Onyomi: メイ · Kunyomi: まよ.う · Meanings: astray, be perplexed, err, illusion, in doubt, lost
Kanji for astray, be perplexed, err, illusion, in doubt
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The kanji 迷 is made of 辶, the “movement” or “path” radical, and 米, which means “rice.” In ancient script, 米 wasn’t just about food — it also represented something scattered or hard to see clearly. Combined with the movement radical, 迷 originally painted the image of a traveler walking along a path where things are unclear, like being lost in a mist of scattered grains. Over time, the meaning became “to go astray,” “to lose one’s way,” or “to be confused.” It reflects both the literal act of losing direction and the mental feeling of uncertainty.
迷 combines the “movement” radical 辶 with 米 (rice), symbolizing a person walking through scattered grains — a confused, unclear path. It expresses being lost, uncertain, or wandering without direction.
Picture yourself walking (辶) on a path covered with scattered rice (米), unsure where it leads — that’s 迷, the feeling of being lost or confused.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 迷信 | めいしん | superstition, superstitious belief | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 迷惑 | めいわく | trouble, bother, annoyance, nuisance, inconvenience | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 迷子 | まいご | lost child, lost person, stray child, missing child | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 迷路 | めいろ | maze, labyrinth | common Noun |
| 迷彩 | めいさい | camouflage, disguise | Noun |
| 迷宮 | めいきゅう | labyrinth, maze | Noun |
| 迷い | まよい | hesitation, bewilderment, perplexity, doubt, indecision | common Noun |
| 迷う | まよう | to lose one's way, to get lost, to go astray | common Godan verb with 'u' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 迷惑電話 | めいわくでんわ | nuisance phone call, spam phone call | Noun |
| 迷い込む | まよいこむ | to stray into, to lose one's way (and enter), to wander into | Godan verb with 'mu' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 迷わす | まよわす | to puzzle, to perplex, to bewilder, to delude, to mislead, to fascinate | Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 迷惑行為 | めいわくこうい | disruptive behaviour, harassment, abusive behaviour | Noun |
| 迷惑をかける | めいわくをかける | to cause trouble (for someone), to annoy, to bother, to inconvenience | Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), Ichidan verb |
| 迷子センター | まいごセンター | lost child department, place to bring lost children to | Noun |
| 迷走神経 | めいそうしんけい | vagus nerve | Noun |