Mnemonic
A blade of grass slices across your neck! You brace oneself for the sting — a thin red line appears on your neck. Who knew grass could be so sharp? You'll never carelessly walk through a field again.
Additional thoughts
Picture the sharp edge of a grass blade catching your neck — that familiar paper-cut sting. Visually: grass (艹) sits on top of oneself (自), forming the kanji 首. The neck is what connects your grounded self to the world above, like grass reaching skyward.Quick recall
A grass blade slices your neck — brace oneself for the sting!Details
The keyword for 首 is neck. This kanji refers to the part of the body that connects the head to the torso. By extension, it can also mean "head" or "leader," as the neck supports the most important part of the body. It is additionally used to convey the idea of being first or foremost, as in the chief or head of something.
- On'yomi
- しゅ
- Kun'yomi
- くび