The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji_ (JLPT All Levels) Remembering and Understanding the 2136 Standard Characters

包611 HŌ, tsutsumu OBI ; seal . (originally ‘person bent
forward enclosing something’), with , which
L3 wrap, envelop in traditional form for this graph is ‘ser-
5 strokes pent’ (see 458), but originally here depicted
an infant still in the womb, giving overall
kozutsumi parcel meaning ‘be pregnant’, and by extension
HŌI encircle ‘enclose’. YK1976:452; MS1995:v1:144-6,148-9;
HŌTAI bandaging KJ1970:761-2.

Mnemonic: SERPENT-LIKE EMBRYO

ENVELOPED IN WOMB

法612 HŌ, HATSU ox and head of a deer [Shirakawa takes it as a
sacred sheep]) over as phonetic, and early
L3 law Chinese sound values suggest he is correct.
8 strokes Mizukami lists alternative analysis (Tōdō) which
has whole graph as enclosing the surroundings
HŌGAKU jurisprudence of the above creature with water to prevent its
BUNPŌ grammar escape. Core meaning of the graph seems to
FUHŌ illegal be imposing a framework, leading to abstract
senses such as ‘method, rule, law’. YK1976:454;
Bronze ; seal ; traditional 灋. Has 42 MS1995:v2:792-4; KJ1970:765-8; TA1965:869.
‘water’, and [hereafter ‘r.h’] as phonetic with Suggest take as ‘leave’ 276.
associated sense ‘surround, enclose’, to give ‘en-
close water so it cannot flow away’; Katō argues Mnemonic: THE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE
it is inappropriate to analyze r.h by dividing
into (orig. a mythical animal with body of an LEAVE WATER

望613 BŌ, MŌ, nozomu, by positing ‘full moon’ as a meaning deriving
from ‘the thing that is gazed at from afar’. In the
L3 nozomashii bronze script, was typically written with
wish, hope, gaze 18 ‘moon’ added at the upper right. Finally, at
11 strokes times in bronze, and commonly in seal script,
was replaced by , a change explained by Qiu
SHITSUBŌ despair as being because the shapes of and were
GANMŌ wish – originally – rather similar. Use of the element
nozomite aspirant
here became predominant, thereby leading
OBI ; bronze ; seal ; traditional 望. One of to the shape望, and this is the immediate pre-
the more complex graphs in terms of its evolu- decessor of the modern form , which is the
tion. OBI form typically consists of , taken as result of minor regularization in shape. ‘Hope’
a person with an exaggeratedly large eye ( may be regarded as an extended sense deriving
543) standing on tiptoe on the ground (CO, ), from ‘gaze (with contemplation)’. QX2000:194-5;
to represent ‘gaze into the distance’ and also AS2007:508-9; MS1995:v1:638-9; KJ1970:130-
‘full moon’. It is not clear whether these two 31. As a mnemonic, we suggest taking as 5
senses were essentially a reflection of the same ‘king’, 18 ‘moon’, and 985 as ‘die/death’.
underlying word, or whether they were two
separate words (homophones or near-hom- Mnemonic: KING GAZES AT MOON, WISHING
ophones). Schuessler suggests they may be
the same word, and reconciles the two senses FOR DEATH

200 The 200 Fourth Grade Characters

牧614 BOKU, maki OBI ; seal . Has 108 ‘cow’, and ( )
112 as semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘beat
L1 pasture with stick’, to give ‘herd cattle with a stick’, and
8 strokes by extension ‘graze animals’ and also the land
where they graze, i.e. ‘pasture’. KJ1970:864;
BOKUJŌ pasture YK1976:460; OT1968:636.
HŌBOKU grazing
makibatori meadowlark Mnemonic: HAND WITH STICK MAKES COW
GO INTO PASTURE
末615 MATSU, BATSU, sue
to signify small branches at the top of a tree and
L3 end, tip equivalent originally to ), but while Mizukami
5 strokes and Ma do not recognize any OBI forms, Katō
and Yamada list what they take to be OBI forms
SHŪMATSU weekend for , and consider that originally, at least, there
suekko* youngest child was no difference in shape between and
SHIMATSU managing
. The upper horizontal stroke of is taken
Seal . Scholarly opinion is divided over wheth- to focus attention on the top part of the tree,
er OBI forms for this graph exist, and whether signifying ‘tip, end’ in a physical sense and by
there were originally separate graphs for extension the abstract sense also, i.e. ‘end; last,
and the similarly-shaped 617 (qv, originally, final’. MS1995:v1:644-5; KJ1970:868; YK1976:462-
‘tree with luxuriant growth’). There is general 3; QX2000:183; AS2007:389; TA1965:667-70.
agreement that the graph shows branches
growing out from a tree (though Tōdō takes it Mnemonic: TIP OF TREE HAS BIG END

満616 MAN, michiru/tasu Seal ; traditional ; late graph (Shuowen).
Has 42 ‘water’ and / (originally meant
L3 full, fill ‘join two halves of a gourd’) as semantic and
12 strokes phonetic meaning ‘fill right up’, to give ‘fill
container till water overflows’, then by extension
MANGETSU full moon ‘full’. KJ1970:202; OT1968:597; YK1976:463. We
MANZOKU satisfaction suggest as 53 ‘grass’ and 434 ‘both’ (qv,
FUMAN dissatisfaction also involving a gourd).

未617 MI, mada Mnemonic: BOTH GRASS AND WATER CAN BE FILLING

L3 immature, not yet interprets the graph as ‘branches still growing/
5 strokes immature’, while Tōdō includes in a word-
family ‘small, not clearly visible’ and explains
MIRAI future as ‘small upper branches not clearly visible;
MICHI unknown these alternative views would result in ‘not
madamada still not yet’ being an extended sense. While not clear
which of the above views is the one to follow,
OBI seal . OBI forms typically have several it was a common practice in the early script
extra u;pper strokes compared with 73 ‘tree’, to borrow graphs for their sound value to
representing luxuriant growth, though some represent grammatical function words, as in
occurrences still appear identical in shape to the case of ‘winnowing basket’ borrowed for
another word indicating probability/futurity.
. However, they are consistently written with MS1995:v1:644-5; KJ1970:949; YK1976:464;
additional upper strokes from bronze onwards. AS2007:512; TA1965:732-6. We suggest taking
Appears to have been borrowed at a very early the graph literally.
stage (OBI) for its sound value, to represent an
abstract grammatical function word meaning Mnemonic: GROWTH OF IMMATURE TREE
‘not yet’. Note, though, that there are several WITH SMALL TIP NOT YET FINISHED
alternative analyses: one given in Mizukami
The 200 Fourth Grade Characters 201

脈618 MYAKU because it was the one given in Shuowen, and
is the main form given for this graph in the
L1 vein, pulse authoritative Kangxi zidian, which lists a third
10 strokes form, ( ‘flesh, meat’, with 644 ‘long’),
as a variant of . Extended usage is seen, for
MYAKKAN blood vessel instance in ‘coal vein’, and in the sense ‘pulse’.
KŌMYAKU ore-vein KJ1970:751; YK1976:465; OT1968:822. We sug-
SANMYAKU mountain range gest taking as a variant of 50 ‘river, flow’,
but with the specific meaning of ‘tributary’, and
Seal forms , ; late graph (Shuowen). The
first seal form has 288 ‘blood’, and mean- as ‘flesh’.
ing ‘tributary’ (see also 965) as semantic and
phonetic; the second has 209 ‘flesh, meat’, Mnemonic: VEINS ARE TRIBUTARIES FLOWING
with . Both forms give the meaning ‘vein’, but THROUGH ONE’S FLESH
the second came to predominate, probably
gimlet view is adopted, but extended sense if
民619 MIN, tami the view of blinding as punishment is taken, on
the basis that the ordinary people were ignorant,
L4 populace, people or ‘blind’ figuratively speaking, i.e. ignorant.
5 strokes Incidentally, is one of those graphs which for
a certain period were modified by omitting a
KOKUMIN a nation/people stroke when writing (thus here). This was due
MINKAN privately owned to a taboo relating to the emperor of the time, in
MINSHUTEKI democratic this case Tang Taizong (r.763-779), because this
graph was used for his given name Shimin.
Bronze ; seal . Analyses diverge. The com- YK1976:465; MS1995:v2:726-7; OT1968:551;
mentators referred to each give two possible QX2000:301. We suggest a mnemonic based on
interpretations: either i] a pictograph of a gimlet the similar shaped 522, ‘clan’, but with a more
(tool for drilling holes in wood), or ii] depic- substantial top element.
tion of the eye of a person (criminal or slave)
being pierced with a needle to blind them as a Mnemonic: THE POPULACE IS MORE
punishment. Some of the bronze forms suggest SUBSTANTIAL THAN A CLAN
the latter assessment may well be correct. ‘The
ordinary people, populace’ is a loan usage if the

無620 MU, BU, nai/shi nally had the sense ‘dancing’, was borrowed to
conveniently represent another word of similar
L3 not, none, cease to be pronunciation meaning ‘not have’. In some
12 strokes bronze forms (and consistently later), we find

MURYŌ no charge/fee (feet pointing different ways 336) added to
BUJI safe, unscathed further clarify the sense ‘dance’, while a different
nakunaru disappear, go element (corresponding to modern 985, now
meaning ‘die’ or disappear’ but originally show-
Bronze ; seal . Originally, in OBI and some ing someone hiding in a corner and meaning:
bronze forms, this graph had the same shape as ‘cannot be seen’) was added to the predecessor
what later became 1920 (person with long of at the seal stage. Shapes close to itself,
decorative sleeves, shown with feet pointed which is somewhat simpler than the seal equiva-
away from each other; ‘dance’). Taken to depict lent, were already well-established in the clerical
a person dancing with what appear to be long script. QX2000:186-7; YK1976:466-7; OT1968:621;
decorative sleeves, or what Qiu identifies as AS2007:518; SK1984:467-8. We suggest taking
oxtails or similar hanging down. While Qiu’s the lower part as 8 ‘fire’ and the upper part as
suggestion might seem bizarre initially, he does a bound wheat-sheaf.
note a passage in the Spring and Autumn Annals
(compiled ca. 239BC) which describes dancing Mnemonic: BOUND WHEATSHEAF BURNED,
while holding oxtails. This graph, which origi-
NOW ALL GONE

202 The 200 Fourth Grade Characters

約621 YAKU (in some cases leaving noticeable marks)’.
By extension, it acquired meanings such as
L3 promise, approx., ‘reduce, contract, bring together’, and then
summarise abstract meanings such as ‘make agreement’
9 strokes and ‘summarise’. (One notes the similar use of
the figurative concept/term ‘binding’ in English
YAKUSOKU promise with regard to agreements and promises.) The
SETSUYAKU economize latter sense of ‘summarise’ involves removal of
YAKUJŪNIN 10 people non-essential points or items, thereby perhaps
generating the meaning ‘approximately’. Early
Seal . This graph has 29 ‘thread, cord’, and (post-OBI) senses listed by Schuessler include
. The latter was formerly in the Jōyō kanji ‘abbreviate, condense, essential’. OT1968:768;
MS1995:v2:1004,v1:146-7; KJ1970:874;
List, but was one of the five characters to be YK1976:475.
withdrawn from it in the changes in 2010. It
originally depicted wine or soup being ladled Mnemonic: BINDING PROMISE TO PUT
into a container such as a half-gourd, but here
it acts as a phonetic with associated meaning THREADS ON THE LADLE
‘bind, fasten’, to give ‘fasten tightly with cord

勇622 YŪ, isamu/mashii flower-bud’) as phonetic with associated
sense generally agreed to be ‘gush out’, to give
L3 brave, spirited ‘strength gushes out’, and hence ‘courage’. By
9 strokes about the 6th century AD, the time the block
script was widely established in use in place
YŪSHA hero of the clerical script (see Introduction), the
YŪKI courage lower part of the phonetic element was slightly
isamiashi rashness abbreviated in shape, resulting in the form
in use today ( ). MS1995:v1:138-40, v2:868-
Bronze ; seal . The bronze form has 9; KJ1970:885-6; YK1976:478; OT1968:127;
’halberd’ (see for example 545) over 235 QX2000:142-7; FC1977:112. We suggest taking
(originally, pen for animals; later ‘use’); Mizukami the modern form as ‘bent figure’ with 57
takes it as ‘strength to use a halberd’, while Katō ‘man’.
says the meaning is unclear. In the seal forms,
Mnemonic: BENT OLD MAN IS STILL BRAVE
still occurs, but Shuowen main heading has
78 ‘strength’, with (see 193: now means AND SPIRITED
‘go through’ but original meaning disputed,
though Mizukami takes it as ‘shape of round

要623 YŌ, iru, kaname ‘west’), as abbreviated form of 598 (‘sign’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘light’ or ‘tight-
L3 need, vital, pivot en’ (Mizukami). Lower part of seal form has not
9 strokes
but a shape to represent two legs. Despite
FUHITSUYŌ unnecessary varied analysis, consensus is that the graph’s
YŌTEN gist meaning is ‘waist’ (later written 2054); by
JŪYŌ importance extension, ‘tie a waistband’ or ‘central part’,
hence ‘pivotal, vital’. KJ1970:87; YK1976:483;
Bronze ; seal . Some bronze forms (as here) OT1968:912; SS1984:847; MS1995:v2:1174-5. To
have 37 ‘woman’ as lower element; analy- simplify, we suggest as west(ern), and lower
ses of upper part differ. Seal form is taken as part as woman.
backbone with hipbones on either side (Katō,
Yamada), or as two hands enclosing waist Mnemonic: A WESTERN HAS VITAL NEED FOR
(Ogawa), or as hipbones and pelvis (Shirakawa),
or yet again as (‘stopper, plug’) (not 169 WOMAN IN PIVOTAL ROLE

The 200 Fourth Grade Characters 203

養624 YŌ, yashinau just sheep). This accounts for seal form, but not
earlier forms (OBI, bronze), which clearly have
L1 support, rear
15 strokes ( ) 112 ‘hit (with stick)’; this latter distinc-
tion is noted by Yamada, and also Ma; Ma takes
YŌSEI training OBI form as originally meaning ‘herd sheep’.
EIYŌSHI dietician Script regularization has resulted in minor
KYŌYŌ culture modifications.YK1976:485-6; OT1968:1116;
MS1995:v2:1458-9; MR2007:322-3. Suggest tak-
OBI ; seal . Typically taken as 163 ‘food’, ing (variant of sheep ), and ‘food’.
with 426 (‘sheep’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘provide, offer’, to give ‘provide food’ Mnemonic: SUPPORT REARING SHEEP FOR
and hence ‘raise, bring up’ (generalized, not
FOOD

浴625 YOKU, abiru Seal . Has 42 water, with 135 (‘valley’)
as phonetic with sense ‘scatter water’ > ‘scatter
L3 bathe water over oneself’, i.e. ‘bathe’. Mizukami takes
10 strokes some OBI forms as same shape as OBI forms
for 257. KJ1970:888-9; MS1995:v2:756-7;
YOKUSHITSU bathroom YK1976:486; OT1968:581.
NIKKŌYOKU sunbathing
mizuabi bathing Mnemonic: BATHE IN THE WATER IN THE

VALLEY

利626 RI, kiku nally, ‘damage with a blade’]) which is usually
interpreted as meaning ‘plow’. OBI type i] gives
L3 profit, gain, efficiency the meaning ‘cut/harvest grains with a knife’
7 strokes (Ma, Shirakawa); type ii] gives ‘cultivate grain
crops by working the soil with a plow’ (Yamada,
RIEKI profit, gain Ogawa). Senses such as ‘efficient’ and ‘gain’
RIYŌ utilization represent extended usage. MS1995:v1:128-9;
kikime efficacy YK1976:490-91; MR2007:303; SS1984:869;
OT1968:114.
OBI ; seal . OBI forms have 87 ‘grain’, and
a second – later predominant –element some- Mnemonic: EFFICIENT KNIFE CUTS GRAIN
times occuring as i] / 198 ‘knife/cut’, but
more commonly as ii] slightly more complex FOR PROFIT
element (Mizukami takes to be 刅 [origi-

陸627 RIKU Bronze ; seal . Has 1907 ‘hill, piled-up
earth’, and 坴 (CO, ‘large clods of earth’) as
L3 land phonetic with associated sense ‘be lined up,
11 strokes continue’, to give ‘continuous elevated land’.
MS1995:v2:1398-9; OT1968:1071; YK1976:493;
RIKUGUN army SS1984:874.
JŌRIKU landing
TAIRIKU continent Mnemonic: HILLS AND EARTHEN MOUNDS

INDICATE LAND

204 The 200 Fourth Grade Characters

良628 RYŌ, yoi form. The shape then evolved further through
clerical script into its block script form. Katō
L3 good takes receptacle as vessel normally used for
7 strokes food; Ogawa sees it as sieve. Former view
treats sense ‘good’ as a loan usage; latter view
RYŌSHIN conscience sees it as extended usage. KJ1970:537-9;
KAIRYŌ improvement MS1995:v2:1102-3; YK1976:497; OT1968:839;
yosa worth, quality SK1984:613. Suggest taking as 163 ‘food/
eat’ minus the lid .
OBI ; bronze ; seal . OBI forms depict some
sort of receptacle for pouring material in to Mnemonic: TAKES LID OFF FOOD – LOOKS
measure, then letting it out. The simplest
bronze form differs a little in shape, but shows GOOD!
the same in essence as OBI, as does the seal

料629 RYŌ The element here is better taken as semantic
(Ogawa, Shirakawa) rather than phonetic, as
L4 materials, measure, the historical pronunciations in early Chinese
charge are not very supportive of a phonetic role.
10 strokes Etymologically similar to 87 ‘course, section’,
but became associated with ‘class, degree’
GENRYŌ raw materials at an early period. OT1968:448; SS1984:883;
RYŌKIN charge, fee AS2007:628,357; MS1995:v1:592; KJ1970:731;
RYŌRI cooking YK1976:498; TA1965:254.

Bronze ; seal . Has 220 ‘rice’, and Mnemonic: RICE IS MEASURED – FOR A
1766 (originally ‘ladle [for measuring]’), to give
‘measure rice’, later generalised to just ‘measure’. CHARGE
‘Charge’ may be regarded as an extended sense.

