鰈
sole, flatfish, flounder
Readings
On'yomi
- チョウ
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- かれい
Meaning
鰈 centers on a type of flatfish: sole, flounder, or similar bottom-dwelling fish with both eyes on one side.
Most common words using 鰈
- 鰈かれい
righteye flounder (any fish of family Pleuronectidae)
- 婆婆鰈ばばがれい
slime flounder (Microstomus achne)
- 小鰈こがれい
dab; small plaice
- 油鰈あぶらがれい
Kamchatka flounder (Atheresthes evermanni)
- 沼鰈ぬまがれい
starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)
- 滑多鰈なめたがれい
slime flounder (Microstomus achne)
- 真子鰈まこがれい
marbled sole (Pleuronectes yokohamae)
- 真鰈まがれい
brown sole (Pleuronectes herzensteini)
- 石鰈いしがれい
stone flounder (Kareius bicoloratus)
- 虫鰈むしがれい
roundnose flounder (Eopsetta grigorjewi)
- 角鰈つのがれい
Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus)
- 赤鰈あかがれい
flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)
Study
Etymology
鰈 combines 魚 (fish) with 枼, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to thin, flat objects, fitting the flatfish meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a fish 魚, and the right side 枼 looks like a flat, layered object. Imagine a flatfish lying on the ocean floor, its body as thin as a leaf.
Reading mnemonic
For チョウ, picture a flatfish named Chou, who is the flattest fish in the sea: Chou -> チョウ, and its flat body matches the kanji's meaning.