8 strokes
.h is roof ZS. & is reason 399 q.v., here usedin its literal senseof basket and by extensionconveyingthe idea of contain. Thus that contained under a roof, namelythe
eavesand the spacedirectly underthem. Like eaves/heaven * 811,this came to be applied figuratively to the firmament/ heaven and by extensionspace/ sky, but unlike
81I it is now no longer usedin its original sense.
Mnemonic: REASON FOR SPACE UNDER ROOF IS TO LET IN SKY
936
qt
t\I
CHU
LOYALTY, DEVOTION
8 strokes
E t cnulITSU na
,E ;fr cH0spt
'f'€ cHuroxu
loYal
fideliry
advice
CHO, ichijirusftii,arawasa
NOTABLE, WRITE BOOK
ll strokes
937
# # CgOSHe
# 4 CUO*qnI
lv1f,tCgO
A*
author
eminence
masterpiece
etymology. Formerly E, . *+ is plants 9, while #t
Of drsputed
fr is person 29g
its
connotations
with
of
many
and
various.
here
Some scholarsfeel that 937 is a
q.v.,
the
NGU
of
character
chopsticks
with
plants/
grass f being usedinstead
,
S
oiscopying
bamboo
nT
n0.
is
feltto
latter's
phonetically
be
used
ro expresspluck, as well
ft
of the
aslendingits literal connotationsof bis of wood, to give bits of bamboousedfor plucking.
All thepresentmeanings(including wear and arrive -- seebelow) are then seenas borrowings. Other scholarsfeel that 937 meantfrom the outset variety of plants and hence
profusion of flowers, and that this in turn gave rise to a rangeof extendedand associated meanings.To reach a peak of growth came to meanjust reach, while flowers in
full bloom came to mean bedecked with color and henceby associationadorn/ put
on/ wear. Reach and wear are now conveyed av 6 343 q.v., which is a variant of
937. other meaningsincluded colorful and showy, giving prominent and notable.
Somescholarstake write a book to be a borrowed meaning resulting from confusion
with sHo write f
142 and/orSHo sign S, tsl (the laueritself possibly being a borrowedmeaning). However, in chinese 937 can also mean shod display/ manifest,
andit should be noted that in Japanesearawasu(write a book) can mean show/ display/
manifestif a different characteris used (379). Thus it seemslikely that write
a book is
anextendedmeaningof display, i.e. displaying one'stalent and,/orviews.
Mnemonic:PERSON WRITES NOTABLE BOOK
ABOUT PLANTS
Heart/ feelings '\j 147 and middle/ center + 55. Some scholarstake theseelethe
ments to be used ideographicallyto convey the idea of that which should be at
used
be
center/ core of one's heart, namely loyalty/ devotion. Otherstake * to
void'
purely phoneticallyto expressvoid, to convey the idea of making one's heart a
and
i.e. becoming selfless,leadingby extensionto concerningoneselfonly with others
938
hencedevotion/ loyalty. Suggestfollowing the former theory.
l".T*tt ff,,r-. S is (targe)buitdingI14, white ,[{ is theold formof tistencareruuy/
inquire
f,$ 1598.Thusrarge buirding associated
with carefur inquiry,
r'e'a government
office. The modernform uses exact { 346.
Mnemonic:LOYALTY AND DEVOTION AT CENTER OF ONE'S HEART
CHO
trfffaNCfrO
authorities
GOVERNMENT OFFICE, Fi A CHOnTI
ordinance
AGENCY
KANTffOCHO
ffi€tr
5 strokes
Environment
Agency
trtne
MONiC:
GOVERNMENT OFFICE IS BUILDING OF EXACTITUDE
l
ll,
i,ll
296
297
SXTH GRADE 939-942
SDflHGRADE 943-945
CHQkizashitsu
X&
SIGN, OMEN, TRTLLION
6 strokes
Hflx ZpNCnO_
{F.X orucgo
cHoro-=
slSn
"ri,
zillion
Once written ){1., showingthe cracks ,lI appearingon a heatedturtle shell ( , 16.
cracksbeing signsusedin d.ivination(see91). Somescholarstake ( to be a sign of sep.
arating/ analysing ratherthan the shell itself. The shelf sign of separation( was 131g,
with eight/ away )t /, r 66. Trilliqn is
doubledto )t , thoughthis appearsunconnected
a borrowedmeaning.
Mnemonic:TWO CRACKED TURTLE SHELLS SHOW TRILLION SIGNS
940 <>f
I f,
{
]F,F, cgorpu
CHQ itaoati, itadaku
apex
RECEIVE,cRowN, ToP tF t cnolo
summir
ll strokes
:F la v' cHoDAlreceiving,
please
|fif
{ ishead 93. J isexact/ nail 346q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresstop and
possiblyalso lendingsimilarconnotationsthroughits depictionof a nail with a prominenr
head/ top. 940 originally referredto the top/ crown of the head, then came to mean
top/ peak in general. The verb itadaku originally meant to be crowned with something,
with receivebeing an extendedmeaning.
Mnemonic:RECEM
9{l
NAIL EXACTLY THROUGH TOP OF HEAD
6nrft cHdnv0
tide.cunent
*Ia
CHO, shio
jf{
Ii?,?-:,"^wArER
ff#:HSr#,"J:;#::
{fl is morning 175 q.v., usedin its literal senseof rising waters. Water ) 40 was
addedafter 175 lost its original meaning. 175 technicallyreferredto a rising river, whereas
seawater.
941 is generallyappliedto tide and by association
Mnemonic:SEAWATER RISES WITH MORNING TIDE
s42 2L
1-F
Yl
t\
€ # curNcrN
:€ € uNcnnr
X € Yecrnu
cHIN
wAGES, FEE
13strokes
wases
fare,freight
rent
house
gO. It is entrust 764 q.v.,hereusedin its literal senseof person
f is shell/money
carrying a load. 942 originally meant money paid to person for carrying loao'
i.e. porterage,and thencameto meanfee/ wagesin a generalsense.
i
I
Mnemonic:ENTRUST WITH WAGES MONEY
i
298
fiil1
9t3
{a
TSI\ itailmutmeru
PAIN, PAINFUL
12strokes
9Fffi zurs0
headache
rreop
ffi*
badwound
ffifl rs0seTSUna poignant
sickness381, here indicatingaffliction. fr is burst through 176, acting pho1- is
expresspenetrate/ pass through and also lending similar connotationsof
neicallyto
pierce. Thus a piercing pain that afflicts one, passing through (the body).
Now pain in general. Suggestremembering fr1 by associationwith pass through i #
176.
Mnemonic:PAIN PASSES THROUGH SICK BODY
TEN
EXPAND, SPREAD,
DISPLAY
10strokes
944
#,8 rurreN
development
EHA
TENRANKAI EXhibitiON
,R€ rPl{B6
outlook
oncewrirten @ , showingslumped figure/ buttocks 7 / p 236,hereindicatingsitting, clothes \ m
420, heremeaningcroth, and four tires/ bricks f!, hereindicatingweight(s). 944 originally referred to sitting heavily on a piece
of ctoth as
it is being spread out, and later came to mean spread and
display in a broad sense.
Suggest
taking +r as grass 9 and ( as a 'short, versionof clothes
f<,i.e.shorts.
Mnemonic:SLUMPED FIGURE IN SHORTS
SPREAD OUT ON GRASS
945
:
I
= :f
.l
Il
TO,ursa
;t'#rocr
ATTACK, (ro) DEFEATFf b^b ucHnRU
1ostrokes
;j'{t* ronersucuN
debate
raid
punitive force
l-iswords
274. + is hand/ measureg0g q.v., here actingphoneticallyto
express
and probably arso lending connotationsof acting carefuily.
945
originally
:::t"
q.ant
to make a (careful?) verbal
attack on someone,and then came to mean attack
h general,
usuallywirh connotationsof defeating.
trhcTNonic:
ATTACK AND DEFEAT WITH MEASUREDwoRDS
299
SDffHGRADE 949-951
SIXTHGRADE 946-948
TO
s46
PARTY, FACTION
l0 strokes
pohtical
pary
Ek E ssn6
LaborPann
rt EhH RoDoro
facrion
tr J-r roge
949 {}
F
*
'F
Formerly
. X is the early form of black F.. 124 q.v., probably usedhere in its literal senseof blackenedwindow. # is furthermore1392q.v., hereactingphonetically
to expresscover and probably also lending an idea of window in a building from its
element6t . Thus to cover something with blackness (literally building with
blackened windows?), a referenceto doing things in a clandestine fashion.
meaning. Suggesttaking ff as elder brother f,- 267
Faction/ party is an associated
re
(see28 and 10).
and fancy roof
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER'S FACTION MEETS UNDER FANCY ROOF
) I
E
fF
t-
NAN, muzukasiii,katai
# R NnmrUN
DIFFICULT, TROuBLE
# ffi NnNcr
18strokes
-E ffi \.. MIGATAI
refugees
trouble
hardto see
Formerly FU . V is bird 216. {l t it the obscureelementseenin ,Y 442
obscure.
beeninterpretedvariously as a variant of g , which is itself an obscureele0.v.,ana has
has
beeninterpretedby some scholarsas a beast being roasted (see St S+Z;,
mentthat
yellodflaming arrow F I q 120.Inview ofthe fact that inChiatdas avariantof
still
listed
is
as having a meaningof bird with golden plumage, which is
nese949
is
have
been
original
meaning(thoughthe exact nameof the bird is unclear),the
knownto
seems
more
likely. It is also not clear how it came to mean difficult/
h$er interpretation
these
are
assumed
to
be borrowed meanings.Suggestrememberingby assotrouble, but
'waterless' Han China
){ 442 ( } being water40).
ciationwith a
Mnemonic:BIRD IN TROUBLE IN WATERLESS HAN CHINA
947
*E
D iE sero
,ffi& rot
fE tr rOsuN
TO
SUGAR
16 strokes
sugar
sugarcoating
sugarconrent
f. is rice 201. E is Tang China 1645 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressdry/
heat and probably also lending its literal connotationsof pound. Thus heated (and
pounded?) rice, a referenceto a f brm of sweet confectionery. It later came to be
usedof sugar.
Mnemonic: RICE FROM TANG CHINA LOOKS LIKE SUGAR
948
todokulkeru
DELIVER, REPORT
8 snokes
tro €
trI,Jfr
. f 1 t t r ( vurrroooru
6 TODOKEDERU
notify
Formerly E, . f is slumped person/ corpse 236, here indicating a sick/ injured
in a
person. t! is formed from earth + (variant .J;- 60, and not samurai i 49Q
to excontainer L.] , indicatinga dead and inert weight. A also acts phonetically
along
press move slowly. 948 originally referredto a sick/ injured person moving
deas
slowly. Some scholarstake its presentmeaningsto be borrowed, others seethern
de'
riving from move slowly, namelymove slowly but surelyand eventuallyreach, with
Suggest
liver being a tlansitiveform of reachand report being an associatedmeaning'
taking $ as reason 399.
CORPSE AND REPORT REASON
300
Fonnedyalso p\, though this is technically a separatecharacter. ?\ d".iu"r from :[ ,
showingan ideographiccombination of two : 61 and stake t 177 q,.v.,the latter being usedas a simplificationof halberd * qSZ,to give two stakes/halberds and hence
just two. 6\ adds shelVmoney rR 90 as a phonetic elementto expressdoubte.rthereby
reinforcing the concept of two. Note in passingthat an early form of E\,
fi, shows
broad-bladed
halberd * t f\ 5 15 and clearly illustratesthe overlapbetweenstakeand the
variousforms of halberd.
report
ronoxrsgo
be atteruve
Mnemonic:DELMR
yen
* t E NIMANEN 2o,ooo
* fA NIr0
rwenry
=t + MSEN
twothousand
NI
TWO
6 strokes
950
Mnemonic:TWO STAKE-LIKE HALBERDS
951
p
-
rL
Nyft, chichi, chi
S #L cvtttl.0
fL & wuseN
(cow's)milk
lacticacid
lL:li,"'MrLKfL tr t{vusolcrunuse
breasts
Popularlyexplainedas child
a
f 25 reaching (r 3l3fora breast L . A usefulmnemonic,but incorrect. while (, is indeed reaching hand,
f! is hole l24l q.v., here in
ttsliteral sense
of child-producing hole/ vagina. 951 originally meant manually ase'!r In removing
a child from the vagina. Its presentmeaningsare felt by some
to be borrowed, but it seemsmore likely that they derive from a core conceptof
lllSl*t
IookinB
after an infant, and it is possible that the semanricevolution was also inby a longstandingmisinterpretationof L as a pictographof a breast(giving the
:t":"q
rvPurarrnterpretadonoutlined
above).
It
qE[TONiC:
CHILD REACHES FOR BREAST SWOLLEN WITH MILK
301
SDilFIGRADE 955-957
SIXTH GRADE 952-954
q(t
s
o Ni
\
't,
-a2
-#ffi
NIN, mitornerz
tUNSfUfI
RECOGNISE,APPRECIATE ;dtrI NINKA
-'f'WEp
14 strokes
MITOMEIN
cognirio;
approval
gss - ?.:
,N
signet
Formerly d;3 . Z is words 274. ;3 / ,& is endure 1677. To endure Sorl€orrs'g
words leadsby extensionto the idea of recognition and appreciation of what they als
saying. Somescholarsfeel that ,€. atsoactsphoneticallyto expressapprove. Suggest
taking ,(. literally as blade lJ 1446and heart 'c: 147.
HA
FACTION, SEND
9 strokes
JRjB nexeu
despatch
t fK zuPPena
splendid
E + trK TArvAIa\I{.A
Tanakafaction
589 reinforced by water/ river 7 40. Though tributaries flow into a
lnbfiary k
idea
the
of convergencemergedwith that of divergence,leading to the idea of
hrgerbody,
branching/ splitting and thus faction. Send is an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:WORDS OF APPRECIATION AS BLADE REACHES HEART!?
953
4
"t.AY-l
ttal
I
NONa,NnTSU,TOosa
^eru lfiti NozeI
ux paymenr
oBTAIN, sroRE, SUPPLYf'frE Neve
shed,
bam
l0strokes
sulroBo*
accountbook
Hf; ffi
Formerly ftA . h is thread 27, heremeaningclottr. fr / fi is inside 364 q.v., herein
its literal senseof enter a building. A building which cloth enters was a reference
to a store(house),with obtain andsupply being associated
meanings. Seealso703.
There is an alternativetheory to the effect that tA actspurely phoneticallyto expresswet,
giving wet threads, with the presentmeaningsbeing borrowed. This doesnot seemespecially convincing.
Mnemonic: STORE OBTAINED THREADS INSIDE. READY TO RESUPPLY
es.r flr.)
\-o
RE i'.:l)=.
brain
9F,BXzuNo
leader
+,BX sHUNo
flXEg Nosgocet braininjury
Formerlyffi andearlierff. fi isbrain 131. (((ishair,combiningwith ,b togive
ameaningto 6 ofhead. g isspoon/ scoop 910. Somescholarsfeel that this acts
phonetically to express flesh/ fat, to give fleshy/ fatty part of the head and thus
brain (with the later flesh/ of the body E 365 thenbeing takenas flesh). However,it
is by no meansconvincingthat fleshy/fatty part of the headconnotesbrain, and it seerns
far more likely that (, acts literally to give that part of the head which is scooped
out, i.e. the brain(s). Brains havelong beena delicacyin China,and were traditionally
eaten'in situ', i.e. by being scoopedout from a skull at the table. The later H would then
a
act in its meaningof of the body, to focuson the brain within the body asopposedto as
food dish. Suggesttaking *7 as hair, ( as a cross,and t--t as a box (cf. Englishslan9
brain-box).
Mnemonic:FACTION IS LIKE TRIBUTARY RELATIVE TO RMR
956 .-Lt
+
at! t
HAL ogamu
iL F nEu{Al
worship
wORSHrp, RESPECTFUL** F, rnIKeN
looking
yoursfaithfully
8strokes
FRneIcu
Somewhatobscure. Early forms such as f;V show hand V t) ZZ and what appearsto
beathickly growing rice plant/ grain ptant ft lvariant *- t * g1). Thus a hand
offering a token from the harvest (aspart of a religious act), with worship and
respectfulbeing derived meanings.Somescholarsinterpret A as intestines l^ hanging
from a tree A 69, ttrougtrthis also was part of a religious ceremonyand thus resultsin the
samesemanticevolution. There is also a theory tnat A is used phonetically to express
line up, giving line up hands, which is takenas a referenceto praying. The hrst theory seemsthe most helpful. Suggestremembering $ as an eight-leavedptant.
MNCMonic:
HAND OFFERS EIGHT-LEAVED PLANT IN WORSHIP
957
H
-tk
HAI, se, sei, somukulkeru H
lHltCO
BACK, STATURE, DEFY H F SENnre
9 strokes
H 4E rnrsruN
back
benayal
Meat/ of the body
H 365 and north 1X, 205,the latter actingin its literal senseof
persons
sitting back to back. Thus back of the body. Now also used of stature,
andin the
senseof turn one's back/ defv.
Ir
.VTNEMONiC:
TURN BACK DEFIANTLY ON MEAT FROM THE NORTH
Mnemonic: BODY'S BRAIN-BOX MARKED BY CROSS AND HAIRS
302
background
303
irl
I
I
SDffH GRADE 961-9&
SIXTHGRADE 958-960
es8
[|f irmr",
oncewritten ${.
ffi ffi rnmYo
fift4 rnmN
fffifli* rruzo
lungdisease
pneumonia
lungs
4 tA rs flesh/of the body 365 )[t depictsa growing plant (to
of growing plant Y / 4 42), and acts
all intentsandpurposesa'droopy-leaved'variant
its own connotationsof emerge.
lending
as
well
as
expel
phonetically
to
express
here
to breath. By associationit
reference
a
body,
the
from
is
expelled
Thus that which
which
breath is expelled, i.e. thg
from
body
part
the
of
later came to refer to that
lungs. Suggesttaking ff as city 130.
xt
4#iffi:-"ftrxi:
nfrr3,$,?)-'x"'LArE
sun/ aay e], here in an extended senseof light. ft- is escape 1g49 q.v., here
fl is
actingphone-tlcally-toexpressobscure(d) and also lending connotationsof striving
with difficulty t? 9o something (from its lireral meaning of a woman striving to givJ
birth). Thus striving with difficulty (to see) when the sun/ light is obscure. a
to evening. Late is an associatedmeaning.
reference
Mnemonic:SUN ESCAPES EVERY EVENING
-d
HI, ina, inamu
ruUnq
A
NO, DECLINE, DENY A € ffi HITEIGO
7 strokes
6 k5 e h INAMENAI
Mnemonic: BODIES IN CITIES HAVE BAD LUNGS
ese
'ffi'"{fr
EiFilffi
fiF iti*y"Nr'AcroR
Person 4 39 andnot/ spread wings ?F 773 q.v. Numeroustheoriesexist as to the
interpretationof theseelements,of which two relatedtheoriesseemparticularly plausible.
'non-person'/ outcast (note that when used as inThe flrst is that 959 originally meant
dividual charactersthe sameelementsgive HININ non-person tF A )' and that, as in Europe (until recently), outcastswere associatedwith acting and other forms of entertain'
ment/ amusement. The secondagreesthat the original meaningwas non-person, but
takes this rather in the senseof deformed person, largely because 9F is also felt to act
phonetically to expressugly. As in medieval Europe, deformed personswere often employed asjesters, leadingto both amusement and actor.
Mnemonic: NON-PERSON IS AN AMUSING ACTOR
e60
ttf
g is moutvsay 20. 6 is not 572 q.v., which alsolendsits soundFU (the original read_
ngof 962) as a soundof denial/ negation. Thus tosay the negative sound FU.
Mnemonic:DENY, SAYING NOT SO
HI
CRITICISE,STRIKE,PASS
7 strokes
trff; e64fiRffi
ALLor
cRoup,
?..,""
":#EffHlp^.Ti'il
-er
jewels' 'l is sword/
97 is adoublingof jewel 102, thus indicating many/ various
up jew'
cut 181,herein the senseof divide. 960 originally referredto a ruler dividing
the one
els (tribute)and atlotting them to various nobles. This came to mean allot on
hand and division on the other,with section/ group being an associatedmeaning'
Mnemonic: SQUAD RECEMS
A CUT OF THE JEWELS
304
HIHAN
+t?,
+4J
+k,#HIHYO
+ft,wHIruN
criticism
commentary
ratification
I is hand 32. ve is compare 77 r q.v., actingphoneticallyto expressstrike and possibly alsolending an idea of both togettrer.r[os to strike with (both?)
hand(s). This
ls now a very minor meaning in Japanese,though
somewhatmore common in chinese.
Stike came to mean attack, leading by figurative
extensionto criticise. pass/ endorse
(avery minor meaning in
Japanese,but reasonablymajor in Chinese)is seenas a further
extension,
from the ideaof critically examiningsomething.
MNCMonic:CRITICISM
CAN INvoLvE
farmlandallotrnent
denial
negative
undeniable
.f ,r)
-f,lf
/TIIt\'
;:::::?I"
Ht,himeru
(KEEP)SECRET
10strokes
A HANDY CoMPARIsoN
f/ffi rurransu
ffifl, COXUT1
fl'* rusuo
secrer
ropsecrer
secretary
f. is altar/ofthe gods695.&t isnecessarity
568q.v.,hereacting
to_expresshide and probably rending similar connotationsof conceatment
i..,l",'::"jjy
ttteral meaning of encasedhalberd. Thus hidden
things of the gods, i.e.
,n""*r,ll",
secrets,and now secret in a broad sense. The modern
o'".-"'ar
use of rice plant fi
ar N almost
certainly the result of miscopying.
trhemonic:
RICE *LANT NECESSARIL' KEpr SECRET
't ltll
lr
I
SXTH GRADE 965-967
^"'u
e6s
t
t"u'
r'*ii:Ht u
l,H,f"i-t:ffi"
"r#H:H;*-i.1l:il
rt]
ffi
SDil}IGRADE 968-971
HEl, tojiru, shimarulmeru
FFtI5 fmIfgN
closingstore
CLOSE, SHUT
ffi n fmXO
dumbfounded
11strokes
W, k5 fr f SmUeoeSU shutout
il doorl gate 21 I . J is talent 126q.v.; here used in its literal senseof dam and by
/ is
Thus barred gate, leadingto shut and close. Suggesttaking
cxtensionbarrier.
d as
with
ProP /
a cross f
A is flesn7of the body 365. Q is go back/ reverse 782 q.v., here usedphonetically
to expressbulge and also felt by some scholarsto lend connotationsof a central c.x.
tainer with limbs either side (from its literal meaningof reversiblefood containerq1
that shape). Thus the butging central container of the body, i.e. the belly. As with
the English slangterm guts, it is also usedto indicatecourageand resolve. Suggesttaking
I a s p e r s o n F 3 9 , s u n a 6 2 , a n d s i t t i n g c r o s s l e g g e df - .
Mnemonic:CLOSE GATE WITH PROPPED CROSS
HEN, kata
ONE SIDE,PIECE
4 strokes
Mnemonic: PERSON SITS CROSSLEGGED, FLESHY BELLY IN SUN
966
,6
FUN, furua
BE EXCITED, STIR
16strokes
€ E fUmA
€ Bf, nur.rro
€ \r, f' ?
sdrrins
hardfighi
A pictographof a tree
Seealso 1389.
FURUITATSU be sdned
€
El is field 59. 6 is a CO charactermeaningbig stride,but technicallybig l< 53 is a
miscopyingof clothing l< 420. This combinedwith bird E: 216 to give a meaningof
clothing flapping like a bird in flight, hencea personwalking quickly. Here, however,it lendsan idea ratherof birds flapping in flight, and also actsphoneticallyto express fly. 966 originally referredto birds taking off from a field with much flap.
ping, indicatingthat they havebeenfrightened/roused,and hencethe presentmeanings.
Mnemonic:BIG BIRD STIRS. FLYING EXCITEDLY FROM FIELD
e67
FH
I
H T ssme
E -F-rnrrsN
XgHTrexNonex-q*
fft'*"'fJ"'rHRoNE
Majesry
audience
His MajestYthe ErnPeror
p is terraced hill 229,hereindicatingsteps. rf; is a co characternow meaningcorn'
of hillocks/telraces,comprisingcomparei
pare, but it originally referredto a succession
in a row *' 771and earth/ ground .L 60. Here it lends a meaningof in a row'
giving a row of terraces/ steps. By associationthis was appliedto the steps leading
u""
to a throne, and by extensionto the throne andits encumbent,i.e. the emperor -f
hencemajesty. Note in passingthat the seeminglyinappropriateuseof below/ bottorn
7 in the term HEIKA,/ majesty stemsfrom the fact that most personsgrantedan audience
who
with the emperordid not in fact speakdirectly with the emperorbut with his advisers'
the
at
were positionedat the foot of the stepsto the throne. Thus heika literally meansthose
foot of the steps,but eventuallycameto representthe emperorhimself'
Mnemonic:HIS MAJESTY'S THRONE COMPARES TO EARTHEN HILL
306
fffi H- oetwsN
frasment
h' f rererp
on!nund
Il tt ld b X4TIZUKERU tidvup
H / .*. 69 cut in half, giving one side and also (cut) piece.
Mnemonic:ONE SIDE OF A TREE IS SOME PIECE!
HO, oginat
MAKE GOOD, STOPGAP
12strokes
HOJO
support
HOJU _ supplementation
HOKYO
reinforcement
? is clothing 420. fs ls an NGU charactermeaningbegin. It was originally written
F H ' s n o w l n g u s e4 / n 2 1 5 a n d a h a n dh o l d i n g a t o o r t ( a c t u a l l y k n o w n t o b e
anax'thoughin practiceto all intentsandpurposes
a variantof handholdingstick /s.tOt/
197),and meant start to use an ax and later start
work and just start/ begin. In
compoundsit often lends connotationsof hasty
work and by extensiontemporary
work' Hereit lendssuchconnotationsas well
as lendingits soundto expresspatch. 970
originallyreferredto the hasty repairing
of clothing by patching, and then came to mean
make good in a broaderiense(particularlysupprementand compensate).
ll.:_*:t
tg
ouggesttaking
-l-' as needle
.
f 33 and point .
MNCMONiC:
USE NEEDLE POINT TO MAKE GOOD TORN CLOTHES
He takara
TREASURE
8 strokes
l,"rT:tt
di;"l:"t
iewel
ricr,es
children
E' .. . is roof/ house/buitding28. 7 /L isjewet102. R is shelVmonitem 90. E is can1095q.v.,herelendingits literalideaof (securety)
con-
il;"ilT"ili1:';:J:i":#
lr
* E uosnrr
M *, zem6
* ? xopeKARA
jewers
andotherprecious
items.
,;:,',',1;il:.
WUICMonic:
TREASURE HOUSE CONTAINS JEWELS
SIXTH GRADE 972.975
g72
\
=-k
6n
t
HG otozureru,tazuneru
nirrr, INeuIRE
ll suokes
SDffI{ GRADE N6.978
# FE HOvtON
xfi-F RAIHoJHA "'lujl
inqui^
## rnNeo
MAI
SHEET COUNTER
8 strokes
yl5
*{
? iswords/ speak 274. 6 is side/ direction 2A4,hereactingphoneticallyto express
ask widely and possiblyalso lending an idea of line. 972 originally referredto asking
widely in order to follow a line of inquiry. This involved visiting many peopls-.
Visit has come to prevail as the major meaning,while tazuneruin the senseof inquire is
by 1451.
now usually(but not always)expressed
Mnemonic: VISIT SOMEONE TO HAVE WORDS ON THE SIDE
s0, IVIOnaitkunaru
DIE, ESCAPE,LOSE
3 snokes
fEt srusd
t # uOle
t'ft SOME1
death
deceased
exile
Once written (4 a"d C, showing person /' t x I J- 39 and a corner L 349, here
indicating concealment. It originally meant a person no longer able to be seen,and
referred to escaping. It later also came to mean lose and die, from the idea of no longer
being visible/ actively present.
Mnemonic: DEAD PERSON LOST IN CORNER
F'.*ll sOryeru forgetfulness
BQ wasurerz
ingratitude
FORGET. LEAVE BEHIND ts',K BOON
7 strokes
E'fLffi b wesunsGACHI
forgetful
ru is heart 147. t. is die 973 q.v., here used in a senseof no longer actively
present. Thus that which is no longer actively present in the heart, i.e. something forgotten.
Mnemonic: "DEAD IN ONE'S HEART" MEANS FORGOTTEN
s's 3,,3,"":r":^.'
Tlill'i
-;Hry.iffiS*
.LUB
tF
staff
6 is t eJ/ wooa 69. f is offer up 1193q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto express
woou'
Thus
hands.
in
both
hold
something
as well as lendingits literal meaningof
as big
en staff held in both hands, i.e. a targe pole or ctub' Suggesttaking k
K S: ptustwo = 61, and I as a club with nails through it.
Mnemonic:TWO BIG WOODEN CLUBS WITH NAILS THROUGH
-_
4f, ICHIMAI
- &. fr NIMAUTTA
: tft -R NIMATGAT
onesheet
duplicity
bivalve
( is handiolding stick 101,with attentiondrawn ro the stick itself by the additionof
@od )F-69. The dg]_"d meaningwas wooden stick, and it was also usedfor count(still very occasionallyfound in this meaning).
ing wooden sticks
It is not fully clear
came
to
be used as a counter for thin flat objects, but some
how it later
scholarsfeel
thatit may stem from the fact that 976 was particularly used to refer to a speciarthin flat
stickusedfor goadinghorses.
HAND HOLDS THIN FLAT wooDEN srICK FoR
Mnemonic:
couNTrNG
w
MAKU, BAKU
CURTAIN, TENT, ACT
13strokes
X H reNMAru curtain.
tent
F## ranaeKU opening
scene
# lf.J BAKUFU
Shogunate
rfi is threadsl croth 779. f is sun sinking among plants
7gg q.v., here lending its
meaningof conceal. Some scholarsfeel that
f also acts pnoneticaily to expressconceal. Thus croth which concears,a referenceto a curtain.
Tent is an associated
meaning'Act is also an associatedmeaning,from the
curtain long associatedwith the theater. Note that since 'tent government'was a reference
to the Jhogu^utu,gll itself is
sometimesused to refer to the Shogunate. Suggest
taking {
u, !."r, +/. 9, sun €
62,and big /r (variant t< 53).
Mnemonic:
BIG C'RTAIN oF THREADED GRASSsHADEs
ouT suN
n8
MITSU, hiso&a
DENSE,SECRET
11strokes
ME
MITSUDO
densiry
ffiffi MITSUYU
smuggling
ffiM MENMITSU na detailed
., is rnountain 24.
B is a co charactermeaningboth quiet and stop. It
comprises
ouilding h
28, heremeaningtemple, and necessarily ,!,.
56g
q.v.,
here
acting
Ph^onetically
to expresscomb and also lendingan idea of
beingtighfly packed from its
ru$**ru***fi*fiu
ChONiC:BUILDING
IN DENSE MOUNTAINS NECESSARILY
SECRET
309
SIXTH GRADE 979-981
e,e
SXTH GRADE 982-984
MEI
ALLIANCE, PLEDGE
l3 snokes
BH
i€H
lnl ff.
RENMEI
mvrer
hn BR KAMEI
federation
alliuqs
affiliation
Once written Q and ff, showingthat btood e | fu 270 anddish/ bowl 1g7^
1307have long beeninterchanged.The presentform usesbowl though in fact blood is the
more appropriate. The old forms show that A derivesfrom 6, an elementfelt to show
a mouth and teeth and indicatingtaking in through the mouth (possiblya variantof
mortar € 648). 979 originally meantto sup blood from a bowl, which was a synbol
of making a pledge and by associationforming an alliance. It seemslikely that the
later addition t
was originally intendedto show meat .? / n 365, to emphasise
ths
idea of blood, but it appearsto have becomeconfusedwith moon 4 / A 16, almosrcertainly underthe influenceof bright aH 208. (The latter properly has an old form ot, hing an ideographcombining sun @ I B 62 with moon n ln , thoughsomescholars
feel that a character6? existedas a virrual variant,with 6 actingphoneticallyto express
shine brightly to give brightly shining moon.) Suggesttaking aFl as bright.
Mnemonic:BRIGHT ALLIANCE PLEDGED OVER BOWL OF BLOOD
980
MO, BO
copy, tlIoDEL, MOLD
14strokes
I e^f
ui
A-y-
H 4 rrrOrel
.re + MosFrA
*9 & KsO
modet.mold
copy.eopyrns
scale
f. is tree/ wood 69. f; is sun sinkingamongplants(variant q 78Sq.v.), hereacting
phoneticallyto expressstandard and possiblyalso lendingan idea of envelop/ enclose.
980 originally referred to a wooden mold/ frame that ensured standardisation (of
thoseitems that it enclosed?). Model and copy are associatedmeanings. Suggesttaking € as plant +f 9, sun A 62, and big /< 53.
Mnemonic:PLANT COPIES MODEL TREE AND GROWS BIG IN SUN
ya, SHI
ARROW
5 strokes
YASAKI arrowhead'
Potnt
YAJIRUSHI arrowmark
ISSHI return shot,riPoste
. f, '
From.apictographof an arrow. Therewas a rangeof suchpictographs,,uctt
"t !
and the highly stylisedand somewhatconfusing A . Someappearto show_exaE
Q , A ,
geratedtailfeathers,somematerial bound to the shaft, and othersmaterial bound to the nP'
The modernform probablyderivesfrom the stylised A . Suggestrememberingby association with big J< 53, taking F as a broken tip ( A ).
Mnemonic:BIG ARROW WITH BROKEN TIP
310
ill
YAKU, wake
ffD-aRHOI.fyeXU translation
TRANSLATION,MEANING E=oRfSWefU
interpreting
I I strokes
= U"r;RIIWAKE
excuse
-a is words 274.
ZY .
Y is eye watching prisoners 233 q.v., here acdng phoFormerly
to expresschange and probablyalso lendingan ideaof link/ succession.Thus
nerically
(in a linked succession?),
i.e. to translate. Meaning is an assoto changewords
cratedidea.Suggesttaking the modern form ( as person A 39 with a packl load on
theirback ' '
Mnemonic:PERSON TRANSLATING CARRIES A LOAD OF WORDS
e83 L;Z
ft
J
t
lrt
YU
SiF vlreN
MAIL' RELAYSTATION SE wso
I I strokes
SF
vtfrel
mail
mailing
relaystation
p is village 355. I is dangle/ hang down 907, acting phonetically
to expressbillowingflag and possiblyalso lendingconnorationsof hanging. 983 originally referred
to a relay station on a messenger
route,sucha place being indicatedby a flag (thatwas
hungthereand billowed). Messageswere often written on the flag. It then
came to mean
communicationin a generalsense,and mail in moderntimes.
Mnemonic:MAIL IN VILLAGE LEFT DANGLING
e84
{R #il'*tiffi;'
@4 v0su0
@JbvuspN
kE tovi
excellence
priority
actress
17 strokes
'f
person 39.
f. is grief 1871q.v., hereactingphoneticailyro expressdance with
-is
gestures
and also lending its own connotarionsof moving srowry.
9g4 originally re,o a dancer performing a slow rituar
dance, then came to mean actor. Some
l::*
lcnolars
takesuperior and gentle to be borrowedmeanings,
but it seemsmore likely that
hey derive
from the ideaof a masterfulperformanceof a slow and dignified
ritual dance.
[hCMONiC:
GENTLE ACTOR'S SUPERIOR DISPLAYOF PERSON'S
GRIEF
311
ltrffi
SIXTH GRADE 985-988
SDilHGRADE 989-991
ili
i"il
r,,rant
$ ll von
_
YQ osanai
&1ffi vOn
3l T OSANACO
INFANCY
5 strokes
infancu
infalt
y'g
I
A
tI\J
L i s s h o r t t h r e a d 1 1 1 ,h e r em e a n i n gt i n y / l i t t l e / l i m i t e d . f
little strength was a referenceto a young child/ infant.
sheepskin
S R v6ru
amnioticfluid
# Zk VOSUI
+ ffi V. HITSUJIKAI shepherd
Stylised derivative of a pictographof a sheep's head and horns f, ltater T ). rn
compoundsusually found as f . Often lends connotationsof fine/ praiseworthy, since
a sheepwas a prized animal. Suggestrememberingin particular the three cross-strokes
1, taking them as stripes.
Mnemonic: SHEEP WITH FINE HORNS MARKED WITH THREE STRIPES
e87
Hffi
A.+i) IRfH;,'li*3'."
"""iil:
wistrul
tl strokes
+rn:*. U ld t"toNososHIGE
fu\
",?5S9"."
5( is lack 471q.v., here in its literal senseof person with gaping mouth. $ is val'
ley 122 q.v., acting phonetically to expresscontinuous and almost certainly also lending
connotationsof big receptacleand therebyreinforcing [ . Thus person with contin'
uously gaping mouth, symbolising a person constantly desiring food and hence
meaning. Somescholarsfeel that $ actually
greedy, with desire being an associated
cereal, symbolisingfood and thus
servesa doublephoneticrole in that it also expresses
clarifying the meaningof gapingmouth.
Mnemonic: GREEDY PERSON LACKS VALLEY SO DESIRES ONE
tt
-lA.
g E YOKUMSU
dAY
NEXI
#' Fi voruCHo nextmoming
4g..+ YOKUYoKUNEN
two vearslater
YOKU
NEXT (OF TIME)
ll strokes
and
151is wings 812. fi- is stand,/rise/ leave 73, here acting phonetically to expressflt
lts
also lending an idea of rise and leave. 988 originally referredto a bird flying off'
referpresentmeaning is borrowed, though it may be helpful to think of it as a figurative
'version'of day
8E 216, q'v')'
enceto the wings of time (not unlike the Japanese
I
il
Mnemonic: WINGS OF TIME LEAVE, TILL THE NEXT TIME
I
I
[[l''ll
3t2
i
RAN, midareralsz
DISORDER' RIOT
7 strokes
frL # neNso
viotence
E frL UaNneN
rebellion
fiL tL tr- MIDAREASHT
outof step
isstrength 74. Ot
Mnemonic: INFANT SHORT ON STRENGTH, LIKE TINY THREAD
YQ tritsuji
SHEEP
6 strokes
I
,fris tranOs untying tangted threads 500, symbolising putting in
fi|.
Fo1are:lry
under control. [- is person kneeling 413, symbolising a person
orderl bringing
to
submit.
989 originally referred to bringing rebellious persons to
made
being
submission and thus bringing a disturbance under control. For some reason,
however,the idea of disturbance and disorder prevailed, and in Japanesehas now entirelyreplacedthe idea of bringing under control. Somewhatconfusingly, both meanings
ceexist in Chinese,with 989 able to meanboth bring aboutorder and bring aboutdisorder,
butthelatter is overwhelmingly the major meaning. Suggesttahng $ as tongue 732.
Mnemonic:KNEELING FIGURE PUTS TONGUE OUT -- LEADS TO RIOT
eeo
tF;:"iiff'"
tF A RANo
yolk
E 9F sexnaN
spawning
4E t|! NAlv{r{TAIvtAGoraw egg
somewhatobscure. For many centuriesan early form { p has beeninterpretedas a styliseddepiction of either fish eggs or frogspawn. However, some scholarsnow
believe
thisto be a variant of treadle \Y 444,along with anotherearly form
Egg/
roe is
{p.
thentaken to be a purely borrowed meaning.
MNcmonic:ANGULAR BACK.TO-BACK FISH
EGGS?!
eer
Ek
RAN
sEE, LOOK
17strokes
ffi H conaN
tr H remAN
ffi H ruNneN
look,try
circulation
inspection
Formerly
ft . m iswatch over 1lll, here meaningjust look/ watch, and F, i,
look/ see
18. Thus took and see. It is not crear why such an apparentlyunnecessary
shouldhaveevolved, especiallyin view of the complexity of its strokes.
ll**t
Suggest
hking
E as staring eye 512, and E:- as person /- 39 anaone - 1.
MNEMONiC:
PERSON WITH ONE STARING EYE SEES ALL
313
$
t*-
SDffHGRADE 995-996
sxrH GRADE992-994
*l
l!
EM
;4q
RI, ura
992
i'
"#+
SIDE,REAR,
REVERSE
"*-tt W b
rNsrDE, LINING
inside,h11ql(
fleece
l)nin*
URAKE
URAZUKERU backup
RIMEN
l3 strokes
is clothing 420. g is village 219, usedpurely p[6Formerlyalso ?9 . i t */f1
netically to expressinsidei reverse side. 992 originally referred to the inside/ re.
verse side of clothing, i.e. lining, but is now also usedin a generalsense.
Mnemonic: CLOTHING MADE AT REAR OF V ILLAGE HAS GOOD LINING
ee3
I+
il-1ii;ji?lt'
t+.:-:
if # s6ntrsu
ffl'&
'f+#
KTzuTSU
zuCHIGI
iaw
discipline
integriry
.HEERF";H#
i,q?l;i:TriE'
ffi*.T:;*il
" RII
16. fi is good (variant R SeSl.A good moonis a clear one(in fact,
fl is moon
feel
to express
clear),with bright andcheerful
sonescholars f, alsoactsphonetically
meanings.
associated
b€ing
GOOD MOON IS CLEAR AND BRIGHT
Mnemonic:
e6 >/\
-_-;Ifl
RoN
;ftt
ARGUMENT, OPINION
15strokes
'g-ffi RIRON
noNaur.J
aftrsnouzu
thesis
theory
logic
4 isroadl move 118, here actingin the figurativesenseof path. * is a variantof
brush in hand ? 142, andhereindicateswriting and by extensionprescribing,as
well as lendingits soundto expressone. Thus the one (and only) prescribed path
meaning'
(to follow), i.e. the law. Control is an associated
! iswords/ speak274. S is arrange neatly 601 q.v., which accordingro some
scholarsalso acts phoneticallyto expresssequence/order. Thus to speak while arranging one's words neatly in order, a referenceto the presentationof an argument. Suggesttaking fi" literally as capped a- l2l and aligned/ stacked(bamboo
tablets) m 874.
Mnemonic:MOVING HAND WRITES DOWN THE LAW
Mnemonic:ARGUMENT OF NEATLY CAppED AND ALIGNED WORDS
994
-D
-).f
rt
J
a-5
flnfl
u
RIN, nozorn
FACE, VERGE oN,
ArrEND, COMMAND
ffif,ffi RINJI
ffi re RINKAI
ffii ffi RINSEKT
teilPorary
seaside
attendanca
END OF SIXTH GRADE
-yF
l6 sEoKes
be prostrate(literally
EF is a variantof EA , an NGU charactermeaningbend down/
stue)'
staring eye E 512 and person l' lk 39'indicatinga personbendingdown to
acting phoneticallyto explesscliff and possibly
;lo is goods/ group of people 382,
of peo'
(a
also lendinga meaningof group of people. 994 originallymeant group
of assople?) crouched on a cliff top looking down. This has given rise to a range
in a.cer'
ciatedand extendedmeanings,suchas verge, face,command (aview), be
u'
tain place and henceattend, and be in a high position (including figuratively
rank).
Mnemonic:PERSON FACES GOODS AND STARES
314
315
GENERALUSE 997-999
GENERALUSE 1OOO-1002
atsukaa,ko&a
TREAT, HANDLE,
THRESH
6 strokes
THE 949 GENERAL USE CHARACTERS
ffi#&ffi 4NETTAI
E(ffi OA _
t r t f t ARYU
subtropics
Eurasia
follower
Formerly !f,. Popularly thoughtto derive-from some assumedpictographof (hatted;
997 did indeedmean hunchbackat one
hunchbacks facing eachother, such ut S.
stage,leadingto associatedideassuchas ugly and inferior and hencesecondary/ nexl
and sub-. However, very old forms such as *fi and f depict a particular type of undergrounddwelling with a central chamberand various passagesand,/orsmaller chambers
on eachside. This cameto acquireassociatedmeaningssuchas angular/ not straight/
crooked, and was eventuallyappliedto hunchbacks,leadingto the evolutionof meaning
outlined above. Somewhatsurprisingly,despiteits negativeassociationsit is also borrowedphoneticallyto expressthe first syllableof Asia. Suggestrememberingby association with two .a 61 and center + 55. Seealso222.
Mnemonic:TWO ASIAN SUB-CENTERS NEXT TO EACH OTHER
sadness
V.SF HIAI
dirge,elegy
tr ffi AIKA
W A F. tt MoNONoAwAREpathos
Al, awarelremu
SORROW, PITY
9 strokes
Mouth/ say tr 20 and clothing k 420. The latter is used primarily for its sound'
which is now I but was oncesomewherebetweenI and AI, to expressthe soundof rvailing and lamenting. It may also be felt to lend an extendedfigurativeidea of covering
(cf. English cloaked/clothedin sorrow). Thus to say the sorrowful sound I/ AI'
symbolisingsorrow and pity.
handshake
E * nrusgu
MiSCT
NIGIRIYA
E9E
rice-ball
ffi 9 ffi. NIGIRIMESHI
f ishand 32. ,E isstore(keeper)236q.v.,hereactingphoneticallytoexpressseize
(rea""
and possibly also lending some suggestionof reaching throughits element E
sometirnes
now
also
875). Thus to (reach out and?) seize by the hand. Though
of seizingwith the hand'
usedin a broadersense,999still generallyretainsconnotations
Mnemonic:GRASP STOREKEEPER BY THE HAND
316
trffi.v' KYAKUATSUKAI
hospitaliry
f, is hand 32' k is reach I r4g, hereactingphoneticallyto expresscontror and almost
cer|ainlyalso lending an idea of reacV attain. Thus attain something by controlling
sith the hand, i.e. handre. As with the English term, this is also usedfiguratively
in
thesenseof treat/ deal with. Thresh is a minor associated
meaning.
Mnemonic:REACH WITH HAND, THEN HANDLE CAREFULLY
-'rf&rf#ASrs
f&*F rner
€&*t rzEN
request
as before
ffi.Tfu EKoJI
spite
Person 4 39 andcrothing k 420. The latter
actsphoneticalryto expressdeformity,
thoughany semanticrore is uncrear.Thus
a deformed person. Such a personwas
de_
pendenton others,leadingto depend
in general. (Someschorarsfeel rather
that the de_
formedpersonleaned on a physical
support/crutch,with depend being a figurative
ex_
tensionof lean.) It is not clearhow
the lessermeaningof as is was acquired,though
it
is
possiblyan associatedmeaning
from the idea of lack of movement.
MNcmonic:PERSON
DEPENDS oN CLOTHING
r002
Mnemonic:MOUTH WAILS. CLOTHED IN SORROW
AKU, nigiru
GRASP,GRIP
12strokes
ry 9 ffi.v^ TORIATSuKAThandline
TfrE ffi., KoKrrsuKAuteep
busl
f, odosa
,fin
AUTHORITY, THREATEN fiffi
9 strokes
ffi. Ut 6
rnyOr<u
authority
IGEN
digniry
ooosnnraoNKu threat
ff, showingwoman
4- /{35 andbroadbladed
hatberdfit ty stst
*ty,:."
<+o' The
latter
acrsohonedsallyto expressfearsome,
as well as lendingsimilar connotationsof its
own. ttrus fe
l-**o,"00,",,;;;;"TH::#:lf
:'J#::ffi'_'illllli;llT,_:i
toundin
this sensein
chinese). Authority and threaten are
associated
meaninss.
NCMONiC:
AUTHORITATIVE
WOMAN THREATENS WITH HALBERD
3t7
GENERALUSE 1003-1004
1003
GENERALUSE 1005-1007
/r1A rcot
H ffi reuEsun
[, sura,na.ta,tame
DO, PURPOSE
9 strokes
A rE A' 6 srilsuGIRU
action, as1
patron
overdo
Formerly fu and,earlie.l! . 4. is handreachingdown 303, heremeaningjusr hand
(and depictedas suchin the older form, as I ), while D is the prototypeof elephant
q,. Somescholarshaveinterpretedthe character
fu SZI q.v. That is, & is a variantof
as referringto a controllinghandtraining an elephant,which involvesdoing the same
action over and over againand thusby associationgivesthe presentmeanings.Hou'ever,
other scholarstake ft I 7 6 be usedin its senseof form/ imagei resemble,to express
the ideaof a handmakinga shapewhich resemblessomething.This cameto meanimitate
someone's gestures, which involved doing the gesturesover and over again/
idea. The fact that the additionof
practice, with purpose/ benefit being an associated
thatthe lattertheopersonI 39 givesimitate(literallyimitatingpersoil 4h 1135suggests
with nirA' -% fiq.
ry is correct. Suggestremembering
;$ by association
DO PRACTICE FOR PURPOSE OF IMITATING FUNNY BIITD
MNCMONiC:
X Ff ratt
,J.Ff sHor
F.fE IKAN
I
MILITARY
RANK
11 strokes
crptrin
ensign
companyofficer
Oncewritten )1]. I is a hand,later replacedwith measure/hand { 909 q.v. to emp h a s i s e c a r e f u l u s e o f t h e h a n d . * i s f i r e 8 , h e r e m e a n i n g h e a2t . i s a v a r i a n t o f b e n e v olent ,{a 906 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresspress down and probablyalso
lendingits own idea of pressingdown throughits assumedearly meaningof a personbent
a
down under a double load. 1004originally meantpress down with something hot'
referenceto ironing. This meaningis now conveyedby the NGU characterEf , "n"n
1004
addsan extrafire X . Justas with the Englishterm iron out, by figurativeextension
to a
came to mean smooth out creases/put into shape, and was eventuallyapplied
lower ranking officer given the task of'knocking' new recruits into shape. Suggest
taking pr. ascorpse 7
236 andshow ^
695.
Mnemonic:HAND SHOWS CORPSE TO BE SOLDIER OF RANK
318
"",l+ iih,.RAND
€ t rpal
grandeur
€ A tnN
hero,prodigy
ffi 4fu sRAsurSU grearperson
person 39. fl is opposedfeet422 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressdiffer
/ is
andalsolending similar connotationsof going against the norm. Thus a person different from normal persons, a referenceto an outstanding/ great person. Suggest
rcmembering f by associationwith Oiffer i€ 1006q.v.
Mnemonic:GREAT PERSON DIFFERS FROM OTHERS
1006
.J-
ls
I, chigau
fE ^4 sor
difference
i€ E ureN
infringement
E t,. le (,.' IICHIGAI misstatemenr
DIFFER
I 3 strokes
i-is movement 129. f, is opposedfeet422 q.v., here actingphoneticauyto express
part from and also lending its own connotationsof moving away.
Thus to move
away from something, leading by extensionto differ. Suggesttaking
El as open_
ing 20, with a play on the word opening, ft as 'almost' five
L 19, and 4 as
'almost' year
64.
+
Mnemonic:
AFTER ALMosr FIVE yEARs, OPENINGMovE DTFFERS
*'$E
ftr i+ rn
ffi ffi tsmx
ffi ffi spttt
iiil:T,."*,
upkeep
restoration
fiber
14 strokes
ft is threao 2T,heremeaningcord,.
ffi is bird 216,hereactingphoneticaly to express
Pull 416 alsolendingconnotations
of forward movement. 1007originally referredto a
rope fastened
to something in order to puil it forward. Thus rope and fasten,
whilesupport
is an associatedmeaning,from the idea of helping along.
NINCMONiC:
ROPE THREADED THROUGH BIRD HELPS SUPPORT IT
319
GENERALUSE 1008-1010
'oo'K=t
condolence
condolenqg
Ffi IMON
nraoN
ff fdJ
Er.
I, nagusazi/mulmeru
amusement
solace,
nN
E{ ?
COMFORT, CONSOLE,
F*4+N NAGUSAMIMONO
AMUSEMENT
15strokes
Playthine
HearV feelings rr, 147 and soldier of rank F..{ tOO+q.v. Some scholarstake the latter
to have been used from the outset in its senseof smooth out, to give smooth eu1
someone's feelings, i.e. comfort/ console them. Others take it to have originally
of
beenusedphoneticallyto expressresentment,aswell aslendingits literal connotations
burning pressure, to give feelings of smoldering res€ntment. It is then felt to have
acquiredits presentmeaningsas a result of the popular reinterpretationof its elementsas
discussedabove(i.e. smoothout someone'sfeelings). As with 1004,suggesttakingfid
236,show ^ 695,andhand/measure{ 909.
as corpse /
LDlr
s
GENERALUSE1011-1013
imo
POTATO
6 strokes
E # seronrlo
# F. nrOCer
'ffi8 +
yAKrIMo
vro
cone
shell
bakedpotato
rf is plant 9. f is emerge 81l, herealso actingphoneticallyto expressbig. Thus big
plant which emerges (from the ground), a
somewhatvague referenceto
0esved)
As with 811, suggesttaking
potato.
as a 'stifT' (i.e. dead)versionof chitd
the
f
f
25.
CHILD rN RIGOR MoRTrs AFTER EATING poTATO
Mnemonic:
PLANT
IN
MARRIAGE
9 strokes
l0l2
Mnemonic:SIIOWN CORPSE'S HAND TO CONSOLE FEELINGS?!
lF ltr romN
marriase
Itr -U A INSEKT
in+Js
i.T]ffiFAINZoKUBATSU
.':Hli
.ffiH
Hi'l*".
to exft, is thread 27. + is opposedfeet422 q.v., hereactingin a dual phoneticrole
connotrtions
role
lend
supporting
to
semantic
and
in
a
dual
differ
pressboth cover and
both of surrounding (and hencecovering) and going in a different direction.
Thus thread that covers by going in a different direction, a referenceto the rveft
with oiffer i? to0o.
relativeto the warp. Suggestrememberingf, by association
Mnemonic:HORIZONTAL WEFT THREADS DIFFER FROM WARP
1010
\&
i4J
f is woman 35. El is depend on 614 q.v., hereprobabrylendingits
assumedspecif_
ic meaningof become dependent on a person in whose
house one stays. Thus
woman becoming dependent (on her new family), a reference
to marriage. Suggest
aking E as big man i Sl in confinement
(see
123).
[J
Mnemonic:BIG MAN CONF,INED By WOMAN
AFTER MARRIAGE
ror3
F5
'JJiI"^,ffiil:i;
ff"ffil"'J3"t'*o"
, fr*[
'frfi tsssuT,:,o",excerence
tA
ilit;
sECREr.
I.F
i,",:il;""
[6n
INKI
trP
il,T;i*t""
Mnemonic:MOVE FAST AND ESCAPE
320
gloom, sadness
INBU
pnvate parts
KAGEGUCHI backbitine
I is trilt zzs. Q
NGU
Formerly ,r,&, showing tnat fr-is not escape1849q.v. but a simplificationof the
wasalcharacterhare fr2, which derivesfrom a pictograpt fr {tnoueh the simplification
move'
mostcertainlyinfluencedby confusionwith escaped). fftit was combinedwith
&ssocrutc"
ment L 129to expressthe idea of a hare's movement, which is fast and
frorn fast'
with escaping. Go astray is derived from escape,while excel is derived
Suggestrememberingby associationwith escape?, '
r,ll,
neponsm
i, u now defunctcharactermeaningobscure/ secret/
shadow. It
125
q.v., usedin its literal senseof cover, and say
A
q.v., used
78
;(
lT:T*
lo*
-'
'ts tlteral
senseof vaDors. Thus somethingcovered in vapors/
mist. when com_
binel wltn nlt p
the meaningbecamemisty/ shadedside of a hiil, as
opposedto the
the hill seenin
406q.u. rt also retainedits connotarionsof secret.
lh
iilil:::t::
+uo connoresthe positive (yang), 1013
connotesthe negative (yin). Note that
b;^;::"
rs also expressedby the NGU character
E , that addsplant +r- 9 and techni_
."i]l
-qJ _"]'uo"
meansshadedolants.Suggest
rememberinc
e as a combinationof now fr and
heet
a 87.
$"MONi". NOW MEET IN SECRET IN SHADOW
OF HILL
32r
I
GENERALUSE 1014-1016
GENERALUSE 1017-1019
fr
il
TI
ilil
llr
I
lo14
i?3.f
llA
I f\N
ir
IN. kakureralsa
[€, E nwvo
reriremsnl
H. # tNre
hernrir
KAKUREGA
ref.uAe
Wh&
HIDE
l.l strokes
Formerly F,t- P is hill 229. 4. ir u CO charactermeaningcompassion/ care. Its
exactetymologyis unclearbut it comprisesheart/ feelings ruj 147,reaching hancl ,,..
303, a further hand ;1 , and what appearsto be tile/ weighV press down r. 944. Thus
presumablyhandspressingdown on heart,indicatingcompassion.In the caseof 1014 :,
actsphoneticallyto expresscover, and possibiylendssimilar connotationsfrom rheidea
of handscoveringthe heart. Thus covered by a hill, i.e. obscuredfrom view and hence
hidden/ hide.
Mnemonic:HILL CAN'T HIDE FEELINGS -- NEED HANDS OVER HEART
1015
€R
ffi d rNsuN
ffi # Im.nsu
* EF om.t
IN
RHYME, TONE
19 strokes
poetry
6il
POEM, RECITE,
COMPOSE
composition
draftofPoem
eqtc
Formerly also oiK . Words/ speak Z 274 (or mouth/ say rz 20) and long #
615, to conveythe idea of drawing out a verbal statement( in the dramaticsense)'
Mnemonic:RECITED POEM CONTAINS LONG WORDS
Mnemonic:suN STREAMS DowN
l0l8
Ag.
'f-W
;Dflt
general'sdouble
oN CAPITAL, FORMING sHADows
FI, surudoi
SHARP' KEEN
15strokes
$HfU pru na
fr ft Erreru
ffi fr ssmt
sharp,
keen
acuteangle
elite,'crack'
$ is metal 14. f. is exchange524q.v.,which actsphoneticalryto expresssma[. Accordingto somescholars P. also lendsan extendedidea of reduction
and hencetaper
from its connotationsof dispersing. This doesnor seemparticularly
convincing, however,
andit may be felt more likely that it lends a loose idea penetrativeness
of
from its literal
meaningof a persondispersingwords by way of explaining,
instructing, or preaching.
Thussmall (tapered?/ penetrating?) piece
of metar, namely a tip, symbolising
somethingsharp. This is arsousedfiguratively,
i.e. keen. Suggesttxing fu as erdei
brother fl, Zet and out \ / 66.
MNEMonic:ELDER BROTHER
Is SHARP WHEN MONEY GIVEN OUT
jrl f?^
arT
,,\.
J-
EKr. yAKrr
EPTDEMTC
9 strokes
fFk #r
vJ 1t-
SOEKJ
disinfection
u* lt AKUEKI
plague
]E 16' EKIBYO/ YAKI.]BYO
epidemic
t
381andstrike P 153,to giveilness that strikes. somescholarsfeel
llltt:
*ct (. also
actsohonetically
to express
succession,
givingillnessthat strikespeoDlein successiorr.
F.*oni",
322
"'Et@ EIKYO
influence
*Er
l* EVD
shadow,image
YI fr. # KAGEMUSIIA
fl is scene/bright 469 q.v., herein its early senseof open to the sunlight. ,, is
q.v., here in an extendedsenseof delicate pattern. (Some
ielicatehairs 93
scholars
/2 as rays of sunlight, as in 144/618,and it is indeedhighly likely
,6
thar therewas
sorreconfusionbetweenhairs and sumays,or even a deliberatemerging of the two.) Thus
thc delicate pattern formed by sunlight, i.e. dappling or shading. This led to
bothshadow and light, though the former is by far the commonermeaning,while the
ideaof the patterr/ shapeof the shadowingled to form and image. Suggesttaking
f.
literallyas sun(light) V7 62 andcapital ,-f 99, with /t, as streaming sunlight.
lolg
12 strokes
Thus recitation, with poem and composebeing associatedmeanings.
EI, kage
SHADOW, LIGHT,
IMAGE
l5 strokes
JlY
Mnemonic:MEMBER'S RHYME DISPLAYS ROUNDED SOUNDS
fir ffi EIKA
tk H EISd
ti E EISHI
?
phoneme
s o u n d ,i . e .r h y m e / r h y t h m .
EI, yomu
ft
p
)
rhythm
fr is sound 6. fi is member 228 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressround and
also lendingits literal meaningof round object but in a figurativesense.Thus rounded
1016 \ \
fir1
EPIDEMTCIS ILLNESS THAT STRTKES
323
GENERALUSE 1020-1022
E'ft ruersu
ETSU
'vzv
'":"''*fi '023 iJ"nu".''on
,mr',"11*"-* mn#m:"
ro2o I r^f
'f is heary'feelings147. f, is exchange524q.v., here actingphoneticallyto express
burst forth and also lending an idea of proclaim from its literal meaning of persondispersingwords. Thus feelingswhich burst forth and are proclaimed,namelyjoy.
Suggesttakingfl aselderbrother fu 267 andout '/ 66.
Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER GMS
OUT FEELINGS OF JOY
superiority
Fffi vugrs-U
ETSU, koerulsu
borderviolation
CROSS, EXCEED, EXCEL ill € effyO
ovenake
olKosu
€ k'@f
12strokes
t02l
fHl
GENERALUSE 1023-1025
ffi E sppEt
troopreview
& ffi xeNErsu
censorship
ETsuRANsHrrsu
ffi H A
reading room
gate 217, herein an extendedsenseof emerge in succession (i.e. from a gate).
f f is
524 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresscount and possibly also lendf! is exchange
ing its idea of speakingperson.Thus to count things emerging in succession(i.e.
uoopswho answerwhen called?),leading to inspection. Suggesttaking f, as elder
brother 7. 267 and out rr 66.
Mnemonic:INSPECT ELDER BROTHER WHEN HE COMES OUT OF GATE
I is run 16l. tl; is halberd/ battle ax 515, which acts phoneticallyto expressfleet/
swift and probably also lends an idea of aggression. Thus to run swiftly (like warriors
attacking?). The idea of running swiftly led to the idea of exceeding(not unlike 629 q.v.)
and thus crossing, as well as excelling. Scholarswho emphasisethe ideographicrole
of the elementsfeel that the presentmeaningsstemfrom warriors crossing into other territory, with excel stemmingfrom the idea of triumph. This theory is a useful mnemonic.
tr
1024
Fire/ flame (
Mnemonic: RUN WITH HALBERD AND CROSS BORDER
1022
>El
aq
audience
F;E gelErsu
ETSU
-uEF-grrgN
audience
(WITH
RULER)
AUDIENCE
'rAH6 EKKENSHITSU
15snokes
chamber
audience
,a is words/ speak 274. fu it uCO characternow used to indicatea
Formerly3h
.*g" oi inteirogatives, and in compoundsit often lendsan idea of ask and/orthreat/-39
e n . I t c o m p r i s e s s a y A l A 6 8 8 , e n c i r c l e s/ u r r o u n d n 6 5 5 , a n d p e r s o n
a
indicate
in a corner L 34g (seealso973). Its etymologyis unclear,but it appearsto
would
person(possiblyan escapee)trappedin a comer surroundedby interogators, which
it is also
accountfor its connotationsboth of threatenand of the interrogative. However,
p'articulatU
(973),
possiblethat personin a comer b. is usedin its senseof deadperson
persons
in view of the fact that the modernform usesfallen person g Z38,to give talking
tlt
surroundinga deadperson. In such caseit is not clear how it came to acquire "*-:i,t
'madein Japan'NGU charactermeaningsmett'
connotations.(l.Iotethat Q existsas a
to exPress
but this is also of unclearetymology.) In the caseof \OZZ 6 actsphoneticallY
w'"'
of demand, combintng
state clearly, and is also believedto lend connotations
audienc€'
to
to give make a clear verbal demand. This led by association
words !
person/ man'
taking
Suggest
El as sun 62,with rJ as cover and 6 as sitting
EN, hono
-lk' 4
repN
FLAME
EX 4
NOEU
8 strokes
l€ X
encephalitis
ENfgNscorching wearher
8 doubledfor emphasis.It often has connorationsof excessivefire/
heat.
Mnemonic:TWO FIRES CAN MEAN TOO MUCH FLAME
ro:s
..''a- ilt.lTl;
?
F A glcel
banquet
F X eNnexu
revelry
E F snueN drinkingbout
lostrokes
F is house/ building 28.
$ is a now defuncrcharactermeaningattractive woman.
The latter compriseswoman
t 35 and sun/ bright g 62, andliteraly meansdazzling woman' This was
often usedas a euphemisticreferenceto prostitutes and what
night be termedprofessionalparty-goers.(Note
that woman -{x combinedwith bright E
toouu,. sun a I gives ttre NGU characterprostitute
@ .) Thus, dependingon one's
108
tevelof interpretation,
house of prostitutes/ brothel or house of beauties. Bv associationthis
led to revelry and banquet.
l,
"rnemonic:
BANeUET HOSTEDBY WOMAN IN SUNNYHOUSE
SnS COVEREDIN SUNSHINE AFTERWORDY AUDIENCE
Mnemonic:MAN
324
flame, blaze
325
GENERALUSE 1029-1030
GENERALUSE 1026-1028
1026
+g
tn)r"
&tgJ eNro
I-i'# 6EN
Fffi semN
---:
{,ts.
&SSlStAnqg
backing,n16
vocal suppoq
its literal senseof one personhelping anotherby
f, ls draw to oneself932 q.v., herein
'helpinghand',giving help.
emphasisto the
draws
32
meansof a rope. Hand ?
4,
'E as three hands (hand fu 303, hand 7' , and'hand'
with 932, suggesttaking
7
total.
hands
in
giving
four
thus
32]),
hand
as
variant
[taken
|
Mnemonic: FOUR HANDS PROVIDE HELP
'E 4 gr'rrOfSu
chimney
EN, kemuri, kemui/rai
'no smoking'
ffNeN
SMOKE, FEEL AWKWARD 4'E
,E-H regaxo*
tobacco
13strokes
* is burn/ fire 8. 9 is a CO charactermeaningembankmen/ block. It comprises
ground/ earth -! 60 and west & 152,the latter being usedphoneticallyto express
block to give earth that blocks. Thus 1027 meansliterally fire that blocks. Smoke
is felt to be an associatedmeaning,from the idea ofblocking vision and breathing. 1027is
now also sometimesused to refer to mist or haze in a broad sense.It is not fully clear
it also cameto meanfeel awkwardi shy, but it seemslikely that thisis
how in Japanese
meaning,from the idea of not being able to seeproperly andhence
figurative
an associated
way
to turn or how to proceed. Note that there is an occasionallyennot knowing which
counteredvariant form {61 , which usesdependon/ cause 6 eru. The latter actsphonetically to exptessblock and alsolendsits meaningof cause. Thus that which is causedby
t02s
alr
t9Q'
ffi fA epN
zinc
R SA rOrUpN
graphite
$A €
fu ENIISUIRE pencilcase
lll'""
r'l srrores
14. !' is hollowedout 158,hereactingphoneticallyro expresswhite and
$ ismetal
pssibly alsolendingan ideaof extraction from its literal elementssource/ opening p
/\ 66. Thus (extracted?)white metal, areferenceto lead.
white met20andoutof
d is alsothe descriptionof silver Ef<263 q.v., but it shouldbe noted that the lauer is specrficallywhite metal that is scrutinised(to distinguishit from similar metals, suchas lead).
Somescholarsfeel that white is in fact a referencenot to the color per se but to cosmetics
(whiteandcosmeticsconceptuallyoverlappingand in Japanesesharingthe sameword shiro),sinceit is lnown that in ancienttimes many cosmeticswere lead based.Thus the interpretationof 1029 then becomesmetal associatedwith cosmetics.A combinationof
boththeoriesis not impossible,i.e. white metal associatedwith cosmetics. Suggest
taking g as hole
OUT OF HOLES IS LEAD
TIES,
ffi IFIIENGAWA
ffi f'ftV..FUCHINUI
fe.=rftENDAN
veranda
hemmine
offerofmarriage
fire and blocks.
Mnemonic:SMOKE FROM BURNING GROUND IN WEST
1028
{R ili*i''^'" -:#,8*.'ff"**':'}};;
h is
Formerly fif^ , whichis the correct form. / is aog 17, here meaning animal'
to
puil up by hand 932. Thus animal which pulls itself up by hand, a reference
ceris almost
the monkey and its tree-climbingagility. The lateruseof Iong robe k 79
n,l.l,r\
as
tainly the result of miscopying,but sinceit has the samepronunciation t "
sssoctdttu"
C k by
considereda phoneticsubstitutionfor the latter.Suggestrememberin
with distant SLlg.
TIED WITH THREAD SUFFERSSAD FATE
Mnemonic:ANIMAL IN DISTANCE IS MONKEY
326
327
$'
l'
l
GENERALUSE 1031-1033
1.031 \
\
t
GENERALUSE 1034-1035
'fr'* OSEN
pollution
trffi OSHOKU
brihn
fttuw YOCOREMONO la,,nOry
O, kegarerulsul r awashi i,
yogorerulsu,kitanai
DIRT. DISHONOR
CHILD ALMOST DEAD AFTER DRINKING DIRTY WATEH
MneMOniC:
O kubo, boko, hekomr
HOLLOW, CONCAVE,
DENT
5 strokes
P! 6 OMEN
E{ }& KUBOCHI
[! 4 HEKOMI
concave
holtow,pit
dent
of concavity. Suggestrememberingby associationwith a box
A symboiicrepresentation
\2.
f,ynerly &7- . R' is lack 471q.v.,herein its literal senseof gaping mouth. & tE
is warilsection 465 q'v' Though the lo of ft probably referred initially to various
cnclosures/sub-sections, becauseof the similarities with mouth g 20 EL was often
chosenas a phonetic in words relating to the mouth. Here it is used to expressthe sound
[. (Thoughas an independentcharacter @ is now invariably read KU it is also listed as
havinga minor reading o, uottt readings appearingto stem from an original reading of
yoKU/ EOKU/ EUKU or similar.) Thus to make the
sound o (EO/EU) with a
gaping mouth, a referenceto groaning while vomiting. It can still be
usedto mean
vomit in chinese, while in Japanesethis is expressedby the NGU character
rp , which
usesan ordinary mouth E insteadof gaping mouth ( . The characterwas
arsochosen
asthephoneticfor the EU of Europe, as well as Eustachian,Euclid,
etc. why a character
with suchemetic connotationsshourdbe chosento representEurope
is a matter of some
conjecture.While it is true that therearevery few characters
with a readingof this particular typeor o 6ulro, as opposedto oo, ou, etc.), it
should be noted that there is a perfectly good NGU characte,
?& ( J is words 274), which is read omvrcoand has a
meaningof praise/extol.
Mnemonic:SECTION OF EUROPE LACKING
Mnemonic:HOLLOW BOX DENTED, NOW RATHER CONCAVE
+ryJX OSHU
ffi V xtL OSHIIRE
Q osa
PUSH
8 snokes
+) + 8J t
confiscatton
closet
|v + E ' TEOSHIGURUMA
banow
phonetically to expressp.r€ss/
{ is hand 32. q is shell/ casing 1243, hereacting
its literat
push and probably also lending its own connotationsof thrust and force from
meaningof a seedburstingforth from its casing.Thus press/ push with hand'
""
#:-#1''
AS'AULT
ffilx?ili*r*T"#
Eft
Eg- . *- is hand hotding weapon/ strike 153. & tE isward/ section
acting phoneticallyto expressbeat and possibly
also suggestingthroughits
l-ut'n=
sound
6 the groansand wairs of someone
being beaten(see 1034). Thus strike (with
weapon)
and beat.
l:y*tt
NhCMONiC:
ASSAULT IN WARD INVOLVING
Mnemonic:HAND PUSHES SHELL
I
ill,ll
l
Europe
theWest
Eustachiantube
as'almost' stiff/ dead child.
1033
eifl osa0
&X Oner
E^ft.EosmxeN
EUROPE, EU8 strokes
6 strokes
A l s o w r i t t e n> t . > i s w a t e r 4 0 .
f /t isemerge8llq.v.,actingphoneticalll,roqlpressdip/ hollow and possiblyalso lending its own idea of emerge (thoughit may g
felt that the waterweed element 5 [seealso 281] is the dominantconnotation) 1931
originally referredto water which collected in a hollow, possibly having seepcd1i.s.
emerged)from the ground and/orbecomingcoveredwith waterweed. Unlike the purc sqnnotarionsof spring fuStS,it acquiredconnotationsof stagnancy(still found as a rleaning in Chinese)and henceimpurity and eventuallydirt and the figurativedishonor. As
ch
f ild + 25, wirh !
w i t h S l l , s u g g e s t t a k i n gT a s a ' s t i f f ' ( i . e . d e a d ) v e r s i o n o
1032
o
328
329
WEAPON
GENERALUSE 1036-1037
1036
GENERALUSE 1038-1040
*u
Q sakura
CHERRY (BLOSSOM)
l0 strokes
cherryfru11
& {rb Crto
& &. saxuRAIRo
rink
& A SITURANIKU
O oku
DEEPINSIDE
1038
rrl
t4-
4ffi
12 strokes
IfL*
horsenteat
Formerly :i'ff . f,- is tree 69. 55 lt an NGU charactermeaningbaby (girt), comprising woman $ 35 and,the CO characterstring of shetls/ pearls W- (a doublingof
shell fl 90). In Chinese S alsohasconnotationsof roundness. That is, plump baby
girls were likened to a string of pearls. In combinationwith tree fi the meaningbecame
tree that produces a string/ cluster of baby round things. The peach(see 16.46)
'baby'relativeto this.
In
was one of the commonestfruits, and the cherry was considered
Chinese1036is hardly used,but it is a popularcharacterin Japanese.It shouldbe noted
that, despitethe fact that 1036 was hrst appliedto the cherry fruit, fruiting cherriesappear
it is now usedalmostexclusively
to havebecomerare (certainlyin Japan),andin Japanese
'Westernlruir
of the flowering cherry. The cherry fruit is now often referred to as the
'half
cherry' (Seiyomizakuta&)**Lfib. Suggesttaking the .y of the modern form as a
OKUSOKO innerdepths
OKUSAMA
wife
OCV OfUCf
mysteries
andearlier ftl . *. ana {1 show the sameapparenrconfusion between
Forflerly Q
rice plant 4i st as seenin 196,thoughrhe modernform hasoptedfor
2},land
riceN/28. la is not big K 53, though
fice *-. fl is clearlya variantof roof/ building
"7
to
take
it
useful
as
be
such,
but
clearly
a
simplification
rnay
of a pair of handsf{ , which
it
pushing.
1038
originaliy
indicate
referred
rice
to
stored (literally pushed)deep
here
insidea building, with the idea of deep inside eventuallyprevailing as the meaning.
Notethatthe readingoKU is believedby many scholarsto be an oN (i.e. Chinese)readform , but it is officially classifiedas a KUN
ing,of which O is takento be an abbreviated
reading,and probably has etymologicalconnectionswith the verb oku
(i.e.Japanese)
meaningto put in place (see545). Furtherevidencefor the KUN classificationincludesthe
factthat when usedin compounds1038never lends a readingoKU. It does,however,
veryoccasionallyhavean ON readingIKU.
variantofclaw Q 303.
Mnemonic:BIG AMOUNT OF RICE DEEP I NSIDE BUILDING
Mnemonic: WOMAN HALF CLAWS WAY UP TREE TO GET CHERRY
BLOSSOM
103e
t
1037fr
o1dman
Z 6 noo
Q okina
elder
village
OLD MAN. VENERABLE ff 6 SONO
l,J L fr GENOKTNA
1ostrokes
Old Man Gen
head'
{f is wings/ feathers 812. A is public 277 q.v., actingphoneticallyto express
In
head'
hawk's
1037 originally referred to the (soft) plumage on either side of a
'A
for
was chosenas the phonetic
view of this ratherspecificmeaningit is possibtethat
from lj , E was tiottr
(though
277
derives
technically
its suggestionof a nose t^ 134
side'
an early stageofren abbreviatedto A ), with z r. then becomingsymbolsof either
Somescholarsfeel that the presentmeaningof old man is purely the resultof borro*'ing'
eulY
fo- i6 of 1037becamegraphicallyconfusedwith an
while othersfeel that un
"-iy
applied
was
;;"
t"..r *(
ft, sos.However,it seemsequally possiblethat 1037
"t ";
of the head
top
on
gone
bald
had
who
by associationto whiskered old men and/or those
and had hair left only on the sides.
OKU
THINK, REMEMBER
16strokes
330
memory
reminiscence
specularion
Thought/ think f* 226 and,heart/ feelings ,l r47, conveying
the idea of a thought
kept in the heart, suchas a lingering memory.
Nowadaysoften interchangedin practicewith the NGU character
flft. , which usesflesv of the body fl 365 insteadof heart ,f ,
buttechnically
f[ hasconnotationsof timidity and hesitation.
MNEMONiC:
A THOUGHT IN THE HEART IS A THOUGHT REMEMBERED
r040
osore, GU
FEAR, ANXIETY
13strokes
tr tr v0cu
zF E
E*,u\
distress
FUCU
unexpected
e GUBIJINSO
poppy
L * is give 1237q.v., actingphoneticaly to expresscontrast (of
color)
.*t:_,]F":.rt
lendingconnotationsof not proven fact from its riteral meaningof
a
o*""I]*uo't.also
telling the truth. 1040 originally referredto a mythicar
tiger-rike creature
fijiT,":t
--" uracKspotsasainsta white background.Its presentmeaningsresultfrom confusion
qrth
concern
Mnemonic: OLD MAN RUFFLES FEATHERS IN PUBLIC
Fd'H zuoru
€'lH rsuloru
lH iRUorusoru
5..ONi"'
ft. tso+.
TIGER GIVES ONE FEAR AND ANXIETY
331
GENERALUSE1043-1045
GENERALUSE 1041-1042
r041
OTSU, ITSU
oDD, B, 2ND, STYLISH
I stroke
Z fE ossnu
Z 4 orous*
B Class
maiden
Z {C OTSUI.TI
stran.qely
From a pictographof a double bladed sword f (held in the middle;. This was an
unusual weapon,leading to odd, Stylish is felt to be a loosely associatedmeaning,
from the idea that somethingunusualis somethingoutstanding,with stylish being an associated meaningwith outstanding.Second/ B is a borrowedmeaning(FirsVA being p
1243 andThtd/C being ft
1773).
Mnemonic:ODD DOUBLE BLADED SWORD IS B'GRADE STYLE
to42
ff
fll fi onosHIURI wholesale
fll ffi onrsrusuo wholesaler
L A fR OROSHIDAIKON
'"*o'"*o
xJ""-'"'
grated radish
Of unusual etymology in that it is formed from a larger character,without referenceto
The characterin questionis honorable lEF ttsg q.v.,
which 1042cannotbe understood.
/4 ll8 renroved
usedin its meaningof drive a cart. This has had road/ movement
from its moving foot/ movement element /r! L29q,.v.,to leavejust foot tE 129,
'drive a cart' elementfP
which changedto its meaningof stop. In combinationwith the
(which confusingly only becamedrive a cart in combinationwith movement,sincethereis
no carr elementproper)this produceda meaningof stoo (driving) a cart. This carneto
thereis a semanticovermeanunload, which is its main meaningin Chinese.In Japanese
the
lap betweenunloadinga vehicle and selling wholesale(i.e. sellingthereand thenat
unroadsiderather than through a retail outlet), with the verb orosu meaning both lower/
unload and sell wholesaledependingon the character(generally f 7 is usedfor lower/
load). 1042is also sometimesusedto expressa separatehomophonicword orosumeaning
to grate (vegetables),though this is normally expressedby 1 l. Suggestrememt'erin8
by associationwith honorable r,l$p1158,minusits movementradical ( '
Mnemonic:WHOLESALE MARKET HONORABLE BUT LACKS MOVEI\{ENT
l*'
ffi f,U onwe
f8
r6srokes
* ffi rmIoN
{r\\
is rice plant 81, while 2 t V, is care/compassion1014q.v. The
Formerly*rc. /^
phonetically to expresssoften and probably also lends connotationsof presslatteracts
assumedoriginal meaningof handspressedto heart. 1043originally referred
its
ing ftom
pressing it. Some scholarstake its presentmeaningsto result
o softening rice by
while
others see them as extendedmeanings,feeling that soften rice
ftom borrowing,
carneto mean soften in a broad sense,leadingto make amenable and thus advocate
peaceand moderation. Suggesttaking {. hterally as hands (hand (.2 303 and hand
,\,' 147.
