州
しゅう · shuu · JLPT N3 · noun
state
🏞️ 州 = 川 (river) + three dots: sandbars in a river → land → state
Etymology: 州 began as 川 (river) with marks for islets in the stream. A patch of land ringed by water became a bounded territory, hence state or province. Sound hook: shuu is in Honshuu and Kyuushuu (本州, 九州).