Meaning
The kanji 薄 (うすい, はく) has a core meaning of "thinness" or "lightness." However, its uses extend far beyond just physical thickness. For instance, it describes physically thin items like a thin book (薄い本), a thin layer (薄膜), or even thin ice (薄氷).
Beyond the literal, 薄 also conveys "lightness" for colors (薄い色), flavors (薄味), or intensity, such as a dim light (薄明かり). Furthermore, it can signify "weakness" in various contexts. Think of weak tea (薄いお茶), a weak will (薄志), or a frail constitution (薄弱).
The kanji also covers "meager" or "sparse" quantities, "diluted" substances, and even "superficial" or "frivolous" qualities in people or things (軽薄). For example, 薄給 means "meager salary," and 薄める means "to dilute." A less common but important usage describes someone "unfeeling" or "heartless" (薄情), implying a lack of empathy.
The kanji 薄 is a phono-semantic compound. Its top part, 艹 (kusakanmuri), is the grass radical, suggesting a connection to plants or nature. The bottom right component, 溥 (pǔ), serves as the phonetic element, guiding its pronunciation.
Interestingly, 溥 also contributes to the meaning. While 溥 typically means "broad" or "vast" (often referring to water), here it hints at something spread out so extensively that it becomes "thin" or "sparse." Picture a vast field where the grass (艹) is spread thinly, making the ground coverage meager. Or visualize a wide expanse with only a delicate, thin film over it. This imagery intuitively connects to the core meanings of thinness, sparseness, and lightness.
薄 has 16 strokes and is a Joyo kanji. It's usually learned in secondary school, corresponding to Grade 8 in the Japanese education system.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
On'yomi are readings originating from Chinese. We typically find them in compound words, especially those with abstract meanings or technical terms. For 薄, the main on'yomi is ハク (Haku).
- ハク (Haku)
ハク is the most common on'yomi for 薄. You'll often see it in compounds describing states of thinness, lightness, weakness, or superficiality. This reading frequently applies to abstract concepts like feelings, character, or general conditions.
薄情 (hakujō) — heartless, unfeeling. Literally "thin emotion."
薄弱 (hakujaku) — weak, frail, feeble. Often used for physical constitution, resolve, or foundation.
軽薄 (keihaku) — frivolous, superficial, indiscreet. Describes a light and thin character.
薄氷 (hakuhyō) — thin ice. Often used figuratively, as in "walking on thin ice."
ボク (Boku)
ボク is far less common than ハク. It appears in only a limited number of specialized or archaic compounds. Its meaning sometimes overlaps with ハク, usually indicating weakness or slightness.
- 薄志 (hakushi) — weak will, lack of determination. (Note: This can sometimes be read as ボクシ, but ハクシ is more common today).
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Kun'yomi are native Japanese readings that connect directly to the kanji's meaning, typically functioning as adjectives or verbs. 薄 has several important kun'yomi.
- うすい (usui)
うすい is the most fundamental kun'yomi. As an い-adjective, it means "thin," "light" (for color, flavor, or concentration), "weak," or "meager." This highly versatile term describes a lack of depth, intensity, or quantity.
薄い (usui) — thin (paper, cloth), light (color), weak (coffee), faint (sound), meager (knowledge).
薄着 (usugi) — light clothing.
薄味 (usuaji) — light flavor, lightly seasoned.
うすめる (usumeru)
うすめる is a transitive verb, meaning "to dilute," "to thin out," or "to water down." It describes the action of making something less concentrated or thick.
薄める (usumeru) — to dilute (paint with water), to thin out (a crowd).
うすまる (usumaru)
うすまる is the intransitive counterpart to うすめる, meaning "to become diluted," "to fade," or "to grow faint." It describes a state where something loses concentration or intensity.
薄まる (usumaru) — the color fades, the solution becomes diluted.
うすれる (usureru)
うすれる is another intransitive verb, specifically meaning "to fade away," "to dwindle," or "to grow faint/dim." We often use it for abstract concepts such as memories, emotions, pain, or consciousness.
薄れる (usureru) — memories fade, pain subsides, consciousness grows dim.
**うす
(usu-)**
The prefix うす
means "slightly," "faintly," or "dimly." It attaches to other words to indicate a mild or reduced degree of something.
