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Kotomora

憫

anxiety, mercy

Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ビン
  • ミン

Kun'yomi

  • あわれ.む
  • うれ.える

Meaning

憫 centers on a troubled heart that reaches out to suffering: feeling anxiety about distress and responding with mercy or compassion.

Most common words using 憫

  • 不憫ふびん
    N1

    poor; pitiful; piteous; pitiable

  • 憐憫れんびん

    pity; compassion; mercy

  • 憫察びんさつ

    taking pity upon; sympathy; compassion

  • 憫然びんぜん

    pitiable; pitiful; piteous; sorry; sad

  • 憫笑びんしょう

    smiling with pity

  • 憫諒びんりょう

    pity; compassion; sympathizing

  • 自己憐憫じこれんびん

    self-pity

Explore all words using 憫 →

Study

Etymology

憫 combines the heart radical 忄 with 閔, which likely contributes the sound and carries a sense of grief or concern. The exact historical development of 閔 is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The heart 忄 beside 閔 suggests a heart weighed down by a heavy gate of worry. When that gate opens, mercy flows out toward those in distress.

Reading mnemonic

For ビン, picture a bin of anxious letters under the gate: each letter is a plea for mercy, and the bin (ビン) overflows with compassion.