罥
impede
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- か.ける
Meaning
罥 centers on obstruction: something that impedes, blocks, or entangles progress. The given meaning 'impede' captures this idea of being caught or hindered.
Study
Etymology
罥 combines 罒 (net) with 肙, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character suggests being caught in a net, hence impeding or entangling.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 罒 is a net, and the bottom 肙 looks like something tangled inside. Picture a net that catches and impedes movement.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, imagine a net that impedes a Ken doll trying to walk through: Ken -> ケン, and the net blocks his path.