塩 means “salt”

しお · shio

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

しお

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

エン

Taught in grade 4 · 13 strokes

The story

Salt from the sea preserves and flavors. Ancient trade routes were built on its precious value.

Essential in Japanese cooking and food preservation

Its parts

• 土 Earth · Left side
• 監 Oversee/watch · Right side

What is gathered from earth (土) and watched (監): salt

Words with 塩

• 食塩 (しょくえん, shokuen): table salt

Kanji that look like 塩

• 温 (warm): 塩 has 土 (earth) on the left, 温 has 氵 (water): salt from earth vs warm water

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• 食 eat

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

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