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Kotomora

塊

clod, lump, chunk, clot, mass

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • カイ
  • ケ

Kun'yomi

  • かたまり
  • つちくれ

Meaning

塊 centers on a solid, gathered mass: a clod of earth, a lump, a chunk, or a clot. The idea is something that has come together into a single dense form.

Most common words using 塊

20 of 66
  • 塊かたまり
    N2

    lump; mass; bundle; clump; clod; cluster

  • 団塊だんかい

    mass; lump; clod; clump

  • 金塊きんかい

    gold nugget; gold bullion; gold bar; gold ingot

  • 山塊さんかい

    mountain mass; massif

  • 酸塊すぐり

    gooseberry; currant

  • 塊茎かいけい

    tuber

  • 氷塊ひょうかい

    lump of ice; block of ice; ice floe

  • アメリカ塊芋アメリカほどいも

    potato bean (Apios americana); hog peanut; hopniss; Indian potato; groundnut; ground pea

  • プレ団塊世代プレだんかいせだい

    pre-babyboomers (children born between 1943 and 1946 in Japan)

  • ポスト団塊ジュニアポストだんかいジュニア

    third-generation baby-boomer (people born between 1975 and 1982)

  • マンガン団塊マンガンだんかい

    manganese nodule

  • 一塊いっかい

    one lump; one group

  • 一塊肉いっかいにく

    only child

  • 傾動地塊けいどうちかい

    tilt block; tilted fault block

  • 冷水塊れいすいかい

    cold water mass

  • 凝塊ぎょうかい

    clot

  • 凝集塊ぎょうしゅうかい

    aggregate; clump

  • 卵塊らんかい

    egg sack (frog, spider, etc.); egg mass

  • 団塊の世代だんかいのせだい

    baby boom generation (of 1947-1949)

  • 団塊ジュニアだんかいジュニア

    second-generation baby boomer (born 1971-1974)

Explore all words using 塊 →

Study

Etymology

塊 combines 土 (earth) with 鬼, which likely contributes the sound カイ and the idea of something rounded or lump-like. The exact historical development of 鬼 in this character is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side is earth 土, and the right side is a demon 鬼. Imagine a demon scooping up a big clod of earth and throwing it as a lumpy mass.

Reading mnemonic

For カイ, picture a giant clod of earth shaped like a kite: kite -> カイ, and the demon is flying it like a lumpy kite.