Meaning & readings
color
On’yomi ショク、シキ
Kun’yomi いろ
Nanori しか、しこ
Origin
This character appears to combine the idea of a person (the top component) with a twisting or coiling shape (the bottom component that resembles a spiral or knot). The combination suggests the visual appearance or complexion that a person presents — essentially, the outward impression or coloring of someone's face and body. Over time, this expanded to mean color or appearance more broadly, since what we see on the surface of things is defined by their color. The character's construction reflects how color is something perceived through the eye and expressed on the visible surface of objects.
Components
- 𠂊
- 巴
Common words
Reference
- Strokes
- 6
- Kangxi radical
- 139
- Formation type
- Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
- Grade
- Grade 2 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #621 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 3
- Unicode
- U+08272