故
Mnemonic
An old ninja trips over a buried chest by sheer happenstance. Inside: proof that every kill in his legendary career succeeded only through happenstance—targets taking wrong turns, lucky weather, broken locks. The old ninja's entire legacy was just accidents stacked up.
Additional thoughts
Picture a gray-haired ninja stumbling in the woods, cracking open a dusty chest full of scrolls that rewrite his history as pure luck. Old + Ninja = a lifetime of accidental success.Quick recall
An old ninja discovers his whole career was pure happenstance.Details
The keyword for 故 is happenstance. This kanji conveys the idea of something that has come about through circumstances, events, or reasons beyond one's direct control. It carries connotations of cause, reason, and things that have occurred in the past, often referring to incidents, accidents, or the passage of events. By extension, it can also mean "the late" (referring to someone deceased) or "old/former," reflecting things that have already transpired through the course of happenstance.
- On'yomi
- こ
- Kun'yomi
- ゆえ、ふる.い、もと