嬶
wife (vulg), (kokuji)
Strokes17
Readings
On'yomi
—
Kun'yomi
- かか
- かかあ
Meaning
嬶 is a Japanese-coined character (kokuji) that refers specifically to a wife in a vulgar or colloquial sense. Its meaning is narrow and does not extend to other family roles.
Most common words using 嬶
- 嬶かかあ
wife; the missus
Study
Etymology
嬶 is a kokuji (Japanese-created kanji) formed by combining 女 (woman) with 鼻 (nose), likely as a pejorative or colloquial reference to a wife. The exact historical motivation is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
A woman (女) with a prominent nose (鼻) is a crude way to picture a wife in this vulgar kokuji.
Reading mnemonic
For かか, imagine a wife cackling loudly: cackle -> かか, and her nose (鼻) is right there in the character.