浪
wandering, waves, billows, reckless, unrestrained
Readings
On'yomi
- ロウ
Kun'yomi
—
Nanori
- なに
- なみ
Meaning
浪 centers on water in unrestrained motion: literal waves and billows, and by extension wandering or reckless behavior that moves without control.
Most common words using 浪
20 of 54- 浪漫ロマンN2
romance (e.g. Arthurian romances); heroic tale
- 浪ろう
person who has spent X years after graduating high school attempting to get admitted to (a specific) university
- 浪人ろうにんN1
ronin; masterless samurai
- 浪費ろうひN1
waste; extravagance
- 放浪ほうろう
wandering; roaming; drifting
- 浮浪ふろう
vagrancy; vagabondage; wander around
- 1浪いちろう
failing college entrance exams and retaking them a year later
- 流浪るろう
vagrancy; wandering; nomadism
- 波浪はろう
waves; billows; surge
- 浪士ろうし
ronin; lordless samurai
- 浪曲ろうきょく
rōkyoku; naniwabushi; recitation of stories accompanied by samisen
- 浪花節なにわぶし
naniwabushi; variety of sung narrative popular during the Edo period
- 放浪癖ほうろうへき
vagrant habits; vagabondism; wanderlust
- 浮浪者ふろうしゃN1
vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person; hobo; bum
- 仮面浪人かめんろうにん
student who is trying to get into their preferred college while already enrolled at another college
- 多浪たろう
failing entrance exams for repeated years
- 多浪生たろうせい
high school graduate who has failed university entrance examinations multiple times
- 大学浪人だいがくろうにん
student preparing to re-take initially failed university entrance examinations
- 大陸浪人たいりくろうにん
Japanese adventurer (from the Meiji era to the end of WWII) who roamed mainland China and other parts of Asia, engaging in political activities, espionage, smuggling, etc.
- 天竺浪人てんじくろうにん
wandering lordless samurai
Study
Etymology
浪 combines 氵 (water) with 良, which likely contributes the sound ロウ and the idea of something spreading or extending, giving the sense of waves and wandering.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 and 良 (good) combine: imagine good, strong waves rolling freely across the ocean, wandering without restraint.
Reading mnemonic
For ロウ, picture a lone wave wandering the sea: lone -> ロウ, and that single wave drifts recklessly.