末
End
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| まつ | すえ | 木 + 一 |
Meaning: End
The tree is trying to push through the ground. But, it’s really having trouble now. The ground is wider than the tree, and the tree has put in its last exerting breath… it looks like it’s the end for this tree.
The thing you have to know about this kanji is that there’s another kanji (未) that looks really similar. The difference is the ground radical at the top is less wide than the tree. That kanji means “not yet” because the ground is not as wide, so the tree still has hope to get out of the ground… so it’s not dead, “not yet.” For this kanji (末), the ground is wider. That’s too much for the little tree, so that’s how you know it’s the end of it.
Reading: まつ
Turns out the reason the tree is having trouble getting out of the ground, and why it’s about to meet its end, is because the ground on top of it is actually covered in mats (まつ). No tree can grow through mats… so, that’s why it’s meeting its end
Be sure to imagine the tree struggling to get up. Maybe give it a face that has a lot of stress on it. Then, come up to the ground, and see all the mats on top of it. Now you know it’s not going to make it. Feel a little sad for the tree, but don’t move the mats (this should make you conflicted). This is how nature should be… survival of the fittest. Things that don’t do as well or trees that have mats on them ought to meet their end.
Vocabulary
This kanji only has one word to learn now, and two words to learn later. Try to learn the meaning of 未だ, then look at how the other two words are put together.
a 末（すえ）＝ End Of Something
- Meaning: Same as the kanji
- Reading: Think about the end of the earth. You get there, and you find a suede (すえ) jacket.
Notes
Make sure you don’t confuse this one with 未 (the previous kanji). It looks almost the same,but the line is longer on the top. If you remember, the shorter one is shorter because it’s growing. When you ask how far it’s gotten, you say “not yet.” Now, the line has grown as far as it will grow, so now you can say it has reached the “end.”