量630 RYŌ, hakaru sense (Ogawa). Shirakawa, though, sees top
part as opening at top of sack to pour grain in,
L3 measure, quantity and lower part in the original sense ‘sack’. Some
12 strokes variation in analysis, but overall sense is taken
uniformly as ‘measure’ (originally rice, later
JŪRYŌ heavy weight general); by extension, ‘quantity’. KJ1970:537;
BUNRYŌ quantity YK1976:498; MS1995:v2:1356-7; OT1968:1033;
RYŌTEKI quantitative SS1984:885. Take as 238 as ‘village’, 66
‘day’ and 1 ‘one’.
OBI ; seal . Upper part of older forms is
usually taken to depict top of receptacle Mnemonic: VILLAGE GETS MEASURED QUAN-
for measuring, with 326 (originally ‘sack’,
‘heavy’) meaning ‘measure’ either as associated TITY FOR ONE DAY
phonetic sense (Katō, Yamada) or as extended

輪631 RIN, wa semantic, meaning ‘round’ (Katō, Yamada), or
as phonetic meaning ‘lined up’ (Ogawa, Tōdō);
L3 wheel, hoop in Tōdō’s word-family ‘same things lined up’.
15 strokes Both analyses refer to spokes of a cart/chariot
wheel, extended to wheel itself. KJ1970:911-12;
SHARIN vehicle wheel YK1976:500; OT1968:986; TA1965:686-9. We
SANRINSHA tricycle suggest as ‘capped’ ‘wheels’ .
wanage quoits
Mnemonic: VEHICLE HAS ALIGNED WHEELS,
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 33
‘vehicle’, and (CO, orig aligned bundle of MOREOVER CAPPED
wooden writing slips: see 884) taken as

The 200 Fourth Grade Characters 205

類632 RUI as phonetic with associated sense ‘raccoon’, to
give original meaning ‘raccoon-like creature’
L3 resemble, sort, variety (Katō, Yamada). The senses ‘similar; variety, sort’
18 strokes are loan usages. Shirakawa, by contrast, seeks
to give a ritualistic interpretation to the origin
SHURUI sort, kind of the graph , arguing that rice ( 220) and
BUNRUI classification dogs ( ) were offered to the gods. KJ1970:914;
RUIJI resemblance YK1976:501; MS1995:1444-5; SS1984:895. Sug-
gest taking 103 ‘head’, 220 ‘rice’, and
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . 56 ‘big’.
Usually taken as 19 ‘dog’, with (CO, origi-
nally, ‘foolish head’; by extension ‘difficult to Mnemonic: VARIETY OF RICE WITH BIG HEAD
distinguish’, then ‘similar, look alike’ [Mizukami])

令633 REI, RYŌ represent two separate words: one as described
above, the other a different but probably
L3 order, rule related word also meaning ‘order’ and later ‘life’
5 strokes also (subsequently written as 416). This is
one of a small number of graphs in modern
REIJŌ warrant Japanese script the handwritten shape of which
MEIREIHŌ imperative differs somewhat from the printed equivalent.
SHIREIKAN commander MS1995:v1:46-7,224-5; KJ1970:177; YK1976:501;
AS2007:361,387. Suggest taking as cap, and
OBI ; seal . OBI form has lower element lower part as kneeling person.
‘person kneeling’, and upper element with
associated sense ‘shout loudly’, to give ‘sum- Mnemonic: KNEELING PERSON ORDERED TO
mon a subordinate/retainer’, and by exten-
sion ‘order’. In Shang times and early into the PUT ON CAP – IT’S THE RULE
first millennium BC, this graph was used to

冷634 REI, sameru/masu, Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has ice 401,
and 633 (‘rule’) as phonetic, but associated
L3 tsumetai, hieru/yasu sense disputed. is taken either as i] ‘shiver’
freeze, cold (Katō, Yamada), or as ii] ‘clear’ (Ogawa, Tōdō); i]
7 strokes gives ‘coldness of ice to make a person shiver’,
while ii] gives ‘clear/bright cold’ or ‘ice which
REIZŌ refrigeration is clear/transparent’. KJ1970:915; YK1976:502;
REISEI cool-headed OT1968:915; TA1965:475-7.
hieSHŌ sensitive to cold
Mnemonic: ICE RULES IN FREEZING COLD

例635 REI, tatoeru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 ‘person’,
and 437 (‘line’) as semantic and phonetic,
L3 example, liken, prec- meaning ‘lined up’, to give ‘people lined up’. Lin-
edent ing up involves a degree of organization and ar-
8 strokes rangement, and this appears to have given rise
to extended senses such as ‘usage/precedent’
REIGAI exception and ‘example/likening’. KJ1970:922; YK1976:502;
ZENREI precedent OT1968:62.
tatoeba for example
Mnemonic: PEOPLE IN LINE ARE AN EXAMPLE

OF FOLLOWING PRECEDENT

206 The 200 Fourth Grade Characters

歴636 REKI and put in order’) as phonetic, again meaning
‘lined up at intervals’. Overall meaning is ‘walk/
L3 history, path move at set intervals’, esp. of heavenly bod-
14 strokes ies (for movement of sun, a separate graph
[2112 ‘calendar’] was devised at seal stage). By
REKISHIKA historian the Western Zhou period (11th century – 771
KEIREKI career to date BC) the graph was used to mean ‘series’;
RIREKISHO CV, resumé extending to ‘history; path’. Suggest as cliff,

OBI ; seal ; traditional OBI has 143 in usual meaning of ‘stop’, and as ‘for-
‘footprint’ (Mizukami and Ogawa take as ‘walk’), est’ 79. MS1995:v1:706-7,186-7; KJ1970:921;
and 秝 (CO, orig two grain stalks) giving ‘place OT1968:540; YK1976:503.
(seedlings) at set intervals’. Seal form also has
Mnemonic: THROUGHOUT HISTORY, FORESTS
, but with 厤 (a CO, abbrev. of 47
‘stone’, with 秝 as phonetic with sense ‘grind, HAVE STOPPED AT CLIFFS
polish’, giving ‘grind with whetstone’, or ‘polish

連637 REN, tsureru together. However, Ogawa takes with as
abbrev of (CO) as semantic and phonetic,
L3 accompany, row meaning ‘men pull a vehicle’. Tōdō includes
10 strokes in his word-family ‘be linked up’, and sees it as
denoting vehicles moving together. ‘Be linked
RENRAKUSEN ferry together (in a row)’ is an extended mean-
RENJŪ party, group ing. KJ1970:924-6; YK1976:504; OT1968:1002;
tsureai partner, companion TA1965:552-4.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Views vary. One Mnemonic: ACCOMPANIED BY ROW OF
is 33 ‘vehicle’, and 85 ‘go’ as semantic and
phonetic, giving ‘vehicle moves (slowly)’ (Katō, MOVING VEHICLES
Yamada); this may refer to multiple vehicles

老638 RŌ, oiru, fukeru with the long established practice in premod-
ern Japan of obasute ( ‘abandoning granny’
L3 aged, old and, less commonly, oyasute ( ‘abandon-
6 strokes ing one’s parents’), typically taking them up a
remote hill and leaving them there. Even in the
RŌJIN old person heyday of Confucianism in the 7th century, the
RŌREN veteran Japanese poet Yamanoue Okura bewailed the
RŌREI old age disrespect and callous treatment meted out to
the elderly: “With staffs at their waists, they tot-
OBI ; seal . The OBI forms show an aged ter along the road. Laughed at here, and hated
and fragile person with bent back and often there. This is the way of the world.”There are still
with long hair, leaning on a stick, to give ‘old a number of place-names called Obasute (such
person (with stick for support)’. In some bronze as in Nagano Prefecture). MS1995:v2:1048-9;
occurrences and in the seal form, the element KJ1970:891; OT1968:805; YK1976:505. As with
for ‘stick’ is distorted in shape. OBI forms for 130, we suggest taking (which is actually
nicknamed the ‘old man’ determinative) as
are virtually indistinguishable from those ‘entering the ground’ (see ‘ground’ 64), and
for the separate graph (the latter graph also the lower element as an old man slumped on
originally meant ‘old person’, but subsequently the ground (see 258).
borrowed for ‘consider’; see 130). On a socio-
cultural note, Confucianism is said to have Mnemonic: OLD MAN SLUMPS TO THE
instilled a respect for the elderly in both China
and Japan – in theory. In practice, it is difficult GROUND IN WHICH HE’LL BE BURIED
to reconcile universal respect for the elderly

The 200 Fourth Grade Characters 207

労639 RŌ being extended to ‘work’ in general. Shirakawa,
alternatively, looks to a ritualistic interpretation,
L3 labor, toil linking it to sacred flames used to purify agricul-
7 strokes tural implements at the beginning and end of
the season. Mizukami lists a number of bronze
RŌDŌSHA laborer forms which he equates to . KJ1970:81;
KURŌ hardship YK1976:506; SS1984:913; MS1995:v1:142-3. As
KARŌ overwork a mnemonic we suggest taking the three short
strokes on top of roof as an ornate roof
Seal ; traditional . Perhaps most convinc- (see also 11), and as ‘effort’.
ingly taken as 78 ‘strength, effort’ and
as an abbreviation of (NJK, ‘firefly’) with Mnemonic: TOIL WITH EFFORT UNDER OR-
semantic and phonetic function, meaning
‘small flame’, to give ‘work by the light of small NATE ROOF
flames’, i.e. ‘night work’ (Katō, Yamada), this then

録640 ROKU through’; overall meaning is that which exudes
from copper, i.e. ‘verdigris’ (Katō, Yamada). Oga-
L3 record, inscribe wa takes 彔 as phonetic with associated sense
16 strokes ‘shine’, to give ‘shine with a metal color’. Either
way, the sense ‘record’ is just a loan usage, but
KIROKU record the verdigris interpretation is more compel-
JITSUROKU true record ling (see 435 ‘green’ also). KJ1970:931-2;
ROKUON sound recording YK1976:507; OT1968:1046. As a mnemonic
we suggest associating this graph with ‘green’,
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . as they have the same right hand part in the
Has 16 ‘metal’ (in ancient China, typically modern form.
referred to bronze or copper), and 彔 (CO,
originally a pictograph showing liquid [prob- Mnemonic: RECORD BY INSCRIBING ON
ably wine] being strained and dripping down)
as semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘ooze, soak GREEN METAL

208 The 200 Fourth Grade Characters

THE 185 FIFTH GRADE CHARACTERS

圧641 ATSU ‘press down’, to give ‘press down and cover
with earth’; later this became more general-
L3 pressure ized in meaning as ‘press down, pressure’. The
5 strokes element was added at the seal stage to
create this graph so as to differentiate clearly
ATSURYOKU pressure the meaning ‘press down’ from other mean-
DEN’ATSU voltage ings of . KJ1970:105; YK1976:50; OT1968:210;
ATTŌTEKI overwhelming MS1995:v1:186-9, v2:840-41; TA1965:853-9;
AS2007:550; QX2000:267. As a mnemonic we
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . suggest taking as a cliff.
The graph comprises 64 ‘earth, soil’, and
Mnemonic: EARTH UNDER A CLIFF IS UNDER
(CO, analyzed as ‘cover’, ‘oppress’, ‘press’, or
‘sated with oppressive feeling [from overeat- PRESSURE
ing]’, ‘weary’) as phonetic with associated sense

移642 I, utsuru/su meaning ‘grain plants swaying in the breeze’.
Commentators generally regard ‘move’ as a loan
L3 transfer, move usage, but the original sense of already in-
11 strokes volves some degree of movement. On the basis
of the early Chinese sound values, it seems
IDŌ movement likely that is serving here as an abbrevia-
IMIN migrants tion for 迻 (CO, ‘walk with a swaying motion’).
utsurigi fickle ‘Transfer’ is an extended meaning. KJ1970:17-
18; YK1976:55; OT1968:733; MS1995:v2:1286;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). The graph com- AS2007:566.
prises 87 ‘grain’, and 180 (‘many, numer-
ous’) as a phonetic with an associated sense Mnemonic: TRANSFER MANY RICE PLANTS
of ‘sway (in the breeze)’, to give the original

因643 IN, yoru Ma, by contrast, takes the graph as originally
showing a prisoner in confinement, while
L3 cause, depend on, Ogawa interprets it as a person with limbs
be based on outstretched, sleeping on a mattress. Gu takes
6 strokes it to be not a person on the mat/mattress,
but a pattern, i.e. a patterned mat/mattress,
GEN’IN cause and considers the OBI form to be the same as
SHIIN cause of death that for 549 (‘seat’ qv); if the corresponding
INGA karma, destiny OBI forms for and have been correctly
identified, then there are cases of identical form
OBI ; seal . Interpretations vary. One as Gu suggests, but at the same time there
analysis takes the graph as 56 (‘big’ [person are occurrences between the two with some
with limbs extended], here treated simply as variation.’ KJ1970:62; YK1976:60; OT1968:202;
‘person’), and , an element meaning ‘enclo- MR2007:346; MS1995:v1:252-3. We suggest that
sure’ (see 84), to give ‘live in someone else’s the easiest mnemonic is a big man within an
house’; and then by extension, other senses enclosure.
such as ‘rely on’, ‘cause’ (Katō, Yamada). Katō
suggests that also has a phonetic role with Mnemonic: ENCLOSED BIG MAN HAS CAUSE
an associated sense ‘stay’, ‘visit’, though this
may be questioned based on pronunciations. TO DEPEND ON OTHERS

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 209

永644 EI, nagai into the predecessor of 965 ‘faction’. In other
words, what was one original graph with fluctu-
L3 long, lasting ating forms was subsequently refined in use so
5 strokes as to represent two separate words which were
now distinguished in shape for greater clarity.
EIEN eternity The extended sense ‘long’ (from river flowing
EIZOKU perpetuity long) was used for ‘long time, eternal’ already
EIJŪ permanent residence from the Western Zhou period (11th century
– 771 BC). MS1995:v2:728-9; QX2000:206;
OBI forms , ; seal . The graph is a pic- KJ1970:77-8; YK1976:64; AS2007:577. For a
tograph showing tributaries connected to a mnemonic we suggest association with 42
main river. Both left- and right-facing forms ‘water’ and/or 401 ‘ice’, from which this graph
occur, and in the ancient script in principle the should be distinguished.
different orientation did not indicate difference
of meaning. By the seal script stage, however, Mnemonic: WATER HAS LOOKED ICY FOR A
the left-facing form had evolved into the
predecessor of , and the right-facing version LONG TIME

営645 EI, itonamu zukami lists several alternative interpretations
of what represents here, but still with the
L3 conduct, barracks sense ‘surround’. ‘Barracks’ may be regarded as
12 strokes an extended sense. ‘Perform, conduct’ is treated
as loan usage by Yamada; Schuessler notes ‘lay
KEIEI management out, plan, build’ as early meanings. KJ1970:82,
EIGYŌ business 79-80; YK1976:66; OT1968:187; MS1995:v2:812-
EISHO barracks 3,v1:222; AS2007:576. As a mnemonic we
suggest taking the upper element as an
Seal ; traditional . Analyses differ in relative- ornate roof (see also 11), and taking the
ly minor ways. One element is , in outward linked squares as rooms within a bigger build-
form corresponding to a NJK graph meaning ing. Alternatively, given the phonetic use of
‘spine’ (in which two individual vertebrae are in the term furo (bath) and consequent
depicted, with the linking stroke first added associations, a mnemonic could be based on
only at the seal stage), but regarded as having the furo.
a different sense here, i.e. ‘complex of linked
buildings (or possibly rooms), palace’. This Mnemonic: CONDUCT BUSINESS IN
combines with the disputed upper element .
Katō takes as the old form of (‘firefly’; ORNATELY ROOFED BARRACK-ROOMS
modern 1263), here serving as phonetic with
associated sense ‘surround’, to give ‘complex of Or: CONDUCT BUSINESS IN BATH IN
buildings surrounded by fence/walls’. Yamada
and Ogawa agree with this interpretation. Mi- ORNATELY ROOFED BARRACKS

衛646 EI ments, but often consisted of just (originally,
footprints/walk/move around a specified area)
L1 guard, protect alone. The seal form has (originally, bend,
16 strokes go round, unable to advance, by extension
‘surround, enclose’) added (to ). KJ1970:11;
EISEI hygiene YK1976:67; MS1995:v2:1162-3,v1434-5;
SHUEI guard OT1968:899; MR2007:249. As a mnemonic we
JIEI self-defense suggest taking in association with what is
probably its most frequent occurrence, in
OBI ; bronze ; seal . Has 131 ‘cross- 1024 ‘differ’.
roads; go’, and as semantic and phonetic,
meaning ‘walk round and round’ (see 446), Mnemonic: GO AROUND DIFFERENTLY IN
to give ‘walk round and keep watch’. OBI and
bronze forms sometimes had both these ele- ORDER TO KEEP GUARD

210 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

易647 EKI, I, yasui, yasashii ingly, Gu and Schuessler take the OBI form
as signifying liquid being moved from one
L3 easy, change, divina- vessel into another. Schuessler also treats
tion as representing two separate words in early
8 strokes Chinese: originally a word for ‘change’, then
borrowed to write a near-homophone mean-
BŌEKI trade ing ‘be easy, at ease’. The meaning ‘divination’
EKISHA fortune-teller may be an extended one based on interpre-
AN’I easy-going tation of changes. The diversity of views on

OBI ; seal . Interpretations diverge. In one is noted by Ma. KJ1970:96; YK1976:67-8;
analysis, early forms (OBI, bronze) are taken as OT1968:460; MS1995:v1:610-11; MR2007:413;
a pictograph of a lizard, with a second ele- AS2007:566,569; GY2008:1438;. We suggest
ment (determinative no. 59) to indicate taking as 66 ‘sun’ and as lizard’s body
the characteristic of lizards to change colors with four legs.
(Katō, Yamada), or the sun’s rays reflected off
a lizard’s skin (Ogawa). Yamada takes ‘change’ Mnemonic: LIZARD’S BODY AND LEGS
and ‘easy’ as extended senses. More convinc-
CHANGE EASILY IN SUN – HOW DIVINE!

