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Kotomora

異

uncommon, different, queerness, strangeness, wonderful, curious, unusual

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 6FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • イ

Kun'yomi

  • こと
  • こと.なる
  • け

Meaning

異 centers on being not the same as others: different, uncommon, or unusual. The senses of queerness, strangeness, wonderful, and curious are natural extensions of standing out from the ordinary.

Most common words using 異

24 of 361
  • 異なることなる
    N3

    to differ; to be different; to disagree; to vary; to diverge

  • 異常いじょう
    N3

    abnormal; unusual; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon

  • 異性いせい
    N1

    the opposite sex

  • 驚異きょうい
    N1

    wonder; miracle; amazement; prodigy

  • 特異とくい
    N1

    unique; peculiar; singular

  • 異例いれい
    N1

    exceptional; unusual; extraordinary; unprecedented; singular

  • 差異さい
    N1

    difference; disparity; gap

  • 異議いぎ
    N1

    objection; dissent; protest

  • 異端いたん
    N1

    heresy; nonconformism; heathenism; paganism

  • 異動いどう
    N1

    (personnel) change; transfer; relocation; reassignment; reshuffle

  • 異様いよう

    strange; odd; peculiar; weird; bizarre; unusual

  • 異論いろん
    N1

    different opinion; objection

  • 異変いへん
    N1

    unusual event; strange occurrence; strange phenomenon; something abnormal; change (for the worse); accident; disaster

  • 異物いぶつ

    foreign substance; foreign body; foreign contamination; foreign material

  • 異国いこく
    N1

    foreign country

  • 異色いしょく

    unique; distinctive; novel; singular; unusual; special

  • 異質いしつ

    different (quality, nature); heterogeneous

  • 異名いみょう

    another name; nickname; alias

  • 奇異きい

    odd; strange; queer; peculiar

  • 異状いじょう

    something wrong; something unusual; abnormality; disorder; trouble; change

  • 異文いぶん

    variant (in a manuscript or book); part of a text that differs from other versions

  • 人事異動じんじいどう

    personnel change; personnel shift; reshuffle; (annual) staff reassignment

  • 異口同音いくどうおん

    (saying) with one voice; unanimously; in chorus; in unison; as one

  • によって異なるによってことなる

    to differ depending on ...

Explore all words using 異 →

Study

Etymology

異 is thought to combine 田 (field) and 共 (together), but the exact historical development is uncertain. The modern form may be a simplification or recombination of older components.

Meaning mnemonic

A field 田 that is shared 共 by everyone is common, but 異 is the opposite: a field that is different, strange, and uncommon.

Reading mnemonic

For イ, imagine an eagle (イーグル) soaring over a strange, unusual field: eagle -> イ, and the field below is unlike any other.