柔

柔	U+67D4, 柔 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-67D4

← 染
[U+67D3]

CJK Unified Ideographs

柕 →
[U+67D5]

Translingual

Han character

柔 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 弓竹木 (NHD), four-corner 1790₄, composition ⿱矛木)

References

KangXi: page 519, character 5

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14622

Dae Jaweon: page 907, character 4

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1192, character 2

Unihan data for U+67D4

Chinese

trad.		柔
simp. ^#		柔

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (矛) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
堥	muː, mu
蓩	muːʔ, moːɡ
猱	ml'uː, mljiwʔ, *ml'us
茅	*mruː
罞	mruː, muːŋ
蝥	mruː, mu, mo, moɡs
鶜	*mruː
瞀	moːɡs, mroːɡ
愗	*moːɡs
袤	*mus
雺	mus, mu, muːŋ, muːŋs
懋	*mus
楙	*mus
矛	*mu
蟊	*mu
髳	mu, muːŋ
鍪	*mu
鞪	mu, moːɡ
糅	*ml'us
腬	ml'us, mlju
柔	*mlju
揉	*mju
蹂	mju, mjuʔ, *mjus
鍒	*mju
騥	*mju
蝚	*mju
葇	mju, mjuʔ
鞣	mju, mjus
鰇	*mju
瑈	*mju
鶔	*mju
楺	*mjuʔ
煣	mjuʔ, mjus
輮	mjuʔ, mjus
韖	*mjuʔ
敄	moʔ, mos
務	*moɡs
鶩	moɡs, moːɡ
騖	*moɡs
婺	*moɡs
霚	moɡs, moːŋ
嵍	*moɡs
霧	moɡs, moːŋ
霿	moːŋ, moːŋs
楘	*moːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *mlju) : phonetic 矛 (OC *mu) + semantic 木 (“tree”) – wood soft enough that it can easily be cut.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *now (“tender; soft”), which has also been compared to 軟 (OC *njonʔ, “soft”), 弱 (OC *njewɢ, “weak”), 肉 (OC *njuɡ, “meat”), 懦 (OC *noːls, *njo, “cowardly”), 荏 (OC *njɯmʔ, “weak”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): róu (rou²)
(Zhuyin): ㄖㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jau⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): yù
(Meixian, Guangdong): yu²
Min Dong (BUC): iù
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): liû / jiû
(Teochew, Peng'im): riu⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: róu
  - Zhuyin: ㄖㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: róu
  - Wade–Giles: jou²
  - Yale: róu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: rou
  - Palladius: жоу (žou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: jau⁴
  - Yale: yàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: yeo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯²¹/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: iuˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /i̯u¹¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yù
  - Hakka Romanization System: (r)iuˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yiu²
  - Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯u¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: yu²
  - Sinological IPA: /iu¹¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: iù
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ieu⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liû
  - Tâi-lô: liû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: liuu
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /liu²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jiû
  - Tâi-lô: jiû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: jiuu
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /d͡ʑiu¹³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ʑiu²³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: riu⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jiû
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡ziu⁵⁵/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 柔
Mandarin	Beijing	/ʐou³⁵/
	Harbin	/ʐou²⁴/
	Tianjin	/iou⁴⁵/ /ʐou⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/ʐou⁴²/
	Qingdao	/iou⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/ʐou⁴²/
	Xi'an	/ʐou²⁴/
	Xining	/ʐɯ²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/ʐəu⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/ʐou⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/ʐɤu⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/nəu²¹³/
	Chengdu	/zəu³¹/
	Guiyang	/zəu²¹/
	Kunming	/ʐəu³¹/
	Nanjing	/ʐəɯ²⁴/
	Hefei	/ʐɯ⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/zəu¹¹/
	Pingyao	/ʐəu¹³/
	Hohhot	/ʐəu³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/zɤ²³/
	Suzhou	/zɤ¹³/
	Hangzhou	/zei²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/jɤu³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/iu⁴⁴/
Hui	Tunxi
Xiang	Changsha	/iəu¹³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/iəɯ¹²/
Gan	Nanchang
Hakka	Meixian	/iu¹¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/ʒiu¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/jɐu²¹/
	Nanning	/jɐu²¹/
	Hong Kong	/jɐu²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/liu³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/ieu⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/iu²¹/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/zĩu⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/ziu²¹³/

