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Kotomora

劈

break, tear, split

Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヘキ
  • ヒャク

Kun'yomi

  • つんざ.く
  • さく

Meaning

劈 centers on forceful separation: breaking, tearing, or splitting something apart with a sharp or decisive action.

Most common words using 劈

  • 劈へき

    break; tear; pierce; split; burst

  • 劈くつんざく

    to break; to tear; to pierce; to split; to burst

  • 劈頭へきとう

    beginning; outset; opening; start

  • 劈頭第一へきとうだいいち

    at the outset; at the very beginning; in the first place; to begin (start) with; first and foremost

  • 開巻劈頭かいかんへきとう

    very beginning of a book

Explore all words using 劈 →

Study

Etymology

劈 combines 辟 (likely a phonetic component) with 刀 (knife), suggesting splitting or breaking with a blade. The exact historical development of 辟 is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part 辟 looks like a complex object being forced apart, and the bottom 刀 is a knife. Imagine using a knife to split or break something open.

Reading mnemonic

For ヘキ, picture a heavy axe splitting a log with a sharp 'heki' sound: heki -> ヘキ, and the knife 刀 does the splitting.