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Kotomora

泛

to drift, float, careless, reckless

Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ハン
  • ホウ

Kun'yomi

  • うか.ぶ

Meaning

泛 centers on floating or drifting without fixed direction, which extends naturally to careless or reckless behavior—acting as if adrift without steady control.

Study

Etymology

泛 combines 氵 (water) with 乏, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of lacking or being insufficient, together suggesting floating or drifting on water without a firm hold.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 plus 乏 (lacking) gives the image of something lacking a fixed place on the water, just drifting along. That aimless drifting is also like a careless, reckless attitude.

Reading mnemonic

For ハン, imagine a hand (ハン sounds like 'hand') carelessly drifting through water, not holding onto anything: hand -> ハン, and the hand floats recklessly.