惰
lazy, laziness
Readings
On'yomi
- ダ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
惰 centers on a lack of energy or will to act: laziness and the state of being lazy.
Most common words using 惰
- 怠惰たいだN1
lazy; idle; indolent; slothful
- 惰性だせい
force of habit
- 惰眠だみん
idle slumber
- 勤惰きんだ
diligence and indolence; attendance and absence (at work)
- 惰力だりょく
inertia; momentum
- 惰弱だじゃく
apathetic; lackadaisical; indolent; listless; weak-willed; languid
- 惰気だき
indolence; listlessness
- 惰眠をむさぼるだみんをむさぼる
to sleep all day; to idle away one's time; to loaf all day
- 惰行だこう
coasting (moving without using power)
- 懶惰らんだ
indolence; laziness; sloth; idleness
- 遊惰ゆうだ
indolence
Study
Etymology
惰 combines 忄 (heart/mind) with a phonetic component that also appears in 隋 and 堕. The heart radical suggests a mental or emotional state, and the compound originally conveyed neglect or laziness.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is the heart radical 忄, and the right side looks like a person slouching on a couch (左 over 月). Picture a lazy heart that just wants to slump and do nothing.
Reading mnemonic
For ダ, imagine a lazy person saying 'duh' to any request: 'duh' -> ダ, and the heart slumps in laziness.