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Kotomora

堤

dike, bank, embankment

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes12

Readings

On'yomi

  • テイ

Kun'yomi

  • つつみ

Meaning

堤 centers on a raised barrier of earth built to hold back water: a dike, bank, or embankment.

Most common words using 堤

20 of 27
  • 堤防ていぼう
    N1

    bank; weir; embankment; levee

  • 堤つつみ

    bank; embankment; dike

  • 防波堤ぼうはてい

    breakwater; mole

  • 堰堤えんてい

    dam; weir

  • 突堤とってい

    jetty; breakwater; pier

  • 千丈の堤も蟻の一穴より崩れるせんじょうのつつみもありのいっけつよりくずれる

    a small leak will sink a great ship

  • 周堤墓しゅうていぼ

    grave-site with circular embankment (Jomon period)

  • 土堤どでい

    embankment made of earth; bank; levee

  • 土堰堤どえんてい

    earthfill dam

  • 堤を築くつつみをきずく

    to build an embankment

  • 堤体ていたい

    dam body; levee body

  • 堤塘ていとう

    bank; embankment; dike

  • 堤防を築くていぼうをきずく

    to construct an embankment

  • 堤頂ていちょう

    crest of dam; top of dam

  • 墨堤ぼくてい

    banks of the Sumida river

  • 春風馬堤曲しゅんぷうばていのきょく

    haiku by Yosa Buson (Spring Wind on the Riverbank of Kema)

  • 浜堤ひんてい

    beach ridge

  • 消波堤しょうはてい

    breakwater; wave-absorbing dyke (dike)

  • 石堤せきてい

    stone embankment; stone levee

  • 神経堤しんけいてい

    neural crest

Explore all words using 堤 →

Study

Etymology

堤 combines 土 (earth) with 是, which likely contributes the sound. The character expresses an earthen embankment.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side is earth 土, and the right side 是 looks like a straight, raised path. Picture a long mound of earth built up to hold back water.

Reading mnemonic

For テイ, imagine a sturdy earthen dike shaped like the letter T: T -> テイ, and the T-shaped embankment holds back the river.