徹
Mnemonic
A postman must bring up an urgent letter to the top of a sealed tower. No doors, no windows — impossible! He calls a ninja, who can penetrate any barrier. The ninja phases through every wall and floor, carrying the mail all the way through without stopping.
Additional thoughts
Picture the ninja ghosting through solid stone floors one by one, the postman watching slack-jawed from outside. The thoroughness — every single floor penetrated — reinforces the sense of completeness.Quick recall
A postman can't bring up the mail, so a ninja Penetrates every wall and floor to deliver it all the way through.Details
The keyword for 徹 is penetrate. This kanji conveys the idea of passing completely through something, reaching all the way from one side to the other without obstruction. It carries the sense of thoroughness and completeness, as in seeing something through to the very end. By extension, it can also imply staying up all through the night or being utterly pervasive in one's efforts.
- On'yomi
- てつ