Mnemonic
At the edge of a cliff, a soldier raises his shield marked with a cross. Through a narrow slit, his eye peers out, scanning for incoming arrows. The cliff at his back, the shield before him — he is untouchable.
Additional thoughts
Visualize the kanji top-to-bottom: cliff sits on top, the cross is emblazoned across the shield's face in the middle, and the eye peers out from behind it at the base. The layered structure mirrors a warrior bracing against a wall.Quick recall
On a cliff, a warrior peers through an eye-slit in his cross-marked shield.Details
The keyword for 盾 is shield. This kanji refers to a physical defensive tool held to protect the body from weapons, arrows, or attacks in battle. By extension, it can also represent any form of protection or defense used to guard against harm or criticism. The concept of using something as a shield—whether literal or figurative—is central to this character's meaning.
- On'yomi
- じゅん
- Kun'yomi
- たて