狭
cramped, narrow, contract, tight
Readings
On'yomi
- キョウ
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- せま.い
- せば.める
- せば.まる
- さ
Nanori
- はざ
Meaning
狭 centers on a lack of space: something cramped, narrow, or tight. The idea of contracting or squeezing inward is a natural extension of that same spatial restriction.
Most common words using 狭
20 of 55- 狭いせまいN5
narrow; confined; small; cramped
- 狭間はざま
interval; space; interstice; threshold
- 若狭わかさ
Wakasa (former province located in the south of present-day Fukui Prefecture)
- 狭窄きょうさく
contraction; narrowing
- 狭義きょうぎ
narrow sense (e.g. of a word)
- 狭まるせばまるN1
to narrow; to contract
- 手狭てぜま
narrow; small; cramped
- 狭しせばし
narrow; confined; small
- 狭小きょうしょう
narrow; cramped; small-sized
- 狭心症きょうしんしょう
angina pectoris
- 狭量きょうりょう
narrow-minded; intolerant; petty
- 狭めるせばめるN1
to narrow; to reduce; to contract
- 偏狭へんきょう
narrow-mindedness; intolerance; illiberality; narrowness
- 狭隘きょうあい
narrow; small; confined
- 狭き門せまきもん
the strait gate (in the Bible); the narrow gate
- 心が狭いこころがせまいN2
narrow-minded
- 世間は広いようで狭いせけんはひろいようでせまい
though it seems big, it's a small world
- 幅の狭いはばのせまい
narrow
- 幽門狭窄ゆうもんきょうさく
pyloric stenosis
- 広狭こうきょう
width; width and narrowness
Study
Etymology
狭 is the modern simplified form of 狹. It combines 犭 (animal) with 夹, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of being pressed between two sides, giving the sense of narrowness or tightness.
Meaning mnemonic
A dog 犭 squeezed between two sides 夹: the space is cramped and narrow, like a tight alley.
Reading mnemonic
For キョウ, imagine a narrow Kyoto alley where a dog is squeezed tight: Kyoto -> キョウ, and the cramped space makes it hard to pass.