径 means “diameter, path”

けい · kei

Also: method

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

みち, こみち, さしわたし, ただちに

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ケイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 8 strokes

The story

A road (彳) beside a hand (又) over earth (土), the same right side as 経 and 軽: picture a footpath cutting straight across a field. 径 is the line straight across a circle: 直径 is a diameter, 半径 a radius.

Used in 直径 (chokkei, diameter), 半径 (hankei, radius), and 口径 (koukei, caliber/aperture)

More from Shapes & Angles

• 斜 diagonal
• 傍 beside
• 塊 lump
• 孔 hole
• 凸 convex
• 凹 concave
• 弧 arc
• 隙 gap
• 環 ring
• 枠 frame
• 端 edge
• 距 distance

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