層 means “layer, stratum”

そう · sou

Also: social class, story

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソウ

Taught in grade 6 · 14 strokes

The story

A corpse (尸) of time repeated (曽): layers of earth stacked like pages of history. Japan sits on the Ring of Fire, and its geological 地層 (chisou, strata) record volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and ancient seas. Each layer tells a chapter of the archipelago's dramatic formation.

Used in 地層 (chisou, geological stratum), 高層 (kousou, high-rise), and 階層 (kaisou, social class/tier)

More from Earth & Minerals

• 鉱 ore
• 晶 crystal
• 磁 magnet
• 鍛 forge
• 地 earth
• 岩 rock
• 玉 jewel
• 鉄 iron
• 穴 hole
• 原 plain
• 銅 copper
• 炭 charcoal

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