Mnemonic
You pop one tiny bean into your mouth to taste it, but instantly grass erupts between your teeth! The bean was so vigorously alive that your warm, moist mouth made it sprout. You spit out one grass-covered bean after another, vowing never to eat raw beans again.
Additional thoughts
Picture the surprise of biting a single bean and feeling grass tickle your tongue and push past your lips—an unforgettable sensory image linking all three radicals.Quick recall
Pop one bean in your mouth and grass sprouts between your teeth.Details
The keyword for 豆 is beans. This kanji represents beans or legumes in general, encompassing soybeans, azuki beans, and other varieties that have been a staple of East Asian cuisine for millennia. It can also refer to bean-sized or small things by extension. In its original pictographic form, the character depicted an ancient ritual vessel on a pedestal, but over time it came to be associated with beans as its primary meaning.
- On'yomi
- とう、ず
- Kun'yomi
- まめ、まめ-