The kanji 慕 primarily conveys the feeling of "longing," "yearning," "adoration," or "missing" someone or something. It implies a strong emotional connection, often with a sense of admiration, affection, and a desire to be near or associated with the object of this feeling. It can also suggest a feeling of thinking fondly of someone who is far away.

・On-yomi (音読み): ボ (bo) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): した(う) (shitau)

⚫︎ 慕情 (bojou) Translation: Yearning; tender affection. ⚫︎ 憧憬と慕情 (doukei to bojou) Translation: Yearning and longing. ⚫︎ 彼を慕う (kare o shitau) Translation: To long for him; to miss him; to admire him.

The kanji 慕 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. The left side is the radical 心 (kokoro, heart/mind), indicating that the meaning is related to emotions. The right side is 莫 (baku), which functions as a phonetic component, lending the character its sound. The original meaning of 莫 is "not; do not" (in the ancient past). This character's initial meaning was "to seek after, to desire," which was then extended to mean "to yearn for" or "to admire." The combination of the "heart" radical and the phonetic component suggests a desire rooted in the heart.