Mnemonic
A fearsome beast lurks in the dark alley, growling menacingly. It opens its jaws and utters a single phrase: 'Yip!' You shine your flashlight down and discover it's only a puppy! The tiny beast was desperately trying to sound terrifying, but that squeaky little phrase betrayed it every time.
Additional thoughts
Imagine a massive shadow on the wall that shrinks to reveal a palm-sized puppy. The comedy of a beast whose only phrase is a tiny yip locks the radicals together.Quick recall
A beast lets out one phrase — 'Yip!' — revealing itself as just a puppy.Details
The keyword for 狗 is puppy. This kanji refers to a young dog or a small dog, and by extension can refer to dogs in general. In classical Chinese and Japanese texts, it often carries a slightly informal or humble nuance when referring to dogs, sometimes even used in a derogatory sense when applied metaphorically to people, as in expressions meaning "lackey" or "running dog."
- On'yomi
- く、こう
- Kun'yomi
- いぬ