7/23/2019 cfk_p74_addwater

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74  • The Architecture of a Character

 To how many things can you add water, creating a

new substance? Water + powder = soapsuds. And

water + dirt = mud. But in Japan it works differently,

in terms of kanji, anyway. When the water radical 

combines with certain kanji, it produces new and

sometimes surprising characters.

1. SEN, ara•u 

water + previous = to wash

 The kanji appears in (otearai: bath-

room), (sennô: brainwashing), and 

(maruarai: washing a kimono without taking it

apart).

2. YÔ water + sheep = ocean, with an

associated meaning of “Western”

 The kanji appears in (Taiheiyô: Pacific

Ocean), (tôyô: the Orient), and ( yôshoku:Western food).

3.   KAI, umiwater + every = sea

 The kanji appears in (kaisui: seawater), 

 (kaiin: sailor), (kaiba: seahorse), and

 (umibôzu: sea monster).

4.   KAN, ase  water + dry = sweat

 The kanji appears in (kangan: sweating

from shame).

5. HÔ, noriwater + to leave = method, law

 The kanji appears in (bunpô: grammar),

 (hôhô: method), and (hôritsu: law). The

character is also in (hôô: ex-emperor who has

become a monk), as well as, issunbôshi, translated as “dwarf, midget, Tom Thumb.”

6.   YU, YÛ, aburawater + reason = oil

 The kanji appears in (aburae: oil painting)

and (shôyu: soy sauce).

7.   KETSU, ki•meruwater + to pull apart = to decide

 The kanji appears in (kettei: decision, de-

termination), (kekki: springing to one’s feet

with renewed resolve),  (kesshôten: goal,

finish line), and the rhyming word  (ketsuretsu:breakdown, rupture, collapse).

8. KYÛ, na•kuwater + to stand = to cry

 These components prompted an older male class-

mate of mine to say, “I usually sit down to cry.” The

kanji appears in (otokonaki: weeping in

spite of being a man),

 (nakiwarai: smilingthrough tears),  (nakiha•rasu: to get swol-

len eyes from crying), (nakijôgo: maudlin

drinker), and (ureshinaki: crying for joy).

9.   CHÛ, soso•guwater + master = to pour

 The kanji appears in (chûmon: [food] order)

and (chûi: attention, warning, caution).

10.   SHI, JI, nao•su, nao•ruwater + platform, self = to govern, heal

 The kanji appears in (seijika: politician)and (Meiji: the era from 1868 to 1912).

11. NÔ, ko•iwater + farming = thick, deep, rich

Shouldn’t wet farming produce the kanji for “rice”?

 The character has to do with the concentra-

tion of liquids and colors, as in (nôdo: degree

of concentration) and (komurasaki: deep

purple).

12.   KATSU, i•kiru

water + tongue = life, activityIf your tongue isn’t wet, you’re no longer alive! The

kanji appears in (seikatsu: life),  (katsu-ryoku: vitality, vigor) , and (katsudô: activity).

 Just Add Water

# 33 thematic explorations