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Kotomora

啡

morphine, coffee

Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • ハイ
  • ヘ
  • ヒ

Kun'yomi

  • いびき
  • つば

Meaning

啡 is a character used phonetically in modern compounds for 'coffee' and 'morphine', without a single conceptual center. Its standalone meaning is unclear outside these borrowings.

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Etymology

啡 is a modern character created for phonetic transcription, combining 口 (mouth) with 非 for its sound value. It has no ancient pictographic or semantic origin.

Meaning mnemonic

The mouth radical 口 suggests a spoken or consumed substance, while 非 hints at the foreign origin. Picture a mouth sipping a dark, bitter drink: coffee, or a medicinal drop of morphine.

Reading mnemonic

For ハイ, imagine a barista saying 'Hi!' as they hand you a coffee: Hi -> ハイ, and the mouth 口 is ready to drink.