儻
excel, surpass, if, perhaps
Strokes22
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- あるいは
- すぐ.れる
- もし
Meaning
儻 centers on standing out from the ordinary: excelling or surpassing others. The conditional senses 'if' and 'perhaps' are rare classical uses that do not share a clear conceptual center with the main meaning of excellence.
Most common words using 儻
- 倜儻てきとう
being exceedingly wiser than the common man
Study
Etymology
儻 combines 亻 (person) with 黨, which likely contributes the sound. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character is associated with the idea of a person who stands out or excels.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 beside the elaborate 黨 shape: imagine a person standing out from a group, marked by a complex emblem that shows they excel.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, picture a person excelling at a toe-tapping dance: toe -> トウ, and their skill makes them surpass everyone else.