字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

mutually, reciprocally, together

On’yomi ゴ
Kun’yomi たが.い、かたみ.に

Origin

This character appears to show two elements facing or relating to each other. The two horizontal lines at top and bottom represent "two," and the components suggest things turning toward each other or exchanging places. The overall shape captures the idea of things pointing at or meeting each other from opposite directions. Over time, this visual sense of reciprocal positioning came to mean "mutually" or "together" — the fundamental idea being that when two things interact this way, they do so in relation to each other.

互 4 strokes

Components

  • 二 radical
  • 彑 meaning part

Common words

  • 互い たがい each other; one another
  • 互角 ごかく equal (in ability); even
  • 互換 ごかん interchange
  • 互助 ごじょ mutual aid; cooperation
  • 互選 ごせん election by mutual vote; election from within a committee (party, etc.)
  • 交互 こうご alternate; alternating
  • 相互 そうご mutual; reciprocal
  • 互いに たがいに mutually; with each other

Related kanji

Same radical

Reference

Strokes
4
Kangxi radical
7
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#914 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+04E92