弖
phoneme only, (kokuji)
Strokes4
Readings
On'yomi
- テ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
弖 is a rare kokuji used only for its sound value, without a standalone meaning. Its meaning is uncertain and context-dependent.
Study
Etymology
弖 is a Japanese-made kokuji, likely created by adding a horizontal stroke to 弓 to represent the sound テ. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
弖 looks like a bow (弓) with an extra line, but it has no inherent meaning. Think of it as a placeholder shape for the sound テ.
Reading mnemonic
For テ, imagine the bow (弓) being drawn taut, and the extra stroke at the bottom represents the tension (テンション) of the string: tension -> テン, shortened to テ.