芳
perfume, balmy, favorable, fragrant
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
- かんば.しい
Nanori
- お
- かおる
- は
- ほ
- みち
- やす
- よし
Meaning
芳 centers on a pleasant, spreading scent: something fragrant, balmy, or perfumed. The favorable sense extends naturally from the idea of a sweet, agreeable aroma that leaves a good impression.
Most common words using 芳
20 of 44- 芳香ほうこう
perfume; fragrance; aroma; balm; sweet scent
- 芳しいかんばしい
sweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic
- 芳樹ほうじゅ
beautiful tree; tree producing beautiful flowers
- 芳醇ほうじゅん
mellow (flavor or fragrance, esp. alcohol); rich; full-bodied; superior
- 蘇芳すおう
sappanwood (Caesalpinia sappan)
- 芳しくないかんばしくないN1
poor; not satisfactory; undesirable; unfavourable; unfavorable; disgraceful
- メビウス芳香族性メビウスほうこうぞくせい
Möbius aromaticity
- 余芳よほう
lingering fragrance; continuing fame (after death)
- 多環芳香族炭化水素たかんほうこうぞくたんかすいそ
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; PAH
- 峰蘇芳みねずおう
alpine azalea (Kalmia procumbens); trailing azalea
- 来客芳名録らいきゃくほうめいろく
guest book
- 栴檀は双葉より芳しせんだんはふたばよりかんばし
genius shows from childhood; the Japanese bead tree is fragrant from when a sprout
- 花蘇芳はなずおう
Chinese redbud (Cercis chinensis)
- 芳信ほうしん
letter
- 芳名ほうめい
your name
- 芳名帳ほうめいちょう
visitors' book; guest book
- 芳名録ほうめいろく
visitors' book
- 芳墨ほうぼく
scented India ink; fragrant sumi
- 芳心ほうしん
kind intentions
- 芳志ほうし
(your) kindness
Study
Etymology
芳 combines 艹 (grass) with 方, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to fragrant plants or herbs.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass crown 艹 sits above 方, like fragrant herbs growing in a square garden. The scent rises from the plants, making the air balmy and favorable.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, imagine a whole garden of fragrant herbs: the word 'whole' sounds like ホウ, and the entire garden is filled with perfume.