亀
Mnemonic
A hook catches on something buried in the field. You pull hard, but it won't budge. Suddenly lightning splits the sky and blasts the earth open, revealing an enormous ancient turtle — its shell covered in moss, alive for ten thousand years, slowly lifting its wise head toward you.
Additional thoughts
Picture the hook snagging the edge of the turtle's massive shell in a rice field. The lightning cracks the ground, freeing the legendary creature. The turtle's shell pattern mirrors the grid of the field; lightning traces the cracks on its ancient surface.Quick recall
A hook snags something in the field, then lightning unearths an ancient turtle.Details
The keyword for 亀 is turtle. This kanji represents the turtle or tortoise, one of the four sacred creatures in East Asian mythology symbolizing longevity, wisdom, and endurance. In Japanese culture, the turtle is considered an auspicious animal, often associated with the saying that a crane lives a thousand years and a turtle ten thousand. The character itself is a highly stylized pictograph that originally depicted the shape of a turtle seen from above, with its shell, head, and legs.
- On'yomi
- き、きゅう、きん
- Kun'yomi
- かめ