援
abet, help, save
Readings
On'yomi
- エン
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
援 centers on giving active support to someone in need: helping, aiding, or saving them from difficulty. The idea of abetting fits as a more active or even questionable form of assistance.
Most common words using 援
20 of 117- 支援しえんN2
support; backing; aid; assistance
- 応援おうえんN3
aid; assistance; help; support; reinforcement
- 援助えんじょN3
assistance; aid; support
- 援護えんご
support; help; backing
- 救援きゅうえんN1
relief; rescue
- 後援こうえんN1
support; backing
- 援軍えんぐん
reinforcement
- 声援せいえんN1
(shout of) encouragement; cheering; rooting; support
- 援交えんこう
paid dating (esp. with an underage girl; oft. involving selling of sex); compensated dating
- 増援ぞうえん
reinforcement (e.g. of troops)
- 義援金ぎえんきん
donation money (esp. disaster relief or charity); contribution
- 援用えんよう
quotation (to support one's argument); citation (e.g. of a precedent); invocation; claim
- 無援むえん
helpless; unsupporting
- 援助交際えんじょこうさい
paid dating (esp. with an underage girl; oft. involving selling of sex); compensated dating
- 来援らいえん
assistance; support
- 支援策しえんさくN1
support measures; assistance measures; support plan
- コンピューター援用生産コンピューターえんようせいさん
computer-aided manufacture; CAM
- コンピューター援用設計コンピューターえんようせっけい
computer-aided design; CAD
- サンパウロ日伯援護協会サンパウロにっぱくえんごきょうかい
Beneficência Nipo-Brasileira de São Paulo (Japanese association in Brazil)
- タイド援助タイドえんじょ
tied aid
Study
Etymology
援 combines 扌 (hand) with 爰, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of pulling or drawing toward. Together they suggest lending a hand to help or save someone.
Meaning mnemonic
The hand radical 扌 beside 爰 looks like a hand reaching out to pull someone up. Picture a rescuer extending a hand to help a person in trouble.
Reading mnemonic
For エン, imagine the helping hand is the end of a long rescue rope: end -> エン, and you pull someone to safety.