益648 EKI, YAKU, masu OBI ; seal . The OBI forms show deep
bowl 300 full to brim with liquid; taken to
L1 gain, profit, benefit mean ‘overflow’. Meanings such as ‘abundant,
10 strokes add, gain’ are extended. MS1995:v2:904-5;
MR2007:317; OT1968:691; YK1976:68;
YŪEKI profitable KJ1970:88. Suggest taking as laden table.
masumasu increasingly
RIEKI profit Mnemonic: BOWL AND LADEN TABLE ARE

SIGNS OF PROFIT AND GAINS

液649 EKI ated sense either as ‘soak, ooze through’ (Katō,
Yamada), or ‘(continue) at intervals’ (Ogawa,
L3 liquid Tōdō) – the latter giving ‘water which gradu-
11 strokes ally drips down’; sense became generalized to
‘liquid’. KJ1970:89-90; YK1976:68; OT1968:584;
EKITAI liquid TA1965:336; AS2007:562.
EKIKA liquefaction
KETSUEKI blood pressure Mnemonic: NEED FOR LIQUID, SUCH AS

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 ‘water’, WATER, AT NIGHT
and 232 (‘night’) as phonetic with associ-

演650 EN, ENjiru associated sense ‘extend, pull out’, to give ‘long
river, long river current’; sense generalized to
L3 act, perform ‘extend’. Shirakawa sees senses such as ‘act,
14 strokes perform’ as arising from figurative usage in
relation to activities requiring a flowing perfor-
ENSHUTSU production mance, such as dance and drama. OT1968:603;
SHUTSUEN performance MS1995:v2:776-7,v1:376-7; KJ1970:110-11; YK
ENZETSU speech, address 1975:71; SS1984:60. We suggest associating
this graph with 133 ‘flaming arrow’/‘yellow’,
OBI ; seal . Has 42 ‘water’, and (NJK replacing 53 ‘grass’ with 30 ‘roof/building’.
meaning a zodiac sign, but originally [OBI],
pictograph of arrow, or occasionally arrow Mnemonic: PERFORM ACT IN YELLOW
with two hands, to mean ‘straight arrow’ or
‘straighten a [bent] arrow’) as phonetic with BUILDING BESIDE RIVER

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 211

応651 Ō, Ōjiru, kotaeru was then added as determinative to clearly
indicate ‘respond (in one’s mind)’, though at this
L3 respond, react stage also the shape of the upper element as
7 strokes phonetic was changed to 404 ‘sickness’ or
another similar shape (the variation is of limited
ŌTŌ response significance as it serves here only as phonetic).
HANNŌ* reaction Katō considers this change was made in error
ŌYŌ practical application due to misinterpretation of the bronze shape.
The traditional shape shows subsequently a
Bronze ; seal ; traditional The bronze further minor change was made in the shape
form has 324 ‘short-tailed bird, bird’ and a of the upper element, as phonetic, to . All in
second (partially enclosing) element similar in all, a challenging etymology. KJ1970:112,883-4;
shape to , taken by Katō as phonetic with MS1995:v1:528-9; v2:886-8; OT1968:358. Take
associated sense ‘strike’, giving ‘bird of prey,
hawk’ (later written , with 190 ‘bird’). To as 127 ‘house, building’
judge from Schuessler, this graph appears to
have been borrowed at the bronze stage to Mnemonic: MY HEART RESPONDS TO THIS
write a near-homophone meaning ‘(to) face,
respond’. At the seal stage, 164 ‘heart, mind’ BUILDING

往652 Ō zukami, Tōdō) or ‘go away’ (Katō), generalised to
‘go’. Bronze and seal forms show some degrada-
L1 go, gone, past tion of shape, and seal form also saw addition
8 strokes of 131 ‘go’ as determinative. Further variation
resulted in . ‘Gone, past’ may be seen as
ŌFUKU round trip extended senses. As a mnemonic, take right-
ŌJI things past hand side as 315 ‘master’. MS1995:v1:482-
ŌRAI comings and goings 3,702-3,v2:866-7; TA1965:413-15; KJ1970:933-4;
AS2007:508.
OBI ; seal . At OBI stage, had 143 ‘foot-
print’ over 5 (‘king’), the latter as phonetic Mnemonic: MASTER GOES AWAY
with associated sense ‘walk around blindly’ (Mi-

桜653 Ō, sakura 賏 as both phonetic and semantic, giving
‘woman wearing necklace’, and by extension
L1 cherry ‘surround’ (here ‘neck’), seeing ‘baby’ as loan
10 strokes usage. Both analyses have associated mean-
ing ‘small’, significance being that in ancient
ŌTŌ cherry fruit China both peach and cherry were prized as
sakurairo cherry pink fruits, and there are early references (noted by
sakuraNIKU horsemeat Katō) to cherry fruit being called ‘small peach’.
Note: the graph and word sakura normally
Seal ; traditional ; late graph, first listed refer to flowering rather than fruiting cherry.
in 6th century Yupian. Has 73 ‘tree’, and KJ1970:83,3; MS1995:v1:346-7; OT1968:264,502;
element (sense and function disputed). Mi- SS1984:65. Take top right as three petals.
zukami and Katō analyze as 37 ‘woman’,
with 賏 (CO, ‘necklace’, from 10 ‘shell’) as Mnemonic: THREE PETALS FROM CHERRY
phonetic with associated sense ‘small, young’
(Mizukami takes ‘surround, add’ as loan usages), TREE FALL ON WOMAN
to give ‘baby girl’. Ogawa takes as with

212 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

恩654 ON Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 ‘heart’,
and 643 (‘rely on’) as phonetic with as-
L1 favor, kindness sociated sense ‘grieving heart’, to give ‘heart
10 strokes which grieves for others’, and by extension
‘benevolent towards, take pity, favor, kindness’.
ONJIN benefactor KJ1970:62; YK1976:75-6; OT1968:366.
ONshirazu ingrate
ONgaeshi return favor Mnemonic: A HEART THAT RELIES ON KINDNESS

可655 KA, -beki/ku/shi as an extended sense. However, Qiu takes as
originally showing not waterweed but some-
L3 approve, can, should thing carried over the shoulder, specifically an
5 strokes ax handle (later written ; see 86 also), and
Schuessler agrees, considering the function of
KANŌ possible
KAKETSU approval here was to indicate that ‘ax handle’ was only
iubeki should say to be ‘mouthed’, i.e., to be read as phonetic loan
for the near-homophone of abstract meaning
OBI ; seal . Has 22 ‘mouth; say’, and (‘can, permit’). MS1995:v1:204-5; YK1976:78;
enclosure element (meaning disputed). KJ1970:121; OT1968:159; QX2000:224;
Usually taken as 丂 (‘floating waterweed’, 130) AS2007:275. Suggest taking as a variant of
as phonetic with associated sense ‘permit,
allow’ (Mizukami considers possibly through a 367 ‘exact’.
convoluted process, figuratively reflecting the
irregular shape of the waterweed), to give ‘(ver- Mnemonic: SAY EXACTLY WHAT CAN AND
bally) permit’. In this analysis, ‘can’ may be taken
SHOULD BE APPROVED

仮656 KA, KE, kari but both Shirakawa and Tōdō also support this.
Tōdō includes (and ) in a word-family
L3 temporary, false meaning ‘cover something underneath’, an
6 strokes interpretation which gives credible support
for the sense ‘wear a mask’. Abstract meanings
KASETSU hypothesis such as ‘imitation, provisional, temporary’ may
kari ni provisionally be seen as extended senses. The element 41
KEBYŌ feigned illness ‘person’ was added at the seal stage, with no
significant change of meaning. The substitu-
Bronze ; seal ; traditional Originally, tion of for to create can be traced
this graph was written . Bronze form consists back to Han period cursivized clerical script
of i] two hands, with ii] an additional element forms. KJ1970:120; MS1995:v1:182-4,198-201;
YK1976:79; OT1968:48; SS1984:71; TA1965:381-
(usually taken as ‘cliff’ or ‘cave dwelling’) 3; SK1984:62-3. We suggest taking as the
with two short horizontal strokes or dots same-shaped 393 ‘oppose’.
inside. There is some divergence in analysis.
One element is often taken as phonetic with Mnemonic: PERSON OPPOSED TO EVEN
associated sense ‘false, deception; substitute’,
to give the overall sense ‘wear a mask’ (Katō, TEMPORARY FALSEHOOD
Mizukami, Yamada, Ogawa). The basis for the
inclusion of ‘mask’ here may not seem clear,

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 213

価657 KA, atai trade’) as semantic and phonetic meaning ‘busi-
ness of buying and selling’, to give ‘someone
L3 price, value, worth who buys and sells, merchant’. By extension,
8 strokes the graph acquired related or extended other
meanings such as ‘price, worth’. KJ1970:116;
KACHI value YK1976:80; OT1968:58,911,957; SS1984:72. As
KAKAKU price a mnemonic we suggest taking the right-hand
BUKKA price of goods part of the modern graph as 169 ‘west’, with

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . 41 ‘person’.
The graph has 41 ‘person’ and (NJK, itself
comprising ‘stopper, cover’, and 10 ‘shell Mnemonic: PERSON FROM WEST HAS VALUE
currency, valuables’, meaning ‘store goods,

河658 KA, kawa (CO, ‘floating aquatic waterweed’ 130). Gu, for
his part, takes the original meaning of as ‘the
L3 river Yellow River’, then by extension the generalized
8 strokes sense ‘river’. The basis for this proposal is prob-
ably that the Shang dynasty culture evolved
KAKŌ rivermouth in the Yellow River valley. Schuessler lists both
fugu* globefish ‘river’ and ‘Yellow River’ as meanings for
KABA hippopotamus in OBI texts. By the seal stage, the structure
of had stabilized in line with the first OBI
OBI ; seal . OBI forms vary. Tōdō takes form above as 42 ‘water’, and 655 (‘can,
the one given here as comprising left-hand should’) as phonetic with associated sense
element representing flowing water, and right- ‘bend’. KJ1970:123; YK1976:81; GY2008:709;
hand as symbol signifying ‘curved, bent’, giving AS2007:274; OT1968:564; MS1995:v2:740-
‘river’; he includes in his word-family ‘bent 41,v1:52-3,204-06; AS2007:274-5; MR2007:435.
(at ninety degrees)’ along with (modern As a mnemonic we suggest taking the elements
meaning: ‘what?’ 86, q.v.), the original mean- as ‘water’ and ‘can’.
ing of which was ‘carry on the back’. Other OBI
forms for are virtually indistinguishable from Mnemonic: WATER CAN FORM RIVER
some of those listed by Mizukami for . Ma,
alternatively, takes the phonetic in to be 丂

過659 KA, sugiru/gosu, phonetic with associated sense ‘many, much’, to
give ‘go a long way/too far’ (Mizukami takes as
L3 -sugi, ayamachi ‘much latitude/margin’, to give ‘walk to a desti-
pass, exceed, error nation along an easy road’). OBI forms are listed
12 strokes by Mizukami, all of slightly different structure.
KJ1970:312; YK1976:83; MS1995:v2:1298-1300;
TSŪKA passage OT1968:1005. Suggest taking right-hand ele-
KAKOKEI past tense ment as a ‘topless’ tower (see 132, ‘tall’).
iisugi exaggeration
Mnemonic: GOING TO PASS BY TOPLESS
Seal . Has 85 ‘walk, go’, and (origi-
nally, either ‘distorted mouth shape’ [Katō] or TOWER IS EXCEEDINGLY ERRONEOUS
‘smooth-moving body joints’ [Mizukami]) as

214 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

賀660 GA is (NJK meaning ‘excellent, consider fine’),
and Schuessler links the two also, noting that
L1 congratulations ‘congratulate’ already stood as an early mean-
12 strokes ing for , a consideration which perhaps leads
Mizukami also to attribute an overall meaning
GASHI congratulations ‘express joy and add (gifts) on top’. Mizukami
NENGAJŌ New Year card sees ‘be pleased’ as an extended (generalized)
SHUKUGA celebration sense; ‘praise, congratulate’ are also deriva-
tive meanings. TA1965:583-6; AS2007:300;
Bronze ; seal . Has 10 ‘shell, currency, MS1995:v2:1234-5.
valuable item’, and 453 (‘add’) as phonetic
with associated sense which Tōdō takes to Mnemonic: CONGRATULATIONS ON ADDING
be ‘add on top’, regarding the likely original
meaning of as ‘pile gifts up high’. The graph TO YOUR SHELL-MONEY

is in Tōdō’s word-family ‘add on top’, as also

快661 KAI, kokoroyoi archer’s hand pulling bowstring, thus opening
up front of body, and so ‘open’) as semantic
L3 pleasant, cheerful and phonetic meaning ‘open’, thus ‘one’s heart
7 strokes opens’, and ‘be pleased, pleasant’. KJ1970:367;
YK1976:88; OT1968:360. Suggest taking as
FUYUKAI unpleasant man with back-pack.
KAIRAKU pleasure
KAIKATSU cheerful Mnemonic: BACK-PACKER’S HEART IS

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 ‘heart, ALWAYS PLEASANT AND CHEERFUL
mind’, and (CO [see 289], possibly originally

解662 KAI, GE, toku up an ox/cow’, then more generally ‘divide, take
apart’. Ma, alternatively, takes as semantic. It
L3 unravel, explain, may be both semantic and phonetic. Seal form
solve, loosen has different composition, with 198 ‘knife’, to
13 strokes give ‘cut up’; already used in generalized sense
at an early period, not necessarily ‘cut up an
KAISETSU commentary ox’. Schuessler treats ‘understand’ as a sepa-
RIKAI understanding rate word related to that for ‘divide up’, rather
BUNKAI dismantling than an extended sense. MS1995:v2:1182-3;
MR2007:306; KJ1970:150; YK1976:92.
OBI ; seal . OBI has 108 ‘ox, cow’, and
element showing two hands round a third Mnemonic: SOLVE PROBLEM BY CUTTING
element – the pictographic stage of 97
‘horn’. This is commonly taken as phonetic with OFF COW’S HORN
associated sense ‘divide up, split’, giving ‘divide

格663 KAKU, KŌ with associated sense ‘high, tall and straight’,
to give ‘a tree straight and tall’. Katō notes
L3 standard, status there are few examples of actual use in this
10 strokes sense, but that it was used (as a loan graph)
from Han times for ‘standard’, which appears
SHIKAKU qualifications to have become a more dominant sense.
SEIKAKU personality MS1995:v1:664-5; KJ1970:193-4; YK1976:96.
SHOYŪKAKU genitive case
Mnemonic: EACH TREE MEETS A STANDARD
Bronze ; seal . Has 73 ‘tree’, and 462
(originally ‘come down’; now ‘each’) as phonetic

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 215

確664 KAKU, stone’, later just ‘hard’ (Katō, Yamada, Ogawa).
Shirakawa explains link between ‘fly high’ and
L3 tashika/kameru ‘hard’ by 隺 showing a bird ( 324) trying to fly
firm, ascertain higher but firmly confined, representing some-
15 strokes thing ‘hard’. Tōdō sees the bird as a crane, the
NJK graph for which is (隺, with 190 ‘bird’).
SEIKAKU precise SS1984:105,108; KJ1970:195-6; YK1976:97;
KAKUNIN confirmation OT1968:714; TA1965:265. Suggest as ‘strange’
KAKUJITSU reliable roof.

Seal ; late graph (post-Shuowen). Has 47 Mnemonic: ASCERTAIN THAT BIRD IS UNDER
‘stone’, and 隺 (CO ‘fly high; high’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘hard’, to give ‘hard A STRANGE BUT FIRM ROOF

額665 GAKU, hitai forehead, but in ancient China (and in various
periods in Japanese history also), the hairline
L3 sum, forehead, frame, was shaved so as to move hair further up the
plaque forehead, and /or trimming it at the sides, leav-
18 strokes ing a ‘desirable/fashionable’ framing of the fore-
head. Alternatively there is an interpretation of
KINGAKU sum of money the phonetic element as having an associated
GAKUMEN face value sense of ‘wide, broad’, to denote the broad part
hitaigiwa hairline of the face, again giving the meaning ‘forehead’
(Ogawa). ‘Frame’ is an extended sense related
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 103 ‘head’, to the borders of the hairline, and ‘plaque’ may
and 270 (‘visitor’) or alternatively (‘each’ represent a further extension, whereas ‘amount
462) – both having similar pronunciation at that /sum’ appears to be a loan usage. KJ1970:192;
time – as a phonetic with an associated sense YK1976:98; OT1968:1106; AS2007:253,334.
‘shave off the head hair’, to indicate that part of
the face framed by the borders of the hair when Mnemonic: EACH VISITOR’S FOREHEAD
shaved, i.e. ‘forehead’ (Katō, Yamada). Normally
one would not associate shaving with the LOOKS LIKE A FRAMED PLAQUE

刊666 KAN but owing to its convenient simplicity it has
over the centuries been borrowed extensively.
L3 publish, engrave Its modern meaning is ‘dry’.) The process of
5 strokes engraving woodblocks to produce texts and
illustrated material on a large scale that was
KANKŌ publication developed during the first millennium AD in
NIKKAN daily issue China subsequently led to the meaning ‘print,
HAKKAN book launch publish’. YK1976:100; KJ1970:204; TA1965:601-
06; OT1968:111; AS2007:331. As a mnemonic
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has ( ) we suggest taking in its current meaning of
198 ‘knife, blade, cut, sword’, and 840 as ‘dry’, with as ‘sword’.
phonetic with an associated sense of ‘dig out,
carve out’ (Katō, Yamada), or ‘cut and make Mnemonic: PUBLISH BOOK ON HOW TO KEEP
level’ (Tōdō, Ogawa). (Originally, depicted a
forked thrusting weapon with a hand-guard; ENGRAVED SWORD DRY

216 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

幹667 KAN, miki Shirakawa, by contrast, interprets as a flagpole
topped with a good luck symbol and banner
L1 trunk, main (Ogawa also says ‘flagpole’), and follows the
13 strokes Shuowen view in regarding two such flagpoles
being used for fence-building. Qiu considers
KANSEN trunk line that the element 倝 in its variant form was
KANBU leaders poorly recognized as a phonetic, a point which
KANJI manager no doubt led to substitution of (modern
meaning ‘dry’: see 840) as phonetic instead,
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Interpretations creating originally as a popular variant of
differ somewhat. The original form in Shuowen
is , where the meaning is given as wooden . Either interpretation of 倝 still leads to
posts standing firmly in the ground at each end the basic sense ‘rising high’, which together
when building a fence; the graph comprises with gives ‘tree/pole rising high’, and hence
73 ‘tree’, with the element 倝 (disputed sense ‘trunk, main part’. DJ2009:v2:469; KJ1970:102;
as phonetic here) in the variant form , which MS1995:v1:70-71; YK1976:104; OT1968:324;
shows 41 ‘person’, in one of its modified ZY2009:v1:30,v2:526; QX2000:170. As a mne-
shapes as . 倝 (or the variant), which is often monic we suggest taking as 66 ‘sun’ rising
taken as originally meaning ‘sun rising up’ (Mi- through ‘plants’ 53.
zukami, Katō, Yamada), is taken by Katō and
Yamada as a phonetic with associated sense Mnemonic: PERSON DRIES TRUNK AS SUN
‘base, stem’, to give ‘trunk/stem (rising up)’;
RISES THROUGH PLANTS

慣668 KAN, nareru late’. For 遦, Katō suggests original meaning
‘conduct by accumulating (actions)’, and for 摜
L3 become used to ‘become proficient using hands’. For , listed
14 strokes in Yupian (6th century), Yamada suggests taking
as ‘become proficient by accumulating in the
SHŪKAN habit, custom mind’. Not clear, though, whether these graph
KANREI convention variations reflected actual meaning differ-
yonareta worldly-wise ences. KJ1970:337; YK1976:105; TA1965:640-42;
DJ2009:v1:142,v3:986; AS2007:266. We suggest
Seal form A (遦) ; seal form B (摜) ; itself taking elements 1148 ‘pierce’, 10 ‘shell-
is a late variant. 遦 (CO; has ’walk along road, money’, and 164 ‘heart, mind’.
go’ 85) and 摜 (CO; has ‘hand’ 34) are both
defined in Shuowen as ‘familiar with’ or ‘custom’. Mnemonic: BECOME USED TO HAVING HEART
In both graphs, the element (‘pierce’ 1148)
is phonetic with associated sense ‘accumu- PIERCED OVER SHELL-MONEY

眼669 GAN, manako ing an early Chinese (Late Han) word for ‘knob,
bulge’, and a related near-homophone of that
L1 eye for ‘eyeball, eye’. Ogawa has a different view,
11 strokes taking as having associated sense ‘division’,
to mean ‘eye cavity’ – presumably ‘eye socket’.
SŌGANKYŌ binoculars Despite divergence in analysis, all scholars take
NIKUGAN naked eye
chimanako bloodshot eyes as coming to mean ‘eye’ as a general term,
like 76, though the two graphs are differenti-
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Views vary. Most ated in modern written Japanese (and Chinese).
scholars take 76 ‘eye’, and 281 (NJK ‘stop’, KJ1970:215-6; YK1976:108-9; AS2007:555;
originally ‘hostility’) as phonetic with associ- OT1968:700. Take as variant ‘good’ 628.
ated sense ‘round’, to give ‘eyeball’, and also
‘eye’ (Katō, Yamada); this view is supported by Mnemonic: KEEP A GOOD EYE OPEN
Schuessler, who sees the graph as represent-

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 217

基670 KI, moto, motozuku Bronze ; seal . Has 64 ‘earth, soil’, and
269 (originally winnowing basket, showing
L3 base
11 strokes a basket on a stand, now meaning ‘that’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘platform to
KIHON basis, standard put things on’, to give ‘platform to pile up earth
KIKIN fund, foundation on’; sense generalized to ‘base, foundation’.
KICHI base (army etc.)s MS1995:v1:270-71; KJ1970:239; YK1976:114.

