The kanji 底 primarily represents the "bottom," "base," "underneath," or "depth" of something. It signifies the lowest part of an object, a container, or a situation. It can also imply a foundation or the core of something.

・On-yomi (音読み): テイ 底 (teɪ) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): そこ 底 (soko)

⚫︎ 海底 Translation: seabed, ocean floor. ⚫︎ 底力 Translation: underlying strength, hidden potential. ⚫︎ 底が浅い Translation: shallow (regarding a container or a person's understanding).

The kanji 底 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The phonetic component is 氐 (tei), which contributes the sound. The semantic component is a radical (部首) related to water or earth, suggesting the concept of the bottom. The original form depicted a base or foundation.