元

元

Meaning: the origin

Reading: ガン、ゲン、もと

元旦（ガンタン）: New Year’s Day
元日（ガンジツ）: New Year’s Day
元祖（ガンソ）: the founder

元本（ガンポン）: capital, principal

元（ゲン）: a yuan (Chinese currency), the Yuan dynasty (China)
元気（ゲンキ）: health, vitality
中元（チュウゲン）: the 15th day of the 7th month (according to the lunar calendar), a summer gift
紀元（キゲン）: an era, an epoch

根元（コンゲン）: the root, the source

元（もと）: the beginning, the origin, former ～
元値（もとね）: the cost price

根元（ねもと）: the base of a tree

#元 is listed under the radical of #にんにょう/#ひとあし （儿）. I am not too sure how 二 (two) and legs become the origin, but that’s how it is!.

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