Mnemonic: WINNOWING DEVICE IS BASED

ON FIRM GROUND

寄671 KI, yoru/seru semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘stand on
one leg’ (Yamada), or as phonetic with associ-
L3 approach, send, visit ated sense ‘rely on’ (Katō, Ogawa). In either
11 strokes case, the overall meaning is taken to be ‘stay
temporarily at someone else’s house’. In Tōdō’s
KIYO contribution word-family indicating ‘bent’ (‘be bent at ninety
yosenami surf degrees’). YK1976:114; KJ1970:123; OT1968:280;
tachiyoru ‘drop in’, visit TA1965:578-82.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 30 ‘roof, Mnemonic: APPROACH STRANGE DWELLING
dwelling’, and 1174 (originally person
standing on one leg; now ‘strange’) either as FOR A VISIT

規672 KI that for ‘husband, man’ – in the measure sense
‘width of four fingers’, later written with the
L3 standard, ‘hand’ determinative 34 as (another
measure meaning is ‘support, assist’, which is the one
11 strokes that has been retained through into modern
Japanese: see 1905). combines with
KISOKU rule 20 (‘see’) as phonetic with associated sense
JŌGI rule(r), measure ‘round’, to give ‘a round measure’, i.e. ‘compass’.
DAIKIBO large-scale ‘Standard’ is an extended sense. YK1976:115;
KJ1970:237; AS2007:239-40.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 601
‘husband, man’, here not in its modern Mnemonic: HUSBAND SEEN AS STANDARD
sense but instead representing another
word – homophonous in early Chinese with TO BE MEASURED BY

技673 GI, waza Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’,
here reinforcing 717 (originally hand holding
L3 craft, skill piece of bamboo, taken as meaning ‘separate,
7 strokes split off’, with modern meaning ‘support’ seen
as loan usage [Katō, Yamada]) as phonetic with
GIJUTSU technique associated sense ‘work with the hands’, to give
GISHI technician ‘make things with the hands’, and by exten-
ENGI acting skills sion ‘craft, skill’. KJ1970:243; YK1976:118-9;
OT1968:402.

Mnemonic: SUPPORT WORK-HANDS SKILLED

IN CRAFT

218 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

義674 GI netic with associated sense ‘dance, rite’, to give
‘beautiful dance/rite’. Ogawa explains this as a
L1 righteousness dance performed before/for the gods, mean-
13 strokes ing fitting behavior and hence ‘the correct way’.
Shirakawa, though, takes the two elements in
SHUGI principle, ism/-ism this graph literally as ‘sheep’ and ‘saw’, mean-
GIRI justice ing sacrifice a sheep; such a sheep would be
IGI significance a fine specimen, leading to the sense ‘correct’.
MS1995:v2:1042-3; OT1968:799; KJ1970:142;
OBI ; seal . Widely taken as comprising SS1984:162.
426 ‘sheep’ in slightly abbreviated form, itself an
abbreviation of 398 ‘beautiful’ (q.v.), and Mnemonic: I MYSELF, AND MY SHEEP, STAND
833 (originally a weapon such as halberd [545],
battle-ax, or saw, modern sense ‘I, self’) as pho- FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

逆675 GYAKU, sakarau tree without leaves, and Yamada and Katō take
屰 as in error). Despite divergences, right-
L3 reverse, oppose hand phonetic is taken as associated sense
9 strokes ‘meet, greet’, giving ‘go out to meet/greet’.
‘Contrary, oppose’ are seen as loan usages.
GYAKKŌ retrogression SS1984:169; MS1995 ref.:v1:414-5; KJ1970:361-
GYAKUSETSU paradox 2; MS1995:v2:1288-9; YK1976:121; QX2000:185;
HANGYAKU treason
Mnemonic: FUNNY UPSIDE-DOWN MAN
OBI ; seal . Has ’walk/go’ 85, and 屰
(may originally show a person upside-down, MOVES IN REVERSE
though Mizukami notes alternative as winter

久676 KYŪ, KU, hisashii Seal . Has 41 ‘person’, and a stroke similar
to typically taken to mean ‘hold back’, giving
L3 long time, lasting ‘stop, stand still’; by extension ‘be late’, and then
3 strokes ‘long time’. Gu, however, takes it as person with
bundle of traditional Chinese herbs placed be-
EIKYŪ permanence hind, for moxibustion; in this view, ‘long time’ is
KUON* eternity a loan use. KJ1970:258; YK1976:122; OT1968:24;
hisashiburi after long time GY2008:37.

Mnemonic: STOOPING PERSON PROPPED UP

FOR A LONG TIME

旧677 KYŪ The sense ‘old’ is loan usage. Note: the

L3 old, past distinction above between the two graphs with
5 strokes
meaningful variation in the shape of the ele-
KYŪYŪ old friend
KYŪHA ‘old school’ ments is a subtle one normally not sup-
KYŪSHIKI old style
ported in modern computerized fonts, and not
OBI ; seal ; traditional . Has CO ,
generally taken by commentators as a type of always consistently even in pre-modern char-
crested or horned owl (distinguished from CO
acter dictionaries in China: graphs in the 53
, a separate graph meaning a type of plant),
and (originally, pictograph of a mortar [re- (‘plants’) section in the late 17th century Zheng-
ceptacle for crushing or grinding]) as phonetic,
serving here as onomatopoeic for a bird cry. zitong (a predecessor to Kangxi zidian) provide

some examples of this. MS1995:v2:1094-5;

OT1968:1080; YK1976:123; MR2007:293;

ZY2009:v3:1087; AS2007:321. Suggest taking

as ‘one’ and as ‘day’ 66.

Mnemonic: ONE DAY OLD

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 219

居678 KYO, iru, oru Bronze ; seal . Has 256 taken either as
a corpse laid out on its side, or a person lying
L3 be, reside on their side (Katō takes as indicating sub-
8 strokes mission), and 121 (‘old’) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘crouch down’ or ‘sit’, to give
KYOJŪ dwelling ‘crouch’ or ‘sit down’. Since this involves not
JŪKYO dwelling moving, by extension ‘stay, reside’. YK1976:128-
idokoro whereabouts 9; KJ1970:266,452-3; MS1995:v1:408-9,404-5.
Suggest taking as slumped person.

Mnemonic: OLD PERSON SLUMPED IN

RESIDENCE

許679 KYO, yurusu, moto Bronze ; seal . Has 118 ‘words; speak’,
and 122 (‘noon’) as phonetic with associated
L3 permit, forgive, place, sense ‘allow, permit’, to give ‘listen to an-
home other’s words’, and by extension ‘allow, permit’.
11 strokes MS1995:v2:1186-7; KJ1970:265-6; YK1976:129.

KYOKA permission Mnemonic: PERMIT SPEECH AT NOON
TOKKYO patent
temoto at hand

境680 KYŌ, KEI, sakai ) to NJK , an older, more intricate graph
(representing a near-homophone originally
L3 boundary, border meaning ‘strong bow’ and then just ‘strong’)
14 strokes which was itself loaned for ‘boundary’, a sense
subsequently reflected in the modified CO
KOKKYŌ frontier graph , which has added). KJ1970:272;
KEIDAI precinct YK1976:134; OT1968:223; MS1995:v2:982-
KYŌKAISEN boundary line 3,v1:472-3; AS2007:319,307. We suggest taking

Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). Has 64 ‘earth, as its components 6 ‘sound’ and 41
ground’, and (NJK, originally, ‘music piece ‘(bent) legs/person’.
ends’, now just ‘end, finish’) as semantic and
phonetic meaning ‘boundary’, to give ‘bound- Mnemonic: THE SOUND OF LEGS ON
ary of land’. Katō links (and by extension,
GROUND AT BORDER

均681 KIN, hitoshii legs, or as repetition sign for coiling], or bent,
encircling arm with two strokes meaning
L3 average, level, ‘arrange’) as phonetic with associated sense
alike, equal ‘arrange, bring under control’, and 64
7 strokes ‘ground’, thus ‘arrange, cultivate fields and make
level’, then by extension generalized to ‘level,
HEIKIN average equal’. MS1995:v1:264-5,146-7; KJ1970:67-8;
KINTŌ uniformity YK1976:139; TA1965:712-22; OT1968:212-3. Take
FUKINKŌ imbalance two strokes as ‘two’, and as ‘coil’.

Bronze ; seal . Has (analyzed as origi- Mnemonic: TWO COILED WORMS ON LEVEL
nally either coiled reptile or earthworm [with
two short strokes indicating either short GROUND LOOK ALIKE

220 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

禁682 KIN sense ‘keep back, restrain’, giving ‘the gods
restrain’ (Katō, Yamada), and by extension
L3 forbid, ban ‘forbid’, or as semantic, giving ‘sacred area sur-
13 strokes rounded by forest’ (Tōdō, Shirakawa, Ogawa),
again giving ‘forbid’ by extension. KJ1970:294;
KINSHI prohibition YK1976:140-41; TA1965:815-23; SS1984:211;
KIN’EN ‘No Smoking’ OT1968:724.
GENKIN strictly prohibited
Mnemonic: ALTAR IS BANNED IN FORBIDDEN
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 723 ‘altar,
deity’, and 79 ‘forest’. Views differ on role of FOREST

. Taken either as phonetic with associated

句683 KU sociated sense ‘stop, rest’ (Mizukami, Katō), or
as (Yamada; same associated sense), to give
L1 phrase, clause ‘breaks in language’, and by extension mean-
5 strokes ings such as ‘clause, phrase’, i.e. a sequence of
language between breaks.MS1995:v1:206-7;
JIKU phraseology KJ1970:279; YK1976:142; SS1984:169-70. Sug-
KUgiri punctuation gest taking as ‘encircling/wrapping’ (see e.g.
MONKU complaint 681).

OBI form ; bronze seal . All forms depict Mnemonic: MOUTH WRAPS ITSELF AROUND
things intertwined (Shirakawa). comprises
PHRASE
22 ‘speak, words; mouth’, with a second
element interpreted as丩as phonetic with as-

群684 GUN, mure/reru, Bronze ; seal . Has 426 ‘sheep’, and
285 (‘lord’) as phonetic with associated sense
L3 muragaru ‘numerous, accumulate’, to give ‘sheep gather
group, flock together’; meaning later generalized to ‘gather
13 strokes together; group’. is the form which gained
popularity in block script during the first millen-
GUNSHŪ crowd nium AD; before that, the two elements were
GYOGUN school of fish arranged differently, as . MS1995:v2:1042-3;
GUNKYO gregariousness KJ1970:343; YK1976:145.

Mnemonic: LORD OF THE SHEEP FLOCK

経685 KEI, KYŌ, heru, tatsu on loom’; by extension, also abstract senses
such as ‘connecting thread (figurative)’, ‘pass,
L3 pass, sutra, longitude elapse’, ‘longitude’. ‘Thread’ led to extended
11 strokes meaning ‘line of reasoning’ (Katō). ‘Law, model’
is additional meaning, as is ‘way, path’, the
KEIZAI economy latter leading by extension to ‘classic text’ and
KYŌMON sutras ‘sutra’. MS1995:v2:1014-5,v1:424-7; KJ1970:346;
KEIKA passage, progress YK1976:149. Suggest taking as ‘hand’ 2003
and as ‘ground’ 64.
Bronze ; seal ; traditional . Has 29
‘thread’, and (originally showing vertical Mnemonic: GUIDING HAND PASSES THREADS
threads on a loom) as semantic and phonetic,
meaning ‘straight’, to give ‘vertical threads TO GROUND

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 221

潔686 KETSU, isagiyoi (Ogawa says ‘free of defilement’), and 42
‘water’ to reinforce 絜, for overall meaning
L1 clean, pure ‘purify by bathing’; subsequently generalized
15 strokes sense ‘clean, pure’.KJ1970:257; YK1976:155;
OT1968:607; SS1984:250. We suggest taking
KEPPAKU na immaculate as 29 ‘thread’, as 198 ‘cut’, and as variant of
KEPPEKI na fastidious
isagiyoku valiantly 315 ‘master’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 絜 (CO Mnemonic: ODD MASTER CUTS THREADS,
originally meaning ‘correct, proper’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘purify by bathing’ WASHES THEM CLEAN IN WATER

件687 KEN, kudan by a rope’; by extension, ‘be pulled/ bound’),
with 41 ‘person’, to give overall meaning
L3 item, matter ‘person who is bound and not free’, i.e. ‘slave’.
6 strokes In ancient China, slaves were regarded as no
more than objects, and hence extended senses
JIKEN incident such as ‘thing’. KJ1970:385-6; YK1976:156;
JŌKEN condition, terms MS1995:v2:834-5.
kudan no aforementioned
Mnemonic: PERSON LEADING A COW IS A
Seal ; seemingly a very late graph (Yupian).
The element 108 ‘ox, cow’ is taken to be an SERIOUS MATTER
abbreviation for (NJK, originally ‘lead cow

券688 KEN with associated sense ‘carved wood’ (Katō). Ac-
cording to Katō, ancient contracts were made
L3 TICKET, PASS, BOND of a piece of wood carved in a certain way and
8 strokes then divided into two pieces, which could be
matched up again to signify conclusion of a
RYOKEN passport contract by parties concerned. KJ1970:373;
SHŌKEN bond OT1968:115; YK1976:156-7;. We suggest taking
TEIKIKEN commuter pass
as 65 ‘two’, and 8 ‘fire(s)’.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 198 ‘knife/
cut’, and (CO showing hands and grain/rice, Mnemonic: START TWO FIRES WITH CUT UP
originally meaning ‘handle rice’) as phonetic
TICKETS

険689 KEN, kewashii with associated sense taken as either ‘gather
together’ (Katō, Yamada), giving ‘hills/moun-
L3 steep, severe, tains grouped together’, or ‘jagged, pointed,
perilous steep’ (Tōdō, Ogawa), giving ‘jagged/steep hills/
11 strokes mountains’, and ‘steep’ as a generalized mean-
ing. Either interpretation leads to ‘dangerous’ as
KEN’AKU na dangerous an extended meaning. KJ1970:375; TA1965:847-
HOKEN insurance 8; OT1968:1069. We suggest taking as ‘odd’
KENSO na precipitous elder brother 114 under cover/cap 亼.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional Mnemonic: ODD ELDER BROTHER DONS CAP
Has 1907 ‘hill, mound’, and (CO, originally
‘many people agree’: see 500) as phonetic TO CLIMB STEEP HILL

222 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

検690 KEN ed sense ‘store away’ (Tōdō says ‘collect togeth-
er/collect and control’: see 500), to give ‘store in
L3 investigate wooden boxes’. Katō and Yamada take ‘examine’
12 strokes as a loan usage, while Tōdō and Ogawa treat it
as an extended sense. KJ1970:376; YK1976:159;
KENTŌ enquiry TA1965:842-6; OT1968:510. As in 689, we again
TANKEN exploration suggest taking as ‘odd’ elder brother 114
KENSAIN inspector under cover/cap 亼.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional Mnemonic: ODD ELDER BROTHER DONS CAP
Has 73 ‘wood, tree’, and (CO, originally,
‘many people agree’) as phonetic with associat- TO INVESTIGATE TREE

限691 GEN, kagiru/ri away’]) as phonetic with associated sense
‘difficult’, to give ‘walking along hilly road is
L3 limit(ed) difficult’. By extension, ‘cannot move on’, ‘dead
9 strokes end’, ‘limit’. KJ1970:386, 410-11; YK1976:163;
MS1995:v2:1392-4. We suggest taking liter-
GENDO limit ally as eye over twisted legs, turning round.
GENKAI boundary (Distinguish from 628 ‘good’.)
kagirinai boundless
Mnemonic: LIMITED BY HILLS, SO TURNING
Bronze seal . Has 1907 ‘hill, mound’
and (281, originally ‘hostility, turn and stare’ TO LOOK AT WAY BACK
[bronze form has ‘eye’ with ‘person turned

現692 GEN, arawareru/su ‘luster of jade’, with ‘appear’ as a loan usage.
‘Luster of jade’ is supported by Qiu as original
L3 appear, display meaning for , who also treats ‘appear’ as a
11 strokes loan usage for this graph. Ogawa, alternatively,
takes as semantic and phonetic, to give ‘lus-
HATSUGEN revelation ter of jade appears’, later generalized to ‘appear
GENSHŌ phenomenon (before one’s eyes)’. YK1976:163-4; OT1968:657;
GENJITSU reality QX2000:342.

Seal ; late graph (post-Shuowen). Has 15 Mnemonic: LOOK AT THE SPOTLESS JADE AP-
‘jade’ in its slightly abbreviated left-hand shape
(minus the dot), and 20 ‘see’. Yamada takes as PEARING ON DISPLAY
phonetic with associated sense ‘appear’, to give

減693 GEN, heru/rasu Bronze ; seal . Has 42 water, and
(NJK, see 264, originally ‘threaten with weapon,
L3 decrease, reduce shouting’ [Mizukami], or ‘shout’ [Katō]) as
12 strokes phonetic with associated sense usually taken
as ‘few; diminish’ (Ogawa says ‘sink, collapse’),
GENSHŌ decrease to give ‘water diminishes’, then just ‘reduce’.
KAGEN extent, state KJ1970:215,214; OT1968:594; MS1995;V2:764-
GENZEI tax-cut 6,v1:228-9; YK1976:164.

Mnemonic: THREATEN TO DECREASE WATER

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 223

故694 KO, yue Seal . Has ( ) 112 ‘beat/hit/force’, and
121 (‘old’) as phonetic with associated
L3 past, reason
9 strokes sense ‘change’, thus ‘cause to change’, and by
extension ‘cause’, and – as a result of process of
JIKO accident change – ‘deceased’ (the sense ‘old’ here may
KOKOKU one’s native land also be seen as a sense derived in this way, or
KO-ITŌSHI late Mr Itō as serving as both semantic and phonetic).
MS1995:v1:570-71; KJ1970:392; YK1976:167.

