欠
Lack
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| けつ | か.ける | 勹 + 人 |
Meaning: Lack
A person is trapped in a tiny, tiny enclosure. What’s the smallest enclosure you can think of, that could hold a person? Now, imagine yourself in it – claustrophobic, scared… smell and feel the material it’s made out of (is it made of wood? metal? stone?). This enclosure is really really small. The biggest thing it lacks is space.
With this one, you don’t even have to remember the word lack, specifically. If you think through this story and are able to remember the “big idea” (that there is not enough space, or that you want more space because you don’t have it) then that’s fine. All those ideas still come up with pretty much the same meaning, so if you get to here, you’ll be just fine.
Reading: けつ
To remember けつ, we use the word “Catsup” – You’re in the enclosure (which of course is so tight), and just as you think things can’t get any worse, Catsup (ketsu) starts pouring in, filling every little nook and cranny, feeling cold, smelling like catsup, and generally giving you a fright.
I hope you feel cramped into the enclosure already… I hope you imagine the catsup flowing in and getting into your ears, nose, mouth, and everything else. it’s suffocating you, causing you pain and making you afraid. As long as you can envision this, you’ll probably never forget this kanji has something to do with catsup… and then because you know catsup = けつ, you’ll know the reading for this kanji as well.
Vocabulary
Try to learn the meanings of these words before moving on (and readings too, if you can).
a 欠ける（かける）＝ To Lack
- Meaning: Verb form, but pretty much the same as the kanji. Keep in mind, this is mainly for non-physical things that you’re lacking.
- Reading: The reading is the kun’yomi. Think about lacking cake (かける).
a 欠（あくび）＝ Yawn
- Meaning: The meaning for this one makes almost no sense.
- Reading: This is a weird one. It’s mostly written just in kana alone (no kanji) – probably because the pronunciation of it is unlike the more common on’yomi or kun’yomi. So, you’ll have to learn this one as a vocabulary word, straight up. It’s a good word, though. Oxygen to the brain, and all that.
- Extra: This can also be written 欠伸 – same meaning, same pronunciation, just an extra kanji. The shorter one just seems so much simpler, though, right? Let’s go with that one.