Meaning & readings

follow, though, notwithstanding, while, during, both, all, obey, submit to, comply, at the mercy of (the waves)

On’yomi ズイ
Kun’yomi まにま.に、したが.う

Origin

This character most likely combines the idea of "following" through its components. The left side relates to movement or walking, while the right side suggests something that goes along or is responsive. The character's shape developed to picture the concept of moving along with something else or yielding to circumstances. Over time, this visual idea of one thing accompanying another came to mean "follow," "accompany," or broader senses like "during" or "though" — situations where one thing goes along with another.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Pictographic or simple.

12 strokes

Components

This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (随).

  • meaning part

Common words

  • 随意 ずいい voluntary; optional
  • 随一 ずいいち best; greatest
  • 随時 ずいじ whenever necessary; as needed
  • 随所 ずいしょ everywhere; all over the place
  • 随筆 ずいひつ essays; miscellaneous writings
  • 随分 ずいぶん very; extremely
  • 追随 ついずい following (in the footsteps of)
  • 随員 ずいいん member of an entourage or retinue or party; attendant

Reference

Strokes
12
Kangxi radical
170
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#1396 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+0968F