遜
humble, modest
Readings
On'yomi
- ソン
Kun'yomi
- したが.う
- へりくだ.る
- ゆず.る
Meaning
遜 centers on lowering oneself in attitude or action: being humble, modest, or deferential. The idea extends naturally to yielding or following another's lead.
Most common words using 遜
- 謙遜けんそんN2
modesty; humility; being humble
- 遜色そんしょく
inferiority
- 不遜ふそん
haughty; arrogant; insolent; presumptuous
- 傲岸不遜ごうがんふそん
haughty arrogance
- 傲慢不遜ごうまんふそん
haughty; arrogant; overbearing
- 尊大不遜そんだいふそん
arrogant and presumptuous; haughty arrogance; intolerable insolence
- 謙遜語けんそんご
humble language
- 遜色があるそんしょくがある
inferior to; suffering by comparison with; unable to compare with
- 遜色がないそんしょくがない
standing comparison with; comparing favorably with; by no means inferior to; equal to
- 遜色ないそんしょくない
standing comparison with; comparing favorably with; by no means inferior to; equal to
- 遜色のないそんしょくのない
standing comparison with; comparing favorably with; by no means inferior to; equal to
Study
Etymology
遜 combines 辶 (movement) with 孫, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of following or being subordinate, as a grandchild follows the grandparent. The overall meaning of humble or yielding behavior fits this structure.
Meaning mnemonic
The movement radical 辶 wraps around 孫 (grandchild). Picture a grandchild walking behind their grandparent, stepping humbly and yielding the path: that's being modest and deferential.
Reading mnemonic
For ソン, imagine a humble son walking behind his father: son -> ソン, and his modest steps match the movement radical 辶.