八 Eight

Radical Combination

• ハ

  Fins

Meaning

Primary

Eight

Mnemonic

This isn't exactly the same as the fins radical, but it's close. Sometimes this will happen (where we have to use a slightly "modified radical" version of the original), so it's good to understand that now, early on. In this case, we have fins. How many fins? Eight fins. How do you know that? Because you caught four fish with two fins each.

Hints

Count the fins out in front of you, all the way from one to eight. It'll help if you actually do this. Now smell each fin, and think "Wow, I have to smell all eight of these?" Yes, you do.

Readings

On’yomi

はち

Kun’yomi

や, よう

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

After you count and smell all eight of your fins, it's time to put them away. You open a large hatch (はち) and put them in. This is where you keep your fins, always putting in eight at a time because that's what the boss wants.

Hints

You've asked him why you can only put eight fins at a time in the hatch, but he never wants to answer. What could be down in the hole that the hatch covers? Why is there a hatch at all? What's with numbers and hatches being mysterious?