蓋
cover, lid, flap
Readings
On'yomi
- ガイ
- カイ
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- ふた
- けだ.し
- おお.う
- かさ
- かこう
Meaning
蓋 centers on something that closes over an opening or object: a cover, lid, or flap that conceals or protects what is underneath.
Most common words using 蓋
20 of 102- 蓋ふたN3
cover; lid; cap
- 頭蓋骨ずがいこつ
skull; cranium
- 頭蓋ずがい
cranium; skull
- 瘡蓋かさぶた
scab; crust
- 口蓋こうがい
palate
- 天蓋てんがい
canopy; dome
- 蓋然性がいぜんせい
probability; likelihood
- 蓋しけだし
certainly; really; truly; indeed
- 火蓋ひぶた
apron of a gun; cover for the touch-hole on a cannon or matchlock
- 膝蓋骨しつがいこつ
kneecap; patella
- 喉頭蓋こうとうがい
epiglottis
- かぶせ蓋かぶせぶた
slip-on lid; lid going over the edges
- 上蓋あげぶた
trap door; removable floor boards
- 上蓋うわぶた
lid (of a box, container, etc.); cover; cap
- 上行口蓋動脈じょうこうこうがいどうみゃく
ascending palatine artery
- 下行口蓋動脈かこうこうがいどうみゃく
descending palatine artery
- 両蓋りょうぶた
hunting-case watch
- 両蓋時計りょうぶたどけい
hunting-case watch
- 中蓋なかぶた
inner lid
- 九蓋草くがいそう
Veronicastrum sibiricum (species of flowering plant)
Study
Etymology
蓋 originally combined 艹 (grass) with 盍, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of covering. The character expressed a cover made of grass or a lid.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass crown 艹 sits over 盍, which looks like a container with a lid (皿 with something on top). Picture a woven grass cover placed over a dish: 蓋 is a lid or flap.
Reading mnemonic
For ガイ, imagine a guy lifting a heavy lid: guy -> ガイ, and he covers the pot with a big flap.