Mnemonic
You're stranded at sea with nothing but a towel. It seems like a mediocre solution, but you tie it to a broken mast and—it catches the wind like a sail! That mediocre towel billows wide, pulling you steadily toward shore.
Additional thoughts
Picture the towel flapping in the breeze—it's just an ordinary, mediocre piece of cloth, yet rigged to a mast it transforms into a working sail. The humbleness of the materials makes the image stick.Quick recall
A mediocre towel rigged to a mast becomes a makeshift sail.Details
The keyword for 帆 is sail. This kanji refers to the large piece of fabric attached to a mast that catches the wind to propel a boat or ship across water. It evokes the image of a cloth spread wide to harness the power of the wind, and by extension can refer to sailing or voyaging by sea. The character captures the essential concept of wind-powered maritime travel.
- On'yomi
- はん
- Kun'yomi
- ほ