蹴 means “kick”

ける · keru

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ける

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュク, シュウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 19 strokes

The story

A foot (⻊) beside 就, take up a position: picture a foot planted behind the ball. 蹴る is to kick, 蹴鞠 the kickball of Heian courtiers, still played at some Kyoto shrines, and 一蹴 is brushing off a proposal with a single kick.

Used in 蹴る (keru, to kick), 一蹴 (isshuu, flat rejection), and 蹴鞠 (kemari, court kickball)

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