According to Henshall, the left-hand side of 躍 is𧾷, “foot, leg.” And the rest means “bird’s wings,” combining 羽 (wings) with 隹 (bird). This right-hand side also acts phonetically to express “leap” and may lend connotations of “soaring high.” All together, the components create a sense of leaping with the legs. (Well, how else is one supposed to leap?) “To dance” and “to rush” are associated meanings, he says.
Learn Japanese in minutes!
Sign up and start speaking now!
Blog Posts
- Popular
- Recent
-
How to Say I Love You in Japanese – Romantic Word List
February 7, 2019Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that... -
How To Say ‘Thank you’ in Japanese
November 27, 2017In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. The dictionary defines gratitude as... -
How to Say Hello in Japanese: Practical Japanese Greetings
January 12, 2019Greetings are the most important things to learn when learning a new language. Japanese greetings are not only words...
-
Want to Learn Japanese in 25 Days? (New 25-Day Challenge!)
January 22, 2026Embarking on a language-learning journey often feels like standing at the foot of a massive mountain. Many learners... -
What Does “Domo” Mean in Japanese?
January 8, 2026If you've ever watched anime or listened to the famous lyric "domo arigato," you might wonder about the word domo.... -
Katakana vs Hiragana vs Kanji: Understanding the Japanese Writing System
December 25, 2025If you are starting to learn Japanese, you will quickly encounter three different types of characters: hiragana,...
