犂
plow
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- リ
- レイ
- リュウ
Kun'yomi
- すき
Meaning
犂 centers on the act of plowing: turning over soil with a tool, typically drawn by an animal.
Study
Etymology
犂 is a variant form of 犁, combining 牛 (cow) with a phonetic element that also suggests cutting or dividing, reflecting the use of an ox-drawn plow.
Meaning mnemonic
The bottom 牛 is a cow, and the top looks like a plow blade cutting through the soil. Picture an ox pulling a plow through a field.
Reading mnemonic
For リ, imagine a farmer plowing a field and singing a rhythmic 'ree, ree' as the ox moves: ree -> リ.