Meaning & readings
discipline, conduct oneself well, study, master
On’yomi シュウ、シュ
Kun’yomi おさ.める、おさ.まる
Nanori おき、なが、のぶ、おさむ
Origin
This character combines the idea of a person (shown on the left) with a component suggesting length or extension (on the right). The shape most likely represents someone engaged in self-improvement or refinement—the notion of "stretching" or "extending" oneself toward better conduct. Over time, this visual idea of a person extending themselves in effort came to mean discipline, study, and mastering skills. The character captures the sense of actively working to improve oneself, which is why it carries meanings related to studying, conducting oneself well, and self-discipline.
Components
This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (修).
Common words
Reference
- Strokes
- 10
- Kangxi radical
- 9
- Formation type
- Pictographic or simple
- Grade
- Grade 5 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #603 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+04FEE