囗

See also: 口, 㔿, ロ, ㅁ, 圍, and 國

囗 U 56D7, 囗 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-56D7 ← 囖 [U 56D6] CJK Unified Ideographs 囘 → [U 56D8]

⼞ U 2F1E, ⼞ KANGXI RADICAL ENCLOSURE ← ⼝ [U 2F1D] Kangxi Radicals ⼟ → [U 2F1F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

囗 (Kangxi radical 31, 囗 0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 月一 (BM) or 難難月一 (XXBM), four-corner 6000₀, composition ⿱冂一)

1. Kangxi radical #31, ⼞.

Usage notes

This character (囗) is used for enclosures. If a square is used within a character, then the character is 口 (“mouth”) (U 53E3) instead.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/囗
• 㘞, 𣅍, 𡇍

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 216, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4675
• Dae Jaweon: page 439, character 15
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 710, character 8
• Unihan data for U 56D7

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 囗
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram of a square-shaped enclosure. Unrelated to 口 (open mouth) and most likely unrelated to the original version of 丁 (head of a nail). Also unrelated to 因, in which it represents a carpet or mat.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 囗 – see 圍 (“to surround; to encircle; to corral; all sides; etc.”). (This character is recorded in one or more historical dictionaries as an ancient form of 圍).

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 囗 – see 國 (“country; nation; nation-state; kingdom; capital; etc.”). (This character is recorded in one or more historical dictionaries as an ancient form of 國).

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 囗 – see 口 (“mouth, especially the lips and internal mouth cavity; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 口).

Japanese

Kanji

囗

(Hyōgai kanji)

1. the "country" radical, called 国(くに)構(がま)え (kunigamae)

Readings

As a radical and ancient kanji for 国 (“country”):

• Go-on: こく (koku)
• Kan-on: こく (koku)
• Kun: くに (kuni, 囗)、くにがまえ (kunigamae, 囗)^{←くにがまへ (kunigamafe, 囗, historical)}

As an ancient kanji for 囲 (“to surround/encircle”):

• Go-on: え (e)^{←ゑ (we, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: かこむ (kakomu, 囗む)

Korean

Etymology 1

Hanja

囗 • (nara guk) (hangeul 나라 국)

1. country, nation
2. government

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Etymology 2

Hanja

囗 • (dulle wi) (hangeul 둘레 위)

1. circumference, perimeter

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

囗: Hán Việt readings: vi

1. chữ Hán form of vi (“to enclose; to surround”).