蠣
oyster
Strokes20
Readings
On'yomi
- レイ
Kun'yomi
- かき
Meaning
蠣 centers on the oyster, a shellfish with a rough, stony shell.
Most common words using 蠣
- 牡蠣かき
oyster; oyster shell
- 岩牡蠣いわがき
Iwagaki oyster (Crassostrea nippona)
- 毛牡蠣けがき
spiny oyster (Saccostrea kegaki)
- 焼き牡蠣やきがき
oysters cooked in the shell
- 牡蠣フライかきフライ
fried oysters; deep-fried oysters
- 牡蠣灰かきばい
oyster shell lime
- 牡蠣飯かきめし
rice cooked together with oyster meat, etc.
- 生牡蠣なまがき
raw oyster
- 真牡蠣まがき
Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)
- 種牡蠣たねがき
seed oyster
Study
Etymology
蠣 combines 虫 (insect/creature) with 厲, which likely contributes the sound. Together they denote the oyster, a shelled creature.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 虫 suggests a creature, and the right side 厲 looks like a rough, stony shape. Picture a creature with a rough, stony shell: an oyster.
Reading mnemonic
For レイ, imagine a ray of sunlight hitting an oyster shell: ray -> レイ, and the oyster glistens.