Learning
JAPANESE
KANJI
Practice Book
VOLUME 2

ERIKO SATO

TUTTLE Publishing
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Contents

Introduction

春 夏 秋 冬

化 物 理 料

安 高 売 買

部 屋 品 家

自 員 私 体

試 験 使 用

音 楽 歌 声

話 説 作 合

考 知 思 心

重 動 働 力

英 字 文 漢

田 肉 野 菜

運 転 通 不

犬 鳥 牛 好

勉 強 習 教

朝 夜 旅 風

正 答 質 問

近 遠 場 所

方 住 地 図

発 着 和 洋

広 明 室 館

走 歩 止 短

開 閉 門 店

工 事 産 業

病 院 死 者

県 市 区 町

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

Practice 4

Practice 5

Practice 6

Practice 7

Practice 8

Practice 9

Practice 10

Practice 11

Practice 12

Practice 13

Practice 14

Practice 15

Practice 16

Practice 17

Practice 18

Practice 19

Practice 20

Practice 21

Practice 22

Practice 23

Practice 24

Practice 25

Practice 26

Radical Index

Readings Index

Japanese–English Index

English–Japanese Index

Introduction

Modern Japanese can be written horizontally, from left to right, or vertically, from top to bottom. Japanese is one of the rare languages that uses multiple writing systems simultaneously, sometimes even in the same sentence. It is written by combining Chinese characters, called kanji, and two sets of syllabic alphabets called kana (hiragana and katakana) along with a few punctuation marks. Each kanji character represents a meaning, while each kana character represents a sound. For example, the following short sentence contains kanji, hiragana, and katakana:

パーティーに来ました。

Pātī ni kimashita.

(He) came to the party.

The non-Chinese loanword パーティー, written pātī in Roman letters and meaning party, is written in katakana. The stem of the verb 来, pronounced ki and meaning to come, is written using kanji. The grammatical particle に, written ni in Roman letters and meaning to, and the inflectional element ました, pronounced mashita (polite past affirmative), are written in hiragana. Isn’t it interesting that all three writing systems can be used in such a simple sentence?

The total number of kana is relatively small: there are only 46 basic characters for each kana system in modern Japanese. By contrast, the total number of kanji is quite large. The Japanese government selected a total of 1,945 kanji (the so-called jōyō kanji, or kanji for daily use) in 1981. Japanese students are expected to learn how to read all of these kanji by the time they graduate high school. Additional kanji are used in proper names and certain other words.

You might think that there are too many kanji characters to learn, but don’t get discouraged! If you learn the first several hundred kanji characters, you will be able to understand or guess the meaning of most street signs, restaurant menus, merchandise names, a variety of instructions, and much more! Furthermore, it is a lot of fun to learn kanji because the characters have interesting historical and cultural backgrounds and amazing compositional structures. Each kanji character has a unique meaning and shape, so each time you learn a new kanji character, you’ll feel a bit like you’ve made a new friend.

The key to your ultimate success is to learn the basic kanji correctly and solidly. A thorough knowledge of the simplest kanji will provide you with a firm foundation for mastering more complex kanji quickly. The 104 kanji included in this book are the basic kanji used in everyday life and also commonly appear in Levels 5 and 4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. If you make a manageable plan for learning with this workbook every day, you’ll be able to enjoy the process of learning kanji and greatly improve your reading proficiency in Japanese. This introduction provides you with the basic information you need to know about the development and use of kanji and shows you how to write them properly.

How did kanji develop?

The word kanji literally means “characters of the Han Dynasty of ancient China” (206 B.C.E. to 220 A.D.). The initial forms of kanji originated in the Yellow River region of China between 2000 and 1500 B.C.E. The earliest preserved characters were written on tortoise shells and animal bones, and about 3,000 characters have been discovered from this early period. Depending on how they were formed, kanji can be classified into four main categories: pictorial kanji, indicative kanji, compound ideographic kanji, and phonetic-ideographic kanji.

Pictorial kanji originated from pictures of objects or phenomena. For example:

                                             

Meaning	Original Picture	Modern Kanji
River		川
Mountain		山
Tree		木
Sun		日
Moon		月
Rain		雨

Indicative kanji were created as symbolic representations of abstract concepts using points and lines. For example:

                                       

Meaning	Original Sign	Modern Kanji
One		一
Two		二
Three		三
Top		上
Bottom		下

Compound ideographic kanji were formed by combining two or more pictorial or indicative kanji to bring out a new but simple idea. For example:

                           

Meaning	Combining Multiple Kanji	Resulting Kanji
Woods	木 + 木  tree + tree	林
Forest	木 + 木 + 木  tree + tree + tree	森
Bright	日 + 月  sun + moon	明

Finally, phonetic-ideographic kanji were formed by combining an element that expressed meaning and an element that carried the sound. For example, the following characters all stand for some body of water:

                           

Meaning	Combining Elements	Kanji
Inlet	氵+ 工  water + KŌ	江
Ocean	氵+ 羊  water + YŌ	洋
River	氵+ 可  water + KA	河

The left side of each character above, 氵, contributes the meaning, showing that each kanji’s meaning is related to water. The right side of each character 工, 羊, or 可, contributes the sound, showing how the kanji should be pronounced.

Kanji characters were brought to Japan from China between the fourth and the fifth centuries A.D. Until then, there were no written symbols in Japanese. The Japanese initially developed a hybrid system where kanji were given Japanese pronunciations and were used for writing Japanese. This system proved unwieldy, since Japanese and Chinese grammar and structure are so different. Then, they developed a system, man’yōgana, in which a limited set of kanji was used to write Japanese words with their sounds. Hiragana and katakana were developed in the Heian Period (794–1185) from some of the kanji characters included in man’yōgana. About 2,000 kanji as well as hiragana and katakana are still used in modern Japanese. Interestingly, there are some kanji characters that were created in Japan. For example, the kanji 峠 (mountain pass), 畑 (field of crops), and 働 (work) were all created in Japan by combining multiple existing kanji components.

How are kanji pronounced?

The Japanese language is very different from the Chinese language, having very distinct grammar and sounds. Many Chinese words consist of one syllable, but most Japanese words have more than one syllable. So, the assignment of a Japanese pronunciation to each kanji required both flexibility and creativity.

On-readings and kun-readings

There are two different ways of reading kanji in Japanese: on-readings (or on-yomi) and kun-readings (or kun-yomi). When kanji characters were first introduced to Japan, the original Chinese pronunciations were also adapted with only minor modifications. Such Chinese ways of reading kanji are called on-readings and are still used, especially when a character appears as a part of a compound where two or more kanji are combined to form a word.

At the same time, many kanji characters were assigned the pronunciation of the existing native Japanese word whose meaning was closest to that of the character. Such Japanese readings are called kun-readings, and are used especially when a character occurs independently in a sentence. For example, the character 母 is pronounced bo (on-reading) when used as a part of the compound word 母国, bokoku (mother country), but is pronounced haha (kun-reading) when used by itself. This is illustrated in the following sentence.

私の母の母国はフランスです。

Watashi no haha no bokoku wa Furansu desu.

My mother’s mother country is France.

In this workbook, on-readings are shown in katakana and, when Romanized, in upper-case letters. Conversely, kun-readings are shown in hiragana and in lower-case letters when Romanized.

Some kanji characters have more than one on-reading or kun-reading, and different readings are used in different contexts. Also note that there are special cases where it is not possible to clearly divide a kanji compound into components that can be pronounced separately.

Okurigana

As noted above, many Chinese words consist of a single syllable, expressed by only one Chinese character, but the corresponding Japanese words often have more than one syllable. In order to use kanji in the Japanese language, some kanji characters needed to be accompanied by kana. Such kana are called okurigana. Okurigana are particularly important for verbs and adjectives, which need inflectional elements, although they may also be used for other types of words, including nouns and adverbs. For example, in the following words, the kanji 高, meaning expensive or high, and the kana that follow jointly represent the pronunciation of the whole word, successfully representing its complete meaning:

                     

高い	takai	expensive  (plain present affirmative)
高くない	takakunai	not expensive  (plain present negative)
高かった	takakatta	was expensive  (plain past affirmative)

In this book, the okurigana are preceded by “-” when first presented in kun-readings.

Furigana

Kanji characters are occasionally provided with kana that shows how they are intended to be read in the given context. Such kana used as a pronunciation guide are called furigana. For example, the hiragana characters placed right above the kanji in the following word are furigana:

たか

高い

Furigana is often used for children or learners of Japanese. This can be a great help for you at the beginning! It is also used in newspapers for unusual readings and for characters not included in the officially recognized set of essential kanji. Japanese comic books use furigana generously!

How are kanji used in compounds?

Some Japanese words are represented by only one kanji (e.g., 赤, aka, red), but many Japanese words are represented by a kanji with okurigana (e.g., 高い, takai, expensive) or by a kanji compound. Kanji compounds constitute a large proportion of Japanese vocabulary. For example, 先生, written sensei in Roman letters, is a compound meaning teacher. It consists of two characters, 先 (ahead) and 生 (live). In general, on-readings are used for compounds, but occasionally, kun-readings are also used.

