踪 means “trail, whereabouts”

そう · sou

Also: remains, clue, footprint

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あと

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソウ, ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

A foot (⻊) beside 宗, the family shrine: picture footprints leading home, then stopping. 踪 is a trail, and it survives in 失踪, losing the trail: a disappearance, the word in news reports of someone who has vanished without a word.

Used in 失踪 (shissou, disappearance) and 失踪者 (shissousha, missing person)

More from Hidden & Hazy

• 惑 be bewildered
• 密 secret
• 秘 secret
• 紛 mix in
• 隠 hide
• 潜 dive
• 覆 cover
• 披 open
• 虚 empty
• 顕 manifest
• 伏 lie face down
• 漠 vague

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

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