Meaning & readings

extent, degree, law, formula, distance, limits, amount

On’yomi テイ
Kun’yomi ほど、-ほど
Nanori ほと

Origin

The left component 禾 (grain/rice plant) establishes the meaning category — this character originally referred to measuring grain or crops in the field. The right component is a sound hint that tells you roughly how to pronounce the character, not what it means. Over time, the idea of "measuring grain" expanded to mean "extent" or "degree" more generally, and then further to "law" or "formula" — rules that set limits and boundaries. The character carries all these related senses of limitation, measurement, and regulation.

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

12 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

  • 音程 おんてい interval; step
  • 課程 かてい course; curriculum
  • 過程 かてい process; course
  • 規程 きてい official regulations; inner rules
  • 工程 こうてい process; operation
  • 行程 こうてい journey; course
  • 射程 しゃてい range (of a rifle, missile, etc.)
  • 程度 ていど degree; amount

Reference

Strokes
12
Kangxi radical
115
Grade
Grade 5 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#514 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+07A0B