被 means “suffer, cover”

ひ · hi

Also: incur, veil, brood over

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

こうむる, おおう, かぶる, かぶせる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヒ

JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

Clothes (衤) pulled over the skin (皮): something laid on top of you, for better or worse. 帽子を被る is to put on a hat, but 被害 is harm suffered, and a 被災地 is a town struck by disaster.

Used in 被害 (higai, damage/harm), 被る (kaburu, to put on a hat), and 被災 (hisai, being hit by a disaster)

More from Warriors & Rivals

• 兵 soldier
• 競 compete
• 将 commander
• 暴 violent
• 圧 pressure
• 爆 explode
• 乱 disorder
• 刺 stab
• 勇 courage
• 隻 counter for ships
• 防 prevent
• 武 martial

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

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