By the way, when you write a compound, there is no need to add a space between the kanji characters in it, but don’t try to squeeze the characters together to fit in one-character space. Each character in a compound should take one-character space. For example, notice the difference between 女子(girl) and 好(to like). The first item (女子) is a kanji compound that consists of two kanji characters, 女(woman) and 子(child). By contrast, the second item (好) is a single kanji character that consists of two kanji components, 女and 子.

Some kanji compounds were created in Japan and have been brought back to China and are now being used there. Examples include 電話 denwa (telephone), 化 学 kagaku (science), and 社会 shakai (society). Many kanji compounds are also used to represent Japanese culture, concepts, and ideas (e.g., 神道 Shinto) as well as to name Japanese people (e.g., 田中 Tanaka), institutions and companies (e.g., 三菱 Mitsubishi), places (e.g., 東 京 Tokyo), and eras (e.g., 明治 Meiji). Regardless of their origin, kanji compounds form an essential part of the lives of Japanese people.

There are two special cases where you may have a hard time reading kanji compounds: jukujikun and ateji. A jukujikun is a unique kun-reading assigned to an entire kanji compound rather than to each kanji character separately. For example, the compound 明日 (tomorrow) can be read as myōnichi using the on-reading of each character in the compound one after another, as in the majority of typical kanji compounds, but can also be read as asu, which is a jukujikun. In the latter case, it is impossible to tell which syllable corresponds to 明 and which syllable corresponds to 日 because the reading is assigned to the whole compound. Other examples of jukujikun include 一日 tsuitachi (the first day of the month), 五月雨 samidare (early summer rain), 海老 ebi (shrimp), and 土産 miyage (souvenir).

Ateji are kanji characters whose sounds are used to represent native Japanese words or non-Chinese loanwords regardless of the meanings of the kanji. For example, the kanji compound 寿司 is made of ateji. It is pronounced sushi, and means sushi, the food, even though 寿 means one’s natural life span and 司 means to administer, neither of which are directly related to food. Other examples of ateji include 目出度い medetai (happy), 出鱈目 detarame (random), and 珈琲 kōhī (coffee). Many ateji for non-Chinese loanwords, including proper names, have been replaced by katakana, but some are still used. In addition, new ateji are occasionally created.

What are radicals?

Most kanji characters are composed of two or more components. Each component may contribute to the kanji’s meaning, sound, or merely its shape. For example, 日 is an independent kanji character meaning sun, but is also a component that lends meaning to many kanji. For example:

明 bright 時 time 晴 clear up

There are many kanji-components, but the most basic and identifiable elements of kanji are called radicals. For hundreds of years, Chinese dictionaries have organized kanji characters according to their radicals. Each Chinese character was assigned a radical and placed in an appropriate section of a dictionary according to the designated radical.

It is not always clear which component of a kanji is the radical, but this workbook shows the radical for each kanji at the upper right corner of the page. Whenever you learn a new kanji using this book, check its radical. It will help you understand and remember the meaning and the internal composition of the kanji. Eventually, you will be able to identify the radical just by looking at a kanji. There is an index of characters organized by radical near the end of this book.

Depending on its position in a kanji character, radicals are classified into seven categories, as shown in the chart on page 8.

How do I look up a kanji in a Japanese dictionary?

Many dictionaries list kanji characters according to their pronunciation, for both on-readings and kun-readings, either in kana or in Roman letters. So, if you know the reading of a kanji character, you can easily find it in such a dictionary using its pronunciation-based index. For example, The Original Modern Reader’s Japanese-English Character Dictionary by Andrew N. Nelson (Tuttle Publishing), has an on/kun index in the back, and kanji characters are alphabetically listed according to both their on-readings and their kun-readings in Roman letters with a unique code number provided for each character. Using that code number, you can easily find the page you should go to in the dictionary.

What if you see a kanji, but you don’t know how to read it? You could then use the radical index included in most dictionaries. In a radical index, hundreds of radicals are listed according to the radical’s total number of strokes. For example, 日 is the radical of 明, and it has 4 strokes. You can find the radical 日 in the radical list under the section for four-stroke radicals in just a few seconds. There you will find a code number, which will guide you to the list of all the kanji with the radical 日. For example, you will see many kanji, including 明, 晴, and 時, on the page specified by the code number for the radical 日. They are ordered according to their total stroke count. You can easily find the kanji character you want in the list.

If you have no clue about either the pronunciation or the radical of the kanji, you can use the kanji’s total stroke count as a reference. This book specifies the total stroke count for each kanji at the upper left corner of the box containing the kanji, but if you always write kanji in the correct stroke order and with the correct stroke count, you can figure it out by yourself.

How are kanji characters written?

To write kanji properly and legibly, it is very important to know how each stroke in a kanji is drawn. Here are some principles and tendencies for stroke endings, stroke directions, and stroke orders.

Stroke Endings

Each stroke ends in とめ tome (stop), はね hane (jump), or はらい harai (sweep). (Note that some diagonal lines end in stop-sweep.) For example, a vertical straight line can end in stop, jump, or sweep, as shown below:

Stroke Directions

A stroke can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, angled, or curved, or can be just a short abbreviated line.

Vertical lines always go from top to bottom, and horizontal lines always go from left to right.

Diagonal lines can go either downward or upward. For example:

If a stroke forms a corner, a sharp angle, or a curve, it goes from left to right and then goes down, or goes down and then left to right. For example:

Some strokes have a combination of a sharp angle and a curve. For example:

Some strokes are extremely short and are called て ん ten. They may be vertical or slightly diagonal:

Stroke Order

You should remember how the strokes in each character are ordered in order to write a character neatly with the appropriate shape. Most kanji characters are written following the general principles of stroke order:

1. Kanji are written from top to bottom.

2. Kanji are written from left to right.

3. Horizontal strokes usually precede vertical strokes when crossing, although there are some exceptions such as 王 and 田.

4. A central line usually precedes the strokes placed on its right and left.

5. An outer frame must be written first before finishing the inside except for the bottom line. The bottom line of an outer frame must be completed at the very end.

6. A right-to-left diagonal stroke precedes a left-to-right diagonal stroke.

7. A vertical line piercing through the center of a character is written last.

8. A horizontal line piercing the center of the character is written last.

How do I learn to write kanji?

Remember that a good beginning and good planning are the keys to success in learning kanji. The following are some suggested steps for learning kanji using this workbook.

Get used to the strokes

Before writing any kanji, practice drawing some of the simple strokes with different endings many times on a sheet of scrap paper. For example, try drawing the strokes presented above (e.g., vertical lines, diagonal lines). Each time you end the stroke, say とめ tome (stop), はね hane (jump), or はらい harai (sweep), depending on which type of ending you are working on. If you have a brush and ink, try to make changes in the thickness of different portions of each stroke. Of course, you can also use a pen or pencil. If you do, ignore the difference in the thickness of different portions of each stroke. Just get used to the general flow of strokes. It will help you to write kanji beautifully in an authentic style.

Understand the character

Before writing an actual kanji character as a whole, familiarize yourself with its meaning, pronunciation, usage examples, and radical. Be creative and make associations to help you remember the shape, composition, meaning, and sound of the character you are working on. Your associations can be logical or natural, or can be silly or funny. Your imagination and creativity will always help you learn and remember new things, especially when you are dealing with numerous items. Under each character in this book, the first several boxes show the stroke order and direction. Refer to them, and try writing the character once. The number of strokes for each kanji is specified in the upper-left corner of each page. Check whether you used the correct number of strokes when you wrote the kanji. Then compare your character with the one printed on the page. Pay attention to the size and the position of the character in relation with the box as well as the proportion and shape of the lines.

Practice writing the character

When you have fully understood the given character in terms of meaning, pronunciation, usage, radical, and stroke order, write it about 10 times in a row. You may not believe it, but your hand muscle will remember how to write a kanji if you repeat writing it many times. If helpful, trace over the gray characters at the beginning of each page.

Review kanji periodically

Practice a few new characters at a time every day following the above steps. Once you have worked your way through the first half of this volume, in which the kanji are introduced for the first time, move on to the practice exercises in the second half of the book. These practice exercises will allow you to use the 207 kanji you have learned in this volume and in the previous volume (104 + 103), plus your existing knowledge of hiragana and katakana, to write real vocabulary words, which is a great way to reinforce and remember the kanji. Each exercise gives particular emphasis to the four kanji given in the heading, and you should find that as you work your way through the exercises that your writing becomes smoother and your recall of the characters easier. The more vocabulary words you learn, and the more you practice writing them, the easier it becomes to memorize the kanji!

頑張ってください。

Ganbatte kudasai!

Try your best (and good luck)!

