mysterious, occultness, black, deep, profound
玄 centers on what is dark, deep, and beyond ordinary understanding: the mysterious, the occult, and the profound. The color black is a natural extension of this deep, hidden quality.
玄 originally depicted a twisted thread or cord, which came to represent something dark, deep, and mysterious—like the unfathomable depths of a dark thread. The modern form retains the abstract, thread-like shape.
The top lid 亠 covers a small, twisted thread 幺, like a hidden secret. What lies beneath is dark, deep, and mysterious—玄.
For ゲン, imagine a genie emerging from a dark, mysterious lamp: genie -> ゲン, and the genie represents the profound, occult force of 玄.
entrance; front door; entryway; entranceway; entry hall; vestibule; porch; foyer; mud room
unpolished rice; unmilled rice; brown rice
expert; professional; master; connoisseur
Black Tortoise (god said to rule over the northern heavens)
mysterious profundity; quiet beauty; the subtle and profound; yūgen
great-great-grandchild; fourth-generation descendant
front door; vestibule
basalt; whin(stone)
cloth bag
shingen mochi (sweet made by Kinseiken)
side entrance
heaven is black and earth is yellow; heaven and earth
front entrance; front door
buckwheat with the husk intact
outdoing a professional; putting an expert to shame
professionalism; the temperament of a professional
professionals
moon
ancient Chinese god of the north (or rain, water, etc.)
winter