品
しな · shina · JLPT N3 · noun
goods
📦 品 = three 口 boxes stacked: a pile of goods. Shina: she na-bs the goods
The kanji is three 口 (mouth/box) stacked together, a classic sign for many items, hence goods or articles. For the sound, shina is close to she nabs: she nabs the goods. It also appears in 品物 (shinamono), goods.
品 — three 口 (mouth) stacked
品 is an ideogram showing three 口 (mouths or openings) piled together. The repetition of 口 suggests many people, items, or voices, which gave rise to meanings like 'kinds,' 'goods,' 'rank,' and 'to taste/judge.' The triple stacking is a common Chinese device for indicating plurality or variety.
ひん · hin · JLPT N3 · noun
good
📦 品 = three 口 boxes stacked: a pile of goods, sorted by grade
Three 口 originally meant many items, hence goods. Sorting goods by grade led to the meanings quality and taste. 上品 (jōhin, top grade) means elegant, and 下品 (gehin, low grade) means vulgar.
品 — three 口 (mouth) stacked
品 is an ideogram showing three 口 (mouths or openings) piled together. The repetition of 口 suggests many people, items, or voices, which gave rise to meanings like 'kinds,' 'goods,' 'rank,' and 'to taste/judge.' The triple stacking is a common Chinese device for indicating plurality or variety.