The kanji 然 primarily conveys the meaning of "like that," "so," "thus," or "as it is." It often indicates a state or condition, emphasizing a natural or inevitable consequence or result. It can also imply "of course" or "naturally."

・On-yomi (音読み): ・ *ぜん* (zen) ・ *ねん* (nen) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・ *しか* (shika) - しかり (shikari) - to be so; to be like that; right; proper ・ *しか* (shi ka) - しかして (shikashite) - and so; accordingly ・ *しか* (shi) - 然し (shikashi) - but; however; even so; still

⚫︎当然（とうぜん） Translation: Naturally; of course; as a matter of course. ⚫︎依然（いぜん） Translation: As before; still; unchanged. ⚫︎自然（しぜん） Translation: Nature; natural; spontaneous.

The kanji 然 is a phono-semantic compound. It is composed of the radical 犬 (いぬ, dog) on the left side, which acts as the semantic component, and the phonetic component 燃 (ネン/も.える, to burn) on the right. The 犬 radical suggests "being like" or "a state," and the phonetic component 燃 (which originally meant "to burn") contributes the sound. Originally, the character's meaning referred to the way things "were," or "the way things appeared to be." Over time, it evolved to encompass the meanings of "like that," "so," and "naturally."