The kanji 雑 generally conveys the meaning of "mixed," "miscellaneous," "various," "rough," or "hodgepodge." It implies a lack of order, a combination of different elements, or something not pure or refined. It can also refer to something that is not serious or casual.

・On-yomi (音読み): ザツ (zatsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None commonly used.

⚫︎ 雑貨 Translation: Miscellaneous goods, sundries. ⚫︎ 雑音 Translation: Noise, static. ⚫︎ 雑用 Translation: Various tasks, odd jobs.

The kanji 雑 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is a radical called 木偏（きへん） "tree" or "wood," suggesting the original meaning was related to wood or plants. The right side is 集（しゅう） which means "to gather" or "to collect." Thus, 雑 originally implied the gathering of different kinds of wood. Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass the idea of mixing or combining various things, leading to its broader modern meanings.