The kanji 蓮 (ren) fundamentally represents the lotus flower. This includes the plant itself, its iconic blossoms, and the associated symbolism, especially within Buddhist contexts, of purity, enlightenment, and rebirth. It embodies the image of beauty and serenity emerging from murky waters.

・On-yomi (音読み): レン (ren) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): はす (hasu)

⚫︎蓮の花 Translation: Lotus flower ⚫︎蓮根 Translation: Lotus root ⚫︎蓮華 Translation: Lotus (often referring to the flower itself, or a lotus-shaped design)

The kanji 蓮 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The radical on top is 艹 (くさかんむり, kusakanmuri), which signifies "grass" or "plant." The phonetic component is 連 (ren), which conveys the sound "ren" and suggests the idea of "connecting" or "linking." This combination creates 蓮, implying a plant (grass radical) whose blooms or parts are connected or linked together, evoking the association with the lotus flower. The lotus has multiple petals that connect.