Skip to content
Kotomora

憧

yearn after, long for, aspire to, admire, adore

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ショウ
  • トウ
  • ドウ

Kun'yomi

  • あこが.れる

Meaning

憧 centers on a heartfelt, often distant desire: yearning for something or someone, longing deeply, aspiring toward an ideal, or admiring and adoring from afar.

Most common words using 憧

  • 憧れあこがれ
    N2

    yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration

  • 憧れるあこがれる
    N3

    to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after; to be attracted by; to be drawn to; to aspire to; to admire; to adore

  • 憧憬どうけい

    longing; yearning; aspiration; adoration

  • 憧れの的あこがれのまと

    object of adoration, longing

Explore all words using 憧 →

Study

Etymology

憧 combines 忄 (heart) with 童, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a child's pure, focused longing. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the phono-semantic structure is broadly accepted.

Meaning mnemonic

The heart radical 忄 beside 童 (child) suggests a childlike, pure-hearted yearning. Picture a child gazing longingly at something they admire, with all their heart.

Reading mnemonic

For ショウ, imagine a child's heart yearning to see a show: show -> ショウ, and the child longs for the performance.