Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 縦

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

The kanji primarily means "vertical," "lengthwise," or "up and down." It refers to something that runs from top to bottom or in a direction perpendicular to the horizon. It can also imply a dimension or extent in the vertical direction.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ジュウ (jū) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たて (tate)

Usage Examples

⚫︎縦の長さ Translation: Vertical length; height ⚫︎縦書き Translation: Vertical writing ⚫︎縦に並べる Translation: To arrange something vertically; to line up vertically

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side is a radical (部首, bushu), which indicates the meaning of "thread" or "string." The right side is a phonetic component, indicating the sound and contributing to the overall meaning. The combination of these parts suggests the concept of a thread running in a vertical direction, hence "vertical" or "lengthwise." Historically, the character evolved from pictographic representations of hanging threads or lines, emphasizing the up-and-down dimension.

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