旺 means “flourishing, vigorous”

おう · ou

Also: successful, beautiful

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

さかん

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

オウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

The sun (日) beside a king (王): a sun reigning at its brightest, full of energy. 旺 lives in 旺盛, brimming: a child with 食欲旺盛 has a big appetite, and someone 好奇心旺盛 is bursting with curiosity.

Used in 旺盛 (ousei, vigorous/brimming) and 食欲旺盛 (shokuyoku ousei, hearty appetite)

More from Grow & Wane

• 耗 wear down
• 勃 sudden rise
• 展 unfold
• 張 stretch
• 拡 expand
• 盛 heap up
• 興 interest
• 縮 shrink
• 充 fill
• 隆 rise
• 茂 grow thick
• 繁 thriving

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

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