Mnemonic: BEATEN WITH OLD STICK IN THE

PAST, FOR SOME REASON

個695 KO counter. At some stage the separate graph
was then devised, and used interchangeably
L3 individual, with . Katō and Yamada see as having
counter-suffix been devised on the basis of the graph
10 strokes (originally, ‘scales [of an animal’] > ‘armor; wear
armor’; see 1094), but this seems debatable.
KOJIN individual The element 41 ‘person’ in explains its ad-
KOSEI individuality ditional sense ‘individual’. It may be noted here
IKKO one item that another late graph, (less formal), was
also devised as a general counter (apparently
Late graph, no seal form. Analyses diverge. based on one half of the graph 58 ‘bamboo’),
Katō treats together with 1087 (originally, and is interchangeable with . KJ1970:390-91;
‘bamboo stalk’). There is a seal form for , YK1976:167; AS2007:248. We suggest using
which is thus probably the older graph, and 501 in its sense of ‘firm’.
this came to be used as a counter firstly just for
bamboo stalks themselves, then for an increas- Mnemonic: THAT PERSON IS A FIRM
ing range of other items, and by the Tang Dy-
nasty (618-907AD) was being used as a general INDIVIDUAL AND A GOOD COUNTER

護696 GO of defence (Katō, Yamada); Ogawa takes as
‘seize’, to give ‘seize on orders’; Tōdō includes
L1 defend, protect in a word-family ‘surround with a framework’,
20 strokes giving ‘surround with a verbal framework’. While
diverse, these analyses mostly give ‘defend’ as
BENGOSHI lawyer a meaning by extension. KJ1970:395-6,327-8;
HOGO protection YK1976:171; OT1968:944; TA1965:407-10. Sug-
GOEI guard, escort gest right hand part as 2003 ‘hand’, 324
‘bird’, and 53 ‘grass’.
Bronze ; seal . Has 118 ‘words’, speech’,
and (CO, originally ‘measure with hand’) as Mnemonic: WORDY DEFENCE FOR HAND
phonetic, analyses of which vary. One inter-
pretation of the phonetic is ‘make go round’ SEIZING PROTECTED BIRD IN GRASS
or ‘evade’, to give ‘evade with words’ – a type

効697 KŌ, kiku OBI ; seal ; traditional Both and
are listed in the authoritative Kangxi zidian,
L3 effect, efficacy with latter noted as a popular form. has
8 strokes
( ) 112 ‘strike; force’, and 128 (‘mix,
KŌKA effect exchange’) as phonetic with associated sense
YŪKŌ na effective ‘child imitates’, to give ‘force to imitate’ (Katō,
kikime effect Yamada); Mizukami lists another associated

224 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

sense, i.e. ‘test by comparison’. Later, gener- MS1995:v1:572-3; YK1976:178; KJ1970:173-4;
alised to ‘imitate, learn’. In modern Japanese, ZY2009:v2:448,v1:77.
the form with 78 ‘strength, effort’ is the
official one; and it may be taken as ‘imitate by Mnemonic: EXCHANGE OF STRENGTH
effort’. Yamada regards ‘efficacy’ as loan usage. PROVES EFFECTIVE

厚698 KŌ, atsui 132) which is taken as phonetic with associated
sense ‘pile up’ or ‘build up in thick layers’, to give
L3 thick, kind ‘cliffs/crags one on top of the other’; by exten-
9 strokes sion, ‘thick’. KJ1970:281-2; MS1995:v1:184-5;
YK1976:179. Suggest as 66 ‘day’ and 27
BUatsu na bulky, thick ‘child’.
KŌSEI welfare
KŌJŌ kindness Mnemonic: KIND BUT ‘THICK’ CHILD PLAYS

Bronze ; seal . Has ‘cliff, crag’, and element DAILY BY CLIFF
representing an inverted watchtower (see e.g.

耕699 KŌ, tagayasu of plow, and 1575 (‘well’, q.v.) as phonetic
with associated sense ‘manage the land’, to give
L3 till, plow ‘manage the land with a plow’. KJ1970:160;
10 strokes YK1976:182; OT1968:807. We suggest taking
the left hand part as a multi-branched ‘tree’
KŌCHI arable land 73.
KŌSAKU farming
KŌUNKI cultivator Mnemonic: PLOW AROUND WELL AND

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has , a CO the MULTI-BRANCHED TREE
bronze form of which is based on pictograph

鉱700 KŌ mineral-bearing rock (ore), and then extended
to ‘ore’ in general. In the other similar graph
L3 mineral, ore
13 strokes , which importantly provides the link to the
modern form, (traditional form of 127
KŌBUTSU mineral ‘wide, extensive’) was substituted – probably
KŌSEKI ore as a phonetic loan – for 133 based on their
TANKŌ colliery near-homophony in early Chinese. At a later
stage, the determinative in was replaced
Late graph, no seal form. Traditional form 鐄. by 16 ‘metal’, to give , which has been sim-
Originally written 磺 (CO; a seal form for this plified in modern Japanese to . KJ1970:325;
does exist) or . 磺 has 47 ‘stone, rock’, YK1976:185; OT1968:1039; AS2007:285,266.
and (traditional form of 133 ‘yellow’) as
semantic and phonetic meaning ‘yellow’, to Mnemonic: EXTENSIVE METAL ORE
give ‘yellow rock’. Used originally for yellowish

構701 KŌ, kamau/eru sense ‘put together and pile up’, giving ‘put
pieces of timber together and pile up’, i.e. ‘build,
L3 build, to mind construct’. Extended use in figurative senses
14 strokes such as ‘take a posture’, and ‘pose as’. KJ170:404;
YK1976:185; OT1968:518; MS1995:v1:110-11.
KŌSEI construction We suggest taking as 1575 ‘well’ and
KEKKŌ structure, fine 706 ‘again’.
kokorogamae mental readiness
Mnemonic: MIND ABOUT WELL BEING BUILT
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 73 ‘wood, OF WOOD AGAIN
tree’, and (CO ‘pile’, originally two-tiered
bamboo basket) as phonetic with associated The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 225

興702 KŌ, KYŌ, okosu/ru however, the OBI forms lack the element
22 ‘mouth’, leading him to interpret the center
L3 rise, raise, interest element as probably originally being a carrying
16 strokes rack (with the hands element), this later being
modified to Yamada regards ‘interest, excite-
KYŌMI interest ment’ as loan usage. KJ1970:271; YK1976:135;
FUKKŌ revival QX2000:189; OT1968:835. We suggest taking
KŌFUN excitement the lower part as table ands upper part as
hands and ‘same’ ( , 204).
OBI ; seal . One analysis takes as 204
‘same’ – taken here as ‘together’ – with four Mnemonic: SAME HANDS RAISED AT
hands holding something up (modern equiva-
lent: NJK [see also 482]), to give ‘lift up TABLE – HOW INTERESTING
together’ (Katō, Yamada). In Qiu’s assessment,

講703 KŌ associated sense ‘reconciliation, harmony’, to
give ‘reconcile/harmonize words’, and by exten-
L3 lecture sion ‘clarify [misunderstood] meaning’, ‘resolve
17 strokes dispute’. KJ1970:404; YK1976:186; SS1984:315.
As with 701 (‘build’, ‘to mind’), we suggest
KŌGI lecture taking as 1575 ‘well(s)’ and 706 ‘again’.
KŌEN speech, address
KŌSHI lecturer Mnemonic: THE LECTURE WAS A TALK ABOUT

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 118 WELLS AGAIN
‘words; speak; talk’, and (CO, originally, a
two-tiered bamboo basket) as phonetic with

混704 KON, majiru/zeru, komu from the ground’ (Katō, Yamada), echoed by Gu,
who says ‘water flows abundantly’. Spiralling in-
L3 mix, confusion dicated ‘eddy’, then ‘mix’ and ‘confusion’. (Mizu-
11 strokes kami notes alternative possible analysis of as
‘many people gather in the sunlight’, but Katō
KONKETSU mixed blood disagrees.) KJ1970:413-4, MS1995:v1:612-3;
KONRAN confusion YK1976:192; GY2008:1319. We suggest taking
mazemono mixture
as ‘sun’ 66 and as ‘compare’ 792.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 ‘water’,
and 1357 (NJK, originally ‘crawling insect’) as Mnemonic: COMPARE SUN AND WATER – A
phonetic with associated sense ‘water spirals up
CONFUSING MIX

査705 SA or offering meat piled up on chopping board)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘diagonal’, to
L3 investigate give ‘wood cut diagonally’, according to Katō
9 strokes and Yamada, who treat the sense ‘examine,
investigate’ as a loan usage, as does Ogawa
KENSA inspection (though he takes the associated sense of as
SHINSA investigation ‘put together’, and the overall original meaning
SAMON inquiry of as ‘a raft’). The meaning ‘examine, inves-
tigate’ for is noted in the late 17th century
A late graph, no seal form, but already in use in Zhengzitong, and that work employs the form
Han times. Consists of 73 ‘wood, tree’, with
1135 (now meaning ‘furthermore’, but original- , but the early 18th century Kangxi zidian
ly, a grave/cairn with earth piled up in a mound,

226 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

(original Peking Palace woodblock edition, not taking the elements as ‘tree/wood’ and
the modern version) has not this but the slight- ‘cairn’.
ly different form 查. Etymologically speaking,
Mnemonic: INVESTIGATE A CAIRN UNDER A
appears to be correct, and is standard usage TREE
in modern Japanese, but 查 is standard in PRC
Chinese. KJ1970:415; YK1976:193; OT1968:498; Or: FURTHERMORE, INVESTIGATE A TREE
ZY2009:v2:498; KZ2001:1112/3671. We suggest

再706 SAI, SA, futatabi ond, twice’ (Katō, Yamada, Ogawa). Katō alone
considers this graph did not exist indepen-
L3 again, twice, re- dently at the OBI or bronze stage. Gu looks to
6 strokes recognize independent status for from OBI
onwards, but makes a quite different interpre-
SAISEI regeneration tation as representing two fish being carried.
SAIKAN reprint MS1995:v1:108-9; KJ1970:550; YK1976:195;
SARAINEN year after next OT1968:100; GY2008:232. We suggest taking
the graph as a pictograph of exactly what it is –
OBI ; seal . This graph is generally taken an upturned basket.
as consisting of a lower bamboo basket (as in
the lower part of – see 701 and 703), and a Mnemonic: UPTURNED BASKET WITH FLAT
horizontal stroke on top to represent a flat
base for placing an upper basket (a second BOARD TO ADD A BASKET AGAIN
basket). Hence, the extended meanings ‘sec-

災707 SAI, wazawai Katō, Yamada: Mizukami also lists ‘stop’ as an
alternative sense), to give ‘damage/disaster by
L1 calamity fire’. The second OBI (corresponding seal form
7 strokes also) is , which has 30 ‘roof, building’ over

SAINAN calamity ‘fire’, to represent ‘house/building fire’. The
SAIGAI disaster more familiar modern form is based on
KASAI conflagration another form noted in Shuowen, which has
(‘blocked river overflows’) over , with the
OBI , ; seal , . The block script form upper element subsequently changed to
( ) does not represent the mainstream devel- (‘river current’); resultant overall meaning is
opment for this graph, and so firstly the main ‘calamity, disaster’. SS1984:335; MS1995:v2:800-
historical forms will be described. The first OBI 02,v1:422-4; KJ1970:422; YK1976:196.
form for above is taken to correspond to the
seal form 烖, which is analyzed as 8 ‘fire’, with Mnemonic: FIRE AND FLOWING RIVER ARE

(variant of halberd – see e.g. 545) as phonetic POTENTIAL CALAMITIES
with associated sense ‘harm, injure’ (Mizukami,

妻708 SAI, tsuma Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 37
‘woman’, and upper part taken as hand hold-
L3 wife ing three hairpins or broom (see 106, 800).
8 strokes MS1995:v1:320-21; YK1976:196; SS1984:336.

GOSAI second wife Mnemonic: WOMAN HOLDING BROOM IS
FUSAI husband and wife WIFE
hitozuma married woman

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 227

採709 SAI, toru 1739 ‘hand, claw’ in its abbreviated form ,
over 73 ‘tree’, to give ‘pick fruit from tree’.
L3 take, gather Later generalized to ‘take, gather’ (non-specific),
11 strokes and a second determinative for ‘hand’, this time

SAIYŌ adoption 34, was added for further clarity. YK1976:197;
SAISHŪ collection SS1984:337; QX2000:188.
SAISHU harvesting
Mnemonic: GATHER FRUIT FROM TREE WITH
No early form for , but there is for its pre-
decessor, / , viz seal (Shuowen). Has TWO HANDS

際710 SAI, kiwa Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 1907 ‘hill,
mound’, with 299 (originally ‘present meat
L3 occasion, edge, con- and wine to the gods’, now ‘festival’) as phonetic
tact with associated sense ‘come together, encoun-
14 strokes ter’, to give the point where two walls [of earth
mounded up] join (or Ogawa takes as ‘where
JISSAI actuality hills come together’). By extension, senses such
KOKUSAI international as ‘edge’, ‘contact, come together’. KJ1970:425;
madogiwa by the window YK1976:200; OT1968:1074; MS1995:v2:948-9.

Mnemonic: FESTIVAL AT EDGE OF HILL IS

QUITE AN OCCASION

在711 ZAI, aru added later (bronze stage onwards) for clarity.
Yamada generally agrees, and posits ‘exist’ as
L3 dwell, be located, an extended meaning on the basis of earth
countryside and other material blocking the river, dam-
6 strokes ming its movement, and hence just staying
or being in the one place. It is not clear how
ZAINICHI living in Japan the meaning ‘countryside’ came to be associ-
SONZAI existence ated with , but this is now just a very minor
ZAISHO old country home sense. MS1995:v1:264-5,548-9; KJ1970:421;
YK1976:200. Difficult mnemonically for : we
Bronze ; seal . The OBI form for (now suggest taking it literally as ‘oddly shaped dam’.
meaning ‘talent’, original meaning possibly
‘blocked river’ – see 139) is taken by Mizu- Mnemonic: ODD EARTHERN DAM LOCATED
kami and Katō as the original way of writing
NEAR COUNTRYSIDE DWELLING
also, with 64 ‘earth, ground’ being

財712 ZAI, SAI Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 10 ‘shell,
shell currency, money’, and 139 (‘talent’) as
L3 wealth, assets phonetic with associated sense ‘accumulate’,
10 strokes to give ‘accumulate currency’; by extension,
‘accumulate valuables (in general)’, ‘wealth
ZAISAN wealth (which has been accumulated)’. KJ1970:422;
ZAIDAN financial body YK1976:201; OT1968:953.
ZAISEI finances
Mnemonic: TALENT FOR MONEY-MATTERS

LEADS TO WEALTH

228 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

罪713 ZAI, tsumi as part of his standardization and reform of
the writing system at that period. The replace-
L3 crime, sin ment graph originally meant ‘fishing net’, but
13 strokes appears to have been borrowed on the basis of
having been a near-homophone to 辠. At the
HANZAI crime same time, though, could be construed as
ZAIAKU vice
tsumibukai sinful (the occurrent shape of the ‘net’ determina-
tive as a top element 570), with 794 ‘not;
Original graph was 辠 (bronze: ; seal: ). wrong, wrongdoing’ (, originally showing bird
wings spread out), thus giving a supposed
This was the underlying early Chinese word for meaning ‘to net wrongdoing’, and this notion
would probably have been quite pleasing to
‘crime’, which is analyzed as 1535 (now ‘sharp’, Shi HuangDi and his advisers. QX2000:313-4;
MS1995:v2:1274-6; YK1976:201-2. We suggest a
but originally, ‘needle’; tattooing needle used variety of mnemonics for the modern graph.

to mark criminals’ foreheads, and by extension Mnemonic: NETTING A BIRD IS A CRIME

‘crime’), with 150 (originally, ‘nose’; ‘self’) Or: CRIME IS SPREADING INTO A NETWORK

as phonetic with associated sense ‘commit a Or: NETTING WRONGDOERS IS NOT A CRIME

crime; crime’ (Mizukami, Ogawa). During the

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), however, the self-

styled First Emperor Shi HuangDi ( ) con-

sidered that the graph 辠 with its very negative

connotation was too close in shape to the

graph ‘emperor’, and so had it changed to

雑714 ZATSU, ZŌ ment made of various colored cloths gathered
together’. Subsequently the meaning became
L3 miscellany focused as ‘gather (a variety)’ and the shape
14 strokes modified to , which in turn led to the form

ZATSUDAN chitchat used in modern Japanese writing, probably
ZATSUON noise, static through earlier cursivizing. FC1974:v2:2396;
ZŌHYŌ ‘rank and file’ KJ1970:432; YK1976:205; OT1968:1078. As a
mnemonic, we suggest taking the modern
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional graph’s three components, bird(s)/gather,
Original way of writing was , consisting of with 73 ‘tree’ and 13 ‘nine’.
( ) 444 ‘(upper) garment, clothing’, and 324
(‘gather, collect’, originally birds gathering in Mnemonic: NINE BIRDS GATHERED IN A TREE
a tree) as semantic and phonetic, to give ‘gar-
– QUITE A MISCELLANY

酸715 SAN, sui, suppai ‘pierce, stab’, to give ‘alcohol-like liquid which
[feels like it] stabs the tongue’; by extension,
L1 acid, bitter a range of meanings such as ‘sour, wine gone
14 strokes bad; vinegar’, ‘acid taste, acid’. KJ1970:60;
YK1976:209-10; OT1968:1028. We suggest
SANSO oxygen taking right hand part as ‘crossed legs’ (see
SANSEI acidity Appendix), and ‘runny nose’ .
ENSAN hydrochloric acid
Mnemonic: BITTER ACID IN JAR CAUSES
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 318 (NJK,
orig ‘wine jar’ > ‘wine’), and (CO, ‘drag feet’; RUNNY NOSE AND CROSSED LEGS
see 1470) as phonetic with associated sense

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 229

賛716 SAN present shell currency or valuables’ as a gift
when meeting one’s lord. As this would facili-
L3 praise, agree, help tate the meeting, ‘help’ evolved as an extended
15 strokes sense. Yamada proposes ‘praise’ as a further ex-
tension of meaning. KJ1970:441-2; KJ1975:210;
SANSEI approval OT1968:958; ZY2009:v1:52; AS2007:527. We
SANBIKA hymn suggest taking as ‘two husbands’ 601.
SANJI eulogy
Mnemonic: PRAISE THE TWO HUSBANDS
Seal ; traditional Has 10 ‘shell/currency’,
and ‘advance’ ( 51 ‘tip, precede’ reduplicat- WHO SHELLED OUT
ed; in early Chinese also meant ‘go in front’) as
semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘put forward/

支717 SHI, sasaeru ‘bamboo’ ( 58), but not all commentators
are convinced by such precise identification
L3 branch, support (Ogawa, Shirakawa). No doubt because the
4 strokes hand is supporting a branch or bamboo stalk,
Ogawa regards ‘support’ as an extended mean-
SHITEN branch office ing, and does not follow Yamada’s view that
SHIJI support ‘support’ is a loan usage. In modern usage,
sasaebashira prop is often used for ‘support’ in a figurative sense
(cf. 719 ‘branch’). KJ1970:460; YK1976:212;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Represents a OT1968:434; SS1984:359.
bamboo stalk or a branch with leaves attached,
held in the hand; taken to signify pulling the Mnemonic: HAND SUPPORTS CROSS-SHAPED
branch or stalk away, and hence ‘separate
(with the hand)’. The Shuowen explanation says BRANCH

志718 SHI, kokorozasu, Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 ‘mind,
heart’, and (see 143, originally ‘footprint’
L3 kokorozashi > ‘go, proceed’) – in a variant shape later
will, intent rendered as ‘warrior’ 521 – as semantic and
7 strokes phonetic meaning ‘go’, to give ‘one’s mind goes/
tends towards…’, and hence ‘intend, inten-
ISHI will, intent tion’. KJ1970:452; OT1968:359; YK1976:218-9;
SHIBŌ aspiration AS2007:613.
YŪSHI volunteer
Mnemonic: WARRIOR’S HEART SHOWS WILL

AND INTENT

枝719 SHI, eda Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 73 ‘tree’,
with 717 (originally branch/bamboo held in
L3 branch hand; later ‘support’) as phonetic with associ-
8 strokes ated sense ‘become separated’, to give ‘branch
separated from tree’; sense then generalized
SHITAI troop detachment to ‘branch’, usually in physical sense in mod-
edazuno antler ern Japanese usage. KJ1970:460; OT1968:493;
kareeda dead branch SS1984:366; TA1965:493-5,464.

