兆
portent, 10**12, trillion, sign, omen, symptoms
Readings
On'yomi
- チョウ
Kun'yomi
- きざ.す
- きざ.し
Meaning
兆 centers on a visible indication of something larger: a sign, omen, or symptom that points to a future event or underlying condition. The trillion sense is a separate numerical application, not a conceptual extension of the sign meaning.
Most common words using 兆
- 兆ちょうN1
10^12; 1,000,000,000,000; trillion
- 兆候ちょうこうN1
sign; indication; omen; symptom
- 兆しきざしN1
sign; indication; omen; symptom
- 前兆ぜんちょう
omen; portent; sign; presage; harbinger; premonition; precursor; foreboding; presentiment
- 予兆よちょう
omen; sign; notice; indication
- 吉兆きっちょう
lucky omen; good omen
- 1兆いっちょう
1,000,000,000,000; one trillion
- 億兆おくちょう
the people; multitude; masses
- 兆すきざす
to show signs; to have symptoms; to give indications (of)
- 兆民ちょうみん
the whole nation; all the people
- 凶事の兆しきょうじのきざし
omen of disaster
- 凶兆きょうちょう
evil omen
- 前兆現象ぜんちょうげんしょう
precursor; premonitory phenomena; telltale signs; advance warnings
- 卦兆かちょう
divination signs
- 地震前兆現象じしんぜんちょうげんしょう
earthquake precursor
- 慶兆けいちょう
sign of happiness; good omen
- 死兆星しちょうせい
Star of Death (nickname for Alcor)
- 瑞兆ずいちょう
auspicious sign; good omen
- 衰兆すいちょう
signs of decline
Study
Etymology
兆 is an ancient pictograph of cracks on a heated turtle shell used in divination, representing an omen or sign. The modern form is stylized but retains the basic crack-like shape.
Meaning mnemonic
The four strokes look like cracks spreading out on a shell, revealing a sign or omen of what is to come.
Reading mnemonic
For チョウ, imagine a fortune-teller named Chou reading the cracks: Chou -> チョウ, and the cracks show a portent.