憔
get thin
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- ショウ
- セウ
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- やつ.れる
- やせ.る
Meaning
憔 centers on physical wasting: becoming thin or emaciated, often from worry or illness.
Most common words using 憔
- 憔悴しょうすい
haggardness; emaciation; wasting away; being tired out; being worn out; exhaustion
Study
Etymology
憔 combines 忄 (heart/mind) with 焦, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of scorching or withering, suggesting a mind or body worn thin.
Meaning mnemonic
The heart radical 忄 beside 焦 (scorch) paints a picture of worry burning away your body until you get thin.
Reading mnemonic
For ショウ, imagine a person so thin they look like a shadow: shadow -> ショウ, and the scorched heart has wasted them away.