Meaning & readings

bear

On’yomi ユウ
Kun’yomi くま

Origin

This character combines the idea of a powerful animal with fire or heat. The top part suggests capability or skill—something that possesses strength and force. The bottom part is a fire radical, which in this context likely indicates a wild or fierce creature, as fire often represents danger or untamed nature in character formation. Together, these components evoke the image of a strong, dangerous animal: a bear. The character essentially builds the concept of "bear" by combining the notion of a powerful, fierce being.

熊 14 strokes

Components

  • 能 meaning part top
  • 灬 radical bottom

Common words

  • 白熊 しろくま polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Easily confused with

These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.

Reference

Strokes
14
Kangxi radical
86
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#1105 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+0718A