忌 means “shun, mourning, taboo”

き · ki

Also: abhor, detestable, death anniversary

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

いむ, いみ, いまわしい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

Self (己) over a heart (心): a heart turned inward, holding something at arm's length. 忌 is what is shunned: 忌引き is leave after a death in the family, 一周忌 the memorial a year on, and 忌み言葉 are words to avoid at weddings and funerals.

Used in 忌引き (kibiki, bereavement leave), 一周忌 (isshuuki, first anniversary of a death), and 禁忌 (kinki, taboo)

More from Graves & Mourning

• 逝 pass away
• 殉 die for a cause
• 棺 coffin
• 訃 news of a death
• 骸 bones
• 遺 leave behind
• 葬 funeral
• 喪 mourning
• 墓 grave
• 悼 grieve
• 墳 burial mound
• 弔 mourn

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

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