咧
stretch mouth, grimace, grin
Strokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- レツ
- レチ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
咧 centers on stretching the mouth wide, producing a grimace or a grin. The core idea is a forced, exaggerated mouth movement.
Study
Etymology
咧 combines 口 (mouth) with 列, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest a stretching or arranging action. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The mouth 口 on the left is stretched wide by the right side 列, as if the mouth is being pulled into a grimace or grin.
Reading mnemonic
For レツ, imagine stretching your mouth into a grimace while saying "let's" (レツ) — the forced mouth shape matches the meaning.