Mnemonic: TREE SUPPORTS BRANCH

230 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

師720 SHI see 646) was added as phonetic with associated
sense of ‘hillock’ (Katō), and this new graph
L3 teacher, model, army was used initially alongside to mean ‘hillock
10 strokes where troops are stationed’. Later, for clarity,
came to be used exclusively for ‘army, troops’,
KYŌSHI teacher and for ‘hillock’. Yamada regards ‘teacher’ as
SHIHYŌ paragon a loan usage for , but Schuessler treats it
SHIDAN army division as a semantic progression from ‘army, troops’
to ‘captain (of an army)’ and then ‘master/
OBI ( ); bronze ; seal . Views vary. Katō teacher’. KJ1970:469,656-8,450-51; YK1976:222;
and Yamada take as ‘buttocks’ (see 465). GY2008:255; OT1968:25; AS2007:461. Suggest
Gu sees it as a bow ( 107), but this seems taking as 799 ‘cloth’ and 1 ‘one/a’.
unlikely. Based on shape appears to have
been borrowed for ‘hillock’. Troops were often Mnemonic: MODEL TEACHER HAS A CLOTH
stationed on such hillocks, leading by extension
to ‘troops, army’. In bronze, (CO ‘go round’: OVER BUTTOCKS

資721 SHI Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 10 ‘shell/
currency’, and 308 (‘next, follow’) as phonetic
L3 capital, assets with associated sense ‘possess’ (Katō, Yamada)
13 strokes or ‘arrange’ (Ogawa, Tōdō), to give ‘possess
currency/assets’. KJ1970:479; YK1976:225;
SHIHON capital OT1968:957; TA1965:774.
SHIRYŌ materials
SHIKIN funds Mnemonic: NEXT SHELL IS A VALUABLE ASSET

飼722 SHI, kau two separate words (near-homophones)
in early Chinese. Katō takes 飤as consist-
L1 rear animals ing of , with ‘person’ as phonetic with
13 strokes associated sense ‘give’ (thus ‘give to eat’),
though alternatively it may be fair to take
SHIIKU rearing, breeding in its semantic function (Tōdō treats in this
kainushi pet owner way), to give ‘feed a person’, even though Qiu
kaiinu pet dog notes 飤 was used originally for both people
and animals. Later, the graph appeared,
Late, post-Shuowen graph; Shirakawa be- featuring 524 ‘administer, control’ as
lieves it dates from Tang Dynasty (618-907 semantic and phonetic, to give ‘control feed-
AD) at earliest. The CO graph 飤 (meaning ing’. SS1984:376; KJ1970:459; AS2007:463;
‘eat’) with 41 ‘person’ on the right in- QX2000:223, 335; TA1965:83; OT1968:1116.
stead of 524 is seen as the predecessor
of , from bronze script onwards. Initially, Mnemonic: REARING ANIMALS NEEDS FOOD
it seems, 163 ‘eat’ was used for both ‘eat’
and ‘give to eat, feed’, though these were AND CONTROL

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 231

示723 JI, SHI, shimesu sloping strokes are taken to indicate blood
from a sacrifice, or ritual wine used for cleans-
L3 show, indicate ing an offering. Despite some divergence on
5 strokes points of detail, there is agreement on the basic
meaning of this graph as an altar. ‘Show’ may be
ANJI hint an extended sense, related to outcome of the
TENJI display ritual involved. MS1995:v2:936-7; YK1976:226;
shimeshi discipline KJ1970:446-7; GY2008:132; OT1968:717;
AS2007:467.
OBI forms , ; seal . Originally a picto-
gram of an altar (also shown as ) for sacrifice Mnemonic: DROPS FROM ALTAR SHOW
to the gods. Theories about the shorter top
horizontal line vary, and include a sacrifice, an SACRIFICE
ancestral tablet, or a deity image. The two lower

似724 JI, niru [i.e. ‘farmer], but see 443) as phonetic with
associated sense ‘same appearance’, to give ‘a
L3 resemble person’s appearance is the same as another’s’,
7 strokes hence ‘resemble’. KJ1970:479,13; YK1976:229;
MS1995:v1:54-5; OT1968:151. Mnemonically
RUIJIHIN imitation challenging, but we suggest taking the right
ese-* sham, phoney hand and left hand elements as persons, and
niau be suited the central element as a plow.

Bronze ; seal . Seal form has 41 ‘person’, Mnemonic: TWO PERSONS AND SOMETHING
and or (not to be confused with katakana
RESEMBLING A PLOW
) (originally possibly a person with a plow

識725 SHIKI of finding out information, thereby leading to
the extended meaning ‘find out, know’. Mizu-
L3 knowledge kami, by contrast, proposes as OBI equivalent
19 strokes for not OBI (A) above but OBI (B), though
this is perhaps best regarded as a tentative
JŌSHIKI common sense correspondence, as it does look rather more
ISHIKI awareness like a flat surface held up by two hands rather
CHISHIKIJIN intellectual than by a stake or branch, and the latter is the
interpretation made by Gu, who lists OBI (B) as
OBI form A (戠) ; OBI form B ; seal . instead being the earliest predecessor not of
Typically taken to be 118 ‘words, language’
added as determinative at the seal stage to but of (see 728). Katō notes that is one
the older CO graph 戠, which is usually taken of those graphs which historically has given
as ‘cut branch/stake thrust into the ground’ rise to numerous different interpretations.
(later written ; Mizukami regards ‘halberd’ MS1995:v2:1210-11,v1:540-41; KJ1970:310;
[see 545] as an error for 311 ‘stake’); 戠 then YK1976:233-4; GY2008:513,1514; OT1968:943.
functions in as semantic and phonetic with As a mnemonic, we suggest taking the modern
the meaning ‘flag, marker’, to give ‘flag/marker graph as 118 ‘words’, 6 ‘sound’, and 545
with text attached to stake set into the ground’. ‘halberd’.
This, it is thought, was a device to convey
orders or directions to those coming from afar, Mnemonic: HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF A WORD
and from their perspective provided a means
SOUNDING LIKE ‘HALBERD’

232 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

質726 SHITSU, SHICHI, CHI pawning. Mizukami, however, lists a credible
alternative analysis which takes 斦 semantically
L4 quality, pawn as representing two equal things, signifying
15 strokes one asset (an object of value) equal to an-
other (its equivalent in money). Assessment
HINSHITSU quality of the quality of items accepted for pawning
SHICHIya pawnshop was – and still remains – an important consid-
hitoJICHI hostage eration in pawnbroking, and so ‘quality’ can
justifiably be regarded as an extended sense.
Bronze ; seal . Has 10 ‘shell currency, MS1995:v2:1244-6; KJ1970:487; YK1976:235-6.
shell’, and 斦 ‘two curved-handle axes’ (see
1233) taken typically as phonetic with an Mnemonic: PAWN TWO QUALITY
associated sense ‘correspond, equivalent’, to
give ‘[item] equivalent to money’, i.e. article for AXES – NEED TO ‘SHELL OUT’ TO REDEEM

舎727 SHA (Katō, Yamada). The same overall meaning is
reached by another analysis (Tōdō, Ogawa),
L1 house, quarters which differs in taking the lower element not
8 strokes as ‘mouth (etc.)’, but as ‘enclosure’ (see
e.g. 84); this view then takes the latter element
SHUKUSHA lodgings as indicating ‘place’, to give ‘place to relax’. This
SHAEI billeting latter interpretation follows that in Shuowen,
inaka* countryside which often based script analysis on the seal
forms, and the seal form here would seem to
Bronze ; seal ; traditional Interpreta- permit analysis as ‘enclosure, place’. However,
tions differ. One view takes the lower part as the older forms (bronze) clearly have ‘mouth’,
consisting of 22 ‘mouth’, a graph also used and so the former analysis seems more ap-
for actions performed with the mouth, and here propriate. KJ1970:882; YK1976:238; TA1965:339;
taken as ‘breathe’. The second element is OT1968:175; AS2007:456. We suggest taking
820 (here in an abbreviated shape; now means the elements of the modern form as cover ,
‘ample’ but originally meant a roof supported
on a pillar, indicating a light building structure 64 ‘earth’, and 22 ‘opening’.
such as a summerhouse) as phonetic with an
associated sense ‘be at leisure, relax’; by exten- Mnemonic: HOUSE COVERED IN EARTH WITH
sion, came to be used in the sense ‘stay for
the night’, and then ‘place where people stay’ JUST A SMALL OPENING

謝728 SHA, ayamaru holding up a mat taken away when departing
government office, presumably with words
L1 apologize, thank of thanks (the same OBI form is interpreted
17 strokes differently by Mizukami, who sees it as an early
predecessor of – see 725). Gu’s interpretation
SHAZAI apology involving a mat would appear to be reinforced
SHAREI remuneration by the OBI forms which Mizukami lists for
KANSHA gratitude 549 ‘seat’ (originally, pictograms of a mat, and
interpreted in that way by Mizukami himself ).
OBI ; seal . Seal form has 118 ‘words; MS1995:v2:1210-11,v1:440-41; KJ1970:490-91;
speak’, and 893 (‘shoot arrow’) as phonetic YK1976:240; OT1968:941; GY2008:1514. As a
with associated sense typically taken as ‘depart’ mnemonic we suggest using the English slang
(possibly with a semantic link also, with regard term, ‘shoot off’, meaning depart (in some
to an arrow leaving a bow), to give ‘words of haste).
farewell’. The meaning is considered to be
extended to ‘words of thanks’ in the context Mnemonic: WORDS OF APOLOGY AND
of leaving after receiving a gift. Gu also makes THANKS AS ONE ‘SHOOTS OFF’
this link, though he also proposes the above
OBI equivalent, interpreting it as two hands The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 233

授729 JU, sazukeru the ‘hand’ determinative ( ) 34 was added
to the near-homophone meaning ‘give’ so as
L3 teach, confer to aid clarity. With regard to the case of ,
11 strokes the phonetic element is more appropri-
ately taken as ‘hand over’ (Katō) rather than
JUGYŌ tuition ‘receive’ (Yamada). The meaning ‘teaching’
JUYO confer is an extended sense, with regard to confer-
KYŌJU tuition, professor ring knowledge. KJ1970:507-8; AS2007:470;
QX2000:189; YK1976:247. As a mnemonic, we
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). In early Chinese a suggest making use of three hands.
word meaning ‘give’ was written with the graph
Mnemonic: ‘THIRD-HAND’ BATON IS USED
319 ‘receive’ (see OBI form for 319); in that
early period the two words concerned, ‘give’ FOR TEACHING
and ‘receive’, which were near-homophones,
were distinguished in written texts on the basis Or: TEACHER’S EXTRA HAND CONFERS BATON
of context. At the seal script stage, however,

修730 SHŪ, SHU, osameru with associated sense ‘sweep away’, to give
‘brush off dirt and make attractive’. The basic
L3 practice, master meaning of putting something in good order
10 strokes led to extended senses such as ‘complete, mas-
ter, repair’. MS1995:v1:72-3,568-9; KJ1970:512;
SHŪRI repair YK1976:251-2; OT1968:344. Take elements as
SHŪSEI amendment
SHŪGYŌ study 41 ‘person’, ‘stick’ , 112 ‘beat’, and three
strokes .
Bronze ; seal . Has 115 (determinative
no. 59, taken variously as ‘color, luster’, ‘brush Mnemonic: PERSON PRACTICES BEATING
pattern’, or ‘writing brush hairs’), and (CO,
originally ‘remove dirt’ [Mizukami]) as phonetic WITH THREE STROKES OF STICK

述731 JUTSU, noberu as semantic and phonetic, meaning ‘adhere
to path’. Katō and Ogawa see link to ‘relate,
L3 relate, state mention’ through relating/following what
8 strokes others have said/written. MS1995:v2:1284-6;
YK1976:260; KJ1970:526-7; OT1968:995. Sug-
ZENJUTSU no the said gest taking as ‘odd tree’ 73.
JUTSUGO predicate
JOJUTSU description Mnemonic: RELATE HOW ONE WENT TO AN

Bronze ; seal . Has 85 ‘walk, go’, and ODD TREE
(CO, originally hand with sticky grains) taken

術732 JUTSU, sube ing’ (Katō, Yamada). Senses such as ‘means,
method’ are seen as extended usage from
L3 technique, means following a path. This graph and 731 ‘relate’
11 strokes are treated by Schuessler as representing the
same basic word in early Chinese, and Tōdō
GIJUTSU technique also includes in the same word-family (‘follow a
GEIJUTSU art, the arts route’). OT1968:898; TA1965:682-6; KJ1970:527;
SHUJUTSU surgery YK1976:261; AS2007:473. As with 731, we sug-
gest taking as ‘odd tree’.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 131 ‘go’
and (originally hand with sticky grains: see Mnemonic: GO AROUND ODD TREE BY
also 731) as phonetic with associated sense
‘follow’ (Ogawa, Tōdō) or ‘bend, winding’ (Katō, MEANS OF SPECIAL TECHNIQUE
Yamada), to give basic meaning ‘path’, or ‘wind-

234 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

準733 JUN surface of water’; later, meaning was general-
ised to ‘level’. Extended meanings ‘conform’ and
L3 level, conform, quasi- ‘quasi-’ are based on keeping to or being close
13 strokes to a level or standard. (with 401 ‘ice’ not
‘water’) is a variant form but now with separate
JUNBI preparation status (see 1475). KJ1970:529; TA1965:682;
SUIJUN standard, level YK1976:263. Suggest taking as 35 ‘ten’
JUNKESSHŌ semifinal and 324 ‘bird’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 42 ‘water’, Mnemonic: TEN BIRDS ON WATER, ALL AT
and (CO, ‘hawk’) as phonetic with associ-
ated sense ‘pull a rope straight’, giving ‘level SAME LEVEL

序734 JO, tsuide ing shuttle’, modern meaning ‘prior, already’)
as phonetic with associated sense ‘external
L1 beginning, order wall’, to give ‘(external) house walls’. ‘Beginning’
7 strokes may perhaps be a derived sense (what is there
first, before roof and internal walls added);
JOBUN preface ‘order’, though, is regarded as a loan usage.
JORETSU order, sequence KJ1970:552; YK1976:267; OT1968:327.
JOSŪ ordinal number
Mnemonic: BUILDING ALREADY BEGINNING
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 127 TO SHOW ORDER
‘building, roof’, and 425 (originally ‘weav-
as phonetic with associated sense taken as ‘call
招735 SHŌ, maneku (out to someone)’ (Katō, Yamada, Ogawa). Al-
ternatively, taken as ‘bend’, a meaning listed by
L3 invite, summon Tōdō, based on 198 ‘knife’ as phonetic in ,
8 strokes where it signifies ‘bend, bent’, based on curved
shape of knife, to signify calling someone over
SHŌTAI invitation with hand movement, i.e. ‘beckon’. KJ1970:608;
SHŌSHŪ convocation YK1976:269; OT1968:407; TA1965:245-6.
temaneku beckon
Mnemonic: INVITE BY SUMMONING WITH
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’, HAND
and 1486 (originally bending to face up-
wards and calling out, now means ‘summon’)

承736 SHŌ, uketamawaru represent a verb which, to give it its modern
form, is uketamawaru ‘receive (from a superior)’,
L3 receive, hear, know, be often to denote a verbal reference such as
informed orders, and also historically as a polite verbal
8 strokes suffix. This background of use for probably
goes some way towards accounting for its
SHŌCHI consent additional senses in modern Japanese such as
SHŌNIN recognition ‘hear’ and ‘know’. KJ1970:547-8; OT1968:403,19;
KEISHŌSHA successor YK1976:269; AS2007:185. Suggest taking the
graph as a whole, involving 27 ‘child’ and
Seal ; a late graph (Shuowen). It comprises 42 ‘water’, with the extra cross-strokes taken as
34 ‘hand’, and (NJK, helping someone up, ‘lift bristles.
up, help’) as semantic and phonetic, mean-
ing ‘raise up’, to give ‘lift up with the hands’, or Mnemonic: BE INFORMED ABOUT A BRISTLY
‘receive with hands held up’. Use of this graph
seems to have related to ‘raise up’ and also WATER-BABY
‘receive’ in a physical sense in early Chinese,
and it came to be used in Japanese from quite Or: KNOW THAT WHEN BABY IS IN WATER, IT
an early stage with the latter meaning to
CAN GET BRISTLY

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 235

証737 SHŌ words, report facts clearly, prove’. The (origi-
nally) separate graph once represented a
L1 proof near-homophone meaning ‘remonstrate’, but
12 strokes over time the simpler graph came to be used
in place of , a choice made official in Japan in
SHŌNIN witness 1946. OT1968:924-5; AS2007:612; QX2000:313.
RONSHŌ demonstration We suggest taking the modern form as 118
SHŌMEI proof ‘words’ with 43 ‘correct’.

Seal forms ( ), ( ). These are late graphs Mnemonic: CORRECT WORDS ARE PROOF
(Shuowen), the traditional form being . The
traditional form consists of 118 ‘words; Or: PROOF THAT ONE’S WORDS
speak’, with 382 (‘climb’) as phonetic with an
associated sense of ‘clarify’, to give ‘clarify with ARE CORRECT

条738 JŌ (from trunk)’, and the extended sense ‘branch
off, diverge’. Schuessler notes that in Han times
L3 clause, item, line this graph came to be used in an extended
7 strokes sense as a counter for long slender objects, and
this included many documents which were
MUJŌKEN unconditional written on slender wooden or bamboo strips;
JŌYAKU treaty, level by further extension became a counter for
JŌREI rules, regulations ‘matters, items of business’. MS1995:v1:668-70;
KJ1970:716; KJ1975:278; AS2007:579. Suggest
Bronze ; seal ; traditional Has 73 taking the upper part as ‘crossed legs’.
‘tree, wood’, and (see 730, originally, ‘remove
dirt’ [Mizukami]) as phonetic with associated Mnemonic: ITEM ABOUT SITTING
sense taken as ‘small’ (Katō, Yamada) or ‘long
and slender, extended out’ (Mizukami, Ogawa). CROSS-LEGGED UP A TREE
Either interpretation gives ‘branch grown out

状739 JŌ earthen walls) as phonetic with associated
sense ‘shape, appearance’, giving ‘appearance of
L3 condition, letter a dog’; then generalized to ‘appearance, form,
7 strokes condition’; then extended to ‘written report on
condition’ thus, ‘document, letter’. KJ1970:434;
JŌTAI situation MS1995:v2:824-5; YK1976:278-9; OT1968:640.
GENJŌ status quo Suggest taking丬as table toppled on edge.
SHŌTAIJŌ written invite
Mnemonic: DOG KNOCKS TABLE
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional
. Has 19 ‘dog’, and (taken originally OVER – BOTH NOW IN BAD CONDITION

as a stand or bed, or boards used in building

常740 JŌ, tsune Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 1232
‘cloth’, and 1491 (originally smoke rising
L3 usual, always from aperture in roof, now ‘furthermore’) as
11 strokes phonetic with associated sense ‘long, trailing’
> ‘long piece of cloth’. The sense was gener-
HIJŌ emergency alised to ‘long’, then used with reference to
JŌREI common practice time, meaning ‘long (in duration)’, ‘unchanging’.
NICHIJŌ commonplace KJ1970:545; YK1976:280; OT1968:318.

