Browsing the archives for the the “hand” radical tag
mane-ku, shō Have you seen a figure of a sitting cat raising the right forepaw as if it scratches the ear? The figure is a lucky charm called manekineko or a beckoning cat. The gesture indicates that the cat is inviting happiness. Maneki comes from the verb maneku, which means to invite. The lucky charm sometimes [...]
o-su, sui The verb osu has two major meanings: to guess and to recommend. Do you know the verb osu with another character? It means to push. The verb osu with today’s character also originally implied “to push by hand.” Suisatsu is a guess or a conjecture. Suisen is recommendation. Sen also means to recommend. [...]
hara-u, futsu The verb harau means to pay. Shiharai is a noun meaning payment. Perhaps, if you have paid by credit card, you might have been asked “oshiharai wa goikkatsu de?” Oshiharai means payment. It is the polite prefix o- and shiharai. Ikkatsu means the bulk of something or all together. The phrase “goikkatsude” asks [...]
haku (paku), hyō (byō) In music, a beat is hyōshi. In the hospital, a heartbeat is shinpaku, a heart rate is called shinpakusū and the pulse is called myakuhaku. Hakushu means applause, which is originally from kashiwade. The character kashiwa was mistaken for today’s character although kashiwa has the “tree” radical (kihen) and today’s character [...]
yubi, sa-su, yubi-sasu, shi Five thin parts at the end of each hand are yubi. Your thumb is oyayubi; your index finger or forefinger, hitosashiyubi; your middle finger, nakayubi; your ring finger, kusuriyubi; and your little finger, koyubi. Both sasu and yubisasu mean to point or to indicate. Sasu with this character and sasu you [...]