The kanji 被 primarily conveys the meaning of "to be subjected to," "to suffer," or "to receive." It implies a passive role, where someone or something is affected by an action or condition. It often suggests being acted upon, experiencing something, or being exposed to something.

・On-yomi (音読み): ヒ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): こうむ(る)

⚫︎ 被害 (ひがい) Translation: Damage, harm, or loss. ⚫︎ 被災 (ひさい) Translation: Suffering a disaster or being a victim of a disaster. ⚫︎ 被害者 (ひがいしゃ) Translation: Victim.

The kanji 被 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 衣 (ころも), meaning "clothing" or "garment," and the right side is 皮 (かわ), meaning "skin" or "hide." The original meaning relates to clothing covering the body, thus "to cover." Over time, it developed the meaning of being covered or affected by something. The "skin" or "hide" element indirectly suggests being exposed to something.