Meaning & readings

hill, knoll

On’yomi キュウ
Kun’yomi おか
Nanori たかし

Origin

This character appears to combine two visual ideas. The upper part shows a tool or axe-like shape, while the horizontal line at the bottom represents ground or earth. Together, they suggest something rising up from the ground—a small elevated landform. The shape isn't a direct picture of a hill, but rather the stacked components work together to express the concept of an elevated piece of land, which is why it means "hill" or "knoll."

丘 5 strokes

Components

  • 斤 meaning part
  • 一 radical

Common words

  • 丘陵 きゅうりょう hill; hillock
  • 砂丘 さきゅう sand dune; sand hill

Reference

Strokes
5
Kangxi radical
1
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#1405 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+04E18