Origin

The character combines a picture of grain or rice plants (the top part) with a shape suggesting growth or emergence (the bottom part). Together, these elements show a plant that stands out from others — grain that grows taller and stronger than the rest. This image of exceptional growth came to represent excellence and surpassing others more broadly. The character essentially depicts something that excels by its very nature, which is why it means to excel or possess beauty and superiority.

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