KanjiJLPT N1
Tide

tide, salt water, opportunity

Mnemonic

A storm batters the coast all night long. By morning, the tide has surged to record heights — seawater floods the streets, fish flopping on doorsteps. The storm pushed the ocean inland, and the morning reveals the tide's devastating reach.
Additional thoughts
Picture waking at dawn after a terrible storm and seeing the ocean has swallowed the town — that shocking morning-after image locks Storm + Morning = Tide together.
Quick recall
A storm overnight drives the morning Tide to catastrophic heights.

Details

The keyword for 潮 is tide. This kanji refers to the rise and fall of ocean water caused by gravitational forces, as well as ocean currents and tidal flows more broadly. It can also be used figuratively to describe a trend, tendency, or shift in circumstances, much like the turning of the tide in English. The character conveys the powerful, rhythmic movement of seawater and, by extension, the flow of events or conditions.
On'yomi
ちょう
Kun'yomi
しお、うしお

Used in vocab