菱
diamond (shape), water chestnut, rhombus
Readings
On'yomi
- リョウ
Kun'yomi
- ひし
Meaning
菱 centers on the diamond or rhombus shape, which is the visual form of a water chestnut. The plant sense is a specific application of that same shape idea.
Most common words using 菱
20 of 48- 三菱みつびし
Mitsubishi
- 三菱電機みつびしでんき
Mitsubishi Electric
- 菱ひし
water caltrop (esp. Trapa japonica); water chestnut
- 三菱重工みつびしじゅうこう
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- 三菱商事みつびししょうじ
Mitsubishi Corporation
- 菱形ひしがた
rhombus; rhomb; lozenge; diamond (shape)
- 三菱マテリアルみつびしマテリアル
Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
- 三菱重工業みつびしじゅうこうぎょう
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- 菱餅ひしもち
rhombus-shaped mochi
- 花菱はなびし
flower-shaped family crest
- 三菱レイヨンみつびしレイヨン
Mitsubishi Rayon
- 三菱ウェルファーマみつびしウェルファーマ
Mitsubishi Pharma
- 三菱信託銀行みつびししんたくぎんこう
Mitsubishi Trust And Banking Corporation
- 三菱倉庫みつびしそうこ
Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation
- 三菱化学みつびしかがく
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
- 三菱東京みつびしとうきょう
Mitsubishi Tokyo
- 三菱自動車工業みつびしじどうしゃこうぎょう
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
- 三菱自工株みつびしじこうかぶ
Mitsubishi Motor Corp. (abbr)
- 三菱製紙みつびしせいし
Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited
- 三菱証券みつびししょうけん
Mitsubishi Securities
Study
Etymology
菱 combines 艹 (plant) with 夌, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to the water chestnut plant, whose fruit has a distinctive diamond shape, later extending to the rhombus sense.
Meaning mnemonic
The plant radical 艹 sits above 夌, like a water chestnut plant with its diamond-shaped fruit visible below the leaves.
Reading mnemonic
For リョウ, imagine a diamond-shaped water chestnut floating in a clear rill: rill -> リョウ, and the diamond shape catches the light.