1. Overview of Meaning
The kanji “洪” (pronounced “kou” in Japanese) primarily means “flood” or “deluge.” It conveys the idea of a large amount of water overflowing, often associated with natural disasters.
2. Formation and Radical
The kanji “洪” is a phonetic-ideographic character (形声文字), which means it combines both meaning and sound elements. The left part, “氵” (the water radical), indicates a relation to water, while the right part “洪” suggests the pronunciation.
The radical for “洪” is 氵, which is a variant of the radical for water, commonly found in kanji related to water or liquid.
3. Examples of Usage
Common words and phrases that include “洪” are:
- 洪水 (こうずい, kouzui) – flood
- 洪水警報 (こうずいけいほう, kouzuikeihou) – flood warning
Example sentence in daily conversation:
「最近、洪水が多くなってきた。」(Recently, there have been more floods.)
4. Synonyms and Antonyms
Similar kanji with related meanings include:
- 浸 (しん, shin) – to soak or submerge, which implies a different context of water.
Antonyms include:
- 干 (ひ, hi) – to dry, which represents the opposite of flooding.
5. Cultural and Historical Background
The kanji “洪” has significant relevance in Japanese culture, especially in the context of natural disasters. Japan frequently experiences floods due to its geographical features.
Proverbs and idiomatic expressions related to “洪” include:
- 洪水の後には必ず晴れる (こうずいのあとはかならずはれる) – “After the flood, the sun will surely shine,” which conveys hope after adversity.