Kanji: 末, 未, and 本 (let’s climb a tree!)
I’ve got three kanji today, each made from the kanji for tree 木 with an extra line added!
…And yes, I do know exactly how you feel when you see 未 and 末.
Luckily, they actually kind of make sense! If you imagine yourself climbing a tree 木, the extra line always shows where you are.
For 本 (origin), you’re at the roots, the source of the tree. 本 is a common kanji that’s picked up some extra meanings through the years; it can also mean “book” (I guess you use books as sources of information?) or a counter for long skinny things (as in one “stick of” something–I guess roots ARE long and skinny).
日本 （にほん） Japan (日=“sun”, “source of the sun” = “Land of the Rising Sun”)
本物 （ほんもの） the real thing, the original one (物 thing)
本屋 （ほんや） bookstore (-屋 store)
一本 （いっぽん） one (of something long and skinny, 一 “one”)
For 未 (not yet), the biggest line is in the middle. That’s where you are–you haven’t reached the top of the tree yet.
未来 （みらい） future (“hasn’t come yet" 来= come)
未知 （みち） unknown (知 “know”)
未成年 （みせいねん） minor, underage (“hasn’t become of age yet” 成 become, 年 year)
For 末 (end), the big line is way out at the very ends of the branches. You’ve reached the “end” of the tree now.
週末 （しゅうまつ） weekend (週 week)
結末 （けつまつ） conclusion (結 tie together)
末っ子 （すえっこ） youngest child (子 child)
And if it’s any consolation, I don’t know of any words that are identical except that one has 未 and the other has 末, so you’ll at least have the rest of the word to help you out if you’ve got an ambiguous font style.
IS that any consolation? I PROMISE THEY LOOK WAY DIFFERENT TO ME NOW, THE HUMAN BRAIN IS AN AMAZING THING AND YOURS WILL FIGURE IT OUT EVENTUALLY.
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