駭
be surprised
Strokes16
Readings
On'yomi
- ガイ
- カイ
Kun'yomi
- おどろ.く
- おどろ.かす
Meaning
駭 centers on a sudden, startled reaction: being surprised or taken aback. The meaning is straightforward and does not branch into unrelated senses.
Most common words using 駭
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Etymology
駭 combines 馬 (horse) with 亥, which likely contributes the sound. The idea of a horse being startled or shying away gives the meaning of surprise.
Meaning mnemonic
A horse (馬) suddenly rears up when startled by the boar-like shape (亥) beside it. The whole scene captures being surprised.
Reading mnemonic
For ガイ, imagine a guy (ガイ) walking past a horse that gets so surprised it nearly kicks him: guy -> ガイ, and the horse is startled.