丈 means “length, height, sturdy”

じょう · jou

Also: ten shaku, measure, Mr.

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
たけ, だけ
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
ジョウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 3 strokes

The story

Three strokes like a hand gripping a measuring rod: 丈 was ten shaku, about three meters. It is height and length, 身の丈 is your stature, and 丈夫, sturdy, is said to have meant a grown man of full height, the root of 大丈夫, all right.

Used in 大丈夫 (daijoubu, all right/OK), 丈夫 (joubu, sturdy/healthy), and 身の丈 (minotake, one's height/stature)

More from Old Measures

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