冬
winter
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
- ふゆ
Meaning
冬 centers on the coldest season: winter.
Most common words using 冬
20 of 124- 冬ふゆN5
winter
- 冬季とうきN1
winter season; winter
- 秋冬しゅうとう
autumn and winter; fall and winter
- 真冬まふゆ
midwinter; dead of winter
- 冬場ふゆば
wintertime; winter season
- 冬眠とうみんN1
hibernation; winter sleep; brumation; torpor
- 冬休みふゆやすみN1
winter vacation; winter holidays
- 幻冬舎げんとうしゃ
Gentosha Inc.
- 春夏秋冬しゅんかしゅうとうN1
spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
- 冬至とうじN1
winter solstice
- 冬期とうきN1
winter; wintertime; winter term
- 越冬えっとう
passing the winter; hibernation
- 冬物ふゆものN3
winter clothing; winter wear
- 今冬こんとう
this winter; next winter; last winter
- 暖冬だんとうN3
mild winter; warm winter
- 冬木ふゆき
tree as seen in winter (esp. a barren deciduous tree)
- 冬山ふゆやま
wintry mountain
- 厳冬げんとう
severe winter
- 冬将軍ふゆしょうぐん
General Winter; hard winter; Jack Frost
- 冬菇どんこ
donko (shiitake variety)
Study
Etymology
冬 is a pictograph of a knotted rope or cord, originally representing the end of the year. The modern form adds 冫 (ice) to emphasize the cold of winter.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 夂 looks like a person walking, and the bottom 冫 is ice. Picture someone trudging through ice and snow: it must be winter.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, imagine a toe freezing in the winter cold: toe -> トウ, and the ice 冫 makes your toe numb.