Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 衛

衛

Level:N1 High
Strokes:16
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 衛 primarily conveys the meanings of "guard," "protect," "defend," and "sustain." It suggests a state of safety, shielding, and maintaining something or someone. This can apply to physical protection, like guarding a person or a place, or more abstract protection, such as safeguarding principles or a system. It embodies the concept of preventing harm or damage.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): エイ (ei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): まも(る) (mamo(ru)) - to protect, to defend

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 衛生 Translation: Hygiene; sanitation. ⚫︎ 防衛 Translation: Defense; protection. ⚫︎ 警衛 Translation: Guard; security.

Correspondence with Your Native Language

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Origin and Formation

The kanji 衛 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). ⚫︎ The phonetic component is 韋 (i), which originally represented leather, and subsequently the sound "i". ⚫︎ The semantic component is 行 (gyou, kou, i.ku), which originally depicted crossing of roads, and subsequently the meaning "to go", "to proceed", and in modern usage, "to act". ⚫︎ The combination suggests the idea of going around to protect or defend, hence the meaning of "guard" or "protect". The original meaning derived from the character 韋, which means leather. Soldiers who served as guards used leather shields for defense.

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