壬
9th calendar sign
Readings
On'yomi
- ニン
- ジン
- イ
Kun'yomi
- みずのえ
Meaning
壬 is primarily the ninth sign in the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle calendar. Its standalone meaning is limited to this calendrical role, and it does not carry broader conceptual senses.
Most common words using 壬
- 壬じん
9th in rank; ninth sign of the Chinese calendar
- 壬午みずのえうま
Water Horse (19th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1942, 2002, 2062)
- 壬午軍乱じんごぐんらん
Imo Incident (riot in Seoul, Korea; July 23, 1882)
- 壬子みずのえね
Water Rat (49th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1912, 1972, 2032)
- 壬寅みずのえとら
Water Tiger (39th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1962, 2022, 2082)
- 壬戌みずのえいぬ
Water Dog (59th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1922, 1982, 2042)
- 壬生菜みぶな
Brassica campestris var. laciniifolia (variety of wild mustard)
- 壬申みずのえさる
Water Monkey (9th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1932, 1992, 2052)
- 壬申の乱じんしんのらん
Jinshin revolt (671 CE)
- 壬辰みずのえたつ
Water Dragon (29th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1952, 2012, 2072)
- 壬辰倭乱じんしんわらん
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598); Imjin war
Study
Etymology
壬 is an ancient pictograph whose original meaning is uncertain. It was later borrowed as the ninth celestial stem in the sexagenary cycle. The modern form visually contains a slanted stroke over 士, but the historical development is not clearly tied to these components.
Meaning mnemonic
The top slanted stroke looks like a marker pointing to the bottom 士 (scholar). Imagine a scholar being assigned the ninth position in a calendar lineup, so 壬 is the ninth sign.
Reading mnemonic
For ニン, picture a ninja holding the ninth calendar sign: ninja -> ニン, and the ninja is the ninth member of the team.