Mnemonic
Your hand trails in the river as evening descends. The current swells violently—floods be imminent! The river presses against your hand with crushing force, squeezing tighter each second as evening darkness closes every escape route around you.
Additional thoughts
Picture your bare hand plunged into a rising river at dusk. The water climbs, pressing against your skin with urgent, squeezing force—that inescapable closing-in feeling is the essence of this kanji.Quick recall
A hand in the river at evening—floods be imminent, pressing in from all sides.Details
The keyword for 拶 is be imminent. This kanji conveys the sense of something pressing closely or bearing down, carrying a feeling of urgency and nearness. It suggests the idea of squeezing, pressing, or closing in on something or someone. In modern Japanese, this character is most commonly encountered as part of the compound 挨拶 (greeting), but its original meaning relates to the notion of something approaching or pressing upon one with immediacy.
- On'yomi
- さつ
- Kun'yomi
- せま.る