The kanji 義 primarily conveys the concepts of "righteousness," "justice," "morality," "duty," "loyalty," and "meaning." It represents something that is morally correct, fair, and in accordance with accepted standards of conduct. It can also imply a sense of obligation or commitment to a cause or person.

・On-yomi (音読み): ギ (gi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): よし (yoshi) - a less common reading, often seen in specific words or contexts

⚫︎ 正義 (seigi) Translation: Justice; righteousness ⚫︎ 義理 (giri) Translation: Duty; obligation; sense of responsibility ⚫︎ 義援金 (gienkin) Translation: Donations; financial aid; charitable contribution

The kanji 義 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字 - keisei moji). It combines the radical 羊 (ひつじ - hitsuji: sheep/goat) with the phonetic component 我 (われ - ware: I/myself). The radical 羊 can sometimes symbolize "good" or "beautiful" in older Chinese. 我, which originally depicted a weapon, lent its sound and potentially suggests the idea of "me" or "us" in the context of what is "right" or "just." The combination suggests the idea of "righteousness" or "what is right" stemming from one's own sense of what is good and just, and can also be an expression of justice and morality.