魃
(god of) drought
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- ハツ
- バツ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
魃 centers on a mythological being that causes drought: a god or spirit associated with dryness and parched conditions.
Study
Etymology
魃 combines 鬼 (demon, spirit) with 犮, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character refers to a drought-causing spirit in Chinese mythology.
Meaning mnemonic
A demon 鬼 with a distinctive inner shape 犮 emerges from the dry earth, bringing scorching drought wherever it goes.
Reading mnemonic
For ハツ, imagine the drought demon letting out a hot, dry breath: 'ha-tsu' (ハツ) as it exhales parched air over the land.