薄曇り (usugumori) — slight cloudiness, partly cloudy.
薄明かり (usuakari) — dim light, twilight glow.
薄暗い (usugurai) — dim, gloomy (slightly dark).
Common Words & Compounds
Let's look at some common words and compounds using 薄. They're grouped by nuanced meanings to illustrate their varied usage:
Describing Physical Attributes/Thickness:
薄い (usui) — thin, light (as in, not thick or dark)
薄切り (usugiri) — thin slices (e.g., of meat or vegetables)
薄膜 (hakumaku) — thin film, membrane
薄板 (usuita) — thin board, veneer
Describing Concentration/Flavor/Color:
薄味 (usuaji) — light flavor, lightly seasoned
薄める (usumeru) — to dilute, to water down
薄まる (usumaru) — to become diluted, to fade (color)
薄口 (usukuchi) — light-colored (e.g., soy sauce), mild flavor
Describing Abstract States/Emotions/Character:
薄情 (hakujō) — heartless, unfeeling, callous
薄幸 (hakkō) — ill-fated, unfortunate (literally, 'thin luck')
軽薄 (keihaku) — frivolous, superficial, thoughtless
薄識 (hakushiki) — superficial knowledge, shallow learning
Describing Light/Visibility/Time:
薄明かり (usuakari) — dim light, faint light
薄曇り (usugumori) — slight cloudiness, partly cloudy
薄暮 (hakubo) — twilight, dusk (the time when light is thin)
薄日 (usubi) — faint sunlight, weak sun
Describing Fading/Weakening:
薄れる (usureru) — to fade away, to dwindle, to grow faint (e.g., memories, pain)
薄弱 (hakujaku) — weak, frail, feeble (e.g., health, foundation)
Example Sentences
この本はとても薄いので、すぐに読み終わりました。
Kono hon wa totemo usui node, sugu ni yomiowarimashita.
朝、薄明かりの中で目が覚めた。
Asa, usuakari no naka de me ga sameta.
I woke up in the dim light of the morning.
彼女は薄着で寒そうだったが、気にしていなかった。
Kanojo wa usugi de samusō datta ga, ki ni shiteinakatta.
She was lightly dressed and looked cold, but she didn't mind.
長い時間が経つと、絵の色が少しずつ薄れていった。
Nagai jikan ga tatsu to, e no iro ga sukoshizutsu usurete itta.
As a long time passed, the colors of the painting gradually faded.
料理の味が薄すぎるので、塩を少々足した。
Ryōri no aji ga ususugiru node, shio wo shōshō tashita.
The dish's flavor was too light, so I added a pinch of salt.
人に薄情だと思われるのは、とても悲しいことです。
Hito ni hakujō da to omowareru no wa, totemo kanashii koto desu.
It's a very sad thing to be thought of as heartless by others.
彼の病気のために体力が薄弱になり、回復に時間がかかった。
Kare no byōki no tame ni tairyoku ga hakujaku ni nari, kaifuku ni jikan ga kakatta.
Due to his illness, his physical strength became weak, and recovery took time.
水で絵の具を薄めて、淡い色を作った。
Mizu de enogu wo usumete, awai iro wo tsukutta.
I diluted the paint with water to create a pale color.
古い記憶は時とともに薄れていくものだ。
Furui kioku wa toki to tomo ni usurete iku mono da.
Old memories tend to fade with time.
日差しが薄い日は、少し寂しく感じる。
Hizashi ga usui hi wa, sukoshi sabishiku kanjiru.
On days with weak sunlight, I feel a little lonely.
Memory Tip
To recall 薄, try visualizing its components. Start with the grass radical 艹, representing grass or plants. Then, consider 溥, which sounds like "pu" or "bu" and broadly means "vast" or "widespread."
Imagine a vast, open field (溥) where the grass (艹) isn't lush and thick. Instead, it's spread so thinly and sparsely that the ground looks very thin or meager. This mental image of widely scattered, thin grass directly links to 薄's core meanings: thin, light, and sparse.
Alternatively, think of a broad, vast expanse of water (溥, which contains the water radical 氵). Picture a delicate, thin layer of water plants (艹) floating on its surface, almost like a film. This helps connect the phonetic component to the visual concept of thinness.