宋
dwell, Sung dynasty
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
宋 centers on dwelling or residing in a place. The Sung dynasty name is a historical application of this idea, referring to the ruling house that dwelled in power.
Most common words using 宋
- 宋そう
Song dynasty (of China; 960-1279); Sung dynasty
- 呂宋ルソン
Luzon (Philippines)
- 入宋にっそう
journeying to Song China during the Heian and Kamakura periods
- 北宋ほくそう
Northern Song dynasty (of China; 960-1127)
- 南宋なんそう
Southern Song dynasty (of China; 1127-1279)
- 唐宋音とうそうおん
tōsō-on; Tang-Song reading; on reading of a kanji based on Song dynasty and later Chinese
- 宋代そうだい
Song dynasty (of China; 960-1279); Sung dynasty
- 宋儒そうじゅ
Song dynasty Confucian scholars
- 宋史そうし
Songshi; History of Song (one of the official Twenty-Four Histories of China)
- 宋学そうがく
Song-dynasty neo-Confucianism (esp. the teachings of Zhu Xi)
- 宋明理学そうみんりがく
neo-Confucianism (developed in the Song and Ming dynasties); Song-Ming neo-Confucianism
- 宋朝そうちょう
Song dynasty (of China; 960-1279); Sung dynasty
- 宋朝体そうちょうたい
elegant left-leaning block typeface
- 宋詞そうし
Song poetry
- 宋銭そうせん
Song dynasty copper coin
- 宋音そうおん
sō-on; Song reading; on reading of a kanji based on Song dynasty and later Chinese (esp. in words related to Zen Buddhism)
- 渡宋とそん
going to Song dynasty China
Study
Etymology
宋 combines 宀 (roof) and 木 (tree), suggesting a dwelling among trees or a wooden house. The character was later used as the name of the Sung dynasty.
Meaning mnemonic
Under a roof 宀, a tree 木 grows, creating a sheltered place to dwell. Picture a simple wooden house nestled among trees.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine dwelling in a cozy home and sewing (ソウ) by the window: sew -> ソウ, while you dwell peacefully inside.