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Kotomora

盔

helmet, bowl, basin

Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • カイ

Kun'yomi

  • はち

Meaning

盔 centers on a protective or containing vessel: a helmet that shields the head, or a bowl/basin that holds things. The meanings share the idea of a concave, enclosing object.

Study

Etymology

盔 combines 灰 (ashes) and 皿 (dish), but the historical origin is uncertain. It may have originally referred to a vessel for ashes, later extended to a helmet or bowl.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a dish (皿) covered with ashes (灰) from a fire. You need a helmet to protect your head from falling embers, or a bowl to scoop up the ashes.

Reading mnemonic

For カイ, imagine a knight wearing a helmet and holding a bowl, shouting 'Kai!' as a battle cry: Kai -> カイ.