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Kotomora

須

ought, by all means, necessarily

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes12

Readings

On'yomi

  • ス
  • シュ

Kun'yomi

  • すべから.く
  • すべし
  • ひげ
  • まつ
  • もち.いる
  • もと.める

Nanori

  • もとむ
  • ぞ

Meaning

須 centers on necessity and obligation: something that must be done, by all means, or ought to happen. The idea of 'necessarily' connects the given meanings of obligation and inevitability.

Most common words using 須

20 of 30
  • 必須ひっす
    N1

    indispensable; essential; requisite; required; compulsory; necessary

  • 須佐之男すさのお

    Susanoo (deity, younger brother to Amaterasu); Susanoo-no-Mikoto

  • 急須きゅうす

    small teapot

  • 須らくすべからく

    absolutely (ought to); by all means

  • 長須鯨ながすくじら

    fin whale; finback (whale); razorback whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

  • 必須条件ひっすじょうけん

    essential condition

  • 呉須ごす

    gosu porcelain

  • 必須アミノ酸ひっすアミノさん

    essential amino acid

  • 必須入力ひっすにゅうりょく

    required entry (e.g. in online forms)

  • 必須属性ひっすぞくせい

    mandatory attribute; required attribute

  • 必須格ひっすかく

    indispensable case

  • 必須科目ひっすかもく

    required subject; compulsory course

  • 必須脂肪酸ひっすしぼうさん

    essential fatty acid

  • 急須の口きゅうすのくち

    spout of a teapot

  • 恵比須鮫えびすざめ

    broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus, species of circumglobal cow shark with 7 gill slits)

  • 木須肉ムースーロウ

    moo shu pork

  • 横須賀線よこすかせん

    Yokosuka Line

  • 畝須うねす

    ridged whale meat used to make whale "bacon"

  • 白長須鯨しろながすくじら

    blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

  • 翁恵比須おきなえびす

    Beyrich's slit shell (species of sea snail, Pleurotomaria beyrichii)

Explore all words using 須 →

Study

Etymology

須 originally depicted a person's face with hair or beard strokes (彡) beside the head (頁), suggesting a bearded face. Over time it was borrowed to express necessity or obligation, likely through phonetic loan.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 彡 looks like three strokes of hair, and the right side 頁 is a head. Imagine a person whose beard is so long it must be trimmed—it is necessary, by all means, to cut it.

Reading mnemonic

For ス, imagine a sign that says 'You must sue the barber!' because the beard trim was a disaster. Sue -> ス, and it is something you ought to do.