Mnemonic
A single drop falls into perfectly still water, sending ripples outward that never fade — this is eternity. That one tiny drop disturbs the water so precisely that waves radiate without end, echoing across infinite time, never diminishing, never stopping.
Additional thoughts
Visualize one pristine drop hitting a glassy lake at dawn. The ripples spread to the horizon and beyond, never losing energy — an eternal wave born from the smallest gesture. The character 永 even looks like a splash radiating outward.Quick recall
One drop hits still water, sending ripples outward for all eternity.Details
The keyword for 永 is eternity. This kanji represents the concept of something lasting forever, an unending stretch of time without beginning or end. It conveys permanence and perpetuity, often used to describe things that endure indefinitely. In calligraphy, this character is famously regarded as containing all the fundamental brush strokes, making it a foundational character for practice.
- On'yomi
- えい
- Kun'yomi
- なが.い