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Kotomora

陷

fall into, cave in, fall (castle), slide into

StatusJinmeiyō (variant)Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • カン

Kun'yomi

  • おちい.る
  • おとしい.れる

Meaning

陷 centers on a sudden downward collapse: falling into a pit, a cave-in, a castle falling to siege, or sliding into a bad situation. All meanings share the idea of being trapped or overwhelmed by a downward force.

Study

Etymology

陷 combines ⻖ (mound, hill) with 臽, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of a pit or trap. The character originally depicted falling into a pit or being trapped in a depression.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side ⻖ suggests a steep slope or mound, and the right side 臽 looks like a person falling into a pit with a cover closing over them. Together, they show a sudden collapse or trap.

Reading mnemonic

For カン, imagine a can falling into a deep pit: can -> カン, and the can clatters down as the ground caves in.