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38
L5
小
SHŌ, chiisai, ko, o-
small
3 strokes
SHŌSETSU a novel
koinu small dog, puppy
ogawa brook, stream
OBI forms show a few small objects together
(typically three) – shells or suchlike .
MR2007:226; SS1984:435; QX2000:175.
Mnemonic: A STROKE DIVIDED INTO TWO
SMALL ONES
39
L5
上
JŌ, ue, uwa-, kami,
ageru/garu, noboru
up, top, over, rise
3 strokes
IJŌ over, above
kawakami upstream
neage price rise
OBI forms show two horizontal strokes, upper
one being shorter , but more commonly
written as a short horizontal line above a longer
line gently curving upwards – perhaps the
palm of the hand . A vertical stroke was
added later. ‘Go up’ etc. are extended meanings.
MR2007:210; SS1984:456; KJ1970:541; KJ1985:3.
Mnemonic: BAR WITH HANDLE RISES UP
OVER THE BASE LINE
40
L4
森
SHIN, mori
woods
12 strokes
SHINRIN forest, woods
SHINKAN silence
Aomori Aomori City/Pref.
OBI is based on pictograph of three trees ,
indicating many trees. Three was often used to
indicate plurality, including in ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs. Distinguish from 79 ‘forest’.
Can have Shintoist connotations in Japanese.
MR2007:341; KJ1970:41-2.
Mnemonic: THE WOODS CONTAIN MANY
TREES, ALL GROWING IN THREES!
41
L5
人
JIN, NIN, hito
person, people
2 strokes
NIHONJIN (a) Japanese
NINGEN human being
hitode crowd, turnout
OBI is based on the pictograph of a person
standing, viewed side-on. As a determinative
element, commonly ; other elements of
similar meaning include ‘person’, ‘person
(variant)’ (determinative no. 10), and(determinative
no. 26) ‘kneeling person’. There are in
fact more forms relating to ‘person’, which can
be confusing. We will indicate these as they
occur. MR2007:379; SS1984:479; KJ1970:563-4.
Mnemonic: A PERSON WALKING WITH NO
ARMS OR HEAD?!
42
L5
水
SUI, mizu
water
4 strokes
SUIYŌbi Wednesday
SUISO hydrogen
ōmizu flood
OBI is a pictorial representation of water
flowing; later stylized in shape to . Often
found in compound graphs in the form of .
See also 50 ‘river’. MR2007:435; SS1984:515;
QX2000:175. We suggest taking right and left
elements as narrowing banks.
Mnemonic: WATER NARROWS BETWEEN
RIVER BANKS
56 The 80 First Grade Characters