Mnemonic
A halberd chops into a tree, but instead of splitting, the tree bends gracefully around the blade. Its wood is so tender and supple it absorbs every blow. The warrior drops his halberd, amazed — the tender, yielding tree defeated him without breaking.
Additional thoughts
Think of a willow tree flexing around a weapon — softness overcomes hardness, the core principle of judo (which uses this kanji). The halberd is rigid; the tree is flexible. Flexibility wins.Quick recall
A halberd strikes a tree, but the tender, supple wood bends instead of breaking.Details
The keyword for 柔 is tender. This kanji conveys the quality of being soft, gentle, flexible, and yielding, as opposed to hard or rigid. It encompasses both physical softness, such as the pliability of a material, and emotional gentleness, such as a tender or mild disposition. It is closely associated with concepts of suppleness and adaptability, as seen in its use in words related to judo and flexibility.
- On'yomi
- じゅう、にゅう
- Kun'yomi
- やわ.らか、やわ.らかい、やわ、やわ.ら