Meaning & readings

remainder, leftover, balance

On’yomi ザン、サン
Kun’yomi のこ.る、のこ.す、そこな.う、のこ.り

Origin

The character combines two parts to show leftover or remainder. The left component 歹 is a classifier that relates to bones or things that are broken or incomplete, suggesting something partial or damaged. The right component 戋 serves as a sound hint for pronunciation rather than adding to the meaning. Together, the visual idea of something broken or incomplete paired with the sound element creates a character that expresses what's left behind or what remains.

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

10 strokes

Components

  • radical left
  • 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

  • 残り のこり remainder; remnant
  • 残る のこる to remain; to be left
  • 残虐 ざんぎゃく cruel; brutal
  • 残業 ざんぎょう overtime (work)
  • 残高 ざんだか (bank) balance; remainder
  • 残酷 ざんこく cruel; brutal
  • 残暑 ざんしょ late summer heat; lingering summer heat
  • 残存 ざんぞん survival; remaining

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
78
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#380 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+06B8B