字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

overall, relationship, ruling, governing

On’yomi トウ
Kun’yomi す.べる
Nanori のり、むね

Origin

The character 統 combines a thread radical on the left, which represents connections and continuity, with a sound component on the right that guides pronunciation. The thread imagery connects to the meaning of ruling and governing, since controlling threads means coordinating and bringing separate strands together into unified whole. Just as threads must be gathered and directed, a ruler brings order and relationship to many separate elements. The sound component 充 doesn't contribute a meaning but tells you roughly how to pronounce the character.

統 12 strokes

Components

  • 糸 radical left
  • 充 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 系統 けいとう system
  • 正統 せいとう legitimate; orthodox
  • 総統 そうとう supreme ruler; generalissimo
  • 伝統 でんとう tradition; convention
  • 統一 とういつ unity; consolidation
  • 統括 とうかつ unification; bringing together
  • 統計 とうけい statistics
  • 統合 とうごう integration; unification

Related kanji

Same sound component 充
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
12
Kangxi radical
120
Formation type
Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint)
Grade
Grade 5 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#125 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+07D71