Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 雌

Level:N1 High
Strokes:14
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AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily signifies "female," "feminine," or "hen." It refers to the female gender, often in the context of animals, but can also be used metaphorically to describe something delicate or gentle.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): (shi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): めす (mesu)

Usage Examples

⚫︎雌犬 Translation: Female dog ⚫︎雌雄 Translation: Male and female; sexes ⚫︎雌鳥 Translation: Hen

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The semantic component is , meaning "woman" or "female". The phonetic component is (sei) which conveys the sound. Thus, the kanji combines the female radical with a sound element, indicating "female". The form of the character has remained relatively consistent over time, emphasizing its straightforward meaning related to the female sex.

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