混 means “mix, crowd”

まぜる · mazeru

Also: blend, confuse

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まじる, まざる, まぜる, こむ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コン

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 5 · 11 strokes

The story

Water (氵) beside 昆, as in 昆虫, insects: picture a pond swarming with life. 混ぜる is to mix, 混乱 is chaos, and when a train 混む, fills up, the announcements apologize for the 混雑, the crush.

Used in 混ぜる (mazeru, to mix), 混む (komu, to be crowded), and 混乱 (konran, confusion)

More from Quake & Fire

• 震 quake
• 傾 lean
• 燃 burn
• 跡 trace
• 灰 ash
• 極 extreme

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

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