酵 means “fermentation, yeast”

こう · kou

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 14 strokes

The story

A jar (酉) beside 孝, a child (子) under an elder (耂): picture a family's starter culture passed down the generations. 酵 is fermentation: 発酵 turns soybeans into miso, soy sauce and natto, 酵母 is yeast, and 酵素 an enzyme.

Used in 発酵 (hakkou, fermentation), 酵母 (koubo, yeast), and 酵素 (kouso, enzyme)

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• 辣 spicy
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• 熟 ripe

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