The Japanese Radical: 寸


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Meaning
skillful hand    寸

Explanation Image of a hand forearm and pulse . It was originally also the distance of one inch (Length: 1 SUN = 3.03 cm) from the hand's palm to the pulse. This also stood for a small amount. In the mnemonic, it is used as "skillful hand" and partly also "to measure".

Used in these characters:
JLPT 4Joyo 1
village
mura, SON
Left: tree , right: to measure/skillful hand
(Historically a palisade [= a fence] was used as defense around the village) Trees are erected with skillful hands to (protect): the village.  
JLPT 3Joyo 2
temple
tera, JI
Top: earth , bottom: skillful hand
Made from earth and skillful hands build a temple.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
protect, defend, guard
mamoru, SHU, SU
Top: roof , below: skillful hand
The roof and the skillful hand will protect you.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
opposite, versus, pair
TAI, TSUI
Left: text/writing (A folding table for writing a text.), right: skillful hand .
A writing of a skillful hand against this pair.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
doctorate, gain, gamble, extensive, wide
HAKU, BAKU
Left: ten , right: var. of wholly, exclusively (The soil is penetrated by a (single) sprout in the rice field , cared for by a skillful hand , which is exclusive.)
(Gratitude of the patients:) Tenfold is the whole gain of a doctor.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
attach, fix, adhere, apply
tsuku, FU
Left: person /, right: skillful hand
A person with a skillful hand attaches sth.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
urban prefecture
FU
广
Left and top: building 广, rest: attach (Person with skillful hand attaches sth.)
The buildings that are attaching, belong to the prefecture.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
apologize, thanks
ayamaru, SHA
Left: word , right: to shoot (The body [is in a lateral position] and has a skillful hand , when shooting)
The words after the shot were apologies.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
team, group, body, company
DAN, TON
Outside: enclosure , inside: skillful hand
You need to set limitations and have a skillful hand to form a team.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
guide, conduct, lead
michibiku,
Top: way, street (The movement of heads on the street. [head = eye with bushy eyebrows ] ), below: skillful hand
On this way a skillful hand will guide us.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
gain, get, acquire, benefit
eru, uru, TOKU
Left: go , right: sunrise (sun above the horizon ), skillful hand [opposite: ]
Go at sunrise with your skillful hand and make profit.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
shoot
iru, SHA
Left: body (in side view), right: skillful hand
The body stands laterally and has a skillful hand, when shooting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
tree, bush, stand
ki, JU
From left: tree , drums (cf: , but here: ten beans ), skillful hand
The tree gives you ten beans (= seed) and your skillful hand makes more: trees and bushes.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
commander, leader
masa, SHŌ
Left: bed (cf. 爿 developed from the image of a halved tree), right: a hand reaches down , skillful hand
A simple bed, a hand reaching down and a skillful hand defines (the skills of) a commander.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
measure, length, SUN=3.03 cm
SUN
Originally a hand with a pulse (The radical is derived from measuring and understood as "skillful hand".)
From the pulse to the hand is one Sun.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
exclusively, specialty, wholly, solely
moppara, SEN
From above: one (here: ground), reason (=growing sprout in the rice field ), skillful hand
The soil is penetrated by a (sole) sprout in the rice field and cared for by a skillful hand: That's exclusive.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
honor, esteem, revered, value
tattoi/bu, tōtoi, SON
From top: out of , wine mug , skillful hand
If something is poured out of the wine mug with a skillful hand, it appears honorable.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
attack, assault, defeat, chastise
utsu,
Left: word (sound waves out of a mouth ), right: skillful hand
With words and skillful hands, you can attack.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
military officer
I
From left: buttock seen from the side , show , skillful hand
A 'buttocks' shows his skillful hand: that's the military officer.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
comfort, console, amuse
nagusami/mu/meru, I
Top: military officer (A buttock shows his skillful hand : that's an officer), below: heart
An officer with a heart knows how to comfort.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
crown
kanmuri, KAN
Top: cover , bottom: origin (here: chin. Yuan), skillful hand
It's covering, costed many Yuan and is made by a skillful hand: The crown!  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
baron/marquis, peerage(=nobleness), peers
SHAKU
From top: hand reaching down , plate /, var of food and skillful hand
A hand hands over the plates to serve food skillfully to the baron.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
hunt
karu/ri, SHU
Left: wild animal (dog on hind legs), right: protect (.. by a roof or a skillful hand ) [cf. to catch , where a basket is falling on that bird]
For wild animals use a trap and your skillful hand to hunt them.  
寿
JLPT 1Joyo 7
congratulate, long life
kotobuki, JU
Left: var. of hand , right: skillful hand
Two hands congratulate and wish a long life. (And two hands , are needed to roll sushi 寿)  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
obedience, follow rules, abide by, obey (a law)
JUN
Left: movement , right: esteem, honor (Serving out of the wine mug with a skillful hand is honorific.)
Honorific movements show your obedience.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
embarrass, insult, shame, humiliation
hazukashimeru, JOKU
Top: plow (At the field corner a first line is plowed by the farmer 农 [农=Chinese for farmer]), bottom: skillful hand
He still had the plow in his skillful hand and felt embarrassed.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
inquire, ask, look for, seek, (length: 6 shaku =1.82m)
tazuneru, hiro, JIN
From top: hand ヨ, craftsman , mouth , skillful hand
The hand of the craftsman, what he says and his skillful hands are inquired (=seeked).  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
endure, resistance, bear, durablility
taeru, TAI
Left: beard (.. hangs down below the mouth ), right: skillful hand
(Taking care for a beard needs time:) A beard needs a skillful hand that has endurance.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rob, take by force, snatch away, plunder
ubau, DATSU
From top: big , bird , skillful hand
For a big bird you need a skillful hand, for robbing it.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
cast (i.e. in metal), mint
iru, CHŪ
Left: metal , right: long life 寿 (With both hands & to congratulate and wish: a long life) [..or: to roll sushi 寿]
Metal has a long life-cycle, and thus is used for casting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
fight, struggle, war
tatakau,
Outside: gate , inside: beans (Here: as bullets) & skillful hand
We are at the gate with bullets and skillful hands: Ready for the fight!  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
diluted, thin/weak (taste), shallow, light, faint
usui/maru/meru, HAKU
Top: plant , below: water and: var. of wholly/exclusive (The soil is penetrated by a (sole) sprout in the rice field , cared for by a skillful hand , which is exclusive.)
(i.e. tomatoes taste often watery) Plants with water can be wholly diluted, or weak in taste.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bind, tie, restrict, restrain, truss, arrest
shibaru, BAKU
Left:thread , right: var. of wholly, exclusive (The soil is penetrated by a (sole) sprout in the rice field , cared for by a skillful hand , which is exclusive)
(The purpose of) A thread is wholly for binding sth.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
seal, close off
FŪ, HŌ
Left: piled/cumulated earth (=2x earth ), right: skillful hand
(cf. street [= I go over piled earth ] - Thus at road construction:) Earth is piled up by skillful hands and sealed.  
簿
JLPT 1Joyo 7
accounting, register, accounting book, records
BO, HAKU
Top: bamboo , below: water and: var. of wholly, exclusive (The soil is penetrated by a sole sprout in the rice field , cared for by a skillful hand , which is exclusive)
About bamboo (its production) and water (its consumption) we have a comprehensive accounting.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
Shōchū, strong sake
CHŪ
Left: wine mug , right: length/measure (as radical: skillful hand)
For (producing) this wine you need a skillful hand: For the (distilled) Shōchū.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
elbow
hiji,
Left: body part /, right: skillful hand
The body part at which the 'skillful hand' is: The elbow.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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