隻
vessels, counter for ships, fish, birds, arrows, one of a pair
Readings
On'yomi
- セキ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
隻 centers on the idea of one item from a pair or set: a single vessel, bird, fish, or arrow counted individually. The counter sense is a natural extension of this one-of-a-pair concept.
Most common words using 隻
- 隻せき
counter for ships
- 隻眼せきがん
one eye
- 一言隻句いちごんせきく
every single word and phrase; each and every word
- 一隻いっせき
one boat; one ship
- 一隻眼いっせきがん
discerning eye; critical eye
- 数隻すうせき
several (boats)
- 片言隻句へんげんせきく
few words; single phrase
- 片言隻語へんげんせきご
(not even) a few words
- 隻句せっく
a few words
- 隻影せきえい
a glimpse of an object's outlines
- 隻手せきしゅ
one hand; one arm
- 隻手の声せきしゅのこえ
the sound of one hand clapping (a classic Zen koan)
- 隻手の音声せきしゅのおんじょう
the sound of one hand clapping (a classic Zen koan)
- 隻脚せっきゃく
one-legged
- 隻腕せきわん
one arm
- 隻語せきご
just a few words
Study
Etymology
隻 combines 隹 (a short-tailed bird) with 又 (a hand), originally depicting a hand holding a single bird, hence the meaning 'one of a pair'.
Meaning mnemonic
A hand (又) holding a single bird (隹) — just one from a pair. This image helps remember the core idea of a single item from a set.
Reading mnemonic
For セキ, imagine a single bird sitting on a hand, and the bird says 'seki' (like a chirp). The sound 'seki' cues セキ while the hand holds one bird.