漆 means “lacquer”

うるし · urushi

Also: varnish, seven

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うるし

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 14 strokes

The story

Sap (氵) dripping (氺) from cuts in a tree (木): 漆 is lacquer, tapped from the urushi tree and brushed on layer after layer. 漆器 is lacquerware, like the bowls of Wajima, and 漆黒 is a deep, glossy jet black.

Used in 漆 (urushi, lacquer), 漆器 (shikki, lacquerware), and 漆黒 (shikkoku, jet black)

More from Kiln & Forge

• 鋳 cast
• 窯 kiln
• 繕 mend
• 錬 refine
• 冶 smelt
• 璧 jade disk
• 製 manufacture
• 創 create
• 巧 skillful
• 陶 pottery
• 珠 pearl
• 匠 artisan

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

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