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The Japanese language is so complicated, multi-layered and interesting, even for a novice speaker like me. Here’s a kanji character that I like a lot:
聴く きく kiku to hear; to listen; to ask
This kanji character is one way of writing the verb ‘to listen’. But it’s the different elements that make up this kanji that are so interesting. If you look closely you can spot several characters within the kanji:
みみ mimi ear
So far so logical. But there’s more on the right hand side…
め me eye
こころ kokoro mind, heart, spirit
So in one kanji character, we are taught to listen not only with our ears, but also our eyes and hearts. How wonderfully Japanese.