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.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).

10 strokes

Components

  • meaning part
  • 廿 meaning part

Common words

  • 一帯 いったい whole area; whole region
  • 温帯 おんたい temperate zone
  • 携帯 けいたい carrying (on one's person or in the hand)
  • 世帯 せたい household; family
  • 地帯 ちたい zone; area
  • 熱帯 ねったい tropics
  • 付帯 ふたい incidental; ancillary
  • 連帯 れんたい solidarity

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
50
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#746 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+05E2F