洪
deluge, flood, vast
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
—
Nanori
- ほん
Meaning
洪 centers on a massive overflow of water: a deluge or flood. The sense of vastness extends naturally from the idea of a flood's overwhelming scale.
Most common words using 洪
- 洪水こうずいN1
flood; flooding
- 洪こう
Hungary
- 大洪水だいこうずい
heavy flooding; disastrous flood; deluge
- 氷河湖決壊洪水ひょうがこけっかいこうずい
glacial lake outburst flood
- 洪大こうだい
great; immense
- 洪恩こうおん
great debt of gratitude; great obligation
- 洪水神話こうずいしんわ
flood myth
- 洪積こうせき
diluvial epoch
- 洪積世こうせきせい
diluvial epoch
- 洪積層こうせきそう
diluvium; diluvial formation
- 洪範こうはん
great model; great example (esp. of governing the world)
Study
Etymology
洪 combines 氵 (water) with 共, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of togetherness or largeness, suggesting a great gathering of water.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 combined with 共, which looks like a pair of hands holding something together, suggests a vast gathering of water: a flood.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, imagine a flood so vast it creates a new coast: coast -> コウ, and the water covers everything.