Meaning & readings
calculate, divining, number, abacus, probability
On’yomi サン
Kun’yomi そろ
Origin
This character most likely combines a picture of bamboo (the upper part) with elements representing counting or calculation below. Bamboo was historically used to make counting rods—thin sticks that were arranged in patterns to perform arithmetic before the abacus was invented. Over time, the character came to mean calculation, numbers, and probability more broadly. The shape has become simplified from its original pictographic form, but the connection to bamboo and the ancient counting methods it represents remains embedded in the character's meaning.
Components
This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (算).
Common words
Easily confused with
These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.
Reference
- Strokes
- 14
- Kangxi radical
- 118
- Formation type
- Pictographic or simple
- Grade
- Grade 2 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #361 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+07B97