辛 means “spicy, salty”

からい · karai

Also: bitter, hot, acrid

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

からい, つらい, かのと

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シン

Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

Spice brings heat and awakens the senses, from wasabi's punch to chili's lingering burn.

Used in 辛い (karai, spicy) and 辛ラーメン (spicy ramen)

Its parts

• 辛 Spicy/bitter · Entire character

A needle-like instrument: something that stings, spicy

Kanji that look like 辛

• 幸 (happiness / luck): 幸 has an extra horizontal stroke: one line between spicy pain and happiness

More from Food & Dining

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• 米 rice
• 食 eat
• 魚 fish
• 肉 meat
• 汁 soup
• 塩 salt
• 甘 sweet
• 苦 bitter
• 飲 drink
• 茶 tea
• 麺 noodles

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

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