皸
skin cracks or roughness
Strokes14
Readings
On'yomi
- クン
- キン
Kun'yomi
- ひび
- あかぎれ
Meaning
皸 centers on skin damage from dryness or cold: cracking, chapping, or roughness. It describes the visible splitting and coarseness of skin.
Most common words using 皸
- 皸るかかる
to chap; to crack
Study
Etymology
皸 combines 軍 (army, war) and 皮 (skin). The exact historical development is uncertain, but it likely relates to skin damage, perhaps from harsh conditions.
Meaning mnemonic
An army (軍) on the march in cold weather ends up with cracked skin (皮). Picture soldiers with rough, chapped hands.
Reading mnemonic
For クン, imagine a soldier named Kun whose skin cracks in the cold: Kun -> クン, and his skin (皮) is rough from army (軍) life.