Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 狂

狂

Level:N1 Mid
Strokes:7
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 狂 generally conveys the idea of being "crazy," "mad," "wild," or "deranged." It suggests a loss of control, a departure from normal behavior or thinking, often due to emotional distress or mental instability. The core meaning revolves around a deviation from the norm, a state of being out of one's mind or senses.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): キョウ (kyou) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): くる-う (kuru-u)

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 狂人 Translation: madman; maniac ⚫︎ 狂気 Translation: madness; insanity ⚫︎ 狂う Translation: to go mad; to be crazy; to be wild; to go off the rails; to be beside oneself

Origin and Formation

The kanji 狂 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side, 犭 (kemono hen, the "dog" radical), indicates the semantic category and suggests "animal" or "beast." This hints at the wild or uncontrolled nature associated with the character. The right side, 王 (ō, "king" or "ruler"), contributes the phonetic component, indicating the pronunciation. Therefore, the character suggests an animalistic quality associated with being out of control.

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