7 )claspedto heart
Mnemonic:HANDS HOLD RICE PLANT TO HEART AS TOKEN OF PEACE
'-'{*,
€ A XenX
cooD ffi, t*. znxxe
Ii:J;'""l'
€ {G resercu
a beauty,
belte
superb
a finework
,{ is person 39, heremeaningwoman. f is edge/jewel 819, here actingphonetically
to expressbeautiful and possibly also lending its meaningof jewel. Thus a beautiful
fiewetled?/ jewel-like?) woman. This later becamebeautifuli fine/ good in a
broadsense. Suggesttaking f.
literally as a doubling of ground
-t 60.
Mnemonic:GOOD PERSON COVERS TWICE AS MUCH GROUND
ro4s
&r
/T\
.g
ff;Jff'!"^"
FRAME
fi m'u "#?:f:;
9 snokes
* L
rcexD
aerial,fanciful
'i is nee/ wood 69, heremeaningtimber.
z?o is add 431, here also acting phonetically
to expressbuitd
up. Thus ro buitd up by adding timber, a referencero constructtng a frame/
support, usually with connotationsof heightand spanning (as a bridge).
MNCMONiC:
ADD WOOD TO BUILD UP SPAN OF FRAME
332
moderation
reasonable
calm
3*:i:'ffiDERArroN
ffi * olrrona
333
ill
lr
lr
i
GENERALUSE 1046-1048
I
1046
+
GENERALUSE 1049-1052
# *
KA, GE, hana
FLOWER, SHOWY,
+
rest
splendor,
cole.
CHINA
10 strokes
Mnemonic:SHOWY CHINESE FLOWER IS PLANT WITH EIGHT LEAVITS
F T
H F
7k H+
KA
FRUIT, CAKE
11strokes
cand,v.
resrn
crke
confectionery
spxa
liuit
MIZUGASHI
627 wtth plant +f 9 added after the the meaning of 621 became vague. Oake
f
is an associatedmeaning, from the idea of sweet refreshment. Suggest taking p ai tree
Fruit
59.
tP
MnemOniC:TREB PLANTED IN FIELD PRODUCES FRUIT FOR CAKE
1048
woman f 35 and house *- az, indicatinga woman going to a (new) house,
i.e.asa bride. Somescholarsfeel that ( alsoactsphoneticallyto expressmake-up, to
referspecificallyto a bride making herselfup beforegoing to her new home.
Mnemonic:MARRIED WOMAN GOES TO NEW HOME
KA, hima
LEISURE, FREE TIME
13strokes
;ft
KA, uzu
WHIRLPOOL, EDDY
12 strokes
iffi # A uzuMAKI
irEffi uzusPN
iiE + KACH0
eddy,vortex
spiralline
maelstrorn
Formerly ffi , comprisingwater/ river :7 40 andpass/ flexible movement )-@
629. 1048is usedas a propernoun to refer to a certainriver in China,and somescholars
river
feel that whirlpool resultseitherfrom borrowingor from the particularnatureof tlrc'
flexiblJ
of
in question. Othersfeel that whirlpool is the older meaning,from the idea
moving water, and that the river in questionwas so namedbecauseof this. Movement
in the presentform, which may be a usefulmnemonic.
7_129 hasdisappeared
WATER IN WHIRLPOOL PASSESWITH DISAPPEARING
MNCMONiC:
MOVEMENT
aa
JJ+
A
ffi F& rytXe
A FH yOra
F&W. b HIMADORU
holiday
leisure
betardv
9 is day 62. & is false625,known to act herephoneticallyto expressspacebut of un_
knownsemanticrole. Thus day of space,meaninga day of leisure. Suggesttaking p
asdoorsteps (door p [variant F 10g] and steps : ), and f, as a variant of hand
holdingtool/ weapon t
153 (i.e.repair).
Mnemonic:usE HANDY TooL
! -
tr- 69 and field
4t W :HlN1^yoME
bride
W 6. XISTII
dOWry
Fzrffi fEf.Uca
buckpassing
brillirinr
Originally ff, , showinga richly leafed plant coming into bud A with a reinforcshowsthe plant radicalon top and a sinting plant radical +V I V 9. A laterform f
plihed leafy plant 2h , with the ideaof cominginto bud conveyedby emerge € 81I Ir
is from this later form that the modem characterderives. 1046is now generallyusedin the
figurative senseof flowery/ showy, with the physicalflower being conveyedby ft, 9.
as an eightJeavedplant f
It is also usedas a referenceto China. Suggesttaking f
'
with the numberbeing confirmedby eight , 66.
1047 -|}
€ff
:F-
KA, yome, totsuga
MARRY, BRIDE
13strokes
Chincse.
tr # cuureHANABANASHII
L\r,
++
*'aHl5i;r,nltY'
#ffin#-'}j{J
To REPAIR DooRSTEps oN FREE DAy
Formerlyfft .
fr /7 is altar/of the gods 695. & is the somewhatunclear,backbone,
element629q.v., which is known to act herephonetically
to expressrebuke but is of unknownsemanticrole. Thus rebuke from
the gods, a referenceto a calamity. suggest
rcmembering
€ bV associationwith pass i8) 629,takingit to be 'almost, pass.
ros2
$fGfi:[",'
MNCMONiC:ALMOST
PASS ALTAR.- COULD HAVE BROUGHT CALAMITY
frtr*p"'tri*H
Leather p
821 and change/convert jy-t 23g. Shoesare ,converted, from reathfootwearwas in fact quite rare in ancientchina, and was usedprimarily
for
i.,j$*
"qng' Thus 1052originally meantriding
bootsbeforecoming to meanshoe in general.
h*on,",
SHOES ARE CONVERTED LEATHER
]tl
II I
ili I
il ii
USE 1053-1055
GENERAL
-
1os3H
GENERALUSE 1056-1058
FRxeuoru
silence
KA
rc/FW
YAMOME
WIDOW
WidOW
MINIMUM,
Ehfr
FEW,
F E xeCgN
14strokes
An oldro*
6
28,a face q I 6 le
showsa house Atl,
ka, BUN
MOSQUTTO
10strokes
reticence
% (heremeaning
person), and divide 'h' / ^ 199 (heremeaningseparate),indicatinga person separated from others and alone in a house. This was a referenceto a widow, but also
'family'. Few is an
assoconveyedthe idea of minimum sinceone personis a minimal
4t f,f reeezu
flyhook
t & cecRNso*
crane
fly
4f € , ft xeyanml smudgefire
f is insect56. < is text 68,hereusedpurelyfor its soundBUN. Thusinsectthat
to thewhine/humof a mosquito.
makesa BUN sound,a reference
DESCRIBESMOSQUITOAS INSECT THAT GoEs ,BUN'
Mnemonic;TEXT
ciatedmeaning.
1057
Mnemonic:FEW SMILES ON FACE OF WIDOW IN DMDED
1054
KA, KO
ITEM (COUNTER)
14strokes
ffi *E
HOUSE
KAJOGAKI
ffi FF r.qsuo
-- ffi IKKO
itemisation
place,
point
oneirem
fffr
GA
ELEGANCE, 'TASTE'
l3 strokes
tr ffi vr;rc,t
ffiE clrco
{# ffi cesrru
elegance
p€nname
artistry
lrt is bamboo 170. @ is hard 476,hereactingphoneticallyto expressstraight andalmost certainly also lending an idea of solid physical presence(i.e. actualexistence). 1054
was originally usedas a counter for straight bamboo slats, but later cameto be used
of otheritems. It haslong beenconfusedwith ,l@ 669 q.v.
S is bird 216. * is fang 434, usedfor its soundGA, and accordingto somescholars
alsolending connotarionsof ugty and,/orunpleasant. Thus (unpleasant?) bird that
makesa GA sound, a referenceto the cawing of a crow. 216 canstill mean crow in
chinese,though generallythis is expressedby a character{l*r which usesbird -h nqin_
steadof bird E andwhich is also found in Japaneseas an NGU character.Somewhatsurprisingly, 1057 was later borrowed phonetically to expresselegant/ tasteful, though
it is
unclearwhya characterwith suchconnotationsshouldhavebeenchosen.
Mnemonic: COUNT ITEMS OF HARD BAMBOO
Mnemonic:FANGED BIRD IS AN ELEGANT CROW
1055
KA, kasegu
WORK, EARN MONEY
15strokes
one'srade
ffix KAGYO
f f i € + KASEGITE breaduinner
+ffi E'TOMOKASEGI
1058
GA.,ueru
STARVE
l5 strokes
91fft ruCn
starvation
ffi ,Fil Ceru hungryimp,brat
ffi fE CnSru stawing
todeath
dual income
order to achieve wealth has come to prevail.
somewhatobscure.,fr is rooo/
eat 146. ty, irv self gl7, felt by some scholarsto act
purely phonetically
to expressempty/ racking, to give racking food. However, it
seemsmore likely
that f! was originally usedin error insteadof enrrust
S lzz. $fris
a_cocharactermeaning
both feed and be hungry/ starve, in which ft u"tsphoneticalrv to express
empty/ lacking and may at the sametime lend connotationseither of food
its
rice
plant erement f, (seeg1) or give throughits later meaningof entrust.
Pugtt
Iterc seems
,o huu. beena conceptualassociationbetweenstarving and feeding, through
thebasic
conceptof being hungry (i.e. dependingon whetherone in6ansitively
suffersthe
uungeror
hansitivelyreactsto it). However,105gis usedonly in the senseof starve.
'BRING HOME THE RICE'
Mnemonic:WORK TO EARN MONEY AND
IINCMONiC:
I'M STARVING AND NEED FOOD
,i is housei home 83. Popularlyinterpretedas bringing
f is rice plant 81, while
home the rice, which is seenas an assumedequivalentto the English term breadrvin'
'i is usedprimarily phonetically,to expless
ner. A useful mnemonic,but incorrect.
very big, and also lends an idea of a safe building and by extensionstorehouse. 1055
originally meant a crop of rice big enough to fitl a (store)house. It then also came
it
to mean by associationwork hard enough to produce such a crop. In Chinese
in
still meansharvestedcrop or work on the land, but in Japanesethe idea of working
336
337
GENERALUSE 1059-1061
KAI
MEDIATE, SHELL
4 strokes
1059
f
A
/l #
interventiqn
renqy[
rnuceru
g - ftEy'f nrossorar
seashell
self-introduc
rion
Originally ),J[, showinga person 4 39 .n"ut"d ) l, indicatinga person wearing ar.
mor (front andback).This led on the one handto the ideaof casing,includingevenrually
even sea shell, and on the other to the idea of being between things, giving by exrension mediate. Suggesttaking /lt
as an arrow.
Mnemonic:SHELL PROTECTS MEDIATOR FROM ARROW
r060
caution
€ fr rPxal
commandment
XAInITSU
*l ffi
penance
fr fl rercvo
KAI, imashirnera
COMMAND, ADMONISH
7 strokes
Originally fi[ , showingtwo hands YY holding a halberd/ weapon *U +SZ. This indicateda threat, leadingto the ideasof commanding someoneto do somethingandof
rebuking/ punishing them.Suggesttaking fi as two tens + 33.
Mnemonic:TWENTY HALBERDS ENFORCE COMMAND
106r
I qr
,D5\
t=
'W #
KAI, KE, ayashiilshimu
reroeN
'E tZ xareutsu
WEIRD,susPlclous
ghoststory
monster
'tr L {,J AYASHIGEquesdonable
8 sffokes
'.'
,f is feelings 147. t- is not the usualsimplificationof warp threads * ft-- 269' lr
was formerly written | , showinga hand }- over earth/ ground J- 60, andexistsas
a CO charactermeaningwork on the land. I{owever,it has long beenusedin Chinese
in the caseof 1061almostceras a simplificationof sacred 9g 911, and consequently
'borrowed'connotationsof otherworldliness and mysteriousness.It also
lendsits soundto expressunusual. 1061originallymeantone's feelingswhen en'
lo
countering something strange,but, like the Engiishterm suspicious,it aisocame
tainly lends
GENERALUSE1062-10@
KIDNA'''u3'#tr;f
tfit,fii"#"'
alsovritten *7t or,correctly,l' . ? is hand 32,heremeaning
arm. ! is the
lFormerty
&
of
bone
867
seen
in
uuriunt
split
579.
Here
it
phonetically
acts
to express
frl
l rrrn"
mayalsolendlooseconnotations
and
flexibility
of
through
its associations
with
lmnd,
(seealso629). 1062originallymeantto bendone'sarm around somebackbone
ltne
thusacquireit. Thisusuallymeantto acquirein a furtiveand/orillegalmanIttringana
to deceiveandkidnap,whiletheminormeaningof bendderivesfrombent
lner,leading
Somescholarsfeelthatbentarmin itselfmayalsohavesymbolicallysuggested
arm.
furI
Suggest
taking$ asmouth e 20 and,
I tiueo. deviantbehavior(cf. Englishcrooked).
lcut 4 181.
lMn".oni", RECEIVE CUTS TO HAND AND MOUTH IN KIDNAP
1063 f l>
fFfn
)+r?
l-
'tA,lE
KAl,kuyamu,kuyashii,kuiru
lKOlKeI
regret
REGRET, REPENT,
46 L € KUYASHTSA vexation
1&f 4 -r KuyAMUo
vExED
9strokes
letterofcondolence
'f is feelings 147.
4 is every 206, hereacting phonericallyto expressresent but of
unknownsemanticrole. Thus feelings of resentment. For somereasonthis came in
particularto mean resentment against oneself,leadingto remorse and hencerepent/
regret. Like the Englishterm regret,it is now alsousedin a broadsenseof feel
sorrv.
Mnemonic:EVERY PERSON HAS FEELINGS OF REGRET
1064
l-l,
%Sf
f,
KAI, min[n]a
ALL, EvERYoNE,FULL
gstrokes
*tF
ratSal
ffft
ffffi
r,qrrrau
mtesAMA
!-,
MIEMONiC:
EVERYONE LINED UP. ALL IN WHITE
338
noneatall
everyone
once written
S and.earlier6, showing compare/ people lined up vb77l and
speak/say
6 / e (ota form and variant respectivelyof El 688: see also 307). 1064
originally meant
people in a row talking, but gradually the idea of ail the people
cameto prevail,
leadingto the presentmeanings.Note that 1064is also usedof all in the
generalsense
of full or complete, and is not necessarilyrestrictedto people.The useof
white
65
in the presenrform appearsro resulr from miscopying.
6
be appliedto the object itself.
Mnemonic: WEIRD HAND ON GROUND GMS
fullpayment
SUSPICIOUS FEELING
339
GENERALUSE1068-1070
GENERALUSE 1065-1067
ro6s
+b
,W
n,^,,
iflJl'Jlsil,
l3strokes
# 4, ruvrel
4, ffi raxo
il-i4 sewret
'o6s
(wRoNGr
fril [tTI'"^rE
4J # pnNCAlSHAdenunciator
dH?t oeNcnI
impeachment
gold bullion
steelingot
ma-\sif
Somewhatobscure. Once written simply as [9] , namely mass of earth in a contairrer
948, leading to mass/ lump in a broad sense.For reasonsthat are not clear the sinrple
container U (which technicallyexistedas an independentcharacterwith a readingKI) was
replaced by devil fu ttZg (also read KI), used apparentlyas a purely phonetic replacement. Earth l- 60 was then placedalongsidethe new element.
*f * celso
reportingoffenseto ruler
effort 74. 4 is pig 865, here usedphoneticallyto expressexamine
I is strengttr/
tboroughly. Thus examine thoroughty and with great effort. This came to acquireparticularconnotationsof investigating wrongdoing. Suggesttaking jf as a
'broken'variantof (short) thread a lll.
DEVILISH LUMP OF EARTH
1066 r -)!
+P
Jf<
destntc:tion
6HF Hefel
KAI, kowarerulsu
destruction
rcerUrrSU
RUIN
4l&
DESTROY,
BREAK,
KATKETSUBY6
scurvy
wffi"ffi
l6snokes
Mnemonic:MAKE EFFORT TO INVESTIGATE BREAKING OF THREAD
ro6e
JEi
**
l*
Formerly f,g and.earlier:S. i isearth,heremeaningearthen rampart'
unclear.
is
but
Is
etymology
in
the
sleeve.
carry
conceaV
wrap/
meaning
character
is a CO
72
and
v
includes
eye
that
I
A
an
element
420
and
W
it comprisesclothing i(,t*
is possiblya variantof multirude R l& 705 q.v. (thusgiving many thingsenvelopcdby
actsphoneticallyto expressdestroy, but any
one'sclothing?). In the caseof 1066 f
semanticrole is unclear. Thus to destroy/ break down an earthen rampart, no*'destroy/ break in a broadsense.Suggesttaking fi as ten f 33 and four @ (variant
J'-L
,T;-". EDGE
ii srokes
t iE sHocer
K iE sercer
X itr rsNcAr
life
limits
horizon
7 iswater 40. fL rs an NGU charactermeaning(ail) cliff, comprisingcliff I- 45
andraised earth *. gtg (literally a doublingof earth t 60). Thus waterside cliff.
a referenceto the shoreline and by associationedge of the land/ water. Now also usedof
edgein a generalsense.Note that cliff is now usually conveyedby an NGU characrcr
& ,
whichaddshilV mountain ,J^ 24.
tE Z0),i.e. fourteen.
RUIN CLOTHES DESTROYING FOURTEEN EARTHEN WALLS
MNEMONiC:
'067'R ffi"';:!Tl.K:Tr#'
, F F KAICHUPocKet, H + FUTOKORODE idleness
D
F'<
ruKKAI
Mnemonic:CLIFF OF RAISED EARTH STANDS AT WATER'S EDGE
1070
LAMENT, DEPLORE
reminiscence
is the somewhatunclearcharactel
Formerly ,tA . ,f is heart/ feeling 147. &t*
there
carry in the steeve1066q.v. It shouldbe notedthat both in Chineseand Japanese
bos'
and
is a conceptualoverlap betweensleeve(or in the caseof westernclothespocket)
to
came
om, both loosely meaningthat part of the personwhich carriesthings. Thus 1067
assoan
mean the feeling carried in one's bosom, a referenceto yearning. Fond is
but
alternative
an
is
There
pocket.
ciated meaning. 1067 is also used to refer to bosom/
heart. Suggest
less likely theory that fl meanssimply carry, to givl that carried in the
26)'
33,andfour @ (variant @
taking p asclothes f<420,ten f
GAI
I 3 strokes
Fomrerly ,l€L.
.| ls frear/ feelings ru7.
AftJWvis already 1126q.v.,actingphoneti,o expressanger / detestation andpossiblyalsolendingconnotations
of somethldlY
|nB ceasing
to be. Thus feelings of anger (at somethingceasingto be?),a refcrtnceto lamenting/
deploring.
l,
"rnemonic:ALREADY HAVE FEELINGS OF LAMENT
CLOTHES
Mnemonic:YEARNING FEELING FOR FOURTEEN SETS OF
340
{ff 4 cerreu
lamentation
ffi'|ff xeNcat
deepemotion
{ff ft cArzpN to indignantly
341
GENERALUSE 1071-1073
l07l
\_ \--6e-
r.-
"rt
-3.-
\r,J\
il * CerrO
GAI
RELEVANCE,THE SAID- * * rocer1.
rr strokes
# ls cameru
relevnnqs
therelevantprofundity
1 iswords274. Vt ispig 865,hereactingphoneticallyto expressbinding. 1071originally referredto a binding agreement, then as a result of a reinterpretationof its elements(somescholarsseeit as a pure borrowing)cameto mean words that are bound
to something, i.e. that are relevant. Suggesttaking j1 as a'broken' varianrof
(short) thread L
lll.
Mnemonic: THREAD BINDING SAID WORDS HAS BEEN BROKEN
"'
rN
GENERAL
#[ i",:"":ff Tfr:i,#""';#:i
. lf- is tree/wood 69. €t te*' is already 1126q.v., actingphonetically
to expressrub acrossand possiblyalsolendinga looseidea of finished/complete. 1072
'+i
opencontainer(usuallyof grain) in order to ensurean approximatelyfull (i.e. complete)
measure.It still retainsthis meaningin Chinese.Rough measurecameto mean rough/
roughly and by association
in general.
Mnemonic:ALREADY ROUGHLY MEASURED WITH PIECE OF WOOD
1073
E fR rezuwe
fence,hedge
hedse
+W E IKEGAKI
PeeP
tr fd E 6 KAIMAMIRU*
kaki
FENCE, HEDGE
9 strokes
'g gtZ,
to give earth that goes around (a
building),namelya wall andlater,by association,
a hedge. Suggesttaking 4 ut sun
Ground/ earth j1 60 and go around
B 62andtwo =
61.
Mnemonic: SUNNY GROUND BETWEEN TWO FENCES
& ,b KAKUSHIN
v,
-it-cLEUS'
core, kernel
ffi & xprxaru
tuberculosis
E *S reruHErKr
nuclear weapon
/sistrcr,l wood 69. 4 is pig 865,hereacringphoneticallyto express(hard) casing.
1074oiginally referred ro an item with a hard wooden casing, i.e. a box, then as a re_
sultof a reinterpretationof its elements(somescholarsseeit as a pure borrowing) it came
to meanthat with a hard casing found on a tree, a referenceto the stone/kernel of
somefruits. This alsocameto meannucleusand in moderntimesnuclear. Suggest
tak'snapped'
variantof (short) thread ^ lll.
ing il. as a
Mnemonic:TREES SNAPPED LIKE THREADS IN NUCLEAR
BLAST
r07s JBtlA
*Zf3
Formerly #n
originallyreferredto a strickle, which is a pieceof wood passedacrossthe top of a filled
GENERALUSE1074-1076
4
KAKu, kara
SHELL, HUSK, CRUST
1l strokes
-E # rercane
F # rOrarU
J& fft cuxexu
seasheu
shell
earth,s
crust
Formerly#i- ^ain ancienttimes-A{, snowing
a hand \ holdinga gong/striker /
andsriking a large hanging bert A .
lut.,
becamegraphicarlyconfusedwith strikd
ing hand holding weapon/ toor 4t k- 153,whirethe belrand its supponingropes
becamestylisedto H , rfrl then finalry
,
. Bell gaverise to the idea of hard cover,
leadingto the presentmeanings.Suggest"fo
takF5-*
as samurai 494, n as cover, and
ir! asdesk 832, with
Q as strike a blow.
Mnemonic:SAMURAI
COVERS D E S K A G A I N S T B L O W S , S A V E S S H E L L
'*
#ffffiil',,:,ffi
9F Li.l:i:r.,ENCLosuRE
T, is village 355, here
meaningsetflement. ? is receive 1162q.v.,here in
its origi_
of weil guarded casfle. 1076originally referred
to
a
setflement
within
l1::*1"*
- <!ue (or
underits orotection),suchas a citadel.It
later cameto meanenclosedarea
in a broadersense,though it is stilr occasionally
usedin the senseof fortifrcall,"n::i"t
qr(rcan mean
castlewalls in chinese. Suggesttaking
^-"
z)' and
! as lid,/cover > , chird I
€ntrance g 20.
YN.*ONi". CHILD COVERS ENTRANCE TO
VILLAGE ENCLOSURE
342
343
I
GENERALUSE1080-1082
GENERALUSE 1077.1079
1017.|-:-
xexu. r0
+d "o'*"o*
!k *x^ mreru
ff € ronvo
t # fnXO
H ffi XefU
threat
THREATEN,MENACE
ffi 8 reruno
furv
17strokes
ffi, W *1 IKAKUTEKI *,rut.nin*
Once written fi , showing that l{. is not crossedlegs/ exchange{- t tS but a derivativs
of (or confusion with) crossed sticks tr 10 q.v., which in itself containsthe ideasg
matching and thus by associationcomparing. iP it carriage/ vehicle 31. 1077originally referred to small cross-spars built out from the shaft of a dignitary's car.
riage, used for boarding and alighting. Symmetricalsparswere a sign of good workmanship, and were thus the object of scrutiny and Comparison. Some scholarsseecompa.ison as resulting from confusion with check *f- 2l q.v., but it seemsmore likely to be an
Note that in Chinese1077still retainsa miextendedmeaningfrom matchingcross-spars.
nor meaningof statecarriage.Suggesttaking zi1 as exchangeI15.
of sudden and intense. Thus to round suddenly and intensely on someone verbally, and by extensionspeak angrily (againcf. English flare up). It came to acquire
particularassociationswith threatening.
Mnemonic: EXCHANGE VEHICLES FOR COMPARISON
r08l f *
*}!'
1078
KAKU, hedatarulteru
SEPARATE, INTERPOSE
13 strokes
ffi Bff rerunt
Fdffi rauceru
quariurtine
spacing
ffi jE KAKUSUU
fortnightly
Formerlypfu,andearlier $$1 and ffi. 6lF *hillzzg. fft i.uCOcharactermeaning large pot/ cauldron, comprisingthe large pot itself T /-o anda stand ffi (stand
/\). Here ff1 actspho1 , as in altar ,f. 695 q.v., and frame l-l with cross-supports
netically to expressblock, and probably also lends connotationsof obstacle (beinga
bulky item that would occupy considerablespacein a house). Thus hills that block'
Ieadingto screen/separate/interpose. Suggestrememberingby associationwith one/
single - I and round e (seealso 228).
Mnemonic: SEPARATED BY SINGLE HILL LIKE ROUND POT ON STAND
1079
KAKU, era
OBTAIN, GAIN, SEIZE
16strokes
@
:/t*
tF,
fuE
{5 reruroKU
M .Y.KAKU
42 Euoxo
acquisition
fishing
$eY
dog seizinga
I is dog 17, while { is seize (crested)bird (in hand) 670. Thus a
sPebird, leadingto seize/obtain in a broadsensebut still also occasionallyfound with
cific huntingconnotations.Suggesttaking # as grass +r 9, bird E: 216' and Pass
(literally hand) l-.
Mnemonic: DOG SEIZES BIRD IN GRASS WITH PAWS
l
KAKU, odosu/kasu
comparieon
comparrson
approximuriqn
344
g is moutty'say 20. #f is an NGU charactermeaningbright/ intense/ sudden and
cooprisesa.doubling of red f,f.46, usedin its literal senseof big flre (cf. English flare
up).Here ilff. actsphonetically to expressround on/ retort, and also lends connotations
Mnemonic:THREATENTNG woRDS MAKE oNE sEE RED TWICE ovER
{
K.{KL'
HARVEST
4[ & sgtxeru
harvest
4 ffi. tl'rltru
goodcrop
4R& H SHT.IKAKUDAKA
vield
l8strokes
=
*. is rice plant 81. { is seize a crested bird in hand 670, here meaning simply
take/obtain. Thus obtained rice prants, namely the harvest. Suggest
taking E ^,
plants +r. 9, bird +E 216, andhand a- .
Mnemonic:HARvEsr
1082
?
oF RrcE PLANTS BETTER THAN BIRD rN HAND
GAKU, take
PEAK, IMPOSING
8 strokes
JEtr,
ul
UJff
ff il
=€1"ffi
SANGAKU mounrains
Cexuru
father-inlaw
ulzeNDAKe
Mount Unzen
also written
fl', though rechnicalrythey are separatecharacters. fi comprises
]}"l
nountain
b 24 andhiil 6: il49, the laner probably being used in
its earry senseof
hitts in the plural.
Thus many hiils and mountains, a referenceto an imposing
rttountain
range and hencethe presentmeaningsof peak
and imposing. ij. comprisrle and prison tl(
1274q,.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressrower
ilT:T"t"
cenainly also lending connotationsof fearsome and/or
daunting from its
.r'r,l'"meanings
-*rv
ltltt
of fight and litigation. Thus (fearsome/ daunting?) towering
mounrarn(s).
trhCTNONiC:
IMPOSING PEAK OF HILL TOWERS
OVER MOUNTAIN!
345
I
GENERAI,USE1086-1088
cENERALusE 1083-1085
L KAKARIBITO
++1fi'9
kakari. kakarulkeru
H+TIIIMIKAKE
BE CONNECTED,APPLY,
b KOSHIKAKERU
W++IW
HANG,DEPEND,COST
fishandzz.*|isanNGUcharactermeaningdivinationpoint,comprisingdir'i.
nationl.etq.v.andangle/edge'slg.1083originallyreferredtodivination6y
the groupingsformed asthey
hangingvariousbamboostripsfrom the hand and interpreting
to a rangeof associated
and
hung. Thus hang (together),leadingby figurativeextension
and
literally
?
crack
as
literally
extendedmeaningsas Iisted above. Suggesttaking l'
60'
DOUBLE LOADOF SOtt
Mnemonic:CRACKIN HAND CONNECTED WITH
ro84
:t)
lilL'":*"^coo\
i5 s=crrtts
i Gl
sHouT,scol,D
I I strokes
sir
I 1 strokes
as a doubling of earth/ soil n
E € \r, KASSAI
B EErYorersu
- [E XfefSU
KATSU
harrgcr-q.
appearihce
ddelflat
fF rncarn
lagoon
itsiffi snrtxo
ciry
ffi Fffi NtrGATASHINiigata
obscurebird elementseenin Q, ZSI q'v' It acts
I is water 40. A is the somewhat
idea of take' 1084originallyreherephoneticallyto expresssalt, and may also lend an
has taken in salt' Its meaning
ferred to satty water as in a saltmarsh, i.e. water which
is also sometimesusedof creek
has now broadenedto includelagoon and beach, and it
variant h tl+> and talons t-l '
and flats. Suggesttaking $ as bird 1:l (simplified
applause
threat
yell,roar
obscure. Formerly nfr
0 is mouth/ say. h th
is the somewhatobSonewhat
element seenin 3&t tOzz q.v. Some scholarsfeel that ,ft is used
intenogative
lsure
purelyphonelicallyto expressdry up (as in 1087),to give dried up voice/ hoarse,and
uke shout/ scold to be a borrowing. However, if it is indeed the casethat 1086 originally rneanthoarse,it might be felt that shouVscold is an associatedmeaning,as in shouting
oneselfhoarse. Othersscholarstake fu to act semanticallyin its assumedearly meaning
of interrogate/ threaten, with shout/ scold thus being an extendedmeaning.The latter
theoryseemsthe more likely. Suggesttaking ej as person/ man sitting V 238
covered l-J in sunshine E 62.
SITS COVERED IN SUNSHINE,SHOUTS OPEN MOUTHED
Mnemonic:MAN
1087 \
\
6
,t
KATSU, kzwaku
THIRST, PARCHED
I I strokes
/E zk xessut watershortage
iB E t<lrsuso
craving
KAwAKT
iB E
thirst
Formeriy 7Al . , is water 40. h t fu ,t the somewhatobscureinterrogativeelement
seenin >-qSlO22 q.v., here acting phoneticaily to expressdry up and possibly also lending its assumedconnotationsof threaten/ menace. Thus a (threatening?) drought,
nowusedof dry up and parched in a broadersense,includingthirst. Suggesttaking ft
asperson/man sitting y 238covered !
insunshine E 62.
Mnemonic:LAGooNTRAPSWATERLIKEBIRDTRAPSWITHTAL()NS
toR-s I
f+
-|fl
,t>
(en)bloc
*{E tKtiersu
KATSU,kukuru
parentheses
ffi$,[\rnxxo
BrND, wRAP, FASTEN
Affigi HoKArsurEKI blankets r*t",
coran old form $'$ shows' the same
f, is hand 32. 6 is not tongue S lZzbut' as
to
'""n i(t :/g 244q'v' Here $ actsphonetically
ruption of hollowed out space"$
Thus to bind the hands (somescholars
expressbind, but any semanticrole is unclear.
later
playing a purely clarifying role)'
feel ratherbind with the hand,i.e. with hand f,
as tongue'
bind/ fasten/ wrap in a broadersense' Suggesttaking f
Mnemonic:HAND BINDS AND WRAPS TONGUE
Mnemonic:MANSITS COVERED IN SUNSHINE.THIRSTING FOR WATER
1088 -J4- an/
n
KATSU,suberr,nameraka tr iF Etucarsu smoothness
slrp, sLrDE, sMoorlr 'lErtffi KASSORo runway
13strokes
lE 9 tr h' suBERIYASUIslippery
7 is s21s1 40. q is bone 867 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressemerge and
possibly
also lendingsomeideaof flexibility and hencesmoothnessfrom its association
*" backboneir". ulro 1048).Thus water emerging (smoothly?),i.e. flowing.
It*
rne flowing
of water suggestedby associationa smoorhsliding/ gliding movementand
0Yfunher
associarionthe ideaofslip and slippery.
lr
{ulCMONiC:
WATER ON BONES MAKES THEM SMOOTH AND SLIPPERY
347
346
rl
GENERALUSE 1089-1091
GENERALUSE1092-1095
KATSU
iE € xessnoru
BROWN,COARSE
CLOTHiE ft rerreN
13strokes
iE *
rePPu
brown
tgnite
raggedbegga.
Formerly 13) . 4 is clothing/ cloth 420. & t h is the somewhatobscureinterrosative elementseenin 781 tOzz q.v., hereusedas a simpleform of fl . rn" latter is ln
NGU charactermeaning arrowrooV strong vine/ strong fiber. It comprisesplant *r 9
and fu , which is here usedphonetically to expressbind but is of unknown semanticrole.
Thus binding plant. In the caseof 1089 El itsef thus meansstrong fiber, giving clgtfi
of strong (coarse) fiber. This was a referenceto a popular type of brown cloth, and
hencethe acquisitionof the meaningbrown. Suggesttaking fu as person/ man sit.
ting ? 238 covered l-l in sunshine E 62.
Mnemonic: MAN IN COARSE BROWN CLOTHING SITS COVERED IN
SUNSHINE
1090
f,ir
TIr
KATSU
CONTROL, LINCHPIN
17strokes
E[ H snor,cTSU jurisdiction
jurisdiction
€ 4* rexrerSU
ffi 4t rorersu
control
trolling elementand eventuallycontrol.
Mnemonic:CUT WITH CROSSED SHEARS
KAN, amai/erulyakasu
H- E ,qVazarB
SWEET, PRESUME UPON -ff E feNCpN
5 strokes
t- .t- AVae
sweetsake
sweetwords
presumption
OriginallyQf , showingamouth 0 / A ZOwithsomethingheld in it -. (Notethat
thesamecombinationof elementscanconfusinglyindicatea tonguein a mouth and mean
speakor vocalise,as in 6/688 etc.) Somethingheld in the mouth suggestssomethingsavored, i.e. somethingsweet. Suggesttaking lf as an 'exaggeraied' mouth g
Mnemonic:MOUTH EXAGGERATEDLY SAVORS SWEET THING
KAN, ase, asebamu
SWEAT
4 F
HaI(rAN
ffFraNCaN
-$
zk ASEMIZU
sweatins
snam!
heaw swear
7 is water 40, heremeaningwatery liquid. :f is dry g25 q.v., here
acting phoneticallyto expressscatter. 1094thus meansliterally
scatteredwatery liquid, a somewhat
vaguereferenceto sweat (which is scattered
bylover the body).
Mnemonic:WATERY SWEAT DRIES
Mnemonic:VEHICLE HARMED -- CONTROLLING LINCHPIN REMOVED
KATSUMATA moreover
katsu'SHo, So
H2X
besides
FURTHERMORE, BESIDESE? KATSU
for a while
5 strokes
' ) E- KosHo
From a pictograph of a cairn $ , thepiled up stonesof which came to mean one thin9
on top ofothers and hencein addition/ furthermore. Suggestrememberingas three
layers and a base.
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE. CAIRN HAS THREE LAYERS AND A BASE
lul
Orrgrylty H and.laterttl X (now 2t )depictsapairof shears,with cut ,f77rl tst
for clarity. Thus cut with shears.
addedlater
6 strokes
$ is vehicle 31. f is harm 437q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresslock andalmost certainly also lending connotationsof cover/ cap (firrnly). 1090 originally refened
to a wedge-shapedlinchpin insertedin the end of an axle to lock the wheel in place. Just
like the English term linchpin, it cameto meanvital element and henceby extensioncon-
1091
*gz
'HEAR
lq;*}'i
tl
f"liif,,"u,,
Ui+#
$r^*xy.,
f
348
KAN, kama
CAN, BOILER
6 strokes
. ft # KANZUME cannedgoods
ffi tn 9 KANKIRI
canoDener
f_,.ft rrceN
,t"u* til",
also *itt.n hf , thougntechnicallythey are separate
ptt
characters.6 derivesfrom
sr allctograph
---vbrqv,, of
vr q
a vessel
vcssEr r_r
ul with
wrrn a couDre
double rro
lid + , the
the double
t^^ -f
doublelid
lid indicating
indicatinssecurity
secrrrirv
f ir heron445, actingphoneticaly to expresspour and possibryalso
il:,:t::^',tt).
connotationsof accommodate/take in (trom a heron'sability
to consume
d;::.:::::
r-.'w 9uantltresof fish). Thus Ev meansa secure vesserfor pouring riquid into.
h,owit larerdevelopedparticularassociations
with metar containers,but it is
;l'"*::lt* tnat
l--'^"c
ff becameconfusedwith metal S' t+. suggesttaking
tronof
fi as acombina_
noon
+ n0 and mountain u 24.
It
.'TTCrnONiC:
OPEN CAN FOR NOON PICNIC ON MOUNTAINTOP
349
GENERALUSE11OO-1102
GENERALUSE 1096-1099
1oe6
ffi
liver
E+nffi KANZO
fft*.:'33uRAGE
vital
ff+,b KANIN
El = E KIMOTTAMA guts,pluck
H is meat/of the body 365. f is dry 825, actingphoneticallyto expressvital. Thus
that which is vital to the body, a somewhatvaguereferenceto the liver. Also used
figuratively to refer to courage (cf. English slangguts).
Mnemonic: DRIED MEAT PROVES TO BE LMR
l0g7 fi,
L.!
tru
KAN, kanmuri
cRowN
9 strokes
T ffi OKAN
* ff eIreN
tr € rexuo
royalcrown
laurels
crest,Plume
!'r is cover, here meaningon top of. tf is hand/ measure 909 q.v.' here meaning
careful use of the hand. Z is origin 106 q.v., herein its literal senseof head. Thus
something placed carefully on a head, a referenceto a crown.
11oo
Sn ntnr^*.'llil;
El f rervsEN
pardon
ff: t reNlo
bi[, account
&l € t^ KANCHIGAI
misjudgment
/, is strengtl/effort 74. S is great/ exceedingry 1449q.v., acringphoneticallyto
expr€ssendure/ tolerate and probably also lending connotationsof great emotion. Thus
make an effort to endure something (very emotional?),leading to the idea of great
toleranceand perseveranceand in turn to suchideasas strive to understand.
Mnemonic:MAKE EXCEEDINGLY GREAT EFFORT To TNVESTIGATE
l10r
g
t\\.}
KAN, wazurau
DISEASE, BE ILL
1I strokes
,ffi,# reNre
patient,victim
,ffi.*F reNsu
diseased
part
F,H t,. NAGAWAZURAI
long illness
MEASURE ORIGINAL CROWN TO ENSURE COVERS HEAD
MNCMONiC:
10e8ffi[ti;;;lT',
FfEiq KANBOTSU
A W KEKKAN
WW KANRAKU
cave-in
defect
surrender
meanFormerly ffi
F is hill z2g,here meaninghigh place. {l is aCO character
tnlL
latter
t7
the
648,
mortar
G
person
39
and
|
ing hofe, comprisingstumbling
idea
an
lends
also
falt,
and
phonetically
to
express
dicatinga hotlow/ hole. 6 actshere
of low place. Thus to fall from a high place to a low place,i.e. collapse. Suggesttaking rE as old 648.
Mnemonic:OLD PERSON STUMBLES AND COLLAPSES ON HILL
KAN, kawaka
DRY
11 strokes
At E ++h KANDENCHI drybattery
+L'ffi 6fr
FZ, V\ Ta
KANS6KI
KAWAITA
drier
dried
drY.
q'v" hereactZ is odd 1041q.v.,herein its senseof twisted. fif is rising sun 637
ur
ing phoneticallyto expressstraighten and probablyalsolending similar connotatrons
of ,h" rising sun. Thus 1099originally
straight/undeviatingby associationwith the
"o*r"
generallyseen as a borrowine'-b.u.l
is
Dry
twisted.
meant to straighten something
w""
associatedwith the rising sun'
out
drying
hot
and
may stemfrom the idea of becoming
Suggest
steam(see11)'
L (at one stagewritten L ) possiblybeing takei to be vapors/
as person 39'
t
t
with
plants
9,
I
g
62 isingthrough
tating f as sun
rt: is heart/ feelingsr47. $ is an NGU charactermeaning
skewer/ pierce (oftentakento comprisetwo items g pierced | , which is a useful mnemonic,
but an old form EJI
suggests
ratherrhat it derivesfrom hands€ 3 thrustinga stake(
Thus
pierced heart,
).
meaningto grieve (still a meaningin Chinese). This
came to mean be afflicted in a
broadsense(also a meaningin chinese) before
coming to acquireparticular associations
withletng afflicted by an illness/ disease(despite
the absenceof the sicknessradical ;- 381).
MNgmonic:FALL ILL AFTER
SKEWER PIERCES HEART
""
f,"#'l:l'u"o'
H-
F E ran-rs0
#ft H luxeN
penetation
raversins
H fh reNrny0
flowing through
two sheus/unitsof money H t e 90 threaded/pierced
H , showing
I-::lr
" rruz ongrnallyreferredto moneythreadedon
a string or stick,but thencameto
aeanthread/pierce
in generar.suggesttaking1* asa variantofmother
2o3.
+
ItnerNOnic:
MOTHER PIERCED BY SHARP SHELL
PLANTS
Mnemonic: ODD PERSON DRIED BY SUN RISING THROUGH
351
GENERALUSE1103-1105
1103
GENERALUSE 1106-1108
KAN, aete,aenal
DARING, TRAGIC
l2 strokes
4 f"l xemtaoN
sunrmon{
14 @ rvdxeN
cr|, Screxql
4 t F wAMEKIGOEshour,ye1
KAN, wameku
SHOUT, YELL
12strokes
tr
fr:f:ff#,
. J1}
f-f i F g-
rheear
Mnemonic:DARING STRIKE TO TOp OF EAR _- TRAGIC
RESULTS
"'lg [qi*I*'-'
in its senseof opening/open.
,
(>
KAN, TAN, taerz
ENDURE,wTTHSTAND
l2snokes
#,3. rer.nvnq
E 6E rnr.wo
fg *- iJ KANOKE coffin,casket
.Ei fH ssrxeN
sarcophagus
fH A HrrsucrDAr
bier
parrence
skll
ffi l_W\,^ TAEGATAI unendurable
f i s t r e e / w o o d 6 g ' f i s o f f i c i a r 4 4 1q . v - , h e r e a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y r o e x p r e s s c o r T i n
andpossiblyarsolendinga loose suggesti,on
of that which covers
throughits
"i'
elements
roof/ buildins *, 28 (whiJcan mean
cover)and ;;,;;;"t.-"iu.pr"
,ro(which can
meancorpse[see236]). Thus wooden
coffin, now coffin in a gene.alsen.".
Mnemonic:OFFICIAL RESTS IN
WOODEN COFFIN
i- is earth 60. 6 is greatl exceedingly 1449, here acting phonetically to express
thrust (up) and probably also lending an idea of great. Thus a great upthrusting of
earth, a referenceto raised ground. Its presentmeaningof endure/ withstand stems
from confusionwith endure $f 1100q.v.
'''"f;T
f"*,,,";
;;,ff ffi,{irLT:l,;l I 1,::1ff#:
,h or U . H ir believed
i,l";,il:"ffi:,
l*T
to have
beena variantof rice plant *., / A gl,but
hasthe
;ameformasree *., t /f,. eg. U i;;;il;;rm
of growing ptant *_ qz,but has
jj"r-,qt:
jlT"lT:*:::ff
j*
f:i,!*;T:"H''-;'1,""fl,T::"#.
*f :#,il
f is hand 32. &.is woman with spread legs 1103q.v. The latter actsphonetically
to expressexchange, and is also felt by some scholarsto lend an idea of careful han'
dling from an assumedmeaningof assistingin the delivery of a child. Thus to exchan9e
something (carefully?) by hand, later exchange in a broad sense.Suggesttaking fr
asbig K 53,hole ri? (variant R 849),andfalling person/man n (see1103)'
;l
352
# ffi raNret
loan,credit
signature
hospitalitv
Somewhatobscure.
Formerly also wrinen #R . f. is
altar/ of the gods 695. R, is
lack 471 q.v.,
h.greused
vendlation
& fi raNn
spareclothes
& L ffi KAEGI
ftW + 4 ToTINGAKUSEI
srudent
exchange
Mnemonic:MANFALLS INTO BIG HOLE DURING EXCHANGE OF HANDS
f,t snarreN
€
'& frk
CLAUSE,
RAKKAN
X*:'IP,
Mnemonic:EXCEEDINGLY LARGE EARTHEN MOUND WILL ENDURE
KAN, kaeru
EXCHANGE
12strokes
puiling
pulling
rr . ir,"
*u,
i^l;?T::T"*..;:I:lu .ontuin..
i *:.ri""eiluirn.unrn,
l'1
:ing;" ;; ;'"""i#i".#i:
ff
ll"llil"lil
:T
::i^"il
li;"
1':
:
:
1T:
::
:"
il
lt:
0',so
m
et
h
;
;
"j:::
;'
,'
:
:,""
*j"": "1#*
::j ;l'"":j"::1i:T',
;:
"s,
j:u"5,'"."'ri'"Ji'".'";il';#;i
i;"jr,T'ffi
::$,T::iil';:T"'::::,'^:T.1"::l
;;; [': ;l;l'ff:
*T*""j11'y
?'
:^'"?:.*::
:'ear
11
:'yq "^zZ3rii"e;;;
!l' d;; ;;;;
remembenne
by association
gosr
fr Y""
with
Mnemonic:MAN SHOUTS AS HE STUMBLES INTO BIG OPEN HOLE
ll04
wh. < AENAKU
bravery,valor
bravely
tragically
graphic
vvLr distorted
evolution.Unglnally
6ruPrrrvsvuruuon.
vL
Of very
Originally tt{,
tft,
,fi,, showing
,to*tng two
two hands
handS
\
El is mouth/ say 20. & is a CO charactermeaninglively and excellent,originally w11t"n ,ft . h t 6 is a woman's genitals (bendingperson A- 39 and spreadthighs
r,9 317 [seealso 1849and I105]), while YY is a pair of hands. The original meaning
appearsto have been spread a woman's thighs with the hands, with connorations
both of intercourse and childbirth. In the caseof I 103 & actsphoneticallyto express
cry out, reinforcedby moutty'say tr , but it is not clear whetherit connotesa womancrying out during childbirth or during intercourse.It now meansshout or cry out in a broad
sense. Suggesttaking Q as big 7( 53, hole rR (variant iq 849), and stumbting
person/man O (seealso 1098),with
E W YLIKAN
& f t KANZEN
Prctsplantspraced
on
;L;
;;;'"nrt".t,f-.ant
makean offering
to the gods
-- vq',p"\.rrurr ""
:ton - ":t"tplication
to
r.0rnem'
them,posslbly
possiblyacquiring
acquiring
its modern
its
modernmeaning
illI1t,
meaninsin qimire"
rooh
similar iash_
to theEnglishterm
q t e c i r c u m s r a n c e s .oath,which can.ithr, -.rn sincerestatement
o.
dependingon
I n t h e c a s e o fl l 0 g i t a p p e a r s i n t h e f o r m
",irr.
*, andlendsameaningof
wish,
as
well
as actingphoneti"utiyto expressopen
ltlt:tu
and thusreinforcing
"u0 originally meantan open and
K.
sincerestatementof a wish, with open
having
I
I*
353
i|l
rl
rl
I
GENERALUSE IIOS-IIIO
GENERALUSE1111-1113
the sameconnotationsof sincerity and earnestnessas in English,and it can still rnsn.
earnestwish in Chinese.Somescholarsseeits presentmeaningof friendship as ?h &ssoi.e. a situationin which thereis no duplicity
ciation/extensionof earnesVopenstatement,
and only goodwill, while othersseeit as a borrowing. Engrave is likewiseseenas a txrrrowing by some scholars,and by others as an alternativeline of semanticevolution frorn
the emphasisedidea of open,leadingto open up a hole and thus by associationenglave
(i.e. make a groove). While the latter theory seemssomewhatunlikely it should be noted
that in Chinese1108 can also mean empty/ hollow. Clause is felt to be an associared
meaningwith engrave,from the idea of a piece of writing that is endowedwith perrnaas samurai 494,with fr. in its other meaningof show. 11
nence. Suggesrtaking f
written asW, resultingfrorn
shouldalsobe notedthat 1108is occasionallyencountered
'lost person'elementof doubt
graphicconfusionbetween F. and the
A $5.
t6l rf
tfl
ax
F.S
A
tFi ,/\
KANSEI
KANSAN
KANJIN
tranquiliry
leisure.quier
idle person
fl is tree/wood 69, while P3 is gate 2ll. 1109 originally referredto a piece of
wood used to bar a gate, and meant btock/ obstruct/ defend (meaningsstill found
in Chinese). Leisure resulrsfrom confusionwith space ?fl I ?A 92, which oncehad
meanmeaningof free time, while quietude/ quiet is in turn an associated
an associated
ing with leisure.
Mnemonic:BUILD WOODEN GATE IN A QUIET MOMENT OF LEISURE
1110
H t relPAI
KAN, kutsurogu
MAGNANIM.US' RELAX H G xeuyo
H & raNI
13strokes
.
KAN
SUPERVISE,WATCH
15snokes
liberaliry
tolerance
looseciothes
Somewhatobscure. Formerly V" . n is house/roof 28. E is found as a CO characbut it is not certainthat this is the samecharter with the unhelpfulmeaningoi vegetables,
boracterasthe E / fi, elementof 1110.(If it is, thenits presentmeaningis presumably
-+t
ap'
but
9
+t
plant
grass/
is not
rowed.) The latterwas oncewritten @, showingthat
down
(bend
of
form
fl.
parentlya derivativeof a crest of so-t sort ?p. $ is the old
io) looi fi, 18, with \ /' possiblysomeformof support. Its meaningis unclear'
thus
thoughin the caseof 1110it is known to haveactedphoneticallyto expressbig,
-gtvcoutu
one
where
place
a
mean
ing a meaningof big house.By associationthis came to
figurativeconnorelax, i.e. whereone was not cramped,and it alsodevelopedassociated
n
'easy
taking
going'/ largesseTmagnanimity. Suglest
fl as see and
tations of
as grass,with h as cover.
observation
superintendent
imprisonment
*6*
Q.L
, showing a person tv / l- 39 bendingover to stare I / E 512 q.v.
- i n a b o w l : f l l t u 1 3 0 7 .T h e p e r s o n w a s s t a r i n g a t h i s
atthesurfaceofwater
reflection, which was the original meaningof 1111, but this then came to mean look
literally as staring eye,
carefully and hencesupervise/ watch. Suggesttaking I
l.
one
See
also
as
991.
nd
encewritten
l[l2
KAN, yurui/mulmerulyaka
LOOSE, EASY, SLACK
15strokes
ffi f[ KqNwA
mitigation
ffi fh rewnvu gentlecunent
ffi ffi yunuYURU leisurelv
S is ttrread 27,here meaningcoro. *- is draw to oneself932q.v.,hereactingphonetically to expressloose(ly) and also lending an idea of pulling on a rope/ cord and
hencebind. Thus to bind something loosely with cord. slack is now also used
figuratively,in the senseof easy.Suggesttaking
*. as three hands (i.e. reachinghand
lv 303,hand ! , and hand f [variant ? lZll.
Mnemonic:THREE HANDSRESULTIN LOOSELYTIED THREAD
lrn
:€ 'ffi IKaN na
KAN, uranra
REGRET
l6 strokes
'ffi'lR reNxoN
'|ffi4 unqul
regrettable
srudge
resret
Heart/feeling
| 147 and(intense) feering fi
zns,to give doubry intense feer|ng' An intense
feeling is one that lingers in the heart,a somewhatvaguereferenceto reEret' (Somescholarsfeel
that f$ also actsphonetically to expressregret, thus clarifyhB thernsanlng.)
See alsolZTj,and note the overlap betweenresentand regret.
IINCMONiC:
REGRET IS DOUBLY STRONG FEELING
Mnemonic:SEE GRASS COVERED SPOT AND RELAX THERE
354
ffi ifi faNSru
ft,frffi sdxax
ffi * xeNrtN
Mnemonic:PERSON WITH ONE STARING EYE WATCHES BOWL
Mnemonic:SAMURAI SHOWS LACK OF FRIENDSHIP
,loe
fi1 r$*:'eulEr
!" ElE
355
ltl
r1 ll
GENERALUSE1117-1119
G E N E R A L U S E1 1 1 4 - 1 1 1 6
il
I
111{
i
r @
.f €
€,
restoratisn
H :r feXCBN
+. ffi" # SEIKANSHA surviyql
restirurion
;8;ffi fmNfeN
KAN
RETURN
16strokes
,-",fu,ii-l;$il.'n.,o
't-El'
23snokes
4 ffi ueluceN
yearbook
ffi H reNsuO
appreciation
tr^ 4 < KANGAMITEin viewof
i
is movement 129, here meaning go. 92 \s a CO charactermeaning gaze in 1g1.
ror. Its etymology is not fully clear but it appearsto compriseeye @ /e 72 , herepresumablymeaning look, and a variant fi. of sorrow fr- SSt, and presumablyoriginal-
1 4 . w o i s w a t c h I 1 1 1 q . v . , h e r e w i t h i t s l i t e r a l m e a n i n g osft a r e a t o n e , s
S.ismetal
Thus to stare at one's reflection in a metal mirror (metal mirror still
reflection.
beinglisted as a meaningin Chinese). This came to mean scrutinise and hencetake
ly meant look of sorrow. Here it acts phonetically to expressturn back, and may possibly also have originally lent connotationsof alarm and/ordespair. Thus to go back/
nol'rcofl heed. Note that the verb kangamiru derives from kagami (mirror) and miru
0ook).
return (in alarm/ despair?), now return in a broadsense.
Mnemonic:WATCH SELF IN METAL MIRROR, HEEDING REFLECTION
Mnemonic: RETURN, MOVING WITH SORROWFUL LOOK
1118
lll5
J;[filt
ffi
J{\
K,rN. wa
RING.CIRCLE
fingerring
lE H YusIwA
loopline
t*n .ft ffi r,tNfOSeN
environment
f*a ffi KANKYO
17strokes
*o, 1l14 q.v. The latter actsphoneticallyto express
Jewel ? 102 and gazein terror
fit, and may possibly also lend an idea of looking in awe (i.e. at somethingwondrous). 1115 originally refened to a jeweled ring or bracelet (of wondrous quali'
ty?) that fitted perfectly, and later cameto mean ring or circle in a broad sense.Suggest taking p
look o
in its assumedliteral meaningof sorrowful R (variant solrow "k 998)
(variant eye 6 72).
Mnemonic: JEWELED RING EVOKES SORROWFUL LOOK
""ffilliil*
e
GAN, fukurnulmeru
INCLUDE, CONTAIN
7 strokes
€ € gOceN
inclusion
e €€
GANTyI-lRyo conrenr
FUKUMETE includine
eb<
o is mouth 20. E is now 125 q.v., herein its literal senseof cover. Thus covered
by the mouth, i.e. contained in the mouth, leadingto contain and by associarion
include.Seealso 1182.
Mnemonic:NOW CONTAINED IN THE MOUTH
It19
nF tr Cemco
stubbornness
nFffi CeXr<pN robusthealth
GAN
STUBBORN
13strokes
EFffi. b
GANBARU
persevere
ship.
I is heao 93. /1, is origin 106 q.v., hereratherunusuailyactingin threerores.First,
it
lendsits literal meaning
of head, and by extensionbrain andthought. 106also often has
connotationsof roundness,
partly becauseof the round shapeof the head and partly becauseits sound(GAN)
is the sameas the soundfor round (GAN tL g30), and its second
rolein the
caseof I I 19 is to lend suchconnotations(and/orit may be taken to act phonetito expressround). Third, it lendsits later meaning
of origin. l l19 could literally
ldtt
person with a round head, but it was also
used to refer to a person whose
T:* "
thinking
went round in circres (i.e. back to the origin), i.e. a stubborn person.
Mnemonic:SHIP THAT WATCHES OVER OTHERS IS A WARSHIP
MNCMONiC:
STUBBORN HEAD GOES ROUND AND BACK TO ORIGIN
warshiP
E fiff CU1UceN
fleet
ffi l9ft revrat
ciass
ffi fE KANSHU warshiP
jX isboaVship 1354. fh iswatch (over) 1111,here actingphoneticallyto express
Thusa
protected (by cladding)and possiblyalso lendingits own idea of watch over.
a war'
ship which is protected (and which watches over other ships?)' i'e'
356
357
Ii
GENERALUSE 1I2O-II2Z
Lt20
A
GENERALUSE1123.1125
enterprise
A,# rrCvO
Plan
A E KIKAKU
A { KUWADATEPlot,schenre
KI, kuwadarera
PLAN, UNDERTAKE
6 strokes
KI
STRANGE,ODD
8 strokes
ll23
6 #1 rrsD
ffi 6 sruNrr
6 M lrJrsr
odd number
novelty
deformity
is foot 129,herealso actingphoneticallyto express
A is a variantof person A 39. E
precarious.ll20originallymeantpersonofprecariousfooting,sreferenceton
in Chinese)' Standon tiptoe led to a wide
person standing on tiptoe istill a meaning
S o n e w h a t o b s c u r e , t h o u g h i t s e l e m e n t s a r e c l e a r lKy b i5g3 q . v . a n d c a n6 f g 1 6 q . v .
sone scholarstake the latter to act phonetically to expressone-regged and
take /q to
nean literally standing person, thus giving person standing on one teg,
which is
rangeofassociated/extendedmeanings,suchasstanderect,lookout,andbealarnred(all sornethingstrange. Note that thereis a CO character
which meansone_legged,com_
1ed
alarm
in
some
ffi
to
up
standing
of
idea
the
still found in Chinese),while in Japanese
binngll23 withthefoot/regradicarft st. ttispossiblethatinthelauercase
6 itself
takeaction,whichinturnledtoundertakeandbyassociationplan.Suggesttaking,a
actsphoneticaliyto expressone-legged(aswell as lendinga meaningof
strange),
or else
stoP'
of
in its commonermeaning
thatreg f was simply addedto f (assumingfor argument,ssate
that this does mean
one-legged)for clarity. However, it seemsunlikely rhat a spoken
UNDERTAKING
word meaningone_
Mnemonic: PERSON STOPS AND PLANS
lcggedexisted,and more likery that 6f rent irs connotationsof
twisted (and possibly also
forkedroad
actedin some unclear phonetic role), giving either a person
ilS PF ffnO
standing in a twisted
jl tl* sUNKI
divergence
fashionor else somethinggreatly twisted. In view of the
associationbetweentwisted
manYdirections
andodd (see 1041),the 'greatlytwisted' dreoryseemsrhe
4 [* TAKL
most likely. (ffi wourd then
meangreatlytwistedleg, leadingto cripple and presumably
later also amputee.)
acting phoneticallyto expressfork and
rj.r is mount ain24. { is branch 691, here
Mnemonic:SOMETHING BIG CAN BE
SOMETHING STRANGE
probablyalsolendingunia"uofbranching/bifurcation.||2|originallyreferredtoa
forked
mean
to
came
peaks'
then
twin
its
for
noted
China
ancient
in
mountain
specific
just fork'
n24
KI, inora
mountain in generaland eventually
":'IilRiJ:r
ffi
IS FORKED
Mnemonic:BRANCHED MOUNTAIN
ll22
e,
r\i
Kl,imulmawashii
MOURN, ABHOR'
ODIOUS
7 strokes
mourning
,#. + KICHU
taboo
ruNrI
4,*
detest
IMIKTRAU
;d.Tffi,
ff A fff.mN
lf & t xno
PRAy, HopE
Sstrokes
ffig#iwomeu
Prayer
o.urrffi
Formerly
i s a r t a r / o f t h e g o d s 6 9 5 . f i - i s a x 1 1 7 6 ,a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y
xtl
fr.
expressdesire/ wish. Thus
desire something of the gods,i.e. pray
or hope.
Mnemonic:AX AT ALTAR
ENFORCES pRAyER
ano
q'v'' hereactingphoneticallyto expressabhor
ruis heart/feeling 147' Z,is self 855
to
end
fron.r
from its literatmeaningof thread
possiblyalsolendingan ideaof thoroughly
lus
Kr
TRACK,RUT,WAY
9 strokes
SrLE rno
track, orbit
fr ryLE MUKIDONOwayward
H. #L lorr
normal way
e n d . T h u s f e e l i n g o f ( t o t a l ? ) a b h o r r e n c e ' O d i o u s i s a n a s s o c i a t e d msonlething
eaning'l\Iourn
somethingabhorredwas usuallv
is also seenas an associatedmeaning,since
taboo' Tabooswere freque"Ut,i:t:::i:1,:i::
shunned,which cameto mean something
I is veticte31. fij is nine 12, actingphonetically
Note that thereis an occasio"^lt,ll-tlla., 'tt'"
to expressparallel. Thus that
rt,
cconventions
o n v e n t i o nobserved
S o b s e r vduring
e d d u rmourning'
ingmourn1ng.NoteLIIaLtrlglg
tYhich
(see
250)
is parallel and associatedwith a vehicle,
for bendingbody/ serpent z
z
mistaken
t
au"
to
appears
which
a
somewhat
form 3 ,
vague referenceto its
tracks/
ruts. Later track/ path in a broadsense.
useda variantform g of this (also250)'
HEART
Mnemonic:ABHOR ONESELF IN ONE'S
3s8
: TRACK RUTTED AFTER NINE VEHICLES
PAss
359
t l l l li
1
t
rl
i
GENERALUSE 1126-1128
tt26
ES
lytb
GENERALUSE 1129-II3I
ff# fr:K ""'lilI
fiJJfi",FTNT'HED
ffi fr KITEI
10strokes
establishq
food/eat QUe. fr' iswithout688q.v.1hu,
Formerlygf,. 216. arevariantsof
taking ft literallv
without food, indicatingthatonehasalreadyfinishedit. Suggest
aslong hairedkneelingman.
MnEMONic:HAIRY KNEELING MAN HAS ALREADY FINISHED EATING
"2i
ffiill{:j,
HUNGER
hungeranclcold
AII * fffaN
9It Zrn K UglINt0eathfromhunger
EI|.
ffi.f1 .€ rucnxosruN
hungermarch
.fr is fooa/ eat 146. fL is table 832, acting phonetically to expressfew/ little and
probablyalsolendingits meaningof table. Thus little food (on the table?), indicating hungerandstarvation.
Mnemonic:FOOD ON THE TABLE' BUT STILL STARVING
It28
netherworld
,E ff fncel
KI, oni
thedead
DEVIL, DEMON, GHOST .FE*E ruSEXr
t
a
g(game)
-OMGOKKO
lOstrokes
frd=
@/
From a pictograph fr^, showinga person crouching Nl tV 39 wearinga mask
was
6 SOI. This was actuallya death-mask,worn in a religiousritual in which contact
spiritsl
made with spirits of the dead. Thus the maskedfigure came to represent
Thelatghosts,which for somereasoncarneto acquirefrequentlymalicious connotations'
g ftglure's.
er addition A is seenby some scholarsas a graphic derivative of the kneelin
death and
lower leg, but by othersas nose/self134 usedphoneticallyto expressdead/
with thinld
thus clarify the natureof the mask. Suggestrememberingby association
'distorted' heart rt" (147)'
thought $ t:f q.v.,taking ,tg as a
Mnemonic:DISTORTED HEART PRODUCES DEVILISH THOUGHT
tu,l
360
KI, iku#,F+
KTKAGAKU geometry
HOW MANY, HOW MUCH #:
IXUTSU
howmany?
12strokes
# l, XUne
howmuch?
gg is a doublingof (short) thread l 1l, the doublingindicatingmany. fi is a variant
bladed halberd 515/ 246 q.v., here used in irs senseof trim/ put into
of broad
also lending its sound to expresscontrol. Thus that which controls
sbape and
puts them into shape, i.e. a loom. This is now conveyed
and
threads
by m, 453,
.tr( 69, while 1129 itself has undergonea convoluted change
wood
whichadds
of meanthreads
on
a
loom
Controlling
came
represent
to
predictable
ing.
movement, which by
came to mean predictable quantity and hencehow many/ how much.
association
Mnemonic:HOW MANY SHORT THREADS CAN A HALBERD TRIM?
*'+R
& * rusru
ff & sHocl
H ffi rurErr
go/shogi
player
Japanese
chess
chess
opponent
h:ru^",.HESS
Fomrerlyalso {
A is wood 69. * is winnowing device 251, here acting pho_
neticallyto expresslittle and possiblyalsolendinglooseconnotations
ofselecting. Thus
little wooden pieces (which are selected?),a reference
to chess pieces and hence
chessitself. Seealso 1240.
MNCMONiC:
PLAY WITH WOODEN CHESS PIECES WHILE WINNOWING
'3r
G
;R
*Tffirj
f;ii'i?h,REN''NCE
$# [K
13strokes
* JE rrn
abandoned
child
-b
f, , showing newborn chird
/ A 227 (literaly inverted cht]d, g /t
*t"-Y]*t
",) andhands \t'Y. The handsare actuailythrowing away the child, though
sincethis
tsnotespecially
clear ]ater forms suchas
*, ,*" prototype of the modern form) addeda
S' which svmbolisedcrearing away/ disposing. To abandon a child came
:t:1^
*"an abandon
in eeneral. Suggestrememberingby associationwith reaf
^qlon
f. +os,
which di stinguishl
Ihenonic:
ABANDONCHILD, TossINc AwAy LIKE A LEAF
361
GENERALUSE I T32-1134
GENERALUSEI135-1138
luster,splendqp
;t ffi rOru
pyroxene
ffi E ruSBff
tight
ffi t KAGAYAKT
KI, kagayakulkashii
1L32
SPARKLE, SHINE
15 strokes
Correctly written {!p , t}rougtrin practicefire :K 8 was some time ago replacedby light
')t, 116.
unknown semantic
$' is army 466, actingphoneticallyto expresslight but of
in
a
broad
sense.
sparkle
shine/
now
role. Thus firelight,
llr'd
.r.rl{
v\-
'ffi t rusru
,ffi E '.mEt
KI
RrDER
rider.krrighr
cavalry
..- ffi n- b IKKIUCHI singlecombat
18strokes
$ i s h o r s e l 9 l . + i s s t r a n g el l 2 3 , a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y t o e x p r e s s s t r a d d l e b uutno-f
known semanticrole. Thus to straddle a horse, i.e. ride, thoughnow usually foundin
Mnemonic:RIDER ON STRANGE HORSE
.
-l
. El J!,
'f is_person39. tP.,t&
(p
is dol purpose 1003 q.v., here acting phoFormerly
rcically to expresschange and almostcertainly also lending connotationsof imitate.
gJJ originally referred to a person changing his appearance in order to imitate
soneone,and thus cameto mean deception and falsehood.
'"'$( gr',#::r;"",""
SAGI
fraud
GMAN
deception
AZAMUKITORU defraud
K is lack 471 q.v., herein its literal senseof gaping mouth/ yawn. f; is winnowing device 251, here actingphoneticallyto expressexhaustion but of unclearsemantic
role. Thus to yawn with exhaustion. cheat/ deceiveis a borowed meaning.
Mnemonic:LACK wINNowING
the senseof rider.
ll34
suitabilitY
:E H reruCI
convenience
F. H sPNcl
(
YOROSHIKU
H L
well,bestregards
GI. voroslrii
co o D . R IGH r
8 snokes
{€ {f f.USpVOUO
forgery
fA * CIZEN
sacrifice
ffib#
ITSUWARIMONO liar
Mnemonic:PERSON LIES TO SUIT OWN PURPOSES
Mnemonic: ARMY PROVIDES SHINING LIGHT
I 133 1f ;f,
lF-ir
GI, nise, itsuwara
FALSE, LIE
llstrokes
1137
,*
/f '|Ft
ltl
DEVICE so RESORT To CHEATTNG
.,i -: crsHrKr
cr
CEREMONY,RULE, CASE ffi 4 Crrer.r
ls srrokes
.iL ffi nrrCr
Pcrson-1 39 andrighteousness
645, to give a righteous person. The meand
mg graduallychangedto refer to the way in which person
a
becomesrighteous, i.e.
rules,norms, and conventions. Ceremony
is an associatedmeaning.
MNCMonic:
RIGHTEOUS PERsoN OBEYS RULES IN CEREMONY
Though long written as roof/ building ;t 28 andfurthermore/ cairn/ pile up '4
ZAs
1091,very old forms suchas @ show (a bird'seye view oD meat 4 lA lA
pre'.
quantity)on the sacrificial slab € of an altar(=
(doubledto indicateconsiderable
s u m a b l y b e i n g g r o o v e s t o l e t b l o o d d r a ilnl 3) 4
. istoallintentsandpurposesavariantor
choppin8
the NGU character tE- , which also meanssacrificial altar (and in modem times
additionat
board)and showsa similar miscopyingresultingin pile up B , with ft ueing
meanmear(technically the grains A of meat seenin tf,l ). GooA/ right is an associated
ing, i.e. offering meat in a sacrihcebeing proper behavior'
SACRIF'ICE
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE,GOODBUILDING IS RIGHT FOR
,t
362
-Ft
Iff|l
F.'^'inTUi;t,roKE
ur:*1,i.n E\ . X is hatberd4%. ffi-isempty/
honow1156q.v.,here
to expressplay and armostcenainly also lendingfigurativeconnota;"::*^ll"T,ically
in earnestr ,,! rutrits rhesamephonericroreandprobabry,-h"
,urn. semanric
;:t.::-T*
A l640replacinghollow crownedtall hill JL 1149). Thus hatberd
u_"ll,n-""tsel
..sq ltl play/
sport (and not in earnest),leadingto play/ frolic in general.
trTNCMONiC:
EMPTY THREATS WITH HALBERD -- JUST A
JOKE
363
GENERALUSE 1142-IIM
GENERALUSE1139-114I
113e
{.Hffi UOCI
*Rff:ffi:'MoDEL
imitatisn
ffi?:::i o""n*",T*
is doubt 835 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressconfusion nn6
* is hand lz.w
confusion with the
also lending similar connotationsof its own. Thus to cause
s
o
m
e
t
h
i
n
g e l s e ,i ' e . i m i t a t e /
h a n d s , m e a n i n gt o m a k e s o m e t h i n g r e s e m b l i n g
model.
BY HAND
Mnemonic: MAKE DOUBTFUL IMITATION
GI
1140
SACRIFICE
17 strokes
sacrihce
4* ffi ctSPI
sacrifice
baseball
hit
ffi ff CIDa
ctsplsPtPo
ffi&ffii)E
sacrificial
system
meaningbreath.Its
Formerlyafso tf1. 4 is co*7 bull 97. fr it u CO characternow
* gZe q'v', haletymologyis somewhatobscure,but its elementsare sheep/excellent
(possiblyheremeaninggrow)'
berd/cut { 493, rice plant t 81, and seekexit 5 281
fine crop. Breathmay
and it may originally havemeantcut excellentlygrown rice, i.e. a
idea
of life-giving' Hereit
meaningfrom the
be a borrowedmeaning,or elsean associated
The later
actsphoneticallyto expressgood,andprobablyalsolendssimilar connotations'
good
645,which likewiseactsphoneticallyto express
form usesrighteousness *i
of
outstanding
bull
and alsolends similar connotations.Thus good bull, a referenceto a
(see
760)'
also
quality which was chosenas a sacrifice
Mnemonic:RIGHTEOUS BULL IS JUST RIGHT FOR SACRIFICE
1141
H
KIKU
CHRYSANTHEMUM
I 1 strokes
ll42
aster
ff ffi Nocrru
ffi 4t' t<lxt<t chrYsanthemutrx
H *l rKusaN smalloctavo
rice
rice grains/ head of
Plant r+ 9, encircle Pl 655 (heremeaningcircte), and
plant). Thus plant with a circular head, a reference
x 2ol (heremeaninghead of
to the chrysanlhemum.
RICE
CHRYSANTHEMUM PLANT ENCIRCLED BY
MnEMONiC:
+
Ia
KICHI, KITSU
GOOD LUCK, JOY
6 strokes
luckvdav
goodnews
ill omen
container
Qf confusedetymology. once written € , showinga doubre-lidded *
gl. Sucha containerpotentiallysymbolisedplenty and hencegood fortune and con258 q.v. it confusingly suggeststhe opposite,but
tentment.In the caseof go/ leave *
ll42
of
the
auspiciols
case
connotations
appearto havebeenreinforcedby confuthe
in
ancient
an
character
in
with
which
o
is mouth 20 and \ is a variant of the
$ ,
sion
of
dam
126q.v.,
{
here
meaningbrock and thus giving blocked
*
eulyform
mouth.This is potentially confusing in itself but is known to have beena referenceto full
moutlt, and hencealso symbolisedcontentrnentand good fortune. Another ancientcharac,rt € seemsto have confusedblock \ with u tid o. stopper 4, and it is not clear
whetherit meansfull mouth or lidded container. However, it clearly showsthe overlapbetweenfull mouth, lidded container, and good fortune/ contentment. Joy is an
cxtensionof contentment. Suggesttaking p as open mouth and t as samurai 494.
Seealso1159.
Mnemonic:SAMURAT OPEN MourHED
""
4
il3":*
WITH Joy AFTER GooD LUCK
4,14 rurSUnN
smoking
E KISSATEN
cafe
Wtkffi KISSUISEN warerline
RECEIVE
W#
tr ismouth 20. 4 is pledge l r95 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express
chew and
probablyalso lending reinforcing
connotationsof bringing jagged edges together.
Thusto chew in the mouth, raterjust
take in/ ingest through the mouth and also
by extensiontake in/ receivein a
broadersense.
MNCMonic:
MOUTH PLEDGED To INGEST
'"0 >*
trft
KITSU, tsumulmarulmeru
;* F"1TTSUUON
grilling
PACK, PACKED, FULL iE i. 9 TSUMARI
in short
13strokes
;* M)r1{r TSUUEKOVU
cram
I is.words 274.
{ is goodluck/joy ll42 q.v.,herein its meaningof full mouth/
and also actingphoneticallyto expressextremery. Thus mouth
a
extremery
;";'T:t
,-" ur words, which was originally a referenceto grilling/ ,bombarding'with questions
outlater
cameto meanjust full to bursting in general.
Letnonic:
WORDS PACKED WITH JOy
364
E E rrcruNICHI
E *R xrpp6
4 * purrrsu
36s
GENERALUSE 1149-1152
GENERALUSE1145-1148
114s ["^ifH;ltlj"*'*o*"
H*[;ffin";#
tf
person on their
f. is go/ leave 258. p is bending person 425, here meaning
presence
of a superior.
leave
the
to
meaning
knees. Thus to leave On one'S knees,
from the
meaning
associated
an
others
borrowing,
Some scholarstake contrary to be a
likely.
more
latter
seems
The
from.
going
away
idea of withdrawing and thus
,-tog
KYU, oka
HILL
D
k
I
J=
t
GYAKU, shiitageru
CRUELT', O**RESS
rE i? cyexusATsu massacre
p.ffi cvexUTAI maltreatment
rt-
v strokes
ffi, E
I.5
Fe,
ZINCYAKU
crueltY
,'t- 39'
Oncewriuen ft, showingatiger F t E 281 ctawing E le aperson
has
This came to representcruelty, with oppress being an associatedmeaning. Person
disappearedin the modem form.
to seizetherx'
Originally l'11 showinga person | :S and a hand I reaching out
to emphasise
felt
being
person,
the
bending
Later forms suchas n\ show a stylisedbent
tolrlean
came
person
escaping
for
an
attemptto escape.Reachout
the idea of the person'S
&SSoctut'"
an
also
is
And
meaning.
reach in general,with extend being an associated
one' Note
meaning,from the idea of a rangeof items extendingto inciude an additional
Suggestremeflthat very occasionally1148still appearsto retain con,iotationsof bending.
129'
beringpartly by associationwith movement |
Z f5 norvU
decrepitude
;F fi FUfvU imperishabitity
ti b# KUCHIBA deadleaves
ffiHiiffi:trH#
$+ fx[r.,,EXAMrNE
,ft is thread 27. { is intertwined threads 703. Thus many intertwined threads,
indicatinga tangle or complication. Examine is felt by somescholars
to be a borrowing,and by othersto be an associatedmeaning. Suggesttaking
.t| as a pitchfork.
Mnemonic:EXAMINE ENTWINED THREADS WITH
PITCHFORK
KYtl kiwamarulmeru
EXTREME, SUFFER
15 strokes
E5 fry KYUKYOKU
ultimate
XYTXYO
predicament
E1 )ti KYLIKUTSU consrrainr
55 rR
meaningbodl. Ag comprises
fr . hUlQl is anNGUcharacter
body (of a
3T*tt
3n andbackbone8 ZSS,andoriginallyreferredro a pregnanr
n
;'::11T YoT-l
boay puitingagainstthebackbone
. 4 is bow g36,hereusedto conveythe
IiTl.t
pulling/distorting.
Inthecaseof
lr52 h&t44 actsphoneticailytoex;::lo:tof
Essextremeandalso
rT
lendssimilarconnotations
(i.e.fromextremely
pregnant),
aswell
connotarions
g4g
of
discomfort.
It
,i<
combines
with
hote
q.v.,
here
in its
ii"j"ll"*
-wrtu
SelSsof primitive dwelling,to referto uncomfortablequarters
in
the
extreme
*qtcrlrloSt
pan of sucha dwelling. It latercameto meanbe in an extremesituation,
-'"ru<[o8
theideaof suffering/constraint,andcanalsomeanextremein general.
lr
MOVING OFF
Mnemonic:HAND REACHES OUT FOR BENT PERSON
r;'"lt'f;i
Mnemonic:TWISTING WEED ON ROTTING TREE
Mnemonic:TIGER'S CLAWS SYMBOLISE CRUELTY
marx
D-ffi 'R KYUDAmENPass
KYU oyobu/bosulbi
uP
catch
rsurrv0
&
€.
REACH, EXTEND, AND
e-U W oYoBIGosHIbentback
3 strokes
nearahill
fr. is tree/ wood 69. 5 is seekan exit / twisting waterweed 2gl q.v., acting phoneticallyto expressrot and possibly also lending an idea of twisting. Thus rotting
(twisted?) wood, now rot in general.
Mnemonic:LEG CAN BE CONTRARY TO BODY
E
ff=
OKABE
Mncmonic:REDUCE HILL TO GROUND LEVEL WITH AX!
"46 f;s,"'"d"1"A'ashi
*T
ffi*
iiffi'""'"Jiifil
m
tt47
EjZ
sanddune
pimple
ongrriallvaa , depictingtwo hilts. Later greatly stylisedto 1a and eventuallymiscopied
astwo persons^backto back 1[ /lL (4 being person39), from which the present
shapederives. Suggesttaking (f as ax 1176and - as ground level.
