Kanji: 蔽 (Cover/Shield)
The kanji 蔽 means "to cover," "to shield," "to conceal," or "to overshadow." It implies a thorough covering that hides or protects something from view.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): ヘイ (hei)
Common Words & Usage:
遮蔽 (shahei) - Noun/Suru-verb. Shielding, blocking (e.g., from light or radiation).
掩蔽 (enpei) - Noun/Suru-verb. Covering, masking (often used in military or astronomical contexts).
蔽う (ōu) - Verb. (More commonly written as 覆う) To cover, to conceal.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: 月が太陽を完全に遮蔽する現象を皆既日食という。
Romaji: Tsuki ga taiyō o kanzen ni shahei suru genshō o kaiki nisshoku to iu.
English: The phenomenon where the moon completely covers the sun is called a total solar eclipse.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 蔽 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.