| Meaning |
skillful hand 寸
|
| Explanation |
Image of a hand 一 forearm 丨 and pulse 丶. It was originally also the distance of one inch (Length: 1 SUN = 3.03 cm) from the hand's palm to the pulse. This also stood for a small amount. The mnemonics use it as "skillful hand" and partly as "to measure".
EDIT - FEHLER
|
Used in these characters:
|
|
村
|
 |
|
JLPT 4Joyo 1 |
|
| village
mura, SONソン、むら |
木
寸
 | Left: tree 木, right: skillful hand, to measure 寸
(In the past, a palisade [= fence] served to defend the village.) Trees were erected with skillful hands to protect: the village.
|
|
|
|
寺
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 2 |
|
| temple
tera, JIジ、てら |
寺
土
寸
| Top: earth 土, bottom: skillful hand 寸
Made from earth, and skillful hands built the temple.
|
|
|
|
守
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 3 |
|
| protect, defend, guard
mamoru, SHU, SUシュ、（ス）、まも-る、も-り |
宀
寸
| Top: roof 宀, below: skillful hand 寸
The roof and the skillful hand will protect you.
|
|
|
|
対
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 3 |
|
| opposite, versus, pair
TAI, TSUIタイ、ツイ |
文
寸
| Left: text/writing 文 (A folding table 文 for writing a text.), right: skillful hand 寸.
(A good lawyer should argue against injustice in written:) I need a writing from a skillful hand to oppose.
|
|
|
|
博
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
|
| doctorate, gain, gamble, extensive, wide
HAKU, BAKUハク、（バク） |
十
専
由
寸
| Left: ten 十, right: var. of wholly, exclusively 専 (The soil 一 is penetrated by a (single) sprout 丨 in the rice field 田, cared for by a skillful hand 寸, and is exclusive.)
(Gratitude of the patients:) Tenfold is the whole gain of a doctor.
|
|
|
|
付
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
|
| attach, fix, adhere, apply
tsuku, FUフ、つ-ける、つ-く |
付
亻
寸
| Left: person 亻/人, right: skillful hand 寸
A person with a skillful hand attaches sth.
|
|
|
|
府
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
|
| urban prefecture
FUフ |
广
付
寸
| Left and top: building 广, rest: attach 付 (Person 亻 with skillful hand 寸 attaches sth.)
(Real estate is not movable, thus lasts were it is.) The buildings are attached to (the land) and belong to the prefecture.
|
|
|
|
謝
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 5 |
|
| apologize, thanks
ayamaru, SHAシャ、あやま-る |
言
身
寸
| Left: word 言, right: to shoot 射 (The body 身 [is in a lateral position] and has a skillful hand 寸, when shooting)
The words after the shot were apologies.
|
|
|
|
団
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 5 |
|
| team, group, body, company
DAN, TONダン、（トン） |
囗
寸
| Outside: enclosure 囗, inside: skillful hand 寸
You need to set limitations and have a skillful hand to form a team.
|
|
|
|
導
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 5 |
|
| guide, conduct, lead
michibiku, DŌドウ、みちび-く |
辶
首
寸
| Top: way, street 道 (The movement 辶 of heads 首 on the street. [head 首 = eye 目 with bushy eyebrows 丷] ), below: skillful hand 寸
On our way a skillful hand will guide us.
|
|
|
|
得
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
|
| gain, get, acquire, benefit
eru, uru, TOKUトク、え-る、う-る |
彳
旦
寸
| Left: go 彳, right: sunrise 旦 (sun 日 above the horizon 一), skillful hand 寸 [opposite: 損]
Go at sunrise with your skillful hand and make profit.
|
|
|
|
射
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 6 |
|
| shoot
iru, SHAシャ、い-る |
身
寸
| Left: body 身 (in side view), right: skillful hand 寸
The body stands laterally and has a skillful hand, when shooting.
|
|
|
|
樹
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 6 |
|
| tree, bush, stand
ki, JUジュ |
木
壴
寸
豆
| From left: tree 木, drums 壴 (cf: 鼓, but here: ten 十 beans 豆), skillful hand 寸
The tree gives you ten beans (= seed) and your skillful hand makes more: trees and bushes.
