Meaning & readings

checkup, seeing, diagnose, examine

On’yomi シン
Kun’yomi み.る

Origin

This character combines the radical for "words" or "speech" on the left, which points toward the meaning of examination and questioning, with a sound component on the right that hints at the pronunciation shin. The idea is that diagnosis involves asking questions and listening carefully to what someone says about their condition. By pairing a meaning element related to verbal communication with a sound indicator, the character came to represent the act of examining or checking up on someone through inquiry and observation.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).

12 strokes

Components

  • radical left
  • +彡 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

  • 往診 おうしん doctor's visit; house call
  • 検診 けんしん medical examination (for a specific condition or disease); health screening
  • 診る みる to examine (medically); to have a look at
  • 診察 しんさつ medical examination; checkup
  • 診断 しんだん diagnosis; medical examination
  • 診療 しんりょう diagnosis and treatment; medical care
  • 打診 だしん percussion; tapping
  • 受診 じゅしん having a medical examination; seeing a doctor

Reference

Strokes
12
Kangxi radical
149
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#1019 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+08A3A