The kanji 如 primarily conveys the meanings of "like," "as," "such as," "as if," "to resemble," or "to be similar to." It indicates a comparison, a resemblance, or a state of being similar. It can also imply "if," or "in the case of" creating a conditional sense.

・On-yomi (音読み): ジョ (jo) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ごと.し (goto.shi)

⚫︎ 例えば、彼は英雄如し。 Translation: For example, he is like a hero. ⚫︎ 彼女如く美しい人はいない。 Translation: There is no one as beautiful as her. ⚫︎ もし雨が降る如くば、中止します。 Translation: If it rains, we will cancel.

The kanji 如 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It is formed by combining the radical 女 (おんな, onna) meaning "woman" with the phonetic component 口 (くち, kuchi). This combination initially implied a woman who is "like" or "as" something, suggesting a resemblance or comparison. The meaning then broadened to encompass comparisons more generally. The phonetic component 口 (kuchi) contributes to the sound and hints at the act of speaking or comparing something to something else. Over time, the character evolved to represent the broader concepts of similarity and comparison.