Mnemonic: LEAVE ON BENDED KNEES, JUST TO BE CONTRARY
one's knees'f;
#.F is on the contrary 1145 q.v., here in its literal senseof leave on
is fleshL/of the body 365, serving ro draw attentionto the part of the body involved. Thus
the knee and by associationleg, especiallythe lower leg and thus sometimesfoot'
5strokes
fr, fr. SAKYU
tr' U /. KY0sHIN
.'llICMONiC:
BODY BOWED IN HOLE.- EXTREME SUFFERING
GENERALUSE1153-1155
1153
E A rvorrx
F-t xvooerna
KYO
HUGE, GIANT
5 strokes
tr q
KYOHI
glant
massive
K YO, KO, uro
ffi.ffi KYOGI
falsehood
EMPTY,HOLLOW,DIP ffi,ry KOKU
empty space
ll strokes
KYOMUSHUGI nihilism
ffift-I#
great cost
Once written E. . SomeauthoritauveJapanesescholarstake this to be a hole in the baseof
an ax head into which the handle was inserted,and take huge to be a borrowed meaning.
by itg
Otherstake it to be a tool similar to a carpenter's square L lL3, characterised
and
in
Chinese,
since
square
carpenter's
of
meaning
minor
it
large size. Since 1153hasa
often lendsrelevantconnotationsin compounds(e.g.measuringsquarere. 342), the latter
theory seemsthe more likely. The presentform appearsto have usedonly halfofthe character (as969 etc.),but *re reasonfor this is not clear. Suggestrememberingby association
with staring eye E
o'ffi
GENERALUSE1156-1158
p.
areearlyformsofhill e ll49q.v. f tp
,L/)l
Formerly & *dearlier
here
phonetically
acting
281,
to
big and possibly also lending connoraexpress
isdger
1156
awesome.
originally
meantlarge and imposing hill. The shapeof -lf
tionsof
a hill with a hollow crown, such as an extinct volcano, and this came to mean
suggested
emptyl hollow in a broad sense. Note that 1156 can mean specifrcallya hollod dip
in the ground. Note also that this is read uro, and distinguish both this reading and the
characteritself from the similar NGU characteruso "^f , which combines empty with
moutly'say O 20 and meansa lie. Suggestremembering :[4 by associationwith row/
tineup fr 1775.
512, from which distinguish-
GIANT CHARACTERISED BY HUGE STARING EYE
MnemONiC:
"'-dE;*1$Iru""
lE f€ rYozersu
fE A rYoru
fE l| rYosrn
Mnemonic:EMPTY TIGERS LINED UP IN HOLLOW
refusal
denial
refusal
lr57 flf
r!f2
E f_
KYO
BE#S rYOzu
distance
DISTANCE, COCKSPUR EE€ ryOrOrSU anklebone
l2strokes
rangefinder
iElEEffi SOKKYOGT
v|FD
pre'
f, is hand 32. f, is huge 1153q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressblock/
vent and possiblyalso lending looseconnotationsof impediment from its assumeddetool (seealso 1078). 1154originallymeant
piction of a hugeandpresumablycumbersome
to hold in check with the hand, but then came to mean refrain/ restrain and hence
refuse and resist.
Mnemonic:REFUSAL ENFORCED BY HUGE HAND
basts
base,
fR f4 roNrvo
-#
Proof
i@ sgoro
grounds
M 9 Fft YoRIDoKoRo
u
q'v'' hereactFormerly I&, ^d 18, * is hand 32. &' / 49 is place/ dealwith 896
also
ing phoneticallyto expresstake hold of/ use as a support and almost certainly
8481
plg
lending its iiteral meaning of resting/ leaning ,ron.' 6. is tiger attacking
hold of' Thus
which actsin a similar phoneticrole and also lendsconnotationsof taking
i'e' a ptop'
that which one takes hold of with the hand by way of support,
with base/basis being an extendedmeaning.
Mnemonic:HANDS IN PLACE, GMNG
368
FIRM BASE
B is leg/ foot 51. E is huge 1153,hereactingphoneticallyto expressspear/ lanceand
alsolendinga meaningof big. Thus big spear on the foot, a referenceto a cockspur.
It still retainsthis as a lessermeaningin Chinese,and it is also found very occasionallyin
relatedmeaningsin Japanese(e.g. seeankleboneabove). Cockspurcame to meanby associationrepel, which in turn qameto meankeep at a distance and hencedistance in a
broadersense.
Mnemonic:HUGE FOOT COVERS GREAT DISTANCE
ll58
ffi
GYO, GO, o[n]-, miHANDLE, DRIVE,
HONORABLE, YOUR
12orllstrokes
ffl # cyosHe
@ H COYO
ffl tr oNcnu
driver
yourbusiness
Messrs
A combination
of movement (arong a road) rlt. rrglrzgq.v. and {F . rne lauer is a
now defunct
charactermeaning pound/ soften, comprising bending person
7l 425
and,pestle
110. Pound,/softencameby figurativeextensionto mean make tracta+
ute/ Inanageable,
and thus handre/ control. In combinationwith movementaronga
it
t"
came
to
meandrive a team of horses/vehicte,either being confusedwith
ltl
Ittb"tu,"t,
mergedwith {f,u theprorotype
of a character
.fi1 . fnls ,ho*, io...
369
fi
G E N E R A L U S E1 1 5 8 - 1 1 6 0
GENERALUSE1161-1163
/.Ee 191andstriking hand { (technically (. 10i, but now simplyhand3 ). In ChiNGU characit existsas a separate
with 1158,but in Japanese
nese$( is interchangeable
a cart/ curdrive
itself
still
mean
1158
can
specifically
horses.
meaning
drive
rer
(,i
retains
connotations
also
cart,
and
of tradesman's
riage, especiallywith connotations
a
meaning
ol
handling and controlling in a more generalsense.It later cameto acquire
imperial as a resultof its beingusedinsteadof the morecomplex "H , un NGU charactcr
'1., which is not show
meaningpreveny'bar. This comprisesdrive a cart lbl and
;'
695 but a simplificationof prohibit € 654. and its original meaningwas equivalentro
the modernexpression"tradesmen'svehiclesprohibited". This was originallya rcferenceto the grounds of the imperial palace,but the characterlater becameusedas a
referenceto imperial in a broadsense.In Chineseit still hasa strongmeaningof impcrihas come by extensionto be usedas a generalhonorific prefix. See
al, but in Japanese
'"'.fi, fJs;fi;i''oo
f
ryorrN
'E = rcyoceu
fr. -C fc KURUTTA
Mnemonic:THE KING IS A MAD DOG
1762
llse
X R rvoaKU na
H
lill""^'
DISASTER
X 'fG ryoseru
# X
xIxrYo
atr.x'ious
badhar'esr
one'sforlirne
!-l is a container (somescholarsseeit as a variantof mouth A 20), while l. is a
symboldrawing attention,in this caseto the insideof the container/mouth. This u'ls a
potentially confusingreferenceto the fact that the container/mouth was empty (sonle
scholarsfeel that X alsoactedphoneticailyto expressempty,therebyclarifyingthe nrcrtnmouth g 1142,whlch indicatedgoodforttrne.the
ing). By conrrastwith full container/
empty container/ mouth of 1159indicatedill fortune.
Mnemonic: X INDICATES BOX IS EMPTY -- WHAT BAD LUCK
1160"+
ffi-;',;"
scrsiir)r
f€ [4 zEffvO
ul () F SAKEBIGoE Shottl'tc'll
[+(}fi]
sarEntoasu cryoul
is mouth/ say 20. 4 is entwinedthreads703, hereactingphoneticallyto expfcss
of complication/difficultY. Thus to
sudden and possiblyalso lendingconnorarions
taKmake a sudden sound with the mouth, i.e. cry out (in difficulty?)' Suggest
p
ing {
.i)-
r
-iF
KYO
RECEIVE, HAVE
8 strokes
E *. # ryorusga
€ 6 rvovD
E * ryoneru
recipient
possession
enjoyment
-#*""0n..
$ tater $ and hencethe modern form), showing a casre watch1:T
lower
6 extendingin two directionsto indicateon both
sides/ on ail sides. This
wasa representationof a weil guarded
casfle, which was the original meaning.
The
[ffi:lTtng
is a borrowing.
Suggest
taking-- asa tid, E asmouth 20,and
I
Mnemonic:CHILD RECEMS
LID OVER MOUTH
1163
;fl l,1g3il'""'uo"o^.
Formerlyalso
writren )fu , i.e.with ice
7 3Tginsteadof water 7 40. ft,is elder
Drother 267,
hereacting phoneticallyto express
very cord and possibly arso lending
connotations
of big. r163 originaiiy.ef...eito (a
big expanseof?) icy cord water. Its
meaningsare borrowed,though
in the caseof more so it technica'y appears
I:*:t
navebeen
to
usedas a simolificationof two talking
personsgL 475q.v.,which courd
us€dto represent
be
the ideaof plurality and additionld hence
moreover/more so.
MNCMONiC:
WET SITUATION -. FOR ELDER
BROTHER EVEN MORE SO
asapitchfork.
Mnemonic:PITCHFORK IN MOUTH EVOKES YELL
I
cfazy
once written 4*
t t h it dog 17. $. i, u variant of the prototype
i. of
lL sat q'v', which literally showsa crown g on a king
"*pe.o.
f_ 5, and in the modern
formonly king = has beenretained. t t Z actsherephonetically
to expresscon_
vursion,but any semanticrole is unclear. 1161originally referred
to a convursing dog,
i.e.a mad dog, and later came to mean mad in general.
also 1042.
Mnemonic:BENDING PERSON HANDLES HONORABLE PESTLE WITII
UNUSUAL MOVEMENT
lunatic
farce
310
371
GENERALUSE1164-1167
GENERALUSE1168-1170
"'- [I9'*'coRGE
ffi"f"-''"t'*11$
ffiffi
r!,f
Formerly,tr(. . ,l is mountain Zq. k is an NGU charactermeaninginsert, derivins
from a (big) person K 53 squeezed between two other persons A 39. Thus thaj
which is squeezedbetween mountains, i.e. a ravinei gorge. Suggesttaking q
as man /q 573 and out of . / 66.
KYQ uyauyaslii
RESPECTFUL
l0 strokes
*ilF rcvoruN
*& rvdxrl
*F# rvorrrrr
obedience
respect
deference
,g* is a variantof heart/ feelings r\; 147. * is together 460 q.v., here in its literal
senseof hands offering up a precious object. The feetings of the giver symbol_
iseresPectfulness.
Mnemonic: MAN TRIES TO GET OUT OF MOUNTAIN GORGE
pincerattack
fr # rvocgxl
TFW 4 ITABASAMI di]emma
fr 4 4. HASAMIMUSHTearwie
KYQ trasamarulmu
INSERT, PINCH,
SeUEEZE BETwEEN
9 strokes
Formerly I*
. { is hand 32. R. is insert/ squeeze between 1164 q.v. Thus to
hand,
now squeezein/ squeezebetween in general. Note that the addiby
squeeze
tion of metal 6 14 to *, gives the NGU characterhasamVscissorsf( . Suggesttaking k asman {< 573andaway .z 66.
Mnemonic: MAN SQUEEZED BY HAND CAN'T GET AWAY
""
'f*.
$Iflhxil':'sMALL
nalTow sense
KYOGI
fOfYO
extent, area
SEMAKURUSHN
cramPed
Formerly f( and earlier 6*, showingthat dog h 17 is a miscopyingof hill 6 lF
229. *, is insert/ squeezel164 q.v. Thus the original meaningof 1166 was that
'that squeezedbetweenmountains'referredto a
squeezed between hills. Although
gorge (see 1164),this was a referenceto a narrow strip of (arable) land. It now
meansnarrow in a generalsense.Suggesttaking { as man K slZ and away ' ' 66'
Mnemonic: MAN TRIES TO GET AWAY FROM DOG IN NARROW LANE
rt67
1F[L Hft:Tlii#troshiin HH fifl$"u o"r,"oniiil
r\\F
rS
*fL
l0strokes
^
b
osoREIRUbeawed'sorr/
rrsis heart/ feelings 147. tFL is hand striking instrument 751, here actingphonettDJ''
c a l l y t o e x p r e s s f e a r a n d p o s s i b l y a l s o l e n d i n g a m e a n i nsgt roifk e . T h u s ( s t r u c k
work'
meaning. Suggesttaking tfL as work/
feelings of fear. Awe is an associated
er 9
ll3 and mediocre fu
1827.
RESPECTFULFEELINGS Go TOGETHER WITH
Mnemonic:
GrvrNG
tl69
KYQ odol,talsu, obiyakasu €ts fvOffefU
threat
THREATEN, COERCE
& ffi. tcvOt
threat,
menace
l0 strokes
&fi, L{
ODOKASHTTE
by threats
s, is strong arm/ strength fi 74 trebledfor emphasis,indicatinggreat force/ pressure' pl is flesh/ of the body. Thus (put) great pressure
upon the body, now
usedfigurativelyas threaten/ coerce.
Mnemonic:THREE STRONG ARMS THREATEN
ONE,S BODY
tl70
KYQtameru
ffi_EB! TvosEITEKI corrective
STRAIGHTEN, FALSIFY
6ffi ffXVO
eccentriciqr
17strokes
ffik1E.f reueNaosu
correct
K is arrow g8l.
6 is tail structurebent at the tip 259, here meaningsimply bent at the
tip'- ttzo originally
referredto a bent arrow, which symbolisedsomething
not
straight and thus
by figurativeextensionfarseand by associationfarsify.
confusingly,
It alsocame
to meanan arrow in need of straightening
and thus eventuallyby associa_
tion to straighten/
correct. Rather like disturbance *U ggg,which in
Chinesecan mean
and (bring) order (to chaos),both meaningsare
prominent
still
in ChinesedeIl
Tt"io*
-vrrcul€ tact
that they areopposites.In Japanese
straighten/ correct is by far the major
heaning'
Suggestremembering
by associationwith (arched) bridge
f
zss.
ffi
U[NCMonic:
STRAIGHTEN ARRow
BENT LIKE ARCHED BRIDGE
Mnemonic: STRIKE FEAR INTO HEART OF MEDIOCRE WORKER
372
373
GENERALUSE 1I7I-T173
t17l
E
GENERALUSE 1174-1176
KYo, hibitu
RESOUND,ECHO,
EFFECT
20 strokes
g A E 6 Hrsxrw{TARUresouno
influt.nce
E Y: H AKLIErKYobad
/F-& ffi rorYdrYoru
ll74
GYQ akatsuki
DAWN, LIGHT. EVENT
12strokes
symphony
sos.
percussionbeing a figurativeextensionof this.
withburn
Mnemonic:SOUND OF VILLAGE FEAST ECIIOES AFAR
Mnemonic:BURNING SUN RISES AT DAWN
"7s
*rt;riHii#ossED,
'tr i,f, cvosm
miracle, wr-rnder
€ E rvot
KYO odorokulkasu
(
rcYdceru
shock
€ /j
SURPRISE
-\
startling
E ooonorLIBEKI
H <
22 strokes
l6 strokes
& is horse lgl. 6Lis respect/ respectful 846 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressstartte and possibly also lending connotationsof timidity/ nervousnessor of
forcing obedience. Thus a startled horse (which is nervous?/ which one attempts
Mnemonic:SURPRISINGLY RESPECTFUL HORSE
'ti#
"73 iilli?'":ii;;:
,^*l+:{il:t
ftf
MNemonic:DOUBT
IF ICE IS STIFF ENOUGH
ll76
bending person
Cp is aCO charactermeaningraise. It was oncewritten f 2, showing
p."on f
2 145 (now bendingperson P 425)looking up respectfully at another
andlook Qt
39. A further person ,f 39 was addedlater, though its role tends to confuse
Stateis
lg or eye ? 72 wouldhaveseemeda more logicalchoice(giving lJ! or BCF)'
lord'
meaning,from the ideaof beinggrantedan audiencewith one's
an associated
KIN
AX, WEIGHT
4 strokes
ft E xnrnvo
fr tr KrNME
"$.fi' rurrN
weight
weight
alx
pictograph
of an ax with a shapedhandre
]:t "
usuallycon? . e* is nowadays
ot anNGU characrer
which
adds
,
strifting
]il*
hand { rg7. 1r76wasborrowed
fr
b express
thekin weight(600grams).Suggest
takingit asresembling
a hacksaw [ .
AT OTIIERS
Mnemonic:BENDING PERS'N LOOKS UP RESPECTFULLY
iil
srare
&I 9 'W KozuSHo fastidiousness
tffi..t /< KOTTA
elaborate
/ is ice 378' W is doubt 835 q.v., here acting phonetically
ro expressstiff/ immobile and alsolendingconnotationsof not moving (from
its riterarmeaningof not know_
ing how to proceed).Thus firmly frozen
ice. Ice has now fadedas a semanticelement,
leavingjust stiff and immobile. Like
the Englishterm stick/ stickler,it also hasconnota_
tionsof fastidiousness(i.e. not budging),
and by funher figurativeextensioneraborate
(i'e' from attendonto
detail). Engrossedis an associatedmeaning,from
the idea of not
movingfrom something.
to control?), leading to startle/ surprise in general.
Lemonic:
HACKSAW-LIKE
I
374
dawn
conversancv
venus,rariry
ro,-erly #- ' B is sun/ day 62. ft r, r,igt 509, here actingphoneticallyro express
cre," and almost certainly also lending a meaningof rise. Thus when the sun rises
and the day becomesclear, i.e. dawn. Also usedfiguratively in the senseof enrigh_
meaning.Suggestremembering
tenment.Event is a minor associated
f by association
'Y*-
Formerly U$ . + is sound 6. be7I tgF is village 841 q.v., here in its senseof vit.
lage feast. Thus the sound of a village feast, i.e. the noise and hubbub of a crowd
of people. This was a far-reaching noise, giving resound and echo, with effect/ re.
tt72
ffi X cyorslr
E ffi rsusvo
ffi E cyoser
L{*IL.
AX
GENERALUSE1180-1182
GENERALUSE 1177-1179
KIN
FUNGUS, BACTERIA
11snokes
1I77
frfi6 SAIKIN
LN
7F
*R
PEI -€
bactena
KINRUI
fungi
HOKINSHA germ cffis1
+f is plant 9. @ is a CO charactermeaninggranary,comprisingrice plant { 81 q.v.
and enclosure Q 123. It actsherephoneticallyto expressshadeand alsolendsconno.
tationsof a plant with prominent head (the literal meaningof K ) growing in a delin.
eated (i.e. given/ certain) area. Thus a plant with prominent head growing ix
a certain shaded area, a referenceto the mushroom and other fungi' Bacterium/
meaning.
bacillusis an associated
Mnemonic: RICE PLANT IN ENCLOSURE DEVELOPS FUNGUS
117E
9*
?
accordion
heanstrings
KINSEN
plectrum
KOTOZUME
+ lqt S TEFUKIN
KIN, koto
KOTO (HARP)
12strokes
4ffi
4
-i
)l-,
Somewhatobscure. Once written ft , ,ut"n by some scholarsto be a pictographof aninand a shaped base Q , thoughthe positioning
strumentwith strings with bridges !l
shows
is
also a theory that the presentform f
There
baffling.
Iittle
is
a
elements
of these
the strings Ia and KIN/ now q 1tr.5,the latter actingphoneticallyto expressclosed
over and possibly also lending similar connotationsfrom its original meaningof covered,
thus giving (instrument with) strings and closed over (\ilooden box), the latter
sho*s a different arrangementof
being a referenceto the base. Another old form- f
rolebut
strlnis A and an early form @ of KIN/ gold 6 14, usedin a similar phonetic
'srings plus
the
of unclear semanticrole. The existenceof this secondform suggeststhat
phonetic'theoryis correct,but in suchcasethe meaningof f? is unclear.
Mnemonic:KOTO HARP NOW HAS STRINGS
KIN
TIGHT, COMPACT
15snokes
tt79
tension
% dF rrNcgo
crisis
gr.Ucyfi
%,3.
conrPactness
% ffi Kr'utuTSU
,t\
meaningbothhard andwise'tho:itl";;
character
ft is thread 27.E<is an NGU
-r - >
staringeye
r r comprises
fi -512*.0.1*i"l;tlir'
It
rLqr.
is
r J rnot
r u r lclear.
llltdllrll6J
these
U l c s t i meanings
a
cquffeo
atquirea
,^^ -ighl
wtsc""p
may possiblyhaveoriginally meanta handpressedhardagainstan eye,whlle
it acrshere
event,
any
In
result from its being usedas a simplification of wise %. 1Zn.
meaning
a
phonetically ro expressentwine und ul-ort cenainly airo tenas
"t..1111':;I.
Io tigntl ."'..
pact. ll79 thus referredto threads tang|ed in a tight knot, leading
tothe Eiglish term
pact in a broad sense. It is also usedfigurativelyin Jimilar fashion
knotted up, i.e. to refer to a highly strung stateof nervesor similar'
'*o>S Xil;..*l'J#'
0=
i€ ffi TTNCSN
seriousness
# .B fINfel
DearSirs
# L T TSUTSUSHINDE
:..:
respectfully
274. f is the obscureelementvioleV fed season g42 q.v., here
acting
$ iswords
phoneticallyto expressfew and almost certainly lending similar connotationsof its own.
Thusfew words, a referenceto circumspect behavior. suggestremembering
f by
with
work
s+2.
association
tY
BE CIRCUMSPECTAT WORK, USING FEW WORDS
Mnemonic:
llsl
;*t
,*,#
| ,l\
KIN, eri
,B&l
H rvorns
COLLAR,NECK,HEART 4 tr rnrno
bosom
magnanimity
18strokes
napeof neck
H ts Enxuet
f is clothing 420. ff is forbio/ ban 654, here actingphoneticallyto expresscrosed
andalmostcertainlyalso lending similar connotationsof not open. Thus
that part of
the clothing which is closed, a somewhatvague referenceto the
collar. Later neck
areain a more generalsense,including a figurative meaningof
bosom/ heart.
Mnemonic:COLLARS ARE BANNED ITEMS OF
CLOTHING
rr82[+itk:
19F'l<cNer
P9ffi clNrrar
[?tr#A cnyusruuN
scrutiny
minstrel
O,*to.t,n,
say20. f
isnow 125 q.v., here actingphoneticallyro expresshowl
andpossibly
also lendinglooseconnotationsof suppresV stifle from its literal meaning
1182originailyreferredto a horvr of pain (which
one has tried to sup]l*uo'
and later cameto mean drawn out vocar emission
in a broadersensebut with
lress?),
associations
with recitation. Note that the sameerementsof mouth El and
::nicular
oo*
arefoundininclude
I
$ tttsqu.
!h.rnoni.,
Mour'
Now usED FoR RECITING
TIGHT
EYE STARES AT HAND BINDING THREAD
MnCMONiC:
376
recital
377
l'|i
iffi
GENERALUSE 1183-1185
$$
GENERALUSE1186-1188
KU, kakeru,karu
GALLOP, SPUR ON
14snokes
i1
,/1- ffiJ :Z
7E iyAE
,W, 'lHf
ffitrl W b
SENKUSHA
KARIDASU
KAKEOCHI
pionegl
flushour
elopernsnl
q.v. hereactingphoFormerly $f,
.6 is horse l9l. 6 /6 is ward/ section46511034
its
lending
sound(onceEOi $;
also
certainly
and
almost
beat
strike/
neticallyto express
(now
OV O in Chinese,
horse
his
on
rider
urging
of
a
exhortation
of
the
cries
to refer to
the oppositeefto
have
whoa
is
intended
English
similar
sounding
the
though confusingly
gallop.
the
it
on
at
i.e.
(and
spurring
o),
crying
horse
a
Thus
beating
fect).
Mnemonic:SPURRED ON HORSE GALLOPS THROUGH THE WARI)
lld4
Ef|
1lil
,ffi.A CUIrN
,ffi.E 6 GUZURU
,ffi.fi curd
GU. uruka
FooLISH
13strokes
fool
grumble
foolishact
As r90 1185q'v'' but with person 4 3g repracedby movement (along a road)
i_
129. Thns to meet (by chance) while moving along a road. whereas llg5
devel_
opd associationswith chance-andcompanionship,ug6 developedassociationsrather
with
thcact of meeting. Eventually the by chanceconnotationtargetyaisappeareo,
and
ironi_
cally I186 evencarneinsteadto havenot infrequentcomotationsof a plannea
meedng/re_
ccpuon,leadingto receive/treat. As with 11g5and 1rg4, suggestff;
$ as a com_
binationof insect g. 56 and fietd r9 59, with n as long legs.
MEET L'NG'LEGGED IN'ECT MovING
Mnemonic:
AL.NG IN FrELD
fl87
Nl}
rr:. is hearVfeelings 147. 6t is a CO characternow meaning begin, though in compoundsit often seemsto lend a meaningof not ctear or not open. Its etymologyis some'clawless'version
of
what obscure,but an old form .€- showswhat appearsto be a
:SZ (the prototypeof ten thousand g 392),andit
scorpion with twisting tail S
is possiblethat the idea of twisting cameto symbolisesomethingconvoluted andhence
o b s c u r e / n o t c l e a r I. n t h e c a s e o fl l 8 4 i t a c t s p h o n e t i c a l l y t o e x p r e s s u n c l e a r a n d a l most certainlylendssimilar connotationsof its own. Thus unclear feelings. This came
to mean incomprehensible feelings, and henceby associationirrational and then
foolish feelings. Now foolish in general.Suggesttaking .ft as a combinationof in'
sect V 56 and field gB 59, with rl as long legs.
LONG-LEGGED INSECT IN FIELD GIVES FOOLISH FEELING
MNCMONiC:
1185
bYchance
{ffi*t ctzEN
cU
'[E
image
idol'
(*'
GvzDBY CHANCE, sPousE,
SPOUSE
HAIG.SFIA
DOLL
ETIffi#
I I strokes
y' is person 39. % is the somewhatobscurebegin 1184q.v., hereactingphoneically
predlctau'to expressmeet (by chance) and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof not
lsi to.bJ^
fii5
hand
one
(i.e. not planned). Thus persons meeting by chance. On the
led.tl
turn
in
Companion
chance in a generalsense,and on the other to companion.
tlt:t;
spouse.Doll/ effigy is believedto srem from the anci"nt practic; of burying, '" taKc"
ts
it
is,
That
with deadpersonsof rank as companionsfor them in the after-life.
insectI
meaningwith companion.Suggesttaking $ as a combinationof
an associated
56 and field @ 59, with r? as long legs.
NSy
Mnemonic:BY CHANCE, PERSONFINDS LONG-LEGGEDFIELD
378
r&
--. FE tcgrc0
corner,
nook
ffi E suurtsru comersrone
H [E rereSUMI corner.
nook
G U, sumi
coRNER, NOOK
12strokes
I is terraced hill 229. & is the somewhatobscurebegin l rg4 q.v,
here actingpho_
neticallyto expressford/ recess and almost
cenainly also lending connotations
both of
twisting/ undutating and not crear/ not
visiule. ilg7 originally referred to
a hid.
den recess/hotow in a terraced/
undurating hitside, then came to
mean
nook
andby associationcorner.. As with.
I.lg4/5/6,suggesttaking
as a combinationof in(K and
secr g
dz 56
^-; r:^r:
ft
sect
fietd
E
59,with 6
ast#g tegs.
MNCMONiC:
LONG.LEGGED INSECT IN
CORNER OF HILLSIDE FIELD
llSS
KUTSU
SUBMIT, CROUCH
8 strokes
lr.,--,.
!
,E ,BRruppuru
surrender
T,E FUKUTSU unyielding
,E tf russersu
refraction
explainedsimorv as buttocks
F 236andput out d, 34, to give thrust out
tt'eteuycrouch, with crouchreading
by associationto adonr s nnciffi:Tt-T:,:no
i'"lty
mmH'm**
"**,*#iltJXT:::,1ffi"..^T,::::::'l,1,l,li;,l;r,,
r€rhonic:
puT ouT BUTTOCKS
IN suBMISSTvE
cRoucH
379
t ll
I
ii
I
cENERALUSE1189-11e1
"-t6ii{',"""
fttE HAKKUTSU
+tr9 frt HORIDASU
ffitE
excovtlion
uncurrh
SAIKUTSU
nrininu
ll92
o
f, is hand 32. B, is crouch 1188q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressdig andalso
lendingits connotationsof remove (and possiblyalso of crouch). Thus to (crouch
down to?) dig by hand and remove soil, i.e. dig a hole.
Mnemonic:CROUCH AND DIG BY HAND
s
r-
r\\
GENERALUSE 1192-IIg4
KUN, kaori
AROMA, FRAGRANCE,
AURA
€ 6 ruNrd
€ H rurlrru
H Ei" ruNp0
16 strokes
incense
education
balmybreeze
,f is plants 9. 9- t Q^ is (pteasant-smeuing)
Folrtrerly9- .
smoke llgl q.v.,
phonetically
to
express
fragrant
and
also
lending
hercaclirng
similar connotations.Thus
thefragrant smell of plants (possiblyoriginally the fragrant smeil of burning
plants),later fragrance/ aroma in a broadersense. Aura is a minor associatedmean_
as heavy 311, with .... as fire/burn g.
ing. Suggesttakjng f
"'rf* i,*,k.t"..ffiry,#f
i:lix:y""'iti*i
Of disputedetymology. Formerlyalsowritten f.$ , thoughaccordingto somescholarsthis
is a separatecharacter.ft, is thread 27. fr.1 *-it nest 1521,heresymbolisinggather.
ing of birds and by extensiongathering in general. * is birds in a tree 922, feltby
somescholarssimilarly to symbolisegathering (conceptuallyas 309)but by othersto act
phoneticallyto expressdark blue. /r,.Kis thus an ideographmeaningto gather threads,
and by associationreet/ turn. Somescholarsfeel thatfrom the outset h* was a variant
ideographof similar meaning. Othersfeel that K#. originally meantdark blue threads
beforebecomingconfusedwith ft{ . The variantideographtheory seemsthe moreconvincing. Suggesttaking d( as wood 69 and f,o as three boxes.
Mnemonic:PUT REELED THREADS INTO THREE WOODEN BOXES
lrer
€fi
V
'' {
Mnemonic:BURNING PLANTS PRODUCE HEAvy
""trtf
i:;;:r
FRAGRANCE
fI fU sHoret
punishment
lE fflJ SrurEI
deathpenatty
fU S ffur penalcase,derecrive
tf issword/ cut r8l. f
derivesfrom f, , which is not weil
fr r4Tobutgriile/
lattice window 104' Here fr r*
actsphoneticallyto expressinjure, and may arso
suggest
shacklesor similar instrumentsof punishment. Thus
to injure someonewith
a sword,which cameto refer to cutting with
a sword by way of punishment and even_
tuallypunish in a generalsense.
Suggesttaking fi as a well_frame.
## 5,Y,X5$
,,..,1Ti1
[Hil,,
F* {ri xuNt
15 srrokes
orderof nrerit
t\\
Formerly fu , unain ancienttimes W ol t h it strengtVeffort 74. f is an NGU
charactermeaningsmoke,co*pasingiiu.t S7 9-. l&. I24q.v.,herewithitsoriginal
connotationsof burning,and f , a variantof growingplant f- 42 but herewith a nreants
ing of emerge(asa plant emergesfrom the ground).That which emergesduringbLrrning
fur'
smoke. (Note also the more commonNGU characterfor smoke, *€ , which addsa
of pleasant-smetlingsmoke (see1192)'
ther fire .,118.) € oftenhasconnotations
with
cooking. In the caseof 119I f; actspho'
beinga controlledfire usuallyassociated
connotationsof desir'
neticallyto expressmany, andpossiblyalsolendslooseassociated
s
e
rvice. The graphtc
m
e
r
i
t
o
r
i
o
u
s
(
g
o
o
d
?
)
i
.
e
.
efforts,
a b l e / g o o d . T h u sm a n y
heavy/ pile ttp 4.
by
influenced
been
evolutionof the presentform hasalmostcertainly
r'r'ith""
mnemonic'
as
a
this
using
Suggest
efforts.
piled up/ accumulated
311, suggesting
literallyasfire/ burn 8.
MNCMONiC:
CUT UP WHILE IN WELL-FRAME .- WHAT
A PUNISHMENT!
ll94
if
-.Lr
KEI, kuki
s E rv'rer
STALK, STEM
E strokes
J& T + CHIKAKEI
ffi E Hacuru
* is plant g. 9t*
rswarpthreads 269q.v.,hereactingphonetically
S
lffl
:
straight and alsolendingirs own connotarions
of straight andpossiblyalsoof
;".:tt::
r n u st h es t r a i g h t ( a n d
b
a
r
e
?
)
p
a
r
t
o f a p l a n t , i . e .i t s s t a l k / s t e m . S u g g e s t
r'4ang
A;''
A as hand I and earth .t. 60.
tr{NcMonic:
HAND PLUCKS PLANT STEM FROM
THE EARTH
Mnemonic:BURN SELF OUT WITH HEAVY EFFORT -- GREAT I\4ERIT
380
burb
roorstock
rhegums
381
GENERALUSE 1198-1200
GENERALUSE 1195-1191
lles
R
f'"loJ'1'Jo'*
4 f! rutyeru
1€fff xgxt
4( F[ XgtrN
conbact
opponunily
jointseal
indicatedthe conclusionof an arrange.
i, is serrated talty 659 q.v. Joiningthe tallies
pledge' 119-5
also
an important arrangemenV
ment or pledge. Big i<. 53 suggests
notched
wesd
serrated/
as
literally
has connotationsofjoining. Suggesttaktng l/J
I
and cut 71 181.
iF
r\I
KEI, E, megun'Iu
BLESSING, KINDNESS
HJf
10 strokes
bestowal
'H €
rEtYo
f[ B
CTilE
W h
MEGUMIBUKAImerciful
WiSdOM
147' 'A is the samespinning
Formerly fi , with avariant *.. ,u is heart/ feeling
possibly
914 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressgive and
weight ,""n-ln * t*
alsolendinganideaotallaround.Thusheartwhichgives(al|around?),i.e.a
meaning. suggesttaking $ as
generous and kind heart. Blessing is an associated
ten *
33 andfield €
59.
FIELDS
KIND HEARTED PERSON BLESSED WITH TEN
MnEMONiC:
"s7
s,
tEE xrwo
*t {i,
hoisting
+ is hand 32. h t% is rhe somewhatobscureinterrogativeseenin
+h
Formerly
hereacting phoneticallyto expresshoist/ hold aloft and possiblyalso lending
fi22q.v,
of aggressionand hencedefiance. Thus to (defiantly?)hold somethinl
connotations
hand'
now hoist in general. Display and print are associatedmeanings.
th.e.
aloft in
taking
A as sun a 62, cover FJ , and sitting person/man e, Z3g.
Suggest
MAN SITS COVERED IN SUNSHINE, DISPLAYING HAND
MnemoniC:
BIG PLEDGE
Mnemonic:JOINING CUT NOTCHED WOOD HONORS
1196
;"' *E_ 5*1i1\?:";brsr,
pRrNr
$g tJ##*""i."j1!i,ff#l
II s'okes
srArE
",1,::::'"N,
E 4f' rBttllrS U enlightennent
re'elanon
B 'r' rgut
(in
ff B HAXEI Dear" letters)
I
stt q'v' (compris\ng door f
Formerly h8 . 2 is to all intentsa variantof door fo
and
actingphoneticallyto explesstlpen
f t r 108andopen/ opening a 20),here
asa
is force/ coerce 101,here acting
!(
door.
a
open
of
connotarions
lending
also
up in a
open a door' laterjust open
causativeelement. Thus to force someoneto
is felt
senseof enlighten' State
broadsenseand eventuallyin particul,r in the tigurative
tobeanassociatedmeaning,fromtheideaofexplair/inform.
LIGIIT
Mnemonic:FORCE OPEN DOOR AND SHED
382
l[99\
\
1
\€)
R
KEI
VALLEY, GORGE
I 1 strokes
i4 6: rElrcoKU valley,gorge
€ f{ SpKpt
snowvvallev
14 ffi rgtny0 mountuin.n"u*
Formerly;& , and correctly Aa . ,6 is vailey r22. A is a co characternow usedas an
expressingdoubt. Its etymologyis not clear,but it compriseshand reach_
interrogative
ing down (- 303, and eithershort thread A lll plus big y'< 53 or a variant
ft
of thread ft. 27, andmay originallyhavehad a meaningof twisting threads (short
threads
togetherto makebiggerthread?).Certainlyit often appearsto Gna a meaning
of
twistingin compounds.Here it actsphoneticallyto expressblocked, and may also
lend
connotations
of twisting. Thus (trvisting?)valrey that is btocked, i.e. a brind ravineandlater gorge/ valley in a generalsense. (Note that the
useof mountain l^ 24
givesa CO characterrirQ, which also meansmountaingorge
[literally that which twists
throughthe mountains?1.)The character
:{ , which addswater/ river ) 40 and ap_
pearsto meanliterally a trvisting
stream/ river, existsin Chineseas a separatecharacter
ve.rymeaning,but in Japanese
it has beenusedas a simpler substirurefor
$
:11
fr!.
)uggest
taking { as hand/ clarv iy 303 and man
573.
*
MNCMonic:
MAN CLAWS wAY AL0NG WATERY GORGE
r.{f,i
l'r,:rii'"
W
-4'
ff lt rgxo
fluorescence
&€ rEtSerSu
studying
'H.I+ HoTARUGAzu
9
catching fireflies
. ' W i s c o v e r e d i n f i r e / t i g h t 4 2 7( f i r e { 8 a n d c o v e r r - ? ) , w h i l e g r
l'rt *rlls€ct
t^ll V
56. Thus insect covered in fire/ Iight, i.e.
a firefry. Suggesttaking p4 as
q orDate
c0ver_
lhCTNOnic:
FIREFLY IS INSECT oRNATELY COVERED IN
FIRE
383
tl
GENERALUSE1203-12@
GENERALUSE1201-1202
KEI, katamukulkeru
INCLINE. DEDICATE
13strokes
is in fact the prototypeof
L€ is an NGU characternow usedto mean about (of time), but
person lt 238, to indicate
1,ZOl. It comprisestread € 93 and fallen/slumped
to one side' Person'f
stumped head and by extensiona person slumped or fallen
the personelement
39 was addedfor emphasisat this stage' However,despitethis addition
incline. Dedpresentlyfaded from the meaning,leavingjust fall to one side and hence
meaning,from the ideaof bias/concentration'suggestremembering
icate is an associated
by partialassociationwith change (L 238'
HEAD
Mnemonic:FALLEN PERSON CHANGES INCLINATION OF
}E ffi rgrretf,? fE retxrl
,L, tE ttv<rgt
^,,
+H ::liiT:Tl{+:;;i,
-::=:".:-
nn
(and a vi*iant
and,+k . d is hand 32. #, t& is obscure,though ft
suchas I snow
form $ , of which 94 is almostcertainly a variant of 16l lold forms
a CO charactermeaning fatty/ fleshy/ fine. P appears
Sf to be the earlierl) exisrsas
a variant of bird E
to be a crested bird (not unlike crestedbird E t E 634), i'e'
would seemlikely that
216, ratherthanbird s plus mountain rJ-r24 (but see1293). It
element fi (i'e' with hole/ open'
fff is vagina317 q.v., hereusedfor its fleshy thighs
fatty/ fleshy/ fine' The
ing O 20 redundant),to give plump thighed bird and thereby
q'v' In any event'in the
later /! may thus be a variantof (plump) buttocks 13 350
give carry in the hand'
:;;. ;; nni *, is usedphoneticaayro expresscarry, to
its assumedmeaningof pluntp
thoughoriginally it almostcertainlywould have also lent
minor associatedfigurative
bird to give carry a plump bird in the hand. Participate is a
in one'shands)'
meaning,from the idea of involvement(i.e. having something[business]
Suggestremembering /l as plump buttocks'
IN HAND
Mnemonic:CARRY PLUMP-BUTTOCKED BIRD
rli,
384
.
is cut threads 750. Thoughthe combination
rormerly@. k ,"thread27. &U
is
somewhat
elements
vague,
1203
is an ideographreferring to the splicing of
these
of
into
threads
a
larger
cut
whole
thread.
Its core meaning is thus to join threads,
snall
leadrngon the one handto the ideaof physically mendingand patching and on the other to
meaningssuchas inheriting and foilowing. Suggest
figxatiu.eassociated
taking u[ as
ZOt
inacorner
k
rice
L ZqS.
FoLLow THREAD To INHERTTRICE PILED rN
Mnemonic:
coRNER
rzm
portable
cooperation
handbook
indisPensable,
Formerly lS
KEI, tsugn, mamafKtffi, rplzOl<U continuation
INHERIT, FOLLOW,
f,*T fvfefvfeXO
stepchild
JOIN, STEP-, PATCH f;tr g,€ L fSUCneSm
extension
13strokes
tendenqy
devotion
gradient
{F ffi rgxo
fG lttj xeno
+At+ IE KEISHADO
KEI
JOY
15strokes
E &t rErsrruru
E F
ffi H
KEUI
reiCe
celebration
happyevent
congratularion
of convolutedand disputederymology.p is a simplification
of )*,,an NGU character
meaningdeer which derives with much stylisation from
a pi"tog,ufi k.
p was com_
binedwith *4,to ar intentsand purposesa simplification
of horse .ro rsr;
giu"Eo ,
a co characterreferring to a fabulousbeast
which was a cross betweena horseand a deer
andwhich represenredgoodness (see
arso 1499). Some scholarsfeel that
ffi *u, ,r.plifiedback to
i.e. the sameform as the simplification for deer but
f
this time indicating
thebeastof goodnessand
by extensiongoodnessitself, and that it was combined
with a
simplificationof love
ft +n,namely { , to giue rhepresentcharacter
.
;;;;;;
e
meaningof this is thus
taken to be love and goodness,with joy being
an associated
However, other scholarsfeel that orJfo..ns
such
as
:t::T'
# ;"r;;r, strongly that
'f isnot
avarianr
orrove
f ,0",,i",,F,r;;
,1:::1,::tt"*
tr,*
suggest
;;d;":##:ffiffi1f:l ;fll
r47to givegoofr..*in theheart.Sucha coremeaning
might
virnre but appearsto have evolved ratherinto joy, with
some scholarsat;t":"
-"urr'B
this to the fact that
naa the samepronunciationas the word for feasting
fi
(a8ainsee
1499)and thus suggestedby association
happinessand contentment. Sugtjtt-t*"t
p
as a combinationof buirding
n4and ,funny,west & 152,with
r
& asxvariantoflove
ft.
IVhETNONiC:
LOVE AND JOY IN FUNNY WESTERN
BUILDING
38s
r-!,#
GENERALUSE 1205-1207
{I
*
fi
r20s
+a
tfi ffi KYUKEI
KEI, ikou
REST
16strokes
,t H snorEt
FSt^
IKOI
re
;:J:::::
UBNBRALUSE 1208-1210
frfiiH cetyu
whaleoil
fff ftf; uocpl
whaling
1gsffiffi ZATOKUJR.A
pM
resr,spell
humpbackwhale
244. Thelatter
A combinationof breath/ rest ?o 332q.v.andhollowed,pur" *
idea
actsphoneticallyto expressstop and rest, and may alsolend an associated of notbe.
'take a
and
rest/
stop
breath.
and
stop
Thus
ing busy/ having free time (see 1109).
147
and
nose fi
er'. suggesttaktng $ as tongue 732, and fl literally as heart rr:
t34.
'FISH'
Mnemonic:THE WHALE IS A CAPITAL
Mnemonic:TONGUE, NOSE, AND HEART ALL TAKE A REST
1206
$E
t<.Kl
[hHil"il"*,.o.*
rYs'oKes
# 9F KEIRAN
IB € KEISHA
# qB KEIMEI
hen'segg
henhouse
Mnemonic: BIRD SEIZING MAN IN TALONS IS A CHICKEN!?
1207
ffi )4+
l! A
{I Z-ffi
"' *F
cockcrow
t*,t*itthe obscureelementseenin valley i{ 1t9V
Formerly AA p..oisbird 174.
q.v., here used as a phonetic substitutefor a more complex charactermeaning
phonetic,
cockscomb. It is not clear why a still simplercharacterwas not chosenas the
and by assoand it may be the case that f= also lent reinforcingrconnotationsof twisting
a cock and
suggested
graphically
ciation undulating,or else,from an earlier form fr,
Thereis
comb. In any event, bird with cockscomb refers to a cock/ hen/ chicken.
Suggesttakalso an occasionallyencounteredvariant form*fi, which usesbird & 216'
ing (, as talons (see303),and fi as man 573.
GEI, mukaera
GREET,WELCOME,
MEET
7 snokes
fistr (or more exactlyfishlike creature)98. R is capital 99, hereactingphonetif. is
big and also lending an idea of chief/ principal. Thus principal big
callyto express
r 6 5 1 t ,i . e . w h a l e .
KANGEIKAI recePdon
ingratiation
GEIGO
MTTKAEZAKE
'hair of do9'
1173q'v', here acting phoneticallyt: "lltt-::::T;
i- is movem ent 129.Lp is raise
personbeing-tttp:t;
and also lending simtlar connotationsfrom its literal meaningof one
(out
of o[€'S houset,'"
in an encounterwith another.1207 originally meant to move
taking t'lJ "'
greet someone,and now meansmeet/ greet in a broad sense. Suggest
425'
person 1l
erally as person [ 39 (originaiiy 6 ) a"d bending
S'#:'lrrAcK,
FrRE
;E:::?fl
15strokes
+#
b HAYAUCHI rapidfiring
+
Formerly 4l , anaeartier 9j . R It strike 153. $ aepictsa vehicte fl Zt *itn uttentiondrawn to its axle/ hub o . f{ referredto a vehicle striking its own axle,
i.e. (constantly)rubbing or chafing. Hand { 32 was addedto give the idea of
(persistently)striking with the hand, leading by associationto attack. For some
reason
it hasalsodevelopedparticularassociations
with discharging a firearm.
Mnemonic:ATTACK VEHICLE BY STRIKING WITH HAND
1210
:a
tn
GEKI, hageshii
AGITATED, INTENSE
l6 strokes
ffi iff reNcEKI deepemotion
intensification
lff'fL cerxa.
ff LA HAGESHISA intensity
i iswater 40.
4{ is a CO charactermeaningstrike/ beat. It comprisesreleasei(391q.v.,herewith
its literal connotationsof strike (a person),and white 6 6S,*trict
actsphonetically
to expressbeat (asin 1695). 1210originallyreferredto water striking
aSainst
something(andaccordingto somescholars,who interpret
F{-utalso actingphoneticallyto
expressleap, sendingsprayleapinginro the air). This indicatedagitated wa'fierce'
water, and hencel2l0 cameto meanagitated as well as fierce/ inlut't'".
tense.
lr
.V{I€mONiC:
FIERCELY AGITATED WATER RELEASES WHTTE SPRAY
ANOTHER
Mnemonic:BENDING PERSON MOVES TO GREET
386
':',::i
387
(jII,N|jKAL USb IZI FI/'15
i
r21r
,m
GENERAL IJSE 1214-1216
[il3f^*o,*"
i3sirokes
t+*- _J.W
-JI& rJ)
'Y#
tu
wI+
l7f,
KESSHI
hero
KESSHUTSU exceltin.
_,.,utg
KESSAKU
masterpiece,blunder
,( is person 39. g*. is a CO charactermeaningbird's roost, cruel, and heroic. 11
fy! !u144 422( g
*u, onr" written *-, sho*lng the samecombinationof opposed
320q'v"nn6
fl,tf" 6gasseeninclimb Xl*
b e i n g a v a r i a notf L ) a n d t r e e
treetop,
from the idea of
while
simiiarly meant person in treetop. Bird's roost derives
than
higher
(i.e.
person
others).
a
outstanding
of
idea
heroic comes from the associated
a particular tyrant in ancient
Cruel is a misleadingmeaningderived from associationwith
for his cruelty' In thecase
and
warrior
China, notedboth for his outstandingprowessas a
with person 4 to grve
of tZtt tr lendsonly its meaningof outstanding, combining
in a broad sense' suggest
outstanding person and eventuallyoutstanding/ excellent
U70' with ,{ in
tabng q asevening44and $ asavariantof well('frams) l+
its senseof wooden.
WELL NIGIITLY
Mnemonic:OUTSTANDING PERSON BUILDS WOODEN
'2'2F
El
''.-
EEff*'$" J1*::;
f,?hi?jl.
tr # t
8 strokes
KATAGAKI titleof rank
formsof 1212
Flesh/ of the body A 365anddoor ? 108. Thoughthe oldest
of
pictograph
foundto datedo showdoor,it is believedto be a miscopyingof someearlier
a shoulder,suchas 4 . Thustheshoulderpart of the body'
'fA#! rsNYeru
FF'fA sErrPN
H'fA rrNrpN
{A
#J:*''FRUGAL
AlJiE xnrvoo
AIj# xrNeu
ffiAlJ rnNI<rN
kendo
sworddance
dagger,
dirk
. 'l is sword 181,while
@ t E is combine/ j udge 475q.v. The latter
Foaerly 6,1
phon€ticallyto expresstaper(ed). Any semanticrole is not clear, but it is possiblethat
ac15
it lendsan idea of combining the function both of a sword and a dagger. Thus tapered
sword, i.e. a short stabbing sword, though it is occasionallyused in a wider sense.
suggesttaking Q' as a combinedvariant ofelder brother K,
267and cover A
sz.
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER PUTS COVER ON SWORD
nE
*
f
ID{t
J
-Sf XfgN
KEN, noki
onehouse
EAVES,HOUSE
COUNTER#fI rer.nd
eaveslantem
l0 strokes
*rJt rvorrserr
frontage
carriage/vehicle +
31anddry/ forkedweapon +
g25q.v. Thelatreracts
phoneticallyto expresshigh/ raised and probably also lends its idea offorking
ro refer to
theforked supportof a canopy over a carriage. l2l5 originally referred
to such a
raisedcanopy, and can still be usedin this sensein chinese, where
it can arsomean
raised/highin a broadersense.In Japanese
it was appliedby associationto rhe canopy
ofa house,i.e. the roof, and eventuallycame by further
associationto mean eaves. lt
is alsousedfor counting houses.
MNcmonic:VEHICLE KEPT
DRY UNDER EAYES
Mnemonic:USE FLESHY SHOULDER AGAINST DOOR
r2'3
'*FJ 5,*XlilTilo*",
frugaliry
fi-ugalilY
thritt
t2t6
KEN
Fitr H SEISOKEN srratosphere
RANGE, SPHERE,ZONE 84. fpXCAI outsidebounds
12strokes
ryOSeurrN
+EH
pho'
judge 475 q'v'' here acting
Formerly lfr- . 4 is person 39. A /Q' is combine/
0r
connotationsof avoidance
netically to expressfew and possibly also lending associated
l2I3 refetret to t^f:t:Uti:;
duplication (i.e. from the idea of combining things)'
*Suggesttakrng .'\
possessions,which came to symbolisethrift and frugatity.
b ZlltZt'
combinedvariantofelder brother f,, 267 andcover/cap
to expressblock and also lendingits
own idea of containment. Thus that
tontained
":-:-'y
by a blocking enclosure,i.e. zone, range, erc.
A CAP -- THRIFTY PERSON
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER WEARS ONLY
llnemonic:
ENCLosuRE rs R.LLED ARouND zoNE
388
CommunistBloc
ln:,t
@ . nisenclosure123. *tl*
389
isrolt(up)826q.v.,here
actingpho-
I1
GENERALUSE 1217-1219
l2l7
EX,
Jt_
KENJITSU
KEN, katal
FIRM, SOLID, HARD
rytr KEIGO
12 strokes
E h r y CHUKEN
rt^li"r^r
_.."ule
firm. \rcirdy
512 andhand 7..
Mnemonic:HAND THROWS HARD EARTH AT STARING EYE
t*
iYa
l'*i:['kirau/r'
ffi R rrNo
ffi ffi rIcntt
ffi ffi rvrwa.
loarhing
mood
reluctantly
f is woman 35. *. is combine/ do two things at once 850, here actingphonetically to expressdissatisfactionand almostcertainlyalso lending its own idea of trvoat
once. 1218 originaiiy referredto a woman's feelings of dissatisfaction,rrnd.to
judge from the fact that in Chineseit can also meansuspicionandjealousy,almostcertainly
referredspecificallyto her feelingsat sharingher husband'saffectionswith anotheru"oman. Now dislike/ disliked in a generalsense.
Mnemonic:WOMAN DISLIKES BEING COMBINED WITH ANOTHER
t219
KEN, KON
DEDICATE,PRESENT
13strokes
ru\!
KENJO
Hfi \I- KONDATE
WZ
KENSHIN
t220
mainsr".
' '.qY
Earth/ ground J- 60 and hard E( 1179. Originally firm ground, laterfirm/ hard/
literally as staring e1'sg
sotid in a broadsense,includingreliable.Suggesttaking ft
""
GENERAL USE 1220-1222
[*
Prescitrrtion
menu.Plan
dedicirtion
€
cationof ffi .
Mnemonic:SOUTIIERN DOG IS VERY DEDICATED
390
IrR€
/J\ lE
Va
i€, Hf
HAKEN
dispatch
KOZUKAI pockermoney
YARINAOSU
redo
of pursue E lso q.v., hereusedin the senseof follow.
;E is gathlQ, isavariant
originally referredto a gathering of followers, i.e. a retinue,then came
tzzo
Tgll.
retainer/ servant. Probablybecauseof the presenceof the movementradito bc usedof
it
becameparticularly associatedwith a messenger,i.e. someonesenron er,r1 itze,
came to meansend. In Japanese
thus
it also developedconnotationsof use,
rands,and
broadened
to
actl
general,
do
in
later
whereas
in Chinesesendcame to mean send
which
thus
acquired
and
the
connotations
which ;Q ZSOitself later acquiredin Japaoffl banish
as middle/ midst # 55 and one nese.Suggesttaking $
l. Seealso 331.
Mnemonic:usE oNE FROM AMTDST FoLLowERs
l22l
F
KEN, kashikoi
H #
ro
SEND IN PURSUIT
KENJA
H qB KENMEI
wIsE
l6snokes
H tZ {
sage
wisdom
KASHIKODATE
pretenceof wisdom
I is shelVmoney 90, here meaningassets/wealth. E< is hard/ wise ll79 q.v.,
hereactingphoneticallyto expressbountiful but of unclearsemantic
role due to its somewhatobscurenature. l22l oiLginallyreferredto great wealth in
termsof tangible assets,
butwas later appliedfigurativelyto a personendowed
with a wealth of wisdom. Suegesttaking p{- literally as staring eye
512 and,hand L .
E
MNCMonic:
WISE PERSON STARES HARD AT MONEY IN HAND
ot'>}|.
. ffi ,, unow defunctcharacterreferringto a particulartype of dog used
Formerly
ffi(
in sacrifices,a dog presumablyconsideredto have tiger-like attributes(1[ is tiger
t7
281) and eaten afterthe sacrifice(rt1 ircooking pot on stand 1078)' Dog K
ideaot
was addedlater for clarity. Sacrificialdog came to symbolisesacrifice and the
dedicating/ presenting in general.The modernform usessouth fiJ 190 as a simplifi-
KEN, tsukau,yaru
SEND, USE, DO
13strokes
=_#
I.I
l\
KEN.herikudarrr
HUMBLE.MoDEST
17suokes
# I L KENSoN
ffi,ffi rExryo
# # xrxlo
humility
modesty
humility
3 is words/speak 274. .f is combine/be unabre g50, here
actingphoneticaly to exPress
awe as well as lending its meaningof be unable. Thus
to be awed and unable
btpu"k, as
in the presenceof a greatsuperior.This later cameto meanbe respectfully
Itserved,
leadingto humble and modest.
IVINCTNONiC:
MODEST PERSON UNABLE TO SPEAK
391
rlll
GENERAL USE 1223-1225
1
ll
t223
ffibw I TENcHU
ponges
6uevu
t ffi6
double
coso..
KEN, mayu
COCOON
18strokes
'.
?ffi renevevu
WaStOCOCOgn
Formerly dft. t is thread 27, while $, is insect 56. ftl derivesfrom an ideograph
'f a simplificationof a ram'shorns (see
,
9g6y
/fi, which combinesa cocoon A with
usedto symbolisesymmetry/ equalon both sides. 1223thus literally meanssymmetri.
cal cocoon of thread-making insect. Suggesttaking ffi ur grass rf 9 anda
double chambered cocoon ffl .
GENERAL USE 1226-1229
{/1 ltr
n
l':,:.Tp'i:iiTt,"
n f 'rtr
fi
,f
oig-.nallywritten d , ueing an inversion of weaving shutfle ,F +oE q.v.
and having
a similar meaning. Its highly styrisedpresentform clearly ,rro*,
with short
A 11I' Its presentmeaningsresurtfrom
fi'*d
borrowing, ,o u" "onrlron
con_
fusionwith occult iL lZ27 q.v. Suggesttaking ? as a hook. ".i""i*vorving
THREAD BEC.MES HooK!? -Mnemonic:sHoRT
A MAGT.AL ILLUSI'N
y^ w)
'"'
*.::*:
_ffiEHHt",.
$F,f*f#:?,*""
J4 t€
Mnemonic:INSECT THREADS DOUBLE COCOON UNDER GRASS
Formerly ArA . A is head 93, though old forms of 1224such as fr fl reveal that thisis
a miscopyingof look/ see L tS. p.., is a CO charactermeaningmotes(smallpanicles
of dust) and by associationminute. It comprisessun(-light) fi 62 and16, which is a
simplified doublingof thread A Zl and heremeanssmall things. Thus small things
(showing up) in sunlight, i.e. motes. In the caseof 1224 7u actsphoneticallyto expressclear/ visible and almostcertainlyalso lendsa similar meaningof being visible(if
small). Thus something(small but) visible upon looking, leadingto visible in general and hencealso manifest. Suggesttaking p as a variantofline up fi 1ZZS.
Mnemonic:ODD LINE UP OF HEADS VISIBLE IN SUN
1225
Rfr
r\.F
eagemess
ff ft rEf.nt{gl
KEN, KE, kakarulkeru
anxiety
ATTACH, HANG, APPLY ffi 6' frNeN
'6i
perilous
ij
INOCHIGAKE
20 snokes
ffi
hang'
ffi ls the old form of prefecture ,fl Zll q.v., herein its early senseof attach/
can
rs!is heart 147. Thus that which hangs on the heart, i.e. a worry/ anxiety. It
it hasmostly lost its heartconnotations
still havethis meaningin Chinese,but in Japanese
to leavejust hang in a broad sense,being virtually interchangeablewith trfi\ t0SZ'
Mnemonic:HEART STILL ATTACHED TO OLD PREFECTURE
of very extendedsemanticevorution. r. is short thread
1r 1. J- is the sametwisting
deviceseenin fi
tos q.v. (for twisting bits of threadinto
rope). ri", rzzz originally
meantshort thread suitabre for twisting.
It then came to'mean something
very
smat and by associationsomethinghard to-see,
leadingto obscure u"rt ," the physi_
calsenseof dark/ brack and in the figurati.,r"
,ens" of mysterious, including occurt.
Mnemonic:
TWISTED BLACK THREAD SYMBOLISES
OCCULT
stringedinsrumenl
o"* j'6' {
is olcylt/ brack 1227q.v., herein irs
ioy association
^t:
senseof twisted thread and
cord twisted taut, and utro u.ting phoneticaily
to expressattach. Thus
to bow
;ffJ""r:..d
and twistedtaut,i.l. bowstring.No* urro
srring in a
"ffl\5
"#W."ffig,*lti,'
l'[:i*.'L.NELY
z fII\
MNCMONiC:
BOW HAS STRING OF TWISTED
BLACK THREAD
z5' 6\ is an NGU character
meaningmeron (oncewritten /t\ thought
,
to
hanging
froma frame)..
n.#i::T*
Thelatteru.t, pr,on"tt"u'yto express
-T"::"^Tly :1" T:t"l
possibly_also lend similar
connotationsfrom its oepiction of a singre
mel_
"r. '.us crlrrd arone,i'e. an orphan. Also
arone/roneryin u *ia"r-r""r".
*,'i;1tta
M.^-
t",LONELY
392
*
ORPHANCHrLD GrVEN MELON
393
'.it.[{t$::'-'
GENERALUSE 1230-1233
GENERAL IJSE 1234_1236
Ko
ARC,ARCH,Bow
WM rcorPI
tt rolo_
dIJt
9 strokes
d/l\lkT roro
*"
*.,,*,i
Mnemonic: BOW ARCHED AS ROUND AS A MELON
I
+f
L
I I
away
t& lE rOSrU withering
decay
4 tfr tL FUYUGAREwinter
KO,karerulrasu
wITHER, DECAY
deadleaf
9 strokes
ffi tL R KAREHA
/nA
IF
(andby extension
{ is tree 69. fi is old 109 q.v., actingphoneticallyto expressbone
from
its
assumedliteral
connotations
similar
lending
also
certainly
almost
and
skeleton)
decaying
symbolising
skeleton,
to
a
reduced
a
tree
Thus
skull.
ancient
meaningof
w
i
t
h
e
r
i
n
g
.
and
Mnemonic:WITHERED OLD TREE
emPloYment
,tr ffi rovd
EV A YATOININ CMP1OYCE
dismissal
ffiE rcxxo
KO, yatou
EMPLOY, HIRE
12strokes
t ff rexo
arclisht
actingphoneticallyto expressrounded and also
{ is bow 836. 6\ is melon 1229,bere
from
the shapeof the melon. 1230 originaUyrc.
its
own
of
lending similar connotations
but later, like the English term bow, qnn.
bow,
of
type
particularly
curved
ferred to a
general
sense.
in
a
to mean arc/ arch
1231
tr &) rono
flapped
Bird € 216 and door V lOS. 1232 oiginally referredto a bird whose wings
a type
like the leavesof a door, i.e. in a somewhatstiff and ungainlyfashion,specificaily
purely
a
be
of quail (still retainedin Chinese). Employ/ hire is generallyassumedto
unborrowedmeaning,but it is possiblethat it was usedby associationof an apprentice
gainly in his work.
,J. #
69lq.v., here meaningliteralry hand holding
{ is branch
bamboo stick. F is ed_
ide plantstl_:3od_*trel 450 q.v. The raner was usedfor its sound(generalrybelieved
to
havebeencHUat the time in question[or SHoKU by somesctrolars],thoughKo
might
seenmore appropriate),and almost certainly also for its erements,with food
vesseron a
stanil g 1640q.v. being likened to a drum on a stand,and plant L y- (variant
/
S.
42)probablybeing reinterpretedas emerge (an occasionarconnotationofprant
which
,
E
from the ground). Thus 1234 literally meansinstrument
€merges
resembling a food
vesselon a stand from which the sound CHD (SHOKU?
KO?) emerges
when struck with a bamboo stick, i.e. a drum. Suggesttaking
f. as samurai 4g4.
Mnemonic:SAMURAT *IELDS
"
4E A -*/\
F7
#
'J'
9ffi
exxggerltion
KODAI
ostentelion
KOJI
HOKOzuGAO Proudloor
brag/boast(big li 53 and emerge ? 811), herere.tn-'
meaning
S is a CO character
274.Thusboastful words, with proud b"ing un associat'
forcedby words/ speak!
edmeaning.
Mnemonic:BIG WORDS EMERGE IN PROUD BOAST
,il
394
BRANCH, usING FooD poT AS
DRUM
Eq,r8;trft''i
ffi H ronyo
Lql ffi fetfO
ffi F"5 roltoN
concern
retrospection
adviser
{ is head 93. E is employ/ quair r232q.v., hereactingphonerica'y
to expressturn
aroundandpossiblyalso lendingconnohtions
of ungainrymovement(as in a panic or simi_
lar)' Thusto turn the head
around (in a panic?), now rook back in a
broadsensein_
cludingthe figurative.
MNemonic:
EMPLOY HEAD To LooK BACK
1236
Mnemonic:PUT BIRD UNDER DOOR TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT
KO, hokora
PROUD,BOAST
13strokes
,,1"#
I<OTSUZUI/|-handdrum
Go, tagal
MUTUAL
4 strokes
fE E. soco_
mutual
E F) COJO
mutuataid
tr l^ ie t/1 TACAICHIGAIaltemately
F-^
u pictograph
-J"t
[ , showinga speciat spool used for evenry crosswinding
uread'It
thus came to symborisebarance
and symmetry, and henceby association
mutuarirv, reciprocitv, etc. Note
the
similaritv of shapeto reev five fi- 19,
''*utr lltoy
;iTi':t'
be usefulas a mnemonic.
trhemonic:
MuruA,,rry
A*K*ARD
FR.M FIVE
39s
GENERALVSE, 1237-1240
GENERALUSE T24I-I2M
GO, kureru
GIVE, WU CHINA
7 strokes
FER copuru
drap.,u
trF t KUREGUREvOearnesttu
KURETE
RtL+
rjonor
U /O is mouth/ say 20, deliberatelytiltedin
Formerly ft andin ancienttimes t'.
the original form to reinforce t , which showsa man /( 53 with his head tilted at
the idea of deviating from the truth, as in bragging,
an angle - . This expressed
and was also usedto expressputting the headback and bawling (still found in Chinese).
For reasonsthat arenot clearit was laterusedto refer to a district in China, and in Japaas a combinesewas also borrowed to expressgive (to an inferior). Suggesttaking ft
76, with I as a box.
nation of corner L 349 and six i
Mnemonic: GMN
A CHINESE BOX WITH SIX CORNERS
1238 I .El
th
y^,
H*
co
nLEASURE,AMUSEMENT ffiF
l0 strokes
ffiXF,
pleasure
coneru
pleasure
KANGo
GORAKUHIN plaything
to expresstalk and
{' iswoman 35. * is give L237q.v., hereactingphonetically
possiblyalsolendingits literalmeaningof brag. Thusto talk with (bragto?)a rvompleasureandamusement.
an, whichcameto symbolise
WOMAN GMS
Mnemonic:
'23s
iliE
t f,I
otll
,'''
_
tru' ana
-)
tl
-
Jt
{
.
I
\.t
Fftiillii.DrscERN
iLrsrokes
wisdom
resolve
mental
enlightenment
,l' is heart/ feetings 147. + is Vme 112 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressen'
lightenment and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof balanceand by extensionpropol
proportion. Thus enlightenment in the heart (seeingthings in proper proportion?)'
leadingto perceive and discern. Suggesttaking $ as five fr- 19 andmouth 9 20'
Mnemonic:I LISTEN TO FIVE MOUTHS AND PERCEM
GO
*E
(THE GAME OF) GO
13 strokes
*#
*fI
FEELINGS
corsru
gostone
COsaN
x, GouCHI
checkerboaro
goPlaYer
by stone fr 45'
As chessf,p 1130q.v.,butwith wood .{ 69 replaced
'GO'IS A TYPE OF CHESSPLAYED WITH STONES
Mnemonic:
396
HoLE,coNFUCrus
1
nostril
fi,
Ta^*j'"
KrKo
;l' -:
-4^t
4t strokes
7L-F rosru
Pore
confucius
oncewnyel 9? , showing chitd $ l+ 25 and a semi-abstractdepiction of a cavity ! ,
ftrcr confusinglystyhsedto L and retainingthe convexratherthanconcaveelement.1241
orrginallymeant the cavity/ hole through which children emerge, i.e. the vagina,
butthencamelo_me1nhole in general. It was also borrowed phonetically ro expressthe
first syllableof confucius. suggesttaking tr as a hook, for an irreverent mnemonic.
Ivlnemonic:coNFUCIUS sAY cHrLD wHo
pLAy
WITH HooK
GET HOLE
""tI ftl'-i"'' H;$trH
","*.**
! is work/ carpenter's square il3, here meaningaccurate carpentry.
I is twist_
ing waterweed 281, here with its meaningof frat/ rever(see 3gg). 1242
originaly re_
fened to a carpenterplaning a piece of wood till it was
exactly flat/ level, and
thiseventuallycamero symboliseskitted work and skill in general.
Mnemonic:WORK WITH WATERWEED CALLS FOR
SKILL
KO, KAN, kdra
SHELL, ARMOR,
HrGH, 1ST, A
5 strokes
PLEASUREAND AMUSEMENT
'F'|'4 cospl
H'E reruGo
'E I serOzu
,
_
F fL SIKO
Fdl
F#6
f
rE v'l
fOCn0
KOSHU
KANDAKAI
beette
GradeA
shrill
o n c ew r i t t e n @ o r s i m p r y + , i n d i c a t i n g a h a r d - s h e i l e d s e e d
o withasptit + (see
tf::i..
*ni"l represents
a sprout,
wasadded
later
toclarifythemeaning,
givl?r,il
-'6
-r ' r nough l,
the original emphasiswas on sprouting,in time 1243 came
to refer rather
of the.seed,giving shelr and armor. rst/ A and
high are borrowedmeanf"t]":::"
-'50'
ouggesrtaklng
F as a combinationof fierd w 59 and the figure l.
M n e m o n i cA: N ' A
1244
l-f
)
I
1,-b
l,FIELD
Io, u
A g tr nm
RrvER
1NLET,
6 strokes
ir W roro
It n goo
-*, *,
world,public
Edo,oldiokyo
ffiil;ilair*ly;.'::llx;y,ht:l;tji:r,*.ffi
#*:,miij:
FIND CARPENTER'S SQUARE IN
YNCTNONiC:
WATERS OF INLET
397
illr
1l
I
GENERAL USE 1245-1247
rl
12.15 f -:tr
rl / lal
aat
.7
t
F-
tl
GENERALUSE 1248-1250
K0
MINE, PIT, HOLE
ft Ift r,qwKo
fi * xoPu
Tstrokes
fa 5 xOoO
coalrn1n.
nriner
mine shal
6 I p 229 va4
high/ straight 6 l-ft 479. The latter also actedphoneticallyto expresshigh, thusgiving steep high hill. This came to mean sheer and precipitous, which by a confusing
Of confusing semanticevolution. Originally written Ei', showing hill
processof assocationcame in turn to mean a precipitous drop, and henceeventually
deep hole and the presentmeanings.Ground/ earth ;L 60 was later usedas an sl1g1native to hill p , eventuallyprevailing in Japanesethough in Chinese l>y1.and i-ru areinterchangeable.Suggesttaking .r- as a top and ft as desk 832,with t as soil/ dirt.
Mnemonic:HOLE IN DESKTOP FULL OF DIRT
',.
pAg
KQ sara,fukerulkasu
ANEW, CHANGE,
AGAIN, GROW LATE
7 strokes
tr #T xosmr.r
renewal
$p
nrr65affq now, belatedly
&,F trf yoFUKE
lateat nieht
q
i- is striking hand,icoerce 101, here meaning(en)force. ft is third
Formerly
q.v.,
here
actingphoneticallyto expresschangeand also,from its literal meanrile 1773
lendingan idea of being firmly planted, which was a referencero a
altar,
ingof sturdy
guard.1248originally referredto an enforced change of guard, then came to refer to
unavoidableduty rosters. The night watch (still a meaningin Chinese)was one such
duty,leadingto stay up late and grow late. on the other hand,changeof guardled to
changein general,including renew/ anew and by association(yet) again. Suggest
taking8 as day62 and ( as avariantofforce ( tOt.
Mncmonic:DAY GROWS LATE, FORCING CHANGE
-xi
fir r,qxO
fln# roct
f.;r,? roso
opposition
*fr i:,jj:J,opposE
1249
protest
dispute
f is hand 32. iL is high/ straight 479,hereactingphoneticallyto expressblock and
alsolendinglooseconnotations
ofobstacle/obstructfrom its ideaofrising sheer.Thusto
block with the hand, leadingto resist and by associationprotest. Suggesttaking )as a top and /t as desk 832.
KQ kakawara
SEIZE, ADHERE TO
8 strokes
ffuR rdsoru
restriction
1fod I fOnI
arrest.
custodv
?A b-f KAKAWARAZU
regardless
{ is hand 32,heremeaningarm. 6] is phrase 655 q.v., hereactingphoneticalryto expressstop and also lending connotationsof encircle
throughits element !. Thus to
stopwith the arms by encircting, i.e. seize/ cring, now
arsoin a figurative sense.
Mnemonic:SEIZE ONTO A HANDY PHRASE
Mnemonic:HAND THUMPED ON DESKTOP SHOWS OPPOSITION
1250
""gl1 fi;ilr'
q,4#
KOGEKISHAaggressor
specialtY
S 4 Spttt<O
invade
rkbL6
SEMEIRU
exptess
{ isstrike l}l. 9 iscarpenter's square ll3, here acting phonedcallyto
strike/ beat and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof an implementresembling a we^p'
on. Thus to strike and beat, leadingto attack.
Mnemonic:ATTACK. STRIKING WITH CARPENTER'S SQUARE
KO
E€- SriUfO consent,
assenr
CONSENT, AGREE, VITAL H fr I(OfeI
affirmation
8 strokes
H id V. KOKEI
thepoint
*r,"n fA. Ql
n ismeat/of thebody365. t-l is an abbreviation
of bone F
P" q'v'
uu/
Thusto all intentsandpurposes
1250is a variantof bone
fr sel. Its present
of consent/ug."" i, u borrowing,felrto stemfromconfusion
with dt /
H'I:_t-t:t
Q'v. Itsearlymeaning
of boneis still seenindirectlyin somecompounds,
asin the
;l:1"
gnawef , which addsmouth e 20, and,inthe minor meaningof vital
;;;1*,""".
Thereasonfor thelateruseof stop iL l2g is not clear. Someschol_
* I"j,",ltr1ce.
-v!r
rr relers to meat stopping
^
on the bone, but it is more likely to have been used in
uorDe
now unclear phonetic
role.
Lernonic:
CONSENTTo MEAT sToppAGE
il,.il[,
398
399
GENERAL IJSE 1254.1257
GENERALUSE 1251-1253
KO tsune
ALWAYS, CONSTANT
9 strokes
t25l
'EH' rolo
constancy
,EA rcOTVO
peryetuiry
'E fflJ xonet
COmmOnUsage
limit, showFormerly tU . ,f is heart/ feetings 147. I it u CO charactermeaning
The
boundaries
(see
sym913).
ing a moon F t A 16 betweentwo boundaries I
trajectory
of ths
bolised limits and fixed course,and 4 originally refened to the fixed
constancy,
lidelity/
of
novT
idea
the
,f
it
expressed
heart
with
moon. In combination
certainly
results
q.v.
almost
StZ
constant in a generalsense.The later useof around 1
from a misinterpretationof B as sun 62 (thoughit is actually a derivative of vortex Q;,
to give an alternativeidea of fixed trajectory of the sun (sun and moon often being interchanged,as in pr{ lPfl 92etc.). Suggesttaking B as day 62, with a as two 61'
Mnemonic: FEELINGS CONSTANT OVER TWO DAYS
L252
:iL
lrt
flood
#tzj<rozwoutzu*
diluvium
&ffitr xdsExrso
KO
FLOOD, VAST
9 strokes
&t
roPel na
vast
q.v., here acting phonetically to expressbig and
) iswater 40. * istogether 460
of water
probably also lending an idea of coming together' Thus a big bodyi volume
in a genvast
occasionally
and
(coming togetherfrom various sources?),leading to flood
eral sense.
Mnemonic:WATERS COME TOGETHER IN VAST FLOOD
t253
stormyweather
ffiX rorgN
KG arai,arerulrasu
wastelano
ROUGH, WILD, WASTE ffifLtfu, ARECHI
roughsea
ffi#t ARANAMI
9 strokes
waste, comprisingriver
+,. is grass 9. fr' is a CO charactermeaning(vast) watery
aslendin9
973,which actsphoneticallyto expressvast aswell
,16/lrf 4g and death t
il
with grass+f .
connotationsof deathand by associationdestruction. In combination
and overgrown with
meant grassy \raste, i.e. a placeonce inhabitedbut now ruined
grass. Thus uncared for, rough, wild, etc'
Mnemonic: RMR
AND DEAD GRASS IN WILD WASTELAND
400
t*
*-tllt rOcniTi*u,
FF f""-il"J,, #Hf'# ,"0",#T:
p isvillase/ settlement355,while ( is mix/ cross/exchangell5. Thus setfle_
ment at_crossrng(r.e. crossroads).whereas the similar tttt glg q.v. came to mean
tow,1254 cameratherto meancommunityoutsidea town, giving suburbs.
Mnernonic:VILLAGE
MIXED WITH SUBURBS
XQ t<a,kaoru/ri
FRAGRANCE, INCENSE
9 strokes
6 zk XOSUI
perfume
6 fi fOff
fragrance,
aroma
€ 6 nOre
woman'scharms
B is a simplificationof sweet f, 1093,while f,. is rice planVgrain plant gl. 1255
originallyreferredto a certaintype of aromatic millet, and then cameto meandelicateflavor and eventually fragrance and incense. Suggesttaking
B as sun 62.
Mnemonic:SUN BRINGS OUT FRAGRANCE OF GRAIN PLANT
""
lXff
,/\
ltfSl*""'L'RD
Ert
J
'ltt
[/(
marquis
SOSUAXU
O|AKO
MarquisOta
OKO
royalty
Somewhatobscure,having becomeetymologically confused
with signy'ask 41fr 47gq.v.
It appearsto be a variant of meet/ greet (humbly;
l becoming
f7
@rso+zsll*iii
person 'f :e, uut from an
early sragemeantarchery or target range (still in fact a
in Chinese),apparentlyhavingbecomeconfusedwith targetrange (also
fa
f#:t Tti"t".t
+/6.1.
ltrvas borrowedphoneticallyto expressmarquis. unfortunatel-y
thereis no easy
mnemonicfor the character,
but suggestrememberingby partial associati,on
with arrow fi
981,taking
as a ,fancy, arrow.
{
PERSONWITH FANCY ARROW IS MARQUIS
lvlnemonic:
l!57
rir
xe ru, mitsuga
TRIBUTE
10strokes
.ltlt*:ly
fOfgN
contribution
NENGU
rax, dues
E
& . r y n MITSUGMONO tribute
x-t/J
EM
moiev-so,heremeaningassets.-L is work 113,herealsoactingphoneti-
,fi;rT:1j}jfilJ
rhusofferup assets
andwork(i.e.corvee),
namely
the
Ir
rvuremonic:
BorH woRK AND MoNEy OFFEREDAS TRIBUTE
401
lrll
ril
ri
l
GENERALUSE,126I-12&
GENERALUSE 1258.1260
r2s8
Dow
f f:?ffi'o T*TT.;
lSe [3;ll1"Jl-RrrE
HIKAEGAKImemo,note
WAIT
WZE€
NEAR' wAIT
HAvE
rvE NEAR,
1-J f
! --h
12strokes
&ts6
ffi.b#.-f
& 9 frf
KOSHUDAI
salows
SHTMEKORoSU
Jtranete
srusoR_Desu
llstrokes
Of broad and somewhatunclearsemanticevolution. f is hand ZZ. E is sky 15, here
actingphoneticallyto expresspull back and possiblyalso lending an idea of space(i.s.
distance).Thus to pull back with the hand (over a distance?).This originally meantr0
pull back a bow or to pull on reins (both meaningsstill found in Chinese).However,just
like the English pull back, it also came to mean refrain, wait, and be patient. Ilavq
near is taken to be an associatedmeaning,from the idea of pulling somethingtowardsoneself. Write down is felt to derivefrom the idea of keepingsomething(i.e. as a record),
which in tum derivesfrom associationwith holding back.
Mnemonic:REFRAIN,
t2sg f *
,l\C
I tl\f
KQ shiboru,shimeru
STRANGLE, WRING
panic':care
B'ffi rcvdrco
bisfluster
{
onwnrn
t'ffi
'ffi'<# AwATEMoNoblunderer
,f is hearr/feelings t+l . !*is witd 1253,hereactingphoneticallyto expressunclear/
incomprehensibleand almostcertainlyalsolendingan ideaof wild. Thuslvild incom'
prehensiblefeelings,a referenceto a stateof being panicked or flustered.
Mnemonic:WILD FEELINGS SHOW ONE IS FLUSTERED
"-6Ri,l:l:'
@41 ror,c
fiHH KOKA
ffizk xosut
hardening
,.^in
hardwater
phoneticallyto expresssol'
fi is rock/ stone 45. { is change 1248q.v., here acting
(beconrerl
id and possiblyalso lendingan idea of changeto suggestpetrification. Thus
solid as a rock, i.e. hard.
Mnemonic:CHANGE TO STONE AND BECOME HARD
Mnemonic:STRANGLED WITH MIXED THREADS
"'-'#ill
NA'E
"" t(l,l*li3,,rrE*
HERH-"."
fi is head 93. 1 is work 113,hereactingphoneticallyto expressrearl back. Thus
theback ofthe head, and by extensionback of the neck (i.e. nape). Ratherlike the
Englishterm heading, it alsocameto be usedfigurativelyof an item or clause.
HANDS REACHING FOR THE SKY
KQawateru/tadashii
BE FLUSTERED
12strokes
27 hereessentiallymeaningcloth. {
is mix/ cross/ exchangel l5 q.v.,
$. is thread ,
phoneticallyto expresstwist and also lendingan idea ofcriss cross. Thus to
iereacing
out cloth over something in a criss cross fashion and twist (in order to squeeze
outthecontents),giving wring and later strangle.
