被 — Suffer, Receive, Be Covered

Meaning

The kanji 被ひ encompasses various meanings, including 'to suffer,' 'to receive,' 'to be covered with/by,' and 'to wear' or 'to put on.' Fundamentally, it often implies an action or state that happens to something or someone, suggesting a passive reception or endurance. This can range from negative experiences, such as 'to suffer damage,' to neutral or positive ones, like 'to receive a blessing' or simply 'to be covered.'

Its etymological roots shed light on these meanings. The character is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left-hand radical is 衣ころも (koromo), which means 'clothing' or 'garment.' This component strongly evokes the idea of covering or being covered. The right-hand part is 皮かわ (kawa), meaning 'skin' or 'hide,' which serves as the phonetic component, influencing its on'yomi sound. When you combine 'clothing' and 'skin,' the most direct visual interpretation is an item that covers the skin, such as clothing. This physical act of covering then extends metaphorically to being 'covered' by an experience or action, resulting in meanings like 'suffering' or 'receiving.'

For instance, to be 'covered' by a disaster means 'to suffer from it,' and to be 'covered' by a favor means 'to receive it.' Similarly, physically 'covering oneself' with clothing leads to the meaning 'to wear.' This kanji is therefore versatile, making it useful for both literal and abstract expressions of being acted upon or enveloping.

The kanji 被ひ consists of 10 strokes. It is designated as a Grade 8 kanji in the Japanese education system. This means native speakers typically encounter it in the later years of elementary school or early middle school, reflecting its complexity and the abstract nature of some of its meanings.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The primary on'yomi for 被ひ is ヒ (HI). This reading is primarily used in compound words, especially when the kanji expresses a passive state, suffering, or being the recipient of an action, often undesirable. It is a key component in many common Japanese nouns related to victims, damage, or legal and scientific subjects.

• 被災ひさい (hisai) — suffering from a disaster, being a disaster victim

例: 被災ひさいする (to suffer from a disaster)

• 被害ひがい (higai) — damage, harm, injury (often physical or financial)

例: 被害ひがいを受うける (to suffer damage)

• 被写体ひしゃたい (hishatai) — photographic subject, model

例: 被写体ひしゃたいを撮とる (to photograph a subject)

• 被告ひこく (hikoku) — defendant (in a lawsuit)

例: 被告ひこくの弁護士べんごし (the defendant's lawyer)

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The kanji 被ひ has several kun'yomi readings, each carrying slightly different nuances. These meanings are chiefly related to covering, wearing, or receiving/suffering.

• こうむ.る (kōmu.ru): This is a formal verb meaning 'to suffer,' 'to receive,' or 'to incur.' It can be used for both positive (e.g., favors, blessings) and negative (e.g., damage, losses) experiences. However, it often describes something external happening to a person or entity.

例: 損害そんがいを被こうむる (songai wo kōmuru) — to suffer damage

例: 恩恵おんけいを被こうむる (onkei wo kōmuru) — to receive a favor/blessing

• おお.う (ō.u): This verb means 'to cover,' 'to wrap,' or 'to spread over.' It describes the physical act of covering something, or the state of being covered.

例: 布ぬので被おおう (nuno de ō.u) — to cover with cloth

例: 雪ゆきに被おおわれる (yuki ni ōwareru) — to be covered by snow

• かず.く (kazu.ku): This reading, while less common in modern Japanese, means 'to put on one's head,' 'to wear (on one's head),' or 'to be covered (with).' It often appears in traditional contexts or as an older, more literary variant of 被かぶる.

例: 塵ちりを被かずく (chiri wo kazuku) — to be covered with dust

例: 頭巾ずきんを被かずく (zukin wo kazuku) — to put on a hood

• かぶ.る (kabu.ru): This is a commonly used verb meaning 'to put on (a hat, helmet, etc. on one's head),' 'to be covered with (dust, water, etc.),' or 'to take on (responsibility, blame).' It can imply a direct action, like putting something on one's head, or the direct reception of something, like being covered in mud.

例: 帽子ぼうしを被かぶる (bōshi wo kaburu) — to wear a hat

例: 泥どろを被かぶる (doro wo kaburu) — to get covered in mud

• かぶ.せる (kabu.seru): This is the transitive form of 被かぶる, meaning 'to cover (something with something),' 'to put over,' or 'to place on top of.' It specifically describes the action of placing something over another object to cover it.

例: 蓋ふたを被かぶせる (futa wo kabuseru) — to put a lid on 例: 毛布もうふを被かぶせる (mōfu wo kabuseru) — to cover with a blanket

Common Words & Compounds

The kanji 被ひ appears in many compound words, illustrating its various meanings of suffering, receiving, and covering. These compounds are often seen in news, legal contexts, and everyday situations.

• Damage & Suffering:
• 被害者ひがいしゃ (higaisha) — victim, injured party
• 被災地ひさいち (hisaichi) — disaster-stricken area
• 被爆ひばく (hibaku) — being bombed, exposure to radiation
• 被弾ひだん (hidan) — being hit by a bullet
• Legal & Official Terms:
• 被疑者ひぎしゃ (higisha) — suspect (in a criminal case)
• 被控訴人ひこうそにん (hikousonin) — appellee, defendant in appeal
• 被雇用者ひこようしゃ (hikoyousha) — employee, employed person
• 被相続人ひそうぞくにん (hisouzokunin) — decedent, the deceased whose estate is inherited
• Covering & Subject:
• 被写体ひしゃたい (hishatai) — photographic subject, model
• 被膜ひまく (himaku) — film, coating, membrane
• 被覆ひふく (hifuku) — covering, coating, sheath (e.g., for electric wires)
• 被り物かぶりもの (kaburimono) — headgear, something worn on the head
• 被験者ひけんしゃ (hikensha) — test subject, experiment participant

Example Sentences

Memory Tip

To remember 被ひ, consider its components: 衣ころも (clothing) on the left and 皮かわ (skin/hide) on the right. Imagine your clothing (衣ころも) covering your skin (皮かわ). This image directly links to the meanings of 'to cover' and 'to wear.' Extend this idea metaphorically: when something happens to you, it 'covers' you like clothing. If it's something bad, you 'suffer' from it; if it's something good, you 'receive' it. Thus, clothing over skin helps you recall 'cover,' 'wear,' 'suffer,' and 'receive.'