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Kotomora

偈

verse in praise of Buddha, fast, healthy, rest

Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • ゲ
  • ケツ
  • ケイ

Kun'yomi

  • いこ.う

Meaning

偈 centers on a Buddhist verse of praise, but its other meanings diverge: fast, healthy, and rest. These likely come from different etymological uses of the same character, so treat them as separate senses without a single unifying idea.

Most common words using 偈

  • 偈げ

    gatha (poetic verse of a scripture)

  • 七仏通戒偈しちぶつつうかいげ

    Verse of the Shared Morality of the Seven Buddhas

  • 回向偈えこうげ

    closing recital that transfers the merit of the service to a buddha, a bodhisattva, or the dead

  • 開経偈かいきょうげ

    opening chant of a sutra

  • 雪山偈せっせんげ

    Himalayan verses (of the Nirvana Sutra)

Explore all words using 偈 →

Study

Etymology

偈 combines 亻 (person) with 曷, which likely contributes the sound. The character has multiple historical uses: as a Buddhist term for verse, and separately for meanings like fast or rest. The exact origin of the non-Buddhist senses is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

A person 亻 beside 曷: imagine a monk chanting a fast, healthy-sounding verse before resting. The scene ties the disparate meanings together artificially.

Reading mnemonic

For ゲ, picture a Buddhist monk chanting a verse that sounds like 'geh'—a short, sharp exhalation. The sound 'geh' cues ゲ while the monk represents the verse meaning.