頗
prejudiced, exceedingly
StatusJinmeiyōStrokes14
Readings
On'yomi
- ハ
Kun'yomi
- すこぶ.る
- かたよ.る
Meaning
頗 centers on a strong leaning or slant: being biased or prejudiced, and by extension, something that leans so far in one direction that it becomes extreme or exceedingly so.
Most common words using 頗
- 偏頗へんぱ
favoritism; favouritism; discrimination
Study
Etymology
頗 combines 皮 (skin, surface) with 頁 (head). The original idea likely relates to the head leaning or inclining to one side, giving rise to the meanings of bias and excess.
Meaning mnemonic
The skin (皮) on the head (頁) is pulled to one side, making the face look prejudiced and extremely lopsided.
Reading mnemonic
For ハ, imagine a biased judge laughing 'Ha!' as they rule unfairly: Ha -> ハ, and their prejudice is exceedingly obvious.