宜

yí
#1,288 most
frequent character
proper, should, suitable, appropriate

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

宜 began as an altar 且 bearing two lumps of meat, so it first meant a container that held cooked food. The outline at the top of the altar later turned into 宀. From that first sense grew 'proper, suitable', and then 'should'.

Drawn as: altar with sacrificial food; two lumps of meat

宜 as a component in other characters

meaning1 character
sound1 character

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