冖
wa-shaped crown radical (no. 14)
Strokes2
Readings
On'yomi
- ベキ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
冖 is a radical shape representing a cover or crown, used as a component in other kanji. Its standalone meaning is limited to this radical sense.
Most common words using 冖
- 冖冠べきかんむり
kanji "wa" radical at top (radical 14)
Study
Etymology
冖 is a pictograph of a cover or cloth draped over something, representing the idea of covering. It is used as a radical in characters related to covering or enclosing.
Meaning mnemonic
冖 looks like a lid or a cloth placed over something, like a crown covering the top. Think of it as a cover radical.
Reading mnemonic
For ベキ, imagine a crown that makes a 'beki' sound when placed on a head: beki -> ベキ, like a soft thud of a cover.