托
requesting, entrusting with, pretend, hint
Readings
On'yomi
- タク
Kun'yomi
- たく.する
- たの.む
Meaning
托 centers on placing something in another's care or using a gesture to convey an indirect message: entrusting a task, making a request, or hinting at something without stating it outright. The 'pretend' sense extends this idea to putting on a false appearance as a kind of indirect communication.
Most common words using 托
- 一蓮托生いちれんたくしょう
sharing one's lot with another; being in the same boat
- 托鉢たくはつ
religious mendicancy; asking for alms; monk's begging
- 托卵たくらん
brood parasitism (planting one's eggs in another bird's nest, as demonstrated by the cuckoo, etc.)
- 托子たくす
saucer (for a teacup)
- 托葉たくよう
stipule
- 托鉢修道会たくはつしゅうどうかい
mendicant orders
- 托鉢僧たくはつそう
mendicant priest
- 種内托卵しゅないたくらん
intraspecific brood parasitism
- 種間托卵しゅかんたくらん
interspecific brood parasitism
- 花托かたく
receptacle; torus
- 茶托ちゃたく
teacup saucer
Study
Etymology
托 combines 扌 (hand) with 乇, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest the idea of placing or supporting something. The exact origin of 乇 is uncertain, but the character is used for entrusting or requesting via a hand gesture.
Meaning mnemonic
The hand radical 扌 beside 乇 looks like a hand holding something out to another person. Picture someone extending a hand to entrust a message or hint at a request.
Reading mnemonic
For タク, imagine entrusting a tack to someone: you hand them a thumbtack and say 'tack' as a hint to hang something up. Tack -> タク.