馳
run, gallop, sail, drive (a wagon), win (fame), despatch
Readings
On'yomi
- チ
- ジ
Kun'yomi
- は.せる
Meaning
馳 centers on swift, energetic forward motion: running, galloping, sailing, or driving a vehicle. The extended sense of spreading fame or dispatching something comes from the same idea of something moving out quickly and widely.
Most common words using 馳
- ご馳走様ごちそうさまN2
thank you (for the meal); that was a delicious meal
- ご馳走ごちそうN4
treat (esp. food and drink); entertainment; treating someone (to a meal); taking someone to dinner
- 馳せるはせる
to run; to hurry (when going somewhere)
- 馳走ちそう
treating someone (to food or drink); dinner; wonderful food
- ご馳走様でしたごちそうさまでしたN5
thank you for the meal; that was a delicious meal; what a wonderful meal
- ご馳走さんごちそうさん
thank you (for the meal); that was a delicious meal
- ご馳走になるごちそうになる
to be treated to a meal; to be given a meal
- ご馳走攻めごちそうぜめ
treating someone to one delicious meal after the other
- 名を馳せるなをはせる
to win fame; to become widely known; to make a name for oneself
- 名前を馳せるなまえをはせる
to win fame; to make a name for oneself
- 大ご馳走おおごちそう
large feast; big meal
- 思いを馳せるおもいをはせる
to think about; to send one's heart out to; to give more than a passing thought to; to think of something far away; to think nostalgically upon (esp. one's hometown)
- 背馳はいち
inconsistency; contradiction; disobedience
- 馳せ参じるはせさんじる
to hasten to join; to hurry to visit
- 馳駆ちく
galloping around on a horse
Study
Etymology
馳 combines 馬 (horse) with 也, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a horse running or galloping, and later extended to other fast movement.
Meaning mnemonic
A horse 馬 beside the swift, flowing shape 也: picture a horse galloping at full speed, its motion as smooth and continuous as the strokes of 也.
Reading mnemonic
For チ, imagine a horse galloping so fast it leaves a trail of cheese: cheese -> チ, and the horse runs swiftly.