Kanji 20

Each character entry below contains a ≤1 MB QuickTime movie of the character being painted with a brush, created by Prof. Saeko Komori of Chubu University. Please see the JP Net Kanji Project for more details.

In the following definitions, on (Chinese-based) readings are represented by katakana, and by capital romaji letters; kun (native Japanese-based) readings are represented by hiragana, and by lower-case romaji letters. This is a common dictionary convention, and does not have any bearing on meaning.

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: たの (む) tano

Meaning: to request; to rely

Mnemonic:
bundle of sticks and big head. Before you ask someone for a favor, you should put your thoughts together.

Usage Examples:
頼む (たのむ) request

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form: 便

Readings: ベン BEN

Meaning: convenience

Mnemonic:
If a person can change , it's convenient.

Usage Examples:
便利 (べんり) convenient
便所 (べんじょ) toilet

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: RI

Meaning: profit; effective

Mnemonic:
Rice plants harvested with sickle which looks like .

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: FU

Meaning: un-

Mnemonic:
Stillborn baby buried under the ground.

Usage Examples:
不便 (ふべん) inconvenient

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: はや (い) haya

Meaning: speedy

Mnemonic:
bundle of things and the radical for advance movement. [送 (おく) "to send"; 近 (ちか) "near"; 道 (みち) "street"]

Usage Examples:
速い (はやい) speedy

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: いそ (ぐ) iso

Meaning: to hurry; quick

Mnemonic:
A mouth wide open (top); hand (middle); and heart (bottom). When you are in a hurry, you put your hand on your chest with your mouth wide open. [思 (おも) "to think"]

Usage Examples:
急ぐ (いそぐ) hurry

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: おお (い) oo

Meaning: plenty

Mnemonic:
Many moons ago... [名 (な) "name"]

Usage Examples:
多い (おおい) plenty

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: おも (い) omo

Meaning: heavy

Mnemonic:
Car with extra strokes on top and bottom is heavier.

Usage Examples:
重い (おもい) heavy

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: ヘイ HEI

Meaning: flat; peace

Mnemonic:
A perfectly symmetrical design.

Usage Examples:
平成 (へいせい) Heisei era

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: セイ/なり SEI/nari

Meaning: emerge; bring out

Mnemonic:
Combination of soldiers' spears and 10,000 men.

Usage Examples:
成田 (なりた) Narita (city)

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: の (る)/ジョウ no/JOO

Meaning: to ride; to get on

Mnemonic:
A Christmas tree decorated with pretty ornaments.

Usage Examples:
乗る (のる) ride
乗車けん (じょうしゃけん) passenger ticket

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: お (りる) o

Meaning: to descend

Mnemonic:
This institution has changed a lot over the years .

Usage Examples:
降りる get off

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: まち/チョウ machi/CHOO

Meaning: town

Mnemonic:
Rice field surveyed and marked by stakes 丁.

Usage Examples:
町 (まち) town
中西町 (なかにしちょう) Town of Nakanishi

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: SHI

Meaning: city

Mnemonic:
A picture of a market building. is the kanji for "cloth". [姉 (あね) "older sister"]

Usage Examples:
成田市 (なりたし) Narita City
名古屋市 (なごやし) Nagoya City
市内 (しない) within the city

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: I

Meaning: self

Mnemonic:
A picture of a person's nose. Japanese point at their nose as they say, "It's me!"

Usage Examples:
自分で (じぶんで) by oneself

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: KO

Meaning: piece(s)

Mnemonic:
Person and solid (like an aged lump of cheese ).

Usage Examples:
一個 (いっこ) one piece

Kanji25.gif

Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: シン / こころ SIN / kokoro

Meaning: mind; core; heart; soul

Usage Examples:
心ぞう (しんぞう) heart
決心する (けっしんする) decide

 Kanji26.gif

Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: パイ、ハイ PAI, HAI

Meaning: distribute

Usage Examples:
心配する (しんぱいする) to worry

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: ケイ/ かる (い) KEI/ karu(i)

Meaning: light; slight; easy

Usage Examples:
軽い物 (かるいもの) something light
口が軽い人 (くちがかるいひと) a gossipmonger

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Video: Writing and pronunciation

Printed form:

Readings: ケン ken

Meaning: ticket

Usage Examples:
乗車券 (じょうしゃけん) passenger ticket
特急券 (とっきゅうけん) special express ticket
食事券 (しょくじけん) meal ticket

New Readings

KANJI READINGS
都内 (とない), within the city of Tokyo
少ない (すくない), few; little
変える (かえる), change something
間に合う (まにあう), be on time
学会 (がっかい), academic organization
(はなし), story; talk
通う (かよう), commute

 

[Quizzes (JavaScript required): Meaning (27 questions) | Reading (23 questions)]

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