The kanji 形 primarily conveys the idea of "shape," "form," or "appearance." It refers to the external configuration or structure of something, how it looks, or its physical manifestation. It can also imply the way something is, its state, or its nature. The core meaning focuses on the visible or definable outline and structure.

・On-yomi (音読み): ケイ (kei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かたち (katachi)

⚫︎ 形形状 (keijou) Translation: Shape; form; condition ⚫︎ 形形容詞 (keiyoushi) Translation: Adjective ⚫︎ 人形 (ningyou) Translation: Doll; figure

The kanji 形 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). It combines two components: ⚫︎ The phonetic component 形, which conveys the sound ケイ (kei). This component provides the sound of the character. ⚫︎ The semantic component is a side radical representing a knife. The original meaning was related to a vessel or container. The shape of a container was important to its function. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass "shape" or "form" in general. The character evolved from pictographic representations of objects to its current form.