鴻
large bird, wild goose, large, great, powerful, prosperous
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
- ゴウ
Kun'yomi
- おおとり
- ひしくい
- おおがり
Meaning
鴻 centers on the idea of something large and impressive, originally a large wild goose. The meanings 'great', 'powerful', and 'prosperous' are natural extensions of that imposing size.
Most common words using 鴻
- 鴻ひしくい
bean goose (Anser fabalis)
- 燕雀安んぞ鴻鵠の志を知らんやえんじゃくいずくんぞこうこくのこころざしをしらんや
only a hero can understand a hero; swallows and sparrows can't understand the aspirations of phoenixes and swans
- 燕雀鴻鵠えんじゃくこうこく
how can a small bird (a sparrow, a petty person) understand the aspirations of a great bird (a phoenix); only a hero can understand a hero
- 雪泥鴻爪せつでいのこうそう
ephemeral nature of human deeds and events; evanescence of human affairs; leaving no trace; dust in the wind
- 鴻基こうき
foundation of a great project; base of a great enterprise
- 鴻業こうぎょう
glorious achievement
- 鴻毛こうもう
something extremely light
- 鴻臚館こうろかん
mansion used by foreign visitors to Japan (Nara to Heian period)
- 鴻蒙ホンモン
HarmonyOS (Huawei)
- 鴻雁こうがん
wild geese; large geese and small geese
- 鴻鵠こうこく
large bird
Study
Etymology
鴻 combines 江 (river) and 鳥 (bird), likely a phono-semantic compound where 江 contributes the sound and 鳥 indicates a large water bird. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
A large bird (鳥) by the river (江) is a wild goose, and its size makes it great and powerful.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, imagine a large goose honking a deep 'koh' sound by the river: koh -> コウ, and the goose is great and powerful.