僵
fall down, collapse
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- キョウ
Kun'yomi
- たお.れる
Meaning
僵 centers on a person losing upright posture and falling or collapsing, often suddenly or heavily.
Most common words using 僵
- 僵屍キョンシー
jiangshi; Chinese hopping vampire; reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore
Study
Etymology
僵 combines 亻 (person) with 畺, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to stiffness or boundary, suggesting a person becoming rigid and falling.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 beside 畺 (a shape suggesting a boundary or limit) can be seen as someone pushed past their limit, collapsing to the ground.
Reading mnemonic
For キョウ, imagine a person collapsing in a crowded street in Kyoto (京都, きょうと): Kyoto -> キョウ, and the person falls down.