Mnemonic
Under a wide hat, a merchant waves a towel to attract buyers to the market. Every seller here wears a hat and keeps a towel slung over their shoulder — the unmistakable uniform of market vendors everywhere.
Additional thoughts
Picture the hat (亠) sitting directly on top of the towel (巾), just like the kanji 市. The hat shields the vendor from the sun; the towel wipes sweat during long market days. Top-down structure locks in the stroke order.Quick recall
A vendor in a hat waves a towel at the bustling market.Details
The keyword for 市 is market. This kanji refers to a place where goods are bought and sold, such as a marketplace, bazaar, or commercial area. By extension, it also carries the meaning of a city or municipality, since towns historically developed around trading centers. It is commonly used in both senses—commercial exchange and urban administrative units.
- On'yomi
- し
- Kun'yomi
- いち