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Kotomora

阜

hill, mound, left village radical (no. 170)

StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • フ
  • フウ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • おか

Meaning

阜 centers on a raised landform: a hill or mound. The radical sense is the same hill shape used as a component in other characters, often appearing on the left side.

Most common words using 阜

Explore all words using 阜 →

Study

Etymology

阜 is a pictograph of a hill or mound, with the modern form preserving a stylized stepped or terraced shape. The left-side radical form ⻖ is a compressed version of the same character.

Meaning mnemonic

The stacked horizontal and vertical strokes suggest layers of earth rising up: 阜 is a hill or mound.

Reading mnemonic

For フ, imagine a hill so steep you huff and puff climbing it: huff -> フ, and the mound rises before you.