Radical Combination

Meaning

Primary

Disc

Alternative

Jade Disc

Mnemonic

You offer a hot pepper to the king, and he gives you a drop of something. You look down at the drop to see it transforming into a disc. And not just any old disc at that. It's a jade disc.

Have you ever seen ancient Chinese jade discs with holes in the middle? That's what this kanji is referring to.

Readings

On’yomi

へき

Kun’yomi

None

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

You look closely at the disc and realize the hole in the middle is actually a keyhole. You fashion a key out of hay — a hay key (へき) — and shove it in. You rotate the hay key until you hear a click. The jade disc opens.

Visually Similar Kanji

Found In Vocabulary