抱 - EMBRACE: Wrap Your Hands (or Thoughts) around It

Readings & Meanings:

いだ（く）

だく

かか（える）

ホウ

embrace, hold

Common Usage:

抱き合う

抱擁

抱く

抱える

Examples:

15年ぶりの再会でお互い抱き合って喜んだ。

15年ぶりの再会でお互い喜んで抱擁を交わした。

「少年よ、大志を抱け」は、北大のクラーク博士の有名な言葉"Boys, be ambitious!"の訳だ。

彼は最近悩みを抱えているようだ。

Translations:

Meeting for the first time in 15 years, we joyfully embraced each other.

Meeting for the first time in 15 years, we joyfully exchanged embraces with each other.

"Boys, embrace ambition!" is the translation of Hokkaido University's Dr. (William) Clark's words, "Boys, be ambitious!"

Lately he seems to be carrying a heavy load/to be having problems.

Radical:

We've got the 手 (te) radical on the left of 包 (wrap). Wrap with your hands. Embrace. Got it.

Important:

Try not to mix up 抱く and 抱く.

...Okay, right, they look the same. They are the same kanji. But, in spoken Japanese, they are different: いだく and だく.

いだく is never for human-to-human hugging. You can use it for embracing ideas, dreams, ambitions. You can use it for cuddling kittens, dogs, small pets or things (not babies, though).

だく is for human-to-human embraces... of various kinds... (blush). Just watch some seedy J-dramas to find some examples. Buut, it can be nice, friendly hugging, as well as cradling an infant.

References:

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/kanji/kanji/u.htm