苒
flourishing, luxuriant
Strokes8
Readings
On'yomi
- ゼン
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
苒 centers on lush, thriving growth: plants flourishing in abundance, creating a luxuriant appearance.
Most common words using 苒
- 荏苒じんぜん
procrastinatingly; dillydallying
Study
Etymology
苒 combines the plant radical 艹 with 冉, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The exact historical development of 冉 within this character is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 艹 shows plants, and the bottom 冉 looks like a dense thicket of stems and leaves. Picture a field where plants are growing so thickly they become a luxuriant, flourishing mass.
Reading mnemonic
For ゼン, imagine a Zen garden where every plant is flourishing in perfect, lush harmony: Zen -> ゼン, and the garden is luxuriant with growth.