憧 means “long for, admire”

あこがれる · akogareru

Also: yearn after, aspire to

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あこがれる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショウ, トウ, ドウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

The heart (忄) beside a child (童): picture a kid gazing up at a hero. 憧れる is to long for or look up to, and 憧れ is a dream or an idol: 憧れの先輩, the senior everyone admires, is a staple of school stories.

Used in 憧れる (akogareru, to long for/admire), 憧れ (akogare, longing/idol), and 憧憬 (shoukei, yearning)

More from Joy & Sorrow

• 爽 refreshing
• 憬 yearning
• 鬱 gloom
• 歓 delight
• 慰 console
• 悔 regret
• 奮 stir up
• 嘆 lament
• 憂 anxiety
• 惜 a pity
• 憾 regret
• 哀 sorrow

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

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