糸 - THREADS Are Small

Readings & Meanings:

いと

市

thread

Common Usage:

糸

絹糸 (ケンシ）

Examples:

Tシャツのすそから糸が出ている。

絹糸で織った羽織を着る。　（ケンシ）

Translations:

A thread's coming out of the hem of the T-shirt.

I'll wear the silk-woven haori.

Radical:

糸 itself is a radical, used in many, many kanji (see 絹糸 above). It is made up of two parts, 幺 (small thread) and 小 (small).

Picture this kanji as being made up of stitches. It kind of looks like what I might have done with a needle and thread when I was six.

References:

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