Mnemonic:WORK HEADINGS INCLUDE SUNDRY ITEMS
1263 -lf
-ff
tfr
Kd, mizo, dobu
DITCH, CHANNEL
13strokes
Tzkffi cESUIKo
&q 9 MtzoKtzu
Eilf
4 DoBUNEZUMIsewerrat
7 is water 40. S is nuila up/ accumulation 675 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto
clpresscriss cross and probably also lending an idea of accumulation/plurality. 1263
originallyreferred to (a number of?) crisscrossing irrigation channels, giving
the
present
meanings.Suggesttaking
literally as pile of baskets.
h
MNCMonic:
BUILD WATER CHANNEL WITH PILE oF BASKETS?!
KQ tsuna
gist
EfiE vord
CABLE,LINE,PRINCIPLEtfiFl TAIKO mainprincif,les
14strokes
fiFldI E rsuNABIKr tus_of_war
fr.is tfrreaOZl,itere meaningcord.
14 is (towering)hilt g64q.v.,hereactingphoto express
strong andprobablyalsolendingan ideaof formidable. Thus
"'r:or,IGno formidable?) cord, i.e. a rope or cable. Line is
an associated
meaning,
Iton*principle
"rru
being a figurativeassociated
meaningwith line/ thread(cf. Englishthread
"r or8umentetc.).
MNCTNONiC:
CABLE THREADS WAY UP HILLSIDE
402
drain
grooving
I
tI
'F
c"NERALuse rz6s-r267
""
lt.te
-
lt
HE roso
rrd
ffi* roso_
8*l ii:ul''YEAST
;[ H
HAKKO
"ilil:
fermentatisn
it ntiul piety 860 q.v., here acting
$ is wine jar 302, here meaning alcohol. {
phonetically to expressyeast and probably also suggestingthe processof aging through
ttl>. lAging) yeastis
its elementsof young (i.e. child $ 25) andold (i.e.old man /
involved in the processof fermentation in the production of alcohol.
"T'i
6'
ffi"H-",
GENERALUSE1268-1270
ffi A ror.rvu
ffi -H rosel
ffi ;f fOoOI(u
purchase
bu/ne
subscription
shell/ money 90. # is build up/ piled up baskets 675 q.v., here acting pho![ is
expressdesire and almost certainly also lending connotationsof pile/ large
tencallyto
1268 originally referred to desiring something to the extent of paying
rmount.
amount of?) money for it, and eventually came to mean buy in a broad
6uf (a large
sense.
Mnemonic: FILIAL PIETY IS A JAR OF FERMENTED ALCOHOL
Mnemonic:USE SHELL-MONEY TO BUY PILE OF BASKETS
1266
-.9_
o
r0
MANUSCRIPT, STRAW
tr fH cprvro
& fH rorO
15 strokes
+
fB SOKO
manuscnpt
contribution
roughdraft
Formerlylso * . *. irrice ptant / grain plant 8l,while 6 istall 119. Thetall
part of a grain plant is its stem, which was the original meaning of 1266, with straw being an associatedmeaning.Nowadaysstraw is usually conveyedby the NGU characterf ,
which addsplant rt
1269
9. Manuscript is a borrowedmeaning.
*? Fd couoN
B F cosErr
tZ FaA coMoNDAI
GO
TORTURE, HIT
9 strokes
romrre
torture
therack
f, is hand 32. 4 is consider 117 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressbeat/ hit
andpossiblyalso lending its connotationsof bent figure. Thus to beat someonewith
thehand (causingthem to double up?), which also came ro mean hurt and later, by association,torture.
Mnemonic: MANUSCRIPT ABOUT TALL RICE PLANTS
-'Ff,l
riu:,"
Mnemonic:CONSIDER HOW TO USE HAND TO TORTURE
1267 | lD'
x.O xuuiti
{EI ::::ff.'Y.KE
h'&
KINK'
+'fu
'&
#
Istr(o
KoKr
balance
equilibrium
scales
Zll'
i( is big man 53, here meaningsimply man. & i" usimplification of horn h
,(1isgo 118 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresscrosswiseand also lendingsimilar
pieceof
connotationsfrom its literal meaningof crossroads. 1267originally referred to a
tt *ul
wood fixed across a cow's horns to prevent them from goring the herdsman'
later also used to refer to a yoke, though technically this is a different device. Balancet
frorn
scales is felt by some scholarsto be a borrowed meaning, and by others to derive
of scaies'
the fact that the piece of wood was fixed horizontallyand thus suggesteda set
of bi9'
Suggestremembering 6 as a'stumpy' horn, with fi in its commonersense
fortitude
bristle
integrity
ll issword/
cut 181. lfil is (towering) hill 864 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto exPressstrong and almost certainly also lending connotations
of formidable. Thus a
otmng (and
formidabte?) sword, which later came to symbolisestrength and power rn general.
IINEMONiC:
CUTTING DOWN A HILL TAKES STRENGTH
Mnemonic:BIG STUMPY HORN GOES ON TO THE SCALES
404
FJU
@ corEN
ffi|J€ couo
ffillrH cocuoru
405
GENERALUSE I2TI-1273
I27l
R
GENERALUSE,1274-1276
Fffi c6u
cO
heavy rqin
S T R E N G T H ,S P L E N D O R ,# t t C 6 S O * i'IJ COSHU
AUSTRALIA, BRUSH
14strokes
Australia
Of confusingsemanticevolution. A modified combinationof pig/ pig-like creaturefr
1670 and tall fif, 119. The latter acts phoneticallyto expressfearsome sword-like
weapon (in effect being a phonetic substitutefor strongsword )FJ!J1270)and almostcer(tall?) fcartainly also originally lent its meaningof tall. Thus pig-like creature with
porcupine
to
the
reference
(a
some sword-like weapons. This was technicallya
but was apparentlyalso
meaningstill found in Chineseandvery occasionallyin Japanese),
usedto refer to the wild boar, thus leadingto strength (andin Chineseprowess)andthe
occasionallyencounteredassociatedmeaningsof mane and bristle (includingn'riting
brush) and by further confusingassociationdown and plumage' Splendor is felt to be
meaningwith plumage. Of late 1271hasalsobeenusedinsteadof the NGU
an associated
charactermoat :A (i.e. water i 40 plus ft in its senseof formidable) to refer to Aus'-gl
83.
andhouse *
tratia. Suggesrtaking A as a combinationof tall
AUSTRALIA BOASTS SPLENDID STRONG TALL HOUSES
MNEMONiC:
I272
KOKU
CONQUER,OVERCOME
? snokes
GOKU
PRISON,LITIGATION
14strokes
splenrlsl
H ER roruFUKU subjugation
self-denial
E d rOxrl
diligence
H 9E fOI(UVE'I
Mnemonic:OVERCOME BENT OLD PERSON
'''
6E :iin:';H,",f'"'
exPloitatton
ffi if rorusgt
crueltY
fi EE zeNrcOrU
heal
ffi E rorusuo intense
proclaim 481 q.v., here acting on"""tit:tl1^::,il;
S is wine jarlalcohol 302. + is
connotationsof reekingfrom its idea of enlergr"e
lending
also
possibly
a
fress strong and
astringent in
from the mouth. Thus strong alcohol, leadingto strong/-intense/
meaning'
generalsense,with cruel/ harsh being an associated
Mnemonic:CRUEL PROCLAMATION ABOUT ALCOHOL
Il
406
ft ffi CtCOfU
criminalcase
Two dogs n /f\ opposedto eachother,indicatinga fight, with words/ speak
f,
274. 1274originally referredto a dispute, then camero meanritigation (sdl a strong
in chinese). This gradualy broadenedto mean going
meaning
through the regarpro_
cess,leadingto imprisonment and prison.
Mnemonic:woRDs IN Doc FIGHT LEAD To LITIGATION AND pRISoN
1275
komulmeru
E;44MIKOMI
PUT IN, BE CROWDED
5 strokes
prospect
A 4" HITOGOMI
L b ,+rnKoMEMoNo
crowd
sruffins
M o v e m e n t L 1 2 9a n d e n t e r /p u t i n \ e f , g i v i n g m o v e
into/ put into andby
association
be crowded. A ,madein Japan,character.
Mnemonic:
IT BECOMES CROWDED AS pEOpLE
MOYE TO ENTER
1276
Somewhatobscure. /L is bending person 39. rt is old 109 q.v., herein its assumed
literal meaningof skull-like mask. 1272 oiginally appearedto refer to a personbending
rvith'
underthe weight of a heavy ceremonialmask,then cameby associationto mean
stand (i.e.the weightof rhe mask)and eventuallyovercome/conquer.
tritFTcorurraoN prison
gate
i& fil ncoru
heu
ET
KON
ut3
MULTITUDE, INSECT,
DESCENDANTS
,R -* roucH0
.8 4; roNsu
l4 E roroN
insecr
kelp
descendants
8 strokes
^^bng-.irln,.rpreted
character.usually takento comprisesun/ day
a 62 ,in the sense
andcompare y/- 771q.v.,in its literal
sense
of
rine of peopre,to give rine of
:1time'
people
over time, i.e. descendants,with
muttitude beingan associated
meaningand
lllsect'uken
to be an associated
meaningin turn from the ideaof swarm. However,
very
oldforms
suchas .i showthat 1276isin
fact a pictographof an insect with regs ((r
B . Thus insectis the originalmeaning.However,
sinceearly
frJ,t::"lur"
.L/
miscopied
asday B and peopte K, thusgiving
v
1116
descendanrs
uEluEltuall[S
and multltude
an(l
6r
ilS
multitude
;::,.:*1t
ru. .,
rvr
tlre
lnterpretationcited above,
.
but somewhatincongruouslythe originar meaning
lnsect
of
was retained-
lr
'vuremonic:
DE'.ENDANTS LINE up ovER MAN'
DAys, LIKE INSECTS
407
,l
GENERAL USE, T277-1279
GENERALUSE 1280.1281
L277
u*=b f,iJ;.'lTkll'"'n"
rt(. fSlt$:KcREr
-H,$ffi:o,";#:
rna.*:r....=.
H 4 nsxoN
soul
ffi 4 SHoTON salesmanship
4lH b TAMAGERU*be
shocked
p4 is stop and stare/ turn round and stare 263, herenq1{. is hearVfeelings 147.
ing phoneticallyto expresscontrary and also lending similar connotationsof turning
Possiblybeagainst. 1277 oigirlally meantto have contrary feelings/ be opposed.
it
to acquire
came
causeof the idea of staring containedin R. (ut opposedto voicing),
particular(but not exclusive)connotationsof oppositionkept in the heartratherthanopenly
expressed,giving resentment and by associationregret'
demon 1128 q.v., here meaningspirit of a dead person.
Z is say/
foisghost/
q.v., here acting phonetically to expressmove/ swirl and also
speak7S
lending its literal
r,eaningof vapors. Thus swirring vapors which are the spirit of a dead per.
son,laterspirit and soul in a broadersense.Suggesttaking a
as two ;- 6l noses
Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE WITH RESENTFUL FEELINGS
Mnemonic:GHOST WITH TWO NOSES IS A FUNNY SPIRIT
1278
KON
MARRIAGE
11 strokes
engagement
fF f't rolwAKU
ffi fE fr KEKKoNSHIKIwedding
YTffi X &d sHtNxoNFUFU
newly weds
is woman 35. f it * NGU charactermeaningdim/ sunset.
Somewhatobscure. f
is
It comprisessun A 62 and,scoopf<, 495 q.v., thoughthe role of the latter element
giving sun at the
unclear (some scholarstake it to be an abbreviationof bottom I 548'
sunset
and
Woman
$ arepopululy
{"
bottom Iof irs trajectory]and hencesunset).
practice
of wedding
supposed
to
some
interpretedas being used ideographicallyto refer
for
this' Some
foundation
ceremoniesbeing held at sunset,but thereis no historical
root
express
authoritative Japanesescholarstake $ to be usedpurely phonetically to
to
refer
and thus take 46 to
111ONtrR 2g21,which was a euphemismfor male organ,
con'
of the
the penetration of a woman. As in western societies,this was a symbol
taking fi, in its meaningof Mr. (It is renrotely
summationof marriage. Suggest
chosenasa phonetic*nth
oni["ty, tr,at fr wasdeliberately
butchronologi"luUy
possible,
manandwoman')
fq in its latersenseof Mr, to givea balancebetween
BELow
Mnemonic:woMAN MARRIES MISTER, WITH SUN SINKING
""
fiH-€ roxrno
fifl-E ror'rva
r1€fifl NoroN
$U #$::'"E'DYE
darkblue
dYer
darkblue
b r34.
l28l
4K
KON
ffi4fetr(ON
reclamation
CULTIVATE, RECLAIM
4 E roNoEN
newfields
16strokes
UTTIII<ONCHI
*ffiA1&
virgin land
Somewhat
obscure. Formerly \( , anOin earlier times
if. . R l, stop and stare
263. X is the obscureelementseenin ;{
442q.v.,and is takenby somescholarsto
haveoriginally meantbeast . In this caseit doesindeed
appearto have beeninterchangeablewith beast
(see
berow).
In
combination
with
$
stop and stare p. it gives the NGU
characterdifficurt
f,ft , though it is not clear how theseelemenrsare used. ! was rater
rcplaced
by pig t, 1670,presumablymeaningsimply beast,
andlater sdu bv g .This is
a co characterused of
a range of mythical beasts. It showscraws (v 303 and
dog/
beast | 17, and is generally
known as the crawed beast (affectionatelycraude Beast)
or clawed dog radical.
gR actsphoneticaly
In the caseof 12gl
to express
#u xgl
difficult and
also lends a similar meaning,combining with earth/ ground
-L 60 to give
earth that is
difficurt (to tiil/ curtivate). This was a referenceto virgin
rand, leadhB by association
to reclaim and cultivate.
H'nn
sroP
AND
STARE AT CLAWED BEAST ON RECLAIMED
Thus
phoneticallyto expressdark blue'
ft, is thread 27. I is sweet 1093,here acting
with dye a minor meanrng'
threads (dyed) dark blue, later dark blue in general'
Mnemonic: THREADS DYED A SWEET DARK BLUE
408
[,
409
GENERALUSE 1286-1288
GENERALUSE 1282-1285
I
ilR
r\S
KUNUAN
?*-dRromeN
3*#
chat
char
KON, nengoro
COURTESY,CORDIALITY,NR,HNKONGAN "NUeat,,
*RH rou kindness,friendslio
EARNEST WISH
17strokes
ps6
,9H
Ale
SA, kusari
CHAIN, LINK
18strokes
SAtr SefOKU closed
country
iE $A nrNse
chain,series
SArL b KUSARIDOMEsprocket
1281
rs; is heart/ feelings 141. 8k is the somewhatobscureelementseenin ry
q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresswish/ request and possiblyalso lendingconn6(which is difficult 1s
rations of difficulty. Thus a wish/ request from the heart
the ideaof
in Japanese
but
meaning,
make?). In Chineseearnestwisl/ beseechis a major
and
of
cordiality
hence
meanings
earnestness/ sincerity gave rise to the associated
')f literally as clawed
taking
Suggest
courtesy, which are now the major meanings.
beast (claws Q 303 and beast h l7) and stop and stare pa 263'
14. H is an elementmeaningchain/ link, comprisingshelt
Q SOna
lJ ismetal
.l/ ltl' 36 (smallshellsbeing strungtogetherin a chain). Somescholarsfeel that
srnail
phoneticallyto expressconnect. Thus metal chain (of small connected
H alsoacts
formerly wrinen -r'H , though this is technicallya separatecharacter
[nkg. 1286was also
1ft tszt, the latter acting in a similar phonetic role to
of similarmeaningusing nest
filending
also
connotations
of round and hollow. suggesttaking
in
its
andpossibly
f
meaningof gold.
Mnemonic:sToP AND STARE AT CLAWED BEAST, CORDIALITY IN
HEART
Mnemonic:CHAIN OF SMALL GOLD SHELLS
1283
lY
'lE
lffi{4 gosa
itrrrt,
AssIsrAN=fEH
7 srrokes
assistance
1287
orrrcer
s'q'ru'r'r neld
t4A r.q.$e
colonel
,f :1. origiLeIt E_ 22 q.v., here with its original meaningof assist,with person
assistance.
assist/
nally assistant,but now also
Mnemonic: ASSISTED BY PERSON ON ONE'S LEFT
'284
effiHdi^ il:,'':#
ihisillKa?;*o"
.aft
+\W# KYoSASHA abettor
VL
lo strokes
ex'
p is moutfr/say 20. fr is tinge. 689, here actingphoneticallyto expresscoerce/
with
often
hort but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to urge someoneto do something,
words
of
sense
its
extended
in
taking
Suggest
6
connotationsof wrongdoing.
SAI, kudaku/keru
BREAK, SMASH
9 strokes
4 )l< fr; SAtrIYOSEN icebreaker
4 H- SnffnN
fragment
W ld f< KLIDAKETA informal
Formerly&
is soldier 537, hereacting phonericallyto
A is stone/ rock 45. f
cxpresssmash/ break up but of unknown semanticrole. Thus smash rock, later
smash/break up in a broadersense.Suggesttaking
fr as nine tt-t tz anaten f 3:.
Mnemonic:SMASH ROCK INTO NINETEEN FRAGMENTS
1288
SAI
ADMINISTER
10 strokes
++#
sHUSAISHA
leader
+ €F SAIRYO
managemenr
+ tE SATSHO primeminister
}.ishouse/ building 28.
* isneedle 1432q.v.,but is known to have symbolised
prisoner
and thus derives from the variant y lZ that appearsto have been an instrutorture. Thus prisoners in a buirding. This was actually reference
Mnemonic:LINGERING WORDS OF ENTICEMENT
a
to prison::it:t
ersbeing
made to work in a building (at one stagestrike p 153 was added
to
act as a
swindler
'AGISHI
#ffiFm
sA
panicle,giving'{}, which is still foundln Chineseas
-arw SASHU
frauo
a varianrof 1288). rn chi:::"jt]
LIE, DECETVE
'* 1288
can also meanto slaughteranimals,which appearsto be a referenceto one
misrepresentaflon
sesHo
of the
#fh
strokes
12
q!(s usually
assignedto prisoners.In general, however,the ideaofprisonersat work led
"J associationto the idea
of supervising suchwork, giving supervisor/ruler in Chinese
lendsits latercon'
ald administer
Words/ speak f 274 andmake/make up f lZt q.v., which also
in
Japanese.
similar'
Suggesttaking s' in its senseof sharp.
notationsof dectit. Thus made up deceitful words, i'e' a lie or
Mnemonic:MAKE UP WORDS IN DECEITFUL LIE
410
€hOnic:BUILDING
HoUsES SHARP ADMINISTRATION
4II
GENERALUSE 1289-1291
GENERAL USE 1292-1294
#E sener
ftfi soNseI
Bfft seNzet*
SAI
PLANTING
10 strokes
cultivallq,.,
bonsai
Se.rden
ri' is cuV fancy halberd 872, hereactingphoneticallyto expresspln11
A is tree 69.
and possibly also loosely lending similar connotationsfrom the occasionalpracticeof
thrusting a halberd/lance into the ground as a crude marker (see698). Thus to plant
trees, later ptant/ planting in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:PLANT TREES USING FANCY HALBERD!?
'2s0
x7
Mnernonic:DEBT IS A PERSON'S LIABILITY
color(ing)
€, X7 SruruSet
[ght colorins
/A X7 reNsel
SAI, irodora
COLOR
11 strokes
f7 E
SntUN
sAI, movdsa
lrgs A).l
glowingclouds
y' \s delicate hairs 93, here meaningattractive adornment. fi is trand plucking
from tree 483 (literally hand ly 303 and tree 2( 69), here acting phoneticallyto express
variety and possibly also lending similar connotations ( fr does in fact have a lesser
meaningof variety of color, but it is not clear whetherthis is a meaningacquiredin its own
right, suchas by extensionfrom a bouquetof picked blossomsor similar, or whetherit results from its use as a simplificationof color *b 1290). Thus attractive and varied
adornment, which later came to meanin particularan attractive variety of color and
finally just coloration/ color. Suggesttaking 1, as the hairs of a brush.
BRUSH PAINTS COLORS OF BLOSSOMS TAKEN FRON{ TREE
MNCMONiC:
t29r
tF 728
herein its literal meaningof money which can be
Liability
demand1.-v.,
39'
here
I
referringto the persondoing the demanding.Thus money
dd-pu.tlon
.a,
person, namely a debt/ loan.
demandedby a
ffifr SAXAI
Purificanon
SAI
a studv
sHosAI
#ffi
PURIFICATION,ABSTAIN,
TESSET
Rffi
WORSHIP, A STUDY
purificadon
abstinence'
11 strokes
of strnr
Formerly ff . iK is a variant of altar/ of the gods ,fi 695' fi is a variant
lending
i- 6 io| q.u., n.r" acting phoneticallyto expresspure/ purirred and also
Thus
offering'
for
food
arranged
similar connotationsfrom its literal meaning of
BI
purified food for offering to the gods, leadingto purification and worship'
purified foods
associationit also came to mean abstain, from the fact that priests ate only
of a nowde'
and abstainedfrom others.Study derivesfrom 1291'suseas a simplification
'"
This,camr
funct characterf; , which addedbuildinC f n4 to give placeof worship.
taxtttE"'
mean(room in a) temple,which was a placeof contemplation/study. suggest
modernform ff as altar f. , text { 68' and a frame I l'
?"*":r-)"''IIUSTER
\E
obscure.'f is person 39. € is a co charactermeaninghigh mountain, thus suggesting that the charactercomprisestwo distinct elementsof mountain ,u 24 and,bird
E.
216andis not one of the graphically similar crestedbird characters(see 1202). The
ety_
mologyof S is not clear, but E presumablysuggestsheight (either from a
bird soaringor a high place wherebirds gather)andprobably also playsiome unclearphonetic
rore.
In thecaseof 1293the role of # ls also unclear. some scholarsfeel
that it originally actcd phoneticallyto expressforge (metar),giving person who
forges metar, i.e.
swordsmith, and that it was later borrowedto expressorganise/
muster. However,
theevidencefor this is not entirely convincing. An altemativJypothesis
might be that @
actsphoneticallyto expressadminister/ supervise (see
t2sd), in a senseof control,
andalsolendsconnomtionsof gathering (birds
occasionailysymbolisingthis), thusgiv_
inga controlled gathering of persons
and henceboth organise and muster.
MNCMONiC:
PERSON MUSTERS AND ORGANISES BIRDS
ON MOUNTAIN
tt'o
sAr, sEr
Jt:-
FF.
- ffi t.us.cr *","u., *
H€:f#-T:ii:nH:
"i,tl",
'u"h u, /fi ,no*
fl-a-torms
$ , theold form of wark rF 202q.v.,andharberd/trimarng
tool t!9 z+s rti* nuru".il
trimmingtoot r\ 515).Thelaneractsphonericaily
roexurlo
lend
supporting
ngu.ati.,"connotations
of cuVcut orr (cutting
l[.T fl:::t:"11.-u1
*i;;;,Te_ lociated with halberds-- see493),asin theEnglishtermcut_offp oint.t29i
reterred
^reqrq'y
to walking one lap/ circuit, but was then applied
to the completion
of time, specifically
u y.ui. Suggest
taking g- asfoot t2g, ,f, asa vari_
il:l:|"
-'utaltar
fr 695,andft- astratnerA.
hternonic;
EvERy 'EAR HALBERDS'LACED AT Foor
oF ALTAR
Mnemonic:TEXT ON PURIFICATION USING FRAMED ALTAR
4t2
E {H snusel
sponsorship
lE tE SAISOKU
urging
'f& HE senarN
hypnosis
413
GENERAL USE 1295.1297
fF ff serusnt
€ # ruIset
Edff ruser
SAl, norulseru
LOAD, CARRY
13strokes
loadins
o
publicatiol
mention
is fancy halberdl cut 872 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto 91{, is vehicle :t. 4
pressload and almost certainly also lending connotationsof trim/ adjust. Thus thal
now load/
which is loaded onto a vehicle (and adjusted?), i.e. load/ cargo,
carry.
Mnemonic: VEHICLE CARRIES LOAD OF FANCY HALBERDS
1re6
tl
# f;IJFm YAKUZAISHIphamracist
* frtJYerUzar
yil:l:)'DRLG
f€ T fi! KANGEZAT
drus
laxative
issimilar 1473
iT/*
Formerly *rl . rl issword/ cut 181, here meaningtrim'
its
q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressput in order and also lending own connotasome'
tions of arrange and make similar. 1296originally referredto fine trimming
regulate/
mean
adjust/
to
came
thing until all aspects were similar, and thus
the body
make just right. This was later appliedto medicines/ drugs, which regulate
to
(some scholarsfeel rather that the adjustmentwas carried out on the drugs themselves'
with
association
partial
by
ensurethe optimal mix). Suggestrememberingsimitar ft
68.
text t
TO SWORD
Mnemonic:TEXT SAYS DRUGS CAN BE SIMILAR IN EFFECT
'2s7,ht'JIl"l"'"""
Nagasakr
F il6 Naceseru
a
tl6
sruv AZAKL surname
H
road
steeP
il6 ( rlru
dan'
ttZS. The latter actsphoneticallyto express
Mountain |.1 24 andstrange $
Thus
gerous and almost certainly also lends connotationsof unusual/ exceptional'
tt
In Japanese
(exceptionalty?) dangerous mountain, i'e' one that is very steep'
c.a(n
mountainflSrtl$tt"*
has come to mean promontory/ cape, being a referenceto a steep
I
I
".fr
'l
GENERALUSE1298-1300
SAKU, kezuru
PARE, REDUCE
9 strokes
HUh saruro
deletion
HtJffi Serucnu
reducrion
HU9 W 6 KEZURTToRU
shaveoff
tl is sword/ cut 181,while
H is be like l39l q.v. Some
Of disputedetymology.
that
the
latter
feel
acts
phonetically
to
express
put
in, giving that into which
scholars
sword,
i-e.
a
a
scabbard,
puts
pare/
and
take
reduce
to be a borrowing. (In such
one
cue S might also be felt to lend an ideaof similarity [of shape],i.e. the scabbardmatch_
ing the sword.) Thereis someevidenceto supportthis theory in that the useof leather g
g2l insteadof sword tl gives the co characterscabbard/sheath
$fi . However, orher
scholarstake fr to lend connotationsof reduce from its original meaning of miniature
version,as well as possibly acting phoneticallyto expressfe*/ litfle (see ztx 316), to
give reduce by cutting. It is possible that both theories are correct, in that lzgg may
originallyhave meant scabbard,but that parel reduceresults from a reinterpretationof its
(in similar fashionto the reinterpretationof 1276)rather
elements
than a simple borrowing.
taking fr literally as small .r, /,tr 36 and flesh Fl 365.
Suggest
Mnemonic:TO CUT AWAY SMALL BITS OF FLESH IS TO
PARE
1299
SAKU
ROPE, SEARCH
l0 strokes
index
speculation
cable
Oldforms such as PH rtto* hands
Y{ and thread A t ,$. Zl. The handsare in facr
plaiting the threadinto
rope. Search is a borrowedmeaning. Suggesttaking
lz as a
roof with a cross, i .e.
a church roof.
MNCMONiC:
SEARCH FOR ROPE: FIND THREAD UNDER CHURCH
ROOF
1300
SAKU, su, suppai
VINEGAR, SOUR
12strokes
Ft & seruseN
acetic
acid
Yvo tht suNoMoNo
pickles
W 2lrI suzuKE
pickling
atcohot
302,heremeaning
wine. f is maker2T,herealso
acting
fu:,T::r:r/
--rrworryIo express
passageof time. Thus that which is made from wine
with
Fassageof time, i.e. vinegar.
the sea.
rf,^
'rl€
MOUNTAIN
Mnemonic:CAPE FORMED BY STRANGE STEEP
l&temonic:
'INEGAR IS MADE FR.M wrNE
4t4
Rdlserun
,E R SruSerU
ffi * resseru
415
GENERALUSE 1301-1303
GENERALUSE 1304-1307
# R sarusnu
E' {4 esseru
SAKU, shibora
WRING. PRESS
13 strokes
exploitatiqi
presSure
W I W 6 SHIBORIToRU exracr
'madein Japan'charactercomprisinghand I 32 and , a" NGU charactermeaning
A
fi
squeeze/make narrow (from hole R 849 and make ry W) which alsoactsherephol
netically to expresspress. Thus press and squeezewith the hand, now press/
wring in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:MAKE HOLE BY PRESSING WITH HAND
r3o2
Ail
'y-A
FtJff
is olden times 1481q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresscover
$ is metal 14. t
and almostcertainlyalsolendingits connotationsof duplicate.Thus to cover with metal
(therebymaking a secondsurface?),i.e. to plate and by associationinlay (still a minor
meaningin Chinese). Somescholarstake mix up/ confuse to be a borrowedmeaning,
while otherstake it to be an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of mixing elementsinvolved
in inlaying/ plating.
:2
f,T
7\.
V\ + K t srnzuzerr
Perennial
blooming
late
osoznrr
iE
X
A
BLooM,BLossoM
6
se.rrNoKoRu
K A4
estrokes
saku
staYin bloom
uS
Ir not raiserepeatedly t 1603?u, u
Formerly pt. ,, is mouth/ say 20. Rlf
old torm 'r'
anr or miscopyingof (drooping?)thistle 5[ SOOq.v., as is clearfrom an
also lendsconnota* t *. t*- u",. lnon",i.ally to expresscreaseand almostcertainly
the moutlt'
tions of thin (from the stem of the thistle), to give (thin) creasesaround
rts
1303(and.still
This was a referenceto smiling and laughing, the original meaningsof
tnet""the ideaof laughingled by associationto
only meaningsin Chinese).In Japanese
disaP'
1135
tuuo1.'
of a plant opening its mouth, giving blossom/bloom, while smile/
its
with I in
peared. Suggesttaking { as heaven d 58 and out ofl forth " 66'
literal senseof oPen mouth.
ti
lr
h
wood 69. L is not praying figure L 413, though
*istreel
it may be helpful to reaemberitassuch,butavarianrofoddLlo4r,hereusedpurelyphoneticalytoexpress
sfice/shave thinly. Thus thinry shaved piece of wooJ, i.e.-a-tag,which was later
at5sappliedto money bilts/ notes.
*'
ffitHm
m iti*,'trrsumarzz
f is hand 32. fuis most 4g4 q.v., here in its literal senseof take by force.
Thus
take by force with the hand, i.e. snatch/ pluck, often
with connotarionsof theft or
improperpossession.It is also usedof taking photographs,
probably from the idea of
quickaction.
Mnemonic:TAKE MOSTLY By HAND
Mnemonic:IN OLDEN TIMES METALS WERE OFTEN MIXED UP
1303
ilLfL
SATSUIRE
billfold
4 fL Nnnroa nameplate,
tag
+HTL SENENSATSU
1000yennote
Mnemonic:PERSON PRAYS AT TREE FOR MONEY BILLS
:if,Y:?' ffiS;
i*f""-,.'NFUSEHH rosKu
perversion
16strokes
*f,L ilH:i'ril1n""
TO BLOSSOM FORTfl
Mnemonic:HEAVENLy FLOWERS O*EN MOUTHS
4t6
*
trm
i,",:iriffi:'J.#li'.
dR
is rearise4g9q.v.,hereactingphonetically
to express
I".t:,nulo
?2 wrub andpossi'ly alsotending
anideaof scouringfromits assrriedearryconnotations
of purify. Thusto
rubwith the
hand,nowrub in a broader
sense.
UINCmonic:
REALISE HAND IS CHAFED
sara
DISH, BOWL, PLATE
5 strokes
tt;r,"t_t
-"u9,
Xm HAIZARA
ashtray
tm ozena
hrgedish
m 6t h SAIL{AIr,\I dishwashine
derivative of a stemmed
bowl with exaggeraredlip E.
with g
as a dish on a plate.
-hCMONi..FLUTED DISH
ON PLATE
417
Suggesttaking r I as
rlI
cENERALUSE1308-1310
|l
rl
tl
GENERALUSE1311-1313
"-tRhru"^M'FRAME
& ffi snllBesril
ffi # sanru*
& rE. sewoo
jet$
stancl.
box
ZAN, shibara&u
A WHILE, BRIEFLY
15strokes
W
firr
B;Eg:J
H
r\l-
114
ZANTEITEKI
renrative
ZANJI
shorttime
SHIBARAKUSHITE
walkwaymadeof planftg
. fi,is tree/wood 69. { is lances/halberds493, hereactingphoneticnlly to expressinterweave and probably also lending an idea of pole. Thus intelvevga
piecesof wood, a referenceto a frame and the spars/ beams forming it. Suggesttak-
Formerly &
lng l,
as two =
6l lances \
+SZ.
FRAME MADE USING TWO WOODEN LANCES AS SPARS
MNEMONiC:
1309 t A
,hiXi
VA-
SAN, ZAN, mugol,miiime 'J4'6li SANGEKI
'J4iE zeNsarsu
CRUEL,MISERABLE
7.F'[4rnsn'N
11strokes
tragedv
mirssacre
misery
I -
go 490q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express
f is heart/ feelings Vl . 6 is attend/
needle/pierce and probablyalsolendingreinforcingconnotationsof needle/pin fromits
original meaning of woman with ostentatioushairpins.Thus to pierce the heart
(figuratively with a needle),i.e. torment, symbolisingcruelty from one point of view
and misery from another.
MnemoNiC:CRUELTY ATTENDED BY FEELINGS OF MISERY
1310
SAN, kasa
UMBRELLA, PARASOL
12strokes
S T Snf.UcetF 4 eWCeSA
B 4 rncese
affiliated
unrbrella
Parasol
after a while
day 62, heremeaning time. fi(1 is an NGU character
meaningbehead/kiil.
e iss'n/
etymology
is unclear,but it comprisesvehicre
Itsexact
3t
and,axliut
q ttii,
e
andmaypossiblyhaveoriginally referredto cutting someonedown in their carriage/palanquin.Hereit actsphoneticallyto expressbrief/ quick, and presumablyarsolendssimilar
from the swiftnessassociated
with beheading.Thus brief time. confusing_
connotations
ly, butin exactly-the sameway as the Englishterm a white, in practiceit can aiso meana
considerabletime
Mnemonic:AX TAKES A WHILE -- A DAy -. TO CHOP UP VEHICLE
t3l2
13
EI
E F vosnr
ffi F suusnr
F F ulaauue
MNCMONiC:
GIST IS THAT PERSON THINKS IT'S GOOD
TO SIT IN SUN
""d6f
SHI, ukagau
VISIT, SEEK, ASK.
IIEAR
7 strokes
fi1
t',J ttls
1-dv1 f * 6
UKAG_AIGOTOinquiry
SHIKO
courresy
call
UKAGAISAGURU
spyout
officiat 497c1.v.,here
actingphonetically
Jrr..Ttt::^1? , . = ]r administer/
ro express
IJlSrsacharacrerof
rJrJ
rs a cniirircrer
oI
relativelyrecenroriginitisprobablethat
relatlveiy
""
recent
origin
Iend.;*
it is probablethat FJ
,ndr;,:::.e
FJ also
also
,:-
Mnemonic:UMBRELLA COVERS FOURTEEN PERSONS!
.fn#;i":"^--eantng of official (asopposedto its original meaningof anus). Thus (an
person who observes,
actualrya referenceto an investigator. The present
n'^--lo"/
-"qrun8s
areall derivedfrom the ideaof investigatine.
i
,l
\.",OFFrCrAL
I
glsr
spirit
nicely
B is a simplificationof sweet t
tosz q.v., herearsowith its connotarionsof ringer_
ing in the mouth. Ll is spoon 910. Thus
something sweet which is spooned
into the mouth and (whose taste)ringers.
This cameto meantasty, and good in a
broadsense.Gist is a borrowedmeaning,
resultingfrom 1312,sbeingusedinsteadof ,fs,
a co character
meaninggist which .on'bin..
$ with heary'feerings ,l- r47 andpresumablymeansliteralry that which (is good
and?)rngers in the heart. Suggesttaking
E as
sun62 and 6 as sitting person
23g.
suPports
of an umbrella/parasolshowingits frame { . , h o o d A , a n d
A pictograph
t as
A asa cover (see87), [[ asfour persons A rs, and
ff . suggesttaking
ten 33.
SHI, mune,umai
TASTY, GOOD. GIST
6 strokes
4t8
pERSoN vrSrTS AND
419
ASKS
lll
tl
il
I
GENERALUSE1314-1317
""
'"i&
iHhH:"#lJl""no**
-,ffiH
fr,|
MEISHI
SASHIMI
TOGENUKI
namecard
sashi6l
rweezers
i*:il":"J'il""
CHARITY ro
nE'ffi srnno
fat
,EE'fi,esuneKE greasiness
nE' E YANIME
Meat/of the body n 365andtasty
ft tln.
leanmeat.
well-being
SHIFUKU
welfare
FUKUSHI
FUKUSHIKOKKA
welfarestate
gummyeyes
fat wasoftenconsidered
tastierthan
Mnemonic:FAT IS TASTY MEAT
r320
latFormerly ft.tL . i' 17 is altar/ of the gods 695, while rL is foot/ stop 129' The
be'
ter actsphoneticallyto expressbestow but any semanticrole is unclear-Thus that
stowed by the gods, a referenceto happiness/ well-being.
K
SHI, murasaki
PURPLE, VIOLET
l2 strokes
f€ ,E snreN tobacco
smoke
# € uunesAKm.o purple
# ^ ffi sHrcArsEN
ultraviolet rays
fr is thread 27. t-is an NGU
charactermeaningthis/ here, and comprisesfoot/
stop
12.9andsitting person
(, 23s(bothpresumablyindicating
:
not moving fiom a giv.E6 actsherephoneticallyto expresspurpre, bur
any semanricrole is unclear.
il,:^"*,
tnuspurple
lhreads, now simply purple.
'3'7
"fiff}ffij"','i-:'#
H{.il,*J-:,-^.'
'vuremonic:
pERSoN
lr
sITs AND TIES puRpLE THREAD oN Foor
Mnemonic:LIMBS ARE BRANCHES OF THE BODY
42r
lt
free medicine
TWISTING CREATURE AT
'^3'e
I|H i'iilTtJil'*u"*
Mnemonic:TREE BRANCH
arethc
Ogt. The branchesof the body
facilities
implementation
SIDE
Branch L 691q.v. with tree /( 69. Whereas 691 is now usedlargelyin a figurative
sense1315is largely(but not exclusively)usedliterally.
365andbranch {
SHISETSU
a< [p, JISSHI
PERSON sHows
Mnernonic:
& ffi SHITAI troopdetachment
anders
&F epeZUNO
tfr {L t9. KAREEDA deadbranch
Mnemonic:FIND HAPPINESS AT FOOT OF ALTAR
-Ex
is fluttering flae 3.33. ft is twisting creature 167, hereactingphoneticaly
f
to ex_
prcsswavel billow and almostcertainlyalso lendingits own similar connotationsof
undulating'Thus billowing flag. Perform and charity (which both derive from the same
cor€conceptof doing an action for someone)result from borrowing. Suggesttaking
fr- a5
sidefr 204and person t- 39.
Mnemonic:CUT PIERCING THORNS FROM DROOPY BRANCHED TREE
Flesh/of the body fl
limbs.
E3
SEYAKU
tl is sword/ cut 181. ft is ttrorn 873 q.v., herealso usedin a generalsenseto indicate
somethingsharp and piercing. 1314originally meantstab with a sword beforecory1ing to mean pierce/ stab in general,and it is also occasionallyfound as cut in a broader
sense(e.g.sashimi[slicedfish]). As with 873, suggesttaking fr as a tree uK 69 with
droopy branches rl.
SHI. eda
BRANCH
8 snokes
GENERALUSE1318-1320
GENERAL USE 132I-1323
[*'
GENERAL USE 1324-1326
r32'
,"0
i,,Hil'i"l*""
-"-",,lil
iH:'fi.
Effi
##:if,tcEEDro
ffif
Wfr
REFR sruxe
furloueh
,H.FE oNsgr
imperial
git
FE*ht tl'vl'woNo* gift,boon
Of somewhatconfusedand obscureevolution. Originally written$1, showing bouXn
bamboo writing-tablets rfrfr/ m /S 874 and the componentpafis of administer/ q1.
ficial/ anus 6J 4g7q.v., namely (reversed)buttocks 3 and hole/ opening p 2g.
The reasonfor the dislocationof theseelementsis not clear.When an opening p u'aslatil giving the proper form 7] , the original opening 17 was also
er put under buttocks
,
left over the bound tabletselement ffi , giving the presentform fril ' It is not clear whether
this was simply an error or whetherit was left theredeliberatelyto servesome specialqn6
presumablydifferentpurpose,suchas perhapssuggestingencircling(with binding). 6] is
known to haveactedphoneticallyto expresscontrol, andprobably(at leastat the stageat
which 1 becamewritten as a ) alsolent similarconnotationsof its own (thoughsince
o
administeris a later meaning,it is possiblethat at the time of the earliestform 1 it still
meantanus,in which caseany semanticrole is unclear).Thus to control bound tablets,
a referenceto binding them together particularly securely' This came to mean
bind/ join in general,with inherit and succeed(to) being associatedmeanings(astsugu SE 1203). Theseassociatedmeaningshave now prevailedover bind/join. Suggest
taking fl in its senseof official, and fl as circular/ round (see228)'
Mnemonic:OFFICIAL HEIR TO BOUND CIRCULAR TABLETS
it'iJu{'"'*"
SHIIKU
KAINUSHI
H d V . 7 t KAIINU
EFI F]
Fl
EnlV1i
breeding
owner
Petdog
.f, ls food/ eat 146. 7l is administer/ official 497,hete acting phoneticallyto express
of administer/supervise'Thus to give
five and almostcertainlyalso lendingits meaning
andis
food to people (underone'ssupervision?).In Chineseit still has this meaning'
Japanese
with a CO characterEA (food/eat f andperson ( 39), but in
interchangeable
them'
rearing
to
by
extension
thus
and
animals,
it cameto refer ratherto feeding
THENI
Mnemonic:REAR ANIMALS BY ADMINISTERING FOOD TO
SHI, mesu,me
FEMALE
rnE[E surYu gender'
"t::1:
tffi4 Nasusru cow'n:::;
14 strokes
rlffit
tllEfNU
Drrr"
shelUmoney 90, here meaningvaluable item. fa is easy/ divination 6lg q.v,
I is
phonetically to expressgreat volume and possibly also lending
an idea of dazha,eacing
literal meaningof iridescent. 1324 oiginally referred to a voruminous
its
zh'gfuom
and
vafuabfe(and dazzltng?)reward bestowed by a ruler, leading to bestowal. It still
retainsoccasionalconnoiationsof an imperial bestowal.
Mnemonic:BESTOWAL IS EASY MONEY
1325
:r(
rrr
SHI, hakaru
;6 D te & SmruN
consultation
CONSULT, INQUIRE
;6 Ffi srmaoN
inqurry
16strokes
;A F"5ffi H SFilMONKIKAN
advisory body
'$ is an NGU charactermeaninginvestigate/
inquire. It comprisesmouth/ say E 20
andnext 'R 292 q.v., here acting phoneticaly to express
consurt/ inquire and almost
certainlyalso lending connotationsof sequence.Thus
to inquire verbaily (and in sequence,
i.e. systematically?).1325addswordv speak
f, 274 for emphasis.Nevertheless,theverbalaspecthasnow faded,leavingjust
inquire/ consult.
Mnemonic:IN INQUIRY,
ONE MOUTH SPEAKS,THEN THE NEXT
1326
,{-
It
JI, samurai, haberu
JiliJ"'LP,N'
ffi'rft trlu
ffik tuo
ff {H nso
chamberlain
lady-in-waiting
acolyte
'f o.pur*n
39. +is temple 133,hereactingphoneticallyto express
serve and also
its connorarions
of clerical work. Thus person serving in a clerical capac;,::"t
"Jr rfl[e1servant/ attendant
in general,includingsamurai.
![NCMonic:
p r e s s stakinl
mallb
S i s b i r d 2 1 6 .R ) i s t h i s / h e r e l 3 2 0 , h e r e a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y t o e xSuggest
PERSON IN ATTENDANCE AT TEMPLE
Wu t o f u n '
femate.
the
generally
IS SAMURAI
pair
is
a
of
bird
clearsemanticrole. The smaller
238'
person
L
literally as stop y: 129and sitting
BIRD
Mnemonic: FEMALE PERSON STOPS AND SITS ON
423
GENERALUSE 1327.1329
1327
\
-
I
GENERALUSE1330-1333
t*^
l** rrvo
JI
&ft lrUr
LUXURIANT, RICH,
STRENGTHEN
, ENLIVEN Iff ffi ITU
12strokes
nourishmenl
savorines5
welcomernln
the someSomewhatobscure. Formerly ni . , is water/ river 40, whlle ifr,lfiis
what obscuredouble twisted threadelementseenin 6ifu^ SSt q.v. Its role is unclear.Some
scholarsfeel that it originally actedphoneticallyto expressthe nameofa certainriver, and
take the presentmeaningsto have derived from the life-giving natureof the river in question. However, it may be felt to have actedphoneticallyto expressrear/ grow (asin
1328),as well as possiblylendingconnotationsofmysteriousnessand/ordraw (see881),
to give water/ river that brings growth (and draws forth the mysteriouspower of
life?), with any use as a propernoun stemmingfrom this. Suggestremembering fu by associationwith double (short)thread A lll.
Mnemonic:DOUBLE THREAD OF RMR
BRINGS LUXURIANT GROWTH
ffi l"F lUn
JI, itsukuslzinu
PITY,
AFFECTION
ffi* TZEN
LOVE,
lw
ffiF
l3strokes
1328
mercy
charity
benevolence
€
FormerlyS . ,,:,is heart/ feelings 147.iA l&\s tnesomewhatobscuredoubletu'isted threadelementseeninti6.881 q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressrear/ raiseand
probablyalso lendingconnotationsof small and hencechild (from the early meaningof
very small of Z lsee 1227]).1328originally referredto the tender feelingsinvolvedin
caring for a small child (and in Chinesestill retainsconnotationsof motherhood;.and
then came to mean (show) affection in a generalsense,including love and pity. Suggestremembenngfg, by associationwith double (short)thread A l1,1.
Mnemonic:DOUBLE THREADS OF LOVE AND PITY IN HEART
t329
ffl € cYorl
B € rorurt
Ell€ lN.lr
JI
IMPERIAL SEAL
19strokes
imPerialseal
sealof state
imperiulseal
Tsso
fi30 +.
+
|I
ril
r+l
JIKU
JIKU
Hffi Sserrru
axle
AXLE, SHAFT,SCROLL J&Hfrcsuxu
earth,s
axis
12strokes
ffi tllt ltxvwot to scrottpicture
+H i)l:k.:n^"'
lfl tt|il
'Tt|f
vehicle 31. h is reason 399, here actingphoneticallyto expresssupport but
of
{ is
unclearsemanticrole. Thus that which supports a vehicle, a referenceto its axle(s).
Thislater gavespindle/ shaft in a broadsenseand, by association(of shape),scroll.
Mnemonic:AXLE IS REASON VEHICLE MOVES
l33l
SHITSU
ILLNESS,SWIFTLY
10strokes
>
tE
arf
g6,H srurreN
F € SHTSSO
R. c ( TOKKUni*
disease
scamper
longsince
Oncewritten *rf , showinga person f, (see53) hit by an arrow {, 9gl and indicating
asuddenstrike/ affliction. The presentform usesarrow ,R 9g1 and the sickness
radrcalf 381. It can also be usedofswiftness unrelatedto illness.
Mnemonic:ILLNESS STRIKES SWIFTLY AS AN ARROW
""+if,iiii,_afi#*'
*,#Fifffi:
#d
veryold forms suchas e? clearly show shackres
I lft 233 andkneering person
with outstretched arms + / 1L470. Thus to shackre prisoner,
a
leading to seize/
graspand take. Note that the addition of thread/
cord ft 27 givestheCO characterfener
4. Suggesttaking
g30.
f,. as happiness279 and fu as round
MNcmonic:HAPPINESS ROUNDED
oFF BY TAKING A PRISONER
1333 t
E
\ , ll t jr.D
J*
SHITSU,shimeru/su
i.EH srrrsuoo
humidity
DAMP, MOIST, HUMID
ilE J& SrnrCnr
marshland
1?strokes
lft c \ft.h SHlMEppOldamp,dismal
1t
q . iji is an NGU characternow borrowedto exgressyou and so, but
Once writ;
phonetloriginally pictographicallydepicteda device used in spinning fr'. He.e it acts
cally ro expresspress,combiningwith earth J- 60 (herein the senseof clay) to express
characthat pressedinto clay, a referenceto a seal. It is not clear why sucha complex
oI
intricacy
the
ter was chosenas a phonetic,but it is possiblethatits complexitysuggested
a s e a l o fa p e r s o n o fh i g h r a n k . E a r t hJ - w a s l a t e r r e p l a c e d b y j e w e l / j a dLel 0 2 ' s y r n '
easymnebolising nobility (particularlythe imperial house). Unfortunatelythereis no
lF'
four
crosscs
monic for rfii , but suggestrememberingit by partial associationwith
t&u.t*
oro-ro.of this),
re
butbothelemenrs
crearry
,il11":
i:: role. Suggest
' -'r 4 srmrla_r
taking g as sun 62 and,# as a variantof row & 1775.
Mnemonic:JEWELED IMPERIAL SEAL INCLUDES FOUR CROSSES
SC'NONiC'SUN ON ROW OF WATERY DROPS MAKES
IT HUMID
424
,U.
7.is waterl river 40. &tfl.
irmotes/ smau partic tes 1224 q.v.,
}3:.]l
olong phoneticallyto expresswet and alsolending
its connotationsof smalt bits of
,ill
1333originally referredto a river broken up into pools (i.e. not
flowing in a
;":..Tthread)'giving wefland/ marshrandand laterdamp in a broadsense.
Nore
;:::nuou:
old forms suchas
shgw that ft is eithera miscopyingof or deriberatesubS
"::':tty
cutthreads ?30
il
425
GENERALUSE 1334-1336
1334
GENERALUSE1337-1339
illtH'Tl'**"n
*
lacquerwtus
?f *S srurru
jet brack
srro<KoKu
?F R
'6 6 I URUSHINURIlacquerins
miterjoint
Formerly 6 -d earlier fi', showinga tree fi t Kes with droplets of moisture I i
with
to indicateresin/ sap. This was a referenceto Iacquer (the sapof the lacquer-tree),
the
liquid.
to
emphasise
40
was
added
varnish being an associatedmeaning. Water )
;| is measure/ladle 1633. A is ample/ excess800, hereactingphoneticallyro express
scoop out and also lending its meaningof ample. Thus to scoop out an ample
40,with A as extra branches'
Suggesttaking ;li as a variantofwater t{
measure. Slanting/ diagonal is essentiallya borrowedmeaning,with 1337 being used
insteadof a more complexcharacterwith that meaning,but it may be that the borrowing
EXTRA WATERY LACQUER FROM EXTRA BRANCHED TREE
MneMONiC:
1335
""
o'o
o*o
"
".r;:i\,Hi1ffit,","
:*ifil'
4p1
processwas influencedby the slope of the cross stroke in * and the idea of ample con_
tainedin ft {u dlugonalgiving the amplestmeasureacrossa square).
tawn
Z 4 srilgaru*
drama,
show
2 E srusnl
snmeKAnn<t
2 ltJ b f#
shiba
TURF, LAWN
6 or 5 strokes
Mnemonic:DIAGONAL GIVES AMPLEST MEASURE
lawnmower
1338
g- is plant/ grass 9. Z is an NGU characternow borrowedto meanthis, but it is in
fact a highly stylisedderivativeof the variant \L / y of plant *. +Z q.v., and at one
stagemeantemerge (asa plant emergesfrom the ground) and by associationfrom. In the
caseof 1335ir is usedliterally to mean(emerging)plant, with planVgrass rf actingasa
h
I l\\
SHA, nirulerulyasu
BOIL, COOK
12strokes
frt4 snarursu
Formerly
A. .... is fire 8. fr tfr is person298q.v.,hereactingphonerically
to expressboil and also lending its early meaningof various things.Thus
boil various
things over a fire.
it hascometo meanspecificallygrass (especiallyin the
reinforcingelement. In Japanese
senseof turf/ lawn), but note that in Chineseit meanslily. Suggesttaking i as a zig'
zag path.
Mnemonic:PERSON BOILS THINGS OVER FIRE
Mnemonic: ZIGZAG PATH CROSSES GRASSY LAWN
1339
6 ff Yosue
fifr ft, SHAMEN
,K ffi ONSHA
SHA
FORGIVENESS
11 snokes
forgiveness
clemencY
amnesty
SHA, saegira
OBSTRUCT,
INTERRUPT
14strokes
- SHANIMUNI recklessly
ffi*ft
Jtr)T# SHAKoMAKU a shade
#X[#
sHADANKT
circuitbreaker,
g-gate
crossin
iris movement 129. ff. is various 1381q.v., here actingphoneticallyro expresspur
andalsolendingsimilar
connotationsfrom its early meaningof put thingson a fire. Thus
to put something
in the way of movement,i.e. obstruct, with interrupt beingan
associated
meaning.
phoneticallyto express
1i:is strike with stick/ beat 101. ft is reO 46 q.v., which acts
meanabandon/ stop and may possiblyalsolend connotationsof raging (from its literal
act or
ing of large fire). Thus to beat someone (in a rage?) and then stop, with the
stoppingcoming to symboliseforgiveness.
MNCMONiC:
VARIOUS THINGS CAN OBSTRUCT MOVEMENT
Mnemonic:BEAT TILL RED, THEN SHOW FORGMNESS
426
boiling
+,#. z NAMANIE undercooked
#.iL-C 6 vrrRrERU brineto boil
I
t
All
Iil ""tF #"*'o*""
1t
Il
GENERALUSE 1340-1342
f,[ * rneru
ft f$ ft, MUJAKI
Elfl fflle,tfeZe
GENERALUSE 1343-1345
wickedness
innocencg
acold
Somewhatobscure. p is village 355,while * it fattg 434' T\e role of the latteris not
in
clear, since 1340 was originally used as a proper noun referring to a specificvillage an-
ii
cient China. It is also not clear whether the presentmeaning of wickedness derives from
associationwith the village in question(cf. etymologyof terms suchas sodomy)'or whether it is a borrowedmeaning.
P,1rfrSHAKUFU
ftftw BANSHAKU
a.t
Mnemonic:FANGS ARE BARED IN VILLAGE OF WICKEDNESS
1341
gU:f$*i'Jl'"*'
hose
At € lereN
meandering
h?'fr Pexo
fff H. HesIKAwn snakeskin
large headed (or hooded) snake'
f, is insect 56 q.v., here in its original meaningof
rangeof meaningssuchas hangdown
f; is a CO characternow borrowedfor a confusing
is to all
and impute, but it derivesfrom a pictographof a targe headed snake R and
i 28 and
intentsand purposesa variantof lR 56. Suggesttaking f, as house/roof
sitting person/ man C, 238.
Mnemonic:MANINHOUSESITSoN'INSECT...REALLYASNAKE!
S}IAKU
LADLE, MEASURE
3 strokes
- 4l tssueru
oneshaku
=' ! SaNSHAKU threeshaku
tenshaku
J- ! llssrnru
indicrtt'
F r o m a p i c t o g a p h o f a l a d l e / s c o oJp ( a l s o | ) , w i t h ' / (sleclficet]1
ing the contents. It is now usedalmost exclusivelyto mean scoopful
]
#! , whicn
measureof 0.02 liters),while ladle/ scoopis conveyedby the NGU character
A l s o w r i u e n? .
SHAKURYO
consideration
Ladlel measure { r34z and,wine (ar) $ loz. A radrefur of wine represented
6othserving and drinking . 1343is also occasionallyusedto mean scoop up, including in the figurative senseoftaking all circumstancesinto account,but this is generallyconveyedbythe NGU characrer)k @ater/\quid 7 40 andreach
[ 1l4g).
s
R=T
1344
SHAKU
PEERAGE
17strokes
F ti sHnrut
peerage
& # lusHAKU ennoblement
tr F oeNsHAKU
baron
somewhatobscure,and of confusedgraphic evolution. originaly
written ffi , showing
an ornatevesserused for pouring wine (apparentlywith three
legs, two handles,and
a spout,and, accordingto some scholars,shapedlike a bird wittr
spreadwings). Note that
in Chinese1344 still retainsa minor meaningof wine vessel.
Its evolutionbecameconfusedwith the additionand deletionof sundrysometimes
obscureelements.The present
form is best taken as an ideographcomprising hand 4t
303(though in fact this is a miscopyingof wood /i es), dish/ bowr @ (variant r@.
1307), here meaningvesser,
food/eat
E 146,heremeaningingest, and measure/hand -f 909 q.v. (apparentlya
miscopyingofan ordinaryhand
Y , thoughit is possiblethat it is a deliberatesubstitution
to suggestcareful use of the hand). Thus
a vessel whose contents are ingested and
which is lifted with two hands. It is
not clear how 1344 cameto mean peerage. It
doesnot appearto be a borrowing,
and it is possiblethat the particularwine vesselwas a
symbolof high rank and hence
nobility.
Mnemonic:PEER'S HANDS
CLUTCH FOOD BOWL
ttot
t:
It{
ili)f.
t"fl;,?T', sabishii
s'ence
ff T( SEKTBAKUno
::ylly-,,
ffild
desorate
lif*
QUIET, LoNELy
11strokes
ffi L € sABISHISA loneliness
!-.-
addswood t-eS.
TILTED LADLE STILL KEEPS MEASURE OF CONTENTS
MnEMONiC:
building 28. ,*1is uncre 1367,hereactingphonetically
to expressquiet bur
vr unclear
semantic
role. Thus quiet buirding, now quiet/ roneryin a broader
"?,:t^|t'
but usua{Ymelancholy
sense.
Mnemonic:
UNCLE LONELY IN QUIET BUTLDING
I li, I
._
wai[ess
'nightcap'
Mnemonic:DRINK WINE SERVED By LADLEFUL
ii
L342
SHAKU, kurnz
SERVE WINE, LADLE,
SCOOP,DRINK
10strokes
428
429
ubN.E,r<AL us-b, lJ40-1J46
1346
GENERALUSE1349.1351
SHU
VERMILION, RED
6 snokes
9k € snurnO
9RA srrumru
vermiliox
redinkpa6
4RS sHuurrsu
4 E snucyoKu jewel,gem
F ffi SHINJU
pearl
{& W ruzu*
rosarv
"'*,L"f*PEARL
red pen, correction
Oncewritten X ana later f,, showingtree ,{ t Kt fi-69 and a symbol o /- indiceting center (herein the senseof inside). The inside of a tree(trunk) is often red, and
hence1346cameto acquirethis meaning. Somewhatsurprisinglyit cameto acquirepanic-
1r
ular connotationsof bright orange-red/vermilion, though a pinkish red might havs
seemedmore appropriate.Distinguishfrom immarure/treetop * nq. Suggestin fact tak_
ing 1346as a treetop (uee t 69 with extrabranches- ), with / as a ribbon.
Mnemonic:BRIGHT RED RIBBON IN TREETOP
'.347
d+ll:f,"""'
jf trF,snunyd
ffi t ranuNu
rc I L /r rRzurouI
hunting
hunting
dog
round-uo
d is aog n. 4 is protect 300 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresson all sides
and also lendinga meaningof be attentive and protective. Thus a dog which protects (its master) and is attentive on all sides,i.e. a hunting dog (still a meaning
in Chinese).Huntingdog cameto symbolisehunt in general.
Mnemonic:DOG PROTECTS MASTER WHEN OUT HUNTING
SHU, koto
ffi ft rorusgu
special
4 # SnUsHona taudable
EkF rorosnna
especially
ESPECIALLY
10 strokes
{ is bare bones/ death 286. R is red 1346q.v., here acting phoneticallyro express
cut down/ attack and almost certainly also lending its own connotationsof inside the
body/ trunk. 1348 originally meant to cut someoneto the very bone (i.e. inside the
body) and kill them (still a meaningin Chinese).This symbolisedan extreme attack,
giving extremely and henceespecially.
Mnemonic:RED BARE BONES ARE ESPECIALLY RARE
430
jewel 102. k is red r346 q.v., hereactingphonetically
f is
ro expressround and armostcertainlyalso lending its connotarionsof inside. Thus round jewel/ pearl (a pearl
beinga jewel insidea shell).
Mnemonic:PEARL IS A RED JEWEL:?
1350
SHU, omomuki
GIST, TENDENCY
l5 strokes
ffi fr suurrat
ilEH snur
fiEFl srruro
hobbl
gist,view
plan
scheme,
161and take/ grasp r( 301,ro give a meaningof run
Run [
after somethingto
take hold of it. This came ro mean hurry after something (still
a meaning in chinese),and then by associationgo in a certain direction. In the physical
sensethis is
now usuallyconveyedby omomuku
fu ttst,whereas r350 hascome to be usedrather
in the abstractsenseof incline towards and hencetend/ tendency.
In Japaneseit has
alsocome to meanby associationthe 'drift' or gist of an argument.
Mnemonic:TENDENCY ro
1351
HAVE To RUN FAST To GRASP Grsr
JU, kotobuki
LONG LIFE,
CONGRATULATION
7 strokes
F 6 ruvrvo
€ # cHolu
X # sptru
Lfespan
longevity
88thbirthdav
Somewhatobscure.Formerlywrirren
n-is a simprification
oford ,nun,t
ttz
k .
(nowusually
+). z is a simplification"J fl . rrris is an unclearelementthat was once
writtenp , indicating perhapscontinuity/
flow (possibly a symbol of flowing t and
morths/openings o 20, though judge
to
from anotherfo
g , showingspeak d
688,the bottom one of the mouths
was originally a separareelemenrmeaningspeak). is
$
known to have actedphonetically
to expresslong time, thoughany semanticrole is unclear,with hand,/measure .f
909 (a relativelylate addition)playing a similar phonetic
role for reinforcement.
Thus an old man who has rived a rong time. A rong rife is
causefor congratutation.
Note that eighty-eightis considereda particularlyfelicitous
age,owing to the fact
that the characterfor rice (a symbol of bounty and the life-force),
)ft.
be graphicallyinterpretedasten -f 33, timeseighr . z 66, with
a
funher
eight
7r
llt'"t*Juggest
wu'
.*king
f as a variantofhand { zz,ana <f alsoin its senseof hand.
MNcmonic:PUT HANDS TOGETHER
To CONGRATULATE LONG LIFE
431
GENERALUSE1352-1355
GENERALUSE 1356.1358
JU
'fffiff rurv6
Confucianl.,l
CONFUCIANISM
16strokes
{ffi # ruSrn
{f;i # luCnrU
Confucianist
Confucianis6
,{ is person 39. # is demand 887 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressgentle and
possibly also lending similar connotationsof soft through its original meaning of $,s1
beard.Thus gentte person, later appliedto followers of Confucius and henceCnn.
fucianism itself.
Mnemonic:CONFUCIANIST IS PERSON IN DEMAND
N
N.&
Fnftilw
SHU
PRISONER
5 strokes
A person A 39 insidean enclosure A
prisoner
SHUJIN
SHUEKI _ prisonlabor
SHIKEISHU
condemnedprisoner
123,indicatingan imprisoned person,
Mnemonic:PERSON CONTAINED WITHIN ENCLOSURE IS PRISONER
#ffi
SHfl, fune, funaBOAT, SHIP
6 strokes
-
It!EG
,1.f
navigurion
SHLIKO
boating
FUNAASOBI
linle boat
KOBUNE
pictographically depicting a boat with
F fi sgtxl
badodor
fA F zorcusuO
vulgarity
F R ruSevt
smell,
smack
Forrnerlyft' , showingoog { 17 and nose fi tzd. 1356originally referredto a dog
usingits noseto follow a scentwhen hunting,but now meanssmell in a broaderbut frequentlyunpleasantsense.Also usedfiguratively as smack (of). Suggesttaking j1 as
big 53.
Mnemonic:BIG NOSE GOOD FOR SMELLS
suUsno
"".** l[,?;:";3.,,,Fff@ff ersn0
13strokes
M v. ffi UREIGA'
l\I
gnef
solTow
sadface
ss is heart/feelings 147. *y-is autumn 140,hereactingphoneticallyto expressgrief
andpossiblyalso lending its own connotationsof melancholy. Thus feetingsof grief/
sadness.
Mnemonic:AUTUMNAL FEELINGS OF SADNESS
!.r
Once wriuen !y',
SHU, kusai
SMELL, SMACK
9 suokes
fi56
raised stern and raised
pointed prow. Often found in early compoundsas f or 4, andoccasionallylendsa
meaningof convey(ance). Popularly likened to a sterntess rowing boat [l viewed
from above,with two people L sitting in it, an oar - laid acrossit, and a mooring
rope ,.
1358
SHU
*RSfl nosnO
REWARD,TOAST,REpLy Ii-uB/{JOSHU
13strokes
ffi S{JTTNSHU
reward
response
exchangeof sakecups
MOORED STERNLESS BOAT WITH TWO ROWERS AND OAR
SHO triiaerr
EXCEL, EXCELLENT
7 strokes
-/r- 1&
7< -.
SHUSAI
SHUITSU
SHUBI
ablestudent
excellence
greatbeautY
per'
d is rice plant 81 (literallyplant with headof grain). 71 derivesfrom a bending
emphato
son tu (normallysimplihedto tV39,but in this casedeliberatelyexaggerated
sisebending,and possiblyshowingsomegraphicinfluencefrom reach ff- t t+S) fnu;
rice plant bent (under exceptionally heavy head), indicatingan excellent plant/
crop and thus excel/ excellent in general.
tE is wine jar/ alcohol 302. ttl is province/ sandbank304, here
acting phonetically
to expresstoast/ exchange
drinking cups and possiblyalso lending loose connotationsof flowing from its
river element I t | (see4s). 1358originally referredto a toast
(involving
an exchangeof cups),then cameby extensionto mean recognisesomething
worthy of toasting,
leadingeventuallyto reward. Repty/ responseis an associated
neaning.
MNCMonic:
GAIN REWARD oF PROVINCIAL ALCOHOL
MnCMOniC:
GREATLY BENT RICE PLANT MEANS EXCELLENT CROP
432
433
GENERALUSE 1359-1361
GENERALUSE1362-1364
SHU, minikul
UGLY, SHAMEFUL
17 strokes
Af,* sgueru
Ef,H sHueuN
foulness
scandal
EHd wf.uKUSA
ugliness
Somewhatobscure. fr is wine jar/ alcohol 302. S, is aevit 1128q.v. Somescholars take the latter to act literally to mean crouching person wearing a death-mask,
and by extensionsimply crouching/ bending person, and take @ to act phonetically
to expressbent. Thus doubly bent person, a referenceto a hunchback and by extendo
sion ugly (see997). However,althoughboth the earliestand the latestforms of 13.59
from
rather
result
confusion
present
meanings
jar
that
these
possible
it
seems
show a wine
997 q.v., which at one stagehad a stylised
at somepoint with hunchback/ ugly f
jar.
The original meaningmay havebeenperson
form $ that closely resembleda (wine)
wearing a death mask offering wine (to the ancestor-gods),i.e. in somereligmeaningwith ugly.
ious ceremony(seealso 386). shameful is an associated
'r,62
-iE
SHU, osou
ATTACK, INHERIT
22 strokes
*E_
5€ iK SHURAI
aaf,
'F
Mnemonic:NEWBORN BABE HAS FULL SET OF LEGS, IF BENT
t363
JU, NYII yawarakai
SOFT, GENTLE, WEAK
+
9 strokes
X
air raid
SESHO
heredity
fold' 1360
7i is clothing 20. fi/ is dragon 1899,hereusedphoneticallyto express
over (in a
folded
originally referredto a type of burial garment with the collar
specialway), the folding havinga certainreligioussignificance.It still retainsthis meansenseof wearing
is very occasionallyusedin the associated
ing in Chinese,and in Japanese
was
chosen asa
character
a
complex
such
why
is
not
clear
It
clothing.
double layersof
and
phonetic.The idea of religious ritual led to ritual and convention in a broadsense,
stems
Attack
past)(something
from
the
evenruallyto the associatedideaof inheriting
grasp
from confusionwith a now defunctcharacterfl , which combinesclothing f1 with
frnnZZ andoriginallymeantgapple/ scuffle.
Mnemonic:DRAGON ATTACKS INHERITED CLOTHES
1361
_-
t
fruitjutce
R ff ralo
JU, shiru
Indiaink
B i'f noruro
JUICE, SOUP,LIQUID
W < 'tt MISosHIRu misosouP
5 strokes
actingphoneticallyto exptess
7 is water 40, heremeaningliquid. f is ten 33, here
(but not water)'
liquid and thusreinforcing '/ . Now usedfor a rangeof liquids
Mnemonic:JUICE MIXED WITH TEN PARTS OF WATER
[,,1
434
tkrg
JUIQ
judo
* 55 uvtnnru
weakness
bfi'+rJ yAwArL\rc{MoNo
silks
lnvasron
r0sH0
enough
fullness
allot, apply
btt
g6ewritten [.
rtnewborn chitd227(literallyinvertedchild
fl /+25). tl
person/
bent legs 39, hereactingphoneticallyto expressgrow
is crouching
and possibly
alsolending its own connotationsof big (see267). Thus a new born babe growing
oig?), which later came to refer by associationto somerhingbecoming fuil. Ailot/
meaningwith fill.
provideis an associated
Mnemonic:UGLY DEVIL WITH ALCOHOL
1360
JUarcr4mitusu
fif rUeuN
FULL, FILL, PROVTDE f,R rtnrrsu
6 strokes
jf,-C rt\ 9 RreCeU
7 is halberd/lance 1g43,while /i is tree/ wood 69. usualy explainedto the effect
thata woodenlance is weak (relativeto a metalone),
and that weak led by associationto
softandgentle' A usefulmnemonic,but almost
cerrainlyincorrect. It .."-, more likely
that /<. actsin its senseof tree, and that
fr actsphoneticallyto expressnewborn as
well as lendingconnotationsof thrust. Thus
newborn growth that thrusts forth
from a tree, a referenceto new shoots.
Such shootssymborisedsoftness and weak_
ness,with genfle being an associated
meaning.
Mnemonic:WOODEN LANCE
IS WEAK, INDEED SOFT
1364it
/;<
.#^iffi
JO shibui/ru
ltrrer
delay
HESITATE,ASTRINGENT ijtffi STUSUVI astringency
1l strokes
iti* sHtguSHlBUgrudgingly
iffi. , showingwater/ tiquid 2 40 andanemphatictrebling
of stop tL tzS.
*::1,t.
meaningwas not flow smoothly, which came to
mean by associationbe
;"::',*,11,
--'qJ and hencedelav/ hesitate. Astringent is felt by somescholarsto be
a borrow_
tng and
by others,o rr"- from the ideaofpreventing
thejuices
flowing. Suggesttaking )(
as(four)
drops.
MNCMONiC:ASTRINGENCY
MAKES WATER DROPS HESITATE AND STOP
435
GENERALUSE 1365-1366
r-:':-<ffri.::-",
,J.ff suolu
fr 4UlurBN
ffi -lk lure
li
il
lil
!t]
tl
i
I
rifle
bayonet
banel (which is filled by the ammunition).
Mnemonic: GUN IS FILLED WITH METAL
I \
ftrX
6,
\
H tr lfn
S E'! ltrrfKl
,* S Csol0
JU, Leloalmono
BEASr
16strokes
veterinarian
bestial
wildlife
Somewhatobscure. Formerly ff1 , and earlier St and \ . { I K is dog 17. As
542q.v., hereused
shownby the early forms, p is an abbreviationof simple fr tv
phoneticallyto expressguard/ protect and probably also lending similar connotations
from its original meaningof forked weapon. Thus dog that protects (seealso 1347)'
i.e. guard dog. The role of the later addition mouth/ say t7 20 is not clear. Some
of
scholarstake $ to be a now defunctcharactermeaningbeast,thoughthe evolution
a
sucha meaningis not clear. Moreover, if € did exist as an independentcharacterwith
It
(see
below).
meaningof beast, then it may well be a derivativeof beast E3 t:oe
character
gives
CO
the
elements
should be noted that a different iurangementof the same
it is por
snort a$ (wittr S presumablyacting in someunclearphoneticrole), and thus
em'$
replaced$ to give a meaningof snorting/ snarling dog, thereby
sible rhat
and efficacy as a guarddog. It is not clear how (snarling?)
phasisingits fearsomeness
(see
guarddog cameto mean beast. Dog and beasthave long overlappedconceptually
seenas
17), and it may just be an extensionof this, particularlyif the dog were indeed
'seeminglike' simpte
assay
as
snarlingand fierce. Suggesttaking $
f , with O
( i . e .b a r k ) .
Mnemonic: DOG'S BARK MAKES IT SEEM A SIMPLE BEAST
'"
BRor"'.
""uNG
llii:l
##;iL,*."
iFd
uncle
aunt
uncles
gunfirg
,$ is metal V. 7t isfill 1362,hereactingphoneticallyto expresshole and alsolending
its meaningof fill. 1365 originally referredto the hole in a metal ax head (whichis
filled by the handle). It was later appliedto firearms, by associationwith the hole in the
1366 r\,
GENERALUSE1367-1369
oncewitten ftd, strowlnga hand t pulling up a potato
k @l*t .IL Lvaiant g /
with tuber I and side roots / \ Note
that in chinese it can still meangather
t /t- azl
).
vegetables'Somescholarsseethe presentmeaningsas borrowings,but others
feel that the
taskof pulling up potatoescame ro symbolisefollowing a row, leading
by associationto
(rineof) younger brothers (see r77), with uncte(s).being
on",r-p-"n,r.
younger
'*uru
Youngerbrotheris now rare.Suggesttaking
b'rothers.
*. urlul-ort,
ry ,or.
Mnemonic:WITH HELPING HAND, UNCLE CAN
ALMOST WALK
"if,.{
SHUKU
PURE, GRACEFUL
I I strokes
Hll{ rrrsnuru
ifl4 suururo
4AlH srusuuru
chastity
lady
admiration
y' iswater 40. #* is uncle 136T,hereacting
phoneticallyto expresspure but
of unclear
semanticrole' Thus pure water, later
pure in the figurative sense
of virtuous
(cspeciallyof women). Graceful
is an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:UNCLE DRINKS
PURE WATER
1369
+
s t{r r v - r ,
ffi *t sHurUZENto solemnlv
H ffi nSUUrU
self-conrrol
ffiffi CENsHUKU solemniry
DFI :1.1:H'QuIEr
Fornrerly
f is a variant of hand holding Urush
ffi
? U2. Itacrsherephonetically
toexpressdark,
bur is of unclearsemandc,or"l
*or*"r*
Hil
;;;;,
(now usually
conveyedby
an NGU character :Hg which
"
adds
,
water
+0),
of unclearetymology but
)
aPParently
comprisinsinner chamber
{rr lva.iant *
9g7)andconfines I l, with old
Iorrnssuch
as F*l alo showingwater
l . 136goriginally referredto a dark deep poor,
;T:H:J::::::",:
s^:1hi:g husl,ed
andratherforeboding,
withsoremn
being
suggest
taking
.'.";fi
*
"'.uning.
^,
:T:
l'::T'."*
;?JIt"il,ilHT:
T a sa h a n d h o l d i n g
",
a stick (to pound).
LINCTNONiC:
HAND SOLEMNLY POUNDS
RICE IN OPEN CONTAINER
436
437
GENERALUSE 1372-1374
GENERALUSE 1370-1371
home-basedjukil
as bcil 4t' 894 q'v', old forms
Though ?{. f,u, now acquiredrhe sameform and sound
ph-t person bending
,no* that it is in fact castle € t E 1 t- nozq "'
;".;;t
?q
personis in fact building the
with outstretched arms V? I fl t lL 470q.v. The
60 being the materialused. Thus castle walls built of
castle .walls,with earth !
then later cameto mean$'lrlled
earth. 1370originally referredto a walled settlement,
it hascome in particular
In Japanese
compound and eventually,by association,school.
'cramming' school(knownas a juku)' Suggesttakto referto a private after-hours
20' with fl' as round 830'
ing 4 as child fr 25'top hat ! , andmouth 0
Mnemonic:EARTHY PRMTE
HATTED CHILDREN
-W
SHUN, matataku
FLASH, TWINKLE,
BLINK
18strokes
jukustudenl
4 4- ffiusgt
JUKU
jukurulsl
JUKU, PRIVATE SCHOOL fl F|JlurcusoKu
tl4 ssrruru
14strokes
W IBJ
w(rd
ISSHUN
SHUNKAN
an instant
instant
MATATAKL|MAni
in thetwinklingof aneye
oncewritten B( r.titt found as a variant in chinese), showing eye S lz anaarrow ft
9gl. The latter indicatesrapidity, to give an ideographreferring to the rapid movementof
theeye,i.e. blinking, with twinkte and flash being associatedmeanings. Arrow $(
waslaterreplacedby sraightenan arrow F szt,which wasusedphoneticallyto express
dink and also retainedconnotationsof arrow, and this was in tum replaceduy
ft . Tae
lageris a CO charactermeaningwise andis also usedof a legendaryruler. Its etymotogyls
unclear,though its elementsappearto be hand reaching down to convey g 3$ ana
opposedfeet 4* 1211. It appearsto havebeenusedphoneticallyto expressblink, but
a.nysemanticrole is unclear. It is also unclear why the seemingly straightforwardideogaph9K was modifiedwith increasingcomplexity.Suggesttaking (.7 as hand reach_
ing down, r? as cover, and lfi as splayed feet.
SCHOOL FOR ROUND-MOUTHED TOP
'37'
cENru'
,:l;
{A iii"*""^cE,E4:frs:l'"
stand apart
,{ is person 39. E is linger 689' The latter actsphoneticallyto express
u'ould
meaning
but its
from, thus giving person who stands apart from others,
from othersin the senseof betng
confusinglyappearto connotesomeonewho stoodapart
NGU character.6t ' whichuses
behindratherthanleading. Thereis a similarlyconfusing
ratherthan tardy/ slow horse'
horse .Fa 191 insteadof person ,f , and meansfast horse
hasconnotationsof giving oth'
Thus it would appearthat in both thesecaseslinger f
that in most othercasesA
ers a start but still being able to outstrip them. Note
fall back it (wttici'
meanslinger in a lessconfusingsense,suchas the NGU character
o
usesfoot t
hop
1*tt^i.tt
stop/
falt
back/
ft
character
co
usesmovemerft Llzg),the
of a meal 'flf, (whichusesfood/eat /t 146)'
51), andthe Co characterremains
DESPITE LINGERIN(;
Mnemonic: GENIUS IS PERSON WHO EXCELS
Mnemonic:IN BLINK oF AN EYE HAND REACHES DowN To covER
SPLAYED FEET
r373
t 6 fOruN first panof month
tr 6 CHulUNmiddteofmonth
T @ CErUN hstpartof month
E is sun/ day 62- { is encircre 655, hereactingphoneticallyto expresscycle and almostcertainly also lending similar reinforcing connotations
of circle. Thus cycle of
days,a rathervaguereferenceto a ten day
cycle which was a standardunit of time in
ancientChina.
MNcmonic:
TEN DAY CYCLE oF CIRCLING sUN
""i(( iiirf;Ti;
K tr ruNrnl
K A ruNrse
-
K
,
tour,parrol
policeman
HITOMEGURI one round
Ir
\^rs
movement 129. ((( is river (variant lrl 4g: seealso
6g0),hereactingphoneticalv o^expresssee
and alsolendingits own connotationsof movement.Thus to move and
l*'a relerenceto an inspection,leadingto go around. suggestremembering((< as a
rlver
with sharp bends.
hon,.,
438
JUN
TEN DAY PERIOD
6 strokes
MOVTNGRrvER GOESAROUNDSHARPBENDS
439
GENERALUSE 1375-1377
t375
JUN, tate
SHIELD. PRETEXT
9 strokes
7 E rr,turuN contradiction
fA E usrunoDATE backing
TATETSUKU oppose
tr*<
(6 ^eatt" shield from be!f is eye T\,here meaninglook. / is ashield. Thus
hind which one looks out. The meaning of + is unclear. Since no very early fory5
of this characterhave beendiscoveredit is possiblethat it derivesfrom someearlier depiction of a hand holding the shield{ , but it is also possiblethat it lendsthe sameideaof
piercing as in fi 349 q.v. (i.e. look piercingly/intently out from behinda shield). Suggesrtaking it as ten * 33. Note that the physicalshieldis now usuallyconveyedby an
NGU characterffi ,which addswood ,{69, whereas1375is usuallyusedin a figurative
sense.
