弁
Mnemonic
Under a tent at a desert festival, desperate hands fumble for a valve on a water tank. The hands twist it hard—water blasts out, collapsing the tent. Now everyone's soaked, but nobody's thirsty.
Additional thoughts
Picture the tent's triangular peak (ム) sitting above the two hands (ハ at the bottom) with the valve mechanism between them. The frantic desert scene makes the relief of water memorable.Quick recall
Frantic hands under a tent wrench open a valve, unleashing a flood.Details
The keyword for 弁 is valve. This kanji carries multiple meanings that were consolidated from several distinct traditional characters during script simplification. It can refer to a valve or petal (as in a flower's petals or a mechanical valve that controls flow), but it also encompasses the ideas of speech and eloquence, as well as discrimination or distinction. Additionally, it is used in reference to the traditional cap worn by officials in ancient Japan, and it appears in words related to managing or handling affairs.
- On'yomi
- べん、へん
- Kun'yomi
- かんむり、わきま.える、わ.ける、はなびら、あらそ.う