字の旅3,000 years in four forms
Oracle bone · ShangShang · c. 1200 BCE甲337 (商)
Oracle bone and small seal: Academia Sinica 小學堂, CC0. Bronze: Wikimedia Commons, traced from Academia Sinica, CC0. Today’s form: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0.
部首Radical · in Textiles, Plants & Food
衣 clothes, garment
ころも koromo
6 strokesRadical of 14 kanjiPart of 18
Origin · sourced
Pictogram象形
Pictogram (象形) Outline of the chest, upper clothing.
Source: Wiktionary, 衣 (rev. 92775687), CC BY-SA 4.0
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“Dress for the occasion! This radical represents the protective layers we wear and the social identity that fine clothing provides. When you see it at the bottom or as a standalone kanji, think of textiles, fashion, and the "cloak" that either hides or reveals our true nature. It brings a sense of elegance, protection, and cultural refinement to all of its characters.”
Where it sits in a kanji
Indicates clothes, garments, the act of wearing or covering, social status, or the process of decline (when clothes become ragged).
What it grows into
- 表surfaceヒョウ · おもて
衣 + 毛
Originally 𧘝, an ideogrammic compound (會意): 衣 (“garment; clothing”) + 毛 (“hair; feather”) – outer garment.
Ideogrammic compound · Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 製made in...セイ
制sound + 衣
Ideogrammic compound · Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 裁tailorサイ · たつ
衣 + 𢦏sound
However, the phonetic component has a reference to a blade and an arrow, hence to the concept of cutting (e.g., fabric).
Phono-semantic compound · Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Every kanji with 衣 as its radical
All 14 kanji