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Kotomora

邯

place name, tree cricket

Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン

Kun'yomi

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Meaning

邯 is a rare kanji used primarily in proper nouns, especially the Chinese place name 邯鄲 (Handan). Its standalone meaning is tied to that place name and, by extension, to a tree cricket, likely through a literary or regional association.

Most common words using 邯

  • 邯鄲かんたん

    tree cricket (Oecanthus longicauda)

  • 邯鄲の夢かんたんのゆめ

    vain dream of wealth and splendour

  • 邯鄲の歩みかんたんのあゆみ

    like the young man who tried to walk like the Kantan people, gave up, and forgot how to walk

  • 邯鄲師かんたんし

    bedroom thief

Explore all words using 邯 →

Study

Etymology

邯 is a phono-semantic compound: the left side 甘 (sweet) likely contributes the sound, while the right side ⻏ (阝, a form of 邑 meaning 'city') indicates a place name. The exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 甘 (sweet) and the right side ⻏ (city wall) together suggest a sweet city: imagine the famous place 邯鄲 known for its sweet tree crickets singing on the city walls.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, picture a can of sweet tree crickets from the city of 邯鄲: can -> カン, and the sweet city's crickets come in a can.