Mnemonic
A white flag of surrender hangs over a room with no exit. You must yield. You search every wall for an exit, but the sealed room forces you to your knees. Crouching beneath that flag, you bend low and yield completely, crushed by the humiliation of surrender.
Additional thoughts
Visualize a sealed room: the flag of surrender draped above, no exit anywhere. The only option is to crouch down and yield. Flag overhead + no exit = forced to bend and submit.Quick recall
A flag of surrender and no exit force you to yield, crouching in defeat.Details
The keyword for 屈 is yield. This kanji conveys the idea of bending, submitting, or giving way under pressure. It carries the sense of being forced to surrender or capitulate, as well as the physical act of bending or crouching down. By extension, it can also imply feelings of humiliation or frustration that come from having to yield against one's will.
- On'yomi
- くつ
- Kun'yomi
- かが.む、かが.める