Middle Chinese: /ȵɨu/

Rime
Character	柔
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	耳由切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵɨu/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵiu/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑiəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵuw/
Li Rong	/ȵiu/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯ə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	róu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jau⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*nu/
(Zhengzhang): /*mlju/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	柔
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	róu
Middle Chinese	‹ nyuw ›
Old Chinese	/*nu/
English	soft
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	柔
Reading #	1/1
No.	8825
Phonetic component	矛
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	柔
Old Chinese	/*mlju/

Definitions

柔

soft; supple
to soften
gentle; pliant
to make gentle
(～州) Short for 柔佛 (Róufó, “Johor”).

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (柔):

→ Japanese: 柔(じゅう) (jū)
→ Korean: 유(柔) (yu)
→ Vietnamese: nhu (柔)

Compounds

Derived terms from 柔

克柔
善柔
柔克
柔化 (róuhuà)
柔和 (róuhé)
柔嘉
柔婉
柔媚 (róumèi)
柔嫩 (róunèn)
柔弱 (róuruò)
柔心弱骨
柔情 (róuqíng)
柔情密意
柔懦
柔握
柔日
柔柯
柔毫
柔滑
柔然 (Róurán)
柔美 (róuměi)
柔翰
柔舌
柔色
柔荑 (róutí)
柔道 (róudào)
柔麻
桑柔
玉柔
以柔克剛／以柔克刚

以柔制剛／以柔制刚
俠骨柔腸／侠骨柔肠
優柔／优柔
優柔寡斷／优柔寡断 (yōuróuguǎduàn)
內柔外剛／内柔外刚 (nèiróuwàigāng)
剛柔／刚柔 (gāngróu)
剛柔並濟／刚柔并济
剛柔相濟／刚柔相济 (gāngróuxiāngjì)
吐剛茹柔／吐刚茹柔
外剛內柔／外刚内柔
外柔內剛／外柔内刚
嬌柔／娇柔 (jiāoróu)
懷柔／怀柔 (huáiróu)
摧剛為柔／摧刚为柔
柔中有剛／柔中有刚
柔光鏡／柔光镜
柔性勸導／柔性劝导
柔性憲法／柔性宪法
柔情綽態／柔情绰态
柔情萬千／柔情万千
柔懦寡斷／柔懦寡断
柔枝嫩葉／柔枝嫩叶
柔條／柔条
柔潤／柔润
柔細／柔细
柔聲／柔声
柔聲下氣／柔声下气
柔能克剛／柔能克刚
柔能制剛／柔能制刚

柔腸／柔肠
柔腸寸斷／柔肠寸断
柔腸百結／柔肠百结
柔腸百轉／柔肠百转
柔若無骨／柔若无骨
柔茹剛吐／柔茹刚吐
柔茹寡斷／柔茹寡断
柔術／柔术 (róushù)
柔軟／柔软 (róuruǎn)
柔軟體操／柔软体操
柔遠／柔远 (róuyuǎn)
柔遠能邇／柔远能迩
柔韌／柔韧 (róurèn)
柔順／柔顺 (róushùn)
溫柔／温柔 (wēnróu)
溫柔敦厚／温柔敦厚
溫柔鄉／温柔乡
玉軟花柔／玉软花柔
細柔／细柔
繞指柔／绕指柔
纖柔／纤柔
腼腆溫柔／腼腆温柔
茹柔吐剛／茹柔吐刚
軟柔柔／软柔柔
輕柔／轻柔
輯柔／辑柔
鐵骨柔情／铁骨柔情
陰柔害物／阴柔害物
韋柔／韦柔

