亜
KanjiJLPT N1
Asia
Asia, rank next, come after, -ous
Mnemonic
A rectangular frame with a cross inside and open corners — an ancient symbol for asia.
Details
The keyword for 亜 is asia. This kanji originally referred to the concept of being "second" or "inferior," suggesting something that comes next or is subordinate to another. Over time, it became primarily used as a phonetic character to represent Asia (as in 亜細亜, the kanji rendering of the continent's name). It also appears in scientific and chemical terminology as a prefix meaning "sub-" or "secondary."
- On'yomi
- あ
- Kun'yomi
- つ.ぐ