Mnemonic
You discover a pit of lies in the ground. To fill in the hole, you grab a spoon and scoop truth into it, one spoonful at a time. Each scoop of truth packs the gap tighter. Spoon after spoon, the truth fills in every crack until the ground is level and whole again.
Additional thoughts
Picture a comically small spoon being used to shovel heaps of glowing truth-material into a dark chasm. The contrast of the tiny utensil versus the massive hole makes it stick. Truth is the only substance dense enough to permanently fill in the void.Quick recall
A spoon scoops glowing truth to fill in a gaping pit until the ground is perfectly level.Details
The keyword for 塡 is fill in. This kanji refers to the act of filling in or stuffing something into a space, gap, or hole to make it complete or level. It conveys the idea of packing material into an empty area, whether literally filling in a ditch with earth or figuratively completing a blank space on a form. This is a traditional form of the more commonly seen 填, and both carry the same meaning of closing up gaps or making something whole by adding what is missing.
- On'yomi
- てん、ちん
- Kun'yomi
- はま.る、うず.める、は.める、ふさ.ぐ