綺
figured cloth, beautiful
Readings
On'yomi
- キ
Kun'yomi
- あや
Meaning
綺 centers on ornate, patterned beauty, especially in textiles. It describes figured cloth with intricate designs, and by extension, anything strikingly beautiful or elegant.
Most common words using 綺
- 綺麗きれいN5
pretty; lovely; beautiful; fair
- 綺羅きら
fine clothes
- 綺き
thin twilled silk fabric
- 綺麗事きれいごと
whitewashing; glossing over; lip service
- 口綺麗くちぎれい
elegant (speech); clear; high-sounding
- 手綺麗てぎれい
neatly made
- 月が綺麗ですねつきがきれいですね
the moon is beautiful, isn't it?
- 狂言綺語きょうげんきご
make-believe fiction
- 綺羅星のごとくきらほしのごとく
like glittering stars
- 綺語きご
embellishing one's words (one of the ten evil deeds)
- 綺譚きたん
beautiful story
- 綺麗かったきれいかった
was pretty; was beautiful; was clean
- 綺麗さっぱりきれいさっぱり
once and for all; completely
- 綺麗さびきれいさび
kirei-sabi; aesthetic based on wabi-sabi with a bigger focus on elegance, associated with the Enshū school of tea ceremony
- 綺麗どころきれいどころ
geisha
- 綺麗な薔薇には棘があるきれいなばらにはとげがある
there is no rose without a thorn; every rose has its thorn
- 綾綺殿りょうきでん
pavilion housing the emperor's bathing quarters and dressing chamber (in Heian Palace)
Study
Etymology
綺 combines 糸 (thread/silk) with 奇, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of unusual or remarkable, together suggesting an elaborately woven fabric.
Meaning mnemonic
Thread (糸) and something remarkable (奇) come together: imagine a loom weaving an unusually intricate pattern, producing a beautiful figured cloth.
Reading mnemonic
For キ, picture a key (キー) that unlocks a treasure chest full of gorgeous, patterned silk: key -> キ, and the silk is 綺.