春

spring

9 strokes

日 radical

ON readings

シュン SHUN

KUN readings

はる haru

common words

春休み はるやすみ haru-yasumi spring vacation

春分 しゅんぶん shunbun spring equinox

春雨 はるさめ harusame spring rain

春先 はるさき harusaki beginning of spring

新春 しんしゅん shinshun new year

立春 りっしゅん risshun the first day of spring

思春期 ししゅんき shishunki puberty

夏

summer

10 strokes

夊 radical

ON readings

カ KA, ゲ GE

KUN readings

なつ natsu

common words

夏休み なつやすみ natsu-yasumi summer vacation

夏時間 なつじかん natsu-jikan daylight saving time

夏ばて なつばて natsubate summer heat fatigue

春夏秋冬 しゅんかしゅうとう shunkashūtō spring- summer-autumn-winter (four seasons)

真夏 まなつ manatsu midsummer

冷夏 れいか reika cool summer

夏期講習 かきこうしゅう kaki-kōshū summer courses

秋

autumn, fall

9 strokes

禾 radical

ON readings

シュウ SHŪ

KUN readings

あき aki

common words

秋分 しゅうぶん shūbun autumnal equinox

秋空 あきぞら akizora autumn sky

秋月 しゅうげつ shūgetsu the autumn moon

秋口 あきぐち akiguchi beginning of autumn

立秋 りっしゅう risshū the first day of autumn

秋葉原 あきはばら Akihabara Akihabara (place name)

秋晴れ あきばれ akibare clear autumnal weather

冬

winter

5 strokes

冫 radical

ON readings

トウ TŌ

KUN readings

ふゆ fuyu

common words

冬休み ふゆやすみ fuyu-yasumi winter vacation

冬山 ふゆやま fuyu-yama wintery mountain

冬空 ふゆぞら fuyu-zora wintery sky

冬眠 とうみん tōmin hibernation

冬祭り ふゆまつり fuyu-matsuri winter festival

暖冬 だんとう dantō mild winter

真冬 まふゆ mafuyu midwinter

化

to change

4 strokes

匕 radical

ON readings

カ KA

KUN readings

ば-ける ba-keru,

ば-かす ba-kasu

common words

化学 かがく kagaku chemistry

生化学 せいかがく seikagaku biochemistry

気化 きか kika vaporization

少子化 しょうしか shōshika declining birthrate

化け物 ばけもの bakemono monster

消化 しょうか shōka digestion

化粧品 けしょうひん keshōhin cosmetics

物

thing

8 strokes

牛 radical

ON readings

ブツ BUTSU,

モツ MOTSU

KUN readings

もの mono

common words

物語 ものがたり monogatari story

書物 しょもつ shomotsu books

生き物 いきもの ikimono living thing, creature

生物学 せいぶつがく seibutsu-gaku biology

本物 ほんもの honmono real thing

荷物 にもつ nimotsu luggage, baggage

物事 ものごと monogoto things and matters

理

logic

11 strokes

王(玉) radical

ON readings

リ RI

common words

生理学 せいりがく seiri-gaku physiology

道理 どうり dōri reason, truth

料理 りょうり ryōri cooking

物理 ぶつり butsuri physics

理解 りかい rikai understanding

経理 けいり keiri accounting, management

品質管理 ひんしつかんり hinshitsu-kanri quality control

料

fee, materials

10 strokes

斗 radical

ON readings

リョウ RYŌ

common words

料金 りょうきん ryōkin fee, charge

食料 しょくりょう shokuryō food

飲料水 いんりょうすい inryōsui drinking water

手料理 てりょうり teryōri home cooking

給料 きゅうりょう kyūryō salary, wages

材料 ざいりょう zairyō materials, ingredients

無料 むりょう muryō free of charge, no charge

安

cheap, peaceful

6 strokes

宀 radical

ON readings

アン AN

KUN readings

やす-い yasu-i

common words

安い やすい yasu-i cheap

円安 えんやす en’yasu weak yen

安物 やすもの yasumono cheap article

安売り やすうり yasu’uri bargain sale

治安 ちあん chian public safety

平安時代 へいあんじだい Heian jidai Heian period (794–1185)

