雌
feminine, female
Readings
On'yomi
- シ
Kun'yomi
- め-
- めす
- めん
Meaning
雌 centers on the female side of a pair or species: feminine, female, or the female of animals.
Most common words using 雌
20 of 37- 雌めすN2
female (animal, plant)
- 雌雄しゆう
male and female (animals); the two sexes
- 雌牛めうし
cow; heifer
- 雌しべめしべ
pistil
- 雌伏しふく
lying low (and awaiting one's chance); biding one's time; submitting at first (to then strike later)
- 雌花めばな
female flower; pistillate flower
- 雌め
female
- 雌ねじめねじ
female screw; nut
- 雌の万年草めのまんねんぐさ
Sedum rupifragum (species of stonecrop)
- 雌の狐めすのきつね
bitch fox; vixen
- 雌コネクタめすコネクタ
female connector
- 雌伏雄飛しふくゆうひ
biding one's time building up strength till finally grasping an opportunity to launch out and flourish
- 雌刈萱めがるかや
Themeda triandra var. japonica (variety of kangaroo grass)
- 雌子牛めすこうし
female calf; young heifer; heifer calf
- 雌性しせい
female
- 雌性ホルモンしせいホルモン
female hormone
- 雌性発生しせいはっせい
gynogenesis
- 雌性配偶体しせいはいぐうたい
female gametophyte; megagametophyte
- 雌日芝めひしば
southern crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris)
- 雌松めまつ
Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine; tanyosho pine
Study
Etymology
雌 combines 此 (here, this) and 隹 (bird), originally referring to a female bird. The 此 component likely contributed a phonetic element while also suggesting 'this one' to distinguish the female.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 此 looks like a stop sign (止) beside a sitting person (匕), and the right side 隹 is a bird. Picture a female bird stopping here to rest: 雌 is the feminine one.
Reading mnemonic
For シ, imagine a female bird sitting on a sea (シ) shore: sea -> シ, and the bird is the female of the pair.