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Kotomora

孛

comet, dark, obscure

Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ハイ
  • ブツ
  • ボツ

Kun'yomi

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Meaning

孛 centers on a sudden, ominous celestial appearance: a comet, which brings darkness or obscurity. The meanings are linked by the idea of something bright yet foreboding that disrupts clarity.

Study

Etymology

孛 is a rare character whose historical origin is uncertain. It may have originally depicted a comet or a sudden appearance, but the component breakdown is not clearly established.

Meaning mnemonic

The top looks like a cross (十) over a cover (冖), and below is a child (子). Imagine a mysterious comet appearing in the sky, its tail like a dark veil covering the child, making everything obscure.

Reading mnemonic

For ハイ, picture a comet so bright it makes everyone say 'Hi!' in awe, but its tail brings darkness: Hi -> ハイ.