挺
bravely volunteer, counter for guns, inksticks, palanquins, rickshaws
Readings
On'yomi
- チョウ
- テイ
Kun'yomi
- ぬ.く
Meaning
挺 centers on the idea of standing out or extending forward: bravely volunteering oneself, or serving as a counter for long, protruding objects like guns, inksticks, palanquins, and rickshaws.
Most common words using 挺
20 of 21- 空挺くうてい
airborne (troops, operation, etc.)
- 挺身ていしん
offering oneself (for); volunteering (to do); coming forward; going ahead of others
- 挺身隊ていしんたい
military unit composed of personnel who have volunteered for dangerous assignments; volunteer corps
- 女子挺身隊じょしていしんたい
women's volunteer corps; groups of young female workers organized on Japanese territory during WWII
- 挺すていす
to put (oneself) forward; to risk (one's life); to volunteer (bravely)
- 挺するていする
to put (oneself) forward; to risk (one's life); to volunteer (bravely)
- 挺幹ていかん
caudex (of a plant)
- 挺進ていしん
going ahead of the others; advancing ahead of the main force
- 挺進隊ていしんたい
advance unit sent ahead of the main force on a special mission
- 特殊空挺部隊とくしゅくうていぶたい
Special Air Service; SAS
- 空挺作戦くうていさくせん
airborne operation
- 空挺兵くうていへい
paratrooper
- 空挺堡くうていほ
airhead
- 空挺師団くうていしだん
airborne division
- 空挺旅団くうていりょだん
airborne brigade; parachute brigate
- 空挺部隊くうていぶたい
airborne troops; paratroops
- 空挺降下地域くうていこうかちいき
drop zone
- 空挺隊くうていたい
airborne troops; paratroops
- 空挺隊員くうていたいいん
paratroopers
- 英国陸軍特殊空挺部隊えいこくりくぐんとくしゅくうていぶたい
Special Air Service; Special Air Service Regiment
Study
Etymology
挺 combines 扌 (hand) with 廷, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of extending or straightening. The historical development of 廷 itself is complex, but the overall phono-semantic structure is clear.
Meaning mnemonic
A hand 扌 beside 廷, which looks like a person standing tall and extending forward. Picture a volunteer stepping forward with hand raised, or a long object being held out to count.
Reading mnemonic
For チョウ, imagine a brave volunteer named Chou stepping forward with hand raised: Chou -> チョウ, and his hand extends to volunteer.