氾
spread out, wide
Readings
On'yomi
- ハン
Kun'yomi
- ひろ.がる
Meaning
氾 centers on spreading out widely, like water overflowing and covering a broad area.
Most common words using 氾
- 氾濫はんらんN2
overflowing; flood; inundation; deluge
- 内水氾濫ないすいはんらん
flooding within the confines of a levee (i.e. caused by surface runoff, drainage failure, etc.)
- 外水氾濫がいすいはんらん
flooding caused by overflowing of rivers (e.g. breaching levee banks)
- 氾濫原はんらんげん
flood plain
- 河川氾濫かせんはんらん
flooding caused by overflowing of rivers (e.g. breaching levee banks)
Study
Etymology
氾 combines 氵 (water) with 㔾, which likely contributes the sound and suggests spreading or overflowing. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 spreads out widely, like a flood covering the land. The right side 㔾 looks like a container being filled and overflowing.
Reading mnemonic
For ハン, imagine a wide hand spreading water: hand -> ハン, and the water spreads out from your palm.