Sunday, March 19, 2006

Today's kanji : 包


Today's kanji is .

The blue part describes "body".
The red part describes "unborn baby".

What does the body do for the unborn baby?

Can you guess the meaning?

See the comments page for the answer!

6 comments:

  1. "What does the body do for the unborn baby?"

    包 means "to wrap, to fold".

    For example...
    包む (tsutsumu) : to wrap, to fold
    包囲 (hooi) : siege, exclosure
    包装紙 (hoosooshi) : wrapper, wrapping paper

    We usually don't use 包 for people.
    包 is usually used for wrapping some lifeless thing.
    Though this kanji is from the shape of mother and child...

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  2. WOW!
    very intresting language!!

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  3. Is Japanese very different from your language?

    Kanji came from China.
    But kaji is Japanese language, too. (^ ^)

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  4. I wonder how the word 包丁 relate to though ^^

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  5. Hi Ole' Wolvie,

    Actually I had same question when I chose 包 for "today's kanji"!!

    I checked it...

    包 means "to wrap" → "to wrap the meat" → "the place to put the wrapped meat" → "kitchen"

    丁 means "people who work"

    At first, 包丁(hoochoo) meant "people who are cooking in the kitchen".
    And then the meaning changed to "knife which cooks use".

    Interesting! (^ ^)

    We use the word 包丁(hoochoo) for big knives for cooking and for small knives which you use when you are eating, we call ナイフ(naifu).

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  6. Hi Life in the superStructure,

    Welcome to Japan! (^o^)
    I was glad to find your comments!
    How is your new life in Japan?
    Do you enjoy it?

    >can you show some more Kanji character that the shape looks like the meaning?

    Good idea!
    I'll try to do that. (^ ^)

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