字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

bundle, sheaf, ream, tie in bundles, govern, manage, control

On’yomi ソク
Kun’yomi たば、たば.ねる、つか、つか.ねる

Origin

This character pictures sticks or straw bound tightly together. The two wood components on either side represent the bundle of sticks or branches, while the square in the middle represents the cord or band that holds them together. When you tie things up this way, you're controlling and organizing separate pieces into one unified whole, which is how the meaning extended to "govern" or "manage." The visual of restraint and binding naturally came to express the idea of keeping things organized and under control.

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

束 7 strokes

Components

Common words

  • 花束 はなたば bunch of flowers; bouquet
  • 結束 けっそく union; unity
  • 拘束 こうそく restriction; restraint
  • 札束 さつたば bundle of banknotes; stack of bills
  • 束縛 そくばく restraint; restriction
  • 約束 やくそく promise; agreement
  • 束ねる たばねる to tie up in a bundle (e.g. straw, hair, bills, letters); to bundle
  • 約束通り やくそくどおり as promised

Related kanji

Same radical
Shares components

Reference

Strokes
7
Kangxi radical
75
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#918 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+0675F