Skip to content
Kotomora

甕

jar, jug, vat

FrequencyTop 5,000Strokes18

Readings

On'yomi

  • オウ

Kun'yomi

  • かめ
  • みか

Nanori

  • もたい

Meaning

甕 centers on a large, sturdy container for holding liquids or bulk goods: a jar, jug, or vat. The idea is always a capacious vessel, often made of earthenware.

Most common words using 甕

  • 甕みか

    large earthenware pot (for brewing sake)

  • 甕かめ
    N1

    earthenware pot

  • 厨子甕ずしがめ

    decorated pottery container for storing the bones of one's ancestors (Okinawa)

  • 甕たしらか

    fired earthenware vessel used by the emperor to clean his hands

  • 甕棺かめかん

    burial urn (often two-storey); funerary urn

  • 酒甕さかがめ

    sake jug

Explore all words using 甕 →

Study

Etymology

甕 combines 雍 (likely a phonetic component) with 瓦 (earthenware), indicating a type of pottery vessel. The exact historical development of the upper component is uncertain, but the character consistently refers to a large jar or vat.

Meaning mnemonic

The bottom 瓦 is a tile or earthenware, and the top 雍 looks like a complex lid or stopper. Picture a heavy clay jar with an elaborate sealed top, used for storing large amounts of liquid.

Reading mnemonic

For オウ, imagine an enormous jar so big you say 'Oh!' when you see it: 'Oh!' -> オウ, and the jar is so large it could hold a vat of water.