南
みなみ · minami · JLPT N5 · noun
South
🧭 Minami: many me's fly south for winter
Minami sounds like many-me. Link it to the fact that many birds head south when it turns cold: many me = minami = south. The kanji 南 also appears in 南口 (minami-guchi), the south exit sign at Japanese train stations.
南 — 十 ten + 冂 enclosure + 丷 + 干
Originally a pictograph of a bronze bell or musical instrument hung on a frame, used in southern regional rites. Through phonetic loan, the character came to mean 'south' — the direction one faces when seated as ruler in ancient China. The original 'bell' meaning was lost.