Shi - ¡Ö¤·¡×
This is one of the base kana of
Japanese, represented as both the
hiragana ¡Ö¤·¡× and the
katakana ¡Ö¥·¡×.
Shi is shared, like many of the
kana, between many
kanji, which have different meanings. Whether a kanji is "shi" or not is dependent upon the reading, either the
on-yomi,
kun-yomi, or the
nanori readings. Therefore, either context or the kanji must be known to make the proper interpretation.
For instance:
¡Ö»á¡× - on-yomi: shi - this kanji represents ones
surname,
clan, or
family name.
Other readings:
kun-yomi: uji ¡Ö¤¦¤¸¡×
¡Ö»Ô¡× - on-yomi: shi - this represents a
town, or a
city.
Other readings:
kun-yomi:
ichi ¡Ö¤¤¤Á¡×
nanori: i ¡Ö¤¤¡×, chi¡¡¡Ö¤Á¡×
¡Ö»à¡× - on-yomi: shi - the japanese character for
death.
Other readings:
kun-yomi: shinu ¡Ö¤·¡Ê¤Ì¡Ë¡×, shini ¡Ö¤·¡Ê¤Ë¡Ë¡×
For "shi" alone there are over 160 on-yomi
readings alone, 21 kun-yomi, and 27 nanori readings, which is why understanding
context is very important in speaking Japanese.
----------------------------
EUC Encoded