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Kotomora

鰊

herring

Strokes20

Readings

On'yomi

  • レン

Kun'yomi

  • にしん

Meaning

鰊 centers on a specific fish: the herring. It is a narrow, concrete term without broad abstract extensions.

Most common words using 鰊

  • 鰊にしん

    Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

  • 鰊曇りにしんぐもり

    cloudy weather near Hokkaido during the herrings season (from the third to the sixth lunar month)

  • 鰊粕にしんかす

    dried and pressed boiled herring (used as fertilizer)

  • 鰊蕎麦にしんそば

    soba in hot broth, topped with a salty-sweet dried herring

Explore all words using 鰊 →

Study

Etymology

鰊 combines 魚 (fish) with 柬, which likely contributes the sound レン. The character was created to name the herring specifically.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 魚 means fish, and the right side 柬 looks like a bundle of fish tied together. Picture a bundle of herring caught in a net.

Reading mnemonic

For レン, imagine a herring leaping in a lens-shaped arc: lens -> レン, and the fish jumps like a herring.