藏
hide, own, have, possess
StatusJinmeiyō (variant)FrequencyTop 5,000Strokes18
Readings
On'yomi
- ゾウ
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- くら
- おさ.める
- かく.れる
Meaning
藏 centers on keeping something out of sight or within one's control: hiding, storing away, or possessing something as one's own.
Study
Etymology
藏 is the traditional form, combining 艹 (grass) with 臧, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of storing or hiding. The modern Japanese simplified form is 蔵.
Meaning mnemonic
Grass 艹 covers the lower part 臧, like something hidden under vegetation. Picture valuables stashed under a pile of grass to keep them hidden and in your possession.
Reading mnemonic
For ゾウ, imagine a hidden treasure stored in a zone under the grass: zone -> ゾウ, and the grass keeps it concealed.