若々しい

わかわかしい · wakawakashii · JLPT N2 · i-adj

young

若 — grass radical 艹 + right hand 右
Originally a pictograph of a person tidying their hair with both hands, suggesting compliance or 'to follow.' Over time it was borrowed phonetically to mean 'if' or 'like/as,' which became its dominant modern meanings. The grass radical on top reflects later script standardization rather than the original image.

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