What is the meaning and reading of the kanji "憂"?

The kanji "憂" belongs to JLPT N1 and means "Melancholy, grieve, lament, worry". Its Onyomi is "ユウ (yuu)" and Kunyomi is "うれ.える, うれ.い".

JLPT N1

憂

Melancholy, grieve, lament, worry

Q: Is there a memory mnemonic for "憂"?

Yes! Radical breakdown: "夂 (winter/go) + 冖 (cover) + 心 (heart) + 頁 (head/face)". Mnemonic Story: "It's a bleak WINTER (the top resembles 'winter' 冬) and a dark cloud COVERS (冖) your world. Your HEART (心) is heavy with sadness, and your HEAD (頁) hangs low, displaying a long, GRIEVING face. This feeling is pure MELANCHOLY."

Onyomi

ユウ (yuu)

Kunyomi

うれ.える, うれ.い

🧠 Memory Mnemonic

🔍 Radical Breakdown

夂 (winter/go) + 冖 (cover) + 心 (heart) + 頁 (head/face)

📖 Mnemonic Story

It's a bleak WINTER (the top resembles 'winter' 冬) and a dark cloud COVERS (冖) your world. Your HEART (心) is heavy with sadness, and your HEAD (頁) hangs low, displaying a long, GRIEVING face. This feeling is pure MELANCHOLY.

💡 Quick Hint: Winter heart head

Essential N1 Vocabulary

憂鬱

ゆううつ

Melancholy, depression

憂慮

ゆうりょ

Concern, anxiety

憂い

うれい

Grief, sorrow, worry

Kanji Practice Quiz

Verify your memory for "憂"

最近、気分が＿＿＿＿＿だ。

🎉 正解 / Correct!

解説: 憂鬱は「ゆううつ」と読みます。
English: 憂鬱 is read as 'yuuutsu'.

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