Meaning & readings
badge, chapter, composition, poem, design
On’yomi ショウ
Nanori あき、あきら、あや、ふみ
Origin
This character appears to combine two ideas: sound or music (the top component) and earliness or swiftness (the bottom component). In ancient times, a "chapter" or "composition" was something recited or performed with rhythm and beauty—the combining of sound with structure and order. The character's shape thus captures the notion of something organized and distinct, whether a section of text, a poem, or a badge marking status. Over time the meaning broadened to include any kind of design or pattern that stands out as a complete, recognizable unit.
Common words
Reference
- Strokes
- 11
- Kangxi radical
- 117
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 3 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #990 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+07AE0