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Kotomora

酉

west, bird, sign of the bird, 5-7PM, tenth sign of Chinese zodiac, sake radical (no. 164)

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ユウ

Kun'yomi

  • とり

Nanori

  • なが
  • みのる

Meaning

酉 centers on the tenth Earthly Branch, which is associated with the rooster (bird), the western direction, and the time period 5–7 PM. The sake radical sense comes from its use as a component in characters related to alcohol.

Most common words using 酉

  • 酉とり

    the Rooster (tenth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Cock; the Chicken; the Bird

  • 酉の市とりのいち

    tori-no-ichi (held at Ōtori Shrine on each day of the Rooster in November)

  • 一の酉いちのとり

    first day of the cock in the eleventh month

  • 丁酉ひのととり

    Fire Rooster (34th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1957, 2017, 2077)

  • 乙酉きのととり

    Wood Rooster (22nd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1945, 2005, 2065)

  • 二酉にゆう

    large collection of books; place where many books are stored

  • 己酉つちのととり

    Earth Rooster (46th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1909, 1969, 2029)

  • 日読みの酉ひよみのとり

    kanji "bird of the zodiac" radical (radical 164)

  • 癸酉みずのととり

    Water Rooster (10th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1933, 1993, 2053)

  • 辛酉かのととり

    Metal Rooster (58th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1921, 1981, 2041)

  • 酉の刻とりのこく

    hour of the Rooster (around 6pm, 5-7pm, or 6-8pm); hour of the Cock

  • 酉の年とりのとし

    year of the Rooster

  • 酉の待とりのまち

    tori-no-machi (held at Ōtori Shrine on each day of the Rooster in November)

  • 酉の日とりのひ

    day of the Rooster; day of the Cock

  • 酉偏とりへん

    kanji "bird of the zodiac" radical (radical 164)

  • 酉年とりどし

    year of the Rooster; year of the Cock

Explore all words using 酉 →

Study

Etymology

酉 is a pictograph of a wine jar or vessel, which later came to represent the tenth Earthly Branch and its associated zodiac sign, the rooster. The connection to west and 5–7 PM comes from its position in the traditional Chinese directional and temporal systems.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture an ancient wine jar with a wide body and a narrow neck, like the shape of 酉. This jar was used for sake, and its association with the rooster, west, and evening comes from its place in the zodiac cycle.

Reading mnemonic

For ユウ, imagine you and a friend sharing sake from a 酉 jar: you -> ユウ, and the sake jar brings you together.