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On'yomi
HI
Kun'yomi
かな.しい・かな.しむ
kanashii / kanashimu

grieve · sad · deplore · regret

dark

Details

Strokes12
Frequency#1014
Radicalheart(4)

Stroke Order

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Strokes12

Component Breakdown

=

非 + heart

Cultural Context

Etymology

Composed of not and heart. Heart of not.

Symbolism

Sad, tragedy, grief. Represents sadness.

Spiritual Meaning

In Buddhist compassion, "sorrow" means empathetically feeling others' suffering as one's own. The root of Mahayana Buddhism's altruistic spirit.

Related Culture & Scenes

  • Drowning in sadness

Anime & Manga

ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン

Violet Evergarden(2018)

anime

Story of a girl overcoming the 'sadness' of war.

View on Amazon →

Games

クライシス

Crisis Core(2007)

PSP/Switch

Developer: Square Enix

FF7 prequel with a 'tragic' ending.

View on Amazon →

Words & Expressions

Four-Character Compounds

悲歌慷慨

ひかこうがい

indignant lamentation over the evils of the times; indignant lamentation over the evils of the times

悲喜交交

ひきこもごも

bittersweet; having mingled feelings of joy and sorrow; joy and sorrow alternating in one's heart; bittersweet

悲憤慷慨

ひふんこうがい

indignant lamentation over the evils of the times; indignant lamentation over the evils of the times

大慈大悲

だいじだいひ

great compassion and mercy; great compassion and mercy

Proverbs & Idioms

悲しみは分かち合えば半分になる

かなしみはわかちあえばはんぶんになる

Shared grief is half the sorrow

Sharing sadness makes it easier to bear

Poetry

和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

奥山に もみぢ踏み分け 鳴く鹿の 声聞く時ぞ 秋は悲しき

Poem #5 from Hyakunin Isshu

猿丸大夫Sarumaru Dayū
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

月みれば 千々に物こそ 悲しけれ 我が身ひとつの 秋にはあらねど

Poem #23 from Hyakunin Isshu

大江千里Ōe no Chisato
9th century