安全運転 あんぜんうんてん anzen-unten safe driving

高

high, expensive

10 strokes

高 radical

ON readings

こう KŌ

KUN readings

たか-い taka-i,

たか-まる taka-maru,

たか-める taka-meru,

たか taka

common words

高い たかい takai expensive, high

円高 えんだか endaka strong yen

高校生 こうこうせい kōkōsei high school students

売上高 うりあげだか uriagedaka gross sales

最高の さいこうの saikō no highest, maximum, greatest

高級な こうきゅうな kōkyū na high class, luxury

高速道路 こうそくどうろ kōsoku-dōro highway, expressway

売

to sell

7 strokes

士 radical

ON readings

バイ BAI

KUN readings

う-る u-ru,

う-れる u-reru

common words

売る うる uru to sell

売り物 うりもの urimono goods for sale

前売り まえうり mae’uri advance sale

小売り こうり ko’uri retail

売り切れ うりきれ urikire sold-out

売店 ばいてん baiten shop, stand, stall

商売 しょうばい shōbai trade, business, commerce

買

to buy

12 strokes

貝 radical

ON readings

バイ BAI

KUN readings

か-う ka-u

common words

買う かう kau to buy

買い物 かいもの kaimono shopping

買い手 かいて kaite buyer

売買 ばいばい baibai selling and buying

売り買い うりかい urikai selling and buying

買いだめ かいだめ kaidame stock up

先物買い さきものがい sakimonogai buying futures

部

part

11 strokes

阝 radical

ON readings

ブ BU

common words

部長 ぶちょう buchō head of a section or club

部屋 へや heya room

部品 ぶひん buhin parts, accessories

外部の がいぶの gaibu no outside, external

学部 がくぶ gakubu department of a university

一部 いちぶ ichibu part, a copy, a volume

全部 ぜんぶ zenbu all, the whole

屋

roof, house, shop

9 strokes

尸 radical

ON readings

オク OKU

KUN readings

や ya

common words

花屋 はなや hanaya florist

本屋 ほんや hon’ya bookstore

屋上 おくじょう okujō rooftop

小屋 こや koya hut, cabin, shed

屋外 おくがい okugai outdoor

屋根 やね yane roof

屋根裏部屋 やねうらべや yaneura-beya attic

品

goods, refinement

9 strokes

口 radical

ON readings

ヒン HIN,

ホン HON

KUN readings

しな shina

common words

品物 しなもの shinamono goods

手品 てじな tejina magic

新品 しんぴん shinpin brand-new goods

上品な じょうひんな jōhin na refined

下品な げひんな gehin na vulgar

賞品 しょうひん shōhin prize

商品 しょうひん shōhin merchandise

家

house

10 strokes

宀 radical

ON readings

ヤ YA

KUN readings

いえ ie

common words

家屋 かおく kaoku house, building

国家 こっか kokka state, country, nation

書道家 しょどうか shodō-ka calligrapher

空き家 あきや akiya unoccupied house

大家 おおや ōya landlord, landlady

家具 かぐ kagu furniture

家族 かぞく kazoku family

自

oneself

6 strokes

自 radical

ON readings

ジ JI,

シ SHI

KUN readings

みずか-ら mizuka-ra

common words

自分 じぶん jibun oneself, myself, yourself, himself, herself

自国 じこく jikoku one’s own country

自立 じりつ jiritsu independence, self-reliance

自作 じさく jisaku one’s own work

自由 じゆう jiyū freedom

自信 じしん jishin self-confidence

自然 しぜん shizen nature

員

member

10 strokes

口 radical

ON readings

イン IN

common words

会社員 かいしゃいん kaishain company employee

新入社員 しんにゅうしゃいん shinnyū-shain new employee, new hire

駅員 えきいん eki’in station attendant

会員 かいいん kai’in member of an association

部員 ぶいん buin member of a club

一員 いちいん ichi’in member

委員会 いいんかい i’inkai committee

私

private, I, me

7 strokes

禾 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

わたくし watakushi,

わたし watashi

common words

私たち わたしたち watashitachi we, us

私語 しご shigo talk in whispers, secret talk

私用 しよう shiyō private use

私見 しけん shiken personal opinion

私立大学 しりつだいがく shiritsu-daigaku private university

私物 しぶつ shibutsu private property

公私 こうし kōshi public and private

体

body, substance

7 strokes

イ radical

ON readings

タイ TAI,

テイ TEI

KUN readings

からだ karada

common words

気体 きたい kitai vapor

本体 ほんたい hontai main part

人体 じんたい jintai human body

大体 だいたい daitai substantially

体育 たいいく tai’iku physical education

体調 たいちょう taichō physical condition

体裁 ていさい teisai appearance

試

to try

13 strokes

言 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

ため-す tame-su,

こころ-みる kokoro-miru

common words

試す ためす tamesu to try

試みる こころみる kokoromiru to try

試験 しけん shiken examination, test

試食 ししょく shishoku sampling food

試飲 しいん shi’in sampling a drink

入試 にゅうし nyūshi entrance examination

試着室 しちゃくしつ shichakushitsu fitting room

試合 しあい shiai match, game

験

verification

18 strokes

馬 radical

ON readings

ケン KEN,

ゲン GEN

common words

入学試験 にゅうがくしけん nyūgaku-shiken entrance examination

国家試験 こっかしけん kokka-shiken state examination

体験 たいけん taiken personal experience

経験 けいけん keiken experience

実験 じっけん jikken experiment

受験 じゅけん juken taking an examination

核実験 かくじっけん kakujikken nuclear (bomb) test

使

to use, to send on a mission

8 strokes

イ radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

つか-う tsuka-u

common words

使う つかう tsukau to use

使用する しようする shiyō suru to use

大使 たいし taishi ambassador

天使 てんし tenshi angel

使い道 つかいみち tsukaimichi way to use something

使い捨て つかいすて tsukaisute disposable

使命 しめい shimei mission

用

to use, for use in

5 strokes

用 radical

ON readings

ヨウ YŌ

KUN readings

もち-いる mocha-iru

common words

用いる もちいる mochi’iru to use

用語 ようご yōgo technical terms

日用品 にちようひん nichiyōhin daily necessities

学生用 がくせいよう gakusei-yō to be used for students

用水 ようすい yōsui irrigation water

動詞の活用 どうしのかつよう dōshi no katsuyō verb conjugation

用意 ようい yōi preparation

音

sound

9 strokes

音 radical

ON readings

オン ON,

イン IN

KUN readings

おと oto,

ね ne

common words

音楽 おんがく ongaku music

音読み おんよみ on-yomi ON (Chinese) reading of kanji

足音 あしおと ashioto footsteps

母音 ぼいん boin vowel

子音 しいん shi’in consonant

音色 ねいろ ne’iro tone color, timbre

音節 おんせつ onsetsu syllable

楽

music, ease

13 strokes

木 radical

ON readings

ガク GAKU,

ラク RAKU

KUN readings

たの-しい tano-shi’i,

たの-しむ tano-shimu

common words

楽しい たのしい tanoshi’i fun

楽な らくな raku na easy (workload)

気楽 きらく kiraku carefree, comfortable

楽天家 らくてんか rakuten-ka optimist

楽屋 がくや gakuya green room, backstage

洋楽 ようがく yōgaku Western music

楽器 がっき gakki musical instrument

歌

song, poem; to sing

14 strokes

欠 radical

ON readings

カ KA

KUN readings

うた uta,

うた-う uta-u

common words

歌を歌う うたをうたう uta o utau to sing a song

歌手 かしゅ kashu singer

校歌 こうか kōka school song

国歌 こっか kokka national anthem

歌詞 かし kashi song lyrics

詩歌 しいか shi’ika poetry, poems

歌舞伎 かぶき Kabuki Kabuki

声

voice

7 strokes

士 radical

ON readings

セイ SEI,

ショウ SHŌ

KUN readings

こえ koe, こわ kowa

common words

話し声 はなしごえ hanashigoe speaking voice

小声 こごえ kogoe low voice, whisper

声楽家 せいがくか seigaku-ka vocalist

歌声 うたごえ utagoe singing voice

声優 せいゆう seiyū voice actor or actress

声高 こわだか kowadaka with a loud voice

声明 せいめい seimei declaration, statement

話

talk, tale

13 strokes

言 radical

ON readings

ワ WA

KUN readings

はな-す hana-su,

はなし hanashi

common words

話す はなす hanasu to talk

電話 でんわ denwa telephone

手話 しゅわ shuwa sign language

会話 かいわ kaiwa conversation

世話 せわ sewa aid, assistance

話題 わだい wadai topic, subject

昔話 むかしばなし mukashi-banashi old tale

説

opinion, theory

14 strokes

言 radical

ON readings

セツ SETSU,

ゼイ ZEI

KUN readings

と-く to-ku

common words

説く とく toku to explain

小説 しょうせつ shōsetsu novel

学説 がくせつ gakusetsu theory

口説く くどく kudoku to coax

説明 せつめい setsumei explanation

仮説 かせつ kasetsu hypothesis

解説 かいせつ kaisetsu explanation, commentary

作

to make

7 strokes

イ radical

ON readings

サク SAKU

KUN readings

つくる tsuku-ru

common words

作る つくる tsukuru to make

作品 さくひん sakuhin piece of work

作家 さっか sakka writer

名作 めいさく meisaku masterpiece

作用 さよう sayō action, effect

作物 さくもつ sakumotsu crops, agricultural produce

作曲 さっきょく sakkyoku music composition

合

to fit, to join

6 strokes

口 radical

ON readings

ゴウ GŌ,

ガッ GA(TSU)

KUN readings

あ-う a-u,

あ-わせる a-waseru

common words

話し合う はなしあう hanashiau to discuss, to talk together

会合 かいごう kaigō meeting, assembly

合計 ごうけい gōkei sum total

合気道 あいきどう aikidō aikido (martial art)

愛し合う あいしあう aishiau to love each other

合唱 がっしょう gasshō chorus

合理的 ごうりてき gōriteki rational, reasonable, logical

考

to consider

6 strokes

老 radical

ON readings

コウ KŌ

KUN readings

かんが-える kanga-eru

common words

考える かんがえる kangaeru to think about

考古学 こうこがく kōko-gaku archaeology

思考 しこう shikō thinking, thought

考え物 かんがえもの kangaemono problem

考え出す かんがえだす kangaedasu to invent, to think out

参考 さんこう sankō reference

選考 せんこう senkō selection

知

to know, wisdom

8 strokes

矢 radical

ON readings

チ CHI

KUN readings

し-る shi-ru,

し-らせる shi-raseru

common words

知る しる shiru to know

知らせる しらせる shiraseru to notify

知り合い しりあい shiriai acquaintance

知人 ちじん chijin acquaintance

人見知り ひとみしり hitomishiri fear of strangers

通知 つうち tsūchi notification

知識 ちしき chishiki knowledge

思

to think

9 strokes

心 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

おも-う omo-u

common words

思う おもう omou to think

思い出す おもいだす omoidasu to recall

思い知る おもいしる omoishiru to realize

思い出話 おもいでばなし omoide-banashi reminiscent talk

意思 いし ishi intention

思想 しそう shisō ideology

不思議な ふしぎな fushigi na mysterious

心

heart

4 strokes

心 radical

ON readings

シン SHIN

KUN readings

こころ kokoro

common words

心理学 しんりがく shinri-gaku psychology

安心 あんしん anshin relief, peace of mind

用心 ようじん yōjin precaution

中心 ちゅうしん chūshin center, middle

心臓 しんぞう shinzō heart (organ)

下心 したごころ shitagokoro secret intention

無関心 むかんしん mukanshin apathetic, indifferent

重

heavy; to pile

9 strokes

里 radical

ON readings

ジュウ JŪ,

チョウ CHŌ

KUN readings

え e,

おも-い omo-i,

かさ-ねる kasaneru,

かさ-なる kasa-naru

common words

重い おもい omo-i heavy

体重 たいじゅう taijū body weight

重大 じゅうだい jūdai serious

一重 ひとえ hitoe one layer

重力 じゅうりょく jūryoku gravity

重ねる かさねる kasa-neru to pile up

貴重 きちょう kichō precious, valuable

動

to move

11 strokes

力 radical

ON readings

ドウ DŌ

KUN readings

うご-く ugo-ku,

うご-かす ugo-kasu

common words

動物 どうぶつ dōbutsu animal

行動 こうどう kōdō action

動作 どうさ dōsa action, movements

動力 どうりょく dōryoku power

自動 じどう jidō automatic

手動 しゅどう shudō manual

動詞 どうし dōshi verb

働

to work

13 strokes

イ radical

ON readings

ドウ DŌ

KUN readings

はたら-く hatara-ku

common words

働く はたらく hataraku to work

働き手 はたらきて hatarakite worker

働き口 はたらきぐち hatarakiguchi position, employment

労働時間 ろうどうじかん rōdō-jikan working hours

労働条件 ろうどうじょうけん rōdō-jōken working conditions

労働組合 ろうどうくみあい rōdō-kumiai labor union

力

power, strength

2 strokes

力 radical

ON readings

リョク RYOKU,

リキ RIKI

KUN readings

ちから chikara

common words

体力 たいりょく tairyoku stamina, endurance

学力 がくりょく gakuryoku scholarly ability

入力 にゅうりょく nyūryoku input

自力 じりき jiriki one’s own power (by oneself)

力作 りきさく rikisaku painstaking piece of work

権力 けんりょく kenryoku authority

力不足 ちからぶそく chikara-busoku lack of ability

英

England, hero

8 strokes

艹 radical

ON readings

エイ EI

common words

英語 えいご Eigo English language

英会話 えいかいわ eikaiwa English conversation

英文 えいぶん eibun English sentence, English text

英国 えいこく Eikoku Great Britain, the United Kingdom

和英辞典 わえいじてん waei-jiten Japanese-English dictionary

英訳 えいやく eiyaku English translation

英雄 えいゆう eiyū hero

字

character

6 strokes

子 radical

ON readings

ジ JI

KUN readings

あざ aza

common words

英字新聞 えいじしんぶん eiji-shinbun English language newspaper

文字 もじ moji characters

大文字 おおもじ ōmoji upper case letters

小文字 こもじ komoji lower case letters

国字 こくじ kokuji kanji created in Japan

ローマ字 ろーまじ rōmaji Romanization

赤字 あかじ akaji deficit

文

sentence, literature

4 strokes

文 radical

ON readings

ブン BUN,

モン MON

KUN readings

ふみ fumi

common words

文学 ぶんがく bungaku literature

文体 ぶんたい buntai literary style

作文 さくぶん sakubun writing, composition

文化 ぶんか bunka culture

古文 こぶん kobun ancient writing, classical literature

文法 ぶんぽう bunpō grammar

注文 ちゅうもん chūmon order, request

漢

Chinese

13 strokes

氵 radical

ON readings

カン KAN

common words

漢字 かんじ kanji kanji

漢語 かんご kango Sino-Japanese words

漢文 かんぶん kanbun Classical Chinese

漢族 かんぞく kanzoku Han people

漢詩 かんし kanshi Chinese poetry

漢方薬 かんぽうやく kanpōyaku traditional Chinese medicine

田

rice field

5 strokes

田 radical

ON readings

デン DEN

KUN readings

た ta

common words

田んぼ たんぼ tanbo rice paddy

水田 すいでん suiden water-field paddy field

新田 しんでん shinden new rice field

田中 たなか Tanaka Tanaka (family name, surname)

