Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 妙

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

The kanji primarily conveys the meanings of "exquisite," "wonderful," "marvelous," "strange," or "subtle." It often describes something that is unexpectedly good, delightful, or intriguing. It can also imply something mysterious or delicate.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ミョウ (myō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たえ (tae) - used in very limited contexts and often in archaic expressions.

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 絶妙な Translation: exquisite; superb; perfect ⚫︎ 妙な話 Translation: a strange story; a peculiar tale ⚫︎ 妙案 Translation: a brilliant idea; a clever plan

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 女 (woman/female), and the right side is 少 (few/little). The original meaning may have related to a young woman or a delicate, subtle quality associated with women. Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass the broader ideas of "exquisite," "marvelous," and "strange".

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