貝 means “shellfish, shell”

かい · kai

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

かい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

バイ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 1 · 7 strokes

The story

A cowrie shell, drawn as a picture. Shells were money in ancient China, so 貝 sits inside 買う, to buy, and 財, wealth. On its own 貝 is shellfish: 貝殻 are seashells and 貝柱 the sweet scallop meat in sushi.

Used in 貝殻 (kaigara, seashell), 貝柱 (kaibashira, scallop meat), and 二枚貝 (nimaigai, bivalve)

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

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