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Kotomora

蒙

ignorance, darkness, get, receive, be subjected to, sustain, Mongolia

StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • モウ
  • ボウ

Kun'yomi

  • こうむ.る
  • おお.う
  • くら.い

Meaning

蒙 centers on being covered or enveloped, leading to darkness and ignorance (a mental covering), as well as receiving or sustaining something that comes over you. The Mongolia sense is a phonetic loan used in country names.

Most common words using 蒙

20 of 37
  • 啓蒙けいもう
    N1

    enlightenment; illumination

  • 蒙もう

    ignorance

  • 満蒙まんもう

    Manchuria and Inner Mongolia

  • 蒙昧もうまい

    ignorant; unenlightened; uncivilized; uncivilised

  • 蒙古斑もうこはん

    Mongolian spot; Mongolian blue spot; congenital dermal melanocytosis

  • 蒙古もうこ

    Mongolia (region); Greater Mongolia; Mongolian Plateau

  • 内蒙ないもう

    Inner Mongolia

  • 内蒙古うちもうこ

    Inner Mongolia (China)

  • 内蒙古自治区うちもうこじちく

    Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (China)

  • 啓蒙主義けいもうしゅぎ

    illuminism; enlightenment

  • 啓蒙専制君主けいもうせんせいくんしゅ

    enlightened despot

  • 啓蒙思想けいもうしそう

    the philosophy of the European Enlightenment

  • 啓蒙思潮けいもうしちょう

    enlightenment movement; the Enlightenment

  • 啓蒙書けいもうしょ

    book for novices; general introduction to a subject

  • 啓蒙活動けいもうかつどう

    information campaign; awareness program

  • 啓蒙的けいもうてき

    enlightening

  • 啓蒙絶対君主けいもうぜったいくんしゅ

    enlightened absolutist

  • 啓蒙運動けいもううんどう

    enlightenment movement; the Enlightenment

  • 外蒙古がいもうこ

    Outer Mongolia

  • 山水蒙さんすいもう

    meng (hexagram 4 of the I Ching: youthful folly)

Explore all words using 蒙 →

Study

Etymology

蒙 originally depicted a plant covering something, with 艹 (grass) over 冡 (a cover over a pig), conveying the idea of covering or enveloping. The meanings of ignorance and darkness derive from being covered or obscured. The use for Mongolia is a phonetic loan.

Meaning mnemonic

Grass 艹 covers a pig 豕 under a roof 冖, hiding it completely. This covering leads to darkness and ignorance, and also to receiving something that comes over you.

Reading mnemonic

For モウ, imagine a cow (モウ) covered in grass, mooing in the dark ignorance of its surroundings: moo -> モウ.