愴
sad, pathetic
Strokes13
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- いたま.しい
- いた.む
Meaning
愴 centers on deep emotional pain that feels pitiful or sorrowful: something sad and pathetic.
Most common words using 愴
Study
Etymology
愴 combines the heart radical 忄 with 倉, which likely contributes the sound. The heart radical suggests an emotional state, while 倉 may have originally depicted a granary, but the exact historical development of the compound meaning is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The heart radical 忄 beside 倉 (a granary) suggests a heart weighed down by stored sorrow. Imagine a granary filled not with grain but with sad memories, making the heart feel pathetic.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, picture a soul (ソウ) trapped in a granary of sadness: the heart 忄 is heavy with sorrow, and the soul cries out. Soul -> ソウ.