Mnemonic
You stop dead in your tracks when you spot a spoon gleaming on the ground. This — this exact spoon — is the one you lost years ago! You crouch down, pointing at it. Not that spoon over there, not some other. This spoon, right here at your feet, is what made you stop cold.
Additional thoughts
Picture yourself freezing mid-step (stop) because a spoon lying at your feet is unmistakably yours. The nearness — right here, this one — mirrors the kanji's sense of immediate proximity. Left side is stop, right side is spoon.Quick recall
You stop because this spoon right here at your feet is unmistakably yours.Details
The keyword for 此 is this. It refers to something near the speaker, indicating proximity in both physical and abstract senses. It functions as a demonstrative, pointing to what is close at hand, as opposed to "that" which refers to something farther away. In classical Chinese and Japanese, 此 carries a formal or literary tone when used to designate "this" particular thing or matter.
- On'yomi
- し
- Kun'yomi
- これ、この、ここ