丿
katakana no radical (no. 4)
Strokes1
Readings
On'yomi
- ヘツ
Kun'yomi
- えい
- よう
Nanori
- の
Meaning
丿 is a rare kanji with no clear standalone meaning. It is primarily known as the katakana 'no' radical (radical no. 4), used as a component in other characters. Treat its meaning as uncertain.
Most common words using 丿
- 丿乀へつほつ
rocking from side to side (of a boat)
Study
Etymology
丿 is a basic stroke character whose exact historical origin is uncertain. It likely originated as a simple curved line used in early writing, later classified as a radical.
Meaning mnemonic
丿 looks like a single curved stroke, like a quick flick of a brush. It is the katakana 'no' radical, so picture it as the stroke that starts writing ノ (no).
Reading mnemonic
For ヘツ, imagine a person named Hetsu drawing a single curved stroke: Hetsu -> ヘツ, and the stroke is 丿.