干 means “dry, hang out to dry”

ほす · hosu

Also: parch, ebb, recede

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ほす, ほし-, ひる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カン

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 6 · 3 strokes

The story

Picture a drying pole: a tall post with crossbars for hanging things out. 干す is to hang out to dry, as futons are on sunny balconies, 梅干し are plums salted and dried in the sun, and 干物 is dried fish.

Used in 干す (hosu, to hang out to dry), 梅干し (umeboshi, pickled plum), and 干物 (himono, dried fish)

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Learn 干 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.