田舎 いなか inaka rural area, countryside

青田 あおた aota green paddy

油田 ゆでん yuden oil field

肉

meat

6 strokes

肉 radical

ON readings

ニク NIKU

common words

肉食 にくしょく nikushoku meat eating

食肉 しょくにく shokuniku meat for consumption

肉体 にくたい nikutai body, flesh

肉料理 にくりょうり nikuryōri meat dish

筋肉 きんにく kinniku muscle

肉親 にくしん nikushin blood relative

豚肉 ぶたにく butaniku pork

野

field, wild

11 strokes

里 radical

ON readings

ヤ YA

KUN readings

の no

common words

野菜 やさい yasai vegetables

野生動物 やせいどうぶつ yasei-dōbutsu wild animals

野山 のやま noyama hills and fields

野外 やがい yagai outdoors

分野 ぶんや bun’ya field, branch

野心 やしん yashin ambition

野原 のはら nohara field

菜

vegetable, dish

11 strokes

艹 radical

ON readings

サイ SAI

KUN readings

な na

common words

生野菜 なまやさい nama-yasai fresh vegetables

白菜 はくさい hakusai Chinese cabbage, bok choy

菜食 さいしょく saishoku vegetarian diet

山菜 さんさい sansai edible wild plants

前菜 ぜんさい zensai hors d’oeuvre, appetizer

主菜 しゅさい shusai main dish

油菜 あぶらな aburana field mustard

運

to carry

12 strokes

辶 radical

ON readings

ウン UN

KUN readings

はこ-ぶ hako-bu

common words

運ぶ はこぶ hakobu to carry, to transport

運動 うんどう undō physical exercise

運転手 うんてんしゅ untenshu driver, chauffeur

不運 ふうん fu’un misfortune

運賃 うんちん unchin (passenger) fare

幸運 こううん kōun good luck, fortune

運命 うんめい unmei fate, destiny

運送会社 うんそうがいしゃ unsō-gaisha shipping company

転

to revolve

11 strokes

車 radical

ON readings

テン TEN

KUN readings

ころ-がる koro-garu,

ころ-げる koro-geru,

ころ-がす koro-gasu,

ころ-ぶ koro-bu

common words

自転車 じてんしゃ jitensha bicycle

転校生 てんこうせい tenkōsei transfer student

転入 てんにゅう tennyū moving in

動転 どうてん dōten emotional shock

試運転 しうんてん shiunten test drive/operation

気分転換 きぶんてんかん kibun-tenkan change of mood/pace

回転 かいてん kaiten rotation, revolution

通

to pass through

10 strokes

辶 radical

ON readings

ツウ TSŪ,

ツ TSU

KUN readings

とお-る tō-ru,

とお-す tō-su,

かよ-う kayo-u

common words

通る とおる tōru to pass through

通学 つうがく tsūgaku commuting to school

大通り おおどおり ōdōri main street

通訳 つうやく tsūyaku oral translation

通勤 つうきん tsūkin commuting to work

交通 こうつう kōtsū traffic, transportation

普通 ふつう futsū ordinary, usual

不

non-

4 strokes

一 radical

ON readings

フ FU,

ブ BU

common words

不安 ふあん fuan anxiety, worry

不明 ふめい fumei unknown, unclear

不用品 ふようひん fuyōhin unnecessary items

不合理 ふごうり fugōri irrational

水不足 みずぶそく mizubusoku water shortage

不動 ふどう fudō immobility, firmness

不可能 ふかのう fukanō impossible

犬

dog

4 strokes

犬 radical

ON readings

ケン KEN

KUN readings

いぬ inu

common words

犬 いぬ inu dog

子犬 こいぬ koinu puppy

犬小屋 いぬごや inugoya dog house, kennel

野犬 やけん yaken stray dog

秋田犬 あきたけん Akitaken Akita (breed of dog)

名犬 めいけん meiken fine dog

番犬 ばんけん banken watchdog

飼い犬 かいいぬ kai’inu pet dog

鳥

bird, chicken

11 strokes

鳥 radical

ON readings

チョウ CHŌ

KUN readings

とり tori

common words

小鳥 ことり kotori small bird

野鳥 やちょう yachō wild bird

鳥肉 とりにく toriniku chicken

鳥籠 とりかご torikago bird cage

鳥居 とりい tori’i torii, Shinto shrine archway

七面鳥 しちめんちょう shichimenchō turkey

渡り鳥 わたりどり wataridori migratory bird

牛

cow

4 strokes

牛radical

ON readings

ギュウ GYŪ

KUN readings

うし ushi

common words

子牛 こうし ko’ushi calf, small cow

牛肉 ぎゅうにく gyūniku beef

肉牛 にくぎゅう nikugyū beef cattle

水牛 すいぎゅう suigyū water buffalo

野牛 やぎゅう yagyū buffalo

牛乳 ぎゅうにゅう gyūnyū milk

牛丼 ぎゅうどん gyūdon rice bowl topped with beef and vegetables

好

fondness, to like

6 strokes

女 radical

ON readings

コウ KŌ

KUN readings

この-む kono-mu,

す-く su-ku

common words

大好き だいすき daisuki to like something very much

好物 こうぶつ kōbutsu one’s favorite dish

好転 こうてん kōten changing for the better

犬好き いぬずき inuzuki dog lovers

好き嫌い すききらい sukikirai likes and dislikes

友好 ゆうこう yūkō friendship, amity

お好み焼き おこのみやき okonomiyaki savory Japanese- style pancake

勉

to endeavor

10 strokes

力radical

ON readings

ベン BEN

KUN readings

つと-める tsuto-meru

common words

勉学 べんがく bengaku study

勉強 べんきょう benkyō study

不勉強 ふべんきょう fubenkyō lack of study

勤勉 きんべん kinben diligence

強

strong

11 strokes

弓 radical

ON readings

キョウ KYŌ,

ゴウ GŌ

KUN readings

つよ-い tsuyo-i,

つよ-める tsuyo-meru,

つよ-まる tsuyo-maru,

し-いる shi-iru

common words

強い つよい tsuyoi strong

強気 つよき tsuyoki self-assured

強国 きょうこく kyōkoku strong country

強化 きょうか kyōka strengthening

力強い ちからづよい chikara-zuyoi strong, vigorous

強引 ごういん gōin pushy, forcible

強制 きょうせい kyōsei enforcement

習

to learn

11 strokes

羽 radical

ON readings

シュウ SHŪ

KUN readings

なら-う nara-u

common words

習う ならう narau to learn

自習 じしゅう jishū self-study

学習 がくしゅう gakushū study, learning

習字 しゅうじ shūji penmanship

見習い みならい minarai apprentice

練習 れんしゅう renshū practice

習得 しゅうとく shūtoku acquisition

教

to teach

11 strokes

攵 radical

ON readings

キョウ KYŌ

KUN readings

おし-える oshi-eru,

おそ-わる oso-waru

common words

教える おしえる oshieru to teach

教員 きょういん kyōin teaching staff

教習 きょうしゅう kyōshū training

教会 きょうかい kyōkai church

説教 せっきょう sekkyō preaching, scolding

教育 きょういく kyōiku education

教授 きょうじゅ kyōju professor

朝

morning

12 strokes

月 radical

ON readings

チョウ CHŌ

KUN readings

あさ asa

common words

朝会 ちょうかい chōkai morning assembly

朝食 ちょうしょく chōshoku breakfast

朝日 あさひ asahi morning sun

今朝 けさ kesa this morning

朝ご飯 あさごはん asa-gohan breakfast

毎朝 まいあさ maiasa every morning

早朝 そうちょう sōchō early morning

朝夕 あさゆう asayū morning and evening

夜

night

8 strokes

夕 radical

ON readings

ヤ YA

KUN readings

よる yoru,

よ yo

common words

夜空 よぞら yozora night sky

今夜 こんや kon’ya this evening

夜中 よなか yonaka midnight

夜風 よかぜ yokaze night wind

夜学 やがく yagaku night school, evening course

夜勤 やきん yakin night shift

通夜 つや tsuya wake (ceremony)

