Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 似

似

Level:N3 Low
Strokes:7
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 似 primarily conveys the idea of "resemblance," "similarity," or "to be like." It suggests that something shares characteristics or qualities with something else. It implies a degree of likeness or correspondence.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ・ジ (ji) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・に (ni) - as in 似ている (niteiru - to resemble)

Usage Examples

⚫︎彼女は母親に似ています。 Translation: She resembles her mother. ⚫︎あの二つの絵はよく似ていますね。 Translation: Those two paintings are very similar. ⚫︎彼らは性格が似ています。 Translation: They have similar personalities.

Correspondence with Your Native Language

Since the correspondence information between Japanese and Vietnamese is requested: The kanji 似 has a significant correspondence with Vietnamese, with approximately 70% of Vietnamese vocabulary stemming from Sino-Vietnamese (Hán-Việt) origin, sharing roots with Chinese characters like 似. Modern Vietnamese words derived from Sino-Vietnamese that share the same origin include: ・tự (similar to).

Origin and Formation

The kanji 似 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字 - keisei moji). The right side of the character 以 functions phonetically, indicating the sound, while the left side 人, meaning "person," provides the semantic element. The original meaning of 以 is "to take," or "to use". The combination implies something that "takes on" or "uses" the qualities of something else, hence the meaning of "to resemble" or "to be like."

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