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Kotomora

胴

trunk, torso, hull (ship), hub of wheel

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes10

Readings

On'yomi

  • ドウ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

胴 centers on the main body of something: the trunk of a human or animal, the hull of a ship, or the central hub of a wheel. All meanings point to the core structural part that holds the rest together.

Most common words using 胴

20 of 50
  • 胴どう
    N1

    trunk; torso; body; abdomen; waist

  • 胴体どうたい
    N1

    trunk; torso; body

  • 胴上げどうあげ
    N1

    tossing (someone) into the air (in celebration)

  • 胴元どうもと

    banker (gambling); bookmaker; person who runs a gambling den; person who rents out space for gambling and charges commission

  • 寸胴ずんどう

    cylindrical

  • 救命胴衣きゅうめいどうい

    life jacket; life vest

  • 胴着どうぎ

    (sleeveless) undergarment; padded undershirt

  • 胴回りどうまわり

    waist; girth; measurement around waist

  • クリ胴枯病クリどうがれびょう

    chestnut blight; chestnut canker

  • 共鳴胴きょうめいどう

    sound box (of an instrument); sounding box

  • 双胴機そうどうき

    twin-boom aircraft

  • 双胴船そうどうせん

    double-hull boat; catamaran

  • 台胴だいどう

    dado (part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice)

  • 回胴式遊技機かいどうしきゆうぎき

    slot machine

  • 圧胴あつどう

    impression cylinder

  • 寸胴鍋ずんどうなべ

    stockpot

  • 桶側胴おけがわどう

    tub-sided samurai cuirass

  • 桶胴太鼓おけどうだいこ

    barrel drum; drum with an uncurved body

  • 胴が長いどうがながい

    having a long body; long-bodied

  • 胴の長いどうのながい

    long-bodied

Explore all words using 胴 →

Study

Etymology

胴 combines ⺼ (flesh/body part) with 同, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a cylindrical or unified shape. The character originally referred to the large intestine or the trunk of the body.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side ⺼ is flesh, and the right side 同 looks like a container or a tube. Picture the flesh tube that is your torso, the main body part that holds everything together.

Reading mnemonic

For ドウ, imagine a dō (道) path running through the center of the torso like a highway: dō -> ドウ, and the trunk is the main route of the body.