|
|
|
|
将
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 6 |
|
| commander, leader
masa, SHŌショウ |
丬
爫
寸
| Left: bed 丬 (cf. 爿 developed from the image of a halved 片 tree), right: a hand reaches down 爫, skillful hand 寸
A simple bed, a hand reaching down and a skillful hand defines (the skills of) a commander.
|
|
|
|
寸
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 6 |
|
| measure, length, SUN=3.03 cm
SUNスン |
寸
| Originally a hand with a pulse (The radical is derived from measuring and understood as "skillful hand".)
From the pulse to the hand is one Sun.
|
|
|
|
専
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 6 |
|
| exclusively, specialty, wholly, solely
moppara, SENセン、もっぱ-ら |
専
由
寸
| From above: one 一 (here: ground), reason 由 (=growing sprout 丨 in the rice field 田), skillful hand 寸
The soil is penetrated by a (sole) sprout in the rice field and cared for by a skillful hand: That's exclusive.
|
|
|
|
尊
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 6 |
|
| honor, esteem, revered, value
tattoi/bu, tōtoi, SONソン、たっと-い、とうと-い、たっと-ぶ、とうと-ぶ |
丷
酉
寸
| From top: out of 丷, wine mug 酉, skillful hand 寸
If something is poured out 丷 of the wine mug with a skillful hand, it appears honorable.
|
|
|
|
討
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 6 |
|
| attack, assault, defeat, chastise
utsu, TŌトウ、う-つ |
言
寸
| Left: word 言 (sound waves out of a mouth 口), right: skillful hand 寸
With words and skillful hands, you can attack.
|
|
|
|
尉
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| military officer
Iイ |
尸
礻
寸
| From left: buttock seen from the side 尸, show 示, skillful hand 寸
A 'buttocks' shows his skillful hand: that's the military officer.
|
|
|
|
慰
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| comfort, console, amuse
nagusami/mu/meru, Iイ、なぐさ-める、なぐさ-む |
心
尸
寸
| Top: military officer 尉 (A buttock 尸 shows 示 his skillful hand 寸: that's an officer), below: heart 心
An officer with a heart knows how to comfort.
|
|
|
|
冠
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| crown
kanmuri, KANカン、かんむり |
冖
元
寸
| Top: cover 冖, bottom: origin 元 (here: chin. Yuan), skillful hand 寸
It's covering, it costed many Yuan and is made by a skillful hand: The crown!
|
|
|
|
爵
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| baron/marquis, peerage(=nobleness), peers
SHAKUシャク |
爫
罒
皿
寸
| From top: a hand reaching down 爫, plate 罒/皿, variation of food 食 and skillful hand 寸
A hand gives a plate to serve food skillfully to the baron.
|
|
|
|
狩
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| hunt
karu/ri, SHUシュ、か-る、か-り |
犭
宀
寸
| Left: wild animal 犭 (dog on hind legs), right: protect 守 (.. by a roof 宀 or a skillful hand 寸) [cf. to catch 獲, where a basket 艹 is falling on that bird 翟]
For wild animals use a trap 宀 and your skillful hand 寸 to hunt them.
|
|
|
|
寿
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| congratulate, long life
kotobuki, JUジュ、ことぶき |
扌
寸
| Left: var. of hand 手, right: skillful hand 寸
Two hands congratulate and wish a long life. (And two hands 手,寸 are needed to roll sushi 寿司)
|
|
|
|
遵
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| obedience, follow rules, abide by, obey (a law)
JUNジュン |
辶
酉
寸
| Left: movement 辶, right: esteem, honor 尊 (Serving out of 丷 the wine mug 酉 with a skillful hand 寸 is honorific.)
