冗
superfluous, uselessness
Readings
On'yomi
- ジョウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
冗 centers on excess beyond what is needed: something superfluous, redundant, or useless. It describes things that are unnecessary or add no value.
Most common words using 冗
20 of 44- 冗談じょうだんN3
joke; jest; funny story
- 冗長じょうちょう
tedious; verbose; wordy; lengthy; longwinded; prolix
- フル冗長フルじょうちょう
fully redundant
- 冗じょう
waste; uselessness; redundance
- 冗句じょうく
redundant phrase
- 冗員じょういん
supernumerary; superfluous staff; excess personnel
- 冗多じょうた
superabundance
- 冗官じょうかん
supernumerary official
- 冗文じょうぶん
redundancy
- 冗漫じょうまん
verbosity
- 冗物じょうぶつ
redundancy; superfluity
- 冗用じょうよう
unnecessary work; unnecessary expense
- 冗筆じょうひつ
worthless painting and writing
- 冗言じょうげん
chatter; useless words
- 冗語じょうご
verbiage; wordiness; tautology; blabber; chatter; unnecessary talk
- 冗談が過ぎるじょうだんがすぎる
to carry a joke too far
- 冗談じゃないじょうだんじゃない
it's no joke; gimme a break!
- 冗談に紛らすじょうだんにまぎらす
to pass (something) off as a joke
- 冗談めかしてじょうだんめかして
jokingly; in the form of a joke
- 冗談めかすじょうだんめかす
to treat as a joke; to do jokingly
Study
Etymology
冗 is thought to combine 冖 (cover) and 几 (table), suggesting something covered and set aside as extra or unnecessary. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a covered table (冖 over 几) with items piled on it that nobody needs—just superfluous clutter. The cover hides useless things.
Reading mnemonic
For ジョウ, imagine a junk drawer overflowing with superfluous items, and you say "Joe, throw this out!" Joe -> ジョウ, and the useless clutter is cleared.