Mnemonic: TEN EYES LOOK OUT FROM BEHIND SHIELD
'376
lEilh*coNFoRM'
warrantofficer
/€ F.j ruI.II
ratihcation
7€
ruluN
#h
approval
l€ if lutucYo
:# 709 q.v., of which it is a sirnpliTechnically the samecharacteras quasVconform f t
fied form. However, for reasonsthat are not clear, 1376also came to acquireconnotations
elementsare
of permission, presumablyfrom some associationwith conforming. Its
ice/ freeze > 318 and bird ts
216.
Mnemonic:FREEZE BIRD IN CONFORMITY WITH STANDARDS
filrrinv:
DEATH
dutifuldeam
ffi lE ruNsrtl
,K)+'.2 JUNKYOSHA MATtYf
ffi ffi luNsHoKU
death at one's Post
is ten day period 1373,hereacting phonett:'l]1";
{ is bare bones/ death 286. El
of being ltxcu'
expressconform,/follow and probablyalsoIendinglooseconnotations
a
to the suicideof
inexorable. Thus to follow (inexorably?) in death, a reference
retainerupon the deathof his lord.
TEN DAYS
DUTIFUL DEATH, BUT BARE BONES AFTER
MNEMONiC:
440
""ffixmr
GENERALUSE 1378-1380
W'tE INruN
rndecision
'rffi
W JUNKAN
cycle, circle
'rffi
ffi AKUJUNKAN
vrcrouscircle
f ismovement118.fr isshield1375,hereactingphoneticallyto expressfollow
(fromtheideaof moving forward behind
andprobablyalsolendingsimilarconnotations
a
shield).
Mnemonic:FOLLOW,
MOVING BEHIND SHIELD
'37e
JpIf i#;J:'K*,.n
drf .:-...
f{ lF rumcarsu
flJ f€ 2ruN
f€ iR ruvrnru
tubrication
profit
moisture.
profit, plenty,gloss
7 is water 40. fu1 is an NGU charactermeaningintercalation/ insert(ed) between.
It comprisesgate/ doorw"v P1211 and king
f 5 (thoughsomeold forms show
standing person 4 1610). Thusking/person between
doorposts,a referenceto
someone/something coming between things. (Note
that pA canhave the specific
meaningof illegitimatereign, i.e. an unlawful 'king,
coming betweentwo lawful reigns.)
In thecaseof 1379 F"-l actsphonetically to express
wet and probably also rendsconnotationsof coming between (as water seeping
throughcracksetc.).Thus make wet (with
water), i.e. moisten, with enrich being
an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:KING AT GATE MOISTENED
WITH ENRICHINGWATER
"*o-i
E
4.lS_
*5)ro*.oBEy
i5 srrores
r€ f ruNsrru
r€ 4 ruNpo
€ E
fUNpO
observance
observance
law abidine
(atong a road/parh) 129.
$ is respecr/esteem927, hereacting
fr::.l".:..ent
to expressfoilow and possiblyarsolendingan idea of respected.
Thus fori^:Ttttut]t
'"w
a path (possiblvfollow after
someonerespectedor follow a respectedpath), with
obeYbeing
an associated
meaning.
IVINCNONiC:
WHEN MOVING, OBEDIENTLY FOLLOW RESPECTED
PATH
441
GENERALUSE1384-1386
GENERALUSE 1381-1383
138r
rtl
it
tl
R
sHo
MULTITUDE, VARIOUS
ILLEGITIMATE
11 strokes
++
m e a n v a r i o u s t h i n g s . V a r i o u s c a m e t o m e a n s u n d r y a n d h e n c e c o m m o n(still
,leadingto
a
borrowedto expressconcubine
commoners/the masses/multitude' 1381was also
minormeaninginChinese),leadingbyassociationtoillegitimate.Suggesttakinglas
building/ house,and S as an object'
T,
no
JUJ\ruu
I lolo
'(lr _l4n
Jo, NYO, gotoku
5IMILAR, EQUAL
t I
>\-
in a setorder.
i,oot",
4n*
lryornsu
'n 'foltrece*
'&.'f1
rcrcO
'&'6.
lolo"i
'R.
b tOtlO
together
beginning
clogtirong
{h:l#i"'J*nouo'""
aforesaid
*:t:T
Mnemonic:MOVE EXCESSIVELYSLOWLY
SHQ masu
/l E vesuun
-
LIQUID MEASURE
*
4 srrokes
#
1+ U l"
NISHO
measure
two sho
tssHOsIN one shobottle
howr
is woman 35'
tell (someoneto do something)'f
B is mouth/ say 20, here meaning
Iendingconnotationsof compliance
and_also
(the
hereactingphoneticallyto expresscomply
wfrai one is iold. The idea of doing
and submissiveness.Thus to comply witrr
same)asoneisrequestedtodoledtotheu,,o"iut"did.asofsimilarandequat(cf.En9.
lish slangdo like one is told)'
*nu"n f , showing a scoop/ rade
Now a standardised
-ont"
f with contents
liquid measure
of 1.8liters,particularryassociated
with sake.suggesttaking J as person39 and -t
as a variantoften f 33.
Mnemonic:
LTQUID MEASURE ENOUGH FOR TEN pEOpLE
Mnemonic:WOMEN'S MOUTHS ARE SIMILAR
A A''
goingslowly
slowly
walkingslowly
{ ismovement 118. ft isampte/ excessg00, here actingphoneticalryto express
slowly and probably also lending a meaning of excessive/
very. Thus move
(excessively?)slowly, with gradually being
an associatedmeanins.
1386
FROM BEGINNING
Mnemonic:PERSON FOLLOWS THREAD
t
ly to expresssequence/order but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to make someone
put things in order, i.e. arrange (still a meaningin Chinese).This was appliedby associationto the idea of relating a seriesof eventsin their proper order, giving describe. It
is notfully clear how the meaningof confer evolved,but it may relate to conferring things
-#'-.titk*"""'la'
- fiE tSSgO
fH ffi rnNsHo
B ffi ueNno
to
itperson 298 q.v., here actingphonetically
Formerly4# . kis thread 27. 6 tfi
ceralmost
and
caseof a thread)
ena/ beginning (conceptuallythe Samein the
"*p,"ss
t a i n l y a l s o l e n d i n g i t s e a r l y c o r r n o t a t i o n s o f . v a r i o u s ( t h i n g s ) . T h u s t h e soft ameanrt/endofa
This gaverise to a range
thread (stickingout from u-ong., variousthreads?).
a
also to the idea of startingto unlavel
ings, such as thread/ cord and-beginning,and
tangle, giving ctue and connection'
{?fl
Formerlyalso written f.{ and 4k-,i.". with striking hand K t L tOt (hereindicating
coercion)insteadof a simplehand 1 . zf, is ample/ excessg00, hereactingphonetical-
Mnemonic:AMPLE DESCRIPTION OF HAND
HOUSE FIRE
Mnemonic:VARIOUS OBJECTS BURN IN
1383
fl fiT rorursu
description
fl1E B! JoJdTEKT
lwical
fl Rt roruN
conferment of decoration
'K/"" is fire. 8'.but it is not clear
Of somewhatunclearetymology'Oncewritten fe
45,
usedphoneticallyto expressput
whether F IF isa stylisedvariantof stone E
(in
senseof house) | 114 andan
the
(on), or whetherit is a iombination of building
any event,the early meaningis
In
likely.
more
ol.;ect trlU . The former theory seems
then appearsto have become
It
(in
house?).
a
fire
known to have beenput things on a
q.v., and to have conle to
1338
fire
a
over
fr..
confused with boit various*things
$t
JO
DESCRIBE,CONFER
9 strokes
themasss5
generalafflils
SHOSHI illegitimatechild
, H R SHOMIN
tr +&. SHOMU
443
It
'l
i1
GENERALUSE 1390-1392
GENERALUSE 1387-1389
1387
lT
g
d F sgosHU summons,q.ll
SHd, mesu
SUMMONS
A 4 SHOKAN
SUMMON, PARTAKE,
A I- @ \^ MESFIITSUKAI servant
WEAR
5 strokes
interpretedby somescholarsas an ideograp6
of disputedetymology. An old form & is
person N 39' to give a person/
,olnbining mouth/ say tJ /g' 20 and bending
as they answer their master's summqn5.
servant bending (a symbol of humility)
Other scholarsfeel that D is simSword/ cut 7J 181is thustakento be a miscopying'
to be usedpurely phonetically to exply a variant of the old form f7 of F , and take this
(i.e.
with the mouth). The former theory
Thus summon verbal|y
p.",. ,u--on.
meanings,relatingto
wear are associated
,""*, -o," likely' In eithercase,partake and
actionsfor which a mastermight summona servant'
SHO
CRAFTSMAN, PLAN
6 strokes
HFtr sgrsHo
tr tr xYosgo
H tr Isg6
Mnemonic: CRAFTSMAN KEEPS AX IN BOX
Mnemonic:EXTRACT A LITTLE BY HAND
liberateattemptto indicatebeingindoors'
SHQ ayakara
BE LIKE, BE LUCKY
7 strokes
H ffi sgozo
porrait
7li H FUSHO
unlike, Vme
H 9 X AyAKARMoNo
lucky person
Il is flesV of the body 365. .lz is a variantof little/ small ,lr 36, which also
lends
its soundto expressresemble. 1391originally referredto offspring
resembling their
parents (i.e. being little versionsof their body),
but later came ro mean be like in a
broadersense. For somereasonit also acquiredconnotations
of being (as) rucky (as
anyoneelse).
Mnemonic:LITTLE ONE IS LIKE PARENTS
IN BODY AND IN LUCK
1392
of
a mirror image of piece
il t n is a plank of wood, being
Formerly fl*. and !,t.
t0
69j' and camebv association
wood fi 969 q.v. (literally one side of a tree H I f,.*
refers
it also
bed in general)' In Japanese
meanbed (originallysickbedlsee381] but later
purposesb"l::?
usedfor ornamental
to flooring/ floor and an alcove, the latter now
t'
for the later use of building/ house '
reason
The
placed.
nally a placewherea bed was
oD f
a miscopyingof (or simplification
114is unclear.It is takenby somescholarsto be
ade'
be
to
i-Sf ,-unaby still others
by othersto be a miscopyingof the sicknessradical f
abridgedtranslation
of the similar meaning NGU charact"t 69 . ,,$ is metal 14. .y
A hter variant
is few/
actingphoneticallyto expresstake and also lendingits meaning
here
143,
fittle
of ;ittte.
13!Qoriginally referred to extracting a little of something by removing it with a
metaltool (fett by some schoiarsto be specifically a pair of scissors).Metal @ was later
by hand d 32, giving take away a litfle by hand. Now extract/ excerpt
replaced
in a broadsense.
master
greatmaster
idea,design
tool. Thus
(see 225),heremeaninguox. ff is ax 1176,hereindicating
f, is a container
craftsman. Ptan is felt to be an asiool uox, a symbol of an artisan and by extension
setsabout his work'
sociatedmeaning,from the way in which a craftsman
f4A sHoHoN
exuacr
#f4 srusuo selecredpoems
-aj(
f4
ss6ynru
tliii"*.:",EXrRACr
t39l
Mnemonic:CUT MOUTH AND SUMMON HELP
1388
t
SHQ nao, tattobu
HF SffOSO
FURTHERMORE, ESTEEM tr it KOSHO
8 strokes
H H NaoNeo
prematurity
loftiness
sdllmore
,".unrr-" evorution. Formerly i*i andearlier/fi\, showinga combination
lr.uroaa
of
'ut of/ awav
t \ / t t 66 andface(towards)(it /'Fr G,"." ,t, t #;;.,
theratterbe-
j:* init,iit..^r,;;;;;;;J"-ii l"'ft;J],;; :*"i,iliJ,J;"
Jij"[:i:
;""1
of the window of a house, and thus
came to symboliseheight and ris::t
'"v_ralsing
i;J:
to a height. Esteem is an extensionof the latter. Furthermore
is seen
associated
--.qu
meanine.from the ideaof risingeverhigher(i.e.giving one thirrgon
qlothers:
topof
seealso l09li.
.monic:FURTHERM.RE,
FACING AwAy IS A 'IGN oF ESTEEMT
AND BED IN ALCOVE
Mnemonic:BUILDING HAS WOODEN FLOOR
444
445
GENERALUSE 1393-1395
GENERALUSE 1396-1398
fl E sgosmN
t f, losH6
f, W tW, sHoKoKI
SHO, noborr
RISE, ASCENT
8 strokes
1393
promotion
ascenr
elevq161
E is sun 62. {f is (liquid) measure 1386,here actingphoneticallyto expressrise and
possiblyalso lending a looseidea of measurably, i.e. noticeably' Thus sun rising
(noticeably?) high, later rise/ ascendin a broadsense. Sugesttaking J+ as person
,l 39 andten -t (variant + 33).
Mnemonic: SUN RISES, MEASURED BY TEN PERSONS
r3e4
tAi'J"i-:"""
& F NaerSUse pineneedle
ffi F wrsuBARA pinegrove
{A (t ffi sHocHIKUBAI
pine-bamboo-plum
needleand probably
{ is tree 69. ?i is public 27'l,here actingphoneticallyto express
of common. Thus (common?)tree bearing needles'a refalso lendingconnotations
erenceto the pine.
/El
F
SHO, yoi
EVENING
l0 strokes
ffi H rEssuo
allnight
H n yolzlJKr evening
moon
H rte L YOIGOSHI
overnisht
Formerly g?. o- isroof/house2g,heremeaninginOoors.,fi./
Sonewhatobscure.
for_manycenturiesbeeninterpretedas be rike 1391q.v., which
has
$
isassumedto act
to expressvanish to give vanishing (right) indoors,
phonetically
i.e. evening. In_
dee*,thereis a very old form @ ' clearly showing meat ,f / F! 365and ritfle rrr 36,
thecomponentelementsof 1391. However,sincethereis no elementspecifically meaning
fightthis hasnever beena fuly convincingexplanation. tn fact, the very oldestform of
alr,
A /n isalongstandingmiscopyingof
moon
16,
f /{
4.,.tno*rclearlythatmeat
whichpresumablyindicated light (though sun El 62 may have been more appropriate).
. lj g 6
most
o s t lIikely
eems m
i k e l v tthat
tThus
h u s iitt sseems
h a t r396
w
ec n
r i o i n o l . , an
a h ;ideograph
i^^-^-L
,--was
originally
meaningrittte right in_
doors,ratherthanvanishinglight, thoughboth result in evening.
Mnemonic:SMALL MooN
.EEN 'NDER RooF As EVENING ARRIVES
SHO
ffi fi snoro
symptoms
SYMPTOM, ILLNESS
4l,r pNSnO
inflammation
10strokes
*,ffi fE KYOFUSHo
phobia
:;' is sickness/iilness 3gr. f. is correcvproper 4r,
hereactingphoneticalryto express
signandprobablyalsolendingits meaning
of proper and by exrensionauthentic. Thus
the(authentic?)signs of an iilness,
i.e. the symptoms, as well as the iilness itself.
Mnemonic:PINE IS A PUBLIC TREE
13es
:tt
'r,96
:*,?#,TARSH
Sstrokes
iZ
p is summon 1387q'v'' hereactin9
7 is water 40, heremeaningbody of water'
of water
phoneticallyto expresslittle. Thus little body of water (i.e. a small volume
no obviousrearelativeto a lake or river), a referenceto a swamp/ marSh. Sincethereis
'r' 143were not used, p presurna'
sonwhy the simplerSHd lirtle rl. 36 or SHO littte
a
gathering' i'e
bly also lent somemeaning,but this is not clear. It may perhapssuggest
a river)'
place where water gathers/collects(thoughstill smallerin volume than
Mnemonic:SUMMON WATERS OF SWAMP
'i+
methane
tr fi' snoru
E iX. sHorAKUswamP'marsh MNcmonic:
PROPER SYMPTOMS oF ILLNESS
mushland
J& NUMACHT
SHo
tt # tfu,HASSHoCHT
birthprace
GOODFORTUNE,
OMEN * lF rrssno
g*d o_"n
10strokes
4 ffi 5t FUSHoJT
bad omen, scandal
I:Ttnr *+ . fr.l7 is artarlof thegods695. f issrreep986q.v.,hereacting
to express
auspicious
(sign)andpossibly
alsolending
itsownconnotarions
llil:lt""ll
-'-r ur rr'€
or of sacrifice. Auspicious sign from the gods
was a good omen,
s}urbo[sing
good fortune.
hCMONiC:
SHEEP SACRIFICED ON ALTAR TO
BRING GOOD FORTUNE
l
446
447
GENERALUSE 1403-1405
GENERALUSE 1399-1402
"" -:lf.
\zr
lS
rr g-
i:i]::llili
U8r,our*,LrArsEfWli-H [:iHsHocnt publicrelrrtioni
a03
n strokes
^^
srrokes
vr-
is rvnlp
while
l
Formerlyalso wriuen i,f, . 7 is water 40, here meaningriver,
t
f
fronr
carefully
cross
mean
to
oXa
202.To walk across a river, i.e. ford it, came
side to another in a broadersense,includingthat of liaise'
Mnemonic:LIAISON CAN INVOLVE WALKING ON WATER
E
EE
SHO
CRYSTAL,CLEAR,
BRIGHT
12strokes
/k ffi SUIsHo
fl'f L sttoxa
ffi ft GSsuo
crystat,
quartz
crystallisation
crystaltisation
of sun/ light A 62, to meanmany points of light (and at one srage
6 rcbling
ap_
see
154).
This
came
stars:
to
mean
bright
and
then
by
association
clear,
pyedto
and was
usedto refer to crystals.
eventually
1400 ?,ffi?:"'E'
INHERIT
ffiT|:x"tths^'"LLl':x
$6
THREE SUNS MAKE IT BRIGHT AND CRYSTAL CLEAR
MnemoniC:
join andposto express
g is summon 1387,hereactingphonetically
ft, is thread 2i.
togcther.
bring
thus
and
gather/
muster
of
sibly alsolendingsupportingconnotations
put
mean
to
by
association
later
used
join
was
and
threads,
1400originallymeantto
fron.r
the
meaning,
associated
is
an
Inherit
them.
people together,i.e. to introduce
sense'
ideaofjoining threadsin a figurative
THREAD ONE'S WAY TO INTRODT]CTION AFTER ST]MNIONS
MNCMONiC:
lrolir\
Ah
it8rr",,u"
1rstrokes
4-
scorchedearth
ft,t-. SUOSfUN
impatience
,R ft {:f KUROKOGE
charrine
12 strokes
An ideographshowinga bird E 216 roasting over a fire ,... g. This cameto acquire
associated
connotationsof scorching and charring, and was also appliedfiguratively
to
theideaoffretting. Thereis an alternativetheory that
@ actspurelyphoneticallyto ex_
prcssblacken,to give blackenwith fire, but this is not convincing.
€
1405
ONE TO SUE
Mnemonic:PUBLIC WORDS OF ACCUSATION LEAD
rl4-
SrrOpO
',j['Till Mnemonic:
BIRD FRETS WHEN SCORCHED OVER FIRE
#*t:3:fi3*.-Ji=# ffi sosnoruyo court
costs
,2i is public 271, hereactingphoneticallyto expressdispute
f, is words/ speak 274.
spoken in a (putllic?)
and probablyalso lendingits meaningof public. Thusrvords
meaningandsue beinga furtherassociation'
dispute,with accuseoeingan associated
t*t
E
| \t\
SHO, kogertrlgasu,aseru,jireru Rt
SCORCH, FRET
H F suocH0 1no'rt'sh{
SH6, tanagokoro
conductor
CONTROL,PALM (HAND) 4 H snasgo
duties
iffl
sgorusHo
l., strokes
ctrnrrec
ffi €
+ SHUr('U)r
12
t--F
-V
oi
'
r lni
L--a o
ctinc nhnneticrllv
t o t*11-^..,u",
exoress lrOld htrt
actingph:it:i"itll,:
t392,here
r J furthermore
rur trrLr
Y a t is
If allu
Jiz.
L.
t s hano
h
f is
Ydb*
holds, a somewnat",.rr,
unclearsemanticrole. Thus that part of the hand rvhich
?
meaning'frorrtthe
associated
referenceto the palm ratherthanthe fingers.Control is an
ideaof handling/maniPulating.
SHO
NITER, GUNPOWDER
12strokes
fiHR suOsnN
fiH* sgoynru
dH* cenesu*
nitricacid
gunpowder
glass
6 isrock 4s. ){ is be like 1391q.v., hereactingphonetically
to expressdigest and
Possibly
alsolendingconnotationsof grorving from as an extensionof its literal
meaning
ofsmallversion
of a (bigger)body. Thus that associatedwith r'ck and digestion
(whichgrows
out from rock?), a referenceto niter. Niter is found as an incrustationon
rock(cf'
English term saltpeter,meaningliterally salt of rock), and is also
usedmedicinally
toaiddigestion
as well as in rhemaking of gunpowder.
}TNcmonic:
NITER Is LIKE A ROCK
CONTROLS
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE, PALM OF HAND
449
GENERALUSE 1408-1410
GENERALUSE 1406-1407
ADORN, MAKE UP
'fLffi rEsHo
rc.ffi.F^rEsHoHtN .::::;X
12 strokes
(?.ffi,4. KESHOSHITSU
SHO
+5 E+
SHOREI encouragement
ln'
i;.':"'':^couRAGE
Jtr +* SUISFIOrecommendation
J.s 211 ,A-t< t
rt,
€
SHOGAKUKIN
scholarship
powder rsg,
A characterof relativelyrecentorigin, with a historyof only six hundredyearsor s().Nevits etymologyis somewhatconfused.)( is rice 201,heresymbolisingrrhite
ertheless,
r e a n i n gt t t r t n 6 y
a n d b y a s s o c i a t i ofna c e p o w d e r ( s e e1 0 2 9 ) .i r . i s a n N C U c h a r a c t em
6u,
cottage,popularlybelievedto comprisebuilding f 14 and ground/ earth ;L 119
in fact a varianVmiscopyingof manor/ vtlla {f 1515q.v. (thoughits graphicevglution
may well havebeeninfluencedby I and !). Hereit actsphoneticallyto expressadorn,
giving adorn oneselfwith face powder. Note that in Chinese #. tStS can alsobe
with 1406to meanadorn/makeup. Note alsothat {-t is often interchtnged
interchanged
with its principalcomponentmanly Nt 1514q.v., which hasan assumedliteral nreaning
494 andbed ) 1389)and thus strongsexual
of erectmale organin bed (maleorgan t
'male
equivalent'of it, a CO characterliterally meaning
connotations..Xf, is itself the
in Chi35 andbed H l\ 1389)which is alsointerchangeable
womanin bed (womanf
up
of makingorreself
nesewith 1406.Thusoriginally 1406clearlyhad strongconnotations
with a specificview to increasingsexualallure,thoughnowadaysit is usuallyuseciin a
generalestheticsense.Suggesttaking p as building f andearth J:.
Mnemonic:ADORN EARTHEN FLOOR OF BUILDING WITH RICE
'{o;:p ixl;JiJ';;l:,
UEI
rr suoKes
Fd ?* sHosgo imperirledict
ilrl 6 sF{onE't imPerirledict
.#
edict
imPenal
rersHo
t
iswofil speak274. 3 is summon 1387q.v., hereespeciallywith its connt)t3trons
asof a highrankingpersonsummoninga lower rankingperson. 1407becameparticuhrly
sociatedwith an emperor's summonsi edict.
(
Mnemonic:SUMMONED TO HEAR WORDS OF IMPERIAL EDICT
confusedevolution. Formerly f , showingcommand h,4t l1t g99 q.v.
Of sornewhat
However,older forms suchas H$ and
53.
adbig K
ffi show clearly that the modamiscopyingof
theelementsbed
{ tA tl n}g,meat 4 /,1 ln
ernformsstem.from
-t
365,anddog lK 17.Thereis a theory that ft4 was from an early stagea simplificationof commandru , giving command a dog and henceorder and by associationurge/
encourage,but it seemsequally if not more likely that H actsphoneticallyto express
offer (asin 899 itself), and that 1408thus originally meantoffer meat to a dog, thereurge. Suggesr
nking {
by teadingto encourageandby association
as command(er)
greatli.
fr *d big/
Mnemonic:URGED ON BY GREAT COMMANDER
1409
;+
#- L ( KUwASHTKU
details
unclear
in detail
fl is word 274,heremeaningtalk/ discuss. # it sheep9g6, hereactingphonetically
to expressexamine thoroughly and possiblyalso looselylendingsimilar connotations(a
sheep
beingapizel, objectthatwould necessarily
be examinedcarefullyprior to purchase).
Thusto discusswith a view to examining thoroughly, with thoroughexamination/
discussion
leadingby associationto detailed.
Mnemonic:DETAILED TALK ABOUT SHEEP
1410
i)
SHO
MANIFEST,
OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGE
14 strokes
*V
rlvOSHO commendetion
,EFF7 fENSgO
nranifesration
Fl1#, S{OTOKU publicpraise
delicate hairs 93 q.v.,herein its senseof attractive
decoration. ff i, nuog.
.zois
q-"' herein its senseof attractive pattern.
r4r0
originally
referredto an attrac;,::
ttv€decorative
pattern,andin Chinesestill retainslessermeaningsof beautifulandorrqnental.
By association
it alsocameto meandisplay somethingattractive,with the
displayleadingby furtherassociation
to manifest and make something crear
;":"t
'" tne
wortd at large, i.e. openly ackn<lwledge(oftenin
the senseof praise).
MN*ON,"'
450
# #HsHosar
* # ursHo
SHQ kurvasftll
DETAILED
13 strokes
OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGE BADGE HAS THREE HAIRS ON IT
451
ll
it
GENERALUSE 1411-1413
r4tt '46<
2_i.-_
{
tE I
ry{
snd
rFr* snororsu
COLLIDE,CLASH,ROAD 6 # ssopo
15srrokes
r,-irrr sessuo
cotrisli'
irpurr.
nelorruriqns
Somewhatobscure. Once written 'l6t . 't? is move/ go 118 q.v, here with its literql
meaningof road(s). { is child/ slave 363 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto .^pr.r,
pass. Thus road that (people) pass along. It is not clear whether V- also plays nn,
semanticrole, thoughits complexitywould suggestthatit does. It may possiblylendits lit_
eral connotationsof slavesbearingloads,i.e. porters,and therebysuggesta file of people
moving along,or it may simply suggestpeoplefrom the outset. It is alsopossiblethatit
lendsfrgurativeassociations
of heavyusage(cf. Englishterm heavytraffic),thoughrhisis
'!
unlikely. The modernform usesthe simpler heavy
311 q.v., which at one stagehad
the samepronunciationas f (thenSHO) andthusplaysa similarphoneticrole, aswell as
havingthe same(possiblyrelevant)literal connotationsof personsbearingloads.Roadis
now a minor meaning. Collide/ clash is takenby somescholarsto be a purely borrows6
meaning,butit may stemfrom areinterpretation
of the elements 4 E ^A {i asheavy
and move respectively,suggestingheavy objects coming together.
Mnemonic:COLLISION OF HEAVY OBJECTS MOVING ON ROAD
'4'2
{H
!14
GENERALUSE1414-1416
gfr
SHQ kane
BELL
20strokes
# ffi KEISHO
alarmbell
#'I $6 H TSURIGANEDO belfry
ffi+LE SHONY0SEKI stalactite
etymology, though its elementsare clearly metal E 14 and child/ slave €
Of drsputed
scholarstake the latter to lend its connotationsof heavy, to give heavy
Some
q.v.
C6j
a rathervaguereferenceto a large hanging bell. Otherstake { (once
object,
metal
pronouncedSHO) to be usedessentiallyphoneticallyto expresshandle (with any semantic
iole unclear;,to give metal object with a handle, a similarly vaguereferenceto a hand
beil. Thbughconfusingly1414doesnowadaysusuallyrefer to a largeand unwieldy type
of bell, the latter theory seemsthe more likely. Evidence for this includes the fact that
l 4 l 4 i s i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e w i t h a n N G U c h a r a c t e r f j f . , w h i c h u s e s S H O c o r r e c ti n
: Ia- 4n1
apparentlysimilar phonetic role, and the fact that there exists a CO character&-, which
usesheavy g 3n (alsoonce pronouncedSHO and sometimesinterchangedwith { [see
in a similarrole, thoughit actuallymeanslarge gobletratherthan bell (i.e. handle
14111)
becominginterpretedas stem).Suggesttaking {- as stand >*73 andvillage g 219.
Mnemonic:METAL BELLS STANDS IN VILLAGE
l4l5
Jd, take
LENGTH, STATURE,
MEASURE
3 strokes
l_
?
o"o""*
#'::5i-;il.['
lH G sHorcrN
repurrrion
iH *F sgorYAKU redenrption
il fH eeNJsHo comoensurion
.f
L-t\
\
{ *
H {
tr {
losu
sturdy,robust
sernre
heisht
Holo
abbot'schamber,
abbot,ten feet square
,{ is person 39.'A' is prize 511 q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressreturn/back
and also lendingit3-connotations
of bestowing money. 1412 ot',ginallyreferredto buyi n g b a c k a p e r s o n ,i . e . r e d e e m i n g a s l a v eb y r e c o m p e n s i n g t h e o w n e r . I t n o w
meansredeem and recompensein a broadersense.
Oncewritten { , showinghand !. and ten + 33. A handrepresentedthe span of
one hand, namely one shaku (30.3cms) R 884 q.v. Thus ten shaku/ one jo,
namelya measure of approximatelyten feet. It is now alsousedof length and height
in a more generalsense,including a person'sstature (clearly initially with somedegreeof
exaggeration).Suggestraking { as a hand l- holdinga stick - .
Mnemonic:PERSON RECOMPENSED WITH PRIZE
Mnemonic:HAND HOLDS STICK TEN FEET IN LENGTH
.J1
""6.*,
a f k
rcef
snag
Hfft ANSHO hiddenreef,
-'aft SANGOSHO corrl reef
E 4,Y. GANSHO
gu*yREEFa l"
Of relativelyrecentorigin. .p is rock 45. E. is scorch/fret 1404,hereactingphonetically to expresstapered and almostcertainlyalso lendinga meaningof fret/ $orr.v'
Thus tapered rock (that causes worry?), a somewhatvague referenceto a sub'
merged rock/ reef of which only the tip is visible abovethe water. It is not clear whY
water i / K40 was not addedfor clarity,to give f' or similar.
Mnemonic:FRET OVER ROCKY REEF
1416
;1t
r17r'
lf
--
t
li # looaN
7I F locso
flffi IOCO
J0
SUIERFLUOUS
4suokes
Formerlyalso written
7g , and earlier 6l . At ,'t is house (variant i. z8),while rI /
tv I IL is crouching person 39 (probablya hunchback). Person (/hunchback?)at
nome was a referenceto a person with no work, presumablyas a result of incapacity,
which came to meansuperfluous person and eventuallysuperfluous in a broad sense.
trote that in Chineseit can by extensionmean
tramp/vagrant,and alsomeanpotterabout
anddo various things,leadingby associationto a somewhatconfusingand paradoxical
rneaningof various duties/ business.
Suggesttaking /L as table 832 and. t-r as cover.
Mnemonic:COVER UP SUPERFLUOUS TABLE
452
joke
verbosity
redundantword
453
GENERALUSE 1417-1418
I
t;i;
GENERALUSE 1419-1420
i9 {L lorn
.LEAN
:&-;i.r.
I
I
4. i? FUJO
B zk losul
esrrokes
purificarion
fire
iltrh
clean rr'1119,
Formerlyt+ . ? iswater 40. + 1Q isvielconflict 529,hereactingphoneticnlll,10
expresspure and possibly also lending connotationsof somethingthat is vied for and
pure water.
hencedesirable.Thus (desirable?)
*,1
JO, amatsusae
SURPLUS,BESIDES
1I strokes
*lj A lovo
A *il volo
E *lJ relo
E @ lOfU
repeared
phrase
*
TATAMI MAT, SIZE,
XtfO
€
(size)
two_mar
FOLD, PILE, REPEAT 844{l
TATAMTKOMU folduo
12 strokes
una 8A F*is avarianJofgood/meat pited on attar 3- ul+q.r.,
Formerly fi
heremeaningpile up in a broad,"nr". & is a co charactermeaningdivided fields,bejng a trebling of-field El 59, while 8a isbngnt 1403, being a treblingof sun p 62.
Soth 8a ana 8a areusedfor their trebledcompositionsimply to indicatequantity and
repetition, thus reinforcinc fl . 1419originallymeantto pile something up layer
fold and repeat. In Japanese
upon layer, giving by association
it alsocameto be ap_
(which
can be folded and stored),especiallythe tatami mat, and is also
pliedto matting
Mnemonic:VIE FOR PURE. CLEAN WATER
1418
E
JO tatami, tatamu
su4rlus
sr.rrplus
surplus,
ercess
usedas a unit of size basedupon the tatami(approximatelysix feet by threefeet). Suggesttaking @ as cover r- and besides/cairn/ pile E tOgt.
Formerlyftl . Obscure,thoughits elementsare clearlysword/ .u1 ti 181 and ride/
scholarsbelieveit to be a later simplifimount * tk320. SomeauthoritativeJapanese
Mnemonic:BESIDES, PILE oF FOLDED MATS IN FIELD IS covERED
cation/miscopyingof the CO charactersurplus ffi, with which it is indeedinterchanseable in Chinese.This comprisesshell/money/valuableitem fl 90 androyal we frXlnK
1603 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressgive and also lending its own supp()r'ting
1420
connotationsof raise/offer (up). Thus to give valuables.Somescholarstakesurplusto be
a borrowedmeaning,while othersseeit as an extendedmeaning,eitherfrom the idc,tof
/F ffiEoxrltewn
okinawa
ffi+F I NAWABARIcordon,
area
JQ nawa
ROPE, CORD
Ef€EHffi
rrrorrsaru
15 strokes
falling in one'sown trap
giving away surplusitems or the ideaof giving itemsaway with excessivegenerositr'.In
any event,the theorythatf,rl is a simplification/miscopyingof ffi is by no meansconvincing. The forms a.retoo distinctfor a miscopyingor deliberatevariationto be likelr',lrnd
Formerly#M /f is thread 27. &. derivesfrom a pictograph
fuof a type of fly with
bulgingeyes,doublewings, and tail/ sting. (Note that fly in a general
senseis now conveyedby the NGU characrer
which
adds
insect
ffi /m,
fl 56) A-, actsherephoneticallyto expresstwist (together). It is not clear why
it was chosenas a phonetic,but it
maypossiblyalsolend looselyassociated
connotations
of man,y(from the swarnringassociatedwith flies). Thus (many?) threads
twisted together,giving rope/ cord. suggesttaking
as two days B 62 and.a (long) rope L .
{
as
*tl is too complexto be usedas a simplification.It seemsmorelikely that f tJ did exist
a primitive characterin its own right, but thatno primitivefomrs haveyet beendiscovcred'
A possibleexplanationof its etymologymight be that tJ meantcut (away),with { acting phoneticallyto expresssurplus/ superfluous(see1416)and possiblyalso lcndittg
a
supportingconnotationsof extremity (from its original connotationsof treetop). Thus
superfluous part (such as an extremity?) which is cut away, leading eventtr.illy
MNcmonic:THREADING ROPE
TAKES LONGER THAN Two
to surplus.
Mnemonic:RIDE WITH SURPLUS SWORD
454
I
t
455
DAYS
r"-
142'
tF*L*'"''o"
DOJO
looo
X #
TENJO heavenandeanh
Mnemonic:GROUNDAROUNDSIXWELLSCLOTHEDINRICHSOIL
{R
JO
YOUNG LADY,
DAUGHTER
16strokes
A ffi neuo
€ ffi euo
YoungladY
beloveddaughtet
i-ffi € l" oroseN
YoungladY'daughter
'H,
in 1421
l*- is tesomewhat obscureelementseen
Formerly t*
t is woman 35.
upper
and
scholars
q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresscontrol accordingto some
own
It may possiblyalso lend its
accordingto others(thoughboth havethe sameresult).
referredto the upper
connotationsof high and thus reinforceupper. 1422 originally
lady of the house. lnitiallY
woman in a house,i.e. the lady in control/ principal
later,not unlike the Englisht:tthis was usedas a polite referenceto a mother, but
Yl;
. .acquireparticularassoclatlons
tress,it was appliedto womenin general,andcameto
meaning)'As with 1421' suggestraking#
young ladies (daughter being an associated
{ (variant i<420)'
ur ri* < 76, well S (variant * 1470),and ctothes
ffi BfrlovaE
f ffi relo
ffi frrltoztr
JO
LOCK, TABLET
16snokes
eanh,ssil
earth,sqll
t #
# i
f- is earth/ ground/ soil 60. ft is a CO characSomewhatobscure. Formerly yk
high, yoke, and change
ter with a confusingrangeof meanings,such as disrobe,assist,
p. fnis is known1q
was
form
its
earliest
position. lts exact etymologyis unclear,but
g
zO and a symbol of reciprocitr'/ 6u'
have compriseda trebling of mouth/ say I I
(seealso 1424). \p 1u6,
tuality Y , and to havemeantpeople accusing one another
i
and tt' tlt knor*'n166u
rr
U""u*" f,! , with plural mouths d , symbolsof reciprocity '
q.v. which appearsto mean(here)
a simplificationof $, the obscureelementseenin 1351
to have meantnrutual
flowing from one mouth to another. fftus i? also appears
and ill becarneabadded
accusations. At somelaterpoint clothing i, tA 420 was
"E
' Unfortunatelythe role of clothing
breviatedto 4-, thus giving the semi-modernfotdisrobeand also appeiustrl have
meaning
the
relatesto
fi is not clear, though it obviously
lrirh f^
associated
lent connotationsof softnessand pliancy,sincethesesometimesseem
+'ilft actsphoneticallyto expresssoft, and may also
in compounds.In the caseof 1421
earth, though now it is
lend similar connotationsof its own. Thus soft earth, i.e' rich
six ?6' + as a vuriuntof
usedof earth/ soil in a broadersense.suggesttaking i, as
wetl .f 1470,and fi. as a variantof clothing/ clothe *- '
t422
GENERALUSE 1423-1424
I
GENERAL IJSE 142I-1422
handcuffs
pill, tablet
obscure. & is metal 14. R-is fix/ establish 351 q.v. Often explainedas
Sorrewhat
fixes in place, i.e. a lock. This is a useful mnemonicbut possiblyan overW@lthat
sinceit doesnot havea meaningof lock in Chinese(thoughit can meanan5implification,
can be interpretedas a metal object that fixes in place [but seebelow]). It
chor,which
more likely that it originally referredto a slab of metal forming the foundasoerns
of framework/starting-point
don/baseof something,thususing the similar connotations
(with anchor
of E, andin Chineseit doesindeedhave a principal meaningof slab or ingot
presumablyan associatedmeaningfrom the idea of heavy metal). Some scholarsfeel that
the rL elementof E-, namelycorrecVlower leg 41, lent particularconnotationsof base,
andalsofeel that 1423was initially usedspecifically to refer to a metal gobleVdish with a
meaningsof lock and tablet are taken by somescholarsto be
base. Its Japanese
b,road
borrowings,but it seemsmore likely that lock results either from a reinterpretationof the
ideaof a
as outlinedabove(i.e. metal that fixes in place)or from the associated
elements
heavymetalbase/slabkeepingsomethingfirmly in place. Tablet may similarly result from
anassociation(of shape)with ingot.
Mnemonic:LOCK IS METAL OBJECT THAT FIXES IN PLACE
1424
-}lS
= fPt(
;€ 2F JoHo
J0, yuzuru
HAND ovER,
YIELD
iS E loro
concession
transfer
#.=-* 9 oYAYUZURI patrimonv
20snokes
Formerly?!, and originally simply
#. rn" latteris the prototypeof the somewhatobscureelement
(r""
1421),and is hereusedin its original meaningof people acE IA
cusingeach other. After the meaningof *$ becamevaguewordsl speak
274
/
wasaddedto stressthe idea of dispute/ argument. Yietd is felt by somescholarsto be
a bonowing, and by othersto be an
associatedmeaning,from the idea of yielding in an arSument.Hand over is an associated
meaningin turn with yield. Suggesttaking ft
six ''. ?6,
well # (variant *
1470),andclothes R (varianttr< 420).
as
trhCMONiC:YIELD
TO WORDS .- HAND OVER CLOTHES AND SIX WELLS
TO FILL SIX WELLS
Mnemonic: YOUNG LADY HAS ENOUGH CLOTHES
456
lock
457
tltr
GENERAL USF. 1425.1421
IN
t425
il
Formerly 6* .
GENERALUSE1428-1430
W ft, lozo
JQ kamosu
BREW, CAUSE
20 strokes
'g
brew,ca11..
ffi fi losEt
fRUOSffrOeSU
cirLr\e
fl
f
m L
-H
I fr is the somewhatobscureelementseenin I 121
q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressbrew and possibly also lending loose cor)irirrais alcohol 302.
tions of change orof soften/ break down. Thus brew alcohol,with cause beingx1
*p
as six a 16,
associated
meaning(cf. Englishbrew up troubleetc.). Suggesttaking
(variant #
well *
1470),and clothes (
('ruined'varianttr< 420).
Mnemonic:BREW ALCOHOL IN SIX WELLS AND RUIN CLOTHES
1126 €+
4 fGi splsnoru
pr.crerirron
INCREASE.
ENRICH fU ffi RISHOKUmoneymaking
FCL E FUEDAKA incrt.rrrcnr
12strokes
SHOKU, fu(rut)'dru
TIEI
,
E
SHOKU,fureru,sawaru
frfr+ SHOKUSHU
TOUCH,FEEL,CONTACT
+*frfr,
SESSHOKU
13strokes
FJt'..fL6,FUREAU
breu,ing
feeler
contacr
conracr
k is horn 243. a is caterpi[ar 744q.v.,hereactingphonetically
formerlyAn
to
make contact and also lendingits own similar connotations.
express
142goriginally re_
fenedtohorns making contact with something/someone,i.e. goring. It still hasthis
freaningin Chinese,includingderivedfigurativemeaningssuchas insult, arouse,
etc. In
alsoit can occasionallyhaveconnotationsofconflict (in
Japanese
similarfashionto brush
in theEnglishterm brushwith the law etc.),but in generalit hascome to mean
make con_
t'ct in a much broadersense,includingfeer and touch. The modernform
usesinsect fi
56insteadof caterpillar ffi .
ToucHED HORNED INSECT -- UNFORGETTABLE
Mnemonic:
FEEL!
1429
E
fl/F&
f is bare bones/ death 286. €. is direct 349,hereactingphoneticallyto expresssofi/
pulpy but of unclear semanticrole. 1426 oigrnally referredto a corpse putrel'r'ing,
fEX
-!
SHoKrr
i(EeLEsr.E\rRLSr
15strokes
4ffi tSUOru
commission
eE€ SHOxusO expecrarion
ffiiL suorurAKu
commission
connotations
of bones.Enrich is a borrowedrnr:anandin Chinesestill retainsoccasional
ing, with increasebeingan associated
meaningwith enrich.
M n e m o n i CI:N C R E A S E D B A R E B O N E S D I R E C T L Y E N R I C H G R O U N D
t427
+ Fft, SOSHOXU
SHOKU, kazaru
b
KUBIKAZARI
dec,.rrirtion
nccklace
DECORATE
Effi
I 3 strokes
ffi 9 +h KAZARIMoNo
decoratton
ri? is cloth Zl8. dtsis a variantof feed E LtZZZ,here actingphoneticallyto exprcssrub
but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to rub with a cloth, meaningto polish/ rnake
clean and by extensionto beautify/ decorate. Suggesttaking zf,r- literally as fot'd/ eat
$
ve and person /-
39.
Mnemonic:PERSON USES DECORATM
458
,li
CLOTH WHEN EATING
Formerly"$-' '' is mouth/ say 20.
itberong 744q.v.,hereactingphoneti*, t&
callyto expressbring into contact/join
and probabryarsolendingits own connotations
ofjoin. Thus verbally enjoin, leading
to request, charge, entrust, erc.
Mnemonic:ENTRUSTED TO
SAy WHAT BELONGS
1430
JOKU, hazukashimeru
ifiE
INSULT, IIUMILIATE,EE
10 strokes
€E
gUfOfU
insult
TUTSUJOKUhUMiIiAtiON
sErsuJoKU
vindication
E, Xe.q.v., herein irs senseof cutting tool, and hand/
measure<f
ff::r.:,1
meanrngcareful use of the hand. Thus careful
use of a cutting
,*, l';"i,*e
to using a scythe/ sickte. Somescholarstake
insutt/
humiriate to
b"-"'.:'"trfnce
*
..- wrrowrng, but it seemsequallyif not morerikely to be a figurativeextension(cf.
Engushcutting
remarketc.).
MNCMONiC:
HAND OUT INSULTS AS CUTTING
AS CLANTSHELL
459
GENERALUSE1431.1433
GENERALUSE 1434-1436
"" ;##n:1';i:".'
ii {+
,fF ffi SHTNSHUKU etasricitv
E {+ TSUISTilN por,...ip,
on riptoe
H I+ U SENOBI stretch
,{ is person 39. f is say 322 q.v., hereusedphoneticallyto expressstretch._,s ru,
throughits early form c[J,q6i.,.'
alsolend its own suggestionof stretching/straightening
is actually a stylisationof a jagged bolt of lightning but looks very similar to hands€J
an arrow ff SZt, and seealso 1439).11u,
a stick | (seehandsstraightening
straightening
in
a broad sense.
extend
now
stretchi
person
stretching,
a
1434
:+
il'i:Ji: cRossrNc
ffff;STffiT ,id:,";.l::
estrokes
/ t
a
HHrfiiH rsursuuRAURA
throughout
theland
t
40, heremeaningriver or body of water. # is brustr in hand gg3/
142,
! is water
phonetically
to expressadvance and possibly also lending its own similar
acting
here
con(from the movementof a handwhen writing). Thus to advance
notations
acrosswater,
to cross and crossing (place). In Japanesecrossingalso led by association
:r,ading
to
harbor/ port, from the idea of a safestretchof water.
Mnemonic: PERSON STRETCHES OUT WHAT HE HAS TO SAY
rtal
SHIN- knrai. tsuraj
r\>
fE
SHARP.RrrrER
Tstrokes
Jl3
-_.}
-)
+r
+ I
l" -f
L/L
SHINKU
KARAMI
KAROJITE
hrrdship
sharptaste
barely
Also written $ , and earlier p or V , and depictinga tattooist's needle. tz is anexthe ideaof piercaggerationof a barb,generallyfelt to be usedsymbolicallyto emphasise
ing but it shouldbe notedthat thereappearsto havebeena type of needleusedas an instruo . t ( e . e . s e e 1 2 8 8 )B. o t h
m e n t o f t o r t u r e .T h i s i s u s u a l l y f o u n d a s a v a r i a n t f o r m
]
symboliseprisoners and
could
needle
tattooist's
this variant form and the conventional
(e.g.
3181
340). 1432 alsos1'nrbolsee
tattooed
slaves,who were variouslytorturedand
in
ised sharpnessand by figurativeassociationbitterness,both the senseof tasteandof
hardship. Suggesttaking f,
as stand ]1t-73 andten/ needle +
33.
STAND ON TEN SHARP NEEDLES '- BITTER EXPERIENCE
MNEMONiC:
'433
{ft
F A sruxNv0
E € sHwcet
i#il';:"ilo"o'"
invaston
violation
E PF sruwnYAKU aggresslon
Mnemonic:CROSS WATERS OF HARBOR, BRUSH IN HAND
1435
,,t=.
trt
Mnemonic:INVADED BY PERSON WITH COVERED HANDS
460
E H SHINON
I E rosnrN
frrE rosnrN
labial sound
lips
red lips
obscure,thoughits elementsare clearlymouth/ say F 20 and
Somewhat
cram F, 366.
Somescholarsfeel that the latter actsphoneticallyto expresstremble
and also lendsits
own connotationsof crosing, thus giving that part of the mouth
which trembles
and closes,i.e. the lips. other scholarsfeel that 1435originally
referredideographically
to themouthof a clam,i.e. the edgesof its shellsand thus
by associationlips. The former
theoryis supportedby the existenceof the NGU characte
r tip
(to alr intentsand purpose
esinterchangeable
with 1435),which usesmeat/of the body
n 365,It is unlikely thatthis
couldmeanmouthof a clam (thoughmeatof a
clam is a possibility),and it would seemto
bethecase that
@ again actsphoneticallyto expresstremble and also lends its own connoationsof closing,to give that part
of the body which tremblesand closes.
Mnemonic:LIpS SHUT MOUTH
LIKE A CLAM
1436
a-
96'
Oncewritren Afr showingthat -4 is a simplificationof hand holding Uroom ft
both
A /,( is person 39. ?. is a further hand, presumablyindicating sweepingwith
is taken
handsthough in reality redundant. Thus a person sweeping. Invade/ violate
sr|eeping
of
by somescholarsto be a borrowing,but it seemsequallylikely that the idea
(still a stronS
led to that of moving gradually forward, which in turn led to encroach
Z asanmeaningin Chinese)and henceinvade/ violate. Suggesttaking 3 as hand,
other hand, and <-z as cover.
SHIN, kuchibiru
LIP(S)
10 strokes
SHIN
PREGNANCY
10strokes
iI:4lF tuNSHrN
pregnancy
ffi:!fr.q 6E XTNSHTNKANo fCNiIC
lJ, iFth.A NTNsHTNKENSA
pregnancytest
t,i'*otun
35. &-is cram(sheil)366, hereactingphoneticailyto express
dupricate
alsolendingits own connotations
of
living
a
thing
contained
within
a casing.
-"qr wo[t?n
il*::.::tt
duplicating,a referenceto pregnancy.
MNCMonic:
PREGNANT woMAN
IS LIKE CLAM
461
GENERALUSE IMO-1442
GENERALUSE,1437.1439
srving
ffi 9; SfUNOO
SHIN, furilrulruu
gJ
6 FURIKIRU shak'-'c,ff
ffi b
wAvE, SWING,
AIR. MANNER, AFTER ++E' NINENBURI
aftertwo r,_.,,r,
10strokes
tool 366 q'v', irere
Of broadsemanricevolution. I is hana 32. ff< isclam/ cutting
its own connotalending
possibly
also
acting phoneticallyto expressshake/ wave and
shake/ swing/ waye the
tions of swing from the actionof using a scythe.Thus to
(oftenin the senseof pretense)
hands, with the hand elementlaterfading. Air/ manner
(i'e' show of? pttton
is felt to be an extendedfigurative meaning,from the ideaof brandish
meaningof after (irt the
airs and graces). It is not clear how 1437 cameto acquirethe
may possiblyit a1
senseof somethinghappeningaftera periodof not happening)'but this
actionafter inerria'
associatedfrgurativemeaningfrom the idea of rousing/bringing about
WAVE CLAM IN HAND IN STRANGE MANNER
lil38
\t
iR
erosion
l?A smNsHoKU
inurrJation
i? zJ<sgtNsut
zkiR L MZUBITASHI flooding
SHIN. hitasu,ru
il'lI"l"'IERSE
broom seenin 1433q.v.,hereact7 is water qo. Q is the simplifiedhands holding
of its
connotations
ing phoneticallyto expressadvanceandprobablyalsolendingsimilar
the associatednteanown. Thus water advancing, a referenceto flooding and hence
hqnd, x6Ll'7 as
ings of soak and immerse. Suggesttaking 2 as hand, 1 as another
cover.
il
:A
d*
SHIN. miru
DIAGNOSE.EXAMINE
l2 strokes
2 ffif smuonN
2 4
G-#
diagnosis
STUNSATSUexamination
osmN
housecall
z6 iswords/ speak/ state274. O is u CO charactermeaninghair, being to all intenrs
lt 93 plus person /- 39. Here j
actsphoneticallyro expressexandpurposeshaic
ofdelicate and hencein (fine) detail (see93).
amine,andmay alsolend loosesuggestions
whether
1440
clear
originally
meant
to examine someone's words or, more
not
It is
lkely, to examine and then make a pronouDcement(i.e. diagnosis),but from a very
with a medical examination.
eaflystageit becameassociated
Mnemonic:PERSON EXAMINED: DIAGNOSIS STATES TOO HAIRY
144l
t'a
SHIN, nerulkasu
SLEEP, LIE DOWN
13 strokes
€€
&^
sruxsHlTsu bedroom
b NEIRU
fall asteep
Efi'U+rt NEKASHIMoNo
unsoldstock
Pr is roof/ building 28. j is (sick)bed 1389,hereindicatingsomeonebeing 'laid up'
with sickness(seealso 38D. Ais the simplifiedhands holding broom seenin 1433
q'v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expresscleanseand also lendingsimilar connorationsof
sweepaway/removeimpurities.1441originally referredto a type of templeoutbuilding
wheresick personswere laid to be cleansedof the evil spirit believedto be causingtheir
sickness.It later cameto mean rest or lie dorvn in a broadsense,and is now also often
usedof sleep. Suggesttaking
Q as hand 3 , anotherhand ? , and cover rl.
MNCMonic:
SLEEP IN BUILDING, HANDS OUT OF BED-COVER
Mnemonic:SOAK HANDS, COVERING THEM WITII WATER
'ffi
1,l40
ge.tlenran
fiS* sruNsHr
fiSffi srur'{suo ricnnrerchant
fi++ fi SHINSHIRoKU
l;l}-*oN'BELr
tr,rtf,
'tr€ smNcuo
SHIN, tsutsushirua
prudence
BE DISCREET, REFRAIN
9;,F zuNSfUN goodconduct
,84'Rh
13 stToKes
TSUTSUSHIMIBUKAI
who's Who
phoneticallyto t:ll:::
*. is thread 27,heremeaningcloth. f is say 322,heteacting
(se'
its early form blJ
pull/stretch and possiblyalsolendinga similar suggestionthrough
t o a w a i s t b a n d /h c l t ' "
1 4 3 1 ) .T h u sc l o t h w h i c h i s P u l l e d /s t r e l c h e d ,a r e f e r e n c e
with a gentleman.
latercameto acquireassociations
A GENTLEMAN
Mnemonic: FINE THREADS ON BELT SAY HE'S
462
discreet
Formerly
iE . ,t' is heart/ feelings147. & t H is true 514 q.v.,hereactingphonett expressconstrain/ restrain and possiblyalso lendingconnotations
of proper
)11'l
\or' lesslikely,
true). Thus to (act properly and?) restrain one,s (true?) feel"r8s'i.e.refrain, with be discreetbeingan associated
meaning.
hETNONiC:
DISCREETLY REFRAIN, MASKING TRUE FEELINGS
463
GENERALIJSE IM6-T449
GENERALUSE 1443-1445
SHIN
L443
JUDGE, INVESTIGATE
15strokes
# # sruNct
-# rustuN
6
.# #i sruxPeN
doubt
judging,refereeing
I
I
*z is roof/ building ZA.$ it number 196 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto express
know (thoroughly) and possibly also lending connotationsof systematic/ in order.
(and systematUnlikely as it may seem,1443originally referredto having a thorough
ic?) knowledge of a building, later coming to mean have a thorough knowledge
meanings'
in general.Judge and investigateare associated
INVESTIGATE HOUSE NUMBERS PRIOR TO JUDGING
MNCMONiC:
t444
GFt
F-
SHIN. furuuleru
SHAKE, TREMBLE
15 strokes
earthquuke
1& F ltsurN
tremb)ing
h EV MIBURUI
-tr
LF FURUEGOE
voice
trembling
actingphorfr is rain 3, heremeaningstorm. iR is clam/ cutting tool 366 q.v., here
netically to expressshake/ wave/ tremble and possibly also lending its own connotations of (swinging)movementfrom the actionof using a scythe. 1444originallyrefened
nrean
to a violent storm causing things to shake and sway, then later came to
shake/ tremble/ sway in a generalsense.
Mnemonic:RAIN MAKES CLAM SHAKE AND TREMBLE?!
t445
#
SHIN, takigi' maki
FIREWOOD, KINDLING
16 strokes
ffi 'tr sruNreN
ruel
wooclshed
ffi ,J'B TAKIGIGOYA
ffi EtJ9 MAKIwAzu
:LA?E,
3 srokes
Mnemonic:USE NEWLY CHOPPED PLANTS AS KINDLING
464
E !
SWORD
fmfUnN
X fZ rmvorvo
ffi }J nyosa
drawn sword
bladed
object
doubteblade
Ssord TJ 18lwith a mark \ to indicatethe blade. Note that the bladeis on the inside
sdgeof tbe sword,unlikethe now famedkatanawhich is alsoexpressedby 1g1.
Mnemonic:SWORD WITH MARKED BLADE
"
Z IINRYOKU
effort(s)
* nltwnel
forever
L roronoZUKUSHI care
,L'A
A(. k*:Tr'g*iiu"
Formerly.fi andoriginally $. y/-cn: is dish 1307. Fif
t hand hotding brush
(oldforrn/variantZ 142),hereactingphonericallytoexpressemptyandalmostcenainly
alsolendingconnotationsof soaking up. Fire ,,,. g was addedlater,presumabryto lend
a supportingidea of dry. 1447 oiginally meant dry and empty bowl, with use up/
exhaustbeing an associated
meaning.Suggesttaking l( ofthe modernform as person
A 39 with back-pack : , and -' as a variantof two = 61, with a pray on the word exhaust.
Mnemonic:PERSON EXHAUSTED By CARRYING Two
1118
\
3
-1 t1*
7 tD
_.\>
JIN, hayai
BACK-PACKS
ranirtit.,
r^.p$ 1NSOKU
FASr, TNTENSE
n Ei nNnnr
6strokes
€il
,h";J;;;
fUNffN
grearrage
i- is movement 129. fu is an obscureelement,
once written ft and apparentlycomprisingbending person ') 39 and
needle/ten f 33 but of unclear*"uning. It is howknown to act herephoneticallyto expressfast, giving fast
movement. Intense is
lver
anassociated
meaning. Suggesttaking -L as a sprinter kneering (at the brocks).
Mnemonic:TEN KNEELING
SPRINTERS, READY TO MOVE FAST
{+
Ff
FE
-
woodchoPPinB
meaning of chop down a tree/ chop wood'
f,f1is new 148 q.v., here in its original
connotations
with plant +r 9 addedto draw attentionto the wood itself. It cameto acquire
lumber.
of small piecesof wood, i.e. firewood/ kindling, ratherthan timber/
r[l
JIN, ha, yaiba
deliberation
JIN, hanaha
da[shii]
GREAT(LY),EXTREME
9 strokes
E t fluRt na
E A lnnoru
* # ronN
A"totbinu,ion
;:'J
immense
dunce
verygtad
of sweet t
1093(here t ) and match/ matched pair E 1736. Unit may seem,sweet matched pair was a referenceto a pair
of lovers, and
:t
great happiness. Eventuallygreat cameto prevailover happiness.
lr
]qCMonIc: SWEET MATCHED PAIR GREATLY IN LOVE
465
GENERALUSE 1450.1452
ti1
ij
GENERALUSE1453-1455
JIN
POSITION, CAMP
lH vFnxro
10 strokes
l5C,ffi JINTSU
vanot iLrrn]
[41th nNcm
lubr,r1,.11n*
Hill
f ZZ0 anavehicle f,. :t. Venicles drarvn up around a hill indicarcclq,,,
army encampment (see466 and 540). Now also position in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:VEHICLES POSITIONED AROUND HILL SHOW ARMY CAt\Ip
1451
+
=
JIN, tazuneru,hiro
d fl"l fn,nAON
INQUIRE, NEXT,
{+'fi*JTNJO
usuAl,,
A FATHOM
SUI, tatu
COOK, BOIL
8 strokes
position
quesrirulns
;r,rq1j
+ }a fl J TAZUNTDASU st'ckout
12 strokes
Oncewritten ;"i + is right hand 2. ? is a derivativeof fr, an old form of lcft hand
E ZZ. { l{ ir hand/ measure909,herealsoactingphoneticallyto expressstretch.
1451originallyreferredto the span betweentwo outstretchedarms/ hands,ro give
a measureof one fathom (six feet or 1.82m. in Japan[as E,ngland]but an exaEicrared
eight feet in China: notethe similar etymologyof the Englishterm fathom,which rn Old
Englishliterally meansthe spanof the arms). Outsretchedarmsalso cameto svrnbolise
making an appeal,leadingto inquire/ ask. Usual is felt to stemfrom the usull/ standardspanof the arms(thoughironicallythe Japanese
havebeen
andChineseinterpretations
seento differ). It is not clearhow next evolved. Suggesttaking Z as hand, {
otherhand, El as opening 20, and .L aswork 113.
rs an-
ad''ocacY
SUI, fuku
ff 4 rOSUI
sno\\'storrn
BLOW, BREATHE OUT
4 € fUsU1<t*
hlor,r'down
rurmRoSU
7 strokes
4 E Fllf
is tact 471q.v.,herein its literalmeaningof gaping mouth'
1452is a somewhatvague ideographindicatinga person letting out a big breath'
El is mouth 20 while (
with blow being an associated
meaning.
M n e m o n i c :L A C K M O U T H . B U T B R E A T H E A N D B L O W N O N E T I i E L E S S ?
466
E *t ftSUl
cookingfor self
y(isfire 8' Risracki gaping mouth 471 q.v., here acting
phoneticallyto express
brow(i.e. to all intentsand purposesa simplificationof blow sk
r452q.v.). 1453re_
ferredto browing on a fire to make it flare up prior to cooking,
and thus by ex_
tcnsionsymbolisedcooking/ boiling.
Mnemonic:LACK FIRE, BUT COOK NONETHELESS?
'^4s4
gti*#^.*.
ff Htil
rosur supremecommand
zr HrlceNsuI field marshal
:lYFfisuosuJ
commander
j,J::",7^,J^i;Til::\.'Tff
"1',:'#:ffi:;:::T"":#i;:
lTil;lTl",.T
referred,ou o".ron wavinga stick
with
a pieceof
cl,,jrtljl"t"."".]o^"^.':l:"rr,
| o t h a t t a c h e d , i . e . a b anner_waver
nner-wl'p"o^.tx',-^..^^:^.:.
and by associationleader.
Suggesttaking
hill.
fl as
MNemonic:COMMANDER
CARRIES CLOI.H BANNER
UP HILL
"
Mnemonic: INQUIRE ABOUT OPENING FOR WORKING HANDS
1452
tft S suur
ffi,k a MESHTTAKT
.;"#:
:,,",::::i"ENCE"'rYL
trffi
f+
nanabouttown
fomertr 4
x is rice20r. f is soldier537,hereactingphonetica'y
.utof unclear
to express
pure
semanric
role. Thuspure rice,laterpure/ quintessentiar
in
a
broader
F.oF
o-
ltntt'
l'n"'
associarion
association
wirh
:. ur,o
^r^withaa6o-^^
essence
i,
.u-l ,;,:;JilT:ilj::,t:r^;:Tl"';
right thing to do, in particular
in the senseof being worrdrywise,
H:"
and thus also
stvle (asin the Engtishro have
styte).
Suggest
taking
il i;:t"
f as nine |1, t2 and
htemonic:
NINETEEN GRAINS OF
PURE RICE
467
ill
t{l
iil
rr#
GENERALUSE 1456-1459
t456 ->E
i><
v\
f F sqileru
Z F nosut
SUI,otoroera
wEAKEN,wANE
R F sersut
10strokes
GENERALUSE1460-1462
6 1fi::k,:;"^R(o.cRArN)
#i',%
ffi#
15strokes
jt
ffi noserr
,iebiri|
""'Jii,]XI
4ND
spearshape
ear of rice
spear
once wriuen Q , showingclothing it
i lR 420and f|. The latter show51y7n
plants V (invertedvariant f 9 or L 42),hereindicatingstraw, joined togethern'
Rather like thatching a roof, (inverted) straw was fashionedinto a topcoatfor keepingqu1
rain andcold, and 1456originallymeantstraw raincoat. This meaningis now conveysd
by the NGU characterft , which addsplant +r 9. Its presentmeaningof weaken/ r'sn.
resultsfrom borrowing. Suggesttaking -* as a pierced -- hole/ opening o 20.
*? : k.is rice plant/ grain plant 81. ru is heart l4T,heremeaning main
Forrflerly
part. fr, /fi . is spinningweight 914 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresshang and
lts own connotationsof hanging weight. Thus that which hangs heaviajsolending
a grain plant and is its main part, namely the head/ ear/ spear.
from
down
ly
as ten f 33 and field E? 59.
taktng
$
Suggest
Mnemonic: CLOTHING WEAKENED AFTER HOLE PIERCED
HEARTENED BY EARS ON GRAIN PLANTS IN TEN FIELDS
MnemONiC:
'-'E+
D'\zzY
Hi{h',:ftllil
r,Ytt. ffiffif
Formerlyffi , showingwine jar/ alcohol 6 ZOZand soldier/ ena ft 537. The latter
actsphoneticallyto expressfinish andprobablylendsits own similarconnotations.Thus
also becomedizzy
to finish off a wine jar, meaningto become drunk. In Japanese
-'f12
ten
33.
nine
and
as
taking
Suggest
in a broadersense.
l1t
f
"*!fiYll?frfi;iill'"
Mnemonic:EIGHT MOVING PIGS FINALLY ATTAIN GOAL
sleeP
sleeP
sound
naP,siesta
907. Droopy eyes indicatesleepinessand hencesleeP'
Mnemonic:DROOPY EYES LEAD TO SLEEP
468
spindle
ffi 4t SUtrO
spindleshape
il r;E venuoMoRl ball sinker
'462
-ffiH##:J;:";:;
iri::y'RANDoM
ru
.
nowmeaningbothfalr and
formerlrFfr, Lis movement12g.FE is a co character
scraps
of meat. It comprises
hifl F 22gandan erement
meaningfailing scrapsof
(meat ff 365andlreft] hand L zz, to indicatescrapsof meat
falringfrom
Tit
6.
ue nand).
Thecombination
of hilr p andfallingscraps
of meat-,fi indi"ut"sa hillside
crumbling,
i.e.a landslide,butclearlythismeaningwaseventually
repraced
by
lflt:"
rne
meanings
properlybelongingto fi itself(i.e.with hill p becoming
-;lh? redundant).
Note
thattheadditionof
earthr 60 givesfarvlandslideei ftfi sze
;;r" of A62 ffr
actsphonetically
to express
foltow,andalmostcertainlyalsolendsconnotations
of unstoppable
(group o0 pigs moving. It comprisespig 8'1070 and
fiis an elementmeaning
ano
away/ out of rt 66,to refer to the actionof pigs when moving out of an enclosure,
bY
often hasconnotationsof pushingandjostling. Here the idea of movementis reinfoiced
generin
movement i_tzs. Pigs moving in a groupcameto refer to group movement
al, especiallyin the senseof attaining a goal through the brute force of the group
fi'
(not unlike the Englishterm bulldozeone'sway). Now attain in a generalsense,with
''
in its meaningof eight'
meaning. Suggesttaking
nally being an associated
Eye El i2 and droop $
J--
fii f,-iE
eosur
Mnemonic:SINKER IS METAL OBJECT THAT HANGS DOWN
attainment
Z fi surro
attempted
* i4 tnltsUtno
accomPlish
t+6W 6 SHITOGERU
ffi HEsun'rn
f, ffi rurusur
zFFf; cosul
SUI, rsumu, omorr
SPINDLE. SINKER
16strokes
Metal f 14 and hang down # gOl, giving metal object that hangsdown,i.e.
p l u m b - b o b ,s p i n d l e ,s i n k e r , e t c .
Mnemonic:DRUNK AND DIZZY AFTER NINETEEN WINE JARS
SUI, nemura
SLEEP
13strokes
t46t h{*
iat#'
-lrT
I
I
t
.on"-.nt
from its literal meaningof landslide. Thus move and foilow
\ur unstoppable fashion).
On the one hand this has led to connotationsof great moinexorability, and on the other to doing what one wishesregardless,
somewhat
^lT:"t
"i9
Pqooxically
often with its own connotationsof actingin a capriciousor desultory
manner
(thusgiving
random). Suggesttaking
ft. as exist 401.
MNCMONiC:
MOVEMENT EXISTS TO FOLLOW HILLS AT RANDOM
469
GENERALUSE 1463-1465
GENERALUSE 1466-1468
zul
€f,fi
,BX
€f
MARROW
19strokes
KOTSUZUI bonemlrr,yq,
NOZUI
I.r:rr
SFIINZUI
€SSrr)gg
{66
Lg
,E
-lr'ra
!
Of confusedand somewhatobscureetymology. Formerlyfff- , anOin ancienttimes f,q1.
with anoccasionallyencounteredvariant'fff
. ft tE itbone867. b tF is hill :tri
fu is a doublingof left hand 22. As an element f is obscure,but it seemsmostlikr:ly
that lft is a variantor miscopyingof landslidel falll scraps of meat lfr ].462,i.v.
In the caseof 1463 fE I lb actsphoneticallyto expressfat, here meaningfatty nrcat,
of bits of meat. Thus fatty meat rrithin
and almostcertainlyalso lendsconnotations
form
replaces
hill p with movement Ll19,
the bones,i.e. marrow. The modern
probablya miscopyingunderthe influenceof f$- 1462.Suggesttaking ft asexist .l{)1.
Mnemonic:MARROW EXISTS IN MOVING BONES
fE 4$ stlmu
fX E stlvo
f fE cHUsu
S O toloso
PMr, DOOR
8 strokes
1464
1465
g
,rfr
Sl\ agameru
LOFTY. NOBLE. REVERE
1I strokes
5= 1+
sUFIet
SUKOna
EEh
surEr
470
leave as is
ornament
installation
'"
.EDAR
ili::"-ERIA'
:K1;;:frffi,.::ffH:
t'
avenueof cedus
f is tree/ wood 69. 7 is ldelicate)hairs 93, hereactingphonetically
to expressendur_
ing and also lendingits shapeto suggesthair-like
reaves.Thusenduring tree with
hair-like leaves,a referenceto the cedar/
cryptomeria.
Mnemonic:CEDAR IS TREE WITH HAIR_LIKE
LEAVES
tout
>
rr
J
-wA-)L
serune
-
RIDGE.
SQUARE MEASURE
10 strokes
-il,
< UNEDATE
E^ NISE
ffi, D UNEORI
furrowing
rwo se
ribbed fabric
worshiP
sLrlrline
reverence
4r ismountain24. fl. is religion 889, here actingphoneticallyto expressdupticate/
tayer and also lending its connotationsof respectI awe. 1465originally referredto.a
ls
tall nrountain towering over others (i.e. forming anotherlayer of mountain). It
still occasionallyfound in this senseof lofty peak, but is usuallyfound in a figurirtive
senseof something lofty and noble which inspires respect and awe.
Mnemonic:RELIGIOUSLY REVERE LOFTY MOUNTAIN
SUEOKU
+EZ Mr suEMoNo
fe zft ij sugrsure
Mnemonic:SET SOMETHING DOWN WHERE HAND IS
frt,
g','\
Mnemonic:PIVOT IS IMPORTANT SECTION OF WOODEN DOOR
F2r
1E X- Ig (
f, is hand 32. ft, is be/reside 649q.v., here with its iiterarmeaningof be fixed in a
prace' Thus to fix something in a prace by hand, i.e. set/ prace,with
sit being an
meaningthat overlooksthe presenceof hand (note
associated
that in English also setand
f
sitareerymologicallyrelated).
,Lris
imporr
r.ce
cenrer.
n;\or
F o m . r e r l y , d ' E f. . t i r t r e e / w o o d A S . f t t f L i s w a r d / s e c t i o n 4 6 5 q . v . , h e r e a c t i n g p h o neticallyto expressimportant and almostcertainlyalsolendingconnotationsof holc and
as opening/hole E 20 andconcontainer (sincethe elementsof [-! canbe reinterpreted
tainer C 225). 1464originallyreferredto a hole containing/seatingan inrporlant
shaft, namely the pivot on which a certaintype of door swung. It thuscameto be used
alsoof door. As in theEnglishtermpivot, it hasconof the pivot itself,andoccasionally
notationsof importance.
.Ft
st)(rulu,er,S E T , P L A C E .S I T
-[ strokes
sho.wingfietd E s9, tasring
K 647,andwhat appearsto be ten f
i:Tt: *: -t1,
phonericallyto expressridge, andmay
alsolend connoationsof permanence.
;;:
:.
rrtcrole
of f is not clear,but it may possiblylend
its shapeto suggestintersectingpaths.
1468originally
referredto the ridges running through/
separating fietds. It later
,: O"of a square measure(presumablythe areabetween
ndges),
ru6s),r, sPguu
specifi_
tcally
l:::::"a standardT.O
99.3 sq.m.in Japanese
but of variablesizein Chinese.Suggesttaking >
asa symbol
of top.
lr
.'TNCMONiC:
MEASURED FIELDS TOPPED BY LASTING
RIDGES
471
GENERAL USE 1469-1472
1469
I
GENERALUSE 1473-1476
se
SHALLOWS, RAPIDS
19strokes
& iF eSASg shoal,shalto\,;
strait,
channsl
?F f SPTO
-ffi F +r)JSETOMONO porcclrrin
Formerly rfp . ; is water/ river 40. frA lffi is rely/ request1889 q.v., here acs11s
't'1q,
phoneticallyto expressfast and probablyalsolendingits connotationsof dividing.
where a river (divides and?) flows fast, a referenceto shallows/ rapids.
Mnemonic: RELY ON WATER HAVING SHALLOWS
L470
/fi # vusEt
X#
feNlO
# F foO
SEI, SHo, i
WELL
4 strokes
oiiwel
ccitins
*.tt
SEI, hitosftii
EQUAL, SIMILAR
8 strokes
,+.a
SEIMEI
EKt
rrame cirrrnge
f.timer
HYAKUSHO
Mnemonic:WOMAN GIVEN SURNAME AT BIRTH
sEI
SUBJUGATE, TRAVEL
8 strokes
subjugatton
{E ER SEIFUKU
expeditron
E G ENSEI
travelingclothes'
G & sEu
military clothes
Mnemonic:TEXTS ABour
/( is movement(along a road) 118. E- is proper 41 q.v.,herein its literal meaning
in a
of lower leg/ foot. Thus to set foot on a road/ move off. This can mean travel
generalsense,but has particularconnotationsof setting forth on a military carn'
meaning.
paign, with subjugate being an associated
A1a
equatirv
ff PE SstSHO singingin unison
LUNAR ECLIPSE ALL vERy STMILAR
SEI
SACRIFICE
9 strokes
Mnemonic:SACRIFICE OF LM
"" i{ti
ffi++#
ffift
ffi+t*t
GTSETSHA
victim
IKgltp*
livesacrifice
GlSElTEKlselfsacrificine
COW
:l
",.'"#oN,DEArH
H#iH*:,uod..::
j-is movement r29.
fff is bend/ break 522q.v., here acting phoneticauyto express
severand also lending similar connotations
of its own from its literal meaningof chop
down' Thus a movement that
severs,a referenceto passing on/ death.
MNcmonic:
MOVEMENT BREAKS DowN THROUGH DEATH
'476
'$i
$lt
Mnemonic:MOVE OFF PROPERLY TO SUBJUGATE
all tosether
surnir.me
& . f f i KAISEI
Woman f 35 and birth 842. Often interpretedas childrenbeing given (at birth) the
family nameof their motherratherthanfather,this practicebeing connectedwith an attcmpt
to preservethe mother'slineagein a polygamoussituation. There may have beensome
truth to this at some stage,but it seemsmore likely that t' indicatesfemale children
ratherthanmother,sincein ancientChinait was generallyonly womenwho useda flnrily
name. Thus that given a female child at birth, i.e. a family name.
L472
settrsu
fi iscow/ bull 97. { is rive 42, herealso acting phoneticailyro expresspurify. A
purified cow was offered as a rive sacrifice. Now sacrifice
in a generarsense. See
also1140.
Mnemonic:WELL WITH FRAME
sEI, SHO
SURNAME
8 strokes
tSSEt
ff-
Formerlyff . The earliestform \t,/ showssimilar heads of grain (arrangedfor relig_
iousoffering). The idea of similarity and belongingto rhe samecategorywas reinforcedby
theadditionof a symbol : , giving Bt, which was later stylisedto t$ and eventualrybecamefi. Simitarity/ equality cameto prevailover the original meaningof religiousoff.eingof grain Suggesttaking { as text 68 and ll as a'partially eclipsed,moon
fl 16.
indiFrom a pictographof a well crib/ well frame fi . Once also written fr , with
charactermeaningreceptacleibowl
catingwaterwithin the well, but $ is now a separate
(see43).
l47l
__f
iil;ii;illi';rfJ ,ffiLffi6
ll strokes
uogs.qxenu
flareup
d is become515q.v.,hereactingphoneticallv
to express
pireup and
;"t^:liy
l'q7.
' -"qvry arso
lendlng
uD dish'
connotations ofcompletion and by extension fullness. Thus piled
a
leading ,o i"up and serve and by figurative
associarion grow/ prosper.
UIN.MONi".SERVE
HEAPED DISHES WHM{ ONE BECOMES PROSPEROUS
473
fi'
GENERALUSE 1477-1479
I
GENERALUSE 1480-1482
son-in,lnp
4 trElosEt
iL {ff HeNeMUKObride:',,,rn
ITi A 9 MUKOIRI
marryinghrirsq.
SEI, muko
SON-IN-LAW
12 strokes
SEKI, shirizokeru
#F,F nerseru
boycon
,F iR seKo
scour,
parot
,K I sprrnYoKu
REPEL, REJECT
5 strokes
repulsive force
4 g 4 i n s t e a d owf o m a n f 3 5 . ^ f i i s a
F o r m e r l y a l s o w r i u etnt t , i . " . w i t h m a l e f . l t
astogether,assist'wait,exrrrrine,
such
meanings,
CO characterwitharangeof confusing
is
distant,clerk, store,and mincedcrabs. Its etymology unclear,thoughits elements31s
meat/ of the body A 365and proper/ lower leg fr- I E 41 (thoughtechnicallythc v.,.ihas becomea sepalateNGU characternow usedas a cloth measuleand arrirnal
ant I
toexpressparlner. but any semanticroleis un.lcur.
counter).Here ft actsphonetically
(for a woman), while fff meansa part'
partner
is
a
who
meansa male
Thus {
to
to
ner for a woman, both beingreferences a husband. In particularit has ct-::ne
adoptetl
i.e.
an
parents,
husmean husbandviewed from the standpointof the woman's
f is building l14. 4 is reverse646 q.v.,hereactingphonetically
oncewritten &
empty
and
probablyalsolendingirs connotationsof oppositeto normal.
to express
l4g0
oi.ginallyreferredto an empty buirding (i.e. one normaily occupied),and reper/ reject
is a borrowedmeaning. Suggesttakingthe modern form ft as ax fr 1176plus a down
stroke r indicatingcoming down (see f 7).
Mnemonic:REPELLED BY AX COMING DOWN
r+
b a n d /s o n - i n - l a w .
MEATY SON-IN-LAW IS PROPER PARTNER FOR WOMAI\
SEI, chikaa
VOW,OATH
PLEDGE,
=V=
14 strokes
E
€ fi spryeru
H H SENSET
cHIKAIGoTo
q.v., here actingphoneticallyto exples\cuti
N isword 274. It is bend/break 522
crt'chop
sever and also lending similar connotationsof its own from its literal meaning
of a
very
oppositc
the
suggests
down. A broken/ severed word ratherconfusingly
in
rvood
piece
of
a
pledge, but in fact the characterrefers to the practiceof cutting
sinrilar
or
two as tallies to be joined againupon completionof a (verbal) arrangement
a pledge.
(see1195),and thus symbolises
f +.
2+.
t
A
-f
H
r-,a
audi'
greenl
blue 43, hereactingphoneticallyto express
! is word/ speak274. fi is
requesting.an
person
ence but of unclearsemanticrole. l4't9 originally referredto a
is an assoL'iar
audienCe,and later cameto meanrequest in a broadersense.Undertake
of Englishtender[a bid etc'])'
ed meaning(cf. connotations
pastandpresent
$. o/ 6 is sun/ day 62, while :4. is an abstractsymbol feir to express
theideaof piling up/ accumurating (possiblyoriginalry
somevarianrof mountains rb
24)' Thus accumulation of days, i.e. history/ the past.
Suggesttaking 1f- as a
combinationof trvo tens J 33 and one _ 1.
Mnemonic:TWENTY-ONE DAYS AGO IS
WELL IN THE PAST
1482
request
;€ ;i SgrfV[
SEI, SHIN, kou, ukeru
pUSrnN
consrrucrion
*;-=O
REQUEST, UNDERTAKE
=,8F- ^ UKEOININ
contractor
l5
L J strokes
8 strokes
SEKI
DIVIDE, ANALYSE
8 strokes
414
4 df sulrsnru
analysis
E44f reIseru
analysis
d[ ff serrsHuTsu eduction
Tree/ wood
ii 69 and ax ft trT6,herewith its connotationsof chop. Thus ro chop
wood, leadingto the idea of reduce to smalr bits and hence
divide and by
association
analyse.
uP a tree/
MNCMONiC:
ANALYSE TREE BY CHOPPING AND DIVIDING WITH
AX
Mnemonic:EXPRESS REQUEST IN BLUE WORDS
11
fr B snrrrnsu
olddays
ff El uuresHrF0 otdsryle
4 ff KoNlreru
Oncewritten
Mnemonic:BROKEN WORD IS ACTUALLY A PLEDGE!
t47g
SEKI, SHAKU, mukashi
OLDEN TIMES, PAST
475
T-
GENERALUSE 1483-1485
1483
E
SEKI
ONE OF A PAIR,
SHIP COUNTER
10strokes
-
€*
sgrtsrru
-F
ISSEKI
onearrn
oneshipiboat
discernnlg.,
ISSEKIGAN
EgP.
(especialll'of q
Bird 6 216 andhand L . A bird in the hand indicatedone bird
pairl brace), as opposedto two birds in the hand/ pair ff l&1513 q.v., and 14ri3has
for birds,
thus come to mean one of a pair in a broad sense. Also originally a counter
(possibly
boats
though for some reasonit has now becomea counter for ships/
poetry to wings).
through a figurative refelenceto sails,which arefrequentlylikened in
Mnemonic:ONLY ONE BIRD IN THE HAND
1484 I f,}
lPlJI
E
)H,lStSUSext deepregret
SEKI,oshiitshimu
resrer
REGRET,BE LOATH TO 1g Lfi, osrilGE
'F'E
HONEOSHIMI
LZA
ll snokes
sparing r,rneself
,f- is heart/ feelings I47. # is past 1481,hereactingphoneticallyto expresspierce
of the past. Thus piercedheart (overa mliterin
andpossiblyalsolendingconnotations
being
the past?),a somewhatvague referenceto feelings of regret, with reluctance/
tleans
heart
pierced
q'v.
1101
loath to an associatedmeaning.Note that in the caseof
grieve/be afflicted.
stKI
tts iJ,::;t:^
Irw EF
B #E SnosEru
F ffi XOSEKI
E #F rOrusErI
publications
family register
nationality
170. # is a CO charactermeaningrely on/ avail. Its exact etymology
ry'ris bamboo
it
appearsto comprise past $ 1481 and serratedpiece of wood/ tally/
but
is unclear,
(tally
* 659 and wood d 69), and may meanliterally a pledge given in
orcdge*which one can rely. ( *- ^uy howeverbe the variant of plow seenin
ine past upon
its etymologyis evenlessclear.) In the caseof 1486# actsphoneticase
673,in which
callyto expresswrite, and if taken to be pledgewould almostcertainly also lend connotationsof a piece of wood on which somethingis written. Thus bamboo for writing on,
a referenceto bamboo tatllets used for keeping records, with register being an ex'heavily branched' tree
{ 69.
tcndedmeaning. Suggesttaking f, as a
-'ts
OF BAMBOO AND BRANCHED TREES FROM PAST
Mnemonic:REGISTER
SETSU,tsutanai,mazui
CLUMSY, POOR
8 strokes
ft # SESSfn
I, me
clumsy
tt'4 SErsuRETSUna
f& :6 spssoxu
rough-and-ready
* is hand 32. tr, is put out 34, hereactingphoneticallyto expressclumsy but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus clumsy hand, later clumsy/ poor in a broad sense.
Mnemonic:PUT OUT A CLUMSY HAND
Mnemonic:FEELINGS FOR THE PAST ARE FULL OF REGRET
""
GENERALUSE1486-1488
€FXr fSUtSEfl
pursuit
'G DI' esrnero
r€DI rsgru
ftxrtPrint
ruins
iil['t I'#I"MAINS
r{88
t'g
in
# iA sprrO
theft
F # rrvosErsu plagiarism
theft
# F sEssnu
iilii: llll;;?Ifi:'"
Tsir-utrEJ
to
p is foot 51, heremeaningfootprint. ,f. is again 212q.v.,here actingphonetically
Thls
of duplication'
expressaccumutateandprobablyalsolendingits own connotations
t
remains of sonleone
accumulation of footprints, namely a trail, being the traces/
'"
129insteltu
S, i... usingmovementL
passing.Note thatthereis an NGU character
as
Suggesttaking '1f'
foot E , which is identicalin pronunciationand meaningto 1485.
'partly' rea J?. 46.
Formerly
f't' ana in ancienttlmes S . A / rq is hole 849, with u being an additional hole/opening 20 to emphasisedepth and by extensionsecrecy.
* tg< is rice 201/
fnut q' indicatesrice (stored away) in a deep hole/ hidden place.
196.
*.16
lsa variantof
scorpion hlS
392,hereactingphoneticallyto expresstake and almost
cenainlyalso
lendingconnotationsof grasp/ ctutch. 1488originally referredto taking
s0lneone's
stored rice, then came to meansteal in general.Stealthy is an associated
neaning(as in
English).The modernform uses cut L\l 156 as a sinrplerphoneticto exPress
take, retaininghole ic
RED FOOT
Mnemonic:THE ONLY REMAINS ARE A PARTLY
UINCTNONiC:
STEALTHILY CUT HOLE TO STEAL CONTENTS
All
476
m'
lil
tl
ir,
i
r''Y'
GENERALUSE 1489-1492
t48e
+.!f,
{t-
f-Fry SESSHU
intake
it^li:^.'As pRoxy t#.EvSESSHO regency,r.cgenr
(
i3 srokes
{4'+
SESSEI
h e a l r iqra r .
vn++. :,"f,no"*,
'LUG,
rApffitrA:ili:il"
TL'fi;
4
Formerly t& . * is hand 32. & is a treblingof ear fl 29, andforms an NGU cl,iiracter meaningwhisper (i.e. somethingwhisperedto a successionof ears). Here $ 1.1,
phoneticallyto expresspull but is of unclearsemanticrole. 1489 orginally referrg{1o
pulling something out by hand, later coming to meantake out and eventuallvjusl
figurativemeaning,from the idea of takingon a roleT
take. Act as proxy is an associated
duties. Thoughthe useof the sameelementsof handandear as in take 1* 301 is coincidental,this may be helpful in remembering1489. Suggesttaking ; ( as four marks.
I Uf
sursEN
24, i.e. a recluse/hermit, with wiz-
A person ,f 39 who livesin the mountains il
meaning.
ard beingan associated
Mnemonic: HERMIT IS PERSON LMNG
nar,.issus
IN MOUNTAINS
SEN, uranau,shimeru
DIVINE,OCCUPY
5 strokes
66nopoly
tr415 oOTUSEN
diViNCT
U
R
A
N
A
I
S
H
A
SV#
Cood!
M>
fz SHIMETA
&
Thus
l- is a variantof divination (cracks) | 91 q.v., while tl is mouth/say 20'
that which is said by a diviner, namely a prediction,symbolisingdivining. Occu'
py is a borrowedmeaning.
Mnemonic:TO DMNE
R
IS TO SAY WHAT CRACKS MEAN
SEN, ogi, aoga
FAN
10srrokes
(foldingtfrn
,m=
* sENsu
fan
tr Et ffi SENPUKT electric
SENKEI
E M x'tcATA/
fan shaPe
etyrrroDoor p 108andwings ;1il 812. Thus the wings of a door, i.e. very similar
by aslogicaliy to door/ gate FI 211 or (wingsof a) door ffp l,lZO,but in this caseused
sociationto refer to flapping action and fan.
10strokes
lH ^ B sHoKASEN fire hydrant
WOODEN STOPPER DOES JOB COMPLETELY
Mnemonic:
HA:3XilT'"il:'J;lif
i?il*,,,wrzARD
,k ,fil
5 strokes
L
69. E iscomplete 330, herealso actingphoneticallyto expressinsert.
f iswood
item inserted (into a hole), completely(filling it), i.e. a bung/
T h u sw o o d e n
usedof a rangeof stoppingdevices.
stopper.Now
Mnemonic:TAKE EAR IN HAND TO EARN FOUR MARKS
r4e0
?l
GENERALUSE 1493-1495
ffi
SEN
ROTATE, TURN
1I strokes
DfrFl seuxat
fift ffi spNseN
tr fft Su0serv
rotation
lathe
mediation
,g is the variant of proper -E- 4l seenin 1477,here meaningset foot (on a road)/
travelfrom its literal meaningof lower leg (seealso1472).j+ is flutteringflag 333,here
(unusually)
actingphoneticatlyto expressreturn andpossiblyalsolendinga looseideaof
following,from its associations
with rallying undera banner.1494originally referredto
returningalong a road (still a meaningin Chinese),with return later coming ro mean
turn in a broad sense,including rotate. suggesttaking
tr+ as person /- 39 and sideI
204.
Mnemonic:PERSON TURNS pROpERLy ON SIDE
SEN, fuz u
STEP, ACT
13strokes
F ffi rtssEN
pracrice
R ffi tl! IsSENTEKI
practical
* Et + * rrsseNsrruct activism
Forme.ly
84. . S, is foot/ teg 51. {.t, u doubtingof hatberd \ qgZ,hereacting
phonetically
to expresstread and possiblyalso lendingan idea of decisivenessfrom its
connotations
of cutting (see also 750). Thus to treadl step (with the foot)
toecisively?)'lareralso
to take action in a broadersense.Suggesttaking
{ as harberd
1r and two = 6L.
MNCMONiC:
FOOT STEPS ON TWO HALBERDS, LEADING TO ACTION
Mnemonic:WINGS OF DOOR ACT AS FAN
479
GENERALUSE1499-1501
GENERALUSE 1496-1498
'4e6
gftrl'";[:T
I
ff # sEvrprsu
ffi fffi sEwt<6
i6 ffi YOSPN
Mnemonic: METAL TIP OF PIG IRON
/A
fE Hi SUTSPNrecommendation
H € seNrorsu
sacrum
H ffi rtseu
self-recommendation
@ is metal 14. h is precede/tip 49, hereactingphoneticallyto expressdull gleam a16
almost certainly also lending connotationsof prior (i.e. prior to refining). Thus metal
with dull gleam (prior to refining?), a referenceto pig iron.
'.4s7
lR
SEN, susurneru,komo
RECOMMEND,MAT
l6 strokes
pigiron
pigiron
molten
iron
latencv
ffi 6 sENzet
diving
ffi zJ<seNsuI
jtr
up'
tr tvIOCURIKOMU'hole
WD
il);1il;ffi.,Tilf
r5strokes
Formerly -B . i is water 40. E is ifl supposing688,hereactingphoneticallyto express
sink and probablyalso lendingconnotationsof uncertainty. Thus to sink in water (and
The meaninghas now broadenedto includerhe
thus becomeof uncertainwhereabouts?).
idea of lurking/hiding. Suggesttaking ff as sun(light) a 62 and two men Ji 571.
*.r'is grass 9. 1Q is fabulous beast between horse and deer 1204,here acring as a
ratherelegantreferencesimply to grazing beastsand also lending its soundto express
both fresh and feast/ eat. 1499 originally meant fresh grass such as eaten (first)
by grazing beasts,and in Chinesestill retainschoicegrazinggrassas a minor meaning.
Good/selectedgrassled on the one handto grass mat (now a minor meaning)and on the
otherto the idea of selectingthe best in a broadsense,leadingin turn to recommend.
ll4 and west & 152,
Suggesttaking fi as a modified combinationof building f
with .S as a'short'variantof horse .H 191.
Mnemonic:SHORT IIORSE RECOMMENDS GRASS MATS IN WESTERN
BUILDING
*'$fi
fdi ffS sptqt
ffi ffffi spxsaI
ffi € semrao
il*-:""NDER
fiber
fine,deticate
citia.finehair
Mnemonic:TWO MEN DIVE INTO SUNLIT WATERS
1498
€
SEN, utsura
€ E SEUEN procrastination
changes
SHIFT, MovE, CHANGE A € uexsaN
deathof
dignitary
15strokes
SBNCE
€'fL
Once written "4i q. (also f ) is a CO charactermeaningsoar on high/ go to hear'en/ die. EbJ/e-is the somewhatobscureelementseenin P SIO q.v., and as in -570
seemsto lend a meaningof upperpart and by extensionraised/ high. 9t/ /\ is hands
offering up, an elementoften usedto indicateraising and by extensionheight. Z I L ts
using curling person e 768. It is
bending person (see45), with a variant form f
not clear whether ? / C depictsa person offering (from a position of humility) or'
meansto
more likely, a slumped person (symbolisinga dead person).fhus f- /S
(of
dignitaries)
raise/ rise to a height, a referenceto dying and moving to heaven
't-l
the idea of moving by addingmovement
L 129. Moving to
1498 emphasises
Formerlyk#y . * is thread 27. #\, is a CO charactermeaningwild onionL/
leek. 9A is
to all intentsand purposesa variantof S (alsofound simply as # ), an NGU character
similarly meaningleek (# deriving from a pictographof a leafy leek and +l being grass/
plant9). { is hatberd/ lance 493,herealmostcertainlylendingconnotationsof thrusting and presumablyalso actingin someunclearphoneticrole. Thus teek that thrusts up
(from the ground). In the caseof 1500
actsphoneticallyto expressfine/ slender
fr
and almost certainly lends similar connotationsfrom the shapeof the leek. Thus fine,
slender thread, now fine/ slender in a generalsense. Suggesttaking the modernform
asa combinationof red .fi, (variant iK 46), on€ - 1, and halberd X, 493.
Mnemonic:CUT ONE SLENDER RED THREAD WITH HALBERD
"" &t
fi.tf
ffi ft. spNcvo
i".il;ff"'.:#,D,
.LEAR
ffi EE SSNMEIna
Fnffi csdsEN
17strokes
fresh fish
clear,vivid
Korea
heavenlater came to mean move to a high place/ climb and eventuallymove/ shift/
change in a broadersense,though 1498occasionallystill revealsconnotationsof dying'
Suggesttaking & as west 152, f\ as a variantof big y'( 53, and l asself 855'
.ististr 98. + issheep 986, herelendingits connotations
of fne. Thus fne fsh, a
referenceto fresh fish and hencefresh in general. Clear/ vivid is a borrowing.
Mnemonic:MOVE ONESELF IN BIG SHIFT TO WEST
Mnemonic:SHEEP LIKES FISH TO BE FRESH
480
481
$ilI
GENERALUSE I5O5-I508
GENERALUSE 1502-1504
rso:
d
iiff"'rArloN
B ffi ZAZEN
t+ ft ZENSHU
l+ + ZENDERA
medirriri6n
zen:\ccr
zenrcrr)pte
q.v.. ircrg
Formerlyf$ . fr.17 is attar/ of the gods 695. V tY is simple 542
of
meaning
sinrple.
a
lending
possibly
also
actingphoneticallyto expressclear land and
(simple?)
altar.
1n6
1502 originally referredto clearing land in order to build a
are
felt
b1'
:,'r111g
present
meanings
The
in
Chinese.
meaning
still retainsthis as a minor
scholarsto be borrowed,but may in fact result from a reinterpretationof the characterrisrn
$os
Fa 'HI'[+'HINDER
FELl. sosnl
IJE4 socal
FA lH xpNso na
g_is furthermore 1091q.v., herewith its literal meaning pite
tr-ill
of
(up).
f is
?rr.
up
hills,
piled
indicating a hindrancei obstruction to ravelers.
Thus
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE, HILL CAN BE A HINDRANCE
So
LEVY, TITHE
l0strokes
ideographmeaningsimple religion, i.e. zen basedon meditation'
ZEN ENTAILS SIMPLE MEDITATION AT ALTAR
MnCMONiC:
I
r503
ZEN
GRADUAL ADVANCE
14strokes
graclually
iff K zENn
l+f € B! ZENSHINTEKI gnidual
a<irrnce
R ffi rozgNeastwards
to
is behead1311q.v., which actsphoneticritiv
7 is water 40, heremeaningriver. ffi
ii;rce'
and/or
rapidity
of
connotations
lent
expressadvance and presumablyoriginally
' one
1503 was originally usedas a propernoun to refer to a river in ancientChina,probal'l
with flowing swiftly andpowerfully. In time the assumedconnotationsol rap'
associated
arc not
id advance becamegradual advance, though the reasonsfor such a change
I"10'
clear. Suggesttaking fi(1 Lterally as vehicle fi Zt anaax/ chop/ cleave f1
M n e m o n i c :V E H I C L E G R A D U A L L Y A D V A N C E S , C L E A V I N G T H R O U ( ; l I
WATER
"" t'"=[x-*L"
$*i
rePair(s)
44ft* sgtzeN
-L
rePrrnr)3n
sHuzelr<o
Ib #
rn
.5
TSUKURoIKAzARIT
F.fi
#
iLI
I
cover uP' conceal error
ffi ff, sozEl
raxes,rates
tH 4S SoSHeru
lease
ffiffiffi SOSHAKKEN leasehold
plant 81, hereindicatingharvestedrice. B- isfurthermore l09l q.v.,
f isrice
here
actingphoneticallyto expresspay and almostcertainly also lending its connotationsof accumulateand henceburden. 1506 originally referredto rice paid as a tithe, and now
meanslevy/ tithe in general.
Mnemonic:FURTHERMORE, THERE IS A LEVY ON RICE
''07 L+F
-l
*-
LJ
so
FaH socru
PLACE, DTSPOSE
ll strokes
."r,".*"
fH fr* SOn
# ffi fyOSO
phraseology
trehavior
!g
{ is hand 32. $ is past 1481,here actingphoneticailyto expressdispose but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to dispose of something
with the hand, meaning both
physicallyplace and figurativelyhandle/
manage (cf. Englishdispose).
MNCMonic:
HAND FROM PAST PLACED AT ONE,S DISPOSAL
*'*E
ffl * souarsu
coarseness
f€ ffi soro
rawsusar
tfl ffi anesun ,oughoutl-in"
il,#!,RoucH
actingPhoneticlllY
6 i s t h r e a d 2 T , h e r e m e a n i n g c l o t h e s$. ' s g o o A735, herealso
good (again)'now
to expressrepair. Thus to repair clothes and m a k e t h e m
mend/ repair in general.
* is rice 201. f-is furthermore r09l q.v.
hereactingphoneticallyto expressnegrect
atdalmost
cenainly also lendingits connotationsof accumulate.1508originally
referredto
'-vrueo)rice
left neglected(in a cornerof a storehouse),
and
later
came
ro mean poor
quality/
coarse/ ,ougf, ln a broad sense.
Mnemonic:MEND WITH GOOD THREAD
uhemonic:
FURTHERMORE,RICE IS COARSE
l
I
ti
hindrance
obsrruction
steeD
482
483
GENERALUSE1512.1514
GENERALUSE1509-15I1
l50s .t+
-T {'
ltz ^4.
\
Jtl
SO.utoitmu
DISTANT.SHUN.
coARsE
tz strokes
E* ffi sor,Axu
asenatiil'
tfr.Ffi).ft SoKAISHA
evicugr
rAffi L Va Urourosurr unftienoii
Correctly *nttenfifr1,, as seenfrom an earlier form ffi, though trft, it no* technicallyn
separateNGU characterwith identicalreadingsand meanings. e- l& is foot 51/417
1477,here (unusually)actingphoneticallyto expressemergeandpossiblyalsolenilingi15
connotationsof movement. 3, I ;ft, is child being born 409. 1509originally refened
to a child emerging from its mother, indicatingthe momentof parturition. This lat_
er came to mean (become) separate in a broadersense,and for unclearreasonsalso
came to acquirenegativeconnotationssuch as shunning. Coarse is a borrowedmean.
ing. The modemform usesbundle { tS:S.
Mnemonic: SHUN COARSE BUNDLE AT ONE'S FEET
l5lo
>- 2
=k
Eff
r
--F
eA+ f4 sosuorxnrv tawsuit
So,uttaera
suE. .{ppE.{L
12strokes
€ iF roruSO
F iiF etso
legnlaction
appeal
f isword/ speak274. ff isreject 1480,hereactingphoneticallytoexpressappeal
(to a higherauthority)and possiblyalsolendingan ideaofrejection. Thus to appealverbally (following a rejection?/ only to be rejected?),leadingby associationto take legal
action in a generalsense.
Mnemonic:WORDS OF REJECTION LEAD ONE TO APPEAL AND SI,IE
""
EE
figure,figurine
W 1* sozo
plasticarts
,V 41 cgoso
trI ry'ru KASOSEI
PlasricitY
H,:jkL";FrcuRrNE
new moon/
J- isearth 60, here meaning ctay. $ft is an NGU charactermeaning
north, comprising moon fl 16 and inversion/ reversal $ S+Oq.v'(hereindicating
change of form) to give change of moon. Here if.ft acts phoneticallyto express
clal
model/ copy and probablyalso lendsconnotationsof changeof form/ shape. Thus
as a sign of inversion'
model, now model in a wider sense.Suggestremembering f
fr rB
{ffi.
i3;iTIiioNsroNE $ H ijjKl
t8 strokes
E W-w KrsorEKI elementary
45. ft- is an NGU characternow meaning cane/rod. It comprisesfoot E
I is stone
and a doubling of tree t- 69, and originally referred to the foot of a tree
tOT
itl ltt
lower part without branches,hencecane/rod). Here it actsphoneticallyto express
6.e.the
ltl,and also lends a meaningof foot of a wooden pillar. Thus stone laid at
flacel
pillar, now foundation stone in general.
fie foot of a wooden
FOUNDATIONSTONE LAID AT FOOT OF TWO TREES
Mnernonic:
"";51iiJ*:lt'"
X 7l SOtto
tr lR tutusdno
&f
rureco
bothsides
matchless
twins
Formerly@, showingtwo birds 6 ZtS in a hand ( (as opposedto one bird in a
hsff|dfi 1483). This came to representpair/ both in a broad sense. The modern form
usestwo hands ( .
Mnemonic:PAIR OF HANDS MEANS BOTH HANDS
""llt
tl t sooet
9fi tt rvos6
fr. Z SOSHA
[*rr;i#;'
grandeur
robustness
manin prime
Formerly#f .
A t| is bed 1389,while t is samurai/ male/ erect mate organ
494. Somescholarstake
in its sense
I to act phoneticallyto expressbig, and take f
of male, thus giving big male and hencemanly/ strong etc. This is not convincing,esPeciallyin view of the existenceof the CO characterwoman in bed Sf (see1406). While
/ may expressbig, it almostcertainly also lends its meaningof bed, and t almost certaidy acts in its literal
meaningof erect male organ. Thus (big?) erect male organ
tn bed, a reference
to copulationand by extensionvirility/ fertility/ manliness etc.
Thatis, it is a'male
equivalent'to woman in b"d St.
trTNCMONiC:
MANLY SAMURAI IN BED
Mnemonic: EARTHEN MODEL OF INVERTED MOON
484
roundatio"il:l:
485
GENERALUSE1515.1517
1515
rt
GENERALUSE1518-1521
SO. SHO
VILLA, MANOR,
SOLEMN, MAJESTIC
9 strokes
ff,ffi soCoN
ff trl SHOPN
EiJ# BESSO
with manly/ fertile ,f 1514,
with majestic. Note that 1515is occasionallyinterchanged
and in Chineseis also interchangedwith make up/ adorn {fy ]406. Suggesttaking 11
literally as samurai + 494and bed ,l 1389.
Mnemonic:SAMURAI BEDS DOWN IN MAJESTIC GRASSY MANOR
+ + 6 SOSA
investigltion
search
t 9 , F 565AKU
f q L f r ? SAGASHIDASU seekout
SQ sagasu
SEARCH
10 strokes
FormerlyXP . 9 it an NGU characrernow borrowedto expressold man,but it original'l(
ly meantsearch. It derivesflom ($, showinga hand .f. holding up a torch/ fire
-'1,
8 inside a building ( and meantliterally to search for something by torchlight in
a building. Hand { 32 was addedto emphasiseholding the torch. Suggesttaking f
as field E 59 and stick I
Mnemonic: SEARCHING HANDS PROBE FIELD WITH STICK
ffi A sowv0
1fti-&sdwe
$ilffi:
ffi U IG SASHIE
inseruon
ePisode
Mnemonic:HAND INSERTS A THOUSAND ITEMS PER DAY
1,il
486
* € ruw,crRo
* lffi fUWaeefa
r"..
tightyellow
I stylisedderivativeot
, a pictographof a mulberry bush. Suggesttaking
t
{
$ee69 and Z* as three hands 1 .
as
Mnemonic:THREE HANDS TEND MULBERRY TREE
""*fr?ftr{l:
l# p,t f# sorxr
-
H ISSO
vacuum
cteaner
sweepingaway
l# A ft t Herroesu i**poui
Hand holding trroom ?
sweeping.
SS,with hand
f, ZZ aaaeato emphasisethe acrionof
Mnemonic:HOLD BROOM IN TWO HANDS TO SWEEP
s0zO
*BHoso
OFFICIAL, COMPANION
llsrrokes
:E g* CUXSO
H d ZOSil
oncewritten 8 - a is say 6gg.
f{ rr u doubling ofeasy' sack 1g4 q.v., here acting
phoneticallyro expressequar/ match and also graphically
rendingan idea of two. 1520
originally referred to two weil matched peopre/ parties
on opposed sides in a
debate,and thus becameusedof lawyers/ legal
officials and later official in a broadersense.companion is felt to be an associated
meaning,from the ideaof one,slegalrepbut it probablyalsoreflectsthe influenci of the two ru.kt ,id";;;;;;m.
ff:fy./."ty,
ruggest
taking
as two suns e 62 and.a 'long' version
ff of grass -* 9.
f'
Mnemonic:
OFFICIAL sAys DouBLE suN MAKES GRAss cRow LONG
illustration
and
Formerly{ft . 6 t a CO charactermeaninggrind, comprising mortar fj o+s
thrust'
pestle f (variant + I l0). Hand ! 32 wasaddedto emphasisethe idea of
ut
ing the pestleinto the mortar,leadingto insert in a generalsense.Suggesttaking +
a combinationof thousand I q andsun/day A 62.
I
+ m so-elr- *@,
MULBERRY
l0 strokes
mulberry field
Formerly ffi . +r is grass9. HtlJf is manly/ fertile 1514,hereactingphoneticallv1q
expresskeep in order and also lending its connotationsof fertile. Thus place whtrs
grass is fertile but kept in order, a referenceto a country estate/ manor. It is not
clearhow 1515also acquiredthe meaningsof majestic and solemn,but it is possiblethat
majesticwas applied to a grandestate,with solemnthen being a later associatedmeaning
1516
SQ kuwa
majesty
mAnqr
countryviltl
S0, su
NEST
11 strokes
/,t H rrSO
R fl€ susero
homins
nestine
boi
R tf :> SUDATSU
leaue-nest
Form"trv q
i is tree69. $ de.iuesfrom 1#, namelytheold formof basket&
scholars
feelthat {$< alsoactsphonetically
to express
gather. Thusbasket
ih'^'
n ^ ,:ot..
t.:"
(where [birds] gather?),namelya nest. Suggest
taking g( as fruit (tree)
;;ro
v{/ and .y
a st h r e e s t i c k s .
IVINCMONiC:
THREE STICKS ATOP FRUIT TREE FORM NEST
487
GENERALUSE 1522-1524
1522
GENERALTJSE1525-I5N
SO, mo
MOURN, LOSS, DEATH
12strokes
* tr sosrrrsu
to-s5
* ERluloPuKU moumingdres5
inmournins
* tr rraOcg0
973 and vessel
clearlyshow die C /i
Somewhatobscure. Old forms suchas S
,& t# 452q.v. The lauer is itself somewhatobscure,but is believedto show a tlog
wheeling around open mouthed (i.e. barking) to face all quarters. Thus 1.522
lii
L<:s
{gi
ix',.'
I f,| -:-::'-'=-
Mnemonic: PERSON TAKEN AwAy
Mnemonic: TWELVE MOUTHS MOURN MISSING CLOTHES
1526
# iq sosmru
* ffi.E socrYn
4 ffi sore
56, hunuru
BURY
12strokes
funeral
€
underlaker
diroe
it (fonnerly
ff, is death 286 q.v., heremeaningdead person. +r is grass 9, while
v{ ) is also grass. Thus surround/ cover a dead person with grass, i . e . b u r Y
(originally a referenceto coveringthe corpsewith grassratherthan intermentin the ground,
toll
monasrery,
temple
rB 1E KOSO
high priest
{H ffi SoSgOxu
priesthood
Formerly 19 ' 4 is person 39. I /6u itformerry/build up T4l,hereactingphoneti_
sflly to expressthe first syllableof sangha,a sanskritword for priest. Since
1525is of
relatively recent origin € ^uy possibly also lend its later meaning of formerty.
Thus
personwho is a priest (possibrypriest-personwho was formerly
a lay person). Suggesttakingf asaway .u 66,field @ sg,andday
e 62.
appearsto be an ideographindicating a dog acting frantically upon the death of its
master, later coming to meanmourn on the one handand loss/ death on the other.Suggesttaking
ur ten f 33 and two mouths g 20 (i.e. twelve mouths), and K
"F
'missing'
variant of clothes -tr< 420.
as a
t523
€ F
DAILY FROM FIELD Is PRTEST
SQ ar
iH:E socfi
encounter
ENCOUNTER, MEET
iH S SONaN
accident
14strokes
iH # 4E € sorveNsHrNGO sos
i-is movement 129. f is officiav companion 1520,here acting phonetically
to expressmeet/ encounter and possibly also lending
connotationsof farting in with. Thus
to encounter whire moving,rater encounter/
meet in a broadersense.suggestre_
memberingcompanion
f by associationwith grass *f (variant +f 9) and (double)sun
a 62.
but now bury in a broad sense).
Mnemonic:ENCOUNTER COM'ANION
Mnemonic:DEATH FOLLOWED BY BURIAL SURROUNDEDBY GRASS
1524
sO suO, yosou
* E sdctl
W E A R , C L O T H I N G , G E A R& E I S H O_
'A * ffeNSO
12strokes
device
clothing
disguise
FormerlyW . kt"clothing 420. Ht/Af. ismanly/grand l5l4,hereactingphonetrThus wrap
cally to expresswrap and almostcertainly also lending its meaningof grand.
t0
(oneself) in (grand?) clothing, i.e. wear. (Wear) clothing came by extension
Suggest
mean gear/ equipment in a broad sense,including even mechanicaldevices'
-E qlq andbed ,l 1389.
taking J1 literally as samurai
Mnemonic:SAMURAI WEARS CLOTHES IN BED
I
l
'r,lliL
488
';p
MOVING ON SUNN' .RASS
zk ffi Surso
iA ffi voruso
ffi ffi sutso
il,::rl"B,vAr
watertank
bathtub
toothsocket
f is wood 69, here meaning wooden
item. f is officiaV companion 1520 q.v.,
hereacting
phoneticallyto expressdamagedgrain and possibly
also lendinglooseconof dumping and/orcontaining from the double
sack
element .*F. in its early
lfft::t
'.1527 originally referredto a wooden
tub used for hotding damaged
-.:T
l'otn' but later cameto mean tubl vatl receptacrein a broadersense.Suggesrrememhing companion
by associationwith grass *t (variant *r- 9) and two days
f
B 62.
lr
.'INETNONiC:COMPANION
SPENDS TWO DAYS IN WOODEN TUB ON
GRASS
489
GENERALUSE1531-1533
GENERALUSE 1528-1530
1528
4l f* reNso
ft R snoso
,H'R }t! xosorl
SO
DRY, PARCH
17 strokes
dryness
l53r
impatienrc
SO mo
WffiO MONUKE castoffskin
WATERWEED, SEAWEED @ H x,qtSO
seaweed
19strokes
;il H SHTSOrhetoricalflourish
high anddry grountl
j( is fire g. SAis birds chirping intee922 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressclry
and possiblyalsolendinglooseconnotationsof intensity. Thus to dry by fire, later giving dryi parch in a broad sense. Suggesttaking fl as wood 69 and f,e as three
+r is grass/plant 9. ) is water 40. * ir Ui.ar chirping in nee 922,here actingphonetically to expressgather and also lending similar connotationsof its own. Thus waterplant that gathers (in clusters), originally a referenceto a particulartype of waterweed but now also waterweed/ seaweedin a broadersense. Suggesttaking * as
wood 69 and f,- as three boxes.
boxes.
DRY THREE WOODEN BOXES BY FIRE
frostdamage
FE€ socel
frostynight
ffi I-s sHMoYo
Vr=W.0 A SUIUoPURINIKU
marbled
bcef
SO shimo
FROST
17 strokes
THREE WOODENBOXESOF PLANTSARE ALL WATERWEED
Mnemonic:
1532
ZQ nikumulilshimi
HATE(FUL)
l4 strokes
'lE *
zoO
malice.hatred
'ffi b L [^ NIKURASril
hateful
'lE 4 A 9 wtrulteUmutuallvhate
16 is rain 3, here meaningloosely moisture associatedwith weather. ffi is mtttu'
al 530 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresstreezelfrozen and possiblyalso lendirtg
of?) frozen moisture, i.e. frost.
a looseidea of appearance.Thus (the appearance
Formerly ,fQ . 'f ls treart/feelings 147. Q tV it formerly/ buitd up 741 q.v., here
actingphoneticallyto expresshatred and almostcertainlyalsolendingits connotationsof
accumulation. Thus (accumulated?) feelings of hatred. Suggesttaking
f as
away . z 66, field @ 59, and day A 62.
Mnemonic:MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RAIN AND FROST?
Mnemonic: FEEL HATE ON DAY FIELD TAKEN AWAY
'1s33
".' 1,".fJ,,'J'i?iluo*."
rj,tj:_lt?""
^.ffi
i xffi^",
",:T:il: ffi
$fi
AH5 zovo
presentation
# FHrzolruso
donation
nE I +rtJoKURIMoNo present
inFormerly-E# . 6 is horse lq1. * is an NGU charactermeaningflea, comprising
sect f 56 and hand * (from {, and variant 3-), and presumablymeaninginsect
with hand/fingers. In the caseof 1530 * u.,t phonet'
found on handor insectsquashed
of troublesome inscct'
ically to expressconfusion and aiso lends its connotations
in
Thus confusion caused by insect troubling horse, now noise/ disturbance
Formerly
ffi . e is shelVmoney/ valuabte item 90. 9 t€ X formerly/ buitd up
741 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresssend/ give and almostcenainly also lending
its connotationsof accumulationand hencelarge volume. Thus send/ give (large
volume of?) vautable items, laterjust present/ give. Suggesttaking
as away
f
'r 66, field
E 59, andday g 62.
general.
Mnemonic: ONE DAY GIVE AWAY FIELD AND MONEY
MNEMONiH
CA
: ND SLAPS INSECT ON HORSE: DISTURBANCE FOLLo\VS
490
491
GENERALUSE1537-1539
GENERALUSE 1534-1536
's34
FP ilHilii5"ff*"'"'
F|]tt sorul
enthronement
Fll *lJ SOKKOKU imrnediatelv
F[ ffi soxusezu imprompru
pormerly QP andin ancienttimes gA, showingfood g t ?, t E 1@t+Sand kneetinsT
5ending person ^ /P 391425. 1534originally referredto taking one's place 31
the table, later coming to meantake one's(rightful) placeand thus accede. Immediate
is felt to be an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of being prompt, while namely is felt ro
be an associatedmeaningfrom the idea of things being proper/as they shouldbe.
ACCESSION PERSON IMMEDIATELY
N{nemonic:UPON
1535
KNEELS BY FOOI)
SOKU,taba[neru],tsuka[neru]
ffi F XESSOKU bond,union
BUNDLE, MANAGE
lZ R HeNATABA
bouquer
7 strokes
fr. O H TSUKANOMA momenr
An old form fr trasled to the popularinterpretationthat 1535originally depictedtrees $
lF-69 bein1 bound together a. However, in view of the fact that only one tree is
shownthis is rather unconvincing. In fact, other old forms such as S suggeststrongly
rhatit is merelya variantof easVsack * t* 184 q.v. Puttingthingsinto a bundleled
to the ideaof handling/ managing. Suggesttaking { as trce
by figurativeassociation
and El as box.
N{nemonic:MANAGE TO PUT BOX-LIKE BUNDLE IN TREE
rs36
{E
Y}:k;T*:r
dE€ sorusmN
iE {E selsoru
'fEn[ sorusnt
""
E ffi rezoru
pirate
i# ffi rozoru
thief
ffi F zOruCuN rebelarmy
Afi ITj*PLUNDER'
Oncewritten Rj{, sho*ing that Ql is a miscopyingof rule A\ 742 q.v. , here acting phoneticallyto expressinjure and also lendingits early connotationsof cutting. { is tralberd 493, here meaning cutting weapon. Thus to cut and injure with a \treapon,
larcralso usedto refer to a personassociatedwith perpetratingsuchinjuries, namely a bandit and by further associationrebel. Plunder is anotherassociatedmeaning. Suggest
taktng Q as shelVmoney 90 and f as ten 33.
Mnemonic: TEN REBELS WITH HALBERDS PLUNDER MONEY
1s3s \,9
9
DA
PEACE, SETTLED
7 strokes
* * oarona
*l#t oPlcvO
* ffi pergrsu
Of disputedetymology, though its elementsare clearly hand (reachingdown) 4t 303 and
woman'f 35. Somescholarstake (t to be amiscopyingofrice plant f181. Thar
is, 1538 is taken to be a variant of entrust ft- +ZZ q.v., whose literal meaning of be soft
and pliant is felt to haveled to the idea of being peaceful and settled. Other scholars
take (t to act purely phoneticallyto expresssoft and delicate, giving soft and delicatewoman and hencesofV pliant and pepcefuVsettledas above.
promotion
demand
growth,Promotion
Of disputedetymology, though its elementsare clearly person 4 39 anafootl leg L
51. Somescholarsfeel that I actsphoneticallyto expressshorten/ compressand also
lendsits meaningof leg, to give person with short(ened) legs. This later came to
nreanbe short/ make short in general,with press down being an associatedmeaning
rhatlater led to pressin a generalsense.Opinion is thendivided as to whetherurge is a
torrowed meaningor an associatedfigurative meaningwith press.An altemativetheoryis
is usedin its associatedsenseof set foot/ set off (see 1494), giving person
rhat I
settingoff, with urge and press being either associatedor borrowedmeanings.
Mnemonic:WOMAN'S HAND SYMBOLISES PEACE
1s3e
EE
DA
E W DARAKU
depravity
FALL(EN), DEGENERATE E flfi DATAI
abortion
12strokes
WWfr +, DARAKLIBOZU
apostatepriest
Formerly PE W is fall/ landslide 1462. Earth Je 60 was added after the original
meaningof PF (i.e. landslide)becamevague. However,landslidehas now disappeared
and 1539 has come to mean fatl/ slip in a broad sense,but particularlyin moral terms.
Suggesttaking
ffi ashill P }}gandexist H 401.
Mnemonic: EARTH FALLS BUT HILL STILL EXISTS
Mnemonic:PERSON URGED TO PRESS WITH FOOT
492
appropriate
compromise
agreement
493
GENERALUSE 1540.1543
1s4o
lt r,rNERr
rLle
'l
ii 't'ot"'
Fi
-Fn
,Fd iffi'^"""
tEfi' Pexr
'*fifi::
'f is nea.Vfeelings t+1.
fr is fall 1462,hereactingphoneticallyto expresstisfless,^,
probablyalso lendingconnotationsof slumpingand heaviness.Thus lisflessfcetin"l"l
referenceto laziness,with inertia being an associated
meaning.Seealso listlessf,
";:::
laziness/neglect
ft- ts+:. Suggesttakingft asrefthand la-22andmeat fi-i;;*t'
Mnemonic: FEEL LAZY AND EAT MEAT WITH LEFT HAND
,$t f2 peltoNo
ft ,K OAel
ft,$t vupe
DA
PACK-HORSE,
POOR QUALITY
14strokes
cheapgoods
pack,horse
waste
Mnemonic:FAT PACK-HORSE OF POOR eUALITY
7-!!
L
-l
.I
TAl,taeru
ENDURE, BEAR
9strokes
ru'
Hh::r:
ffi l3 retn
Fi fifr rurel
ff; ffi rereeN
enclirrance
ffitA fencY0
fireproof
ffit * rerre
ffi ZW h TAEGATAI unl_.carable
ffi is beard 887. .f is measure/ hand 909 q.v., here meaningcareful use <if the
hand. 1542 is a somewhatvague ideographreferring to shaving off a beard. This
was a minor official punishment(the next gradebeing to shavethe hair), and thus synrbolised somethingnot too bad and bearable. Suggesttaking ffi as a rake.
of the body 365. e is stand/platform 166,here actingphoneticallyto ex
fl is flesn/
but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus that part of the body associat
prcsspregnancy
i.e. the womb.
,a rittt Pregnancy,
154s
fr
TAI
#f*
TAIZEN
CALM, SERENE,
4F
ANTAI
BIG, THAI
#fr
TAISEI
neclectful
ru is hearVfeelings147. 6 is stand 166,hereactingphoneticallyto expresslistless
but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus listless feelings,giving laziness and by association
neglect(asopposedto listlessfeelings/laziness/inertiain the caseof 'ffr tS+Oq.".1.
peace
Occident
10 strokes
haveit slip from the hands). Calm/ serene and big are assumedto be borrowed meanings(thoughrhepresenceof big ( 53 raisesthe possibilityof somenow unclearassociation),and the characterhas also beenborrowedto refer to Thailand. In Chineseit can
alsomeanextravagan/liberal, which is similarly assumedto be a borrowing. Suggesttaking .f= as a combinationof two =- 61 and big man K53.
Mnemonic:TWO BIG THAI MEN SIT CALMLY BY WATER
7)}r
TAI. fukuro
5^>
BAG, POUCH
mailbag
S[ # vtrrel
marsupial
E Nffi Ytrranur
+ 4€ TEBUKURo gloves
, L L l
TAI, okotaru,namakeru
go,slow
,A * fatCyO
BE LAZY, NEGLECT
E. tr| # NAMAKEMONO idler
9strokes
fJ. b W 6 ororanrcAcHl
composure
Obscure.Oncewritten l.* , showingbig l. /<. 53, hands Y\, and water lli /;l{ (old
fonrr/variant l(qCil. Some scholarsbelievethat l( actsphoneticallyto expressslip/
lose,and that 1545 originally referredto losing something while washing it (i.e.
15{6
Mnemonic:CAN ONE BEAR TO PUT HAND ON RAKE?
.A*U \
ll strokes
R is clothing 420, heremeaningcloth. {d is replace 338, here acting phoneticallyto
expresscontainer but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus cloth container. i.e. bag/
Pouch.
Mnemonic: REPLACE ONE'S CLOTHES WITH A BAG!?
Mnemonic:FEEL TOO LAZY TO MOUNT THE STAND
494
fetus
conception
placenta
IS A SORT OF FLESHY PLATFORM
Mnernonic:WOMB
Formerly also written$(, which is technicallythe correctfo.m. .EQis horse 19l, while
f- is big 53. The modern form usesfatl big K 164. Big horse was a referenc.rro a
pack'horse. Sincethis was not consideredan especiallyvaluablebeast,1541also
came
to symbolisepoor quality/ cheap.
1542 ?
ffi;f
llll
lttl
GENERALUSE1544-1546
495
lv
GENERAL USE 1547-1549
".'i.&
afH
iT:*sErzE
triffia'
afE
TAIHO
TAIHOSHA
TAIYA
arrest
fis0
ciiptof
(eve of)
annrversary of d,...,r
-
_-qlll
i
is movement r29. * ir u co characternow meaningfox cub. It was once
writtgn
hererepre_
fr, showinga hand r- seizing/hotding a tair *- (hair V /kzl\,but
sentingtall fu 1734), andthus * originally meantseizean animal by the tair.
The
addition of movement j_ gives lS47 a meaningof chase and seize.
r€
taki
iFi€ rryoreru clearcascade
CASCADE,
WATERFALL i€lll rnruCnwe
rapids
i3 strokes
4 ffi iE KEGoNDAKI
1548
*R
-a
1551
T|l,kaerulwaru
ft I DAITAI
substitution
EXCHANGE,SWAP
ffitrA RYOGAE moneychanging
l2strokes
W 98 R- TORIKAE
swapping
Somewhatobscure. originally written
$, showingtwo standing men tc (seestand
j773) nd say 6 /A / A 688. The modernform uses
two men R 573. It is not clear
how theseelementsare used.Somescholarsfeel that F actsphoneticallyto expresslean/
fall, to give falling persons and by extensionfall/ collapse in a generalsense,rvith
exchangebeing a borrowedmeaning. Other scholarsfeel that 1548ideographicallt,referred to one person speaking for another, i.e. in place of another, with exchange deriving from in place of. The latter theory seemsthe more helpful. Suggest
taking E as day 62.
Mnemonic:ONE DAY, ONE MAN EXCHANGED FOR ANOTHER
1s4e
tH ff*;ll*^'"
'ffi
ft. T.xzl'l
{F lffi renru
iffi #'fr r,cNo
sojourn,stay
stagnarion
non-payment
Formerlyrw . i is water +0. Hlfi
is belt 53g, here acting phoneticallyto express
stop and almostcertainly also lending its own connotationsof contairy'restrict. 1549originally referredto a flow of water stopping, and now meansstop/ stagnate in a general sense.
Mnemonic: USE BELT TO STOP WATER
KegonFalls
'ft€ .
i is water/ river 40. frZ t t is dragon 1899,hereacting
Formerlyalso written
fall
probablyalso lending connotations
to
express
and
of fearsomeand,/or
phonetically
(fearsome?)
(that
Thus
falling
water/
river
flies
through
the air?), i.e.
flying.
cascade.
waterfalV
Mnemonic:WATER-DRAGON LMS
Mnemonic:MOVE IN CHASE AND SEIZE TAIL By HAND
GENERALUSE 1550-1552
IN WATERFALL
TAKU, erabu,yoru
CHOOSE, SELECT
Tsnokes
#. t( SerrefU
adoption
:E #( seNTeru
choice
i$#tf+ H SENTAKUKAMOKU
electivesubiect
Formerly4V . + is hand 32, heremeaningby extensiontake in the hand. p is watctr
over (file of) prisoners233 q.v., hereacting phonetically to expressarrange and probably
alsolending supportingconnotationsof putting in sequence.1551originally referredto
taking things in the hand and putting them in order, then later came by association to mean pick out by hand and thenselectin a broad sense. Suggesttaking ( as
person A 39 with back-pack 2 .
Mnemonic:PERSON CARRIES HANDY BACK-PACK
1552
TAKU, sawa
lt K xOrnru
MARSH,MOISTEN,MUCH,
MANY,BENEFIT,GLISTEN
7 strokes
MANY
?i\ il] TAKUSAN MUCh,
maTshland
?AJU SAWACTil
Formerly )Y . ? is water 40. V is watch over (file of) prisoners233 q.v., here acting
phoneticallyto expressconfusion andprobablyaisolendingan ideaof stretchingout in a
line. 1552 originally referred to an area where land and water became confused
(thoughthe fact that it containsno elementto indicate land is itself a sourceof confusion),
i.e. marshland (wherepoolsof water stretchout ahead?-- see1333). Somescholarstake
nruch/ many to be a borrowedmeaning,but in fact 1552has long had connotationsof
much water/ many pools (especiallyin Japanese,
where sinceclassicaltimes the word sawa
hashad a secondarymeaningof many/ much). Moisten is an associatedmeaning,with
glisten and enrich/ benefit being further associations
(seealso 1379).Suggesttaking(
as person A 3g wittr back-pack I .
Mnemonic:PERSON CARRIES PACK THROUGH WATER OF MARSH
496
luster
497
GENERALUSE 1553-1555
GENERALUSE1556-1559
TAKU
TABLE, EXCEL, HIGH
8 strokes
+
ra\
r+
lt.l
TAKKYU
tablerennrs,
TAKUETSU excellcrir
SHOKUTAKU
dining tabic
Obscure. The earliestform is $ , tut the meaningof this is unclear. Somescholarstiike
$ to be early fl 50 q.v., and indeedit hasbeencopiedas suchfor many centuries,b11
the upward tilt of the lower cross-stroke(s)indicatesthat this is incorrect. It is more likcly
to be sun o I A 62 and possiblyplant Y (variant I 9), and may suggestthe sun
rising high (i.e. abovethe plants). Certainly1553haslong had a core meaningof high.
meaning.The meaningof t I l- is unwith prominent/ excellentbeing an associated
known. At one stageit was written rt , suggestinga variantof slumpedfigure L 2llt,
and this has led to a theory that it indicated a lame person (reinforcedby the fact that rhe
pronunciationof .p' was the sameas that of a word for cripple). Lame personis said to
have symbolisedleaning and unevenness,with the latter eventuallyleading by association
to height. This does not seemat all convincing, though it is a theory favored by authorirative Japanese
scholars.In any event,table is categoricallya borrowedmeaning.Specrfically, 1553was borrowedas a simplerversionof the NGU characterf,fl. This combincs
high f with wood /i 69 (heremeaningwoodenitem) to give high wooden item, a refuienceto a table. Confusingly,while f,f still meanstable in Chinese,in Japaneseit now
meansoar/pole. Suggesttaking $. as early and F as avariantof cracks l'.,91.
1556 \ll
- ff
1554
TAKU
RECLAIM, CLEAR, RUB
8 strokes
lt- v,El TAKUSHOKU
l{l
ftr
rtJ.
I
!
KAITAKU
GYOTAKU
colonising
reclamation
fish print
{ is hand 32. fi is stone 45, herealso actingphoneticallyto expressremove. Thus to
remove stones by hand, i.e. clear/ reclaim land. From an early stageits element-.
were also interpretedas remove by hand from stone, a referenceto taking a rub"
bing from a stone inscription, leadingto rub/ make a print in a broadersense.
Mnemonic: HAND PICKS UP STONES TO CLEAR LAND
1555 \
:'r-
TAKU
ENTRUST,
coMMrr
)
oracie
;t H TAKUSEN
;t E TAKUSO consignment
IAKU
commission
4;t
washing
iiLi€ sevreru
'#aryt# SENTAKUKT washer
ffi'@+rtsENTAKUMoNolaundry
lE,
216(bird E 216andwingstJ4 812),
7 is water 40. E is bird's wings/plumage
hereacting phoneticallyto expressbeat and probably also lending its own connotationsof
beatl flap. Thus to beat in water, a referenceto washing (clothes).
Mnemonic:WASH BIRD'S WINGS IN WATER
1557 -
\
DAKU
CONSENT, AGREE
15strokes
E# ruperU
acceptance
consent
A# SHOOAKU
'R # fefORKU readyconsenr
fi is young 886 q.v., here in its original meaning of compliant words/ agree.
Words/ speak f 274was addedafter $ lost its original meaning.
Mnemonic:AGREE WITH YOUNGSTER'S WORDS
1558 \
!
Mnemonic: EXCELLENT TABLE CRACKED AT EARLY STAGE
TAKU
WASH, RINSE
t7 strokes
I
I
DAKU, nigorulsu
i6lii oeruRyU turbidstream
IMPURE,TURBID,VOICED /ffiE DAKUON voicedsound
'lH 'tL NIGORIE muddycreek
16strokes
I
7 is water 40. f€)is caterpiltar 744,hereactingphoneticallyto expressimpure and
probablyalso lendingconnotations
of unpleasant. Thus (unpleasant?)impure water. Also usedof a voiced sound (cf. English thick). In Chineseit has much stronger
connotations
of unpleasantness,
and its meaningsincludefoul andcorrupt.
Mnemonic:TURBID WATER. FULL OF CATERPILLARS
lsse
{E l"JJ::t;il""'.
IE UE t repesuIGAKI proviso
IE"U4t A rePesmZUKI condition
'fe H TAJTMA*
aplace-name
f is words/ speak 274. d is plant takingroot 928, hereactingphoneticallyto express
commit/ entrust and possiblyalsolendingconnotationsof firmness. Thus (frmly?) en"
trust verbally, later entrust/ commit in a broad sense.Suggesttaking d as seven{
30 and top '
Of convolutedetymology. ,{ is person 39. ? is dawn 929, hereactingphoneticallyto
expressnaked and probably also lending its own connotationsof expose.Thus naked
man, a referenceto a personstrippedof outward signsof rank and thus merely a man.
Merely cameto prevail as a meaning,leadingeventuallyto merely in the senseof "the only
thing is....",i.e. but/ however (cf. rangeof nuancesof tada). Suggesttaking B as sun
62 and - as one 1.
Mnemonic:COMMIT SEVEN TOP WORDS TO MEMORY
M n e m o n i c :S U N S H I N E S O N O N E P E R S O N . B U T . . . . ( H E ' S N A K E D ! )
.-
f
.
l0strokes
I|'Y
498
499
GL,NERALUSE 1563-1565
GENERALUSE 1560.1562
1s60
iltli:i,:':
ffifiBl.,it,,"
Tffil":iifJ*,,o,","o,"
nn
Formerly fl?. . A is flesh/ of the body 365. ft,t f- ," exchange 524 q.v., here acting
phoneticallyto expresslose and probably also lending its own connotationsof disperse.
Thus to lose flesh. This was originally a referenceto losing weight, but was also lalcr
applied by associationto a range of things leaving the body, such as a child during
parturition and clothes. Escape is also an associatedmeaning,from the extendedidea of
losing somethingin one'spossession(i.e. expressedintransitively). Suggesttaking ji as
elder brother f" 267 and away/ off .; 66.
Mnemonic:ELDER BROTHER TAKES CLOTHES OFF BODY AND ESCAPES
1561
DATSU, ubaa
4 W DASSI{U
DAKKAI
SNATCH, CAPTIVATE
14strokes
E . , . * b UBAISARU
etr
seizure
recovery
carryofi
.f is hand/ measure 909, here meaninghand (it is not clear why the
@ is bird 216.
simpler hand 1 was not used). l(is big 53, here also acting phoneticallyto express
lose. Thus to lose a big (i.e. prized) bird from the hand. This came to meanlore
from the hand in general,and by associationhave somethingsnatched from the hand.
Now snatch in a broad sense,with captivate being an associatedfigurative meaniri;r
Distinguish from $ 966, and note the different etymologyof E .
fr A rnlu.rEN
JT fF feNseI
fr'6 I NINURI
TAN, ni
RED, SINCERE
4 strokes
ditigence
assiduity
paintedred
Sornewhatobscure.Originally !d, with a meaningof red earthi clay, and believedto be
a variant of contents of well * 1470/43 q.v. but with the contentsextendedto clay
ratherthan water. Sincere is a borrowedmeaning. Suggestremembering,$ by associa'half a boat.
tion with boat $ 1354,takingit as
Mnemonic: ONLY HALF THE BOAT IS RED
's64
Hg
t flE nerreN
TAN. kimo
LIVER, GALL, COURAGEflE.E TENSETT
9 strokes
6 ,4EnerUreN
bravery
gallstone
discouragemenl
seenin lft, nA
Formerly W"
nis flesh/ of the body 365. E is the obscureelement
929q.v., here actingphonedcallyto expressjar but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus the jar
meaning,while
of the body, a referenceto the 0ar shaped)liver. Gall is an associated
courage is a figurative association. As with 929, the modern form usesdawn B
929) as a simple phonetic. Suggesttaking this as one - | day B 62.
(see
Mnemonic:BIG BIRD IS SNATCHED FROM HAND
Mnemonic:BODY NEEDS LMR
1562
tana
SHELF, TRELLIS
12strokes
cupboard
I= ffiIJTODANA
A ilB HONDANA bookshcil
*' e I fi,! suDoPeNn
grapevine
trellis
Somewhatobscure. Formerly lflJl *d earlier $#t. X l.d it wood/ tree 69. *tf is felt
to show strings of matching jewels f, (see102),the stringsthemselvesalso being atan NGU
tachedto eachother 4, and to symbolisematching. (Note that []F lnn exists^as
charactermeaningmatch and by associationcompanion.) In the caseof 1562*n tf3n nA
of matching. Thus
acts phoneticallyto expressjoin and also lendsits connotations
joined
pieces of wood, a referenceto trellis. In Japaneseit is also apmatched and
plied by associationto shelves,whereasin Chineseit can meana crude shed. The modem form usestwo moons fl 16, almostcertainlya miscopyingbut one that retainsan
ideaof matching.Suggesttaking ff in its meaningof month.
rs6s
J*
l X.
TO SURVIVE EVEN ONE DAY
I^^)".Tl;Hr.FArNr
'i sr+kts
freshwater
lightcolor
[ght snow
'l( 8), hereacting
i is water 40. #-is flame(s) 1024 (titerally a doubling of flame/ fire
phoneticallyto expressplain but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus plain water, i.e. water
with nothing mixed in. While this may seemlogically to suggestpure water,in fact it came
rather to mean insipid and uninteresting(still meaningsin Chinese),with light/ faint/
meanings.
Palebeingassociated
Mnemonic: WATER ON FLAMES MAKES THEM FAINT AND PALE
Mnemonic:TAKE TWO MONTHS TO PUT UP WOODEN SHELVES
500
/4. zk rnNsut
/A € reNsHoKU
h 5 eweYurr
501
II
GENERALUSE 1566-1568
1566
{t
ffff
.-ti
GENERALUSE1569-1571
TAN,nageftutkawashii €,F. rnNSOrU
sish
LAMENT, ADMIRE
H @ rvoreN
admiration
t3 strokes
@ A [+ "i. NecerusAKEBU wait
Formerlyo$ . o is mouth/ say 20, heremeaningcry out. Vt{
rheobscureelc"
ment seenin 442 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressstifle but of unclearsemanric
role. Thus stifled cry. This usuallyindicatesa gaspof despair or alarm, but occasionrf 9, and hole v 21;.
ally of admiration. Suggesttaking
{ as man k573, grass
"Jffii
"u'*g! IiXliili:"1"$#,
m#fiffiY*.E ffi tv{IcFunernroadsicie
Mnemonic:RAKE STANDS UPRIGHT ON EDGE OF MOUNTAIN
->
,
=tO.
17 strokes
metal 14. f*- is step 931 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressbeat and possif is
lending its own similar connotations.Thus to beat metal, i.e. forge/ temper,
also
bly
with train being an associatedfigurative meaning.
1570 ?fr!
5IP
JT-
?orkl"l*t""t
g. is stand 73. h is a CO characternow borrowedto expressonly. Its etymologyis
unclear,but somescholarsinterpretan old form
as a bushy plant growing vigorot,sf
'kt
ly, while others note the similarity of the lower half to beard
lfil 887, take F to be
flowing hair (see173),and take f lft to meandivided beard. The bushyplant theor",,
seemsthe more likely. In any event,in the caseof 1567 ffi actsphoneticallyto expres:i
upright and may possibly also lend similar connotationsof upright/ vertical (either frorn I
plant growing upright or a beardhangingvenically). Thus stand upright, later uprighl
in a broadsenseincludingthe moral one. The othermeaningsare borrowed. Suggestrlking ..te as mountain 24 and ffi as a rake.
1563
TAN
fu +- A TANJOBI
f, # roreN
BIRTH, DECEIVE
iWTFfi TANKoJO
smithy
forge,train
$& ii* rnl'nEN
beatinggold
f& 6 femcnt
FORGE, TRAIN
Mnemonic:FORGING METAL IS A STEP IN ONE'S TRAINING
Mnemonic: CRY OF LAMENT OVER MAN IN GRASSY HOLE
JffO
TAN, kitaeru
DAN, hi,tz, hazumu,tama
H *
OAIWAXU
ammunition
BULLET, spRING, pLAy H I oexnyoKu
12strokes
++ A + HIKITE
elasticiry
player
Formerly lH- unain ancienttimes € . B I 6 is bow 836, here meaning by association
catapult, while r showsa small round object used as a projectile. Later forms use
simple/ weapon
V- t 4 542 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresssmall round
object and probablyalso lendingits connotationsof weapon. The actionof using a catapult led to spring and by further associationpluck/ play a stringedinstrument,while
bullet derives from projectile.
Mnemonic:BULLET SPRINGS FORTH FROM SIMPLE BOW?!
l57l
r -:f@
A
J
DAN. TAN
STAGE,PLATFORM
iosroxes
4L€ raoeN
xE'4 oaNlo
t tr jE DoTANBA
flower bed
stage
executionscaffold
birthda;.
lie, nonsensc
holv/rovalbirrh
i is earth/ ground 60. p is a CO characternow meaningindeed/truly, but its etymology is unclear. Its original meaningappearsto havebeenraised/ built up/ high, and it
{iswords 214. lSisstretch/ extend 814, here also actingphoneticallyto express
big. Thus big stretched words, a referenceto bragging/ exaggeration and hence
deception. Its main modernmeaningof birth is a borrowing,specificallybeing felt to
'make a fuss'/ talk big
derive from the term kotan (seeabove).This originally meant to
is possiblya variantof high/ watchtower €t t% 119. Hereit actsphoneticallyto expresshigh/ raised, and possibly lends similar connotationsof its own. Thus raised
0t*-
15 srrokes
16 F! rOreN
earth/ ground, leadingto stage and platform. Suggesttaking :- as top, @ as rotate/ revolve 86, A as day 62, and - as one 1.
about a holy/royal birth and thus establishedan associationbetween1568and birth.
Mnemonic:USE STRETCHED WORDS TO DECEM
502
ABOUT BIRTH
Mnemonic:EARTHY SHOW ONE DAY ATOP REVOLVING STAGE
503
t!
u]
i
$
I
I
'
GENERAL USE t575-1577
GENERALUSE T572.1574
""
l!;;i#:T'';,,
''Tiil*:
:ilJill'
fiTffi#
$\
E ffi Hnrucru
CHI
FOOLISH
13strokes
,8. #n CUCHI
ffi'lE cml6
idiot
idlecomplaint
infatuation
r\ is heart/ feelings t+1. fl is ear 29, here actingphoneticallyto expressshrink but
of unclearsemanticrole. Thus shrinking heart, a referenceto feeling ashamed (cf'
Formerly '&
f is illness 381, here meaningaffliction/ impairment. EZ is doubt
835 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressslow(-witted) and probablyalso lendingits
Englishfeel small).
connotationsof being in doubV dithering. Thus impairment associated with slowwittedness (and dithering?),a referenceto stupidity/ foolishness. The modern form
usesknow rcl L69,giving impaired knowledge.
Mnemonic:FEEL ASHAMED TO HAVE HEART NO BIGGER THAN EAR
1573 f,
f-
5i,
J^.
cHr, itasa
Do, sEND, cAUSE
10strokes
- ft rrcrn
unity,accord
ranl
*.6t ilt cHIMEITEKI
*. U fi ITASHIKA'TA means
Mnemonic:ILLNESS IMPAIRS KNOWLEDGE. LEAVES ONE FOOLISH
CHI
YOUNG,IMMATURE
gl ffi H YOCfilEN
13 strokes
Oncewritten 69..,i.e.with upturned foot K 438 q.v. (herein its senseof visit and
stop) rather than striking hand/ coerce (
tOt. 4. is correct,as seenfrom an old
fft ft. crncyo
fF trUCrusersu
fishfry
naivety
kindersarten
form J4 that showsperson I 39 and upturnedfoot ? . 4 t ? is arrive/ reach l1?5.
1573originally referredto a person reaching their destination and stopping. However,the miscopyingof 4. as ( brought about causativeconnotations,giving make
*. is rice plant 81. ff is bird 216,here actingphoneticallyto expressslow but ofunclearsemanticrole. 1576originally referredto rice that was slow to mature, and later
cameto meanimmature in general.
someonevisit and hencesend. As with send,/do ftIZZO q.v., sendbroadenedto act/
do in general. 1573is alsooccasionallyusedto meancause.
Mnemonic: BIRD FINDS IMMATURE RICE
Mnemonic:COERCMLY
1574- !!|
a, Fi
osoi
CHI,okureru,
TARDY,sl-ow, LATE
:tr *tJcruroru
E E crucru
lateness
slor'lv
titmovement 129. E is an NGU characternow usedto mean rhinoceros. It comprises tail ff= 1734 andcow f
97, and,originally referredto bovine
beastsin general. Hereit actsphoneticallyto expressslow, and also lends similar connotationsof its own (cf. English bovine). Thus slow movement. The modern form uses
Formerly l&-.
sneep f
x6
CHIKU
LIVESTOCK
10strokes
KACHIKU
livestock
4 CgrruSHobeast,Damn!
z E CHIKUSAN
.9.
ffi
E
stockbreeding
E R A OSOZAKI latebloonring
12strokes
<.t,
IS77
SEND SOMEONE. WHO DOES ARRM
986, primarilyas a graphicsimplifrcation.SuggesttakingF
Mnemonic:MOVE LIKE A SHEEP'S CORPSE -- SLOWLY!
504
as corpse 2-16'
El is field 59. aiis occult 1227q.v., here actingphoneticallyto express store/ accutnulate and possibly also lending connotationsof mysterious(power). 1577originally referred to leaving a fietd fallow in order for its fertility to be (mysteriously?)regenerated. Fallow fields were often used for grazing, and hence 1577 cameto representlivestock. It still also retainsconnotationsof accumulate/regenerate,and is sometimesinterchangedwith accumulate
$ 1579 q.v.
short thread ?^ ttt.
Suggestremembering y' by associationwith
MNCMonic:LIVESTOCK TETHERED IN FIELD BY SHORT THREAD
505
GENERALUSE1582-1584
GENERALUSE 1578-1581
1578
CHIKU, oz
CHASE, PURSUE
l0 strokes
Move j-tZ9 and pig ^ 1670,meaningto pursue a pig and later pursue/ chaseirr n
broadsense.Distinguish td- 1458,q.v.
Mnemonic:MOVE IN PURSUIT OF PIG
t579
CHAKU
driving gff
,W Z fUCfnfU
j6 --* CgIfcUICHI oneby ons
t4 ffi trl CHIKUGOTEKI
titcral
CHIKU, takuwaeru
ACCUMULATE, STORE
13 strokes
Fi # CgOCnfU
saviqss
# € CHI<UDEN
char,:inq
# fn= cHTUSEKI
stockpiling,accumularion
LEGITIMATE HEIR
14 strokes
woman 35. €h is base/startingpoint 755 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express
f is
of appropriate. An (appropriately?)
dutiful and probablyalso lendingconnotations
dutiful woman refers to a legitimate wife, as opposedto a concubine. In Japanese
1582has by extensionnow come mainly to meanlegitimate offspring, and henceheir.
Suggesttaking 3h as a combinationof empero, ft rcrc andotd 6 109.
Mnemonic:OLD EMPEROR'S WIFE PRODUCES LEGITIMATE HEIR
rf
$ is livestock 1577 q.v., here with its original connotationsof leaving a field fallorv
in order to regenerate, with grass/ plants +r 9 addedto emphasisegrowth. The iilcu
of regenerationgraduallybroadened,and 1579cameby associationto meanaccumulirte/
store in general.
1583
Mnemonic:LIYESTOCK CONSUMES STORED GRASS
/ is water 40. q is middle 55, hereactingphoneticallyto expressmove/ be unsettled and originally also lendinga meaningof middle. 1583originally referredto unsettled waters in the middle (of a channel). In Japaneseit has now come to meanrather
CHITSU
ORDER. STIPEND
10 strokes
E< rf
ft*4 (
CHITSUJO order,sysrem
KANCHITSUofficialrirnk
CHITSUROKU stipt'nd
f is rice plant 81, heremeaningharvestedrice. 4( is lose 501, which acts herephoneticallyto expressarrange/put in order andprobablyoriginally also lent its meaningol
lose. 1580originallyreferredto putting in order rice paid as a tithe (i.e. rice'lc,rt'
from the farmer'spoint of view), and eventuallythe ideaof putting in order cameto prevail. Order/ rank is now 1580'ssolemeaningin Chinese,but in Japanese
it is alsooccttsionallyusedin the senseof stipend, i.e. in effect reversingthe assumedoriginal viewpoint of donor to that of recipient.
Mnemonic:LOSE RICE IN ORDERLY FASHION!?
1581
CHITSU
BLOCK UP, PLUG
11strokes
asphyxia
4 fE cmssHt
G ,F. CHTSSOXUsuffocation
nitrogen
€ * CFUSSO
lfo is hole 849. },-is reach 875 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressblock and prolrably alsolendingconnotationsofcover a given area. Thus block a hole.
CHU, oki
OPEN SEA, SOAR
7 strokes
506
if X cgtrreN
ascendancy
\r,
i+ A
OKIAI
offshore
l+ a 9 oKIZUzu offshorefishing
watersfar from land, i.e. the open sea, whereasin Chinesethe idea of moving/ distant
meaningssuchas seethe,be restless,
watershasled to a rangeof extendedand associated
wander,dashagainst,and fly in the air/ soar (from dashagainst).Soar is alsooccasionallyfound in Japanese.
Mnemonic:WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA IS OPEN WATER
CHU
PULL, DRAW OUT
8 strokes
{H ff cHUSHUTSU extraction
absrraction
tH 4 cg0sgo
lottery
CH0SEN
+fr€'l-
to expresspull and almost
* is tranO32. b is reason399 q.v.,hereactingphoneticaily
certainlyalso lendingits early connotations
of from. Thus pull something by hand
(out from somewhere?),
now pull/ extract in a broadsense.
Mnemonic:THERE'S A REASON FOR PULLING BY HAND
Mnemonic:REACH INTO HOLE AND PLUG IT
iti
,ll
fE 7 crnrusm
tegat
heir
tr lffi HatcHAKU disinherit
16* CHerusnr lesalwife
507
I'll
till
r1 I
iIi
il
l
GENERALUSE 1585-1587
1585
GENERALUSE 1588-1590
CHU
INNER FEELINGS
9 strokes
ff F sErcn0
comprorri5p
H ,t-. CH0SrnN u-uefeelings
# F rucg0
anguish
Oncewritten
showingctothing lt''*ti..<
420 andmiddte/ inside p /*
-ss
{,
(here.dz ). 1585originally referredto inner clothing, i.e. underwear, and still retainr
this meaningin Chinese.However,it becameconfusedwith loyatty/ inner feelings
ft.
936 q.v. (literally middle/ inner f and hearVfeelingsru 147),and cameto acquirerhe
meaningof inner feelings (but not necessarilyloyalty).
Mnemonic:INNER FEELINGS KEPT INSIDE ONE'S CLOTHES
CHU,iru
CAST, FOUND,MINT
15strokes
1586
ffi ft. CrxszO
ffi ffi CgtffErSU
ffi 4 ICnre
casring
castiron
motd
':-.
Formerly ift.
ittong tife 1351,though in fact ; i l s a
6it metal 14. iit&
longstandingmiscopyingof 6Sp, which showshands € { inverting a vessel A a n d
pouring Q9(l causingto flow: seealso 1421)into anothervessel gp 1307. Thu-slo
1588
Mnemonic:MOURN MAN CRUSHED LIKE STICK BY TWISTING SNAKE
-'t
:,;,?:,i'^"
,ffi H cH0srn
parking
,ffi 6 CHrrzet
residence
,ffi E CHUMCFil
resident
in Japan
d is tranO 32. )V, is sign/trillion 939, hereactingphoneticallyto expressstir but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus stir by hand. Later stir in a figurative sense,i.e. rouse, with
challenge/defy being an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:TRILLION HANDS RAISED IN DEFIANCE
1590
$ ir tors" lgl. t- is master 299 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressstop/ stal
andpossiblyalsolooselylendingsimilarconnotations
from its originaldepictionof a lamp
which was generallyfrxed in one (central)placein a house. 1587was originally a referenceto a horse stopping, and later cameto meanstop/ stay in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:MASTER'S HORSE STOPS
#l # cHoueTSU provocarion
challenge
#K Si csdseu
#K Fi fi'! cHosEl\[EKlaggressive
K,;Hi'jffiE'DEFY
Mnemonic:CAST METAL HAS LONG LIFE
$f
condolence
& E rPtCuO
E F€ CnOUON sympathycau
E \., A +i TOMURAIGASSEN
battleof revense
Obscure.The numerousearly forms sometimesshow a snake coiled round a person,
3r,andsometimesasnakecoiledroundastick,asQ
ur U o, f lp"tton 4 /f
or $ . It is not clear which is the very earliestform , and thus not clear if stick is a miscopyingofpersonor vice-versa.Somescholarshavetaken1588to be a variantofyounger
177q.v., but the 'binding'in the caseof 1588is catebrother/bindingon a stake E t*
gorically a snakeand thus any overlapbetween1588and 177 seemsunlikely. Other scholarshave assumedsnakeround personto be the older version,and take this to be an ideographdepictinga person killed by a snake, thus leadingby associationto mourning.
Still othershave similarly assumedsnakeround personto be the older form, but havetaken
the snaketo indicatelwisting, giving twistedperson/hunchback.Moum is then assumedto
'person/man
killed by snake'theoryseemsthe most helpful.
be a borrowed meaning.The
pour out metal into a vessel,i.e. cast.
1s87
CHQ tomuraa
MOURN
4 strokes
W
CH6, hora
CARVE, SCULPTURE
11 strokes
W *tJ cg6rorv
carving
(*
cgdzd
sculpture
M
+W 9 TEBOzu handcarving
2 is hairs 93, q.v., herein its senseof delicate/attractiveand by extensiondecorative/
patterned.
ffi is around/ circumference504 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto express
cut/ carve and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof all around. Thus decorative/ patterned carving (all around,i.e. three-dimensional?).
Suggesttaking 2, as three lines.
Mnemonic:THREE LINES CARVED AROUND SCULPTURE
508
509
GENERALUSE1595-1597
GENERALUSE 1591-1594
1591
view,ourlooi
BJE
"€ cHoso
HIKM) UnCaVE
vi$v
HX.tElfr,F cHosozEKKEI
CH6, nagameru
GAZE, LOOK
tl strokes
Ilne vicw
'sss
i:;i:LEAp
*I,f,;:Sff"'l,J,i;iHl
trrp :X.";t[:1
HANEKAERUrebound
l3strokes
WEAEa
yt\
!f is eye 72,here meaninglook. JK- is sign/ trillion 939, hereactingphoneticallyto erpressdistance but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to look into the distance,i.e. guze
foot/ leg 5 1. ll! is sign/trillion 939, hereacting phoneticallyto expressleap high
ft is
but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to leap using the legs.now leap/ spring in a broad
Mnemonic:TRILLION EYES GAZING
sense.
CHQ tsuru/ri
f,l 9 tE TSU_zuBA hshingspor
fishinc
FISH, LURE, CHANGE
f'J R CHOGYO
ll strokes
{.1 g ffi, TSURISENchange.c,,in
ais metal 14. ! is ladle/ measure1342,here actingphoneticallyto expresscatch/
snare and almostcertainlyalso lendingits shapeto suggesta hook. Thus to catch rvith
metal (hook), i.e. fish. Now also usedto meanlure/ trap in a broadsense.It is not
clearhow it alsocamein latertimesto meanchange/coin.
Mnemonic:FISH WITH LADLE-LIKE METAL HOOK
CHQ fukuramulreru
SWELL. BULGE
12 strokes
,@EF socHo
expansion
8tr?'LH FUTUREZURA poLrr
t n b L {D nuruRASHIKo*
bakingpowdcr
fl is flesh/ of the body 365. Ais long 173, here acting phoneticallyto expresssu'r:ll
and probablyalso lending connotationsof stretch. Thus swollen (and stretched?)
body. This was originally a referenceto a certaintype of illness (and at one stagewas
written ia,i.e. with the sicknessradical { Ztt, which in Chineseis still interchangeable
withflfu), but it later cameto meanswollen in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:BODY SWELLS A LONG WAY
supermsn
ffi A cHolIN
CHQ koerulsu
surplus
EXCEED. CROSS, SUPER-E ffi CH6XA excess,
A,Eg NYUCHoimportsexccs'
l2strokes
(in a
Iis run l$. A is summon 1387,hereactingphoneticallyto expressteap high
dance)and possiblyalsolendingconnotationsof beingrequested(to dance).To run and
leap high came by associationto mean go beyond a normal level in a broadsense.
includingin the senseof exceedand of the prefix super-.
Mnemonic:TRILLION LEGS LEAPING
'"'&
4 #1 snocno
symbol
levy
H 4R csosuO
t$ ffi rOruCHo characteristic
LE'Y
illi-i#'ilN'
Somewhatobscure. Fomrerly /,f$and, eartier ii'7 Zfiit ,ft" early form of smalV secretive ifr5,1 trtynX q.v., while .i, is a simplificationof the early form I of person
standing (attentively)* tStO. The latteris believedto havealsobeenusedphonetically
to expressreveal, thus giving 1596a meaningof reveal somethingto a person in a
secretive manner, as by a sign. Summon is felt to derive from the associatedidea of
searchingfor a sign,which cameto meansearch/seekin generaland eventuallyby extension summon. Levy is then taken to be an associatedmeaningwith summon. Suggest
tattng /4 as go 118, j1 as mountain 24, A as king 5, and ( as coerce/force 101.
Mnemonic:SIGN FORCES KING TO GO T0 MOUNTAIN
1597
ja
CLEAR, SETTLE
iE Fd sEtcuo na
'W.4 L.n6 suvxtRu
15 strokes
lHt
CHO, sumulmasu
LEA suiuesnrcRo
smuglook
i is water/ river 40. ftis climb 360, here acting phoneticallyto expressfransparent/
clear and possiblyalsolooselylendinga suggestionofupstream/headwaters.Thus clear
water (at headof river?), later clear in a broadsense.Settled is an associatedmeaning
with clear.
Mnemonic:WATER CLEARS AS ONE CLIMBS UP RMR
MNEMOnic:SUPERFAST RUNNER SUMMONED FOR EXCEEDING LIMIT
510
clear
beclear
511
GENERALUSE 1601-1603
GENERALUSE 1598-1600
*"iT3,i,iil:160r
"" Irta :*?#1"AREFULL')
Hffi;ffi
9t\\
17strokes
ffi,b 3s cHosHlNKI stethos("r:
Formerlyftk fl is ear 29, heremeaninglisten. 9 is personstandingstill (variant
* rcrc). Thus f meanspersonstandingstill listening(seealso911). ,g$/P* is
virtue 762.Thusstandlisteningvirtuously,i.e. attentively,
now listen carefully
in a broadersense.Suggest
takingf asten 33, g aseye72,and rr.j asheart 1.tr7.
Mnemonic: EAR IS WORTH TEN EYES WHEN LISTENING TO HEART
1599
M
r\l
CHQkorirulrasu
CHASTISE, LEARN
18strokes
ffiff CHOBATSUpunishnrent
reprimand
ffi #i Cgdrel
ffi 9 ffi I xOnxOzu to one'scost
1u is heart/ feelings 147. Wis sign 1596,here actingphoneticallyto expressreform
and possibly also lending an idea of signL/visible evidence. Thus to reform in one's
heart, i.e. mend one'sways (publicly?). This suggestedby associationreforming alter
learningthe error of one'sold ways, and hence1599cameto mean learn by someunfortunateexperience.Probablybecauseofthe presenceofthe causativeelement ( (seel()l ),
#: ift cgnnorsu
#: iffi crur.rrer
7 strokes
ffi T
crn].tl<e
sinking
,tuenutioi
subsidence
y' is water 40. fi is a CO characternow meaningmove in, but its original meaningwas
bang down (etymologyunclear,but originallywritten [, suggestinga bendingperson
r! 39 and what is possiblya symbolof drooping/hanging tH ). Thus to hang down in
the water, i.e. to sink. Suggesttaking f as big man ( S3 wittr broken arms r-7
andbroken leg U.
