薄 - Shallow Water Breeds THIN Grass

Readings & Meanings:

うす (い)

はく

thin, light, weak, pale

Common Usage:

薄氷を踏む

薄い

Examples:

練習不足で本番に出たときには、薄氷を踏む思いだった。

書道は半紙という薄い紙に筆と墨で字を書く。

60代になってそろそろ髪の毛が薄くなってきた。

Translations:

I didn't prepare enough, so when the time came, I felt like I was skating on thin ice.

When doing calligraphy, you draw your characters with brush and ink on a thin piece of paper called "honshi".

Around 60 my hair slowly became thinner and thinner.

Radicals:

The grass crown (艸, くさかんむり) is on top of 溥 (meaning widespread).

Let's take 溥 apart.

寸 is on the bottom. We've seen this in 時. It's a hand exerting pressure. Think of it as a measuring idea.

甫 is above 寸. 甫 comes from a picture of a seedling sprouting from a rice field. The idea is that seedlings spread through fields, so 甫 means broad, wide.

Finally, we've got 水 on the right in the San-zui form, the three drops.

Put it together: when you measure water that is widespread, you'll find it is SHALLOW.

Grass, living in shallow water, is bound to be THIN.

Opposite:

厚, thick. My post on 厚 is here: http://sokasoka.blogspot.com/2008/02/thick-warm-gentle-rude-make-up-your.html

References:

http://www.kanjinetworks.com/pnetwork/PAK.html#PAK09
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/kanji/kanji/u.htm