荘
villa, inn, cottage, feudal manor, solemn, dignified
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
- ショウ
- チャン
Kun'yomi
- ほうき
- おごそ.か
Nanori
- そ
Meaning
荘 centers on a grand, dignified estate: a villa, manor, or inn that carries an air of solemnity and formality.
Most common words using 荘
20 of 29- 別荘べっそうN2
holiday house; vacation home; villa
- 荘しょう
manor; villa
- 荘チャン
counter for games of mahjong
- 田荘たどころ
farmland
- 山荘さんそう
mountain villa; mountain retreat; mountain cottage
- 荘厳そうごん
solemn; sublime; grand; magnificent; impressive
- 荘園しょうえん
manor; demesne
- 荘司しょうじ
administrator of a manor
- 一荘イーチャン
one full game (consisting of east, south, west, and north rounds)
- 信は荘厳より起こるしんはそうごんよりおこる
function follows form; the outside shapes the inside; belief comes from solemnity (i.e. from seeing an ornate temple)
- 別荘地べっそうち
area of holiday homes; area of villas
- 別荘番べっそうばん
caretaker of a villa
- 半荘ハンチャン
half-game consisting of an east and south round
- 浅間山荘事件あさまさんそうじけん
Asama-Sanso incident (hostage crisis and police siege; February 1972)
- 石家荘せっかそう
Shijiazhuang (China)
- 翠明荘すいめいそう
Suimeiso (hotel and restaurant chain - suimeiso.co.jp)
- 老荘ろうそう
Laozi and Zhuangzi
- 老荘思想ろうそうしそう
philosophy of Lao-tse and Chuang-tse; Taoism
- 荘厳しょうごん
decorating (a Buddhist statue or temple); adorning
- 荘厳華麗そうごんかれい
majestic and splendid
Study
Etymology
荘 is the modern simplified form of 莊. The older form combines 艹 (grass/plants) with 壯 (strong, robust), suggesting a grand or imposing structure surrounded by vegetation. The modern 壮 component is a simplification of 壯.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass top 艹 covers a strong, robust base 壮. Picture a grand, solemn villa rising powerfully from the surrounding greenery.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine the solemn, dignified atmosphere of a soulful old inn: soul -> ソウ, and the villa feels deeply serene.