The kanji 芸 primarily conveys the meaning of "art," "skill," "talent," or "performance." It encompasses various forms of artistic expression, crafts, and acquired abilities. It suggests a cultivated skill or a refined accomplishment.

・On-yomi (音読み): ゲイ (gei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, but it is often used in compound words.

⚫︎ 芸能 (げいのう) Translation: Entertainment; performing arts ⚫︎ 芸術 (げいじゅつ) Translation: Art; the arts ⚫︎ 芸人 (げいにん) Translation: Comedian; entertainer; performer

The kanji 芸 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The radical on the top is 艹 (くさかんむり, kusakanmuri), which means "grass" or "plant." The phonetic component below is 云 (うん, un), which represents "to say" or "to speak." Originally, 芸 referred to a type of medicinal herb or plant. Over time, it evolved to encompass skills and art forms, likely because the cultivation and use of herbs were seen as a refined skill. The combination of the "grass" radical and the "speaking" component may also suggest the idea of using the herbs, thus applying the acquired art.