旅

trip, travel

10 strokes

方 radical

ON readings

リョ RYO

KUN readings

たび tabi

common words

旅人 たびびと tabibito traveler

旅先 たびさき tabisaki destination

旅行 りょこう ryokō travel, trip

長旅 ながたび nagatabi long trip

新婚旅行 しんこんりょこう shinkon-ryokō honeymoon

社員旅行 しゃいんりょこう shain-ryokō company outing

旅行会社 りょこうがいしゃ ryokō-gaisha travel agency

風

wind

9 strokes

風 radical

ON readings

フウ FŪ,

フ FU

KUN readings

かぜ kaze,

かざ kaza

common words

風雨 ふうう fūu wind and rain

古風 こふう kofū old-fashioned

社風 しゃふう shafū corporate culture

秋風 あきかぜ akikaze autumn breeze

風習 ふうしゅう fūshū custom

強風 きょうふう kyōfū strong wind

風物 ふうぶつ fūbutsu things particular to a region or season

正

correct

5 strokes

止 radical

ON readings

セイ SEI,

ショウ SHŌ

KUN readings

ただ-しい tada-shi’i,

ただ-す tada-su,

まさ masa

common words

正しい ただしい tadashi’i correct, right

不正 ふせい fusei injustice

正月 しょうがつ Shōgatsu New Year

校正 こうせい kōsei proofreading

改正 かいせい kaisei revision, amendment

正義 せいぎ seigi justice

正方形 せいほうけい seihōkei square

答

answer

12 strokes

⺮ radical

ON readings

トウ TŌ

KUN readings

こた-える kota-eru,

こた-え kota-e

common words

答え こたえ kotae answer

問答 もんどう mondō questions and answers

口答え くちごたえ kuchigotae back talk, retort

答え合わせ こたえあわせ kotae-awase checking answers

口答試問 こうとうしもん kōtō-shimon oral examination

質疑応答 しつぎおうとう shitsugi-ōtō question-and-answer session

回答率 かいとうりつ kaitōritsu response rate

質

quality

15 strokes

貝 radical

ON readings

シツ SHITSU,

シチ SHICHI,

チ CHI

common words

物質 ぶっしつ busshitsu material, substance

高質 こうしつ kōshitsu high-quality

上質 じょうしつ jōshitsu high-quality

質屋 しちや shichiya pawnshop

品質 ひんしつ hinshitsu quality of products

体質 たいしつ taishitsu physical constitution

質素 しっそ shisso simplicity

問

to question

11 strokes

口 radical

ON readings

モン MON

KUN readings

と-う to-u,

と-い to-i,

とん ton

common words

問う とう tou to inquire

質問 しつもん shitsumon question

問い合わせ といあわせ toiawase inquiry

問屋 とんや ton’ya wholesale store

学問的 がくもんてき gakumonteki scholarly

社会問題 しゃかいもんだい shakai-mondai social problem

疑問文 ぎもんぶん gimonbun interrogative sentence

近

near

7 strokes

辶 radical

ON readings

キン KIN

KUN readings

ちか-い chika-i

common words

近い ちかい chikai near

近道 ちかみち chikamichi shortcut

間近 まじか majika proximity, nearby

近所 きんじょ kinjo neighborhood

中近東 ちゅうきんとう Chūkintō Near and Middle East

近視 きんし kinshi nearsightedness

最近 さいきん saikin these days

近代化 きんだいか kindaika modernization

遠

far, distant

13 strokes

辶 radical

ON readings

エン EN,

オン ON

KUN readings

とお-い tō-i

common words

遠い とおい tō-i far

遠近 えんきん enkin far and near

遠方 えんぽう enpō long way

遠足 えんそく ensoku excursion

遠視 えんし enshi farsightedness

遠慮 えんりょ enryo hesitation

遠回り とおまわり tōmawari detour

場

place

12 strokes

土 radical

ON readings

ジョウ JŌ

KUN readings

ば ba

common words

場所 ばしょ basho place, location

場合 ばあい ba’ai case, situation

入場料 にゅうじょうりょう nyūjōryō admission fee

立場 たちば tachiba standpoint

試験場 しけんじょう shikenjō examination hall

駐車場 ちゅうしゃじょう chūshajō parking lot

会場 かいじょう kaijō meeting place

所

place

8 strokes

戸 radical

ON readings

ショ SHO

KUN readings

ところ tokoro

common words

いい所 いいところ i’i tokoro a nice place

高所 こうしょ kōsho place of high altitude

名所 めいしょ meisho famous place

長所 ちょうしょ chōsho strong point

役所 やくしょ yakusho government office

所有権 しょゆうけん shoyūken ownership

所得 しょとく shotoku income

方

direction, person

4 strokes

方 radical

ON readings

ホウ HŌ

KUN readings

かた kata

common words

あちらの方 あちらのほう achira no hō that direction

東北地方 とうほくちほう tōhoku-chihō northeastern region

作り方 つくりかた tsukurikata recipe

考え方 かんがえかた kangaekata way of thinking

方言 ほうげん hōgen dialect

方向 ほうこう hōkō (physical) direction

方法 ほうほう hōhō method

住

to reside, to live

7 strokes

イ radical

ON readings

ジュウ JŪ

KUN readings

す-む su-mu,

す-まう su-mau

common words

住む すむ sumu to reside

住所 じゅうしょ jūsho residential address

住人 じゅうにん jūnin dweller, resident

住所不明 じゅうしょふめい jūsho-fumei address unknown

住み心地 すみごごち sumigokochi comfort (in living place)

住宅地 じゅうたくち jūtakuchi residential district

住民税 じゅうみんぜい jūminzei municipal tax

地

ground, earth, place

6 strokes

土 radical

ON readings

チ CHI,

ジ JI

common words

土地 とち tochi plot of land, region

地名 ちめい chimei place name

地下 ちか chika basement, underground place

地理 ちり chiri geography

生地 きじ kiji cloth, fabric, uncooked dough

地震 じしん jishin earthquake

地球 ちきゅう chikyū the globe, the earth

図

drawing, plan, illustration

7 strokes

囗 radical

ON readings

ズ ZU,

ト TO

KUN readings

はか-る haka-ru

common words

図る はかる hakaru to plot

図書 としょ tosho books

地図 ちず chizu map

合図 あいず aizu signal

図形 すけい zukei figure, diagram

意図的 いとてき itoteki intentional

指図 さしず sashizu instruction

発

departure, emission

9 strokes

癶 radical

ON readings

ハツ HATSU,

ホツ HOTSU

common words

出発 しゅっぱつ shuppatsu departure

発音 はつおん hatsuon pronunciation

発見 はっけん hakken discovery

発電所 はつでんしょ hatsudensho power plant

発作 ほっさ hossa attack (medical condition)

発車 はっしゃ hassha departure (bus, train, etc.)

多発 たはつ tahatsu repeated occurrence

着

to arrive, to wear

12 strokes

羊 radical

ON readings

チャク CHAKU,

ジャク JAKU

KUN readings

き-る ki-ru,

き-せる ki-seru,

つ-く tsu-ku,

つ-ける tsu-keru,

-ぎ -gi

common words

着る きる kiru to wear, to put on

着く つく tsuku to arrive

下着 したぎ shitagi underwear

上着 うわぎ uwagi coat, jacket

水着 みずぎ mizugi swimsuit

到着 とうちゃく tōchaku arrival

普段着 ふだんぎ fudangi casual wear

和

harmony, Japanese style; to relax; calm

8 strokes

口 radical

ON readings

ワ WA,

オ O

KUN readings

やわ-らぐ yawa-ragu,

やわ-らげる yawa-rageru,

なご-む nago-mu,

なご-やか nago-yaka

common words

和風 わふう wafū Japanese style

和食 わしょく washoku Japanese-style cuisine

和牛 わぎゅう wagyū Japanese beef

和文 わぶん wabun Japanese text, Japanese sentence

和服 わふく wafuku Japanese-style clothes

大和 やまと Yamato ancient Japan

和尚 おしょう oshō Buddhist priest

洋

ocean, Western style

9 strokes

氵 radical

ON readings

ヨウ YŌ

common words

大西洋 たいせいよう Taiseiyō Atlantic Ocean

西洋 せいよう seiyō the West

東洋 とうよう tōyō the East

洋風 ようふう yōfū Western style

洋食 ようしょく yōshoku Western-style cuisine

海洋 かいよう kaiyō ocean

洋服 ようふく yōfuku (Western-style) clothes

広

wide, spacious

5 strokes

广 radical

ON readings

コウ KŌ

KUN readings

ひろ-い hiro-i,

ひろ-まる hiro-maru,

ひろ-める hiro-meru,

ひろ-がる hiro-garu,

ひろ-げる hiro-geru

common words

広い ひろい hiroi spacious

広大な こうだいな kōdai na vast

広場 ひろば hiroba plaza

広間 ひろま hiroma hall, spacious room

広報 こうほう kōhō public relations

広告 こうこく kōkoku advertisement

背広 せびろ sebiro business suit

広島 ひろしま Hiroshima Hiroshima (place name)

