The kanji 即 primarily conveys the idea of "immediately," "promptly," or "at once." It suggests something happening without delay or hesitation, in the present moment or very soon after. It also implies "to be," "to be the same as," or "to conform to." The core meaning revolves around immediacy and directness.

・On-yomi (音読み): ソク (soku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): すなわち (sunawachi)

⚫︎ 即答 (sokutou) Translation: Immediate answer; prompt reply. ⚫︎ 即日 (sokujitsu) Translation: The same day; immediate. ⚫︎ つまり、即ち (tsumari, sunawachi) Translation: In other words; that is to say.

The kanji 即 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字; keisei moji). The right side of the character is the phonetic component, 卩 (setsu). This component resembles a kneeling human figure and provides the sound. The left side is 旡 (ki), which is the phonetic component, and is a character representing a person eating and drinking to their fill. The meaning is derived from the immediate response of satisfying one's needs, such as eating.