236 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, AS ALWAYS, IT’S

THE USUAL CLOTH

情741 JŌ, SEI, nasake ‘earnestly seek’, to give ‘earnestly seek from
the heart’(Katō, Yamada), or with associated
L3 feeling, pity, sense ‘pure’, giving ‘untarnished beautiful
circumstances heart’(Ogawa). Either interpretation then
11 strokes gives the generalized sense ‘heart’. Schuessler
notes the related sense ‘feelings’, and also early
DŌJŌ sympathy use meaning ‘proper nature, circumstances’.
JŌSEI situation KJ1970:593; YK1976:280-81; OT1968:375;
nasakenai wretched AS2007:433.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164 Mnemonic: HEART MADE BLUE THROUGH
‘heart, mind’, and 45 (‘blue, green’) as
phonetic with associated sense taken as FEELING PITY

織742 SHOKU, SHIKI, oru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
‘thread’, and 戠 (CO, original meaning ‘cut
L1 weave branch/ stake thrust into ground’: see 725) as
18 strokes phonetic with associated sense ‘straight’, to
give ‘set thread on loom straight’ (Ogawa sees
SHOKKI loom it as vertical thread); by extension, ‘weave’.
SOSHIKITEKI systematic KJ1970:558; YK1976:283; OT1968:791. Suggest
orimono textiles halberd 戈 as giant needle, as ‘sound’ 6.

Mnemonic: THE SOUND OF A HALBERD

WEAVING THREADS!?

職743 SHOKU as semantic and phonetic, giving ‘flag/banner
attached to stake thrust into the ground’. Mer-
L3 employment, job chants would each set up their own banner to
18 strokes indicate their particular line of trade (Katō takes
to include officials also), and on this basis there
SHOKUNIN artisan evolved the extended sense ‘job, occupation’
SHOKUGYŌ profession for this graph. MS1995:v2:1060-62; KJ1970:309-
MUSHOKU jobless 10; YK1976:284. Suggest halberd 戈 as lance,
as ‘sound/noise’ 6.
Bronze ; seal . Has 31 ‘ear’; here
considered to signify not ‘ear’, but by analogy Mnemonic: JOB AS LANCER LEAVES NOISE IN
‘something attached next to’), and 戠 (CO, ‘cut
branch/stake thrust into the ground’: see 725) EARS

制744 SEI ‘old tree’ ready for cutting down and using), and
198 ‘knife, blade’, to give ‘cut down tree with
L3 system, control
8 strokes a blade’. A carpenter would cut down a big tree
systematically, from ‘cut down’ in that context
SEIDO system the extended sense ‘judge, decide’ evolved.
SEISHI restraint MS1995:v1:126-7; KJ1970:597-8; YK1976:300.
KYŌSEI compulsion Suggest as combination of 108 ‘cow’ and

Bronze ; seal . Has in block script, which 1232 ‘cloth’.
old forms show to be a variant of 617 (‘not
yet’) used in its original sense of ‘tree with Mnemonic: CUTTING CLOTH FOR COW
luxuriant growth’ (Mizukami and Katō take as
REQUIRES SYSTEMATIC CONTROL

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 237

性745 SEI, SHŌ ‘innate feelings, one’s nature, temperament’,
or with associated sense ii] ‘give birth’ (Katō,
L3 nature, sex Yamada). In the case of i], ‘sex’ may be seen as
8 strokes extended sense from ‘innate’, and ‘gender’ as an
extension from ‘sex’, while with ii] the element
DANSEI male
SEITEKI sexual serves both a semantic and phonetic role.
SHŌBUN disposition MS1995:v1:502-3; OT1968:365; KJ1970:597;
YK1976:300.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164
‘heart, mind’, and 44 (originally, ‘plant grow- Mnemonic: ONE’S NATURE IS THE HEART
ing’, now ‘birth’), taken as phonetic with associ-
ated sense i] ‘innate’ (Mizukami, Ogawa), to give ONE IS BORN WITH

政746 SEI, SHŌ ‘vanquish with weapons’ (Yamada, Katō). Both
views give ‘control’ then ‘govern’ as extended
L3 government sense, and both are based on a passage in
9 strokes Analects of Confucius (Lun Yu), but Katō argues
that the interpretation of as ‘make correct’ is
SEIJIKA politician one which, while it suited the ruling class of the
GYŌSEI administration period, is etymologically flawed. TA1965:460-
SEIFU government 65; OT1968:438; KJ1970:600; YK1976:301-2;
MS1995:v1:568-9.
Bronze ; seal . Has ( ) 112 ‘hit; force’,
and 43 ‘correct’. One view takes as seman- Mnemonic: GOVERNMENT FORCES
tic and phonetic, to give ‘make correct’ (Tōdō,
Ogawa), but another view treats as pho- CORRECTNESS
netic with associated sense ‘vanquish’, to give

勢747 SEI, ikioi effort, the meaning was extended to ‘vigor’.
Subsequently, so as to distinguish the two
L3 power, force meanings, the determinative 53 ‘plants’ was
13 strokes added to for ‘plant with effort’, while was
added for ‘vigor’, ‘force’, giving , after which
SEIRYOKU power
ōZEI multitude fell into disuse. See also 495 (traditional
ikioiyoku vigorously form of ‘art, skill’). KJ1970:354; YK1976:303;
QX2000:329-30; AS2007:570-71. Take 坴 as 627
Seal . Has 78 ‘strength, effort’, and ‘mounds of earth’, and as ‘round’ 101.
(originally ‘plant tree, shrub’: see 495) as seman-
tic and phonetic (same meaning), to give ‘put Mnemonic: STRONG POWER FORCES UP
effort into planting’; as planting involved great
ROUND MOUNDS OF EARTH

精748 SEI, SHŌ netic with associated sense ‘clean’, to give ‘rice
polished clean’ (Ogawa), or ‘select and clean
L3 spirit, vitality, rice’ (Katō, Yamada). The process of cleaning
refine, detail rice involved refining, hence ‘refine’. ‘Essence,
14 strokes spirit’ may be seen as an extended sense – that
which remains after refining – and by further
SEISHINTEKI mental extension to ‘vitality’. OT1968:763; KJ1970:596;
SEIRYOKU vitality YK1976:305.
BUSHŌ indolence
Mnemonic: REFINED GREEN RICE FILLS ONE
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 220
‘rice’, and 45 ‘green, blue, fresh’ as pho- WITH VITALITY AND SPIRIT

238 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

製749 SEI Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 444
‘clothing, cloth’, and 744 (‘system, control’;
L3 manufacture originally, ‘cut tree systematically with blade in-
14 strokes struments’) as semantic and phonetic for ‘cut’, to
give ‘cut cloth and make a garment’. Sense was
SEIZŌ manufacture then generalized to ‘make (an item)’, not just
SEIHIN manufactured item clothing. KJ1970:598; YK1976:305; OT1968:907.
NIHONSEI made in Japan
Mnemonic: SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING

CLOTHING.

税750 ZEI Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 87 ‘grain’,
and / (NJK, originally person, looking up
L3 tax, tithe and speaking) as phonetic with associated
12 strokes sense ‘divide and take’, to give ‘take enough
harvested grain for tax’; later generalised to ‘tax,
ZEIKIN tax tithe’. YK1976:306-7; OT1968:733; KJ1970:602-3;
KANZEI customs duty Suggest as ‘elder brother’ 114 with 70,
SHOTOKUZEI income tax here ‘away’.

Mnemonic: ELDER BROTHER GIVES AWAY

GRAIN TAX

責751 SEKI, semeru request’ > ‘money is requested’ from debtor; Mi-
zukami notes alternative view that takes as
L3 liability, blame both semantic and phonetic, to give ‘harass (the
11 strokes debtor) like stabbing with a thorn’. Calling debt-
or to account may have given rise to ‘blame’ as
SEKININ responsibility extended sense. Schuessler also notes meaning
JISEKI self-reproach ‘hold responsible’. MS1995:v2:1232-4,v1:644-5;
SEKIMU duty KJ1970:614; YK1976:309; AS2007:602. Modern
form has variant of 44 ‘life’ as top element,
OBI ; seal . Has 10 ‘shell/currency,’ and but we suggest ‘odd’ variant of 315 ‘master’.
883 (NJK, usually taken as ‘thorn’, but note
Mnemonic: BLAME ODD MASTER WITH
corresponding OBI forms look like artefact with
barb-like tip); latter element is usually taken MONEY WHO HAS MANY LIABILITIES
as phonetic with assoc sense ‘count up and

績752 SEKI ‘money requested’; ‘liability’, now ‘blame’) as
phonetic with associated sense ‘link, join up’
L3 achievement, spin (Katō, Yamada), to give ‘join up thread; spin’.
17 strokes Ogawa takes the associated sense of as ‘ac-
cumulate’, giving ‘accumulate thread’ – a little
SEISEKI result awkward but helps explain ‘achievements’ as
GYŌSEKI achievements an extended sense. KJ1970:614; YK1976:310;
BŌSEKI spinning OT1968:790.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 29 Mnemonic: BLAME THREADS FOR POOR
‘thread’ (Katō and Yamada consider ‘thread’
here to be hemp thread), and 751 (originally, ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPINNING

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 239

接753 SETSU, tsugu now ‘sharp’]) as phonetic with associated sense
‘take’, to give ‘take the hand’; by extension, ‘mix/
L3 contact, join mingle with’, and hence ‘contact’. Tōdō includes
11 strokes in a word-family ‘slender point; slender point
thrusts in’, giving a clear original sexual conno-
MENSETSU interview tation. TA1965:848-51; KJ1970:623; YK1976:311.
SETSUZOKU connection Suggest taking as 37 ‘woman standing’
tsugiki graft (of trees)
77.
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’,
and (NJK, ‘concubine’; derives from 37 Mnemonic: JOIN HANDS WITH STANDING
woman, and as abbreviation of 1535
[tattooing needle used on criminals and slaves, WOMAN

設754 SETSU, mōkeru ‘construct, establish’. Seal form onwards with
118 ‘words, speak’ is widely taken as an error;
L3 establish, build likely due to misinterpretation of certain older
11 strokes forms of which include a wedge-shaped
component. MS1995:v2:1184-5; KJ1970:618-9;
SETCHI establishment YK1976:311; OT1968:545. Take as ‘hand hold-
SEKKEI design ing tool/weapon’.
SETSURITSU founding
Mnemonic: BUILD WITH WORDS, DESPITE
OBI ; seal . OBI form for 170 (‘strike with
weapon’) has hand holding object such as a HAMMER IN HAND
club or mallet, held next to a wedge, to give

舌755 ZETSU, shita in early Chinese a near-homophone), to give
‘contained in mouth’, i.e. tongue (Katō, Yamada).
L1 tongue Qiu, though, looks to identify OBI forms for
6 strokes
, as does Mizukami. Qiu takes the OBI forms
ZESSEN war of words as ‘mouth’ with another element which he
BENZETSU eloquence sees as the tongue itself (short strokes either
shitatarazu lisping side of this in some instances may depict
saliva). KJ1970:620; QX2000:195; YK1976:313;
OBI , ; seal . One view sees this graph MS1995:v2:1096-7. Suggest taking the upper
as having no bronze or seal forms, analysing part as 49 ‘a thousand’.
as 22 ‘mouth’, with 840 (originally forked
weapon, now ‘dry’) as phonetic with associ- Mnemonic: A THOUSAND MOUTHS, A
ated sense ‘include’ (used for 1167 ‘include’,
THOUSAND TONGUES

絶756 ZETSU, taeru, tatsu seal form has 29 ‘thread’ and , with 41
(originally a person kneeling) as a phonetic with
L3 cease, sever, end an associated sense typically taken as ‘cut’, to
12 strokes give ‘cut thread with knife’. The sense was then
generalized to ‘cut, sever’, and by extension
ZETSUBŌ despair ‘end’. OT1968:778; KJ1970:346-7; YK1976:314;
ZETTAITEKI absolute MS1995:v2:1012-3. We suggest taking the right-
taezu unceasingly hand part as 162 ‘color’.

OBI ; seal ; traditional form has 198 Mnemonic: SEVER COLORFUL THREADS
(‘knife’) at top right. The OBI form shows
threads hanging down, with horizontal strokes Or: CEASE MAKING COLORED THREADS
to represent cutting through the threads. The

240 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

銭757 SEN, zeni tions; Qiu suggests that before the beginning
of the formal use of money, spades probably
L1 sen, coin, money served as a kind of currency in trade relations.
14 strokes In Japan, a new monetary system was adopted
officially in 1871. The main unit in this decimal
kozeni small change system was the yen, so called because the yen
KINSEN money coins were round ( 4 ‘round, yen’), unlike the
SAISEN offertory earlier oblong coins. As a lesser monetary unit,
the ‘sen’ was adopted (one-hundredth of a yen);
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 16 sen coins are no longer legal as currency, but
‘metal/gold’ (in ancient China, often used for the sen is still used sometimes in financial trans-
‘bronze’), and 545 (two halberds > ‘fight, actions. KJ1970:626; YK1976:319; QX2000:258-9.
injure’) as phonetic with associated sense ‘tip We suggest for the first mnemonic taking in
is scraped away’, to give ‘metal implement its meaning of ‘gold’, and for the second,‘ money.
with tip/edge scraped away’; taken to signify
tools – often agricultural implements – such as Mnemonic: TWO GOLD HALBERDS REDUCED
spades, hoes, or knives. The connection with TO MERE SEN COIN
coinage and money is that, dating from the first
millennium BC in China, there have survived Or: HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN SEN COINS TO
examples of metal currency (separate from BUY TWO HALBERDS
shell currency) actually in the shape of small
knives or spades, and featuring short inscrip- taken either as semantic and phonetic mean-
ing ‘pile up, put on top’ (Katō, Yamada), or as
祖758 SO a phonetic with an associated sense of ‘past,
beginning’ (Mizukami, Ogawa). Either analysis
L3 ancestor gives the overall meaning ‘shrine to the ances-
9 strokes tral deity’, later extended to being a general
term for ‘ancestors’. KJ1970:642; YK1976:323;
SOSEN ancestors MS1995:v2:946-7; OT1968:721.
SENZO ancestors
SOFUBO grandparents Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, AT THE ALTAR
ONE WORSHIPS ONE’S ANCESTORS
OBI ; bronze ; seal . The graph consists of
( ) 723 ‘offering table, altar; deity’, with

1135 (originally, a burial mound with piled-up
earth, or cairn, but now meaning ‘furthermore’)

素759 SO, SU, moto sense, and the original meaning to be ‘the
original state’. Normally, however, the words
L1 element, base, bare and meanings represented by individual graphs
10 strokes progress from the concrete to the abstract,
not vice versa, so the first interpretation above
GENSO element is probably the one to follow. Yamada gives
YŌSO factor a useful view regarding the overall semantic
SUashi barefoot progression for this graph, namely ‘white silk’
generalized to ‘white’, then to ‘plain’ and ‘raw
Seal . The graph consists of / 29 ‘thread’ material’; ‘element’ may be regarded as coming
(‘silk thread’), and (originally, tree blossoms within the same semantic spectrum. Mizukami
or leaves hanging down); the function and looks to identify a corresponding bronze form.
meaning of the latter element – which has been KJ1970:640; YK1976:323; MS1995:v2:1008-
modified through simplification in the block 9,v1:22; TA1965:368-71. We suggest taking the
script version – is disputed. One view takes as upper part of the graph as an ‘odd’ variant of
a phonetic with an associated sense of ‘white’, 315 ‘master’.
to give ‘white silk’ (Katō, Yamada, Mizukami), or
‘separate into two’ (Mizukami), to give ‘white silk Mnemonic: THE ODD MASTER’S BARE
threads hanging separately’. Tōdō, by contrast,
considers ‘white threads/silk’ to be an extended THREADS HAVE BASIC RAW ELEMENTS

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 241

総760 SŌ, subete [comprising 164 ‘heart, mind’, with 囱
‘window’ as phonetic with associated sense
L3 whole, total ‘restless’]) as phonetic with associated sense
14 strokes ‘bundle together’, to give ‘put thread into a bun-
dle/ball’, extending to all/total. KJ1970:586-587;
SŌGAKU total amount KJ1975:329-30; OT1968:782; MS1995:v1:510-11.
SŌGŌ synthesis We suggest taking as ‘public’ 126.
SŌRIDAIJIN prime minister
Mnemonic: THREAD RUNS THROUGH
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional
Has 29 ‘thread’, and 恖 (‘restless, hurried’ FEELINGS OF PUBLIC AS A WHOLE

造761 ZŌ, tsukuru meaning ‘report’, and takes it as part of an
original word in early Chinese written with (the
L3 make, build early equivalent of ) meaning ‘go and offer (a
10 strokes sacrifice)’ or ‘go to court’, actions usually involv-
ing some report. Schuessler also notes a pos-
ZŌSEN shipbuilding sible word-family type relationship of the word
MOKUZŌ made of wood just described with two other early Chinese
JINZŌ manmade near-homophones meaning ‘proceed, achieve’
and ‘do, make, build’, broadly corresponding
Bronze ; seal . Has 85 ‘walk, move’, with the first interpretation above. KJ1970:408;
and 507 (‘proclaim’), typically taken here as YK1976:330; OT1968:999; AS2007:601-2.
phonetic with associated sense ‘arrive’, to give
‘walk and arrive’ (Katō, Yamada, Ogawa); in this Mnemonic: MAKE A MOVE TO BUILD AND
view, ‘make’ is a loan usage. Schuessler, though,
regards not as phonetic but as semantic, PROCLAIM IT

像762 ZŌ Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 41 ‘per-
son’, and 540 (‘elephant; image’) as phonetic
L3 image with associated sense ‘state, appearance’, to
14 strokes give ‘a person’s appearance; imitate a person;
later generalized to ‘appearance’. KJ1970:542;
SŌZŌ imagination YK1976:332; OT1968:80.
MOKUZŌ wooden statue
GENZŌ developing (film) Mnemonic: IMAGE OF ELEPHANT MAN

増763 ZŌ, masu, fueru/yasu phonetic meaning ‘pile up’, to give ‘pile up earth
on top of earth’. Sense then generalized to ‘pile
L3 increase, build up up, increase’. Pre-seal forms listed by Mizukami
14 strokes lack the ‘earth’ determinative. MS1995:v1:278-9;
KJ1970:319-20; YK1976:332. Suggest taking
ZŌDAI increase right-hand part as 66 ‘day’, 70 ‘eight’, and
ZŌZEI tax increase
ZŌFUKU amplification 63 ‘field’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional Mnemonic: BUILD UP EARTH IN FIELD OVER
Has 64 ‘earth, ground’, and 93 (originally
‘two-tiered rice steamer’) as semantic and EIGHT DAYS

242 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

則764 SOKU, nori, nottoru abstract sense ‘rule, standard’. Ogawa suggests
in a semantic role to give ‘mark/engrave a
L3 rule, model, standard
9 strokes cauldron’, then make it a ‘standard’ (presumably
of capacity), but Katō argues very few cauldrons
KISOKUTEKI regular were engraved. Tōdō puts into a word-family
HŌSOKU law ‘stick to, incline towards’ which includes
GENSOKU principle 1650 (originally person kneeling next to food
piled up in container on stand), and takes the
Bronze: ; seal: . Has 198 ‘knife’, and graph as a cauldron or cooking pot with a knife
(not ‘shell-money’ 10, but abbreviation of earlier always close by. The first analysis seems persua-
sive. KJ1970:645-6; YK1976:334; OT1968:117;
‘cauldron’: see 248), usually taken as phonet- TA1965:121-3. Suggest taking as 10 ‘money’.
ic with associated sense ‘damage, mark’, to give
‘mark/damage with knife’. Wood or bamboo Mnemonic: THERE ARE RULES AND STAND-
was marked with a knife for use as a measuring
tool; ‘measure, ruler’ was then extended to the ARDS ABOUT CUTTING UP MONEY

測765 SOKU, hakaru Bronze ; seal . Has 42 ‘water’ and
764 (‘rule, standard’) as semantic and phonetic
L3 measure, fathom (and may be seen as extended sense of 764)
12 strokes meaning ‘measure’, thus ‘measure water depth’;
then generalised to ‘measure’. MS1995:v2:766-8;
SOKUTEI measurement KJ1970:646; OT1968:596.
SOKUCHI land survey
hakarigatai hard to figure Mnemonic: MEASURE WATER WITH

FATHOM-RULE

属766 ZOKU caterpillar’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘continue’, to give ‘born continuously/succes-
L1 belong, genus sively from vagina’ and hence ‘blood relatives,
12 strokes family’. By extension, ‘connected, belong, same
type’. KJ1970:337; MS1995:v1:406-8,v2:1148-9;
KINZOKU metal KJ1970:558; OT1968:298. Suggest take as
FUZOKU attached ‘buttock’, as ‘insect’ 60, as ‘legs’, and as
ZOKUMEI generic name ‘head’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional . Mnemonic: INSECT WITH BUTTOCK, LEGS
Has , corresponding to seal form of 1888
(originally showing vagina with hair, later AND HEAD BELONGS TO A GENUS
‘buttocks’ and ‘animal tail’), and (NJK, ‘green

率767 SOTSU, RITSU, hikiiru thread; the seal form shows these together
with some sort of tool or device for making the
L3 rate, command rope. ‘Command’ and ‘rate’ may be regarded
11 strokes as loan usages. YK1976:494; KJ1970:526;
MS1995:v2:850-51. Suggest taking as top,
TŌSOTSU command
NŌRITSU efficiency as 29 ‘short threads’ with bits, and the
ZEIRITSU tax-rate lower element as 35 ‘ten’.

