柄 primarily refers to the handle, grip, or hilt of an object. It can also extend to mean a pattern, design, or figure, often found on objects. Furthermore, it can imply a situation or circumstances, often in a negative context.

・On-yomi (音読み): へい (hei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): 柄 (tsuka), 柄 (gara)

⚫︎ 包丁の柄 Translation: The handle of a kitchen knife. ⚫︎ 花柄のスカート Translation: A skirt with a floral pattern. ⚫︎ あの人は金遣いが荒い柄だ。 Translation: That person has a tendency to be extravagant with money.

The kanji 柄 is a phono-semantic compound (形声字). The left side is 木 (tree/wood) representing a component, and the right side is 丙 (hei), which gives the sound. The original meaning relates to a wooden handle. Over time, the meaning expanded to include patterns and general characteristics.