残 means “remain, leftover”

のこる · nokoru

Also: remainder, balance

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

のこる, のこす, そこなう, のこり

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ザン, サン

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 4 · 10 strokes

The story

Bare bones (歹) and a broken halberd (戈) on an old battlefield: picture what remains after the fight. 残 is what's left: 残り物 are leftovers, 残業 is overtime, and 残念 is a sigh for what might have been.

Used in 残念 (zannen, too bad), 残業 (zangyou, overtime work), and 残り (nokori, the rest)

More from Coming & Going

• 追 chase
• 落 fall
• 退 retreat
• 路 road
• 込 crowded
• 途 way
• 留 stay
• 散 scatter
• 浮 float
• 戻 go back
• 越 cross over
• 到 arrive

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

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