候
Mnemonic
Butler Alfred plants a stick in the garden and angles his desk lamp toward it. When the stick's shadow aligns with a carved arrow on the ground, he knows the climate is about to change — his own seasonal sundial.
Additional thoughts
Picture Alfred as a patient weather observer: the stick serves as a gnomon, the desk lamp simulates sunlight, and the arrow marks seasonal thresholds. He watches and waits for each climate shift with quiet precision.Quick recall
Butler Alfred's stick, desk lamp, and arrow sundial predict the climate.Details
The keyword for 候 is climate. This kanji refers to the conditions of weather or atmospheric phenomena observed over a period of time, as well as the changing of seasons. It also carries the broader meaning of waiting, watching, or inquiring about conditions, as in observing the state of things. In classical usage, it was closely associated with the careful observation of natural signs and seasonal shifts that defined different periods of the year.
- On'yomi
- こう
- Kun'yomi
- そうろう