遁
flee, escape, shirk, evade, set free
Readings
On'yomi
- トン
- シュン
Kun'yomi
- のが.れる
Meaning
遁 centers on getting away from something unwanted: fleeing danger, escaping a situation, shirking responsibility, or evading pursuit. The sense of setting free extends this to releasing oneself from confinement.
Most common words using 遁
- 隠遁いんとん
retirement (from the world); seclusion
- 遁走とんそう
flight; escape
- 出家遁世しゅっけとんせい
monastic seclusion
- 奇門遁甲きもんとんこう
Qimen Dunjia (ancient Chinese divination method)
- 水遁すいとん
ninja art of water-escape
- 水遁の術すいとんのじゅつ
ninja art of water-escape
- 火遁かとん
(ninja art of) escaping using fire or smoke
- 遁世とんせい
seclusion from the world
- 遁世生活とんせいせいかつ
living in seclusion; retired from the world
- 遁法とんぽう
Ninja art of escape
- 遁甲とんこう
type of astrology
- 遁術とんじゅつ
Ninja art of escape
- 遁走曲とんそうきょく
fugue
- 遁辞とんじ
excuse; evasive answer; subterfuge
- 隠遁生活いんとんせいかつ
a reclusive life; living secluded from the world; leading a sequestered life
- 隠遁者いんとんしゃ
recluse
- 隠遁術いんとんじゅつ
Ninja art of escape
Study
Etymology
遁 combines 辶 (movement) with 盾, which likely contributes the sound and suggests the idea of hiding behind a shield or slipping away.
Meaning mnemonic
The movement radical 辶 wraps around 盾 (shield). Picture someone using a shield to cover their escape as they flee and evade capture.
Reading mnemonic
For トン, imagine fleeing with a ton of weight on your back: ton -> トン, and you still manage to escape.