衚
lane, alley, side street
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- コ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
衚 centers on a narrow urban passageway: a lane, alley, or side street.
Study
Etymology
衚 combines the enclosure 行 (going, street) with 胡, which likely contributes the sound. The character is a phono-semantic compound for a type of street or alley.
Meaning mnemonic
The outer 行 suggests a street or path, and the inner 胡 looks like a narrow, winding passage. Picture a small alley branching off a main road.
Reading mnemonic
For コ, imagine a small child (子, こ) playing in a narrow alley: 子 -> コ, and the child runs down the side street.