遭
encounter, meet, party, association, interview, join
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- あ.う
- あ.わせる
Meaning
遭 centers on coming together with someone or something, often with a sense of happening upon or encountering. The given meanings—meet, encounter, party, association, interview, join—all extend from this idea of a meeting or connection.
Most common words using 遭
- 遭遇そうぐうN1
encounter; running into; meeting with (e.g. an accident); being confronted with (e.g. a difficulty)
- 遭難そうなんN1
(meeting with) disaster; (having an) accident; mishap; shipwreck; distress
- 二重遭難にじゅうそうなん
double disaster
- 災難に遭うさいなんにあう
to meet with misfortune
- 遭逢そうほう
meeting by chance; running into; coming upon; encounter
- 遭遇戦そうぐうせん
encounter; engagement; battle
- 遭遇説そうぐうせつ
tidal hypothesis (of the origin of the solar system); near-collision hypothesis
- 遭難信号そうなんしんごう
distress signal; SOS
- 遭難救助隊そうなんきゅうじょたい
rescue party
- 遭難死そうなんし
accidental death (esp. while climbing mountains or being shipwrecked)
- 遭難者そうなんしゃ
victim; sufferer
- 遭難船そうなんせん
wrecked ship; ship in distress
- 難に遭うなんにあう
to meet with disaster
Study
Etymology
遭 combines 辶 (movement) with 曹, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to a pair or group, suggesting a meeting or encounter while moving.
Meaning mnemonic
The movement radical 辶 wraps around 曹, like paths converging. Picture two groups moving along a road and meeting at a central point: 遭 is that encounter.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a soulful encounter where two old friends meet on the road: soul -> ソウ, and the meeting is heartfelt.