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Kotomora

溯

go upstream, retrace the past

Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ソ
  • サク

Kun'yomi

  • さかのぼ.る

Meaning

溯 centers on moving against a current to return to an origin: going upstream or retracing the past to find where something began.

Study

Etymology

溯 combines 氵 (water) with 朔, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of going against or returning. The character expresses moving against a water current.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 on the left and 朔 on the right: imagine a person pushing a boat upstream against the flow, retracing the river's path back to its source.

Reading mnemonic

For ソ, picture a salmon swimming upstream: the salmon's 'so' sound (like the beginning of 'salmon') cues ソ, and the fish retraces its path against the current.