Skip to content
Kotomora

澀

astringent, harsh, uneven, rough

Strokes17

Readings

On'yomi

  • ジュウ
  • シュウ

Kun'yomi

  • しぶ
  • しぶ.い
  • しぶ.る

Meaning

澀 centers on a rough, puckering quality: astringent taste, harsh texture, or uneven surface. The given meanings all describe something that is not smooth or pleasant.

Study

Etymology

澀 combines 氵 (water) with 歰, a component that likely contributes both sound and the idea of roughness or astringency. The exact historical development of 歰 is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 beside the complex 歰, which looks like two rough, uneven shapes. Imagine water flowing over a jagged, uneven surface, creating a harsh, astringent sensation.

Reading mnemonic

For ジュウ, imagine a rough, astringent juice that makes you pucker: juice -> ジュウ, and the harsh taste matches the kanji's meaning.