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Kotomora

豁

empty

Strokes17

Readings

On'yomi

  • カツ

Kun'yomi

  • ひら.ける
  • ひろ.い

Meaning

豁 centers on openness and emptiness: a wide, clear space or a state of being unobstructed. The given meaning "empty" fits this idea of a vast, unblocked expanse.

Most common words using 豁

  • 豁然かつぜん

    (open up) suddenly (of a view); widely; broadly

  • 豁然大悟かつぜんたいご

    suddenly seeing the light; achieving full enlightenment all of a sudden

  • 開豁かいかつ

    open; openminded

Explore all words using 豁 →

Study

Etymology

豁 combines 害 (harm, obstruction) with 谷 (valley), suggesting a valley that breaks through obstruction, leading to openness. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination likely expresses the idea of a wide, clear space.

Meaning mnemonic

Imagine a harmful barrier (害) being split open by a deep valley (谷), leaving a vast empty space. The valley cuts through the obstruction, creating an open expanse.

Reading mnemonic

For カツ, picture a cat (カツ) walking through a wide, empty valley. The cat's name "Katsu" echoes the reading, and the open space fits the kanji's meaning of emptiness.