冉
red, tan
Strokes5
Readings
On'yomi
- ゼン
- ネン
Kun'yomi
- あや.うい
Meaning
冉 centers on a reddish-brown color: red or tan. The meanings are closely related as shades of red.
Study
Etymology
冉 is an ancient pictograph whose exact origin is uncertain. It may have depicted something hanging or drooping, but its connection to the color meanings is unclear.
Meaning mnemonic
The shape 冉 looks like a piece of red cloth hanging from a rod, with the vertical lines as folds. Picture a tan banner fluttering in the wind.
Reading mnemonic
For ゼン, imagine a Zen monk wearing a tan robe: Zen -> ゼン, and the robe is the color of 冉.