Kanji: 藻 (Seaweed/Water Plant)
The kanji 藻 refers to "seaweed," "algae," or any aquatic plant that grows in water. It can also metaphorically describe intricate patterns reminiscent of swirling seaweed.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): ソウ (sō)
Kun-yomi (Japanese reading): も (mo)
Common Words & Usage:
藻 (mo) - Noun. Seaweed, algae.
藻掻く (mogaku) - Verb. To struggle (like a person flailing in water, originally describing tangled seaweed movements).
海藻 (kaisō) - Noun. Seaweed (marine algae).
藍藻 (ransō) - Noun. Blue-green algae.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: 海岸で様々な海藻が打ち上げられていた。
Romaji: Kaigan de samazama na kaisō ga uchiagerarete ita.
English: Various kinds of seaweed had washed up on the beach.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 藻 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.