Mnemonic:BIG MAN WITH BROKEN ARMS AND LEG SINKS IN WATER
"'tbid['H*il?;!
4 6 CFIIluct na novel.rare
rarity,curio
4 ffi CgnPIN
rarebook
2 A CHIxPOtt
jewel I02. , is person and hair 1440 (person A39 and delicate6uirs 47 93
f is
q.v.),here actingphoneticallyto expresspure/ unblemished and probably also lending
of attractive from its delicatehairselement /t, . Thus an (attractive?) unconnotations
blemishedjewel, which was a relatively rare item. Now rare/ curious in general.
Mnemonic:PERSON HAS RARE JEWEL WITH CURIOUS HAIR-LIKE
PATTERN
1599also cameto meancauseto reform. i.e. chastise.
Mnemonic:SIGN THAT CHASTISED HEART HAS LEARNED LESSON
"*;ir1 i#""#Y^"EDrcr
Fi ffi cgorUGo imperialedict
ffi F cHoTUSHI imperialrvill
F! ff cHoruxrN
imperial appointment
, i.". with strike/ force/ cause ( tOt insteadof strengttr/power /J 74.
d is bundle/ manage 1535,hereactingphoneticallyto expresscorrect as well as lending its meaningof manage. Thus to manage a situation by making someoneact
Formerly *{
"-HX.i#:'*"
ffi cruN
ffi O CHIN no
ffi f,fi cgwroru
we
our
ourvirtue
FormerlyffQ . The oldest form Ht\ shows thar f;f is derived from boat El tfu tlS+
and that ft is derivedfrom two hands 7Y holding up an item i . The latter is believed by somescholarsto be a spigotor tool, and by othersto be a pestle,but in any event
settingpeopleon the right course.
$t it k ro*n to have had a core meaningof work with the hands and srong connorations both of raising and repetitiveness/continuity.The original meaningof 1603was
to repair a boat, but it was later borrowedas a first person pronoun, and in practice
is now almost exclusively used as a royal 'we'. Suggesttaking fl as flestr/ (of the)
body 365 and { as from/ out of r / 66 heaven X, 58.
Mnemonic: IMPERIAL EDICTS COME IN POWERFUL BUNDLE
Mnemonic:OUR ROYAL BODY DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN
correctly. All imperial pronouncements were consideredto be of this nature,i.e. of
5t2
dlt,L
;t
CHIN, shizumulmeru
SINK
513
I'l
it
UI],NI,KAL USE 1608-16II
GENERALUSE 1604-1607
1604
R,
oLD
llil"*.'"ow' r
CHINJO
petltlon
FF,'I CHINRETSU exhibirron
IH ft -.qfSHINCHINTAISHA
renewal,metaboijr1,,
,"K In
p is hill 229,heremeaningmound of earth. fl is east 184,hereactingphonericuily
to expressencircling embankment but of unclearsemanticrole. 1604originally refcifr-d
to the raised earthen path around a field (and still has a minor meaningof path in
Chinese).Raised graduallyled by associationto show/ expose,with express/ stutg
beinga furtherassociation(thoughsomescholarsfeel thesemeaningsareborrowed). It is
not clear how the meaningof old/ of long standingwas acquired,but it may relatett' nn
ideaofpermanencepossiblyattributedto suchridges(see1468).
Mnemonic:STATEMENT SHOWS EASTERN HILLS ARE OLD
'uo"-+H
iJii*i'rffftr;:"
w)#Al
1€ !4,
5lj
painkilier
CffINfStfZnl
CHINSEI
calm, rliret
BUNCHIN paperweir:ht
H.
/
to express
build
7 isw^terl liquid 40. $ isUta e 728q.v.,hereactingphonetically
possibly
also
lending
similar
of
accumulate.
Thus
connotations
to build up in
up and
to leavinglayersof itemsto soak/pickle.
waterlliquid, a reference
TAKE BLAME FOR WATERY PICKLES
Mnemonic:
tsubo, HEI
TSUBO,
SQUARE MEASURE
8 strokes
€ 1Y TATETSUBOfloorspace
f, t+ GOTSUBO fivetsubo
1* #l rsueosfi
area
Ground X 60 andflat/ level f? 388,giving level ground. In Chinesethis is 1609's
only meaning,but in Japaneseit has come to be usedprincipally to refer to a tsubo, a
square measureof 3.31 sq.m.
Mnemonic:TSUBO IS MEASURED ON FLAT GROUND
Mnemonic:SUPPRESSWITH TRULY HEAVY METAL WEIGHT
l%.E rsurRAKU
TSUI
FALL
I 5 strokes
t:rll
B F* cErtrSUlshootingclorrn
14 tE rsulsm
fallingto di:riih
ffr is corpsl unit 540 q.v., herewith its original meaningof falt down a hill reinforcrd
by earth/ground L 60. Now fall in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:CORPS FALLS TO GROUND
t607
'ffi.tS [,h]TSUKEMoNo
pickles
A iF tJ CHAZUKE teaonrice
ffi iH t'J sHIozuKE
salting
tsukaru/keru,SHr
prcKLE, soAK
14snokes
to suoxes
Formerlyfe
6 is metal 14. E t E is true 514 q.v., hereactingphoneticalirto
expressheavy and almostcertainlyalsolendingits early meaningof upside-down. 1ti)-5
originally meant (inverted?) heavy metal weight, leadingby associationro pr('\s
down and hencethe figurativemeaningsof suppressand quieten/calm.
1606
GOS \ {F
\ -:
tsuka,CHO
MOUND, TUMULUS
12strokes
F. 4
KAZUKA
shellmourrti
gra'e
4 X rsureaNa
3 ry TAKARAZUKA
TEI
COURT,
GOVERNMENT OI'FICE
7 strokes
EEKYUTEI
iE E F{Orel
E H TETSHU.I
couTt
lawcourt
COUtiEr
{ is movement 129. I is a CO characternow borrowedfor a rangeof meaningssuch
as artful and great,but it derivesfrom | , showinga person A 39 standing (still) on
the ground L 60. Thus move to (take up) a standing position on the ground,
arathervaguereferenceto peopleat court moving to take up their designatedpositionas
theemperorappeared.Suggesttaking t as a hatted z samurai t qgq.
Mnemonic:HATTED SAMURAI MOVES TO COURT
TEI
PRESENT, OFFER
7 strokes
-?. t reltO
HHE ZOTPI
E ?_ SfUV|EI
presentarion
donation
presenration
Formerly also ffi.
i is earth 60. rz is roof/ cover (variant -z 28), heremeaning
pig 1670,hereactingphoneticallyto expresspile but of unclearsecover. &t*'it
manticrole. Thus pile of earth that covers,i.e. a tumulus.
Formerly
person standing (at court) 1610, here actf . a is mouth/ say 20. 4 is
tng phoneticallyto expressreveal and also lendingconnotationsof a personin the presenceof a dignitary. 16ll originallyreferredto a person giving a revealing (i.e. detailed) verbal statement to a dignitary,i.e. presenting a report, but now means
Dresent/offer in a broadsense. Suggesttaking f- as king 5.
Mnemonic:EARTHEN MOUND COVERS PIG
Mnemonic:PRESENT II'EM FOR KING'S MOUTH
place-natite
574
515
Lt+
TEI
RESIST,MATCH
8 strokes
t6l2
JE. YL
+{- *
t+e
TEIKO
TEIT6
TAITEI
resistanqs
mOrt![t!rA
generillly
d is hand 32. 6t is bottom of hill 548, here actingphoneticallyto expresspush back
(with equal force) but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to push back with the hand,
leadingto resist and match/ prove equal. Suggesttaking r* as clan /K 49.s.,',U
l.
one Mnemonic:RESIST CLAN WITH ONE HAND
/L-t
i*'
fAtF
-l
<=
Nz
MANSIoN, RESIDENCE
TEITAKU
ftl 8 TEINAI
ssrrokes
trE[
rEI
1613 Fq
t\
1614
-);r
,h
KANTEI official residcnce
IN ONE MANSION IN VILLAGE
F L rEtSnU
hr.H nYor-el
f4 F nvorgl
TEI
PAVILION' INN
9 strokes
i
1615
EI
El
,\
TEI
tr ffi rerso
CHASTITY.VIRTUE
9 strokes
H fff, rElsErsu
H * rnrnrsu
chastity
chastity
fidelity
Oncewritten fl . F is a variantof divination (crack) F 91. >Y<
I 9, rsa simplified
round kettle fiA ZZA,here actingphoneticallyto expressrequest/ seek but of unclear
semanticrole. 1615 originally referred to seeking to learn the will of the gods by
means of divination, and can still have this meaningin Chinese. Some scholarsfeel
thatchastity/ virtue is a borrowedmeaning,while othersseeit as an extendedmeaning,
i.e. seekingto act in a mannerapprovedby the gods (cf. Englishgodly). It has now acquiredparticularconnotationsof female virtue. Suggesttaking Q as shell 90, and tin its literal meaningof crack.
Of confusingetymology. j3 is village 355, felt by somescholarsto be usedhere in an
extendedsenseof metropolis/capital(i.e. as an abbreviationof capital ql 355) and by others to indicatepersonfrom a village. 4, is bottom of hill 548, hereactingphonetically
to expressreside and also lending an idea of houseat the bottom of a hill (see54R).
Normally a houseat rhe bottom of a hill was associatedwith a commoner,while a houseon
with a noble (see99 and 548). Confusingly,however,somelxv
a hilltop was associated
rankingprovincialnobles(i.e. thosefrom villages)wereunableto securehilltop residenies
in the capital,andwerethusobligedto live in housesat the bottomof hills. 1613originall.v
referredto such a residence,i.e.'townhouse' (at the foot of a hill) where a low ranking
provincial noble residedwhen in the capital.In Chineseit can still meannoble's torvn'
house in the capital, while in Japaneseit has come to mean residence in a broader
sense,usually of a reasonablyimpressivenaturesuchas a mansion. Suggesttaking f\
a s c l a n I ' 4 9 5a n d o n e - 1 .
Mnemonic: CLAN LMS
GL,NERALUSE1615-1617
T$^
&
GENERAL USE 1612-16T4
Mnemonic:CRACKED SHELL A SYMBOL OF CHASTITY?
..6'.6
fi ifi:n".
fff t
ffi lt)l
empire
TEIO
emperor
ffi ru6sgrcret
caesarian
Formerly .fr and earlier 1ft , showinga large two-tier table ft supportedby crossstruts X with an item - placedon top. The (firm) tablewas usedin religiousservices
andis to all intentsandpurposesan elaboratevariantof altar T / ff. 695 q.v., with similar connotationsof relating to the gods. Ruter/ emperor is takenby some scholarsto
be a borrowedmeaning,but seemsmore likely to be an associatedmeaningwith god. Suggesthking
asacombinationofstand y'73and broom W ge.
fu
Mnemonic:EMPEROR STANDS OVER BROOM
1617
<>rhost,husb.nd
inn
restaurant
'ffi E rExoru
=
tt.,f
TEr
I
CORRECT.REVISE
v srokes
El TL TEISEI
d[ ;=TXefrel
*. il lE, KAITEIBAN
correcrion
revision
revised edition
:fy'risasimplificationof
tall edifice/
tall 14tO q.v.,herewithitsconnotationsof
stay/stop.Thustall
to express
buitding. J is exact/nail 346,hereactingphonetically
(ilarge)buildingwherepeoplestay,a reference
to an inn. Pavilionis an assoctatedmeaning.
f, is words/ speak274. f is exact 346, hereactingphoneticallyto expressfair/just.
1617 originally meant to make a fair statement (and thereby settle an issue).In
Chineseit still meanssettle,but in Japanese
it has come ratherto mean amend/ revise/
correct.
Mnemonic:NAIL SUPPORTSTALL PAVILION
Mnemonic:USE EXACT WORDS IN CORRECTION
516
5r7
T
GENERALUSE1618.1621
1618
TEI
RELAY, IN SEQUENCE
10strokes
r t r B TEISO
M',tE
@{,,\
forwarding
TEISHIN communicatiorrs
TEUI
in successiorr
Formerly "&.
iit movement (along a road) l2g. ffi" is a CO characterreferringro
a m y t h i c a l b e a s t r e s e m b l i n g a t i g e fr f i Z t l w i t h a l a r g e c u r v e d h o r n / ' ( n o w / ; ,
and was alsousedofa certaindistrictin ancientChina.Hereit actsphoneticallyto express
change, but its semanticrole is unclear. Thus change in those moving along a
road, a referenceto a changeofmessengersand hencethe presentmeaningsof relay and
in sequence. Suggesttaking fr as a combinationof ten f 33 and city fi 130,with
114).
/ a s b u i l d i n g / h o u s e ( v a r i a n t|
Mnemonic:MOVE TO RELAY IN SEQUENCE TO HOMES IN TEN CITIES
1619
TEI
SPY, INVESTIGATE
1l strokes
Mnemonic: SPY ON PERSON'S CHASTITY
breakwarcr
W lE- W SOF{RTEI
TENO
levee,diKe
E F,b
Ifr Ph E 1.,1TEIBOZUTAI alons bank
jL is earth 60. fr-is proper 910,hereactingphoneticallyto expressfirm but of unclear
semanticrole. Firm earth was a referenceto an embankment.
Mnemonic:USE PROPER EARTH FOR EMBANKMENT
t62l
TEI
BOAT
13strokes
ffinfL
:1:r
ftF xT"{-in1?K'"";":llt
fi is thread 27, heremeaningcord. ft is emperor 1616q.v.,hereactingphonetically
to expressbind and possiblyalso lendinglooseconnotationsof firmly from its original
meaningof firmly bracedtable.Thus to bind (firmly?) with cord, later alsotighten/
shut and figuratively as tie up/ conclude.
Mnemonic:BIND EMPEROR WITH THREAD
1623
navalvessel
ffi ffi rAvrEI
relKo
boathouse
ffiF
tfeboat
*k €d ffi KYLIMETEI
tris Uoat 1354.Qis court 1610,hereactingphoneticallyto expresssmall but of unclear semanticrole. Thus small boat, now boat in a broadersense.
iE
DEI, doro, nazumu
MUD, ADHERE TO
detection
# iH rnx-rEl
secret
inquirv
A {F NhfTEI
fgtsATSUreconnaissarce
fF F
,f is person 39. A is chastity 1615q.v., herein its literal senseof seekingto knou
the will of the gods by divination. Thus personwho seeksto know by divination,
i.e. a diviner. This later cameto meaninvestigator/ investigatein a broadersense
but still retainsconnotations
of actingin an esotericandhencesecretivemanner(i.e.spy).
TEI, tsutsumi
EMBANKMENT
12 strokes
GENERAL USE 1622-1624
8 strokes
Somewhatobscure.7 is water 40, heremeaning river. (t,is nun 1674q.v. Some
scholarsfeel the latteris usedpurely phoneticallyto expressthe nameof a certainriver in
ancientChina,with mud beingeitheran associated
meaningor a borrowing. However,it
seemsequallyif not more likely that (6 u"tt phoneticallyto expressstop (originallybeing pronouncedSHI, as in stopSHI j1 129)and also lendsits own early connotationsof
stop. Thus a river which stops flowing, i.e. leavingan expanseof mud. In either
case,adhere to is an associated
meaningwith mud, from the ideaof sticking.
Mnemonic:NUN IN MUDDY WATER
1624
H
TEKI, fue
FLUTE, WHISTLE
11 strokes
i'.- ffi rnPzu
steamwhisrle
ffi'f' rertsHU flutist,flautist
n ffi rucrileug
whistle
trtis bamboo 170.@ is reason 399 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresspure/
clear (sound)and almostcertainlyalsolendingits connotations
of from. Thus bamboo
from which pure/clear sound (emerges),i.e. a flute. Now also whistle in a broad
sense.
M n e m o n i c :T H E R E ' S A R E A S O N F O R M A K I N G F L U T E F R O M B A M B O O
Mnemonic:COURT HAS ITS OWN BOAT
518
i,Et oEroo
mud,mire
fE itr ropEl
adherence
itr,G. lOnOaSru muddyfeet
519
GENERAL USE 1625-1628
GENERALUSEi629-1631
TEKI, tsumu,tsumamu
ffiE fEffvd
summar"v
PLUCK, PICK, EXTRACT 1ffi4 -fefnfnfsU
exposuR_
14strokes
Iffi'+EY6 TSUMIORU pluck,pick
f is hand 32. t1 is startingpoint 755 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresspick anrl
possiblyalso lendingconnotations
of appropriate. Thusto pick (somethingappropriate?) by hand. It was originallyusedin a physicalsense,as in picking/plucking
flowers or fruit, but is now often usedin a figurative sense,such as extracting or rcvealing. Suggesttaking ff1 as a combinarion
of empero, q 1616andold 6 109.
Mnemonic:PICKED BY OLD EMPEROR'S HAND
t626
\
\
I
TEKI, shizuku, shitatarr
DROP, DRIP
14 strokes
/( m SUITEKI
.---.ffi fffgXl
iH T
ferufe
waterdroir
onedr'o
dripping
7 is water 40. &J is starting point 755, hereactingphoneticallyto expresstapl strikc
and possiblyalso lendingits connotations
of staningpoint. Thus water which taps
against something,namely a drip (the srartingpoint of a largerflow?). Suggesttaking
ff1 as a combinationof emperor fr tStS and old { l0g.
t62e
hi\k
TETSU
ALTERNATE,ROTATE
reshuflte
tr6 rorersu
ErZ rersuzuTsu alternating
8 strokes
6fo
of confusedevolution. originally written $1, showinghand I and pot on a stand
(avery early form of ff7 1078).It originally meanrro remove a pot from a stand,
fi
andstill retainsconnotationsof remove (thoughremoveis nowadaysusuallyconveyedby
MK 1630, with which 1629 is sometimesinterchanged).Removecame to mean clear
away, and then by associationhave a clear passage(note that pot on a standwas almostcertainlyalsoa symbolof an impediment-- see1078). Like &176, this thencame
to mean pass clear through, with road/ go ,,{ 118 being addedfor clarity. Thus road
that passesclear through/ go clear through. Pot on stand A t #l was larermiscopiedas child being born/ educate ft 227, andhand 1 miscopiedas srriking hand/
force ( tot.
Mnemonic:FORCED TO GO CLEAR THROUGH ONE'S EDUCATION
reso -$|-
TETSU
Removea pot fi? 1629q.v. (correctly&( ) *ittr hand f 32 addedafter rhe meaning had becomevague. Now remove/ withdraw in a broadersense.Suggesttaking
6
as educate (a child) 227 and ( as force 101.
Mnemonic:FORCE EDUCATED CHILD TO REMOVE HAND
163l
\
:
Mnemonic:ALTERNATING CAN INVOLVE LOSS OF MOVEMENT
trt
€# rprsuGAKUphilosophl
€A rErsunx
sage
jt € sEmprsu sase
of old
tr is mouth/ say 20, heremeaningwords. df is break 522 q.v., hereactingphonetically to expresscorrect and probablyalso lendingconnotationsof understanding from
its original meaningof chop and hencedivide/ analyse(seealso 199).Thus correct
words (full of understanding?),
a symbolof wisdom.
Mnemonic:SPEECH BROKEN BUT STILL SHOWS WISDOM
520
TEN, souteru
f-
ALLUllrrAr\ r, AUU
ll strokes
f
^/:l---
-,tll,L
TETSU
WISDOM
10strokes
removal
ffifrT:[fIl -;Tffi
.{f,"t 1,"#&J,"'wrrHDRAw
v
tfr
]ffi4xrsssn0
fgfflaltemateoccrurencr
i is movement (along a road) 129. ft is lose 501, hereactingphoneticallyto expresschange but of unclearsemanticrole. Like ffi t0ts, 1627 origina[y referredto
changing thosemoving along a road, i.e. messengers,
and latercameto meanalternatei rotate in a broadersense.
1628
Eif.drer'rrErsururnrrment
f,Y""#
{nX.
Mnemonic:WATER DRIPS ONTO OLD EMPEROR
1627
I"JiH."'cH,
.LEAR
;Hi'|i
,,ffiHffiffiHH'".S",
\f
-
fli*.lg ]'Enra
flNff TENIpU
ffi L^
SOEGI
addition
appending
sptint.brace
thoughin Chi7 is water 40. 71 is an NGU charactermeaninggrateful/embarrassed,
neseit has strongermeaningsof ashamed/disgraced(literallythe feelings11.' [variant,rJ'
r47l of a person/ man with head bowed k279). Here .# actsphoneticallyto expressfill, but any semanticrole is unclear. Thus to fill with water. Add water later
cameto meanadd in a broadsense,with the intransitiveversioncomingto meanjoin/ accompany (not uniike 431). Sinceno early forms of -;fi1 huu" beenfound somescholars
concludethat it is in fact a latervariantof ib , an NGU charactermeaningmoisten/add
waterwhich usesdivine/ occupy b l49l in a similarphoneticrole to
ft, but this is not
especiallyconvincing.
Mnemonic:MAN WITH BOWED HEAD FEELS NEED FOR ADDED WATER
52r
GENERALUSE 1632-1634
GENERALUSE 1635-1638
"'EEry i^TJi.'oRD.MR
f2l{
€,& ryUoEN
ffl & COTEN
& ffi TONOSAMA
l'i strokes
Oncewriuen /f\
itbuttocks/ slunrpcd
Somewhatobscure.
8 is strike 153, ) t f
figure 236,while ff is obscure. However. fi upp.u.t to have meanrbuttocks, rincl
also to havelent its sound(known to haveoncebeenTON). Thus to strike some6ne
on the buttocks with a TON sound. Note that in Chinese1632 can still mean rcar.
Palaceis a borrowedmeaning,specificallyresultingfrom 1632'sbeing usedin place61'n
now defunctcharacterF$ . fnlr combinesearth/ ground J- 60 with fi{, whi,".}r
is
known to haveactedphoneticallyto expressraised (anysemanticrole beingunclear).rirls
giving raised earth/ ground. This originallyreferredto earthen ramparts, u'tricl
meaning. In Japanese16-l-lis
cameto symbolisecastle,with palacebeing an associated
person
living in apalacelcastle,nametva
also usedby further associationto refer to the
lord, and is alsousedas a generalterm of respect.Suggesttaking .JZ^ as together 4(rl).
Mnemonic:STRIKE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER AT LORD'S PALACE
1633
TO
DIPPER,MEASURE
4 strokes
To all intentsand purposesa variantof ladle +
gallonsof s.i"e
an author;tv
1386q.v., being a derivativeof a highly'
s t y l i s e d v a r i a n{t o f 1 3 8 6 ' s e a r l y f o r m* ( a p i c t o g r a p h o f a l a d l e ) b u t t e c h n i c a l l y u ' r i i i out the contents - . Confusingly,however,while 1386hasbecomea standardmeasurt:of
1.8liters,1633is a measuretentimesthatamount,namely18 liters.
Mnemonic: BIG DIPPER HAS SLOPING CROSS AND TWO DOTS?!
'634
ut,
Pl fftj rozel
Fa A fi, HAKIKE
nt ,H. rorru
voMrr
l?j,i#"',
enrctic
naus.i.r
gasp,sigh
fl is mouth 20. !-is soil/ ground 60, hereactingphoneticallyto expresspour forth
and possiblyalso lendingextendedconnotations
of filth. Thus to pour forth (filth?)
from the mouth, i.e. vomit/ disgorge.
Mnemonic:DISGORGE VOMIT FROM MOUTH TO GROUND
522
iA F rocg[
,6 fffi rOraN
Bil 6 zENro
ontheway
point
verge,
future
j,is movement (atong a road) I2g. h is ample 800, here also acting phonetically
ro expressroad/ way. Thus ample road (permitting) (easy) movement, now
roadl way in a generalsenseincludingthe figurative.
Mnemonic:ROAD PERMITTING AMPLE MOVEMENT
1636 \Jl\ lf
lr*.
TO,wataruls
u
iE ffi roro passage,
crossing
cRoss, HAND ovER
iE 1t rospr
livelihood
12strokes
E t'a 'p f rnvRresu
sentence
y iswater 40, heremeaningriver. ft is degree 356 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto
expressspan and possiblyalso looselylendingsimilar connotationsfrom its literal meaning of measurewith the hand. Thus to span a river, later cross (over) in a general
sense.Hand over is the transitiveversion.
Mnemonic:CROSS WATER BY DEGREES
It + E HoKUTosEIBigDrpr,,:r
'l- iE TOSHU
# !- rnno
To
ROAD, WAY
10strokes
patace
prtlce
tOrd
t637
'6
TO, nura
PLASTER, COAT, PAINT
13 strokes
6
'4 -tr
n
>(k
NLIRfMONO lacquerware
TOSO
painting
NURIGUSURI ointment
Oncewritten simply us i,t , which still existsin Chineseas a variantof I . i is water
40, here meaningriver. f, is ample/ excess800. Thus ample/ excessiveriver, a
referenceto a large river prone to flood. This came by associationto mean Ieave a
coating of mud, with earth L 60 being addedfor clarity. Now to coat in a general
sense.but note that in Chinese1637 canstill meanmud.
Mnemonic:EXCESS RMR-WATER
LEAVES COATING OF EARTHY MUD
DO, yatsu, yakko, -me
SLAVE. SERVANT.GUY
5 strokes
Y,x 18 DOREI
.tn
Jd
slave
YATSURA
thoseguys
YAKKOSAN * thatguy
Somewhatobscure,thoughits elementsare clearly hand 3. andwoman jf 35. Some
scholarsfeel that woman f symbolisescompliance and hand a symboliseswork, to
give a meaningof work compliantly and by associationbe a slave/ servant. Other
scholarstake woman t
to be usedliterally and hand L to indicatecontrol, to give
woman under one's control, a referenceto a slave-girl. The former theory seems
themore likely. 1638is alsousedas a pejorativesuffix and slangreferencero a person.
Mnemonic:HAND-MAIDEN IS A SLAVE
523
GENERALUSE 1639-164I
'63e
Tt
GENERALUSE 1642-1645
l3d[il:',llt;
es:"kes
tt*I
K fi ooru
anger
barvl
* qe b DONARU shout,
* I E i ffezufURUUragemacl)v
rU is heart/feelings 147. {9-is slave 1638,here actingphoneticallyto expressangcr
and possibly also suggestingfeelingsassociatedwith being a slaveor (morelikeiy) direcreri
towards a slave. Thus feelings of anger (directedtowards a slave?). Now anger/
rage in a broadsense.
TQnigerutgasu,nogarerutsu
)8t#rOsOsHA
fugitive
ESCAPE,EVADE, MISS F,)!iMINOGASU
overlook
9 strokes
)b ht E MGEMICHI escaDe
route
j_is movement I29. )lis sign/ trillion 939 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto express
escapeand possibly also lending supportingconnotationsof separation.Thus to move
and escaPe.
Mnemonic:ESCAPE THROUGH A TRILLION MOVES
Mnemonic: SLAVE'S FEELINGS ARE OF ANGER
1640
-
TA ZlJ, mame
BEANS, MINIATURE
7 snokes
g
JL
c. E ronu
X v" DAZU
_3.A MANGHON
beancurd
soyLran
miniaturebook
Once written i, , showinga monopedal table-cum-food vessel (known as takatsuki
Somescholarstake bean to be a borrowing,while
in Japanese)t with contents
meaningwith food in general,which was in tum associated
othersseeit as an associated
with food vessel !, (seealso 146). In compounds1640is often usedto indicatebothfood
and vesseVcontainerin a broadersense.Confusingly, dependingon one'spoint of view
the takatsukicould be consideredquitetall (i.e.relativeto a normaldish),andoccasionaliy
it seemsto lend suchconnotations(asin 360), but in generalit was consideredshort(i.e.
relativeto a table)and usuallylendstheseconnotations(see342). Miniature is an associatedmeaningwith shon. It also occasionallyappearsto lend connotationsof fixed height/
dimensions(againsee342). Suggesttaking -- as one l, E7 as a box, and .lZ as a vlnantofstand il
lZ.
Mnemonic: ONE MINIATURE BOX ON STAND, FULL OF BEANS
'-'
F|J* rOnal
5I] t* rgrersu
SUfq rorel
ARRI'E
lt'"ilJo'n'
5{
TQ taorerutsu
FALL, TOPPLE, INVERT
10strokes
arrival,advcnt
arrival
absolutelY
/)
OncewrittenS,l ,showingthatsword,/cuttl l8tisactuallyamiscopyingofperson
I 1 39. I- l|is arrive/ reach 875 q.v., herein its literal senseof arrow falling upsidedown and thus indicatingbeing upside-down. 1641originally refened to a person be'
ing upside-down, i.e. falling. This meaningis now conveyedAV (4'I 1643 q'v''
to
which addsa furtherperson ,{ . fne meaningof 1641itself evolvedin similar fashion
thatof fl 875, i.e. to give reach/ arrive.
'fftltr rOseN
ffi,fflj VENOO
{ttJE rocm
bankruptcy
trouble
inversion
Reach futl 164l q.v., here in its literal senseof person fallen over/ upside-down,
with person ,f 39 addedfor clarity. Suggestrememberingreach ftl by association
with reach 4- SIS and sword ll 181.
Mnemonic:REACH FALLEN PERSON WITH SWORD
1644
/A 4 fiU REITOZAI
Hffi rOrersU
'R
9 tt ( ronrrsuru
T6, koru,kogoeru
FREEZE
10strokes
refrigerant
freezing
freezeto
i is ice 37S. flis east 184q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresshard and possibly
alsolendinglooseconnotationsof massfrom its early meaningof heavysack. Hard ice
symbolisesfreezing.
Mnemonic:ICE FREEZES OVER EAST
H A rorioN
Chinesebook
foreigner
+tr ^ KETOJIN
renerE
karare
E*
TQ hara
(T'ANG) CHINA
10 strokes
Formerly
holding a pestleF1
rt andeartier6 , showingmouth/ say o 20 andhands
480. The latter actsphoneticallyto expressbrag/ boast but is of unclearsemanticrole.
Thusto speak boastfutly (still a meaningin Chinese).lt was later borrowedto refer to
T'ang and by extensionChina in general(andfrom a Japanese
perspectivecan alsomean
foreign), but the reasonfor the borrowingis not clear. Suggesttaking
as building
I
l l 4 a n d * a s a h a n d + h o l d i n g a s t i c kl , w i t h I i n i t s s e n s e o f o p e n i n g / e n t r a n c e .
MNcmonic:HAND HOLDS STICK AT ENTRANCE TO CHINESE BUILDING
Mnemonic:REACH SWORD
524
525
'''igh|#"
GENERALUSE 1649-1651
GENERALUSE 1646-1648
E #b ueruro
whitepeach
fjL E vovorno
pirrk
t)ER ffi. rocptucvd shangn,t.1l
d- is tree eS. JL, is sign/ trillion 939 q.v.,herein its meaningof sign. In the ancitnr
Orient the peachwas a symbol of fertility/ pregnancy, partly for the similarity of it5
appearanceto female genitalia (cf. the Japaneselegendof Momotaro, the PeachBoy) anct
partly for the fact that, along with the plum (see1689),it was a favoritefruit of pregnlnr
women. Thus the peach tree was literallya 'pregnancy-signtree'. Note that in Cirinese1646canalsomeanmarriage,clearlyshowingits procreativeassociations.
Mnemonic:TREE BEARING A TRILLION PEACHES
1647
\
f
CLEAR, TRANSPARENT
E 5
10 strokes
E
A .6 6
TOSHN
SUKITORU
son leading another in a physicalsense.Somescholarsfeel its presentmeaningslrt
borrowed, while others feel that lead the way came by associationto mean clear the
way and eventuallyclear in a broadsense(not unlike 1629). Transparent is an associated meaning. Note that 1647can still be usedin the senseof clear/ unobstructed,
thoughit is usuallyusedin the senseof clear/ transparent.
Mnemonic:EXCELLENT MOVEMENT CLEARS WAY
T6, itam,
GRIEVE, MOURN
I 1 strokes
mournirtg
tr'lS end
moutnrrt'q
,€'lf rsutro
,fF {r'\ A ITAMUBEKT lamentlble
,f is heart/feelings 147. *' is excel/table 1553,hereactingphoneticallyto express
sway/ move but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to have one's heart swayed,a sonlewhat vaguereferenceto mourning/ grieving.
Mnemonic:GRIEVE WITH HEART ON THE TABLE
526
TQ nusunrn
STEAL
I I strokes
# ffi pvQ
appropriation
tfi 6 coro
robbery
IAA NusuBrro*
thief
Mnemonic:STEAL DISH NEXT
T6
'IUKI
1,,?i
6;
€ fel fUI{fO
ffi *t rozeN
t,F
CERAMIC, HAPPY,
EDUCATE
I 1 strokes
TTi Ig
j- is movem ent 729.
fi is excel1355,hereactingphoneticallyto expresslead and
connotationsof its own. 1647originally referredto a perlending
associated
also
similar
1648
.@-
transparcncv
be rl.ur
>R
Formerly"'fr , showing that i3- is nor next )k292 -- thoughit may be usefulto rememberit as such-- but a miscopying/simplificationof tX-. The latteris a CO charactermeaning saliva (literallywater ) 40 and gaping mouth F. +1t1. A watering mouth is
1307. 1649origin universalsymbol of desire for food, here reinforcedby dish g
nally meant to have a strong desire to eat. The idea of having a strong desire for
somethingcame to prevail, leadingto desiring to acquire at any cost and eventuallyto
a p p r o p r i a t i n g / s t e a l i ng .
1650
BE fOvgl
TQ suftu/kasulkeru
t649
qo
ceranricware
education
enraptured
Of confusedetymology. Correctlywritten simply as fi, which still existsin Chineseand
wirh sE) Tl comprises
is interchangeable
surround/ womb PJ 655 andcan/ vessel
indicatedan outer covering protecting an inVt IOSS,and originallyideographically
ner vessel. fr originally referredto a pottery vessel,and thus Q meant protected
pottery vessel,eventuallycoming to mean pottery/ ceramic in a broadsense.The
ideaof protectionalso led by associationto care for/ rear/ educate. In the case lt';1,
"f
hill P 229 combineswith pottery /{l , which also actsphoneticallyto expresssuccessive,to refer to a type of kiln build in successive
stagesup a hillside (a type still found in
ChinaandJapan).It can still meankiln in Chinese,and alsocameto referto a hill with terracing. Eventually,however, p@ and lfl becameconfused.It is not clearhow the lesser
meaningof happy was acquired.
M N E m o n i cH
: ILL SURROUNDEDBY CANS AND CERAMIC VESSELS
""
M'NUMEN'
1",Y"'-:
uEE
H*$*j:::
Jgl
i is earth 60 E is a CO characternow usedin a rangeofconfusing meaningssuchas
undertakeand iron spike. Its etymologyis obscure,thoughit appearsto comprisegrass/
p l a n t s - t f g a n d j o i n t o g e t h e r lf i t
$ 121. Hereitactsphoneticallytoexpressbuild
up, to give build up (a mound of) earth. 1651was thenborrowedphoneticallyto expressthe 'tu' soundof stupa (seeabove),a Sanskritterm for shrine (presumablyalso
beingfelt to be semanticallyappropriate).
Monument and tower areassociated
meanings.
Mnemonic:JOINPLANTS AND EARTH TOGETHER TO MAKE MONUMENT
527
GBNBRAL USE 1656-1658
GENERALUSE 1652-1655
T0
LOAD, BOARD
12strokes
H 6t rosel
toadino
JE R rOlO
boaruin-,
W * # roloreN boarding
pl*i
f, ls trand 32. $ isthe obscureelementseenin 1$ tSSt q.v., here similarly actingphoneticallyto expressbuild up. Thus build up with the hands, a referenceto placins
one thing on top of anotherand henceload. Board is the intransitiveversion of lo16Suggesttaking f; as plants +r 9 andjoin together b l2l.
Mnemonic:HANDS JOIN PLANTS TOGETHER FOR LOADING
1653
TQ mune,muna-
ffi tH svoro
RIDGEPOLE, BUILDING
12 strokes
4R * vUNnCI
ridgepole
gsrsUMUNEoutbuilding
,EtJtR
ward
""{16ii"'tflif*''
zJ<fi-HSurr6
paddyrice
f[HiG nveseru
ricecrop
WASEDA*
place-name
E
+ fiE
{a . t-is riceplantu. {i ti? i, uCO characternow meaningto bale. It
Formerly
cornpriseshand K l'1 303 and mortar t) t g 648 and appearsto have originally
rneanthand holding mortar/ bowl. Here it acts phonetically to expresssoft and may also
lend similar connotations(from the idea of material being ground in a mortar). Thus soft
rice (plant). Sincerice plant *- in itself hasconnotationsof soft, fb ir in effect redundant. Suggesttaking [B as old 648.
Mnemonic: HAND PICKS OLD RICE PLANT
f is tree/wood 69. fl is east 184q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expresscenter and
also lending its original connotationsof supporting pole. Thus central wooden supporting pole, a referenceto a ridgepole. Also usedlater to refer to a building.
Mnemonic:WOOD FROM EAST BEST FOR BUILDING'S RIDGEPOLE
x ft ffi TENNENTo smatipox
zk +rr-SU6O
chickenpox
f4 lir- SmJfO
vaccinrriion
TO
SMALLPOX
12strokes
A characterof relativelyrecentorigin (approximatelythe fourth centuryA.D.)f- is sickness381. fl is food vessel/beans 1640,hereunusuallyusedin its later senseof beans
t o r e f e r t o b e a n - l i k e p u s t u l e s . T h u s s i c k n e s sp r o d u c i n g b e a n - l i k e p u s t u l e s ,a
referenceto smallpox.
Mnemonic: SMALLPOX IS ILLNESS WITH BEAN-LIKE PUSTULES
1655
TO, tsutsu
TUBE, CYLINDER
12strokes
I J
+t)
ttrl
ffi t x v )
F:t ]'
ENTd
cylindcr
TSUTSUNUKE directlY
TSUTSUGATA cylindrical
tfTis bamboo 170. )Elis same 187 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expresspass
(clear) through and accordingto somescholarsalso lendingconnotationsof having the
samediameterat all points,i.e. being round. Thus (round?)bamboo with a clear pas'
sage through it, a referenceto a bamboo tube. Later tube/ cylinder in general.
Mnemonic:CYLINDER IS SAME SHAPE AS BAMBOO
528
TQ fumulmaeru
TREAD, STEP ON
15 strokes
PA6& rosa
tramping
PUUKOUU
ffi 4 il {r
stepinto
tr- W 4 ASHIBUMIstep,standstill
p is foot 51. ,b is a CO charactermeaningconnect(etymologyunclear,but apparently
comprisingwater rK 40 and sun A 62 andpossiblyreferringideographicallyto the
connectionbetweentheseelementsin the schemeof the universe).Here f u.ts phonetically to expresscome into contact with, and almostcertainlyalso lendssimilar connotations of its own. Thus foot coming into contact with (the ground), a referenceto
treading/ stepping on.
Mnemonic: FOOT STEPS ON SUNLIT WATER
1658
TO
COPY
,H 4
rogoN
,H 5 rosrn
W tr- W rosgnrt
17 strokes
manuscripr
copy
copier
to
f is words 274. nf< is royalwe (varianr frkrcOl q.v.),hereactingphonetically
express
write andprobablyalsolendingits connotations
of repetition. Thusto write
words (repetitively?),
i.e.copy. Suggest
taking ft asmoon(tight)16,and tr a5
two = 61 andfire J< 8.
Mnemonic:
COPYTWO FIERY WORDSBY MOONLIGHT
529
GENBRAL USE IO59-I66I
GENERALUSE1662-1665
16se
Bf, i,t:[:"'
HF
T,
D0
,HFl{&
mrnr
bodv.trunk
BODY,TRUNK,TORSO fdtsEiy;SODOSEN caramaran
l0 strokes
,Bfdl
tsl , mVaWAzu
sirrh
T0SHI
fighting spirit
TOSHI
fighrrr
+t BHf& SENTOKI fighterplaric
lFit ,-u.
EE
ljrll t
I
Somewhatobscure.Formerly tilrii ana earlier S*/, showingthat P r.1is not door/ gate
?1 211but a derivativeof fir?.This showstwo people facing each other ( l lvariantr
person ( l4 3\andhands V lvariant9 t432),andinturnderivesfromapictograph f ), the prototypeof 1659which clearly showstwo people hitting each other.
The lateraddition $(( is a CO charactermeaningcarve/cut,comprisingax f( 1176anLi
an unclearelement']f,. Here Eft actsphoneticallyto expresshit and almostcertainlyalso
lendsconnotations
of strike with a weapon. @ff waslaterreplacedwith fJ . Ir is nor
clearif this is intendedas a combination,in which caseit is possiblya variantof plant up.
lght f,<f 888 (lendingan idea of standingerect/squaring up), or whetherthe elemenr.
-fb
(food vessel
1640q.v. and measure/hand { 909) are usedindividually,in which
caseboth could act phoneticallyto expressfight, -L could alsolend connotations
of stantl
ing erect/squaring up, and <f could lend connotations
of hand to hand (combat).In
any event,1659clearlyhasits originsin the depictionof two personsfighting eachother.
but now meansfight in a broadsense.Suggesttaking P1 ut doorway.
fl is flestr/ of the body 365. 6l is same 187 q.v., here actingphoneticallyro express
big and accordingto some scholarsalso lending loose connotationsof round. The big
(round?)part of the body is the trunk/ torso.
Mnemonic:TORSO IS OF SAME FLESH AS BODY
toge
tl*E rocBuICm
pass
PASS,CREST, CRISIS i ZKII+ USUITOGE USUi
PASS
9 strokes
Vg+ 0) tt+qYON:LNOTOGE
mid-lifecrisis
'madein Japan'character
combiningmountain b Zq wittt up .L 37 anddown f
A
goes
which
refer
to
that
up and dorvn a mountain, i.e. a pass. Crest and
to
7,
meaninss.
crisisare associated
Mnemonic:FIGHT IN DOORWAY OVER HANDY FOOD VESSEL
r660
TO
RISE, LEAP
20 strokes
'I}f-=
TQKI
ft.6t'6 TORAKU
+ 4rt gOfO
(price-)rirr
fluctuatior,.
sharprisc
6 is horse 191. HKis royal we (variant ft+'-1603q.v), hereactingphoneticallyto expressleap andalmostcertainlyalsolendingits own connotations
of raise/rise. 1660origr
nally referredto a horse leaping.It is now usedofrise/ leap in a broadersense,but es.
peciallyof price rises.Suggesttaking ft as moon 16 and
{ as two 2 61 fires J(8.
Mnemonic: PASS GOES UP AND DOWN MOUNTAIN
1664
TOKU
CONCEAL
10strokes
E4'. fOruuel
[-c,E tMOrU
fl,E HtfOrU
pseudonym
concealment
concealmenr
t is box/ container 225. E is young 886 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express
put and possiblyalsolendingconnotationsof bendfrom its early meaningof pliant.Thus
to put somethingin a container (by bendingit?), which cameto indicateconcealing.
Mnemonic:HORSE LEAPS TWO FIRES AS MOON RISES
'66'
tr]
rFl ;il[-::".ErRArE
t6t g
1t_j ,r.
.[e
7E
r{ !.1
M n e m o n i c :Y O U N G P E R S O N C O N C E A L E D I N B O X
lqS4rSU
insight
KpDO
cavern,
cavity
DOKUTSU
cave
:7 is water 40, heremeaningriver/ stream
,/4 ir same 187q.v., hereactingphonerically to expresspass clear through and accordingto somescholarsalso lending loosc
connotationsof round. Thus that (round thing?) which a stream passesclear
through, a somewhatvaguereferenceto a cave, with penetrate being an associated
meaning._Itis not clearwhy cliff f 45 or hole rft 849 was not addedfor clarity,giving
ifr ", ffior similar.
TOKU
SUPERVISE, URGE
13 srrokes
favfOfU
supervision
encouragement
E Eh TOL<UREI
urging
€ iE rOruSOfU
[l is eye 72. ikl.is uncle 1367 q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressfix (on) and
probablyalso lendingan idea o[ uncleor similar seniorperson. Thus (uncle?)fixing an
eye (on someone),
meaningto supervise.Encourage/urge is an associated
meaning.
M n e m o n i c :U N C L E ' S E Y E S U P E R V I S E S
Mnemonic:SAME WATER PENETRATES CAVE
530
e#€
531
GENERALUSE 1666-1668
GENERALUSE 1669-167I
TOKU
SINCERE, SERIOUS
16strokes
1666
ffi fr rorusru
ft € fruOfU
ffi & rOrufO
benevolence
seriously
iil
seriouslv
S is horse l9l. tr+Tis bamboo 170,hereunusuallyactingas a phoneticro expressstep
and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof strongbut supple. 1666originally referredto a
horse stepping surefootedly (with suppleness
and strength?).Sincere and serious
1669
TON
€HrOweI
barracks
BARRACKS, CAMP, POST ,ffi €, CHtnON
posting
4 strokes
^H €, i& CHUTONCHI
posr
Of somewhatobscureevolution, thoughit clearly derivesfrom a pictographt, showinga
In Chineseit can still meansprouVshoot.Consprouting plant { 928 with a bud
are borrowedmeanings.
fusingly, though in compoundsit sometimeslends an idea of fresh from its depiction of a
buddingplant (e.g.895), it also seemsat times to refer to a bud that fails to open (e.g.
Mnemonic:SINCERE HORSE SERIOUS ABOUT BAMBOO
1671). Somescholarsbelievethat the latteris in fact its principal meaning,and that this led
to the idea of failing to progress and hencebeing stationary, giving by association
suchmeaningsas camp/ barracks/ post. Othersseethe presentmeaningsas borrow-
TOTSU, deko
Cl ffi rOrSuwN
convexitr
coNvEX, PROTRUSION Cl E oErOnoKo unevenness
5 strokes
H & CrrOrSU
unevenness
t667
A symbolicrepresentation
of convexity,beingthe oppositeof concavity g
1032
ings, which seemsmore likely. Suggestrememberingby associationwith nair fu, ZlO.
Mnemonic:HAIR-LIKE SPROUTING PLANT FOUND IN CAMP
""fffiri:,jjt'.
W. h Y TONKATSU
Mnemonic:BOX HAS BIT PROTRUDING. MAKING IT CONVEX
1668
":1":i::
#ili.?T
AT
d? lll?,",;i'#."",
PR0TRUDE
in
* c 1: tr rsurrolrru
rhrusr
/R
pigbristle
pork
ffi € rOl,naO
,ffi A suraNnu
Dorkcutlet
ftris an NGU charactermeaningpig, deriving from a ratherconfusinglystylisedpictogaph 4. The additionof meat/ of the body F1 365suggests
that 1670originallymeant
pig meat/ pork, but it is now also usedof pig in generalinsteadof the simpler fr.
8 snokes
Mnemonic: PIG MEAT IS PORK
Of disputedetymology. Formerlyft , showingdog K 17 and hole R 849. For manv
centuriestaken to be an ideographindicating a dog bolting from a hote, with tht:
presentmeaningsthus being seenas extendedand/or associatedmeanings. However.
someauthoritativeJapanesescholarstake dog (' to be usedpurely phoneticallyto express
protrude, to give a paradoxicalhole that protrudes. This is seenas a referenceto an
ancientstyle of chimney, which insteadof emergingfrom the roof protruded from tht:
side of a dwelling. Thus thrust out/ protrude are seenas ancientmeanings,with lunge
being an associatedmeaning.The ideographictheory seemsthe more helpful . However,in
the caseofthe modemform suggesttaking l(
as big 53.
9{ R oOt,xeN
ft 7- oONser
S-{€, NtsurRo
DON, nibui/rn
BLUNT, DULL
12 strokes
insensitivity
stupidity
dult gray
@ is metal 14, heremeaningmetal implement. r[ is camp/sprout 1669q.v., here
acdngphoneticallyto expressblunt and almostcertainly also lending connotationsof failing to do what is expected (from a bud that fails to blossom). Thus blunt (and ineffective?) metat implement, i.e. a dutl blade. Also usedof dull in an extended
sense,as of wits and colors.Suggestrememberingrl, by associationwith nair ft, Zt}.
Mnemonic:THRUST INTO BIG HOLE
Mnemonic:METAL BLADE TOO BLUNT TO CUT HAIR-LIKE
532
533
SPROUT
LiENb,RALUSE,I 676-1678
GENERALUSF. 1672-1675
1672
DON, kumora
EX OOI.ITEN cloudysku
TO CLOUD, DIM, MAR € bffib KUMOzuGACHIclorirrv
16strokes
lZ+ t) HANAGUMOzu
nazyspnngsky
Sun 9 62 and,cloud f 78, to give sun obscured by cloud. As in English, 16
cloud is also usedin extendedsensessuchas dim and mar.
Mnemonic:SUN IS DIMMED BY CLOUD
1673
NAN, yawarrzkci
SOFT
11strokes
ffi{L NANfn
&zk NINSUI
ffi 55 NaNfarU
sofrening
soft*urei
weakncss,
*"
pregnantwoman
FUNINSHO
infertilitv
NINPU
)lT"Tllfi
swoLLEN
nH^:A
It
NINSHINCHOSNTSU
birth control
woman 35. & is spindle764 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressswell and
{ is
p o s s i b l y a l s o l e n d i n g i t s c o n n o t a t i o n so f b e a r i n g / c a r r y i n g . T h u s s w o l l e n
(carrying?) woman, i.e. a pregnant woman. Suggesttaking h as a hatted / samurai t
494.
Mnemonic:WOMAN MADE PREGNANT BY HATTED SAMURAI
Formerly#P
+ is vehicle 31, while 4 ir u CO charactermeaningsoft (comprising
b i g j < 5 3 a n d b e a r df r l S S I, a b e a r d b e i n g a s y m b o l o f s o f t n e s s )1.6 7 3 o r i g i n a l l y r e ferred to the practice of wrapping reeds around the wheels of a vehicle to soften
the ride, and now meanssoft in a generalsense.The modernform useslack Q 4l I,
apparentlyas a graphicsimplification.
1677
rt
NT
NIN, shinoba
ENDURE, STEALTH
7 strokes
patience
,-4,ll-J n-nrral
ninja(spy)
,d.# r.uNra
,d.LA[fu STilNOBIKOMU
sneak into
Mnemonic:VEHICLE LACKS SOFTNESS
1674
NI, ama
NUN, PRIESTESS
5 strokes
priesress,
nLrn
Id iH tuso
/Z* erraaoEne
convenr
LT,Etr, BIKUNI *
Buddhistpriesre
;s
f is corpse/ slumped figure 236, here meaninginjured/ maimed person. 6 is
similarly a slumped figure 238, herealso actingphonericallyro expressstop. 167-1
originally referredto a person too badly injured/ maimed to move, and later came rc)
mean not move/ stop in a broad sense(still a minor meaningin Chinese). It was bor,
rowed phoneticallyto expressthe 'ni' of bikuni, a Sanskritterm for priestess (sec
above),andmay possiblyalsohavebeenconsidered
to lend suitableextendedconnotations
of unswerving/dedicated.
Mnemonic:SLUMPED CORPSE OF NUN
t675
NYO
URINE
ffiFffi rolrvosvo
,Fl* woso
*,=.
NVOI
ft
7 strokes
diabetes
urea
nature'scall
Oncewritten ffi K" is tail f21734 q.v., herein its extendedsenseof genitals. /( is
water 40. Thuswater from genitals,i.e. urine. The modernform usesbuttocks f
236 as a simplification.
Mnemonic: 'BUTTOCK WATER' REFERS TO URINE
534
rU is heart/ feelings141. {J is blade 1446,here actingphoneticallyto expressbear
and also lending connotationsof somethingsharp and painful. Thus to bear something painful in the heart, i.e. endure. Concealingone'spain led to the idea of being
secretiveand henceby associationbeing stealthy.
Mnemonic:ENDURE PAIN OF BLADE IN THE HEART
16788
-f
NEI, mushiro
?'F aNNet
public peace
PEACE, PREFERABLY
f € rEnwr
€ F Neunsu
civility, care
14 strokes
quiet day
Oncewritten
o is roof/ house28. $ it u now defunctcharactermeaningpeace.
$ .
I t s e t y m o l o g y i s u n c l e a r , b u t i t c o m p r i s e s h e a r t / f e e l i n1g1s, 21 4 7 , d i s h - ! I El @
. 1307,
and twisting waterweed/seekan exit I
281, and may haveoriginally referredto feelings of contentment when one has food (with $
in some unclearphoneticrole).
Thus 1678 meanspeaceat home. Preferably/ rather is an associated
meaning,i.e.
peacebeing a preferredsituation.Suggesttaking
as
eye72.
as
nail
346
and
@
f
MNEmonic:FEEL PEACEFUL HOME PREFERABLE TO NAIL IN EYE
535
GENERALUSE1682-1684
GENb,KAL Usb rO/v-ro6l
HA, toru,-wa
1EE rnefu
TAKE, GRASP,BUNDLE fE E Hel[
clal,
ffi f NENDO
NEN, nebaru
NENCHAKU
adhesion
STICKY, GLUTTNOUS TfiE
11snokes
f5 I tft k' NEBARZUYOI tenaciorri
ft i, un NGU charactermeaning(glutinous) millet, once written 4
a n d c o m p r i s i n g g r a i n p l a n tT t *
$ananr f, Arlandwater/liquid l\:/)l( (o1,1
.*
l334,andnotethedifferfromlacquer A tA
fornr/variant 7K40). (Distinguish
ent etymologV.) g is occupy/divine 1491,hereactingphoneticallyto expressadhere,
normerly f$
stick but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus glutinous millet that sticks, now stickvi
201.
glutinous in general. The modernform usesrice {
Mnemonic:DMNE
1680 I 1,:)
fI!-I.
I l
I
I l4
fE *
M n e m o n i c :C R O U C H I N G F I G U R E G R A S P S B U N D L E I N H A N D
DOMINATION,
distrci.
captivati.;r
torme,rr
strong connotationsof sexualtorrnentit can also mean torment/ distress in a broadi:r
sense. The modern form usesheart/ feelings 'f 141. Suggestrememberingi{ r''
brain (i.e. a simplificationof brain Eid SS+i.
Mnemonic:WORRY AFFECTS BOTH HEART AND BRAIN
thickening
iF fL Nore
rich,intense
i€ E NOrOno
fattY
EE'/€ V-, ABURAKOI
RrcH
F,,ji:,""Ep,
7 is water 40. p is farming 366,herealso actingphoneticallyto expressabundant.
Thus abundant water for farming, which cameto indicatefertile land and then rich
meanings.
in general.Thick and deep areassociated
RULE
19 strokes
ffi f& rnrrN
ffi fi, rnrt
ffiU# sBnn
domination
ambition
supremacy
comlrising moon E 16 and p . ffr" latter is a now defunct character
ffi ,
meaningbleachand by extensionwhite. It showsleather/ hide
fl AZI being exposed
to the weather-- symbolisedby rain fu 3 -- and refers to a cnrcassbeing reducedto
Formerly
bleachedwhite bones. fnus
originally meant white moonlight. It acquiredthe
ffi
meaningof domination/ rule as a resultof its being borrowedas an elegantsubstitutefor
rcS+ q.v. (literally person ,{ 39 and,white fi 65, though
technicaiiywhite @ is usedto nean principal).Principalpersoncameto meanruler/ dominant person,and thus symbolisedrule/ domination.The modernform useswest @ 152
asa simplificationof rain/ weather#r . Suggesttaking ftl as meaV(of the) body 365.
count/principalperson \a
Mnemonic:BODIES IN WESTERNS DOMINATED BY LEATHER
1684
Z 4 nose
E * snNse
-E 4 oxrsnsn
BA, baba
OLD WON,IAN
11 strokes
oldwoman
midwife
witch,hag
f is woman 35. ?g-iswave 367, hereacting phoneticallyto expresswhite and also
lending connotationsof white and billowing. 1684originally referredto an old woman with billowing white hair. Now old woman in general.
Mnemonic:WOMAN SINKING UNDER WAVES IS OLD WOMAN
Mnemonic: RICH WATER AIDS FARMING
s3 6
handle
armfuls/ bundles.
HA
Nd, nayanrrlmasulmashii E tNi rUNd
'iX ft Nosnrsu
WORRY,DISTRESS,
i- I tx oNo
TEASE
1ostrokes
fOffE
d is hand 32. 8 is crouching figure 145,here acting phoneticallyto expressgrasp
andpossiblyalsolendingconnotationsofbending down . Thus (benddown and?)grasp
in the hand, later grasp in a broadsenseincludingthe figurative. It is also usedto count
USING STICKY RICE?
Formerly ,l$ andearlierffi. 1t- is woman 35. 6l rjJ is head954 q.v., heremear-;ing brain/ mind and also acting phoneticallyto expresstorment. According to sonr':
scholars{fr originallyrefenedto the tormenton a woman'smind, but in view of the corr'
notationsof nayamashii,nosatsu(seeabove) bonno (see 1717) etc., which refer to l
woman teasing/tormenting a man, it is far more likely that it referredfrom the outstl
to a man being tormented by having a rvoman on his mind. Thoughit still retairl,s
,68r
iH
7 strokes
grasp
retention
537
w
GENERALUSE 1685-1687
HAI, sakazuki
WINECUP, CUP(FUL)
8 strokes
{fr
*z\
'r|' F
jadecr,p
GYOKUFIAI
IPPAI
cup,full. 1111
SAKAZLIKIGOTO
exchange
of cr:trs
GENERALUSE 1688-1690
1688
v
HAI
{k H wecaner
FELLOW, COMPANION,
JE € SeNpef
one'ssenior
# fi UATSHUTSU
LINE
15 strokes
r,me
successlve
appearance
/- is wood 69, heremeaningwooden item. 6 is calyx/ not 572 q.v., here acrilg
phoneticallyto expresshold. Thus wooden item for holding, i.e. a wooden veswith a wooden winecup/ goblet, suggesrins
sel. From the outsetthis was associated
that f may also havebeenchosenfor its shape,sinceits early form * -uy be felr ro
'fi
be similar to a goblet or to the early form ig' of dish/ vessel Vrl 1307. Note that both
and,fffu are found as variantsot f,{-. l685 is now also used to refer to cup(ful) in a
f isvehicle 31. 17 isnot/ spreading wings 773 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto
expressline up and alsolendingits own connotationsof spread out. 1688originally re-
broadsense.
"-t&i1d""
Mnemonic:WINECUP NOT NECESSARILY OF WOOD
"-'dtF
*l'":i*i:""'
remorri
J:jF
[A gauo
drainur:r
#FzJ<rnrsul
r:*s
frF7." /i i< HAIKIGASU
exhausr
ferred to a procession of vehicles, and came to mean line/ file on the one hand and
co-traveler/ companion on the other. It is also usedto refer to person(s) in general.
Mnemonic:COMPANIONS IN A LINE. IF NOT IN VEHICLES
ptumblossom
ffi 7Z naxe
ffi tE uwsrru
plumwine
ffi ffi neru/TSUYU*
summerrain
Formerly @.
is every/ each206 q.v., here in its early sense
f, is tree 69. &t@
of fertile growth. Like the peacn fiil9 1646q.v., the plum was a favorirefruit of preg-
f is hanO 32. 4V is not/ spreading wings 773 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto cxpressopen and also lendingits own connotations
of spread apartl open up. Thus io
push apart with the hands and open up, as of doorsetc. (see1730). Later usedin a
rangeof extended/associatedmeanings,such as push aside, reject, expel, and anti-.
nantwomen and was thusassociated
with pregnancyand henceprocreation/fertility. 1689
Mnemonic:REJECTED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE HANDS
Mnemonic:EVERY TREE SHOULD BE A PLUM TREE
r687
Itr' rL HetSfn
l* $ gAn
HAI, sutarulreru
ABANDON(ED),
abolirion
ruinedtemll:
I# 9 +h SUTARIMONO
thing
obsolete
OBSOLETE
12 srokes
Ieave 370 q.v., hereacting
is discharge/
Formerly&
f is building 114. ltft
of leave.
phoneticallyto expressabandon(ed)and also lendingsimilar connotations
T h u sa n a b a n d o n e db u i l d i n g , n o w a b a n d o n e d /o b s o l e t ei n g e n e r a l .
meansliterallytree of fertility, i.e. plum tree. Thereis a theorythat -@ is usedpurely phoneticallyto expressbig, giving big tree,andthat plum is a pureborrowing,but this is
far from convincing.
''' :i'i..',T:Tli'"*o*
-"*frip"*,n_
ffi
:xT;
:t is soil/ ground 60. 8 is the obscureelementspit 384, here actingphoneticallyto
expressbuild up but of unclearsemanticrole. 1690originally referredto building up
soil (to ensure fertility), and later came to mean cultivate/ grow in a broadsense.
Suggesttaking -y. asstand 73 and El as openingl hole 20.
Mnemonic:LEAVE BUILDING TO BE ABANDONED
Mnemonic:STAND IN HOLE TO CULTIVATE GROUND
538
s39
GENERALUSE 1694-1696
GENERALUSE 1691.1693
uoil"*o,
*
'u"
ffi# :lfffJ* "*T:il
filL 11strokesACC.M'A*"
harmonics
ffi E BAIoN
I
EI
1694
{h
,fFF gnrusHAKUcount,earl
HAKU
COUNT, SENIOR FIGURE 4E'A On*
uncte
7 strokes
E {E Cageru
masterartist
p is hill ZZS. 4
is the obscureelementspit 384, here acting phoneticallyto express
'built
on'
build up but of unclear semanticrole. 1691 originally referred to one hill
groups
it was laterappliedto
of things
another, i.e. a range of hills. By association
{ is person 39. E is white 65 q.v., here in its literal senseof thumb(nail). Sincea
thumb was the principal finger it often symbolisedprincipal/ leading, as here. Thus
principal person, a referenceto a leader. It is now appliedto a rangeof'leading per-
in general,especiallypeople,and thus cameto mean one person added to others in a
group, i.e. an attendant/ accompanying person. Suggesttaking / as stand 73
sonsTsenior figures suchas elder brother,uncle,chief official etc.,but is usedin particular of count/ earl.
and rz as opening/ hole 20.
Mnemonic: COUNT IS A WHITE PERSON
Mnemonic:ACCOMPANYING ATTENDANT STANDS IN HOLE IN HILLSIDE
u,nir'u**"o,o*"ffi f
'''
serKAI
Af ffi sHoruset
ffi fA senAl
*H.
mediation
catalyst
medium
f is woman 35. * is a certain 1811q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressseek/
inquire and also lendingits connotationsof liaison and matchmaking. 1692originaily
referred to making an inquiry about a (pregnant?) woman's suitability as a
}F f
fH *
""*h;"'*'';cLAP
Mnemonic: CLAP TILL HANDS GO WHITE
Mnemonic:ACT AS INTERMEDIARY REGARDING A CERTAIN WOI,IAN
L696 \
!
Eg
COMPENSATE
sDur
tap with the hand (fingernail?),a referenceto tappingout a beaVtune (therebylead.inga
sense.Seealso 1818.
F#'fH sAIsHo
compensation
Fg'fH+ BAISHoKIN damages
beat,rhythm
d is hand 32. ft is white 65 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyro expressbeat/ tap. It is
not clear whether fi also plays any semanticrole, but it may possibly suggesteither
leading or fingernail (from its original meaningof thumbnail:seealso 1694). Thus to
rhythm?). Now beat/ tap in a broadersense,as well as clap.
BAI
nvosm
tF 4 rnrusrm
prospectivemarriage partner (somescholarsfeel ratherinquiry abouta woman'sfeelings towardsmarriage). From this it came to mean (be an) intermediary in a brold
1693
geruSHUhand clapping
I
HAKU, tomarulmeru
ffie
STAY, LODGE
?E/F snuruHAKU lodging
9 # roNaenreANnightduty
-
8 strokes
iE IPPAKU
overnight,
one night'sstay
ffi .FffifHsoNcnr sAISHo
15 strokes
indemnitY
7 is water 40. 6 is white 65, hereactingphoneticallyto expressshallow. It is possible that originatly
ft also lent its meaningof white, sincewhite water is generallyassociatedwith shallows.However,from an early stage1696becameassociated
with shaiiow
exfl is shelVmoney g0. t is the obscureelementspit 384,hereactingphoneticallyto
presscompensate but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to compensatewith mone]"
Suggesttaking fl as stand 73 and p as opening/hole 20.
water suitablefor an anchorage, then cameto meanstopping place and eventually
stop/ stay in general.
Mnemonic:COMPENSATED WITH MONEY FOR STANDING IN HOLE
Mnemonic:STAY IN WHITE WATER?!
540
541
u
GENERALUSE 1697-1699
HAKU, semaru
PRESS,DRAW NEAR
8 strokes
E E HRruc,ct
oppression
E 7] HATURYOKU
lbrce
'4
pressrire
E SEPPAKU
j_ is movement 129. E is white 65, here acting phoneticallyto expressdraw near
but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus move and draw near, later also usedfigurativell,in
rhe senseof press/ be imminent/ be competling.
Mnemonic:PRESSING MOVEMENT TURNS ONE WHITE
1698 P
tlfa
7ql1
D
HAKL:
sHIP. sHIPPIrtc
llstrokes
flA ffi SENPAKU
shippin*
fff, * HAKURAI importrtion
murincfE ffi HAKUYO
fleet?),i.e. a ship, with shipping being an associatedmeaning.
H E
USUCI
THIN,
# H
rglH,A,fU
WEAK,
SHALLOW, LIGHT
H ,E' USUTAWn
I
I
BAKU
F *t eA.ruzpN
vasue
VAGUE, VAST, DESERT F ?H gArUBAKU vast.vaiue
13strokes
@ ?H SeenXU
A.i.t
7 is water 40. F. is sun sinking in grass788 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyro express
smothered/ covered and also lending its own similar connotationsof hidden. A place
is a desert. Vast is an associared
wherethe water is hidden/ covered(i.e. inaccessible)
with
vague/
undelineated
being
a
further
association.Suggesttaking +l as
rneaning,
p l a n t 9 , E a ss u n 6 2 , a n d K a s b i g 5 3 .
BAKU, shibara
BIND
l6strokes
R ffi SOKUBAKU resrrainr
fdl ffi Hoeeru
caDture
ffi9ffi SHIBARIKUBInaneinc
alsoz-;;f. ft l, thread 27,heremeaning
is spread564q.v.,
Formerly
"oro. $f $
hereactingphoneticallyto expressbind and probablyalsolendingconnotations
of exten-
sive. Thus to bind (extensively?)with cord, now bind in a broadsense.
Mnemonic:BIND WITH SPREAD THREADS
Mnemonic:WHITE BOAT USED FOR SHIPPING
HAKU, usuilmarulmeru
t700 \
Mnemonic:IN VAST DESERT,BIG PLANTS NEED SUN AND WATER
{ is boat 1354. fr is white 65, hereactingphoneticallyto expresslarge and possiblv
also lending a suggestionof principal/ chief (see 1694).Thus large boat (principalof
1699
GENERALUSE 17OO-1703
lightclothes
frivolrr.v
thin skin
16 strokes
meaningextensive/pen'aFormerly .\ . *r is plants 9. t:h t ',4' is a CO cha.racter
sive,comprisingwater 7 40 andspread fi t ft Se+and presumablyoriginallymeaning extensivebody of water. 1699originallymeantextensivevegetation,i.e. luxuri'
ant/ densegrowth, and still retainsthis as a minor meaningin Chinese. Its presentcore
meaningof sparse/insubstantial, which confusinglyis the oppositeof its real meaning,
resultsfrom borrowing. It is unclearwhy such a seeminglyinappropriatecharacterwas
bonowed.
Mnemonic:THIN PLANT COVERING SPREAD OVER SHALLOW WATER
BAKU
BURST, EXPLODE
19strokes
',EF
# enruHATSU explosion
R IH eETuoAN
bomb
IF lR CPNBAXU arombomb
'K is fire 8.
$ is violence/expose793 q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressburn
andpossibly also lendingconnotationsof heat and/orviolent action.
ft dso lendsits
soundBAKU in an onomatopoeicsense. 1702originally referredto somethingburning
in a fire and bursting/ exploding (violently?) with a BAKU sound. Now
burst/ explode in general.
Mnemonic: VIOLENT FIRE CAUSES EXPLOSION
,J.m KOBAKO
lt # geroBUNE
hako,SO
Box
15 strokes
Fd L
9 HAKOIRI
boxed
ff is bamboo 170.f,6 is mutual 530, hereactingphoneticallyto expressboth sides
andalsolendingsimilarconnotations.1703originallyrefenedto bambooframesput on either sideof a cart,thencanreto meancontainer/ box in a broadsense.
Mnemonic: BAMBOO SIDES MUTUALLY OPPOSED IN BOX
542
littlebox
ark
543
GENERALUSE 1707-1709
GENERALUSE 1704-1706
'704
ru
AN
,'A
rut ta HADAIRO
.RAIN
i**":".ruRE'
# N L SUHADA
EN +F KIME *
flesh color
bare skin
texture,grairl
ft is meat/ of the body ZSS. fu is table/desk 832, hereactingphoneticallyto expre\\
cover and possiblyalso lendinga similar suggestionthroughits shape(coveroften being
represented
by -'t ). That which covers the meat/ body is the skin. Texture and
grain are associated
meanings.
$t
#;,T,.til:?u""
tE ^ tr UEKIBACHI plantpot
Sf # A HACHMAKI headband
manrle
& ffi tfiersu master's
A relativelyrecentcharacter,but of obscureand disputedetymologydue to a dearthof earlier forms. @ is metal 14. 6 is takenby somescholarsto be root/ source 70, herein a
senseof base. Thus item with metal base,a rathervaguereferenceto a bowl. Other
derivesfrom )fq, an elementfelt to show a thickly growing
scholarsbelieve that t
plant, and that it actsherephoneticallyto expressbig as well as possiblylendingconnotations of edible plant. Thus big metal item (for vegetables?),a similarly vaguereferenceto a bowl. Neitherof thesetheoriesseemsespeciallyconvincing.It is equallylikely
that .f is root ?0 (usuallypronouncedHON) actingphoneticallyto expressbasket,specifically the NGU characterHON basket 6 ("ty-otogy unclear,but @ is basket399).
Thus metal basket,i.e. metal bowl. The pronunciationmay have changed.
to HATSU/
HACHI underthe influenceof a now defunctcharacterwith thosereadingsfi , which also
meant(big) bowl (vessel@- 1307and the obscureelementf,r, [see1706],the latteracting phoneticallyto expressbig). 1705clearly originally referredto a metal vessel,but is
now usedof a rangeofvessels,includingthe skull.
Mnemonic:ROOTED IN METAL BOWL
'706H
gFF rdFlersu
Bt E sar.rPersu
* fl, x,evlGATA
HATSU, kami
HAIR
14 strokes
thehair
haircut
hairstyle
/t7 93 andtong
Formerly Q . (+ it a CO charactermeaning hair, comprising hairs
$
(variant
very simappears
early
form
nr.
is
obscure
element,
though
an
an
{
{'
A
ilar to an early form { of dog ( 17. Here fS actsphoneticallyto expressgrow,
while any semanticrole is unclear. Thus growing hair, now simply hair. Suggesttak'7
ing A asfriend2l4,and
asthree strands.
Jfu
felling
punishment
I-r\
tq tx SATSUBATSUna brutal
Person 4 39 andhalberd 1 493,meaningto cut down a person with a halberd
readingBATSU/
6ndhenceattack. Now also cut down in a broadsense.The Japanese
(originally
FUA,
and
in
now
Chinese
FA) is onomatopoeic,
expressingthe sound
HATSU
Mnemonic:PERSON ATTACKED AND CUT DOWN WITH HALBERD
& ffi eersUGUNpreeminence
loophole
{ F lC R w;xreNe
4
+
-f rx /'!
feNUrunt
omission
BATS U, nukulkarulkerulkasu
PLUCK, EXTRACT,
MISS
7 strokes
t is hand 32. fX is the obscureelementseenin 1706,hereactingphonetically to expressextract but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus to extract with the
hand, now extract/ pluck in a broadsense.Miss (out) is an associatedmeaning.SugFormerly +k
gesttaking I
as friend214.
Mnemonic:PLUCK FRIEND AWAY BY THE HAND
1709
E'
3,I
',0.";):;I""'
fine
fl 6 eerKrN
punishment
4&5 SHOBATSU
BATSU. BACHr
3J \
I
BACHIATARIno damned
{ is sword/ cut 181. V it un NGU charactermeaningridicule/ criticise, comprising
net @ 193 (heremeaningtrap/ ensnare)andwords Z, Zlq. Uere $ actsphonetically to expressthreaten and also lendsits meaningof criticise. Thus to threaten
someonewith sword and critical words. meaningto rebuke. This later cameto
meanpunish.
Mnemonic:NETTED, THEN PUNISHED WITH WORDS AND SWORD
Mnemonic: FRIEND'S HAIR INCLUDES THREE LONG STRANDS
544
BASSAI
of a sword,/halberdcuttinga persondown. It is alsorelatedtothe adverbbassari,usedof
cuttingpeopledown.
Mnemonic:BODY AT DESK COVERED IN SKIN
""
"'fi,[ii;:muoo**
t.\. f <
'rclkSEIBATSU
545
GENERALUSE
1713-I7I6
GENERALUSE 1710-1712
'7'o
.LAN'
ft{ilfi+it
lineage
Fl Fil UOXBATSU
clal
BATSUZOKU
ff€ ,'^
zaibatsu
F4 F€ ZAIBATSU
iscutdorvn170;
f l f Ji s O o o r / g a t e 2 l l , h e r e s y m b o l i s i n g h o u s e i n a b r o a d s e{ dn s e .
role. The house
semantic
unclear
q.v.,hereactingphoneticallyto expressemerge but of
from which one emergesindicatesone'sclan and by extensionlineage,with factirln
meaning. It is not clear why a characterwith such sinisterovertones.t)
beingan associated
f{ shouldbe chosenasa phoneric.Thoughits readingBATSU is perfectlyvalid, it set'nrs
possiblethat it was confusedwith the graphicallyand phoneticallysimilar BATSU ,{'
L713
"".FRii#-.:"
tlltflA Hnusgtt
flRtl HoBASHIRA
ftl' #i iJ /c HOKAKERU
sailbort
nlast
set sril
rf: is cloth 778. f-l is common/mediocre 1827,hereactingas a simplificationof $itid
a
$L198 q.v. and almostcertainlyalso usedfor its shape(which may be felt to suggc't
s a i l ) . T h u s ' w i n d c l o t h ' , i . e .s a i l .
HAN, BAN, tomonatt
ACCOMPANY
7 strokes
Fl ff X PornNsna comPrLrtitx
l+ E & BANSosHAoccontlr:'trist
tB 1+ , AITOMONAUacconrliiinY
tu-s
Of disputedetymology,thoughits elementsare clearlyperson 4 39 anlhatf f
as
q.v. Somescholarsbelievethat + originallyactedphoneticallyto expressfat (as"iell
from its literalmeaningof half a cow?),andthat 1712originrllendingsimilarconnotations
feel
ly meantfat person beforebeing borrowedto expressaccompany. Other schoiars
than
less
of
that .f actsphoneticallyto expressaccompanyand alsolendsa suggestion
needs
whole, i.e. to the effect that one person alone is less than whole and thus
company. The lattertheoryseemsthe more helpful.
Mnemonic:PERSON ONLY HALF COMPLETE UNLESS ACCOMPANIED
546
Poet
@ is (paddy) field 59. * it trult 195q.v.,herein its literalmeaningof divide. Thus
that which divides a (paddy) field, i.e. ridge/ raisedpath. Edge is an associated
meaning.
Mnemonic:RIDGE DMDES
17t4
FIELD IN HALF, FROM EDGE TO EDGE
_ ffi TPPEN
HAN
GENERAL. TIME. CARRY A ffi ZETWEN
l0strokes
ffiffi rarnN
general
the whole
recently
element.1714
fi. is boat 1354q.v. ( is striking hand 153,hereactingas a causative
(to
also assowere
move), i.e. to sail. Sinceboats
originally meant to causea boat
as(a
now
largely
meaning
ciatedwith conveying it alsocameto meanconvey/ carry
general
and
present
of
meaning
main
sumedby Ihry nI6, which addshand f 32). The
the lessermeaningof time are both borrowed. Suggestrememberingby a play on the
wordshand (asin worker) andstrike (asin go on strike).
Mnemonic:HAND ON BOAT GOES ON GENERAL STRIKE
BFfi HlNsat
ffi llE SmgeN
EEFf ruNno
HAN
SELL, TRADE
l l strokes
Mnemonic:MEDIOCRE CLOTH USED FOR SAIL
r7t2
edgeofpond
lakeside
H+ A roneNsrurm
168
"=+
Lake
lo strokes
is an elementof unclearmeaning.
1706,which unfortunately
Mnemonic:CLAN MEMBER CUT DOWN AT GATE
itb fiY CHfIfeN
fif trf TOHaNI
HAN, aze
RIDGE, EDGE
selling
marketing
market
fl is shell/ money 90. A is oppose 3Tl q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressac'
cumulate and also lendingconnotationsof exchangefrom its literal meaningof tuming
over the hand (cf. English term turn-over). Thus to accumulate money by exchanging (goodsfor money), i.e. sell/ trade.
Mnemonic:OPPOSED TO USE OF MONEY IN SELLING?!
l716
TRANSPORT
,€ Jffi UNPaN transportation
conveyance
ffiXrmNSO
ffi X ffi' HANSorArconveyorbelt
General/carry ft[ 1714 q.v., herein its original meaningof carry, with the additionof
nand f, 32. Thus(o carry by hand, now carry in a broadsense.
MNcmonic:
GENERAL TRANSPORT CAN INCLUDE CARRYING BY HAND
547
GENERALUSE 1717-1719
HAN, BON, wazuraulwashii ',tr 4# TIANzATSUcomplicarion
'lF tX eOI.{Nd
carnaldesirg
TROUBLE, PAIN,
'tF
uewno
trouble,
worry
f
TORMENT
13strokes
t717
\
l
I
GENERAL USE IT2O-1721
HAN, shigera
Sk
'A
Fti
Lfi:
HANJO
PROFUSE, RICH,
&.
ilt
HANZATSU
COMPLEX
9*ffi HANSHOKU propagation
prosperity
complexiry
16 strokes
Fire K 8 in the head, Q 93, indicatingfever and by associationtorment and pain
meaning.
Trouble is a furtherassociated
Somewhatobscure. Formerly$fi . fr is thread 27.& is every 206 q.v., here acting
phoneticallyto expressintertwine and also lending connotationsof profusion from its
Mnemonic: FIRE IN HEAD CAUSES TORMENT AND PAIN
original meaningof fenile growth. 1720originally referredto strong cord made by intertwining numerous threads. The reasonfor the later additionof striking hand/
cause {' 101is unclear,but it is believedto draw attendonto the making up of suchcord.
1718 ,f\/
DISTRIBUTE,
f<taH
t{
fF 4, rnxPu
HAN
-.+')
F
-
DIVTDE
13 strokes
distribution
fF ?-r rnuro
dlstriburion
Somescholarsseethe presentmeaningsas borrowings,but it seemsequallylikely that the
profusion of threads associatedwith -S gaverise to the ideaof profusion in gener-
fF H rnlweru
graying hair
al, with rich and complex beingfurtherassociatedmeanings.
fr is treaO93, heremeaningmind. ft is divide 199. Thus a divided mind, later dimeaning.Somescholarsbelievethat 4' acts
vide in general.Distribute is an associated
phoneticallyto expressbig and that 1718originally meantbig head(in a physicalsense),
with divide anddistributebeingborrowedmeanings.This is not convincing.
Mnemonic:DMDED
rTrg ffi
t
fa
W;1t'-'
:F|\!
J-w
modet
tH €E rraonaN
HAN
norm
MODEL,NORM,LTMITS iR fiE rtrrer.r srandard,
€E ffi P\ HAMNAI
.---t
!
