婿
Mnemonic
A woman props up a mannequin in a tuxedo under the full moon to rehearse her wedding vows. When her real bridegroom arrives, he's horrified — she says the mannequin was a better listener and far more handsome under the moonlight!
Additional thoughts
Imagine the woman slow-dancing with the tuxedo-wearing mannequin in silver moonlight, then the bridegroom's jealous face seeing his plastic rival. Woman on the left, mannequin's body on the right with the moon tucked inside it — mirrors the kanji structure.Quick recall
A woman rehearses vows with a mannequin under the moon before her bridegroom shows up jealous.Details
The keyword for 婿 is bridegroom. This kanji refers to a man on his wedding day or, more broadly, a son-in-law—a man who marries into a family. In traditional Japanese culture, a bridegroom who is adopted into his wife's family (known as a mukoyōshi) holds particular social significance, as he takes on the wife's family name and continues her family line. The character thus carries connotations of marriage from the male perspective, complementing the concept of "bride."
- On'yomi
- せい
- Kun'yomi
- むこ