丙
third class, 3rd, 3rd calendar sign
Readings
On'yomi
- ヘイ
Kun'yomi
- ひのえ
Meaning
丙 centers on the idea of ranking third in a sequence: the third class, third item, or the third calendar sign. It is a label for ordinal position rather than a quality description.
Most common words using 丙
- 丙へい
third rank; third class; third person (in a contract, etc.)
- 丙午ひのえうま
Fire Horse (43rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1906, 1966, 2026)
- 丙夜へいや
third division of the night (approx. 11pm to 1am)
- 丙子ひのえね
Fire Rat (13th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1936, 1996, 2056)
- 丙寅ひのえとら
Fire Tiger (3rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1926, 1986, 2046)
- 丙戌ひのえいぬ
Fire Dog (23rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1946, 2006, 2066)
- 丙申ひのえさる
Fire Monkey (33rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1956, 2016, 2076)
- 丙種へいしゅ
third grade; third class; C-grade
- 丙辰ひのえたつ
Fire Dragon (53rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1916, 1976, 2036)
- 甲乙丙こうおつへい
A, B and C; first, second and third
- 甲乙丙丁こうおつへいてい
A, B, C and D; first, second, third and fourth
Study
Etymology
丙 is an ancient pictograph whose original meaning is uncertain. It was later borrowed to represent the third of the ten celestial stems, used for ordinal numbering and calendar signs.
Meaning mnemonic
The top stroke 一 and the inner 人-like shape inside 冂 can be seen as a label: one over a person in a box, marking it as the third item in a set.
Reading mnemonic
For ヘイ, imagine a third-place athlete saying 'Hey!' in frustration: 'Hey!' -> ヘイ, because they came in third.