The kanji 悌 primarily conveys the meaning of "filial piety," "brotherly love," or "respect for elders." It signifies the virtue of being respectful, obedient, and considerate towards one's parents and older siblings. It embodies the importance of harmony within the family and the adherence to traditional family values.

・On-yomi (音読み): テイ (tei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, as the meaning is often expressed within compound words.

⚫︎悌愛 Translation: Filial love; brotherly love. ⚫︎悌順 Translation: Dutiful and obedient. ⚫︎悌悌 Translation: A state of being respectful and harmonious; respectful of elders.

The kanji 悌 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). ⚫︎The left side is the radical 忄 (りっしんべん - "kokoro," meaning "heart" or "mind"). This part indicates that the character relates to emotions and feelings. ⚫︎The right side is 弟 (oto- "younger brother"). It acts as the phonetic component, indicating the sound, and also contributes to the meaning, as younger siblings naturally show respect to older siblings. ⚫︎Therefore, 悌 suggests the feelings of respect and obedience that are expected within the family, especially towards elders, aligning with the meaning of filial piety and brotherly love.