Meaning & readings
fold, break, fracture, bend, yield, submit
Origin
This character combines a hand (the left component, which represents actions done by hand) with a tool or axe shape (the right component). Together, they suggest the action of using a tool with your hand to break or cut something, which naturally leads to the meanings of breaking, bending, or folding. The character captures the physical gesture of snapping or bending something with force, whether that's folding paper, breaking a branch, or even yielding under pressure. Over time, the meanings expanded to include the more abstract sense of submitting or giving in.
AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).
Components
- 扌
- 斤
Common words
Reference
- Strokes
- 7
- Kangxi radical
- 64
- Grade
- Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
- Frequency rank
- #962 (newspapers)
- Former JLPT
- level 2
- Unicode
- U+06298