控 means “refrain, hold back, wait”

ひかえる · hikaeru

Also: withdraw, draw in, refrain from

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): ひかえる, ひかえ
On'yomi (Chinese reading): コウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) held back, empty (空): holding off. 控える is to refrain, as in 外出を控える, staying home, and to wait in the wings, as performers do in a 控え室. At tax time, 控除 is a deduction.

Used in 控える (hikaeru, to refrain/hold back), 控え室 (hikaeshitsu, waiting room), and 控除 (koujo, deduction)

控 means “refrain, hold back, wait”

The story

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