労 Labor

Radical Combination

• Viking
• 力 Power

Meaning

Primary

Labor

Mnemonic

A Viking in a position of power does not need to labor in the fields. Labor is for the weak! A Viking of power takes what he wants, and need not labor for it. A powerful Viking plunders all and takes what he wants!

Hints

Imagine yourself as a powerful Viking. You have the power to take anything you want, pillaging and plundering to your heart’s content. Imagine all the things you would acquire with this sort of power.

Note - there are a few other kanji that have a similar meaning to this one. This kanji is used in words related to physical, or manual labor, with an emphasis on how darn tiring it is!

Readings

On’yomi

ろう

Kun’yomi

いたわ

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

It takes a lot of labor to harvest roe (ろう) so that’s what the Viking decides to take first! Roe is delicious, but it’s small and delicate. Vikings don’t labor for their own roe! They take it and eat it!

Hints

Picture this powerful Viking laying siege on a small fishing village and taking all the roe and stuffing it into his bearded face. So much labor went into harvesting that roe! Vikings are so mean!