Honorific movements show your obedience.
|
|
|
|
辱
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| embarrass, insult, shame, humiliation
hazukashimeru, JOKUジョク、はずかし-める |
辰
寸
| Top: plow 辰 (At the field corner 厂 a first line 一 is plowed by the farmer 农 [农=Chinese for farmer]), bottom: skillful hand 寸
He still had the plow in his skillful hand and felt embarrassed.
|
|
|
|
尋
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| inquire, ask, look for, seek, (length: 6 shaku =1.82m)
tazuneru, hiro, JINジン、たず-ねる |
寸
| From top: hand ヨ, craftsman 工, mouth 口, skillful hand 寸
A normal hand ヨ changes through work and the mouth into a skilled hand 寸, if you inquire and ask.
|
|
|
|
耐
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| endure, resistance, bear, durablility
taeru, TAIタイ、た-える |
而
寸
| Left: beard 而 (.. hangs down below the mouth 一), right: skillful hand 寸
(Taking care for a beard needs time:) A beard needs a skillful hand that has endurance.
|
|
|
|
奪
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| rob, take by force, snatch away, plunder
ubau, DATSUダツ、うば-う |
大
隹
寸
| From top: big 大, bird 隹, skillful hand 寸
For a big bird you need a skillful hand, for robbing it.
|
|
|
|
鋳
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| cast (i.e. in metal), mint
iru, CHŪチュウ、い-る |
金
寸
| Left: metal 金, right: long life 寿 (With both hands 手 & 寸 to congratulate and wish: a long life) [..or: to roll sushi 寿司]
Metal has a long life-cycle, and thus is used for casting.
|
|
|
|
闘
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| fight, struggle, war
tatakau, TŌトウ、たたか-う |
門
豆
寸
| Outside: gate 門, inside: beans 豆 (Here: 豆 as bullets) & skillful hand 寸
We are at the gate with bullets and skillful hands: Ready for the fight!
|
|
|
|
薄
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 7 |
|
| diluted, thin/weak (taste), shallow, light, faint
usui/maru/meru, HAKUハク、うす-い、うす-める、うす-まる、うす-らぐ |
艹
専
由
寸
| Top: plant 艹, below: water 氵and: var. of wholly/exclusive 専 (The soil 一 is penetrated by a (sole) sprout 丨 in the rice field 田, cared for by a skillful hand 寸, and is exclusive.)
(i.e. tomatoes taste often watery) Plants with water can be wholly diluted, or weak in taste.
|
|
|
|
縛
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| bind, tie, restrict, restrain, truss, arrest
shibaru, BAKUバク、しば-る |
糸
専
由
寸
| Left:thread 糸, right: var. of wholly, exclusive 専 (The soil 一 is penetrated by a (sole) sprout 丨 in the rice field 田, cared for by a skillful hand 寸, and is exclusive.)
(The purpose of) A thread is wholly for binding sth.
|
|
|
|
封
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 7 |
|
| seal, close off
FŪ, HŌフウ、ホウ |
圭
寸
| Left: piled/cumulated earth 圭 (=2x earth 土), right: skillful hand 寸
(cf. street 街 [= I go 行 over piled earth 圭] - Thus at road construction:) Earth is piled up by skillful hands and sealed.
|
|
|
|
簿
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| accounting, register, accounting book, records
BO, HAKUボ |
竹
専
由
寸
| Top: bamboo 竹, below: water 氵and: var. of wholly, exclusive 専 (The soil 一 is penetrated by a sole sprout 丨 in the rice field 田, cared for by a skillful hand 寸, and is exclusive.)
About bamboo (its production) and water (its consumption) we have a comprehensive accounting.
|
|
|
|
酎
|
|
|
JLPT -Joyo 7 |
|
| Shōchū, strong sake
CHŪチュウ |
酉
寸
| Left: wine mug 酉, right: length/measure 寸 (as radical: skillful hand)
(Good distillation is difficult:) For this wine you need a skillful hand: the (distilled) Shōchū.
|
|
|
|
肘
|
|
|
JLPT -Joyo 7 |
|
| elbow
hiji, ひじ |
肉
寸
| Left: body part 月/肉, right: skillful hand 寸
The body part at which the 'skillful hand' is: The elbow.
|
|
|
| Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning. |  |
|
At this page you get the memory phrases for learning the Japanese Kanji. If you are learning the Chinese Hanzi, please follow this link. |
List of the characters |
List of the radicals
|