明

bright, light

8 strokes

日 radical

ON readings

メイ MEI,

ミョウ MYŌ

KUN readings

あ-かり a-kari, 　 あか-るい aka-rui, 　 あか-らむ aka-ramu, あき-らか aki-raka, あけ-る ake-ru, あ-くる a-kuru, あ-かす a-kasu

common words

明るい あかるい akarui bright

発明 はつめい hatsumei invention

説明 せつめい setsumei explanation

明日 あす/あした asu/ashita tomorrow

明白 めいはく meihaku obvious

明け方 あけがた akegata dawn

明暗 めいあん meian light and darkness

室

room

9 strokes

宀 radical

ON readings

シツ SHITSU

KUN readings

むろ muro

common words

教室 きょうしつ kyōshitsu classroom

図書室 としょしつ toshoshitsu library

和室 わしつ washitsu Japanese-style room

洋室 ようしつ yōshitsu Western-style room

室町時代 むろまちじだい Muromachi jidai Muromachi period (1336–1573)

研究室 けんきゅうしつ kenkyūshitsu professor’s office, laboratory

館

large building

16 strokes

食 radical

ON readings

カン KAN

KUN readings

やかた yakata

common words

図書館 としょかん toshokan library

大使館 たいしかん taishikan embassy

会館 かいかん kaikan meeting hall

旅館 りょかん ryokan Japanese-style inn

体育館 たいいくかん tai’ikukan gym

美術館 びじゅつかん bijutsukan art museum

映画館 えいがかん eigakan movie theater

走

to run

7 strokes

走 radical

ON readings

ソウ SŌ

KUN readings

はし-る hashi-ru

common words

走る はしる hashiru to run

走行 そうこう sōkō running a wheeled vehicle, traveling

先走る さきばしる sakibashiru to jump to a conclusion

競走 きょうそう kyōsō racing

ご馳走 ごちそう gochisō feast

逃走 とうそう tōsō escape

滑走路 かっそうろ kassōro runway

走者 そうしゃ sōsha runner

歩

to walk

8 strokes

止 radical

ON readings

ホ HO,

ブ BU,

フ FU

KUN readings

ある-く aru-ku,

あゆ-む ayu-mu

common words

歩く あるく aruku to walk

歩行 ほこう hokō walking

歩道 ほどう hodō sidewalk

一歩 いっぽ ippo one step

出歩く であるく dearuku to go out

進歩 しんぽ shinpo progress

散歩 さんぽ sanpo strolling

止

to stop

4 strokes

止 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

と-まる to-maru,

と-める to-meru

common words

止まる とまる tomaru to stop

通行止め つうこうどめ tsūkōdome closure (of a road)

中止 ちゅうし chūshi cancelation, interruption, stoppage

休止 きゅうし kyūshi pause

廃止 はいし haishi abolition

禁止 きんし kinshi prohibition

防止 ぼうし bōshi prevention

短

short

12 strokes

矢 radical

ON readings

タン TAN

KUN readings

みじか-い mijika-i

common words

短い みじかい mijikai short

短気 たんき tanki short temper

短大 たんだい tandai junior college

短所 たんしょ tansho weak point

短時間 たんじかん tanjikan short time

短文 たんぶん tanbun short sentence

長短 ちょうたん chōtan long and short

開

to open

12 strokes

門 radical

ON readings

カイ KAI

KUN readings

ひら-く hira-ku,

ひら-ける hira-keru,

あ-く a-ku,

あ-ける a-keru

common words

開く ひらく hiraku to open

開国 かいこく kaikoku opening of a country to the world

開校 かいこう kaikō opening of a school

開会 かいかい kaikai opening of a ceremony, an event, etc.

開発 かいはつ kaihatsu development

開始 かいし kaishi beginning

満開 まんかい mankai full bloom

公開 こうかい kōkai opening to the public

閉

to close

11 strokes

門 radical

ON readings

ヘイ HEI

KUN readings

と-じる to-jiru,

と-ざす to-zasu,

し-める shi-meru,

し-まる shi-maru

common words

閉じる とじる tojiru to close

閉会 へいかい heikai closure of a ceremony, an event, etc.

閉口する へいこうする heikō suru to be annoyed

閉校 へいこう heikō closing a school

自閉症 じへいしょう jiheishō autism

閉鎖 へいさ heisa shutdown

開閉 かいへい kaihei opening and closing

門

gate

8 strokes

門 radical

ON readings

モン MON

KUN readings

かど kado

common words

入門書 にゅうもんしょ nyūmonsho introductory book

正門 せいもん seimon main gate

部門 ぶもん bumon division (within a larger group)

開門 かいもん kaimon to open a gate

門出 かどで kadode departure (starting of a new life)

校門 こうもん kōmon school gate

専門家 せんもんか senmon-ka specialist

店

store

8 strokes

广 radical

ON readings

テン TEN

KUN readings

みせ mise

common words

開店 かいてん kaiten opening of a store

閉店 へいてん heiten closing of a store, going out of

business

売店 ばいてん baiten shop, stand, stall

店長 てんちょう tenchō store manager

店員 てんいん ten’in salesperson

書店 しょてん shoten bookstore

専門店 せんもんてん senmon-ten specialty store

工

craft

3 strokes

工 radical

ON readings

コウ KŌ,

ク KU

common words

工事 こうじ kōji construction work

工場 こうじょう kōjō factory

工学 こうがく kōgaku engineering

工業 こうぎょう kōgyō manufacturing industry

人工 じんこう jinkō artificial

着工 ちゃっこう chakkō start of work

大工 だいく daiku carpenter

工員 こういん kōin factory worker

事

matter, fact

8 strokes

亅 radical

ON readings

ジ JI,

ズ ZU

KUN readings

こと koto

common words

火事 かじ kaji fire, conflagration

家事 かじ kaji housework

事業 じぎょう jigyō project, enterprise

大事 だいじ daiji important, valuable

食事 しょくじ shokuji meal

用事 ようじ yōji errand

仕事 しごと shigoto work, job

事故 じこ jiko accident

産

to produce

11 strokes

生 radical

ON readings

サン SAN

KUN readings

う-む u-mu,

う-まれるu-mareru,

うぶ ubu

common words

産む うむ umu to give birth, to produce

産地 さんち sanchi producing area

生産 せいさん seisan production

産声 うぶごえ ubugoe baby’s first cry

産休 さんきゅう sankyū maternity leave

産物 さんぶつ sanbutsu product, produce

産卵 さんらん sanran egg-laying, spawning

業

business, performance

13 strokes

木 radical

ON readings

ギョウ GYŌ,

ゴウ GŌ

KUN readings

わざ waza

common words

業者 ぎょうしゃ gyōsha merchant, manufacturer

産業 さんぎょう sangyō industry

作業 さぎょう sagyō work, operation

職業 しょくぎょう shokugyō occupation, business

卒業 そつぎょう sotsugyō graduation

仕業 しわざ shiwaza one’s doing/action

授業 じゅぎょう jugyō lesson, class

病

illness

10 strokes

疒 radical

ON readings

ビョウ BYŌ,

ヘイ HEI

KUN readings

や-む ya-mu,

やまい yamai

common words

病院 びょういん byōin hospital

病気 びょうき byōki illness, sickness

病人 びょうにん byōnin sick person

病室 びょうしつ byōshitsu hospital room

病名 びょうめい byōmei name of a disease

精神病 せいしんびょう seishin-byō mental illness

白血病 はっけつびょう hakketsu-byō leukemia

院

institution

10 strokes

阝 radical

ON readings

イン IN

common words

入院 にゅういん nyūin hospitalization

大学院 だいがくいん daigakuin graduate school

学院 がくいん gakuin academy

通院 つういん tsūin commuting to hospital

美容院 びよういん biyōin beauty parlor

医院 いいん i’in doctor’s office

退院 たいいん tai’in discharge from hospital

死

death

6 strokes

歹 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

し-ぬ shi-nu

common words

死ぬ しぬ shinu to die

死後 しご shigo after death

病死 びょうし byōshi death from illness

死体 したい shitai dead body

生死 せいし seishi life and death

水死 すいし suishi drowning

死刑 しけい shikei death penalty

者

person

8 strokes

耂 radical

ON readings

シャ SHA

KUN readings

もの mono

common words

学者 がくしゃ gakusha scholar

歩行者 ほこうしゃ hokōsha pedestrian

読者 どくしゃ dokusha reader (person)

死者 ししゃ shisha casualty, deceased

若者 わかもの wakamono young people

医者 いしゃ isha medical doctor

患者 かんじゃ kanja patient

県

prefecture

9 strokes

目 radical

ON readings

ケン KEN

common words

大分県 おおいたけん Ōita-ken Oita Prefecture

長野県 ながのけん Nagano-ken Nagano Prefecture

高知県 こうちけん Kōchi-ken Kochi Prefecture

県道 けんどう kendo prefectural road

県外 けんがい kengai outside the prefecture

県立 けんりつ kenritsu prefectural

県知事 けんちじ kenchiji prefectural governor

市

city, market

5 strokes

巾 radical

ON readings

シ SHI

KUN readings

いち ichi

common words

名古屋市 なごやし Nagoya-shi Nagoya City

ニューヨーク市 にゅーよーくし Nyūyōku-shi New York City

市長 しちょう shichō city mayor

魚市場 うおいちば uoichiba fish market (store)

