端 (Boundary) - Meaning and history | Japanese Kanji
GokuGoku
3 min reading time
端
Kun readings 🇯🇵
On readings 🇨🇳
The kanji 端 means boundary, limit, end, extreme.
The terms that contain 端 indicate a limit, something that does not go beyond the space or time indicated, at the same instant or moment and not beyond.
In this post we learn in detail the meaning of 端, its origin, and how it is used through real example sentences.
Origin of the kanji 端
The kanji 端 is quite elaborate. 端 in fact it derives 2 kanji that are also made from other kanji:
立: kanji meaning
stand,to stand up耑: kanji meaning
specialized, composed in turn of the kanji 山 (mountain) and 而
The kanji 立, 山 and 而 are then in turn formed by various basic radicals.
What does kanji mean 端
The kanji 端 indicates a limit, boundary, or extreme. The kanji is used alone as 端, which means end. When instead 端 is used in combination with other kanji it adds the idea of limit, something that does not go beyond the point or moment indicated, boundary, extreme.
途端に - in the same instant
A common expression is 途端に. 途端に indicates something that happens the instant another event happened.
Literally 途端に is translated as in the instant in which.... 途端に is part of the JLPT N3.
ヤツの間合いに入った途端糸がばらけた。
The instant he walked into that guy's proximity the thread broke.
端から端まで - from one extreme to the other
The expression 端から端まで means from one extreme to the other. We can break down the expression to understand its meaning:
端: term that alone indicates
boundary,limit,endから: particle indicating the origin,
starting fromまで: particle indicating the final point,
up to
君は一人でこの汽車の端から端まで…
You alone, from one end of this train to the other...
Kanji readings 端
Let's now see the various On and Kun readings that the kanji 端 assumes.
Kun readings of the kanji 端 🇯🇵
はし
はし is the reading of the kanji when you find it alone 端. This word means end, for example the end of a street.
はな
はな is an alternative reading to はし: 端, with the same meaning of end.
On readings of the kanji 端 🇨🇳
たん
たん is the most common and standard reading of kanji 端 when used in combination with other kanji. As mentioned, the kanji 端 adds the idea of boundary, limit, or extreme to the kanji with which it is associated.
Some words that use the kanji 端 reading たん are:
途端:
in the same instant極端:
extreme異端:
heresy
Examples of the kanji 端
このレポート、中途半端だな。
This report is incomplete.
お前にも問題の一端はあるんだ。
You are also part of the problem.
