Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 晶

Level:N1 Mid
Strokes:12
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily represents "crystal" or "sparkling". It captures the essence of something clear, brilliant, and often associated with the light reflected from a crystal. It can also imply something pure or refined, reminiscent of the clarity and beauty of a crystal. The core idea is related to things that are transparent, luminous, or reflect light beautifully.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ショウ Shō ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): あきら akira (in a name)

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 結晶 けっしょう Translation: Crystal; crystallization. ⚫︎ 晶子 あきこ Translation: Akiko (a common feminine Japanese given name). ⚫︎ 水晶 すいしょう Translation: Crystal (specifically, rock crystal, quartz).

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a 会意文字 かいいもじ (ideogram), created by combining three instances of the character 日 にち (sun/day). Originally, the character was a stylized representation of sunlight glinting off a clear crystalline substance. The three "sun" characters were arranged in a way that suggests brilliance or the sparkling of a crystal reflecting light.

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