井
well, well crib, town, community
Readings
On'yomi
- セイ
- ショウ
Kun'yomi
- い
Nanori
- いの
- さい
- ひ
Meaning
井 centers on a structured enclosure for water: a well. The town and community meanings extend from the idea of a shared well as a gathering place.
Most common words using 井
20 of 127- 福井ふくい
Fukui (city, prefecture)
- 井い
well
- 天井てんじょうN2
ceiling
- 井戸いどN2
water well
- 筒井つつい
round well
- 丸井まるい
Marui
- 三井住友銀行みついすみともぎんこう
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
- 市井しせい
the street; the town
- 染井吉野そめいよしの
Yoshino cherry (Prunus yedoensis)
- 山井やまい
mountain well
- 井戸端いどばた
side of well
- 油井ゆせい
oil well
- 井筒いづつ
well curb; well kerb
- 井守いもり
newt (esp. the Japanese fire belly newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster)
- 三井物産みついぶっさん
Mitsui and Co.
- 井戸水いどみず
well water
- 青天井あおてんじょう
blue sky
- 井桁いげた
well curb consisting of wooden beams crossed at the ends
- 福井大学ふくいだいがく
Fukui University
- 天井板てんじょういた
ceiling boards
Study
Etymology
井 is a pictograph of a well crib or frame, with the four strokes representing the wooden structure around a water source.
Meaning mnemonic
The four strokes form a square frame, like the wooden crib around a well. Picture a village well where people gather, giving rise to the ideas of town and community.
Reading mnemonic
For セイ, imagine saying 'say' when you draw water from the well: 'say' -> セイ, as you call out to the community around the well.