Meaning & readings
sash, belt, obi, zone, region
On’yomi タイ
Kun’yomi お.びる、おび
Nanori たて
Origin
This character combines two components that together suggest the idea of something that wraps around or binds. The upper part represents a broad surface or covering, while the lower part suggests something extended or stretched out. When these elements combine, they create the image of a band or strip of cloth that encircles the body — which is exactly what a sash or belt does. Over time, this visual idea of something that "binds" or "goes around" expanded to mean zones or regions, since those too form bands across a landscape.
Components
- 卅
- 廿
Common words
Easily confused with
These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.
Reference
- Strokes
- 10
- Kangxi radical
- 50
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #746 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+05E2F