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Kotomora

寬

broad, wide, spacious, vast

StatusJinmeiyō (variant)Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン

Kun'yomi

  • ひろい
  • ゆるやか
  • くつろぐ

Meaning

寬 centers on physical or metaphorical spaciousness: broad, wide, vast, and by extension, roomy or unrestrained.

Study

Etymology

寬 combines 宀 (roof) with a phonetic component historically related to 萈, suggesting a spacious dwelling. The modern Japanese simplified form is 寛.

Meaning mnemonic

Under a roof 宀, the lower part 萈 looks like a wide-open area with room to stretch. Imagine a vast hall where you can move freely.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, picture a wide can rolling through a spacious room: can -> カン, and the can emphasizes the broad, open space.