Meaning
The kanji 拾 (shū, jū, hiro.u) primarily means 'to pick up,' 'to gather,' or 'to find.' It refers to the action of taking something from the ground or from a group of items. A secondary, but very important, meaning is 'ten.' This specific usage appears in formal or legal documents, primarily to prevent alteration of numbers. For instance, just as 'one' might be written as '壱' (ichi) instead of '一' (ichi), 拾 ensures clarity and security. This formal usage is common in financial statements, contracts, and checks.
To better understand its meaning, consider its etymological roots. 拾 is a semantic-phonetic compound character. The left-hand side is the radical 手 (て), which means 'hand.' This component clearly indicates an action performed with the hands, directly linking to the act of picking something up. The right-hand side, 合 (ゴウ), functions as the phonetic component, suggesting the 'shū' or 'jū' sound. It also carries the meaning of 'to fit' or 'to join.'
While primarily phonetic, you can imagine the action of picking things up and 'joining' them together into a collection or making them 'fit' into your grasp. Visually, the 'hand' radical (手) serves as a powerful clue to the kanji's core meaning of manual action. The character beautifully encapsulates the act of bending down and using one's hand to retrieve an object. The kanji 拾 has 9 strokes and is considered a Jōyō kanji, taught at the secondary school level, typically categorized as Grade S or Grade 9 in comprehensive grading systems.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
On'yomi readings are derived from Chinese pronunciations and are often used when the kanji appears in compound words, especially those with abstract meanings or formal contexts.
- ジュウ (jū)
This reading is primarily used for the formal representation of the number 'ten,' especially in legal, financial, or official documents to prevent ambiguity or alteration. This usage ensures clarity and precision.
拾万円 (jūman'en) — one hundred thousand yen (formal)
拾円 (jūen) — ten yen (formal)
壱、弐、参、拾 (ichi, ni, san, jū) — one, two, three, ten (formal characters in sequence, used in contexts like numbering items in a legal document)
シュウ (shū)
This reading is used in compound words related to picking up, finding, or gathering, often with a more specific or technical connotation than the kun'yomi.
- 拾得 (shūtoku) — finding (something lost); an act of finding
- 拾得物 (shūtokubutsu) — lost and found articles (e.g., items handed in to a police station)
- 拾遺 (shūi) — collecting forgotten works or omissions (e.g., compiling missing pieces of an ancient text)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Kun'yomi readings are native Japanese pronunciations associated with the kanji's meaning, often used when the kanji stands alone or as part of verbs and adjectives with okurigana.
- ひろ.う (hiro.u)
This is the most common and direct kun'yomi, meaning 'to pick up,' 'to gather,' or 'to find.' It describes the physical act of retrieving an object, but can also be used figuratively.
- 拾う (hirou) — to pick up, to find (e.g., picking up a coin)
- 石を拾う (ishi wo hirou) — to pick up a stone
- ゴミを拾う (gomi wo hirou) — to pick up trash
Common Words & Compounds
Here are various words and compounds using the kanji 拾, organized by theme to help you understand their contexts and nuances.
Actions of Picking Up/Finding
- 拾う (hirou) — to pick up, to find (e.g., to pick up a dropped pen, to find money on the street)
- 拾い (hiroi) — picking up, finding (noun form, often used in compounds like
拾い食いfor eating food found on the ground) - 拾い物 (hiroimono) — something found, a lucky find (literally 'picked-up thing,' often implies something valuable or beneficial)
- 拾得物 (shūtokubutsu) — lost and found articles (commonly seen at police stations or public facilities like train stations)
- 拾い集める (hiroiatsumeru) — to gather, to collect by picking up (e.g., fallen leaves, scattered items after a party)
- 拾い上げる (hiroiageru) — to pick up and lift; to single out, to bring up (e.g., to pick up a key from the floor, to pick up on a specific topic in a conversation)
Formal Numbers and Financial Contexts
- 拾万円 (jūman'en) — one hundred thousand yen (formal notation for financial documents like bank transfers or invoices)
- 拾円 (jūen) — ten yen (formal notation, often for official receipts)
- 金拾万円也 (kin jūman'en nari) — sum of one hundred thousand yen (a very formal notation on checks or receipts, ensuring the amount is legally unambiguous)
Figurative and Specific Uses
- 命を拾う (inochi wo hirou) — to save one's life, to escape death (a figurative use, meaning to 'pick up' one's life from danger or near-death)
- 拾い読み (hiroiyomi) — skimming, reading selectively (literally 'picking up reading,' focusing only on important parts rather than reading every word)
- 人の話を拾う (hito no hanashi wo hirou) — to pick up on someone's conversation, to catch parts of a conversation (figurative, meaning to grasp details or hints from a discussion)
Example Sentences
道で小銭を拾った。
Michi de kozeni wo hirotta.
I picked up some coins on the street.
子供たちは海辺で綺麗な貝殻を拾っていた。
Kodomotachi wa umibe de kirei na kaigara wo hirotteita.
The children were picking up beautiful seashells on the beach.
公園で落ちているゴミを拾い集めるボランティアに参加した。
Kōen de ochiteiru gomi wo hiroiatsumeru borantia ni sanka shita.
I participated in a volunteer activity to gather fallen trash in the park.
災害現場で、彼は奇跡的に命を拾ったと言われている。
Saigai genba de, kare wa kisekiteki ni inochi wo hirotta to iwareteiru.
It is said that he miraculously survived (picked up his life) at the disaster site.
この小切手は金額が拾万円です。
Kono kogitte wa kingaku ga jūman'en desu.
The amount on this check is one hundred thousand yen (formal).
駅の拾得物センターに問い合わせたが、財布は見つからなかった。
Eki no shūtokubutsu sentā ni toi awaseta ga, saifu wa mitsukaranakatta.
I inquired at the station's lost and found center, but my wallet wasn't found.
会議中、彼の意見の中から重要な点をいくつか拾い上げた。
Kaigichū, kare no iken no naka kara jūyō na ten wo ikutsu ka hiroiageta.
During the meeting, I picked out several important points from his opinion.
忙しいので、新聞を拾い読みする程度だった。
Isogashii node, shinbun wo hiroiyomi suru teido datta.
Because I was busy, I only skimmed the newspaper.
Memory Tip
To help you remember the kanji 拾, we'll break down its components. On the left side, you'll find the radical 手 (て), which means "hand." This is a powerful visual cue, as picking things up is undeniably an action performed with your hands. The right side, 合 (ゴウ), typically means "to fit" or "to join." You can visualize using your hand (手) to pick up something that has fallen. This action makes it "fit" back into its place or into your possession. Imagine reaching out your hand to gather items, "joining" them together, whether it's collecting scattered belongings or finding something lost. While the formal 'ten' meaning is a separate concept to remember, you can imagine picking up ten items with your hand to connect it visually.