陌
east-west path between paddies, road
Strokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- ハク
Kun'yomi
- まち
- みち
Nanori
- はざ
Meaning
陌 centers on a path or road, specifically an east-west path between rice paddies, extending to any road or way.
Study
Etymology
陌 combines ⻖ (mound, earth) with 百, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a raised path between fields, especially an east-west one.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side ⻖ suggests an earthen mound or raised path, and the right side 百 (hundred) can be imagined as many rice paddies. Picture a raised east-west path running between a hundred rice fields.
Reading mnemonic
For ハク, imagine walking along the path and hearing the sound of a hawk overhead: hawk -> ハク, as you follow the east-west road between the paddies.