Meaning & readings

metaphor, compare

On’yomi ユ
Kun’yomi たと.える、さと.す

Origin

The character combines mouth (口) on the left with a sound component (兪) on the right that suggests the pronunciation. The mouth element hints at speaking or explanation, while the overall character developed to represent the act of comparing things through words or making something understood through comparison. When you explain one thing by comparing it to another using words, you're creating a metaphor or helping someone grasp an idea—which is what this kanji expresses.

喩 12 strokes

Components

  • 口 radical left
  • 兪 meaning part right

Common words

  • 比喩 ひゆ simile; metaphor

Easily confused with

These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.

Reference

Strokes
12
Kangxi radical
30
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
—
Former JLPT
—
Unicode
U+055A9