塊
clod, lump, chunk, clot, mass
Readings
On'yomi
- カイ
- ケ
Kun'yomi
- かたまり
- つちくれ
Meaning
塊 centers on a solid, gathered mass: a clod of earth, a lump, a chunk, or a clot. The idea is something that has come together into a single dense form.
Most common words using 塊
20 of 66- 塊かたまりN2
lump; mass; bundle; clump; clod; cluster
- 団塊だんかい
mass; lump; clod; clump
- 金塊きんかい
gold nugget; gold bullion; gold bar; gold ingot
- 山塊さんかい
mountain mass; massif
- 酸塊すぐり
gooseberry; currant
- 塊茎かいけい
tuber
- 氷塊ひょうかい
lump of ice; block of ice; ice floe
- アメリカ塊芋アメリカほどいも
potato bean (Apios americana); hog peanut; hopniss; Indian potato; groundnut; ground pea
- プレ団塊世代プレだんかいせだい
pre-babyboomers (children born between 1943 and 1946 in Japan)
- ポスト団塊ジュニアポストだんかいジュニア
third-generation baby-boomer (people born between 1975 and 1982)
- マンガン団塊マンガンだんかい
manganese nodule
- 一塊いっかい
one lump; one group
- 一塊肉いっかいにく
only child
- 傾動地塊けいどうちかい
tilt block; tilted fault block
- 冷水塊れいすいかい
cold water mass
- 凝塊ぎょうかい
clot
- 凝集塊ぎょうしゅうかい
aggregate; clump
- 卵塊らんかい
egg sack (frog, spider, etc.); egg mass
- 団塊の世代だんかいのせだい
baby boom generation (of 1947-1949)
- 団塊ジュニアだんかいジュニア
second-generation baby boomer (born 1971-1974)
Study
Etymology
塊 combines 土 (earth) with 鬼, which likely contributes the sound カイ and the idea of something rounded or lump-like. The exact historical development of 鬼 in this character is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is earth 土, and the right side is a demon 鬼. Imagine a demon scooping up a big clod of earth and throwing it as a lumpy mass.
Reading mnemonic
For カイ, picture a giant clod of earth shaped like a kite: kite -> カイ, and the demon is flying it like a lumpy kite.