扇 means “fan, stir up”

せん · sen

Also: folding fan

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

おうぎ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

セン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

A door (戸) over feathers (羽): picture a feathered fan swinging like a little door. 扇子 is a folding fan, the one a rakugo storyteller turns into chopsticks or a brush, 扇風機 is an electric fan, and 扇動 is stirring up a crowd.

Used in 扇子 (sensu, folding fan), 扇風機 (senpuuki, electric fan), and 扇動 (sendou, agitation/incitement)

More from Silk & Sleeves

• 羅 net
• 紡 spin (thread)
• 絹 silk
• 袖 sleeve
• 襟 collar
• 蚕 silkworm
• 裾 hem
• 繭 cocoon
• 巾 cloth
• 織 weave
• 脱 take off
• 麻 hemp

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

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