- _ - rfr1,28-
HEAD DISTRIBUTES THOUGHTS
15strokes
Mnemonic: HAND STRIKES EVERY THREAD IN PROFUSELY COMPLEX
TANGLE
withinlimits
Obscure.l{+f is bamboo 170, p is vehicle31, and B is slumped person 768. The
original meaningis believedto havebeenpurify a vehicle (aspart of a religiousceremony), thusindicatingthat Q actssemanrically.It is not clearwhetherthephoneticelement
(expressingpurify) is fi, or B alone. Theredoesnot appearto havebeenany characrfl,
which meansbamterfi , though it is possiblethat it is a variant of the CO character
boo fence ( E being bendingfigure 145,thus giving bendingbamboo,and possiblyalso
playing someunclearphoneticrole). In any event,model is a borrowedmeaning,with
meaningwith model. Limit(s) is felt to be a furtherassociation
norm being an associated
FIEF' CLAN. FENCE
18strokes
feudal lord
fence
KagaClan/Fief
+l'is grass/ plants9, heremeaningbrushwood (as904). -r$ ,s a Co characterusedto
refer to a tributary of the Han River. It compriseswater/ river ) 40 and.turn/ number
$ Weq.v., the latterbeingusedasthephoneticHAN but almostcertainlyalsobeingused
for its literal elementsof rice * (variant *201) and field F 59, thuscombiningwith
water/river :7 lo give a strongand appropriatesuggestionof fertile area. In the caseof
172l )ih actsphoneticallyto expressfenceand almostcertainlyalsolendsa suggestion
of
fertile area. Thus brushwood fence (aroundfertile area?).It is still occasionallyusedin
this meaning,but is generallyusedin the associated
meaningof fief (i.e. the [fertile?larea
enclosedby a fence)or the further associatedmeaningof clan.
Mnemonic: CLAN TAKES TURNS TO USE GRASS AND WATER OF FIEF
in turn with norm (i.e.from the ideaof guidelines).
Mnemonic:PERSON SLUMPED BESIDE BAMBOO MODEL OF VEHICLE
548
E *. HeuSgU
# .\ t HANBEI
tn H # KAGAHAN
549
il
GENERALUSE 1722-1724
r;11
-ilp
,l-l!
|lf-
R.1\
A A eeNilN
6 fi seNKO
FJ'A YABAN
BARB.4RI.AN
12strokes
barbarian
barbarisrn
barbarisrx
<Ff
Formerly fi$I . f. ir snake/ insect 56 q.v., while #,t Ir tied together/ complicated 581. #ft was also usedto refer to a certain region in southern China (largely for
phoneticreasons,but it presumablyalso lent connotationsof troublesome),a region consideredbarbarous/ uncivilised,and thus it is technicallythe correctprototypeof 1722.
Snake f, was addedto refer to a snakeassociatedwith the region in question(still relike v^:>"k
to referto
tainedas a minor meaningof 1722in Chinese),but in time tiX
"u "
the regionitself and henceto symbolisebarbarity/ barbarism. Suggestremembering41.
by associationwith red k qe, takingit as reddish.
GENERALUSE 1725-1727
L72s
ffifd*lj;fg
4k l'nf;:u"'"''n'
g is skin 374 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto ex/ is movement (alonga road) l1S.
pressdistanceandprobablyalso lendingconnotationsofpart (from its literal meaningof
parting the skin from the flesh). Thus to move into the distance (thus parting?),a ref-
erenceto heading for a distant destination/ goal. It also came to mean yonder, and
hencethat (over there). Its useas a third person pronoun resultsfrom the associated
ideaof that person.
Mnemonic: HE HAS MOVTNG SKIN. DOES THAT PERSON!
M n e m o n i c :' R E D D I S H I N S E C T ' R E F E R S T O B A R B A R I A N
':
t726
BOWL,
Jft* il),.B.ARD.
Ifff
PLArE
Fl ffi pNseN
# H rrSeN
7Kffi SUIBAN
HI
OPEN, DISCLOSE
disc, discLrs
8 strokes
base
& E, rurrN
perusal
ffi,ffi rungzu
disclosure
announcemenr
& ffi runo
borvl
General/ carry fr\ 1714q.v.,herein its originalmeaningof carry, with dish/ borvl/
plate JI4.1307 added. Thus dish/ bowl/ plate for carrying things. Later also
to expressopen andalmost
d is hand 32. W-is skin 374 q.v.,hereactingphonetically
certainlyalso lendingconnotationsof pull off cover (from its literal meaningof pulling
the skin off an animal). Thus (pull?) open by hand, now open/ disclosein a broad
sense.
board/ plate in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:SKIN ON HAND OPENED UP
M n e m o n i c :D I S H I S G E N E R A L L Y C A R R I E D O N T R A Y
1727
1724
I
HI
QUEEN, PRINCESS
6strokes
id OF{r
T
fC ,ryx'
+ ^+fE,
queen,empre-cs
HIDENKA Her Highness
Hl,iyashiilshimu
4 T gtCg
LOWLY, MEAN, DESPISE 4 /E MTUTSU
9 strokes
4 iE urrcrN na
humility
baseness
common
rOrntsntrft
cfown Dnncess
f is woman/ women 35. f is self/ thread 855, hereactingphoneticallyto express
line and also lending similar connotationsof thread/sequence.Thus women in a line, a
queen/ princess.
referenceto imperial consortsand by association
(variant ld
$ , showinga hand \ holding a wine-pressingbasket !S
I b 399) upside-down,in order to extractthe last drops. This was consideredmean and
petty, leadingto mean/ lowly in a generalsense.Despiseis an associated
meaning.
Oncewritten
Suggesttaking g
as field 59, +
as a variantoften f
33, and i as bits.
Mnemonic:MEAN AND LOWLY PERSON PICKS BITS FROM TEN FIELDS
Mnemonic:WOMAN THINKS HERSELF A PRINCESS
550
551
T+
GENERALUSE 1728-1731
HI, tsukareru
fatigue
,v )7 HIRO
-hn
TIRE, EXHAUSTION
TSUKAREME eyesrain
W.
10strokes
ffi- tL U)J A TSUKAREKIRU
4 L
GENERALUSE 1732-1733
1732
be wornou1
f issickness 381, here indicatingbeing unwell/ lacking vitality. { isskin 374
q.v., hereindicatingbreakdown/ collapseand probablyalso lendingsupportingconnorations of a body breaking into pieces(from its literal meaningof skin being separatedfrom
the meat). Thus to collapse and lack vitality, a rathervaguereferenceto exhaustion.
Mnemonic: SKIN SICKNESS CAN BE TIRESOME
1729
HI, komura,6a
1fr.8 # HIGAISHA
victim
gmuru
SUSTAIN, COVER, WEAR ?&,qF.
clothine
10strokes
WE ^ HIKOKUNIN defendlni
IE
HI, makaru
CEASE,LEAVE, cO
15strokes
fi,8
E
fiE * Hrcvo
ilB ft, muen
iiE , $ ,b vexlnnonu
strike
dismissal
pass
@ i s n e t l % . 6 8 i s a b i l i t y / b e a r 7 6 6 q . v . , h e r ea c t i n gp h o n e t i c a l lryo e x p r c s s e t /
leave and possiblyalso lendingits early meaningof bear. Thus to set/ leave a net
(for a bear?),a very similarmeaningto thatof pur rE 545. However,in the case
of
1732theideaof leavingsomethingbroadened
to give a rangeof extendedand associated
m e a n i n g ss,u c ha s l e a v ea p l a c ea n dt h u sg o , a n da l s oa b a n d o na n dt h u sc e a s e( d o i n s
something).Suggesttakingffi in irs senseof bear.
M n e m o n i c :C E A S E W O R K , L E A V I N G B E A R I N N E T
I is clothing 420. &is skin 374,hereactingphoneticallyto expresscover and almosr
certainly lending similar connotationsof its own. Thus cover (oneself) with clothes,
i.e. wear. Now also usedin a rangeof associatedand extendedmeanings,suchas don,
take on, sustain,suffer etc.
1733
Mnemonic: SUSTAINED BY CLOTHES COVERING SKIN
E( it ^ NGU characterwith a wide range of meanings,such as false, punrsh,crime, law,
and ruler, while in Chinese (even after discounting the obvious borrowings) it can
also
1730
HI, tobira
DOOR, FRONT PAGE
12 strokes
ffi F fAtFIl
openingof door
FTF uONpI
doorsof gate
F fA rOeReg
frohtisniec,e
p is door 108.1? is not/ spreading wings 773, here meaningliterally spreading
wings/ flaps. 1730technicallyrefersto the flaps/ wings of a door, but is generally
used to refer to the door in its entirety,and is also used by associationof pages
(especiallythe front page).
Mnemonic:A DOOR IS NOT A DOOR!? MUST MAKE THE FRONT PAGE!
173l
HI
M ff,t ffnvnl
TOMBSTONE,MONUMENTE 64 sezuru
14strokes
;d A d4 KINENHI
epitaph
rombsrone
monument
p is stone/ rock 45. $ is towty 172'7,hercactingphoneticallyto expressupright but
of unclearsemanticrole. 1731originally referredto a rock/ stone placed upright in
the ground as a primitive sundial, and thencameto meanupright stone in a broader sense,eventuallycoming to meanin particulartombstoneand monument.
HI, sakeru
AVOID
unavoidable
@ d'I Ultlttt
conrraceprion
16 strokes
avoidance
mean punish, castrate,execute,wail, perverse,specious,flattery, decadenr,remove,
twlst,
open, develop, summon, and appoint. It comprises buttocks
236, opening/ hole
f
!l 20, and needle/ sharp
1432q.v.
Buuocks
andhole
F
clearly combine to
f
f
give anus, as in
q.v.
858
Needle f
is used in its senseof pierce/ penetrate, ro
fu
g i v e a n a l p e n e t r a t i o n ( s e ea l s o v a g i n a l p e n e t r a t i o n
* f : f Z l . T h i s c o r e m e a n i n gg a v e
rise on the one hand to a range of meaningsassociatedwith torture/ punishment,
which
also symbolised law and authority, and on the other to meanings associated
with sodomy, which when used in relation ro a male partner was also a symbol of flattery. (Note
that when combined wirh woman -f :S it gives an NGU character
ff , which in Chinese
means sexual pa_rtner/
lecherous/depraved Ithough in Japaneseit is listed with the euphe_
mistic meaning of agreeablepersonl. When
is itself combined with child E_ ISZ it
4
gives in Chinese a compound term meaning catamite.) In
the case of 1733 6f
aus ptronetically to express evade, though its semantic role is a matter of
conjecrure, and combines
with movement j
129 to give evasive movement.
Mnemonic: MOVE
TO AVOID
NEEDLE IN ANUS
Mnemonic:TOMBSTONE IS A LOWLY STONE
552
fs,lillY ratHl
4i -I l+ FUKAHI
553
GENERALUSE 1734-1736
GENERALUSE 1737.1739
E u# nrrorsu
t tr fOst
L=E SHIpPo*
BI, o
TAIL
7 strokes
1734
coccyx
copulariqn
rarl
Buttocks F 236 and hair L, ZtO,a referenceto a tail. Also sometimesusedto rel'er
to genitals(especiallymale).In compoundsoften found as fi' {or, earlyon, simply I I
Mnemonic:TAIL IS HAIR BELOW BUTTOCKS
r:-:'<
ntr
ID(
RE.
?1.r.oBSCr
lilIl.,"'RETIVE
ffi ffi stser
'M.'Jt gll<o
ffi ii
etr6
minureness
faintlight
ravelingincogniro
Mnemonic:FORCED TO I\'{OVE TINY TABLE UP MOUNTAIN IN SECRET
E ffi nrrrEfl
HITSU, hiki
MATCH,COMMON,CLOTHru * gfppU
- l! tppIfl
ANIMAL COUNTER
4 strokes
4 fd' SUNpISU
M ffi Httwo
W F* W f4 uu.ryortra
match
man
common
oneanimal
secretion
unnadon
urologv
7 is water 40. &t is necessarily568,hereactingphoneticallyto expressunceasingly and possiblyalsolendingsupporting
connotations
of inexorably. Thus unceasingly
(flowing) water. In Chinesesteady flow is 1737'sonly meaning,but in Japanese
it
has also come by associationto meansecrete/ooze.
Mnemonic:WATER NECESSARILY SECRETED
1738
Once wriuen lf,f, showingmovement (along a road) N ttS, hand holdingstick/
force d l"/- lO1,and bent old man 4 (,r-iunt .{ ttlt173, andheremeaningsin.rp l y c r o u c h e d ) . T h u s t o m a k e s o m e o n em o v e ( a l o n g a r o a d ) i n a c r o u c h e d
fashion,i.e. so as to avoiddetectionand hencesecretively. The causativeaspectpresenently faded,leavingjust move secretively.Thoughthis meaningis still occasionally
(seebiko above),1735is usuallyusedin the associated
meaningsof obscure,
countered
faint, and tiny (i.e. from the ideaof beinghardto see-- seealso 1227).Suggesttaking ,l
as mountain 24 and Il as a variantof table fl n2.
1736
"" ffi#'"*"'
is
hime, KI
PRINCESS, LADY,
LITTLE, PRETTY
10 strokes
ffi E nrraeurya
ffi E ruuecnzu
'& + rtr vororuue
princess
lowfence
PrincessYoko
Somewhatobscure.Formerly.ftfi andearlier $t, showingwoman 4. lt 35 and also
showingthat staring eye/ retainer/ guard E tfr
512 q.v. is a miscopyingof 6 t
ff'. Unfortunatelythe latterelementis of obscureorigin, but is known to haveactedphoneticallyto expressthenameof a cenainriver (theRiver Chi), nearwhich the legendary
emperorHuangti (third milleniumB.C.)is believedto havebeenbom. B / $. thuscame
to symboliseHuangti. i738 originallymeantwoman of the Huangti imperial family/ line, and latercanreby exrensionto meanprincess/noble lady in general.pretty
andlittle areassociated
meanings.The miscopyingof ff, (intermediate
form [[ ) asS
may well havebeeninfluencedby an assumptionthat 1738was intendedto indicateideographically a woman who is guarded/protectedor a woman with retainers.
Mnemonic:EYE STARES AT PRETTY LITTLE WOMAN -- A PRINCESS
Oncewritten /f1 , showingthat f- is not container C 225 but a stylisedmiscoplng of
/- . This is itself a simplificationof oppose/(roll of) cloth ft 371 q.v., herein its
senseof roll of cloth. /J showstwo rolls of cloth of equal length. It is in effect
a doubling of f- , andin fact can refer to a specificquantityof cloth twice the lengrhof f7
(i.e.approximately
20 m.), but is generallyusedin the extendedsenseof equal/ match.
Common is an associatedmeaningwith equal,i.e. one item much the sameas any odrer.
It is not clearhow 1736alsocameto be usedas a counter for animals. Note that hiki is
a Japanese(i.e. kun) reading,and not a Chinese(i.e. on) readingas popularlybelieved.
Suggestremembering I by association
with four E 26.
Mnemonic: COUNT MATCHING ANIMALS -- NOT QUITE FOUR?!
554
L73g a€
\
/;n
HyQ tadayoa
FLOAT, DRIFT, BOB
14strokes
H H nyogexu
bleaching
H E rrvocHAKU drift ashore
iH m u- nvonvtnHa casuway
i is water 40. * is sign/ vote 570 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressfloat/ bob
andpossiblyalsolendinglooseconnotations
of bobbing/dancingfrom is originalmeaning
of leapingflames. Thus float/ bob on water.
Mnemonic:FLOATING VOTE DRIFTING ON WATER?!
555
T
GENERALUSE 1740-1743
r:rr|
R\-o \r\-6 nae, nawa
fE H SnusYO
SEEDLING.OFFSPRING ffi ? fufvOll
J-l-}a
lJf
H f
8 strokes
NepCI
seedlinss
familyn6.
saplins
1744
-f
Plants +f 9 still in the field @ 59, i.e. not yet ready for cropping. Young plants/
seedlingsalso came by associationto refer to humanoffspring.
PLANTS IN FIELD ARE SEEDLINGS
depiction
1# 5 svosHA
BYQ egaku
reNeVO
sketch
,*, ts
DEPICT, DRAW, WRITE
pCeXfoRSU
delineate
11srrokes
+ffit Hl J
to expresscopy andpossi{ is hand 32. & is seedling1740,hereactingphonetically
Thus
copy by (free')hand
incomplete.
of
lending
a
suggestion
also
originally
bly
figurative.
including
the
(roughly?),now drad depict in a broadersense
Mnemonic:DRAW SEEDLINGS FREEHAND
B.ffi ltrev6
ffiH NErcozP.
v ,( azfi snevuNero
percar
asroop
cat
Siamese
'^
17.$ is
1281ratherthandog/ beast /
Formerlyffi ,i.".with clawed beast
MIAO in Chinese)to express
seedling 1740,hereactingphonetically(MYO in Japanese,
the sound of a cat's call/ miaow and possiblyalso lendingconnotationsof little. Thus
(little?)clawed beast that cries MIAO, i.e. cat.
Mnemonic:BEAST AMONGST SEEDLINGS IS CAT
1743
\
t*
,,
seashore
E iF retuN
beach,shore
F rZ nevaes
F gh U -4, T^V^'OB''USHI
sanq-nopp'r
HIN, hama
BEACH, sHoRE
10 strokes
?
lf
\
Formerly,7
) is water 40. f is guest 1744q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressedge-ind almostcertainlyalso lendingits early meaningof display of shells'
Thus edge of water (where sheltsare to be seen?),i.e. beach/ shore. The modern form usessoldier * Slg.
Mnemonic:SOLDIERS COME BY WATER AND MAKE BEACH LANDING
556
GENERALUSET7M-1745
E
HIN
GUEST, VISITOR
l5 snokes
I F SrruHrNI guestof honor
* F netruN
guest,visitor
F 6 mmcYAKU
guestof honor
Somewhatobscure, and of confusedgmology. Formerly fi
a is shell/ money/
'ft'
(One
early form
valuable item 90.
showskettle I / g / H 228,but this appearsto be a one-off miscopying:still earlierand laterforms all show shell.) j t'| it u
now defunctcharactermeaningguest..) is roof/ house28, but otherwisethe etymology of 'T I .F is ratherobscure. It appearsto usedifferentelementsat different stages.
The earliestforms suchas ff show 1' , which is believedto be a variant of twisting
weed 7 / 5 281 q.v. and may haveactedsymbolicallyto indicatereaching and stop.
ping (from its characteristicof reachingthe surfaceand then stopping-- seethe parallel
with inverted foot below). Later forms such as .fi> show what appearsto be a stylised
versionof foot V I E lZ9 q.v.l 41,possiblyin its meaningof stopping and thusbeing
similar to stopping/invened foot V 438 q.v. and giving a similar characterto guesVvisitor '{' 252 q.v. Note however that thereis a CO character r! meaningcurtain/ hiddery'
protected (of unclearetymology,but possiblyitself a versionof foot E lE -- seealso
1805),andit is possiblethat Q /,!- derivesfrom this,to give a literal meaningto -/ l..p
suchas person protected under a roof. In any event,in the caseof 1744 .i t.7 it
known to have actedphoneticallyto expressdisplay, and probably also originally lent
connotations
of visitor. 1744 originallyreferredto displaying shells/ valuable items
(believedto havebeenliterally shellsat first, as thesewere primitive symbolsof wealth and
ostentation,
but latervaluableitemsin general),probablyon the occasionof a visit to one's
home. It later cameto mean display in a broadersense,but at a still later stagebecame
confusedwith guest/ visitor ,
and eventuallyreplacedthis (despitebeing the
lB
more complex of the two). Suggesttaking ,;:r as a combinationof one - 1 and few ,-!,r
r43.
Mnemonic:JUST ONE OR A FEW SHELLS TO SHOW VISITOR TO HOME
1745
HIN, shikiri
FREQUENTLY, FROWN
17 snokes
ffi ff rm,rpRNni
ffi4 unrpersu
ffi ffi rmroo
frequently
frequency
frequency
Of confusedevolution. At one early stagethe samecharacteras the NGU chancter
fi-S
which now meansverge/ shore. The key elementsare head fl 93 and cross water
;fitZSS q.v. (water ) 40 and watk 2F 20D.
)t-originally actedphoneticallyto ex-
55'l
v
GENERALVSE 1745-1747
presswave/ ripple and also lent connotationsof crossing. Thus ripples whiqtl
cross the head, a referenceto wrinkles (and by associationfrown). However,15g
ce of )+f kn to ffi dso beingusedto meancross water, and thus at one
srrongpresen
xageffi, meantboth wrinkles and crosswater. Water 7 was thenremovedto distinguishbetweenthe meanings,with the'waterless'ffi bein1usedto representwrinkles
whlle -fiQ developedits acquiredmeaningof crosswater,eventuallycomingby association to meanshore/verge. It is not fully clear how ;fft then came to meanfrequently.
Somescholanfeel it is a borrowedmeaning,but it seemsequallylikely to be an associared
meaningwith wrinkle througha linking conceptof many/ numerous.Confusingly,ifQis
still very occasionallyinterchangedwith ffito meanshore. It is now usedonly rarelyto
meanwrinkles/ frown, this meaninghaving beenlargely assumedby an NGU characterffi
n27 (herole of the latterunclear)
which addslowly $
Mnemonic:FREQUENTLY WALK ON ONE'S HEAD
""
::ffi::
ffH"*iilE\it"":,.^"ERr'eurcK
GENERALUSE1748-1751
Mnemonic:EVERY HAND THAT STRIKES SHOULD BE AGILE
1747 \f"-
.trth
tl&ll
BIN' kame
BorrLE.JUG.
JAR
rostrokes
botding
ffi, # &) BINZUME
flowervase
1L ffi, raetN
fl ffi, rsunuBE* well-bucket
Formerly *ln t+t* is put together/ pair 1774.E, is an NGU charactermeaningtile
in Japanesebut also earthenware/ vesselin Chinese(deriving from ! , felt by some
scholarsto show interlockingtiles but by othersto show two outer items11 interlocking
to containan inner item - ). 1747originallyreferredto well-buckets, which were often
earthenware
and usedin tandem,but now refersto a rangeofvessels(panicularlyjar and
bottle). Suggesttaking . , as out of 66 and fi as a variantof well * l4'l0.
Mnemonic:TILES, BOTTLES AND JARS TAKEN OUT OF WELL
558
fr B) nulo
HELP, SUPPORT
7 strokes
* * FUVO
fi H f'UXU
aid
suppon
raising children
f is hand 32. ft is man/ adult male 5?3,hereactingphoneticallyro expresshelp and
probablyaJsolendingits meaning. Thus helping hand (of an adult male?),now generallyhelp/ support in a lessphysicalsense.
Mnemonic:MAN GMS
1749
I
HELPING HAND
FU, kowai
FEAR, AFRAID
8 strokes
phobia
R'ffi ifi ryOpusHo
t-''ffi tPU
dread,awe
*'ffi,J. # tcyopusHoSETSU
norrorstory
, f i s h e a r t / f e e l i n g s1 4 7 .
f r i s c t o t hT T s , h e r e a c t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y t o e x p r e s s f e a r a n d
possiblyalso lending an associatedsuggestionof wrapping/envetoping. Thus feelings
offear (which envelopthe heart?).
Mnemonic:FEAR WRAPS HEART LIKE CLOTH
FffE puzoru# Fff rIpU
Ffffr puruN
FU
ATTACH
8 srrokes
7. is hand holding stick/ striking hand 101, hereusedto indicatea moving hand.
to expressquick and possiblyalsoiooseiy
-$is every 206 q.v.,hereactingphonetically
idea of rapidity from its connotationsof rapid/ fertile growth. 1716
lendingan associated
originally referredto deftness in performing manual tasks, then came to mean deft/
quick/ agile in a broadersense,includingthe mental.
FU
affiliated
contribution
vicinity
P is trilt 229. 1{ is attach 574,hereactingphoneticallyto expressswelling and also
lending its meaningof attach. 1750 originally referredto a swelling/ hillock on the
side of a larger hill (i.e.attachedto it), but hasnow becomeconfusedwith 6f, itself.
Thatis, hill p hasbecomeredundant.
Mnemonic:ATTACHED TO HILL
r75l
* t # FUEN goingto rescue
ftttr FUMN taking up post
ftltrJ&FUNINCHI post,posting
FU, omomutu
PROCEED,GO
9 strokes
( is rutt l6l, heremeaningrush. !- is divination 91, hereactingphoneticallyto expressannounceand also lendingsimilar extendedconnotationsof its own. Thus to rush
to announce something(still a minor meaningin Chinese),later rush to do something
in a broad senseand henceproceed (quickly)/ go. It hasbecomeparticularlyassociated
with proceedingto a new posting.
Mnemonic:DMNATION
PROMPTS ONE TO PROCEED AT RUN
559
GENERALUSE1755-1757
GENERALUSE 1752.1754
tzsz
.r3
-.+
/-*,
rtV
FlJ,ukutkabutknberulknreru
FLOAT, FLEETING, GAY
F 7J runyoru
i9fi, uwnn*
?+ E 1t uKrYo
lOsnokes
buoyancy
inconsrancv
fleetingworl6
7 is water/ liquid 40. { i" uCO characternow meaninghatch/brood (over eggs). t1
comprisesreaching hand (/ 303 andchild {- 25, md is clearlyrelatedto handreaching for child to removeit from thevagina{ U SSt q.v. It presumablyhasa coremeaning
meaning). Here S actsphonetically
of assistat birth (with hatcV broodan associated
to expresslloat, and almostcertainlyalso originally lent a meaningof reach for a chitd
amniotic fluid (see409
at birth. That is, it is almostcertainthat water 7 represented
and 227), and that 1752 originally meant reach for a child at birth to help it 'float'
forth, beforelater coming to meanfloat in a generalsense. Fleeting is an associated
meaningwith floating (note that in English fleet and float are etymologicallythe sanre
word), with gay felt to be a further associationwith fleeting (from fleeting pleasures).
Mnemonic:HAND PLUCKS FLOATING CHILD FROM WATER
17s3 tflf
-rjarl
r{
ttl ?l zuPPu
ff € ruco
ff A PucO
FU
TALLY, SIGN
lt strokes
ricket
code
symbol,
agreemenr
llll- is bamboo 170,here indicatinga bamboo tally cut in two and thenjoined upon ful'
fillment of an agreement(see1195).{{ is attach 574,heremeaningjoin. Thus 1753
originally meantjoin tallies, but later cameto refer ratherto the tally itself. Sign is an
associatedmeaning.
1754
WIDELY,
GENERALLY
* E
puneN
* & ruxvu
12strokes
universality
diffusion
phonetically
weak
to express
E issun(light)62.
fr- isline/row 1775,hereacting
and almost certainly also lending connotationsof spread out. Thus (spread out?)
weak sunlight. Some scholarssecwidely/ generally as a borrowed meaning,others
as an extendedmeaningfrom the ideaof diffuse.Suggesttaking fl in its meaningof day.
Mnemonic:GENERALLY, ONE DAY FOLLOWS ANOTHER IN A ROW
560
,ffi ,U' f'USHfN
Iff Hfrpurw
lff *r rUSnnE-
pains,trouble
decay,
rot
worthless
ft is meat 365. fi7 is government center 575 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto express
rot and possiblyalso lendingits original meaningof storehouse.Thus meat rotting (in a
now rot/ decay in a broad sense. Like the English terrn rouen, it is also
storehouse?),
figuratively
to meanworthless.
used
Mnemonic:MEAT IN GOVERNMENT CENTER IS ROTTEN
. # nusersu
ffi t ryJSHIKIMoNo
FU, shita
SPREAD, LAY
15 strokes
1756
E' # Y,qSrilKI
laying
rus
residence
Formerly4K . tl- is striking hand/ force 101,heremeaningapply the hand. f; is
spread 564, here also acting phoneticallyto expresscloth. 1756 originally meantto
spread a cloth and apply the hand to smooth it, later spread/ lay in a broader
sense.Suggesttaking f as beside fi 204, field E 59, ten -f a:, ana a bit .
Mnemonic:FORCED TO SPREAD OUT BESIDE TEN AND A BIT FIELDS
r:s:g1
lH
E-tr4-HIFUEN
fi E rexPu
E # gePncr
l-l---='t5sroxes
dermatitis
utterly
underwear
Popularlybelievedto comprisebelly/ stomach E 424q.v. and tiger E 281, the latter being assumedto be a miscopyingof skin g 374, thusgiving skin over belly and
later skin in general.I useful mnemonic,but incorrect (apartfrom the link with the belly).
OId forms suchas S) show that lfl derivesfrom basket V 3gg (now usually f )
Mnemonic:ATTACH BAMBOO TALLIES TOGETHER
..),|5
-|!|
FU,kusarulreru
ROT, DECAY, BAD
14strokes
1755
and not belly 6 424. E is in fact a simplified variant of a CO character,ffi , which
shows(of the) body n 365andcontainer S 1934q.v. (the lattercomprisingbasket @ , vesselJ@. 1307,and tiger fr lE , therole of which is unclear)and means
both belly (literally body's container) and skin. That is, 1757is 4fu minusvessel.oand with (of the) body F in a different position. The relationshipbetweenbelly and skin
is not fully clear. Somescholarsbelieveit is a naturalassociation(he belly showingan expanseof skin), while orhersfeel that because
ffi naathe samepronunciationas a word
for cover, fi could also be interpretedas that which covers the body.
Mnemonic:SKIN FROM A TIGER'S BELLY
561
w
GENERALUSE 1758-1761
levy,lal
ffi # rure
rusgl
writingpoesu
ffi
"=t
puyn,.n,
E ftAcEppU monthly
LEVY, TRIBUTE,ODE
l5 strokes
GENERALUSE 1762.17&
'762
H
3Jffi nno
3J9Ar0se
i::iioFF'FrEF#€
HorEN
envelope
blockade
feudalism
F . i s s h e l l / m o n e y9 0 , h e r em e a n i n gv a l u a b l ei t e m ( s ) .f i i s w a r r i o r 7 8 1 ,h e r ea c t ing phoneticallyto expressdivide andprobablyalsooriginallylendingits connotations
oi
soldier. Thus to divide valuable assets,probablyoriginally a referenceto soldiers
sharingthe spoilsof a campaign.Giving out valuableitemsled by associationto payins
tribute, both in the form of a levy andin the eulogisticform of an ode.
Oncewritten 9i ana originally Y , showing that f. is not doubled/piledearth -t. 60
(seealso 819) -- though this would be semanticallyappropriate-- but a derivativeof a
bushy branched (andoriginally thick trunked)tree t I Y @eenormally written X I
il- 69). The tree was usedto block a road, thus giving close off and by extension
Mnemonic:WARRIOR PAYS TRIBUTE IN SHELL-MONEY
closed off area, with fief being an associatedmeaning. Hand/ measure{
was addedlater to show deliberate action (with the hand). Suggesttaking f
ble earth.
r?se>s, FU
EEI
# # CexUPU musicalscore
genealogv
NOTATION, GENEALOGY X # retFU
lgsrrokes
ts# NENPU
chronological
record
! iswords/ speak274,heremeaningexpress/ state.$ is widely 1754q.v., here
actingphoneticallyto expressin sequenceandpossiblyalsolendingits own similarconnorarionsof in a line from its row/ line element JZ (1775). Thus to state/ expressin
sequenc€,leadingto chronology/ genealogyon the one hand and (musical) notation on the other.
Mnemonic:GENEALOGY WIDELY SPOKEN OF
1760
BU, anadora
SCORN, DESPISE
8 strokes
@ 4 ft\ BUJOKUTEKIinsulting
# 16 rcetBU
conrempr
{F1E euN4eN offense,
insult
,{ is person 39. 6 is every 206 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressridicule/ insult and possibly also Iending connotationsof profusely. Thus to insult a person
(profusely?),with scorn/ despisebeingan associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:DESPISE EVERY PERSON
176l
BU, mar
DANCE, FLIT
15strokes
stage
ff 6 sUTeI
girl
dancing
# T ueXO
behavior
ffiffiv^ FURLIMAI
Dancing p€rson-W lSe and opposed fieet 4* 1211,the latterindicatingfootwork
and thusreinforcing $.. Suggestraking S as a wheatsheaf, Q as night 44,and$
as a varianrof well fr- 1470.
Mnemonic:DANCE NIGHTLY AMONGST WHEATSHEAFS BESIDE WELL
562
909 q.v.
as dou-
Mnemonic:HAND DOUBLES UP EARTH TO CLOSE OFF FIEF
1763 ,
b
E</.
r.
ln
FUKU, fusutseru
ftdtk zur'uru
undulations
^n
-^{OUCH, HIDE, AMBUSH ffi ft SENpUKUhiding,turking
6 strokes
humbly
ff l-'c FUSHITE
Obscure,thoughits elementsare (andhavebeensinceits ancientorigin; p"rron ,f 39
and dog K 17. Its oldestknown meaningis crouch, and some authoritativeJapanese
scholarsbelieveit is an ideographintendedto indicatea dog crouching low when
barking at a person. However,as an ideographit clearly has a vast rangeof potential
meanings,andone suchspecificinterpretation
seemsa linle forced.It seemsequallylikely
that f' once actedphoneticallyto expresscrouch, thus giving crouching person
(possiblyone crouchinglike a dog). In any event, hide is an associatedmeaningwith
crouch.and ambush is a furtherassociation.
Mnemonic:DOG CROUCHES TO AMBUSH PERSON
""thfii,i"i*i3:1"""
amplitude
ffi ffi=sruxPuru
picturescroll
E E Ceruru
brcadth
fff E= YoToHABA
rfr is cloth 178. & is full 386, here also acting phoneticallyto expresswidth. Thus
the full width of (a rotl of) cloth, later width in general. Scroll is an associated
meaningwith roll of cloth. Suggesttaking ft as field @ 59, opening/entrance A 20,
and one - 1.
Mnemonic:ONE CLOTH SPANS WIDTH OF ENTRANCE TO FIELD
563
t
GENL,RAL USh, 1765-1767
1765 -If,D
f|E,
?P
1L
GENERALUSE 1768-1770
{d
FUKU, 6u,kutsugaer/su
ovERTURN,covER
rR
r ustrokes
i"'H:fi6:("?{r:ro"
trn
ffik
E ffi fBrupUXU ovenurn
mask
ffi E ruruuPx
spiltwater
ffi l< Puxusul
tSZ. rft derives from a picto-
Correctly written Fg , showing ft rather than west &
graphof an upturned dish A. 4Toisagainlreturn ?82 q.v', here acting phoneticallv
of reverse.Thus to
to expressinvert/ overturn and alsolendingits own connotations
turn a dish over, giving both overturn and cover. Overturnis now also usedin a fig-
tfi+
{ffffi
FUNSHITSU
loss
FUNSO
dispute
FUNPUN
in confusion
/6 is thread 27. h- is divide 199 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expresssort/ arrange and probablyalso lending similar connotationsof bringing about order by sep.
aration. Thus to (separate and?) sort threads. The presentmeaningof stray/ be
confused is a borrowing.
Mnemonic:DIVIDED THREADS GO ASTRAY. CAUSING CONFUSION
urativesense.
1769
Mnemonic:WEST OVERTURNED AGAIN
"" i::-$ilo*o",
rf:fif ffiJ'ifili
tA
FormerlyIh . ! is hand 32. ft is unwind/ disperse567, here actingphoneticallyt,r
expresssweepand also lendingsimilarconnotationsof remove. 1766originallyreferrerl
to sweepingsomethingaway with the hand, and was later also usedto mean rid in
a broadsense.It is particularlyusedof ridding oneselfof a debt,i.e. by meansof paying.
SuggesttakingA asnose134.
Mnemonic:HAND GMS
L6i ::riu-'"1"i;n""
tfr
W A rurreN
boilingpoint
seethe
W E V? wAKITATSU
gushforth
WAKDERU
6
i4 t H
7 is water 40. h is unwind/disperse 567, hereactingphoneticallyto expressemerge
and also lending its own connotationsof away/ out. 1767originally referredto water
gushing out (of the ground), but is now more commonly found in the associated
meaningof boil (from the idea of bubbling up).
Mnemonic:WATER 'UNWINDS'WHEN
IT BOILS
ryffii< FUNIzu
# ?FrrauruN
ffi 4 soPuN
Mnemonic:RAIN DMDES
THE ATMOSPHERE
p A ^ FUNKA
FUN. fukr
q / ( FUNSUI
EMIT, SPOUT, GUSH
q t Lilrl ] t --F FUKIDASU
15strokes
eruption
fountain
spurtout
Somewhatobscuredue to the obscurenatureof fr fnis is an NGU characterwith a meaning of decorate/ornament,but in Chineseit can alsomeanlarge,strenuous,bright,honor,
and defeated. Its early form *9Y showsshell/ money R 90 and what appearsto be three
plants & (plant g 9: notettrat */g
is an NGU charactermeaninggrass/plants). Its
coremeaningis not clear,but in compoundsit often seemsto be associated
with swelling/
risingi building up, suggestingthat either the plants symbolisedgrowth and by extension growing big/ swelling or else they becamereinterpretedas hands Y raising/ offering
somethingup. In any event, in the caseof 17'70 fr is known to have lent its sound
(originally PON) onomatopoeically,
combiningwith mouth/ say O 20 to give make a
PON sound with the mouth, i.e. snort or puff (i.e. a soundbuilding up within the
mouth and then bunting forth?). Snortand puff are still retainedas minor meaningsin Chinese.By extensionthis came to mean venU emit in a broad sense,including spout/
gush. Suggesttaliing # ur a treblingoften * 33 and g1 in irs senseofopening.
Mnemonic: THIRTY SHELLS GUSH FROM OPENING
564
amosphere
misryair
frostyair
ft is rain 3, hereindicatingweather conditions in a broadsenseand by extensionatmosphere. fr-is divide 199, here acting phoneticallyto expresspowder (namely$)
577,of which it can in effect be considereda simplihcation). 1769refersto conditions
i n w h i c h t h e a t m o s p h e r e b e c o m e s ' p o w d e r y ' , s u c h a s w h e n i t s n o w s ,s l e e t s ,
drizzles,is misty, etc. It is also usedof unclear air, and of atmosphere in a figurative
sense.Note thatin Chinese1769hasnow beenIargelyreplacedAV fu , a CO character(of
long standing)which usesvapors %u 11 insteadof rain/ weather/atrnospherefr .
I770
SWEEPING BLOW TO NOSE TO GET PAYMENT
FUN
ATMOSPHERE,AIR
l2 strokes
565
T
GENERALVSE T77L-1773
t77r
r qlf+*
,t
El
,?-
FUN
TBURIAL'r
l\IouND
15 strokes
tumulus
fr H XOFUN
tomb
H H ruNso
TH.HA }& FUNBONOCHI
birthplace
! is earth/ ground 60. E is the obscureelementseenin 1770q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressswelling but of unclearsemanticrole (thoughit may possiblylend its
own connotations
of swelling). Thus a swelling of earth, i.e. mound. It is now used
especiallyof burial mounds. Suggesttaking f as a treblingof ten -.f- 33 and fl as
shell 90.
Mnemonic:THIRTY SHELLS FOUND IN EARTH OF BURIAL MOUND
ruNcer
1772tH';ffii:o*"*"'H'ffi
'H ffi puNoo
#'H cruN
indignation
GENERALUSE 1774-1776
1774
{f
HEI, awaseru
UNITE, JOIN
8 strokes
A {f ceppgr
{#ffi rmrvo
#T:::
{f 4 nernerSU comitication
Formerly 4tI ot 4Tl. I it person 39. |it*
ttan NGU charactermeaningput together. Somescholarstake its earliestform {{
to show two stylisedp".ronrff
(variant 4 3s) tinxea by the symboltwo - 61, heredoubledfor emphasis.However,
since I could meantwo thousand(see47) it is unlikely that it would be usedin a totally
different sensehere, and it seemsmore likely ttrat l?
shows two persons trr) and
matching stakes tt /X 272 (especiallyin view of the existenceof fence
I+ lj77
q.v.), thus giving the idea of matching persons and hencegoing together. In any
event,the original meaningwas clearly two persons together, with the laterperson ,{
presumablymerelyfor emphasis.This cameto symboliseuniting in a broadsense.Suggesttaking . / as out of 66 and fr as a variantof well fr- 1470.
Mnemonic:UNITE TO GET PERSON OUT OF WELL
rage
1775
righteousindignation
,f is heart/ feelings 147. 6 is the obscureelementseenin 1770q.v., hereactingphonetically to expressoverflow/ burst forth but of unclearsemanticrole (thoughit ma1'
HEI, nami, narabulberulb i
il fr gPxO
parallelism
ROW, LINE, RANK WITH, il fr NauIrcr
lineof trees
ORDINARY
E itr rsurrNAMr
8 strokes
commonplace
90.
Formerlyg[, showinga doublingof standing person fr 73. 1775originallymeant
line of standing people, and now meansrow/ line in a broadsense.It alsocameto
mean rank alongside and by associationbe ordinary (cf. English term rank and file).
Suggesttaking JL as a Romantwo and ., and . , as eight 66 (i.e. two eights).
Mnemonic:THIRTY SHELLS CAUSE INDIGNANT FEELINGS
Mnemonic: LINE UP IN TWO ROWS OF EIGHT
possiblylend its own connotations
of buildingup). Thus feelingsbursting forth , indicatingindignation. Suggesttaking {f as a treblingof ten f 33 and fl as shell
1773
n{e
HEI
C, 3RD
5 strokes
HEISHU
C class
ryLn
KOOTSUHEIABCY123
F HINOE*thfudcalendarsign
In ancienttimes written as ff or Fl, showinga (large) altar with sturdy legs. Later forms suchas fr
show an item - placedon the altar (as altar A I fr. 695 q.v.).
1773 waslater borrowedto expressthird in a sequence.Suggesttaking it as inside ;*l
364 and one - 1, with a play on 'one'.
Mnemonic:THIRD ONE INSIDE IS RATED C
566
L776
HEI, gara,e
HANDLE, PATTERN,
POWER. NATURE
9 strokes
A ffi oggl
arrogance
X ffi ncenn
pedigee
t ffi ocene bigframe/panern
,( is wood 69. fi is third 1773q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressgrasp and
probably also lending connotationsof sturdy from its literal meaningof sturdy altar. Thus
(sturdy?) wooden part that is grasped, a referenceto a handle. It is not clear how
it acquiredits other meanings,but they are assumedto be borrowings (though power may
result from the ideaof a lever).
Mnemonic:WOOD OF THIRD RATE NATURE USED FOR HANDLE
567
GENERALUSE 1777-1778
boardfence
ffiffi n/'ssl
earthen
t F nOsel
wq.11
lHEIGOSHI overfence
WW
HEI
FENCE, WALL
12strokes
T
""$
GENERALUSE17?9-1781
HEI
MY (HUMBLE),EVIL,
EXHAUSTION
15strokes
4 il
ff 4
4 €
mlsue
rnHel
rmtca.I
ourcomDanv
exh.ur,lon
evil. abuse
'madein Japan'characterformed by addingearth J- 60 to the NGU
Formerly f.&. A
characterfence/ wall/ screen /& t&- . The latter comprisescorpse F 236, here acting as a simplificationof building E 236,and put together # l* 1114q.v., hereacting phoneticallyto expressblock/ screen and probably also lending connotationsof
matching stakesfrom its laf /* element(seealso 272).Thus ffi fiterallymeansthat
(matching stakes?) screening a building, i.e. a fence, later wall/ screen in a
broadersense.Despitethe additionof earth ;L in the caseof tft tlll , presumablyorigi-
Formerly'ff , with dog K 17 (at one stagemiscopiedas big < 53) and hand cutting
cloth/ paper strips dif 1778q.v. The latter actsphoneticallyto expresscollapse and
ofbreakinginto pieces(see1728). 1779originallyreferredro
may alsolend connotations
collapsinglike a dog, i.e. with exhaustion(cf. Englishdog tired), It is still occasionally usedin this sense,but becameconfusedwith ,ff 1778q.v. and adoptedthe latter's
one-timemeaningsof myi humble and wrongdoing/ evil, which are now irs main
meanings.Suggesttaking +7 as a stylisedcombinationof two tens f 33 (i.e.twenty),
and d( as cloth rIl llS, bits ),, andforce 4( 101.
nally intendedto give wall but not fence, 17'77cannow also be usedoffence. Suggesttaking . z as out of 66 and ff as a variantof well * 1470.
Mnemonic:EVILLY FORCED TO CUT MY CLOTH INTO TWENTY STRIPS
1780
CORPSE TAKEN OUT OF WELL BEHIND EARTHEN WALL
MNEMONiC:
1778
HEI
OFFERING, MONEY
15 strokes
ffi ffi smrml
H f6 xerrEl
ffi ffi corrPl
papermoney
coin,money
paperstrips
in Shintoshrine
rf.is strikinghand 101,heremeaning
Of confusedevolution. Formerlyalsowritten tt1{ .
<f 909
simply use of the hand (though it is not clear why hand/ careful use of the hand
q.v. was not used).Opinion is dividedas to whetherffi is cloth rF ll\ plus four lsmall)
'lt 36
bits ) I or a slightly modifiedcombinationof cloth rt?, rwo bits " , and small 1l'I
(i'e'
by
(the latter seemingthe more likely). fr( referredto the practiseof cutting up
hand) small bits of cloth (later paper) as symbolic offerings to the gods'
E#
.f.
,tr8 TIEKIGA
HEKI, kabe
WALL
16 strokes
F# **
GANPEKI
KABEGAMI
mural
rock face
wallpaper
l-is earth 60, heremeaningearthen embankment.ffi is analpenerration1733q.v.,
hereactingphoneticallyto expresssurround but of unclearsemanticrole (thoughit may
possiblylend its later connotationsof turn). Thus earthen embankment that surrounds (a building), a referenceto a wall (now in a broadsense). Suggesttaking fr
literallyasanusf, (butrocksP 236andopening/holeE 20)andneedle
+ l$2.
Mnemonic:SITTING Ot{ EARTHEN WALL CAN BE LIKE NEEDLE IN ANUS
t78I
Jt
{r*
JIA*
/rrtT
lfi ffi roHExt
B ffi sntnEru
ffi € ruspcp
HEKI. kuse
HABIT. KINK
t8 strokes
kleptomania
habit
kinkvhair
now astociatedwith Shintoism but also once found in ancientChina. It also came to mean
my/ humble, by associationwith the idea of making a humbleoffering (note that ##
in
doesin fact exist independentlyin Chinesewith a main meaningof my/ humble,whereas
sorne
rf
at
was added
tll, q.v.). A further cloth
Japanesethis is norv conveyedVy ff
paper
offering was later
itself'
Clottr/
offering
the
to
attention
draw
stage,presumablyto
in a broad
money
of
used
was
applied by associationto paper money, and eventually
senseincludingcoin. The idea of making an offering to the godsalso cameto symbolise
but
repenranceover a wrongdoing, and later confusingly to symbolisewrongdoing itself,
force'
of
its
sense
in
tlls q'v' Suggesttaking (this meaningis now conveyedby ff
An indelicatecharacter.f is sickness381.Pfl is anal penetration/ sodomy 1733
q.v., here acting phoneticallyto expressbuild up and also lending an idea of blocked
anus. l78l originallyreferredto constipation,and can still meanthis in Chinese.It later
acquireda meaningof (pathologically?)deviant habits as a resultof the strongpresence
of sodomy
1733 (literally sodomy
W andof confusion with female sexualpartner {f
-{r 35) and its male equivalent
with
a
woman
n
NGU characternow meaning
lfi ,
fr
Prejudice/bias but in Chinesestill havingconnotationsof dissolutebchavior(combining
person ( 39 [heremeaningman] and sodomy
fr ).Deviant habits then led on rheone
hand to habits in generaland on the other to kink, i.e. somethingnot straighVnormal
(which like the Englishterm is usedboth physicallyand figuratively). suggestt*jng6*.
literally as anus p (buttocks
f 236 and opening/hole F 20) and needle + 1432.
TO MAKE OFFERING OF MONEY AND BITS OF' CLOTH
MNCMONiCFORCED
Mnemonic: SICK AND KINKY HABIT OF NEEDLE IN ANUS
568
s69
t
GENERALUSE 1782-1784
ffi tfu rrEt.II<o
inclination
prejudice
ffi -F. rmnry<eN
neu<ursu
bisotrv
1F,E
HEN, katayora
1782
INCLINE, BIAS
I I strokes
,{ is person 39. ffi is doorplate 785 q.v. (literallydoor "F 108andwriting tablets ffi 874),hereactingphoneticallyto expressincline/ lean and possiblyalsolending
its own connotationsof to one side. 1782 originally referredto a person who leans to
one side/ limps, i.e. a cripple, but later came to mean lean/ incline in a broader
sense,including bias. Cripple/ Iimp is now conveyedby the NGU characterffi, which
usesfooVleg fu 51.
GENERALUSE 1785-1787
t785
rHun URANAMI
b'reaker
bay breeze
URAZATO coastalvillage
IH /qI URAKAZE
7 is water 40. A is begin970 q.v., hereactingphoneticallyro expressedgebut of unclear semanticrole (thoughit may possiblylend looseconnotationsof beginning/edge).
Thus the water's edge. In Chineseusually associatedwith the bank of a river, but in
with the shoreof the sea. Suggesttaking ffi' as use R Zl5, needle t 33,
Japanese
'
and Point .
Mnemonic:USE COMPASS NEEDLE POINT TO FIND INLET AND WATER
1786
Mnemonic:PERSON INCLINED TO LEAVE WRITING TABLETS AT DOOR
g
HO, ura
COAST, INLET, BAY
10strokes
HO
SHOP, LAY, PAVE
I 5 strokes
rF*fi rsNrPo shop,store
paving
ffi # uos6
ffi # 16E6sosooono sealedroad
steadof movementL.
Of confusedand somewhatobscureevolution. Once written @', showing metal E tq
and begin tl SIO q.v. The latter is felt by some scholarsto have beenusedphonetically
to expressturn (with any semanticrole unclear),to give metal item that turns, a reference to a type of lock. This is then assumedto have been borrowed to expresslay/
spread. However, thereis little evidenceto supportthis, and it seemsequally likely that fii
is usedas a simplificationof spread fl' SS+q.v., and that 1786originally meantspread
metal (i.e. gild, plate, or similar) beforecoming to meanspread/ lay in a broadersense.
In any event,in Japanese
spread/lay camein particularto haveassociations
with paving.
Shop is a later borrowing,and as a resultof this new meaningmetal S. 14 was replaced
by-thesemanticallymore appropriatequarters/ building E lW. Note that in Chinese
is usedto meanshop. Suggest
Sfi'still existsand is usedto meanspread/lay, whilef
taking ft' as use ffi 215, needle + 33, and point . .
Mnemonic:MOVE WIDELY. LEAVING WRITING TABLETS AT DOORS
Mnemonic: USE NEEDLE POINT TO PAVE SHOP QUARTERS?!
1783 \
t
E
-r<-lf
-\L
l@ 1r
FUHENSEI universalir,
wrDELY, EvERYwHERE
lEl tr
HENZAI
12 strokes
-r&
IPPEN
HEN, amaneta
=,
ll
ubiquity
(di at)once
i is movement 129. fr is Ooorplate785 q.v. (literally door / 108and writing
to expressroundabout/indirect andpossibly
tablets m 874),hereactingphonetically
also lending its own connotationsof to one side (and thus not snaight). Thus move in
to widely and everywhere. Note that
a roundabout fashion, leadingby association
with an NGU character\'fu ,which usesmovement / ll8 in1783can be interchanged
HO, torulraeru,
tsukantaru/nweru
SEIZE, CAPTURE
ffi E Horeru
seizure
tli b Lff ronerooKoRo point
tfr i. R-ff rsuxeveEDoKoRo
hold
l0 strokes
1787
Bo, tsunora
# ft gosH0
GATHER, RAISE, ENLIST F S SOKN
I-u4 OeO
GROW INTENSE
12strokes
recruitrnent
fundraising
response
to call
f is tranA 32. h' is begin 970 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressenvelop but of
unclearsemanticrole. Thus to envelop with the hand, i.e. seize/ capture. Suggest
taking ft' as use m 215, needle + 33, and point '
/J is strengtly'elfort74. { is sun sinking amongplants788 q.v., hereactingphonetically to expressseize/take and probablyalso lending its connotationsof cover/ enfold.
1787 originally meant to make efforts to bring someone into one's fold, and thus
came to mean raise/ enlist/ gather. Like the English term gather in expressionssuch
as a gatheringstorm,it also cameto meangrow intense/strong. Suggesttaking
{ as
grass rt- 9, sun F 62,and big /\ (variant < 53).
Mnemonic:HAND SEIZES NEEDLE TO USE POINT
Mnemonic: BIG EFFORT TO GATHER GRASS WHILE SUN SHINES
570
57r
GENERALUSE 1788-1790
BO, shitaa
YEARN, ADORE, DEAR
l4 strokes
1788
R tH soro
ffiRrcmo
R,t-. SOStilN
longing
admirqdq.
yeaming
,1..is heart/ feelings (variant rU 147). { is sun sinking amongplants788 Q.v.,here
actingphoneticallyto expressseekand possiblyalsolendingits connotationsofenvelop.
Thus to seek something with the heart (somethingwhich envelopsthe heart?),a refmeanings.Suggesttaking
erenceto yearning/ longing. Dear andadore are associated
(variant
+f
S:).
62,andbig
/<
9,sun
€
p asgrass
/<
Mnemonic: BIG YEARNING IN HEART TO LIE ON SUNNY GRASS
latespnng
E # BOSHUN
BO,kurerulrasu
evening
t H fL ytrcung
LIVE, SUNSET, END
l4strokes
Hb Uf runesruKATAlifestyle
t789
Sun setting among plants fl 788 q.v. with an extrasun E 62 addedafter the original meaningbecamevague. Thus sunset,with end being an associatedmeaning. Live
meaning,from the ideaof surviving/seeingout anotherday
is alsofelt to be an associated
(it still generallyhasconnotationsof making a living/ gettingby). Suggesttaking f, as
plants +/. 9, sun E, and big 7< (variant j< S:), with the extra E in its senseof day.
Mnemoniql,M
r7g0 --trT#l+
.(,
TO SEE SUN SET AMONG BIG PLANTS AT END OF DAY
Bo, HAKU
REGISTER, RECORD(S)
19strokes
4 ffi tnmreo (name)ngister
bookkeeping
ffi ;d gorl
ffi ffi CHOSO rcgister,lease
Formerlyi# . a7itbamboo 170,hereindicatingbambootabletsusedfor keeping
bind andprobto express
records.;fi I :4 is extensive1699,hereactingphonetically
ablyalsolendingits meaningof extensive.1790originallyreferredto an (extensive?)
collectionof bambootablets bound together,i.e. a register/ set of records'
Suggesttaking S' literallyaswater 7 40 andspread*
SO+.
Mnemonic:
WATER SPREADSOVER BAMBOO REGISTER
T
GENERALUSE1791.1794
HQ kanbas/rii
* 6 HOKO
FRAGRANT, GOOD,YOUR # fr HOSH
7 strokes
t ffi uOzu
r is plant 9. rt is side/direction 204, here acting phoneticallyto expressfragrant
3nd possibly also lending its meaningof direction. Thus fragrant plant (fragrancefrom
directionof plant?),now fragrant in a broadsense.Also usedof good in a broadsense,
and as a polite referenceto the second person/ you.
Mnemonic:FRAGRANT SMELL FROM DIRECTION OF PLANT
H0
COUNTRY, JAPAN
7 strokes
fi tr nOCe Japanese
picture
)€ S nrNpO
federation
A fiS gOttp6
ourcounrry
l 7 6 2 q . v . , w h i l ep i s v i l f i s a v a r i a n t o bf u s h y t r e e u s e d a s b a r r i e rY / Y l t
lage 355. Thus village of barred access,indicatinga guarded area. This later broadenedto mean region or country. In Japaneseonly it has also acquiredassociationswith
one's own country, i.e. Japan. Suggesttaking + as a (bent) telegraph pole.
Mnemonic:JAPAN A COUNTRY WHERE VILLAGES HAVE BENT TELEGRAPH POLES
HO BU, tatematsuru
OFFER, RESPECTFUL
8 strokes
&ffi
AM
HdSru
gON6
SHINPO
service
offering
faith,belief
Once *ritten d{ , stro*ing two hands P{ offering up a thickly growing ptant
f
(variant * 42), either as tribute to a lord or in a religious ritual. Later forms such as
f,{
show an additional hand I 32 (now f ;. rnt cameto meanoffer in generaland by associationshow respect. Note that there is an NGU characterS , which addsyet another hand d 32 nd is to all intentsandpurposesinterchangeable
with 1793. Suggesttaking
f( as two 3 6l andbig /< 53, and + as a club with nails through it.
Mnemonic:
RESPECTFULLYOFFERCLUB WITH TWO BIG NAILS
HQ [i]da,tr,kakaeru fd E .ff ( oerrrsurcu
hug
EMBRACE,HUG, HOLD ffi H Hoxel
cherishing
8 strokes
ffi k-:4-tr feregrOUU
hold
f, is hand 32,here meaningarm(s). @ iswrapl envelop 583. Thus to wrap/ envelop with the arms, i.e. hug/ embrace. Also used figuratively.
Mnemonic: TO EMBRACE IS TO ENVELOP WITH THE ARMS
572
fragrance
yourkindness
girl'sage
573
GENERALUSE1799-1801
GENERALUSE 1795-1798
t795
I
airbubble
5, E ruHoH6, awa
foaming
FROTH, BUBBLE, FOAM # E Heppo
g snokes
tfr,it:> AWADATSUbubblefroth
""il6i.'1fr:1"
E tl4 Sguuo
mainpeak
il4
neNpo
lS
mounrain
range
W tI b MINEUCHI strikingwith
back of sword
mean eitherto envelop
7 is water 40. F,is wrap/ envelop 583. In Chinese1795can
froth/ foam, but in
i.e.
water,
envelops
which
that
or
with water, i.e. immerse,
meaning.
latter
has
the
Japanesealmostalways
Mnemonic:WATER WRAPPED IN FROTHY BUBBLES
HO
PLACENTA,woMB
9 srokes
BU* sosm
B'E& HoVBNe*
#fi ,80SersO
spore
placenta
cell
Formerly$ . Ja is moun tain 24. $ it a CO charactermeaningbuty'gore. It was once
written fr i sho*lng a styliseduprumedfoot ] (earlyform ,K438q.v.) -- heremeaning
go back -- and cow's horns $ (variant + / + 97), and thusliterally meanspersonsent
back by cow'shorns. In compoundsS canlend connotationsboth of go back and/orof
tapered/sharp. In the caseof 1199it meanssharp, thus giving sharp part of mountain, i.e. peak. It can alsomeantop in a wider sense,somewhatconfusinglyincluding
the back of a sword (which is the oppositeof the sharppart). Suggesttaking l( as sitting crossleggedand f
F l e s h / o f t h e b o d y n 3 6 5 a n d w r a p /e n v e l o p l A 5 $ . T h a t p a r t o f t h e b o d y
which envelopsis the womb, with placenta being an associatedmeaning.
as a telegraph pole.
Mnemonic:SIT CROSSLEGGED ON TELEGRAPH POLE ON MOUNTAIN
PEAK
Mnemonic:WOMB IS PART OF THE BODY THAT ENVELOPS
t# k.\
HO
SALARY, PAY
10 strokes
l+ b a *
63 il
salary,pay
HOKYU
annualsalary
NENPO
HOROTUMAt
rice allowance
1793wirh person ,l zg aaaeoto indicatethe person offering. The meanoffer f
ing has now changedrather to that which is offered a person, a referenceto salary/
ut two = 61 and biC K 53, and { as a club with nails'
pay. Suggesttaking k
gOCaN
ffi f0 reppo
-t f0 rergo
cannonball
tuearms
gun,cannon
fr is rock/ stone 45. Q, is wrapl envelop 583, here acting phoneticallyto express
release/discharge and probablyalso lending a meaningof encircling/ encasing.
1800 originally referred to a primitive type of cannon which fired small rocks
through a tube, saidto be in usefrom as early as the fifth centuryB.C.
PERSON USES CLUB WITH TWO BIG NAILS TO GET PAY
MNEMONiC:
HQ narau
IMITATE, FOLLOW
10strokes
imitation
& ff uogo
imitator
&hfr# MoHosHA
ffi.v^HtJ9 NnnarxgZURIprofiling
but
Not person 4 lg anareteaseik 3gL, though this may be useful as a mnemonic,
*d
strite/ force K l0l plus the NbU character4rt . The latter comprisesperson 4
and
(semantic
role
unclear),
resemble
express
to
phonetically
is
used
stde77 204,which
,l(
meana
gave
thus
element
causative
4i&
person.
The
a
resemble
originatlymeant
coninj of make to resemble a person, i.e. imitate/ follow. ,{fr itself then became
interchangeis
now
in
Chinese
and
follow,
imitate/
mean
ro
came
fuiea *it6 4N- andalso
dictionaries(but without illusnation)as hav'
ablewith 1798.lrt is listedin someJapanese
reasonfor this listing is not clear'
the
still,
but
and
stand
ing meaningsof wander
Mnemonic:RELEASED PERSON MUST IMITATE OTHERS
574
Mnemonic:ENVELOPED IN ROCKS DISCHARGED FROM CANNON
1801
rll
HQkuzurerulsu
ffi4HOXAI
collapse
CRUMBLE, COLLAPSE
NEONRS*
€ AH
avalarrche
1l strokes
tl ffi *L YAMAKUZURElandslide
NH
Formerlyfft *d in ancienttimes0h, showingttrat HH derivesfrom thesomewhar
obscurematching jewels k) tnn 1562. Hereit actsphonetically
to expresscollapse,
combiningwith mountain d.r 24 (or in theancientform hitl 6 /1, 229)to givecollapsing mountainside(/hillside). Now collapse/ crumble in a broadersense.
Suggest
takingfl asmonth 16.
Mnemonic:MOUNTAIN CRUMBLES AWAY IN JUST TWO MONTHS
575
GENERALUSE 1802-1804
AEfn gown
AEA H6sHoxu
ffi t 'l+ AKISHO
a x::-:,^"^"
H6, akulkirulkasu
saturation
satiation
fickteness
|fl, iswrapl envelop 583, herc acting phoneticallyto expressfull
ft It fooOl eat 146.
and possibly also lending supportingconnotationsof smothered. Thus satiated with
food, now satiated/ tired in a broadersense.
Mnemonic:TIRED OF WRAPPED FOOD
1803
R
HQhomeru
PRAISE, REWARD
15 strokes
tr € H6sgo
medal
praise,
reward
F * Host
R M5= * HOraEKOroge praise
is clothing (variant t<420). iftis preserve787, hereactingphoneticallyto express
i
long but ofunclear semanticrole. 1803originally referredto a speciallong robe presented by the emperorto deservingofficials, and hencesymbolisespraise and rewara. ft is
an occasionallvencounteredvariantform.
'*'ft[,i."Tir,'""
Mnemonic:PRAISED AND REWARDED FOR PRESERVING CLOTHES
fi€ A goco
stitching
#E V +rl NUIMONO needlework
seam,stitch
f;€ h E NUIME
ft is ttrreaO 27. Lt is an NGU characternow meaningmeet, but in Chineseit also
meanspenetrate. It comprises movement i- 129and gore $ tlSS q.v., the latter
lending its connotationsof sharpness,and literally meanspenetrative movement (in
order to attain something). Here # actsphonetically to expressjoin and also lends its
connotationsof penetration. Thus to join by penetrating with thread, i.e. sew/
stitch. Suggesttaking ,( as sit crossleggedand { as a telegraph pole.
Mnemonic:SIT CROSSLEGGED ON MOVING TELEGRAPH POLE, SEW'
ING WITH THREAD
?
GENERALUSE 1805-1807
1805
BQ toboslii
SCARCE, DESTITUTE
4 strokes
lF+
wz-
KETSUBO
BINBO
TAIBO
dearth
poverry
austeriw
Obscure. Felt by somescholarsto derive from an ancientcharacter , thoughit is not ful/l
ly clear that this is in fact the prototypeof 1805. f is said to be a mirror image of hidden/
curtain/ protected h 1744, which is itself obscureand may or may not be a variantof
foot t. I E 1f-129/ 4l (the mirror imagepossiblybeingintendedto emphasise
reversal
of movement, a view supportedby the fact that the curtain in questionis believedto have
beenusedto ward off [i.e. sendback] arrows in an archeryrange-- seealso 47g). Scarcd
destitute is then taken to be a borrowing, specifically resulting from 1805'sbeing usedin
place of the NGU charactetQL. This now meanslook down upory'belinle, but originally
referred to lacking money/ destitute (shelVmoney A 90 and l,
the latter acting
phoneticallyto expresslack and possiblyalso lendingsimilar connotationsof not existing from its assumedmeaningof hidden: seealsothe similarlink betweenhiddenand nor
existing in the caseof R 788). Other scholarsbelievethat 1805 is a variant of thisi
emerging plant )- 1335, thoughagreethat the presentmeaningsare borrowingsinvolvingffi_. Suggesttaking i as a zigzag path and / as avariant of one - L
Mnemonic: LIFE OF A DESTITUTE LIKENED TO ONE ZIGZA,G PATH
"'rltl!;{i:",,
+,lt
TABO na
verybusy
FIANBOpressurc
of work
4 ; R BOSATSU
beingworkedto death
g
rFfftlL
'tL
f is hearu feelings 147. i is die 973, here acting phoneticallyto expressbe busy
and possiblyalso lending a figurativemeaningof die. 1806originally referredto one's
heart being busy (to the point where it 'dies7can take no more?), a referenceto being
flustered/ pressured. Now busy in a broadersense,with panicular connotationsof
work (as opposedto traffic etc.).
Mnemonic:HEART DEATH THROUGH BEING TOO BUSY
1807
BO
PRIEST, BOY, TOWN
7 stnokes
++
,)J t
.* -e)
-)J
\
+EE
,,
laJ
BOZ'U*
BOYA
BOKAN
priest
bov
arcundtow;
Earth/ ground i
60 and side F ZOq. 1807originallyreferredto the (raised) earth
at the side of a river, i.e. an embankment, and by associationlater camc to mean
town (towns often bcing built on riverbanks). It was later borrowed to refer to an acolyte, thus giving both boy and priest (and very occasionally
tby associationltemple).
Mnemonic: BOY-PRIEST FOUND AT SIDE oF EARTHEN BANK IN TowN
576
577
UENbKAL
U)b
T6U6-I6TU
GENERALUSE181i-1814
BQ samatageru
HAMPER. OBSTRUCT
ffi
7 strokes
BOGAI
obstruction
W J L nossr
prevention
blnl
1811
SAMATAGENASHI
BO, BAI, nanigashi
A CERTAIN-,SOME9 strokes
without hindrance
z= r-\ BOSHI
'4< | )l
/.\
u
;r1<
a certainman
BOSHO
a certainplace
OTANAMGASHI*
a certainMr 6u
of that person. Now hamper/ obstruct in general.
f is tree 69. d is sweet 1093,heremeaningliterally something tasty (and rherefore
favorite) kept in the mouth. l8ll originally referredto the favored produce of
cer_
tain trees, specificallythe plums and peachesfavored by pregnant women (see 1646
and 1689). It thus becamea symbolof pregnancy. This led to its becomingassociated
with rumor (andmatchmaking-- see1692),and thusit cameto acquireits presentmeaning of a certain somebody. Also usedas a generalprefix meaninga certain-.
Mnemonic:WOMAN AT SIDE CAUSES OBSTRUCTION
Mnemonic:SOMEBODY IS swEET oN FRUIT oF A CERTAIN TREE
f is woman 35. fr is side 204, hereactingphoneticallyto expressvilify and possibly
also originally meaningbeside.1808originally referredto a woman (possiblyinitially a
woman at a lord's side)vilifying someoneand therebyhampering the progress/requesr
1809
tr
ar-
L8l2
B0, fusa
F E sosHnsu
chamber
ROOM,WIFE,TUFT
E E TUSnFUSa fleecy
jt ;f 4 F seweuvono
8 strokes
devotedwife
p is door 108,heremeaningpartition, and f, is side 204. 1809originally referredto
a little room partitioned off at the side of a larger room. On the one hand this
led to room in general,and on the other to a rangeof extendedand associated
meanings
basedon ideassuch as being appended (giving concubinesand wives) and sticking
out (givingtuft).
Mnemonic:DOOR TO ONE SIDE LEADS TO WIFE'S R O O M
1810
nftffi SHIBOSO
fat layer
f l A f f i ) E &SHIBOKATA obesity
flE,Eb
fEffi SHIBOSOSHIKI
BO
FAT
8 strokes
fattY tissue
Pl is meat 365, here meaning lean meat, while f
side of lean meat is fat.
Mnemonic: FAT IS FOUND AT SIDE OF MEAT
is side 204. That found.at the
86, okasu
DEFY, RISK, ATTACK
9 strokes
F o r m e r l y ' f a n d e a r l i e rt - 6 1w, i t h t h e o r i g i n a l f o r m b e i n g . ? /
A t a/ El isa
p r o t e c t i v eh e l m e t ,w h i l e d l 6 i s e y e 7 2 . T h u s p r o t e c t%
i i e h e l m e tw o r n o v e r t h e
eyes,a symbol of a fighting man. By associationthis cameto meanattack, with risk
and defy beingfurtherassociarions.Suggesttaking @ as sun 62.
Mnemonic:RISK SUN ATTACKING EYES
"" glf ";ix,curuP
-ffiffi#$""^rm#
lJ is sword/ cut 181.
f, is ttreobscureelementspit 384, hereactingphoneticallyto expressopen up but of unclearsemanticrole. Thus cut open, with cut up
and divide as_
sociatedmeanings.Suggesttaking !- as stand 73 and, g1 as opening/entrance20.
Mnemonic: STAND AT ENTRANCE AND GET CUT Up By SWORD
BQ tsumugu
SPIN (YARN)
10srokes
66 # nOzu spinning
machine
ffi € SON,IO
cardedwool
6Dffi # goseKlcyo
spinning
industry
ftis thread 27. rt is side/ direction 204, hereacting phoneticallyto expresstwist
together and possibly also lending loose connotationsof in a given
way. Thus to
twist threads together (in a given way?), a referenceto spinning.
Mnemonic:SPIN THREADS ON THE SIDE
578
tr [A 3OIGN
adventure
ffi tr TaNso
a cold
tr L { OKASHITE at theriskof
s79
T
G E N E R A L U S t s 1 6 T ) - T 6 T/
.ffirifr
EHiffil
W3,?J:mll*,
showing person | 7
Somewhatobscure, and of confusedevolution. Once written lffi,
felt
to show two boats
side,
meaning
The lauer is an NGU character
4 3g na 6 t*.
side bv side
tethered
204)
also
o-U" a simplification of boat & nSq see
h I f ttuf."n
image fashmirror
stylised
dot conrusinglydepictedas one overlaid by the other in highly
naa a core meaningof boats
ion. (Ihe reasonfor this stylisationis not clear')Thus fi
meansimply side,but in
side by side. As an independentcharacterit eventuallycameto
to give person at the
boats,
of
side
at
the caseof lgl5 lenr a meaningrather of
-the
with f , and eventu,{#
confused
Uecame
side of boats/ boatman. In trme, however,
in English' beside
ally took on the latter'slater meaningof side/ beside. As is the case
as
Suggesttaking f
also came to be usedin the senseof in addition to, i.e. besides.
side fr 204andstand #
(variant il
73)'
Mnemonic:PERSONSTANDING AT SIDE
1816
tE
#I*ff^"cEAR
fiEi* n6ssr
rFE
H sosHo
# $Ecnruso
har
capbadge
caP
school
helmet/ cap (but without its connotaE is attack 1812q.v., herein its literal senseof
-- was addedafter
-tions of battlehelmet). Cloth rfi 778 herein the senseof apparel
Suggesttaking B assun 62 and B as eye72'
ff underwenta changeof meaning.
Mnemonic: WEAR CLOTH CAP TO SHADE EYESFROM SUN
swelling
inflation
W *. s6ol'l
B iffi gdMAN
WBE.fi socHoeeN
valve
exPansion
is an NGU charactermeaning swelU drumbeat/
I is flesV of the body 365. fi/r,
1234 and deticate
strong. It is believed to compriie emerge from a drum/ vessel $indicate regular
to
graphically
at
g3,thelatrer
serving
also
and
meaningdelicate
(trairs]
rising steadily
and
511 tnusindicatesa drumbeat starting delicately
..O.,irio".
its meaningof
it
lends
to a crescendo,i.e. swelling in intensity. In the caseof 1817
swelU expand in a
swell, to give swelling body, usedinitiaily of pregnancybut now
4g4andbeans 9(variant f, tg0l'
broadsense.Suggesttak'rng-+Oassamurai t
1818
GENBRALUSE1818-1820
BO MU, hakaru,hakarigoto H # INBd
plot" intrigue
PLOT, STRATAGEM
# lx- M_UHON* insurrection
16strokes
# e F BORYAKU
srraragem
t iswordl speak 274. {. isa certain 18ll q.v., here acting phoneticallyro express
seek and also lending connotationsof a secret relationship. l8l8 originally meantto
seek a confidential discussion with someone,and came by associationto mean
plot/ conspire. Stratagem is also an associatedmeaning.
Mnemonic:PLOT HINGES ON A CERTAIN WORD
""+f ixf*llo"*o"o
f.{ tl' rumoru
* fl' sosOru
fl'O
^
HONOKI
simolicitv
artlessness
maenotia
fi. is tree/ wood 69. F is divination crack 91, here actingphoneticallyto express
tear and probably also lending connotationsof split. 1819originally referredto treebark, i.e. that which is torn from a tree. It becamepanicularlyassociated
with a
type of magnolia (hypoleuca),presumablybecauseits bark was usedfor somenow unclearpurpose. Simple is a borrowing.
Mnemonic:MAGNOLIA WOOD SIMPLY CRACKS
",',fJtff*:riH$;h,
'
A ff rdsOKU publicservanr
{I H oosoru
manseryanr
# i, SOTURA
welus
Once written''<r{, clearlyshowinga slave {tp"rron f , with taiVtesticles E 1734
q.v. to indicate a male and tattooist's needle + 1432q.v. to indicateslave status)
carryinga container rxr with bits i;'i in it. € is takenby someauthoritativeJapanese
scholarsto be specificallya chamber-pot and turds, but in any event the pictograph
clearlydepictsa slaveperforminga (meniai)task.Slave/manservantthencamero mean
servant in general(thoughis still usedlargely of males),and was also usedas a humble
reference to oneself (though now consideredrather colloquial). person ,f 39 was
addedat a larer stagefor clarity. The modern form
derives from a simplified flg{,
{
showinghands v{, needle/slave $ , and basket/ container v (see399). In compounds
often lends an idea of rougV crude, but note that it is listed as a CO character
{
with the rather confusing meaning of thicket. This is presumablyeither a borrowing or an
associated
meaningwith rough (i.e.rougharea). Suggestremembering by association
V^
'odd' variant
with profession
of this.
H 260, taking it as an
Mnemonic: I'M A PERSON WITH ODD PROFESSION -- MANSERYANT
Mnemonic:SAMURAI'SBODYSWELLSAFTEREATINGHAIRYBEANS
580
581
GENERALUSE 1824-1826
GENERALUSE 1821-1823
S B rnrsuBoKu stationery
chaik
E E HeruBoKU
!
!g- 1J,1"i.-,1il,.-.
\t
-
B ff; SUUIE
14 strokes
ink drawinp
Formerly$
-l is earth 60. fr^is crouch/ submit 1188q.v., hereactingphoneticallyto expressdig
and probably also lending its meaningof crouch (and possiblyalso connorationsof
remove). Thus (crouchdown and?)dig earth (therebyremovingit?), i.e. dig a hote/
Now ink/ writing wherewithal in a broadersense'
ditch. At one srage1824was interchangeable
with atg{&,1 1g9,but eventuallyit cameto
indicatethe noun (i.e. that which is dug) ratherthan the verb (dig). Now moat/ ditch
. ]: ir earth 60. Pl?. it black 124 q.v., herewith its literal meaningot
with a certain kin<j
soot. l82l originally referred ro a type of ink formed by mixing soot
character)
of earth (plus water -- it is not clear why water ) 40 was not addedto the
ratherthanjustany shapeof hole.
Mnemonic:BLACK EARTH MAKES INK
blou
strike,
fJ H oesOru
sunrr
ffi H sutnto*
H fE BOKUSATSU
BOKU
STRIKE, BEAT
15strokes
1822
Mnemonic:CROUCH IN EARTHEN MOAT
1825
beating to deatir
hereactingphoneticallyto expressbeat and almo:;
{ is trana 32.f is servant 1820,
(a servantl
certainlyalso originally lendingits meaningof servant. Thus to beat
'sort
of variantr''
as a
with the hand, now simply beat/ strike. Suggesttaking {
professionp
zso.
Mnemonic:BEATING WITH HAND IS A SORT OF PROFESSION
1823
rt
BOTSU
SINK, DISAPPEAR,
DIE, LACK, NOT
forfeitur'
& lX sossHu
B iq NICHIBOTSU sunsci
afterdeati'
tft lA Borsuco
7 suokes
'\: 7 is water/ river 40, d is a hand' md @ is ;'
2
Formerly )? ^dearlier :1'Q
vortex/ whirlpool 86. 1823 originally referredto a whirlpool where the hand can
whirl'
find no hold, and thus came ro mean disappear and die by sinking into a
pool. Disappear/die led by associationto not (be present)/ be lacking. suggesttak
i"g *- as strike 153.
STRIKE WATER AND SINK, DISAPPEAR' AND DIE
MNEMONiC:
582
#
7FE goNso
# tr uOtlrPdna
ff 4 srruppoN
HON
RUN, BUSTLE
8 strokes
bustle
uninhibited
abscondins
once written
of;.",showinga man running ?( l6r andthree footprints tg 129,thus
indicatinga man running and reavinga trair of footprints (suggesting
distance).
However,as a resultof the confusingsimilariryof growingplant
9 42 q.v.,from an ear_
ly stagethe threefoorprints o-o becameconfusedwith three plants
Jn/ ,& t{f nlO
q.v.' giving man running over plants/ grass (seealso plants/grass
f 9). However,
the coremeaningof run remainedunchanged.Busile is an associated
meaning. suggest
taking J( as big man 53 and ii as a combinedtrebting of ten
t 33.
MNemonic:THIRTY BIG MEN RUNNING AND BUSTLING
1826
HON, hirugaerulsu
FLAP, CHANGE
l8 snokes
trfl ;R'X Hot{yAKUKA translator
ffi H UOut
changing
mind
'7
C
HIRUGAETTE
ffi
on secondthought
Formerly
, i.". with fly/ spread wings ft 566 q.v. insteadof wings
gt:..g
&
44
is number/turn 196 q.v., here actingphoneticallyto expressreverse/
change and also
lending connotationsof in turn/ sequence. Thus
to change the wings in turn (in
flight), i.e. flap. Now flap/ flutter/ change in a broad sense.
Mnemonic: WINGS FLAP, CHANGING IN TURN
583
GENERALUSE 1827.1829
GENERALUSE1830-1832
rf ,FLHEIBON
mediocrity
BON, HAN, oyoso
BONSEN
dull ganre
,FLFl
MEDIOCRE,COMMON,
ROUGHLY, IN GENERAL LFIJ HANREI
explanatorynotes
3 strokes
1827
- /' is takenby
Formerly also [d and originally tr . )J indicatesa shallow tray.
somescholarsto indicatecontents,but it is far more likely to be the displacedbottom sroke
of ;] . The presentcore meaningof commonplace (with mediocre and [in] general
meanings,and roughly being a furtherassociationin turn of in general)
being associated
is felt by somescholarsto be a borrowing,while othersfeei that the simpletray in itself
symbolisedsomethingcommonplace.Suggesttaking [L as table 832 and as a mark.
MA,sura
FX&MATENRO skyscraper
RUB, GRAZE,SCRAPE B NFuesersu
friction
15strokes
THgMASATSUON fricative
Hand S 32 andhemp/ flax fu 1829. 1830originallyreferredto rubbing hemp/
flax by handin orderto separate
thefibers,andnowmeansrub in a broadsense.Often
interchanged
with rub ffi ttZt.
Mnemonic:
HAND RUBSHEMP
MA, migaka
ffi ts rEmaa
grinding
POLISH, SCOUR, RUB
ffiffi MAVETSU