漢字Kanji · in Structures & Home
凶: villain, evil
Also: bad luck, disaster
- 乂(form)
- 凵container(meaning)
凵 carries the meaning · 乂 is drawn in
One reading, and the words that use it
キョウkyou · on'yomi · in compounds
- 凶作きょうさくbad harvest; poor crop
- 凶悪きょうあくatrocious; heinous; fiendish
- 元凶げんきょうringleader; main culprit
- 凶器きょうきdangerous weapon; lethal weapon
- 凶きょうbad luck; ill fortune; misfortune
- 凶暴きょうぼうferocious; brutal; atrocious
Words: JMdict, EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it comes from
Origin · sourced
Pictogram (象形)
Pictogram (象形) and/or Ideogram (指事)- with the '凵' component representing a hole in the ground and with the '㐅' component (if an ideogram) indicating the existence of a hole and/or (if a pictogram) representing rock, mud, stone or bamboo in the hole. Alternately, could be derived from the upper component of '㚇'.
Source: Wiktionary, 凶 (rev. 92199978), CC BY-SA 4.0
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“Border (凵) + crossing marks (乂). To fall deep into a "hole" or "container" where dangerous paths cross—the ancient symbol of a bad omen or misfortune.”
Connections
Also built on 乂
Easy to confuse
The difference, side by sideIn ChineseSame character in simplified and traditional · xiōng
Same form: 凶 is written the same way in mainland China (simplified) and in Taiwan and Hong Kong (traditional).
- Simplified
- 凶 mainland China, Singapore
- Traditional
- 凶 Taiwan, Hong Kong
Pinyin xiōng most common reading
Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.