Mnemonic
A stick rams straight through one mouth-shaped chunk of meat, then through a second mouth-shaped chunk below it, forming a perfect skewer! Two gaping mouths of sizzling deliciousness stacked on a single stick over the flames—dinner is served.
Additional thoughts
The kanji 串 is nearly pictographic: a vertical stick line passes through two box-like mouth shapes, exactly like food threaded onto a skewer. Visualize two cubes of beef, each with a surprised open mouth, impaled top to bottom.Quick recall
A stick through one mouth and another mouth makes a skewer.Details
The keyword for 串 is skewer. This kanji visually depicts two pieces of food pierced through by a single stick, perfectly representing the concept of a skewer or spit used for grilling. It refers to the act of threading items onto a pointed rod, as well as the skewered item itself. The character's straightforward pictographic nature makes its meaning immediately recognizable.
- On'yomi
- かん、けん、せん
- Kun'yomi
- くし、つらぬ.く