Mnemonic
A single eye peers out from between two fluttering wings — but this isn't a bird. Crack open the shell and you find a living eye with wings attached: a shellfish unlike any other. Picture it soaring through the ocean, eye wide open, wings beating.
Additional thoughts
The top of 貝 is 目 (eye), and the bottom strokes (八) spread out like tiny wings. Visualize a cowrie shell that can see and fly — an eye sprouting wings is your shellfish.Quick recall
An eye sprouting wings — a flying shellfish.Details
The keyword for 貝 is shellfish. This kanji represents a shellfish or seashell, and its shape originally depicted a cowrie shell. In ancient East Asia, cowrie shells were highly valued and used as a form of currency, which is why this kanji frequently appears as a component in many characters related to money, trade, and wealth.
- On'yomi
- ばい
- Kun'yomi
- かい