Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 偶

Level:N3 Low
Strokes:11
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily conveys the idea of "chance," "accidental," "pair," or "equal." It often refers to something that is not planned, a coincidence, or something that comes in twos. It can also imply something that is comparable or on par with something else.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): グウ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たまたま (tamatama) - occasionally, by chance

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 偶然然 (gūzen) Translation: Coincidence, accident ⚫︎ 偶数数 (gūsū) Translation: Even number ⚫︎ 配偶者者 (haigūsha) Translation: Spouse, partner

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. It combines the radical (ninben, meaning "person") with the phonetic component (gu, which provides the sound and originally depicted a monkey). The original meaning related to the idea of companionship or pairing, and therefore, "two," or "a pair," and expanded to mean "chance" and "coincidence." The person radical suggests that the meaning involves humans or things related to humans.

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