Meaning & readings
salary, wage, gift, allow, grant, bestow on
On’yomi キュウ
Kun’yomi たま.う、たも.う、-たま.え
Nanori きい
Origin
The character 給 combines two parts: the thread radical on the left, which represents textiles and things made of fiber, and the component 合 on the right meaning "fit together" or "combine." Together, these elements suggest the idea of providing or supplying something — as if threads are being woven together or distributed to create something complete. Over time, this visual concept of giving or providing expanded to mean wages or salary, which is what an employer gives to an employee. The notion of "granting" or "bestowing" follows naturally from this sense of provision or supply.
Common words
- 恩給 おんきゅう pension (esp. public servant's)
- 給食 きゅうしょく provision of lunch (e.g. at office, school, etc.); providing a meal
- 給水 きゅうすい water supply; supplied water
- 給付 きゅうふ provision (of money or goods); furnishing
- 給油 きゅうゆ refueling (a car, plane, etc.)
- 給与 きゅうよ pay; salary
- 給料 きゅうりょう salary; wages
- 供給 きょうきゅう supply; provision
Reference
- Strokes
- 12
- Kangxi radical
- 120
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #615 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+07D66