蛤

clam

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Readings

On'yomi

コウ

Kun'yomi

はまぐり

Meaning

蛤 centers on a specific shellfish: a clam. The meaning is concrete and refers to the bivalve itself.

Most common words using 蛤

蛤はまぐり
common orient clam (Meretrix lusoria)
支那蛤しなはまぐり
Meretrix petechialis (species of hard clam)
朝鮮蛤ちょうせんはまぐり
Korean hard clam (Meretrix lamarckii)
蛤御門の変はまぐりごもんのへん
Hamaguri Gomon incident (1864 clash between pro and anti-shogunate forces)

Explore all words using 蛤 →

Study

Etymology

蛤 combines 虫 (insect/creature) with 合, which likely provides the sound コウ. The character denotes a clam, a shellfish categorized under the broad 'creature' radical.

Meaning mnemonic

A creature (虫) that fits together (合) like two halves of a shell: that's a clam.

Reading mnemonic

For コウ, imagine a clam shell closing with a hollow 'koh' sound: koh -> コウ, as the two halves come together.