呪 means “curse, spell”

のろう · norou

Also: charm, malediction

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まじなう, のろい, まじない, のろう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュ, シュ, シュウ, ズ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A mouth (口) beside 兄, a figure that is nearly all mouth: words spoken to call down harm. 呪う is to curse, a 呪文 is a spell, and 呪術, sorcery, named the hit manga 呪術廻戦, Jujutsu Kaisen. The same 兄 prays in 祝, to celebrate.

Used in 呪う (norou, to curse), 呪い (noroi, curse), and 呪文 (jumon, spell/incantation)

More from Ghosts & Demons

• 冥 underworld
• 仙 hermit
• 霊 spirit
• 魔 demon
• 鬼 ogre
• 幻 illusion
• 怪 suspicious
• 魂 soul
• 妖 bewitching
• 幽 secluded

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

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