Meaning & readings
annexed, accompany, marry, suit, meet, satisfy, attach, append, garnish, imitate
On’yomi テン
Kun’yomi そ.える、そ.う
Nanori そえ、ぞい
Origin
This character combines water (the left component) with a component meaning shame or disgrace (the right side). The idea is that water flows alongside or adds to things, which led to meanings like "to accompany" or "to add to." Over time, the sense of something joining or attaching to something else expanded to include ideas like marrying, suiting, or satisfying—anything where one thing meets or pairs with another. The water radical suggests the smooth, natural way things can flow together.
Components
- 氵
- 忝
Common words
- 添う そう to meet (wishes, expectations, etc.); to satisfy
- 添加 てんか addition; annexing
- 添削 てんさく correction; looking over
- 添付 てんぷ attaching (documents, etc.); appending
- 添乗 てんじょう accompanying (on a trip); escorting (a tour group)
- 添加物 てんかぶつ additive
- 力添え ちからぞえ help; assistance
- 添える そえる to garnish; to accompany (as a card does a gift)
Reference
- Strokes
- 11
- Kangxi radical
- 85
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Jōyō (secondary school)
- Frequency rank
- #1501 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 1
- Unicode
- U+06DFB