噓
exhale, blow out, deep sigh, hiss, praise, flatter, lie
Strokes14
Readings
On'yomi
- キョ
Kun'yomi
- ふく
- うそ
Meaning
噓 centers on breath leaving the mouth: exhaling, blowing out, or sighing. The lie and flattery senses are extensions of empty breath or insincere speech.
Most common words using 噓
- 噓乙うそおつ
sure buddy; nice try; surely not
Study
Etymology
噓 combines 口 (mouth) with 虛, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of emptiness or hollowness, suggesting breath or empty words.
Meaning mnemonic
The mouth 口 beside the empty, hollow shape 虛 suggests breath leaving the mouth. Exhaling, sighing, and insincere flattery all come from empty air.
Reading mnemonic
For キョ, imagine a person exhaling a deep sigh and saying 'kyo' as the air leaves their mouth: the sound 'kyo' cues キョ while the breath escapes.