鬱 means “gloom, depression”

うつ · utsu

Also: melancholy, luxuriant

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): うっする, ふさぐ, しげる
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ウツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 29 strokes

The story

Twenty-nine strokes packed as tight as a thicket: woods (林) with a jar (缶) wedged between, and more below. 鬱 is closed in and heavy: 憂鬱 is gloom, うつ病 is depression, and a famous trick for writing it is the line リンカーンはアメリカンコーヒーを3杯飲んだ.

Used in 憂鬱 (yuuutsu, gloom), 鬱病 (utsubyou, depression), and 鬱蒼 (ussou, dense and dark, of woods)

鬱 means “gloom, depression”

The story

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