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Kotomora

葦

reed, bullrush

StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • イ

Kun'yomi

  • あし
  • よし
  • しお.れる
  • しな.びる
  • しぼ.む
  • な.える

Meaning

葦 centers on tall, slender water plants: reeds and bullrushes. The meaning is straightforward and concrete, referring to these specific wetland plants.

Most common words using 葦

20 of 31
  • 葦あし
    N1

    common reed (Phragmites australis)

  • 葦原あしはら

    reed bed

  • ヨーロッパ葦切ヨーロッパよしきり

    Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

  • 一葦いちい

    one reed

  • 一葦の水いちいのみず

    narrow strip of water

  • 丘葦鴨おかよしがも

    gadwall (Anas strepera)

  • 大葦切おおよしきり

    great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

  • 小葦切こよしきり

    black-browed reed warbler (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps)

  • 星葦毛ほしあしげ

    dapple gray (horse coat color); dapple grey

  • 枯葦かれあし

    withered reeds (esp. reeds that have withered in the winter)

  • 白葦毛しらあしげ

    flea-bitten gray (horse coat color); flea-bitten grey

  • 葦の髄から天井のぞくよしのずいからてんじょうのぞく

    to have a narrow view of things; to look at the ceiling through a reed

  • 葦の髄から天井を覗くよしのずいからてんじょうをのぞく

    to have a narrow view of things; to peek at the ceiling through the pith of a reed

  • 葦五位よしごい

    yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)

  • 葦原中国あしはらのなかつくに

    Japan

  • 葦原雀よしわらすずめ

    reed warbler (esp. the great reed warbler, but also the black-browed reed warbler)

  • 葦手あしで

    ashide; painting of a waterside using characters of a poem to represent reeds, rocks, birds, etc. (Heian period)

  • 葦田鶴あしたず

    crane (bird)

  • 葦登よしのぼり

    freshwater goby (any fish of genus Rhinogobius)

  • 葦笛あしぶえ

    reed pipe; reed flute

Explore all words using 葦 →

Study

Etymology

葦 combines the grass radical 艹 with 韋, which likely provides the sound. The character represents a type of plant, specifically reeds or bullrushes.

Meaning mnemonic

The grass radical 艹 sits above 韋, like tall reeds growing out of a woven basket or mat (韋 can suggest leather or tanned hide, but here imagine a woven container). Picture a clump of reeds sprouting from a basket left by the water.

Reading mnemonic

For イ, imagine an eagle (イーグル) landing on a reed: the 'e' sound of eagle cues イ, and the reed bends under its weight.