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