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Kotomora

頤

chin, jaw

Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • イ

Kun'yomi

  • おとがい
  • あご

Meaning

頤 centers on the lower face: the chin and jaw. It refers to the bony structure that frames the mouth and supports the lower teeth.

Most common words using 頤

  • 山雷頤さんらいい

    yi (hexagram 27 of the I Ching: the corners of the mouth)

  • 頤おとがい

    (lower) jaw; chin; mentum

  • 頤で人を使うあごでひとをつかう

    to set someone to work in an arrogant fashion; to push someone around

  • 頤使いし

    bossing someone around; having a person under one's control

Explore all words using 頤 →

Study

Etymology

頤 is a phono-semantic compound with 頁 (head) on the right and 巸 (a component associated with the sound イ) on the left, together indicating the chin or jaw area of the head.

Meaning mnemonic

The right side 頁 means 'head' or 'page', and the left side looks like a chin with a jawline. Picture a head with a prominent chin: 頤 is the chin and jaw.

Reading mnemonic

For イ, imagine an eagle (イーグル) with a sharp chin: the 'イ' from eagle cues the reading, and the bird's beak points to the jaw.