碌
satisfactory
Readings
On'yomi
- ロク
Kun'yomi
- ろく.な
Meaning
碌 centers on the idea of being satisfactory or adequate, often used in negative contexts to mean something is not up to standard. The meaning is narrow and typically appears in the common phrase 碌な (ろくな) meaning 'decent' or 'proper'.
Most common words using 碌
- 碌なろくなN1
satisfactory; decent; good; proper; respectable
- 碌にろくにN2
(not) well; (not) properly; (not) enough; (not) sufficiently; (not) satisfactorily; (not) decently
- 碌ろく
satisfactory; decent; good; proper; worthy
- 耄碌もうろく
senility; dotage; decrepitude
- 碌々ろくろく
(not) well; (not) properly; (not) enough; (not) sufficiently
Study
Etymology
碌 combines 石 (stone) with 录, which likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character is used phonetically to represent the idea of adequacy or mediocrity.
Meaning mnemonic
A stone (石) beside a recording (录) suggests something solid but unremarkable—just satisfactory, nothing special.
Reading mnemonic
For ロク, imagine a rock (ロック) that is only satisfactory: rock -> ロク, and the stone (石) in the kanji reinforces the image.