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Kotomora

爻

to mix with, to associate with, to join, double X radical (no. 89)

Strokes4

Readings

On'yomi

  • コウ
  • ギョウ

Kun'yomi

  • まじ.わる

Meaning

爻 centers on the idea of crossing or intertwining: mixing, associating, or joining things together. The radical sense is the same crossed shape used as a component in other characters.

Most common words using 爻

  • 爻こう

    yao (line representing yin or yang that comprises one third of an I Ching trigram)

  • 爻辞こうじ

    commentary (on any of the 384 lines of the hexagrams in the Book of Changes)

  • 陰爻いんこう

    yin yao (broken line composing one third of a trigram)

  • 陽爻ようこう

    yang yao (unbroken line composing one third of a trigram)

Explore all words using 爻 →

Study

Etymology

爻 is a pictograph of crossed lines, representing intertwining or mixing. The doubled X shape reinforces the idea of interaction or joining.

Meaning mnemonic

See the two crossed X shapes stacked on top of each other, like two things intertwining and mixing together. 爻 is about joining and associating.

Reading mnemonic

For コウ, imagine two crossed sticks forming a simple coat rack: coat -> コウ, and the crossed shape mixes the sticks together.