礎 Foundation

Radical Combination

• 石

  Stone
• 木

  Tree
• 疋

  Coat Rack

Meaning

Primary

Foundation

Alternative

Cornerstone

Mnemonic

There’s a stone, a tree, another tree, and a coat rack. That stone and two trees will make the perfect foundation, or cornerstone, for a house to put that coat rack in! This stone is flat and heavy and both of the trees are flexible and durable.

Hints

Imagine making a foundation with the stone and the two trees so you’ll have a place for your coat rack. Feel the wood grain and cold stone against your skin as you move them around to form the foundation.

Readings

On’yomi

そ

Kun’yomi

いしずえ

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

After you finish the foundation, the only step that's left is to wash the entire thing with soap (そ).

Hints

Imagine getting on your hands and knees, rubbing a bar of soap all over the foundation you built. The soap gets into all the nooks and crannies in the wood and stone. Now if a coat falls off the coat rack onto the floor, you just add water and poof! Clean!