JLPT N4 Kanji: 急 (Kyuu) – Mastering “Urgent, Sudden, Steep” 急 Readings: キュウ (Onyomi), いそ.ぐ, いそ.ぎ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Urgent, sudden, steep The kanji 急 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The phonetic component is 邑 (yū, a variant of 阜, meaning mound/hill, indicating a steep incline), and the semantic component is 心 (kokoro, heart), suggesting a hurried […]
JLPT N4 Kanji: 空 (Sora, Kara, Kuu) – Mastering “Sky” and “Empty” 空 Readings: クウ (Onyomi), そら, から, あ.く, あ.き, あ.ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: sky; empty; void The kanji 空 combines 穴 (ana, “hole” or “cavity”) and 工 (kou, often a phonetic component or representing “work”). Together, they suggest an empty space, void, or opening, leading
JLPT N4 Kanji: 建 – To Build, Construct 建 Readings: ケン (KEN) (Onyomi), た-てる (tateru), た-つ (tatsu) (Kunyomi) Meaning: To build, to construct, to establish, to erect The kanji 建 (jiàn) depicts a brush (聿) used for marking or drawing, within a path or extended shape (廴). This implies the act of marking out a
JLPT N4 Kanji: 工 (Kou) – Mastering Craft and Industry 工 Readings: コウ, ク (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Craft, construction, industry, artisan, work The kanji 工 is a pictograph representing a tool, such as a carpenter’s square or ruler, symbolizing craftsmanship, work, and construction. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The
JLPT N4 Kanji: 料 – Mastering Materials, Fees, and Ingredients 料 Readings: リョウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: materials, fare, fee, charge, ingredient The kanji 料 is formed by combining 米 (rice/grain) and 斗 (a dipper/measure). This combination originally represented the act of measuring grains or ingredients. Over time, its meaning expanded to encompass “materials,” “ingredients,” and
JLPT N4 Kanji: 町 (Machi / Chō) – Town, Street, Block 町 Readings: チョウ (Onyomi), まち (Kunyomi) Meaning: town, block, street The kanji 町 combines 田 (rice field) and 丁 (a phonetic component also related to streets or blocks). It originally depicted a cultivated field divided into blocks, evolving to represent a town or district.
JLPT N4 Kanji: 少 (shō, sukoshi, sukunai) – Learn “Few, Little” 少 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), すこ-し, すく-ない (Kunyomi) Meaning: few, little The kanji 少 (shō) is an ideogram that originally depicted a small object or perhaps a small, distinct part, evolving to represent the concept of “few” or “little.” It shares its radical with 小
JLPT N4 Kanji: 口 (Kuchi/Kou) – Understanding “Mouth” and “Opening” 口 Readings: コウ, ク (Onyomi), くち (Kunyomi) Meaning: Mouth, opening, entrance, exit This kanji is a pictograph of an open mouth. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 口 (kuchi) is written with three strokes. Start with the vertical
JLPT N4 Kanji: 有 (aru, yuu) – To Have, To Exist 有 Readings: ユウ, ウ (Onyomi), あ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: to have, exist, to be This kanji is a pictogram of a hand (又) holding meat (originally 肉, which transformed into 月). It represents the idea of “to possess” or “to have something.” View JLPT N4
JLPT N4 Kanji: 真 (Shin, Ma) – The Truth Behind the Character 真 Readings: シン (Onyomi), ま, まこと (Kunyomi) Meaning: true, reality, genuine The kanji 真 originally depicted a person standing upright and holding a utensil (匕), signifying “true” or “genuine” in the sense of being “straight” or “correct.” View JLPT N4 Kanji List How
JLPT N4 Kanji: 無 – The Kanji for “Nothing” and “Without” 無 Readings: ム, ブ (Onyomi), な.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: Nothing, none, not, without The character 無 is thought to be derived from a pictograph of a person dancing (originally 舞) with ornaments. This character was later borrowed to represent the concept of “nothing” or “not
JLPT N4 Kanji: 住 (jū/su.mu) – Live, Reside 住 Readings: ジュウ (Onyomi), す.む, す.まう, -ず.まい (Kunyomi) Meaning: live, reside, dwell The kanji 住 combines the radical 亻 (hito-hen), meaning “person,” and 主 (shuu), meaning “master” or “owner.” Together, it symbolizes a person settling down in a place, implying to “live” or “reside” there as if
JLPT N4 Kanji: 広 (hiroi) – Mastering ‘Wide’ and ‘Spacious’ 広 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), ひろ.い, ひろ.める, ひろ.がる, ひろ.げる, ひろ.まる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Wide, broad, spacious This kanji is a pictograph representing a house with a wide entrance, conveying the meaning of “wide” or “spacious.” View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The
JLPT N4 Kanji: 台 (DAI, TAI) 台 Readings: ダイ, タイ (Onyomi), うてな, つかさ (Kunyomi) Meaning: stand, base, platform, counter for machines/vehicles The kanji 台 is a pictograph representing a platform or a high stand, suggesting something elevated or serving as a base. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji
JLPT N4 Kanji: 終 (End, Finish) – Master Japanese Vocabulary! 終 Readings: シュウ (Onyomi), おわる, おえる (Kunyomi) Meaning: End, Finish The kanji 終 (shū) is composed of 糸 (ito, meaning “thread” or “silk”) on the left, and 冬 (fuyu, meaning “winter”) on the right. The thread radical often relates to continuity or connection. The component
JLPT N4 Kanji: 運 – Understanding “Carry, Luck, and Fate” 運 Readings: ウン (Onyomi), はこ-ぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: carry, transport, luck, fate, destiny, move, progress The kanji 運 is composed of 辶 (しんにょう/shinnyou), which means “to move” or “to walk,” and 軍 (ぐん/gun), which means “army” or “military.” The combination suggests the movement or transportation of
JLPT N4 Kanji: 朝 (Morning) – Master the Dawn! 朝 Readings: チョウ (Onyomi), あさ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Morning The kanji 朝 combines components that depict the sun rising over the horizon (旦-like) while the moon (月) is still in the sky, symbolizing the early morning or dawn. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write –
JLPT N4 Kanji: 始 (Hajimeru) – To Begin! 始 Readings: シ (Onyomi), はじめる, はじまる, はじめ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Begin, start The kanji 始 is composed of 女 (woman) and 台 (platform/stand, or a stylized representation). The combination historically suggests the beginning, possibly related to a woman’s role in initiating a family or rituals, or 台 representing
JLPT N4 Kanji: 特 (toku) – Mastering the Kanji for “Special” 特 Readings: トク (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: special, particular, especially The kanji 特 combines the radical 牛 (gyuu: cow, ox) with the phonetic component 寺 (tera: temple). Historically, a special ox was often sacrificed at temples for rituals, giving rise to the meaning ‘special’ or
JLPT N4 Kanji: 死 (Shi/Shinu) – Mastering the Kanji for “Death” 死 Readings: シ (Onyomi), し.ぬ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Death, to die The kanji 死 is a pictograph depicting a person lying down (representing a corpse) next to a skeleton, symbolizing death. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 死
