The kanji 潮 generally represents the "tide" or "tidal current" of the sea. It encompasses the cyclical rise and fall of the ocean's water level due to the gravitational forces of the moon and sun. It can also refer to related concepts, such as the flow of water, specific times of the tide, or even a metaphorical "tide" of events or emotions.

・On-yomi (音読み): チョウ (chou) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): うしお (ushio)

⚫︎ 干潮 Translation: Low tide (e.g., the period when the tide is at its lowest point) ⚫︎ 潮の満ち引き Translation: The ebb and flow of the tide (the rising and falling of the tide) ⚫︎ 大潮 Translation: Spring tide (e.g., the tide with the largest range during a new or full moon)

The kanji 潮 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). It is composed of two parts: the water radical 氵 (also written as 水, meaning "water") on the left side, and the character 朝 (chou, meaning "morning" or "court") on the right side, which provides the sound and the meaning element. The combination implies the water movements occurring regularly, like the 朝 (morning), and also it's the 氵 (water) that has the rhythm.