弊 means “harm, abuse, (humble) our”

へい · hei

Also: evil, vice, breakage

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヘイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

Torn cloth (敝) over two hands (廾): picture hands holding up a worn-out rag. 弊 is wear and harm: 弊害 is a harmful side effect, 疲弊 exhaustion, and in business Japanese 弊社, "our humble company", is how you mention your own firm.

Used in 弊社 (heisha, our company, humble), 弊害 (heigai, harmful effect), and 疲弊 (hihei, exhaustion)

More from Vice & Folly

• 癖 habit
• 卑 lowly
• 堕 fall
• 恣 arbitrary
• 惰 idle
• 淫 lewd
• 傲 arrogant
• 慢 conceit
• 狂 go mad
• 愚 foolish
• 俗 worldly
• 邪 wicked

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