KanjiJLPT N1
Long For

pining, yearn for, love dearly, adore

Mnemonic

A sunflower, once tall and proud, is now little and withered, bending toward a horizon where the sun has vanished. A single drop rolls down its petal like a tear. Every fiber of the flower aches to long for the warm light it once followed across the sky, forever yearning.
Additional thoughts
Sunflowers naturally track the sun; imagine one that lost its sun entirely, shrunken small, weeping a single drop. That primal botanical devotion mirrors the deep, reverent yearning of longing for someone irreplaceable.
Quick recall
A withered sunflower, grown little, sheds a drop as it long fors the vanished sun.

Details

The keyword for 慕 is long for. This kanji expresses a deep feeling of yearning, admiration, or pining for someone or something that is absent or distant. It often conveys a tender, heartfelt longing, such as the affection a child feels for a departed parent or the nostalgic desire to be reunited with a beloved person or place. The emotion captured here is one of reverent attachment and wistful desire that lingers in the heart.
On'yomi
Kun'yomi
した.う