啤
beer
Strokes11
Readings
On'yomi
- ヒ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
啤 centers on beer, specifically as a phonetic loan used in the Chinese word for beer (啤酒). Its meaning is narrow and modern, tied directly to the beverage.
Study
Etymology
啤 is a modern character created as a phonetic loan for the English word 'beer'. It combines 口 (mouth) with 卑, which provides the sound ヒ in Japanese on-reading. The character has no ancient origin and was coined specifically for this loanword.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 口 (mouth) suggests drinking, and the right side 卑 looks like a beer mug with a handle. Together they make 啤, the kanji for beer.
Reading mnemonic
For ヒ, imagine taking a sip of beer and letting out a satisfied 'hee' sound: hee -> ヒ, the sound of enjoying a cold beer.