Meaning & readings
method, law, rule, principle, model, system
On’yomi ホウ、ハッ、ホッ、フラン
Kun’yomi のり
Nanori ほ
Origin
This character combines water (the left side) with a component meaning "to go" or "to depart" (the right side). The idea is that law and method work like water—they flow and guide things along a proper course, directing action in an orderly way. Just as water naturally follows paths and channels, rules and principles guide people's behavior. Over time, the meaning shifted from this visual metaphor to the more abstract sense of "law," "method," and "system" we use today.
Components
- 氵
- 去
Common words
Reference
- Strokes
- 8
- Kangxi radical
- 85
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #100 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+06CD5