甲 means “armor, shell, first”

こう · kou

Also: high (voice), A grade, first class

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): きのえ
On'yomi (Chinese reading): コウ, カン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 5 strokes

The story

Picture a turtle's armored back, the boxed 田 shape, with its tail hanging below: 甲 is a hard outer case, as in a crab's 甲羅 or the back of your hand, 手の甲. It is also first of the ten stems, and 甲子園 is named for 1924, the 甲子 year it opened.

Used in 甲羅 (koura, shell/carapace), 甲子園 (koushien, Koshien Stadium), and 手の甲 (te no kou, back of the hand)

甲 means “armor, shell, first”

The story

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