幻 means “illusion, phantom, vision”

まぼろし · maboroshi

Also: phantasm, dream

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まぼろし

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ゲン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 4 strokes

The story

A fine thread (幺) and a hook: picture the hidden string a stage magician pulls to make things appear and vanish. 幻 is a phantom or illusion: 幻想 is fantasy, 幻滅 is disillusionment, and a sake sold as 幻の酒 is so rare it's almost a myth.

Used in 幻 (maboroshi, phantom/vision), 幻想 (gensou, fantasy/illusion), and 幻滅 (genmetsu, disillusionment)

More from Ghosts & Demons

• 怪 suspicious
• 魂 soul
• 妖 bewitching
• 幽 secluded
• 呪 curse
• 冥 underworld
• 仙 hermit
• 霊 spirit
• 魔 demon
• 鬼 ogre

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

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