斜
diagonal, slanting, oblique
Readings
On'yomi
- シャ
Kun'yomi
- なな.め
- はす
Meaning
斜 centers on a line or direction that is not straight: diagonal, slanting, or oblique. All given meanings describe this same tilted orientation.
Most common words using 斜
20 of 85- 斜めななめN3
slanting; tilted; sloping; diagonal; oblique
- 傾斜けいしゃN1
inclination; slant; slope; bevel; list; dip; tilt; lean
- 斜面しゃめんN1
slope; slanting surface; bevel
- 斜はすN2
diagonal
- 急斜面きゅうしゃめん
steep slope
- 斜陽しゃよう
setting sun
- 斜線しゃせん
oblique line; forward slash
- 傾斜地けいしゃち
slope; sloping ground; sloping lot
- 斜視しゃし
strabismus; squint
- 斜辺しゃへん
hypotenuse; oblique line
- 斜体しゃたい
oblique type; slanted type
- 斜坑しゃこう
inclined shaft
- ご機嫌斜めごきげんななめ
in a bad temper; cranky; crabby
- ピサの斜塔ピサのしゃとう
Leaning Tower of Pisa
- 三斜晶系さんしゃしょうけい
triclinic crystal system
- 偏斜へんしゃ
obliqueness; deviation; slantedness
- 傾斜家賃けいしゃやちん
progressive increase in rent
- 傾斜度けいしゃど
gradient
- 傾斜生産けいしゃせいさん
priority production
- 傾斜生産方式けいしゃせいさんほうしき
priority production system
Study
Etymology
斜 combines 余 (excess, surplus) and 斗 (a measuring ladle). The original idea may relate to pouring or measuring with a tilted ladle, producing a slanted or diagonal orientation.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 余 suggests something extra or overflowing, and the right side 斗 is a ladle. Imagine pouring from a ladle at an angle so the liquid flows diagonally: that slant is 斜.
Reading mnemonic
For シャ, picture a shah (a king) tilting his crown at a jaunty diagonal angle: shah -> シャ, and the slant matches the kanji's meaning.