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西向く侍 (にしむくさむらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression
mnemonic for months with fewer than 31 days
A traditional Japanese mnemonic phrase: に (2), し (4), む (6), く (9), さむらい (士 = 十 + 一 = 11). It helps remember that February, April, June, September, and November have fewer than 31 days. The word 士 (samurai) is used because the kanji can be decomposed into 十 (10) and 一 (1), making 11.
の
頃ころ
、
「
西にし
向む
く
侍さむらい
」
で
月つき
の
日にっ
数すう
を
覚おぼ
え
た
。
When I was a child, I learned the number of days in each month using 'nishimuku samurai.'
Written forms 西にし 向む く 侍さむらい
Standard mnemonic phrase spelling; 侍 (samurai) is the usual representation.
二に 四し 六む 九く 士さむらい
Numeric kanji spelling: 二 (2), 四 (4), 六 (6), 九 (9), 士 (samurai, representing 11). Rarely used in practice.
西にし 向む く 士さむらい
Variant using 士 instead of 侍; less common but still recognizable.
Kanji 二 two, two radical (no. 7) 士 gentleman, scholar, samurai 侍 waiter, samurai, wait upon Etymology A mnemonic phrase combining the readings of numbers 2 (に), 4 (し), 6 (む), 9 (く) and the kanji 士 (samurai), which is decomposed into 十 (10) and 一 (1) to represent 11. The phrase literally means 'samurai facing west,' but the meaning is purely mnemonic.
