The kanji 申 primarily signifies "to state," "to declare," "to report," or "to apply." It often conveys the action of expressing something formally or officially, sometimes with a sense of respect or seriousness. The core idea revolves around communicating or conveying information, requests, or intentions.

・On-yomi (音読み): シン (shin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): さる (saru)

⚫︎申請 (しんせい) Translation: Application; request. ⚫︎申し込む (もうしこむ) Translation: To apply; to propose; to offer. ⚫︎申告 (しんこく) Translation: Declaration; report; statement.

The kanji 申 is a pictograph. It originally depicted a lightning bolt or a stretched-out body. Its shape evolved to represent the concept of "to stretch" or "to extend," and by extension, "to state" or "to declare." The form can also relate to the 9th of the 12 earthly branches in the Chinese zodiac, representing the monkey.