Skip to content
Kotomora

兆

portent, 10**12, trillion, sign, omen, symptoms

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes6

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

Explore all words using 兆 →

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.