市場価格 しじょうかかく shijō-kakaku market price

市立病院 しりつびょういん shiritsu-byōin city hospital

市外 しがい shigai outside the city

区

ward

4 strokes

匸 radical

ON readings

ク KU

common words

品川区 しながわく Shinagawa-ku Shinagawa Ward

中野区 なかのく Nakano-ku Nakano Ward

足立区 あだちく Adachi-ku Adachi Ward

区長 くちょう kuchō head of a ward

区分 くぶん kubun division

区間 くかん kukan section

区切る くぎる kugiru to divide

町

town

7 strokes

田 radical

ON readings

チョウ CHŌ

KUN readings

まち machi

common words

石川町 いしかわちょう Ishikawa-chō Ishikawa Town

町長 ちょうちょう chōchō town mayor

町中 まちなか machinaka downtown

町工場 まちこうば machikōba small factory in town

町内会 ちょうないかい chōnaikai town council

市町村 しちょうそん shichōson cities, towns and villages

港町 みなとまち minatomachi port city

春分 しゅんぶん shunbun spring equinox

春雨 はるさめ harusame spring rain

春先 はるさき harusaki beginning of spring

新春 しんしゅん shinshun new year

立春 りっしゅん risshun the first day of spring

秋分 しゅうぶん shūbun autumnal equinox

秋空 あきぞら akizora autumn sky

秋月 しゅうげつ shūgetsu the autumn moon

秋口 あきぐち akiguchi beginning of autumn

立秋 りっしゅう risshū the first day of autumn

冬山 ふゆやま fuyu-yama wintery mountain

冬空 ふゆぞら fuyu-zora wintery sky

春休み はるやすみ haru-yasumi spring vacation

夏休み なつやすみ natsu-yasumi summer vacation

冬休み ふゆやすみ fuyu-yasumi winter vacation

夏時間 なつじかん natsu-jikan daylight saving time

夏ばて なつばて natsubate summer heat fatigue

春夏秋冬 しゅんかしゅうとう shunkashūtō spring-summer-autumn-winter (four seasons)

化学 かがく kagaku chemistry

気化 きか kika vaporization

物語 ものがたり monogatari story

書物 しょもつ shomotsu books

本物 ほんもの honmono real thing

道理 どうり dōri reason, truth

料理 りょうり ryōri cooking

料金 りょうきん ryōkin fee, charge

食料 しょくりょう shokuryō food

生化学 せいかがく seikagaku biochemistry

少子化 しょうしか shōshika declining birthrate

化け物 ばけもの bakemono monster

生き物 いきもの ikimono living thing, creature

生物学 せいぶつがく seibutsu-gaku biology

生理学 せいりがく seiri-gaku physiology

飲料水 いんりょうすい inryōsui drinking water

手料理 てりょうり teryōri home cooking

物理 ぶつり butsuri physics

円安 えんやす en’yasu weak yen

円高 えんだか endaka strong yen

安い やすい yasui cheap

安物 やすもの yasumono cheap article

高い たかい takai expensive, high

売る うる uru to sell

売買 ばいばい baibai selling and buying

買う かう kau to buy

安売り やすうり yasu’uri bargain sale

高校生 こうこうせい kōkōsei high school students

売上高 うりあげだか uriagedaka gross sales

売り物 うりもの urimono goods for sale

前売り まえうり mae’uri advance sale

小売り こうり ko’uri retail

買い物 かいもの kaimono shopping

買い手 かいて kaite buyer

売り買い うりかい urikai selling and buying

買いだめ かいだめ kaidame stock up

部長 ぶちょう buchō head of a section or club

部屋 へや heya room

部品 ぶひん buhin parts, accessories

学部 がくぶ gakubu department of a university

一部 いちぶ ichibu part, a copy, a volume

全部 ぜんぶ zenbu all, the whole

花屋 はなや hanaya florist

小屋 こや koya hut, cabin, shed

屋上 おくじょう okujō rooftop

屋外 おくがい okugai outdoor

品物 しなもの shinamono goods

手品 てじな tejina magic

上品な じょうひんな jōhin na refined

商品 しょうひん shōhin merchandise

家具 かぐ kagu furniture

家屋 かおく kaoku house, building

空き家 あきや akiya unoccupied house

大家 おおや ōya landlord, landlady

自分 じぶん jibun oneself, myself, yourself, himself, herself

自国 じこく jikoku one’s own country

自立 じりつ jiritsu independence, self-reliance

自作 じさく jisaku one’s own work

駅員 えきいん eki’in station attendant

会員 かいいん kai’in member of an association

部員 ぶいん buin member of a club

私語 しご shigo talk in whispers, secret talk

私用 しよう shiyō private use

私見 しけん shiken personal opinion

気体 きたい kitai vapor

本体 ほんたい hontai main part

人体 じんたい jintai human body

大体 だいたい daitai substantially

会社員 かいしゃいん kaishain company employee

私たち わたしたち watashitachi we, us

新入社員 しんにゅうしゃいん shinnyū-shain new employee, new hire

私立大学 しりつだいがく shiritsu-daigaku private university

試す ためす tamesu to try

試験 しけん shiken examination, test

試食 ししょく shishoku sampling food

試飲 しいん shi’in sampling a drink

入試 にゅうし nyūshi entrance examination

体験 たいけん taiken personal experience

使う つかう tsukau to use

大使 たいし taishi ambassador

天使 てんし tenshi angel

用語 ようご yōgo technical terms

用水 ようすい yōsui irrigation water

使い道 つかいみち tsukaimichi way to use something

日用品 にちようひん nichiyōhin daily necessities

学生用 がくせいよう gakusei-yō to be used for students

入学試験 にゅうがくしけん nyūgaku-shiken entrance examination

国家試験 こっかしけん kokka-shiken state examination

使用する しようする shiyō suru to use

使い捨て つかいすて tsukaisute disposable

音楽 おんがく ongaku music

足音 あしおと ashioto footsteps

母音 ぼいん boin vowel

子音 しいん shi’in consonant

楽な らくな raku na easy (workload)

気楽 きらく kiraku carefree, comfortable

楽屋 がくや gakuya green room, backstage

歌手 かしゅ kashu singer

校歌 こうか kōka school song

国歌 こっか kokka national anthem

小声 こごえ kogoe low voice, whisper

歌声 うたごえ utagoe singing voice

音読み おんよみ on-yomi ON (Chinese) reading of kanji

楽しい たのしい tanoshi’i fun

楽天家 らくてんか rakuten-ka optimist

話し声 はなしごえ hanashigoe speaking voice

声楽家 せいがくか seigaku-ka vocalist

歌を歌う うたをうたう uta o utau to sing a song

話す はなす hanasu to talk

電話 でんわ denwa telephone

手話 しゅわ shuwa sign language

会話 かいわ kaiwa conversation

説く とく toku to explain

小説 しょうせつ shōsetsu novel

学説 がくせつ gakusetsu theory

作る つくる tsukuru to make

作品 さくひん sakuhin piece of work

作家 さっか sakka writer

名作 めいさく meisaku masterpiece

作用 さよう sayō action, effect

作物 さくもつ sakumotsu crops, agricultural produce

会合 かいごう kaigō meeting, assembly

合計 ごうけい gōkei sum total

口説く くどく kudoku to coax

合気道 あいきどう aikidō aikido (martial art)

話し合う はなしあう hanashiau to discuss, to talk together

思考 しこう shikō thinking, thought

知る しる shiru to know

知人 ちじん chijin acquaintance

思う おもう omou to think

安心 あんしん anshin relief, peace of mind

用心 ようじん yōjin precaution

中心 ちゅうしん chūshin center, middle

考える かんがえる kangaeru to think about

考古学 こうこがく kōko-gaku archaeology

考え物 かんがえもの kangaemono problem

心理学 しんりがく shinri-gaku psychology

考え出す かんがえだす kangaedasu to invent, to think out

知らせる しらせる shiraseru to notify

知り合い しりあい shiriai acquaintance

人見知り ひとみしり hitomishiri fear of strangers

思い出す おもいだす omoidasu to recall

思い知る おもいしる omoishiru to realize

思い出話 おもいでばなし omoide-banashi reminiscent talk

重い おもい omo-i heavy

体重 たいじゅう taijū body weight

重大 じゅうだい jūdai serious

一重 ひとえ hitoe one layer

重力 じゅうりょく jūryoku gravity

動物 どうぶつ dōbutsu animal

行動 こうどう kōdō action

動作 どうさ dōsa action, movements

動力 どうりょく dōryoku power

自動 じどう jidō automatic

手動 しゅどう shudō manual

働く はたらく hataraku to work

体力 たいりょく tairyoku stamina, endurance

学力 がくりょく gakuryoku scholarly ability

入力 にゅうりょく nyūryoku input

自力 じりき jiriki one’s own power (by oneself)

働き手 はたらきて hatarakite worker

働き口 はたらきぐち hatarakiguchi position, employment