Japanese

Kanji

柔

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

Go-on: にゅう (nyū, Jōyō)^{←にう (niu, historical)}
Kan-on: じゅう (jū, Jōyō)^{←じう (ziu, historical)}
Kun: やわらか (yawaraka, 柔らか, Jōyō)^{←やはらか (yafaraka, historical)}; やわらかい (yawarakai, 柔らかい, Jōyō)^{←やはらかい (yafarakai, historical)}; やわらぐ (yawaragu, 柔らぐ)^{←やはらぐ (yafaragu, historical)}; やわらげる (yawarageru, 柔らげる)^{←やはらげる (yafarageru, historical)}
Nanori: とお (tō)^{←とほ (tofo, historical)}; なり (nari); やす (yasu); よし (yoshi)

Compounds

外(がい)柔(じゅう)内(ない)剛(ごう) (gaijūnaigō)
柔(やわ)柔(やわ) (yawayawa)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
柔
じゅう Grade: S
kan’on

/d͡ʑɨu/ → /d͡ʑuː/ → /ʑuː/

From Middle Chinese 柔 (MC ȵɨu).

The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) じゅう [júꜜù] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [(d͡)ʑɨᵝː]

Affix

柔(じゅう) • (jū) ^{←じう (ziu)^?}

gentle, soft, supple
calm, gentle, mild, peaceful
calm, relieve, soften
martial art involving gentleness, such as jujitsu or judo

Derived terms

柔(じゅう)弱(じゃく) (jūjaku)
柔(じゅう)術(じゅつ) (jūjutsu)
柔(じゅう)順(じゅん) (jūjun)
柔(じゅう)道(どう) (jūdō)
柔(じゅう)軟(なん) (jūnan)
温(おん)柔(じゅう) (onjū)
懐(かい)柔(じゅう) (kaijū)
剛(ごう)柔(じゅう) (gōjū)
優(ゆう)柔(じゅう) (yūjū)

Noun

柔(じゅう) • (jū) ^{←じう (ziu)^?}

gentleness, softness, suppleness; also, such an object

Derived terms

柔(じゅう)細(さい)胞(ぼう) (jūsaibō)
柔(じゅう)組(そ)織(しき) (jūsoshiki)
柔(じゅう)懦(だ) (jūda)
柔(じゅう)突(とっ)起(き) (jūtokki)
柔(じゅう)毛(もう) (jūmō)

Idioms

柔(じゅう)能(よ)く剛(ごう)を制(せい)す (jū yoku gō o seisu)
柔(じゅう)も亦(また)茹(くら)わず剛(ごう)も亦(また)吐(は)かず (jū mo mata kurawazu gō mo mata hakazu)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
柔
にゅう Grade: S
goon

/nɨu/ → /ɲuː/

From Middle Chinese 柔 (MC ȵɨu).

The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely the earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) にゅう [nyùú] (Heiban – [0])
IPA^(key): [ɲ̟ɯ̟ᵝː]

Affix

柔(にゅう) • (nyū) ^{←にう (niu)^?}

gentle, supple, weak
kindhearted

Derived terms

柔(にゅう)弱(じゃく) (nyūjaku)
柔(にゅう)和(わ) (nyūwa)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
柔
やわ Grade: S
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
和

/jaɸa/ → /jawa/

Possibly a back-formation of 柔柔 (yawayawa, “soft, supple”).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) やわ [yáꜜwà] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [ja̠ɰᵝa̠]

Adjective

柔(やわ) • (yawa) ^{←やは (yafa)^?} -na (adnominal 柔(やわ)な (yawa na), adverbial 柔(やわ)に (yawa ni))

weak

Derived terms

柔(やわ)い (yawai)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
柔
やわ(ら) Grade: S
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 柔 – see 柔ら. (This term, 柔, is an alternative spelling of the above terms.)

(The following entry is uncreated: 柔ら.)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

柔 • (yu) (hangeul 유, revised yu, McCune–Reischauer yu, Yale yu)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

柔: Hán Nôm readings: nhu

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN