Meaning & readings

awake, be disillusioned, sober up

On’yomi セイ
Kun’yomi さ.ます、さ.める

Origin

This character combines two parts to express the idea of becoming clear and aware. The left component 酉 is the alcohol radical, indicating this is about drinks or fermentation. The right component means star, which symbolizes something bright and shining. Together, the character suggests the moment when your mind becomes as clear and bright as a star — like when alcohol's fog lifts and you wake up or become disillusioned. The image is of clarity piercing through confusion, whether that's literal soberness or a sudden understanding.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).

16 strokes

Components

  • radical left
  • meaning part right

Common words

  • 覚醒 かくせい waking up; awakening
  • 覚醒剤 かくせいざい stimulant (e.g. psychoactive drugs like methamphetamine, ritalin, etc.)

Reference

Strokes
16
Kangxi radical
164
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
Former JLPT
Unicode
U+09192