坤
divination sign, land, earth
Readings
On'yomi
- コン
Kun'yomi
- つち
- ひつじさる
Meaning
坤 centers on the receptive, yielding aspect of the earth, especially as one of the eight trigrams in divination. It represents land, soil, and the passive principle in contrast to the active, creative force.
Most common words using 坤
- 坤こん
kun (one of the trigrams of the I Ching: earth, southwest)
- 乾坤けんこん
heaven and earth; universe
- 乾坤一擲けんこんいってき
stake all (on something); play for all or nothing; throwing all into a task
- 別乾坤べっけんこん
otherworld; another world
- 坤為地こんいち
kun (hexagram 2 of the I Ching: earth, the receptive)
- 坤輿こんよ
Earth; the world
- 坤道こんどう
the ways of the earth; the principle of the earth
Study
Etymology
坤 combines 土 (earth) with 申, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to extending or stretching, suggesting the expansive, receptive nature of the earth.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 土 is earth, and the right side 申 looks like a field with a line through it. Picture the earth as a vast, receptive field that yields to the plow, embodying the passive, nurturing land of the 坤 trigram.
Reading mnemonic
For コン, imagine a con artist trying to sell you a piece of land: con -> コン, and the earth (坤) is the passive, yielding ground they claim to own.