掛
hang, suspend, depend, arrive at, tax, pour
Readings
On'yomi
- カイ
- ケイ
Kun'yomi
- か.ける
- -か.ける
- か.け
- -か.け
- -が.け
- か.かる
- -か.かる
- -が.かる
- か.かり
- -が.かり
- かかり
- -がかり
Nanori
- かけ
Meaning
掛 centers on attaching or connecting one thing to another: hanging or suspending something, depending on something, or arriving at a place. The tax and pour senses are extensions of applying or attaching an action to something.
Most common words using 掛
20 of 289- 掛かるかかるN5
to take (a resource, e.g. time or money)
- 掛けるかけるN5
to hang up (e.g. a coat, a picture on the wall); to let hang; to suspend (from); to hoist (e.g. sail); to raise (e.g. flag)
- 仕掛けしかけN1
device; contrivance; mechanism; gadget
- 見せ掛けみせかけN1
seeming; pose; show; pretense; sham; mock
- 出掛けでがけ
(on the) point of going out; (at the) moment one is about to leave
- 掛けかけN1
credit
- 仕掛けるしかけるN1
to start; to begin; to commence
- 掛け持ちかけもち
holding two or more positions concurrently
- 掛け声かけごえ
shout (of encouragement, etc.); yell (used to time or encourage activity, e.g. "Heave ho!")
- 掛け替えかけがえ
replacement; substitution; rebuilding; changing
- 掛け合いかけあい
negotiations; bargaining
- 引っ掛けひっかけ
hook; gab
- 引っ掛かりひっかかり
hold; catch
- 大掛かりおおがかり
large-scale
- 目掛けるめがける
to aim at
- 腰掛けこしかけN2
seat; bench
- 取り掛かるとりかかるN1
to begin (doing); to start; to set about; to get down to
- 掛け金かけきん
installment; instalment; premium; bill
- 掛け算かけざんN3
multiplication
- 引っ掛けるひっかけるN2
to hang (something) on (something); to throw on (clothes)
Study
Etymology
掛 combines 扌 (hand) with 卦, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of hanging or suspending. The exact historical development of 卦 within this character is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The hand radical 扌 beside 卦 suggests a hand hanging something up. Picture a hand placing a divination plaque (卦) on a hook to suspend it.
Reading mnemonic
For カイ, imagine a hand hanging a kite (カイト) from a hook: kite -> カイ, and the hand suspends it in the air.