OBI ; seal . OBI and bronze forms show Mnemonic: TEN BITS OF SHORT THREADS
rope (taken to be hemp rope) and bits of hemp
COMMAND TOP RATE

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 243

損768 SON, sokonau Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 ‘hand’,
and 248 (‘member, official’) as phonetic with
L3 loss, spoil, miss associated sense ‘take away/take away a part’,
13 strokes to give ‘take away with the hand, reduce’. ‘Loss,
damage’ is an extended sense. KJ1970:652-3;
SONSHITSU loss YK1976:340; OT1968:426.
SONGAIdaka damages
iisokonai slip of tongue Mnemonic: OFFICIAL HAS HAND MISSING – A

SERIOUS LOSS

退769 TAI, shirizoku/keru ond seal form here has 85 ‘move, go’, and this
reflects a widely discernible feature in the older
L3 retreat, withdraw forms of certain graphs, which exhibit varia-
9 strokes tion between and the semantically close .
Mizukami looks to identify two possible bronze
KŌTAI retreat forms for . Distinguish here from the
TAISHOKU retirement same-shaped element ‘stop and stare back’ in
TAII abdication
281 ‘silver’ (though a useful mnemonic), and
Seal forms include , . Analyses vary, but from 628 ‘good’. YK1976:344; KJ1970:665;
the most convincing takes the first seal form as MS1995:v1:484-5.
comprising 131 ‘move, go’, and 66 ‘sun’,
with ‘foot going down’ (see 213), to give ‘sun Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE, THEN MOVE
goes down’, and by extension ‘retreat’. The sec-
BACK IN RETREAT

貸770 TAI, kasu Seal . Has 10 ‘shell/currency/money’,
and 358 (‘replace’, ‘fee’) as phonetic, taken
L4 lend, loan either as ‘give’, meaning ‘give money/valu-
12 strokes ables’ (Katō, Yamada) or as ‘in turn’, meaning
‘one person lends and another borrows’ (Tōdō,
TAIHI loan Ogawa). Yamada lists a possible bronze form
kashiKIN loan also. KJ1970:889; YK1976:345; TA1965:90-92;
kashiya house to let OT1968:955.

Mnemonic: LOAN IS REPLACEMENT MONEY

態771 TAI, waza, zama phonetic with associated sense taken as ‘good,
beautiful’ (Katō, Yamada), to give ‘good/beauti-
L1 appearance, intent ful mind’; the sense ‘appearance, state’ is taken
14 strokes as a loan usage by Yamada, but Katō sees it as
a generalized sense. One of the more difficult
TAIDO attitude graphs to analyze satisfactorily. YK1976:345-6;
TAISEI position KJ1970:662-3.
wazawaza purposely
Mnemonic: ONE WHO IS INTENT HAS AP-
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 164
‘mind, heart’, and 787 (‘ability, can’) as PEARANCE OF ABLE MIND

244 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

団772 DAN, TON shape), and 925 (orig. ‘hold spool-shaped
toy/spool’, now ‘sole’) as semantic and pho-
L3 group, body, mass, netic meaning ‘round, make round’, to give
ball, round ‘round’. ‘Round’ is still a quite common sense
6 strokes in modern Japanese, and ‘group’ is likely just
an extended sense. KJ1970:685; YK1976;352;
DANgo dumpling MS1995:v1:260-61. Modern simplified form
FUTON futon, quilt uses 920 ‘hand’, ‘measure’.
DANTAI group
Mnemonic: GROUP HAS MEASURED
Bronze ; seal ; traditional Has 84
(‘enclosure’, originally probably just circular ENCLOSURE ROUND IT

断773 DAN, kotowaru, tatsu threads’ > generalized sense ‘cut’, then extend-
ed senses as ‘decisive’ and ‘refuse’. The change in
L3 cut, be decisive, de- orientation of left-hand element in traditional
cline, judge form seems to have been between seal and
11 strokes block script stage. Mizukami also lists what are
possibly pre-seal forms of MS1995:v1:598-9;
SETSUDAN amputation KJ1970:685;YK1976:353; SK1984:359. Take as
DANGEN affirmation ‘rice’ 220.
kotowarigaki proviso
Mnemonic: DECISIVELY DECLINE RICE CUT
Seal ; traditional Has 1233 ‘ax’, and
/ (‘short threads’ 29 divided by line) > ‘cut WITH AX IN CORNER

築774 CHIKU, kizuku strings of musical instrument with bamboo
plectrum’) as phonetic with associated sense
L3 build ‘pound, strike downwards’, giving overall
16 strokes meaning ‘wooden instrument to pound the
ground’; by extension, ‘make the earth firm’ for
KENCHIKU building building on, and by further extension ‘build’.
KENCHIKUKA architect MS1995:v2:990-92; YK1976:357-8; KJ1970:277-
kizukinaosu rebuild 8. Suggest taking as 125 ‘work’, and 1993
‘mediocre’.
Bronze ; seal . Has 73 ‘wood’ and
(latter made up of a lower part the bronze Mnemonic: BUILDING SHOWS MEDIOCRE
equivalent of which shows a person with arms
held out towards an object, together with 58 WORK WITH WOOD AND BAMBOO
‘bamboo’ as top element, taken to mean ‘pluck

張775 CHŌ, haru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 107 ‘bow’,
and 189 (‘long’) as phonetic with associated
L3 stretch sense ‘expand’, to give ‘bow expands’ (Mizukami
11 strokes also lists ‘long’ as an alternative associated
sense). Sense then generalized from ‘expand
SHUCHŌ assertion outwards’ to ‘stretch’. MS1995:v1:470-72;
KAKUCHŌ expansion KJ1970:703; YK1976:366.
miharu be on guard
Mnemonic: DRAW LONGBOW TO FULL

STRETCH

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 245

提776 TEI, CHŌ, sageru netic with associated sense ‘hold in the hand
(something hanging down)’, to give ‘hold, carry’.
L1 hold, carry, offer In Tōdō’s word-family ‘straight’, meaning ‘hold
12 strokes straight up’ (the object is vertical, so does not
conflict significantly with the other interpre-
TEISHUTSU presentation tation noted above). ‘Offer’ is an extended
ZENTEI premise sense. YK1976:374-5; KJ1970:712; OT1968:423;
CHŌCHIN* lantern TA1965:460-63.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 34 Mnemonic: HOLD PROPERLY IN HAND WHEN
‘hand’, and 1574 (originally, pictograph of
spoon on a hook; now ‘proper, this’) as pho- OFFERING TO CARRY

程777 TEI, hodo phonetic with associated sense ‘show’) as pho-
netic with associated sense ‘put in order’ (Ya-
L3 extent, about, order mada, Katō) or ‘extend straight’ (Ogawa), to give
12 strokes ‘order, rule, standard’. Katō notes a connection
with a unit of measure (‘put grain harvest in or-
TEIDO degree der by units of volume’). ‘About, approximately’
KATEI process may be a further extension of meaning on the
hodochikai near basis of being close to a standard. YK1976:375;
KJ1970:709-10; OT1968:734; MS1995:v1:262-3;
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Traditional: KZ2001:1877/3671. Take as ‘king’ 5.
has at lower right, not ‘king’. The graph
has 87 ‘grain’, with (modern form 1741 Mnemonic: TO AN EXTENT, GRAIN ENDS UP
‘express clearly’; itself comprising 22 ‘mouth,
speak’, with [CO ‘stand up straight’, ‘excel’] as IN KING’S MOUTH

適778 TEKI taken as i] ‘emerge’ (Yamada, Katō, Mizukami),
giving ‘emerge’, or ii] ‘straight’, giving ‘move
L3 suitable, fit, go straight ahead’ (Ogawa, Mizukami). Mizukami
14 strokes lists an OBI for (lacks determinative ). ‘Suit-
able, fit’ are loan usages. MS1995:v2:1306-7;
TEKITŌ suitable YK1976:376; KJ1970:720; OT1968:1012,186. We
TEKISEI aptitude suggest taking 啇 as blending of ‘funny’ variant
SAITEKI optimal of tall tower 132 ‘tall’, and 121 ‘old’.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 85 ‘go, Mnemonic: SUITABLY FIT TO GO TO FUNNY
walk’, and (NJK ‘only’), then later variant 啇
(CO, ‘origin’) as phonetic with associated sense OLD TOWER

敵779 TEKI, kataki Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 112
‘strike’, and (NJK ‘only’), then later variant
L1 match, enemy 啇 (CO, ‘origin’) as phonetic with associated
15 strokes sense ‘hit/confront equally’, thus ‘those who
strike each other’. KJ1970:721; YK1976:376;
TEKII hostility OT1968:443; MS1995:v1:584-5; ZY2009:v1:136.
MUTEKI matchless As in 778, we suggest taking 啇 as blending of
katakiuchi vendetta ‘funny’ variant of tall tower 132 ‘tall’, and 121

‘old’.

Mnemonic: STRIKE ENEMY IN FUNNY OLD

TOWER

246 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

統780 TŌ, suberu now ‘fill’) as phonetic with associated sense
‘beginning; thread/sequence’ (Ogawa says ‘long
L1 supervise, lineage thread/sequence’), to give ‘beginning; thread/
12 strokes sequence’. ‘Lineage’ is an extended sense;
‘control’ is also regarded as an extended sense,
DENTŌ tradition based on correcting a sequence. KJ1970:747;
TŌKEI statistics OT1968:779; SS1984:649.
DAITŌRYŌ president
Mnemonic: SUPERVISE LINEAGE FULL OF
Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 29
‘thread’, and 1461 (originally, ‘be born; grow’; THREADS

銅781 DŌ, akagane Bronze ; seal . Has 16 ‘metal’, and
204 (‘same’) as phonetic with associated sense
L3 copper generally taken as ‘red’ (Mizukami also notes
14 strokes alternative interpretations ‘flow through’ and
‘cavity, cave’), to give ‘red metal’, i.e. ‘copper’.
DŌZŌ bronze statue MS1995:v2:1366-7; YK1976:394; KJ1970:737;
DŌKA bronze coin GY2008:1257.
SEIDŌ bronze
Mnemonic: COPPER IS SAME METAL AS RED

METAL

導782 DŌ, michibiku Bronze ; seal: . Has 920 ‘hand/meas-
ure’, and 205 (‘road’, ‘way’) as phonetic (and
L3 guide, lead possibly semantic) with associated sense ‘walk’,
15 strokes to give ‘walk while guiding someone by the
hand’, and hence ‘guide, lead’. YK1976:394;
SHIDŌ guidance MS1995:v1:398-9; KJ1970:671.
SHUDŌKEN initiative
DENDŌ conduction Mnemonic: MEASURED GUIDING HAND

LEADS THE WAY

徳783 TOKU and phonetic, meaning ‘straight/pure heart’; in
this case, has the extended sense ‘conduct’.
L1 virtue Yamada sees ‘morality, virtue’ as loan usage, but
14 strokes this seems unnecessary taken as ‘conduct with
a pure heart’. Interestingly, Qiu notes that at an
DŌTOKU morality earlier period in China, was used sometimes,
TOKUGI integrity apparently in error, for ( ) 241 ‘evil’, the
TOKKURI* sake bottle opposite sense. Mizukami and Yamada list OBI
equivalents for , all lacking the ‘heart’
Bronze ; seal ; traditional Has 131 element. YK1976:395-6; MS1995:v1:492-3;
‘go/move’, and as phonetic with associated KJ1970:689-90’ QX2000:204-5. Suggest as
sense usually taken as ‘climb’, to give ‘climb to a cross and 76 ‘eye’.
high place’ (Yamada, Katō, Mizukami). Mizukami
notes alternative interpretation of – which is Mnemonic: CROSS-EYED BUT MOVED BY
seen as abbreviated form of ( 192 ‘direct,
upright’, over ‘heart, mind’ 164) – as semantic VIRTUOUS FEELINGS

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 247

独784 DOKU, hitori sense here of ‘fight’, to give ‘dogs fight, coming
together as one’, and extended sense ‘(just) one,
L3 alone, Germany alone’. In written style, is sometimes used
9 strokes as an abbreviated way of writing ‘Germany’, as
in for example ‘Anglo-German’. In recent
EIDOKU Anglo-German times ‘caterpillar’ has been simplified in this
DOKURITSU independence graph to 60 ‘insect’. KJ1970:741; YK1976:396-
hitorigoto soliloquy 7; OT1968:642.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen); traditional Mnemonic: INSECT-RIDDEN GERMAN
Has ( ) 19 ‘dog’, and NJK 766 (originally,
‘green caterpillar’) as phonetic with associated SHEPHERD DOG IS LEFT ALONE

任785 NIN, makaseru in 777, q.v.) as phonetic with associated sense
‘bag’, to give ‘carry a load on the back’. ‘Baggage’
L3 duty, entrust is an extended sense, and ‘duty’ a further ab-
6 strokes stracted sense. Yamada looks to identify several
OBI forms, but Mizukami does not include any.
NINMEI appointment YK1976:401-2; KJ1970:567; OT1968:51. We sug-
NIN’I discretion, option gest taking as an ‘odd’ variant of ‘king’ 5.
SEKININ responsibility
Mnemonic: ODD KING IS PERSON ENTRUST-
Seal . Has 41 ‘person’, and (‘spool, spin-
dle’: different from similarly-shaped element ED WITH DUTIES

燃786 NEN, moeru/yasu Seal ( ; late graph (post-Shuowen). The

L3 burn original graph for this word for ‘burn’ was
16 strokes 557, but when came to be used frequently
to represent other linguistic forms, a second
NENRYŌ fuel
NENSHŌ combustion 8 ‘fire, flames’ was added to clearly indicate
moetsuku ignite the meaning ‘burn’. OT1968:628; KJ1970:633;
QX2000:226-7. Take elements as 19 ‘dog’,
209 ‘meat’, and double flames / .

Mnemonic: DOG MEAT NEEDS TO BE BURNED

WITH EXTRA FLAMES

能787 NŌ, atou 1252 ‘bear’). Ogawa, by contrast, regards
it as totally pictographic in origin, showing a
L3 ability, can, Noh wild animal with a tail; Shirakawa also takes it
10 strokes to be pictographic, in his view representing an
aquatic insect. ‘Can’ is a loan usage. In Japa-
KANŌSEI possibility nese, senses of this graph include ‘deed, act’
NŌRYOKU ability ‘talented person’ and ‘Noh (drama)’. YK1976:405;
NŌMEN Noh mask KJ1970:35; OT1968:822; SS1984:675. Suggest
as nose, as ‘flesh’ 209, and as claws.
Bronze ; seal . Etymology disputed. Katō
and Yamada take as consisting of one element Mnemonic: ABLE BEAR WITH CLAWS AND
in the bronze forms depicting some sort of wild
animal, with a phonetic element with associat- FLESHY NOSE CAN PERFORM NOH
ed meaning ‘black’, hence ‘black bear’ (see also

248 The 185 Fifth Grade Characters

破788 HA, yaburu/reru Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 47 ‘stone,
rock’, and 396 (‘skin, leather’) as phonetic
L3 break, tear with associated sense ‘small, detailed’, to give
10 strokes ‘rock is broken into small pieces’; the sense was
later generalized to ‘break’, and extended to
HASAN bankruptcy ‘tear’. YK1976:408; KJ1970:794; OT1968:710.
HASON damage
yabureme (a) tear Mnemonic: TEAR THE SKIN OFF A ROCK!?

MUST MEAN BREAK IT

犯789 HAN, okasu Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has ) 19

L3 crime, violate, ‘dog’, and (variant of 41, person kneeling
commit, assault
5 strokes or crouching) as phonetic with associated sense

HANNIN criminal either ‘harm, injure’, to give ‘dog harms person’
HAN’I criminal intent
HANZAI crime (Katō, Yamada), or ‘protrude, jut out’, giving

‘dog (breaks out and) attacks person’ (Ogawa).

YK1976:416; KJ1970:789; OT1968:639-40.

Mnemonic: DOG COMMITS CRIME OF
ASSAULTING SLUMPED PERSON

判790 HAN, BAN Later, extended to‘divide’ in general, and fur-
ther senses such as ‘dissect’ and ‘decide, judge’.
L3 judge, decide, seal The meaning‘seal’ (Japanese only) seems to
7 strokes relate to early practice of dividing important
documents with seals (similar to signatures
HANDAN judgment in the West) such as contracts in two, one
HANJI judge half for each party. YK1976:417; KJ1970:785;
HANko personal seal OT1968:113.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 198 Mnemonic: CUT IN HALF – A JUDGMENT
‘knife/cut’, and 214 (‘half’) as semantic
and phonetic, meaning ‘divide in two’, to give WITH SOLOMON’S SEAL
‘divide in two physically with knife/cleaver’.

版791 HAN this graph denoted wooden strips/tablets as
writing material, paper being very expensive.
L3 print, board Technological development in China in first
8 strokes millennium AD saw used to refer to wooden
blocks engraved with text and/or illustrations
SHUPPAN publishing in woodblock printing, and widely in printing
HANGA woodcut print terms. See also 395 ‘board’. YK1976:418;
HANKEN copyright KJ1970:787; OT1968:633.

Seal ; late graph (Shuowen). Has 980 ‘strip’ Mnemonic: OPPOSED THIN BOARDS CAN BE
(orig thin pieces of wood), and 393 (‘oppose’,
‘measure’), as phonetic with associated sense USED TO PRINT
‘flat, thin’, thus ‘flat/thin board’. In early times

The 185 Fifth Grade Characters 249