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Kotomora

胞

placenta, sac, sheath

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • ホウ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

胞 centers on a biological enclosing structure: a placenta, a sac, or a sheath that wraps around and protects something inside.

Most common words using 胞

20 of 247
  • 細胞さいぼう
    N1

    cell

  • 同胞どうほう

    brethren; brothers; fellow countrymen; fellowman; compatriot

  • 胞子ほうし

    spore

  • 単細胞たんさいぼう

    single cell

  • 嚢胞のうほう

    cyst

  • 卵胞らんぽう

    (ovarian) follicle

  • 芽胞がほう

    spore

  • 細胞内さいぼうない

    inside the cell; intracellular

  • 細胞分裂さいぼうぶんれつ

    cell division

  • B細胞ビーさいぼう

    B cell; B lymphocyte

  • ES細胞イーエスさいぼう

    embryonic stem cell

  • NKT細胞エヌケーティーさいぼう

    natural killer T-cell; NKT cell

  • NK細胞エヌケーさいぼう

    natural killer cell; NK cell

  • STAP細胞スタップさいぼう

    STAP cell (proposed but disproven type of pluripotency cell); stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency cell

  • T細胞ティーさいぼう

    T cell; T lymphocyte

  • iPS細胞アイピーエスさいぼう

    induced pluripotent stem cell; iPS cell

  • がん細胞がんさいぼう

    cancer cell

  • エナメル芽細胞エナメルがさいぼう

    ameloblast; tooth enamel depositing cell

  • キラーT細胞キラーティーさいぼう

    killer T-cell

  • キラー細胞キラーさいぼう

    killer cell

Explore all words using 胞 →

Study

Etymology

胞 combines the flesh radical ⺼ with 包, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of wrapping or enclosing, reflecting the biological sac or sheath meaning.

Meaning mnemonic

The flesh radical ⺼ on the left suggests something organic, and 包 on the right looks like a wrapping enclosure. Together they form a biological sac or sheath, like a placenta protecting a fetus.

Reading mnemonic

For ホウ, imagine a protective sac that lets out a soft 'hoo' sound when gently pressed: hoo -> ホウ, and the flesh radical ⺼ reminds you it's a living sheath.