匕
spoon, spoon or katakana hi radical (no. 21)
Strokes2
Readings
On'yomi
- ヒ
Kun'yomi
- さじ
Meaning
匕 centers on a spoon-like shape: a utensil for scooping or eating. The radical sense is the same visible form used as a component in other characters.
Most common words using 匕
Study
Etymology
匕 is a pictograph of a spoon or ladle. The modern form preserves the basic shape of a handle and a bowl.
Meaning mnemonic
The shape of 匕 looks like a simple spoon with a handle and a shallow bowl. Picture it as a spoon used for eating or scooping.
Reading mnemonic
For ヒ, imagine a spoon that makes a soft 'hee' sound when it scrapes the bottom of a bowl: hee -> ヒ.