The kanji 申 primarily conveys the idea of "to state," "to say," "to declare," or "to report." It implies a formal or official communication or expression. It can also relate to the zodiac sign of the monkey (9th of the 12 earthly branches).

・On-yomi (音読み): シン (shin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): さる (saru) - meaning "monkey" or "the ninth sign of the Chinese zodiac" ・Kun-yomi: もう（す） (mōsu) - meaning "to say," "to report," or "to declare" (humble form)

⚫︎ 申請（しんせい） Translation: Application; request ⚫︎ 申し込む（もうしこむ） Translation: To apply; to propose ⚫︎ 申告（しんこく） Translation: Declaration; report; filing (e.g., of taxes)

The kanji 申 is an ideogram (形声文字 - kei-sei moji), meaning it combines a phonetic component with a semantic one, with the phonetic component being the most important. It's believed to be derived from an ancient depiction of an electric discharge or an image of lightning (the earliest forms of the character look like a stylized flash of lightning or an animal). Over time, it evolved to represent a stretching or bending action, and eventually came to be associated with expressing or stretching out words and stating things. The character's connection to the zodiac sign of the monkey is less clear in terms of its origin but has become a significant association.