The kanji 漸 means "gradually," "little by little," or "progressively." It conveys the idea of something changing or developing over time, often in a slow and steady manner. It implies a transition or increase that is not sudden but rather happens in stages.

・On-yomi (音読み): ゼン (zen) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ようよう (yōyō)

⚫︎漸次 Translation: gradually; step by step ⚫︎漸進 Translation: gradual progress; steady advance ⚫︎漸く Translation: finally; at last; gradually

The kanji 漸 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字 - keisei moji). The left side is a radical called 氵 (サンズイ - sansui), which represents water. The right side is a phonetic component 斬 (zan), which gives the sound. The original meaning of 漸 seems to be related to the gradual increase of water level or the slow process of water seeping or flooding. Over time, the meaning broadened to describe any kind of gradual change or progress.