Mnemonic
The village elder discovered a cavern perfect for firing clay. She hammered tin cans flat to use as scrapers, birthing a legendary tradition of pottery that made the village famous across the land.
Additional thoughts
Picture a grandmother deep inside a glowing cavern, rhythmically scraping wet clay with flattened tin cans. The cavern's natural heat is perfect for firing. Every piece of pottery carries the village's name stamped on the bottom.Quick recall
A village cavern kiln where tin can scrapers shape legendary pottery.Details
The keyword for 陶 is pottery. This kanji refers to the art and craft of making earthenware, ceramics, and porcelain from clay through shaping and firing. It carries connotations of molding and forming, and by extension can also mean to cultivate, educate, or refine one's character, much as a potter shapes raw clay into a finished vessel. The idea of taking something unrefined and transforming it into something of beauty and utility lies at the heart of this character's meaning.
- On'yomi
- とう
- Kun'yomi
- すえ