喙
beak
Strokes12
Readings
On'yomi
- カイ
Kun'yomi
- がい
- くちばし
Meaning
喙 centers on the beak of a bird, the hard projecting mouthpart used for pecking and feeding.
Most common words using 喙
Study
Etymology
喙 combines 口 (mouth) with 彖, which likely contributes the sound and relates to a pig's snout, together suggesting a projecting mouthpart like a beak.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a mouth 口, and the right side 彖 resembles a pig's snout. Picture a bird's beak as a hard, projecting mouth like a tiny snout.
Reading mnemonic
For カイ, imagine a bird's beak snapping shut with a sharp 'kai!' sound, like the cry of a seagull: kai -> カイ.