Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 沸 (FUTSU, wa.ku, wa.kasu) – To Boil, Ferment 沸 Readings: フツ (Onyomi), わ・く, わ・かす (Kunyomi) Meaning: boil, ferment, seethe Phono-semantic compound (形声, keisei). The left radical 氵 (water) indicates meaning, and 弗 (fú, “not; bow; remove”) indicates pronunciation. The character essentially depicts water undergoing agitation or a transformative process, leading to […]
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 塔 (TŌ) – Pagoda, Tower 塔 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: pagoda, tower, steeple The kanji 塔 is a phono-semantic compound. The left part, 土 (つち – earth/mound), suggests a structure built from the ground. The right part, 荅 (とう – tō), is the phonetic component, indicating the sound. View JLPT
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 濯 (TAKU / SUSUGU) – Washing & Rinsing 濯 Readings: タク (Onyomi), すす.ぐ, ゆす.ぐ (Kunyomi) Meaning: wash, rinse, laundry Phono-semantic character (形声文字). Formed from 氵 (water radical) and 濯 (zhuó), a phonetic component that originally meant to clean or wash textiles. The water radical reinforces this meaning. View JLPT N2 Kanji
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 膚 (はだ / フ) – Skin, Body, Texture 膚 Readings: フ (Onyomi), はだ (Kunyomi) Meaning: skin, body, texture The kanji 膚 combines the radical 月 (にくづき), meaning “flesh” or “body part,” with the component 夫 (おっと / フ), which primarily serves as a phonetic element indicating the “fu” sound. This combination
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 机 (Tsukue) – Your Essential Desk Companion 机 Readings: キ (Onyomi), つくえ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Desk, table The kanji 机 is formed from two components: 木 (き – tree/wood), indicating the material, and 几 (き – a small table or stand). Together, they depict a piece of furniture made of wood, specifically
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 畳 (tatami mat, fold) 畳 Readings: ジョウ (Onyomi), たたむ, たたみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: tatami mat, fold, pile up The character 畳 is a pictophonetic character combining 疔 (sound component) and 田 (field), suggesting things piled up or folded neatly like fields. It came to mean “to fold” and later “tatami mat” as
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 胃 (I) – Mastering the Kanji for “Stomach” 胃 Readings: イ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: stomach The left radical 月 (にくづき) is a variant of 肉 (meat), signifying its relation to body parts. The right component 胃 is a phonetic element that also conveys the idea of a container or something winding,
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 詞 (shi) – Mastering Words and Speech 詞 Readings: シ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: word, language, speech, poem, lyrics The kanji 詞 is composed of the radical 言 (ごんべん), meaning “word” or “speech,” and 司 (つかさ), which originally depicted a spoon and later came to mean “to manage” or “to oversee.” Together,
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 粒 (tubu, ryū) – Mastering Grains, Drops, and Particles 粒 Readings: リュウ (Onyomi), つぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: grain, drop, particle The character is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left part, 米 (こめ; rice), is the radical and indicates meaning related to grains or small particles. The right part, 立 (リュウ; stand), gives the
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 鼻 (Hana/Bi) – The Nose 鼻 Readings: ビ (Onyomi), はな (Kunyomi) Meaning: Nose, snout The kanji 鼻 is a pictographic character representing a nose with two nostrils, clearly depicting the organ itself. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 鼻 has 14 strokes. It begins
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 筒 (tsutsu) – The Versatile Tube! 筒 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), つつ (Kunyomi) Meaning: pipe, tube, cylinder, gun barrel, sleeve The kanji 筒 combines the radical 竹 (take – bamboo) indicating a material for tubes, and the phonetic component 同 (dou – same), which also suggests uniformity of shape, fitting the concept
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 姓 (SEI) – Understanding Surnames and Family Names 姓 Readings: セイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: surname, family name, clan The kanji 姓 combines the radical 女 (woman) and the component 生 (birth, life). Historically, in ancient China, surnames were often inherited through the female line or associated with matriarchal clans, thus linking
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 麦 (Mugi) – Wheat, Barley, Oats 麦 Readings: バク (Onyomi), むぎ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Wheat, Barley, Oats The kanji 麦 is a pictograph depicting a plant with ears of grain, resembling wheat or barley. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke order for 麦 begins with
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 磨 (miga.ku) – To Polish & Refine 磨 Readings: マ (Onyomi), みが.く (Kunyomi) Meaning: To polish, to grind, to rub, to brush (teeth), to refine (skills) The kanji 磨 combines 石 (stone) on the left, which signifies the material being worked on, and 麻 (hemp/rubbing) on the right, which suggests the
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 辛 (Spicy, Bitter, Hard) 辛 Readings: シン (Onyomi), から.い, つら.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: spicy, hot; bitter, harsh, painful The character 辛 (shīn) is an ideogram depicting a tattooing or cutting tool, possibly a chisel or needle, used in ancient China for marking criminals or slaves. This association with punishment and hardship gave
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 灯 (tō, akari) – The Kanji for Light and Lamp 灯 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), とも.す, ひ, あかり (Kunyomi) Meaning: lamp, light The kanji 灯 originally depicted a lamp or a light source. The top part represents a lampstand or a container, and the bottom part is the radical for fire (火),
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 隅 (sumi) – Corner, Nook 隅 Readings: (Onyomi), すみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: corner, nook, remote place, secluded spot The kanji 隅 is formed from the radical 阝 (こざとへん), meaning “mound” or “corner of a wall/fence,” and the phonetic component 禺 (ぐう), which itself can mean “corner.” Together, they represent a “corner” or
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 泥 (doro/DEI) – Diving into Muddy Waters 泥 Readings: デイ (Onyomi), どろ (Kunyomi) Meaning: mud, dirt, mire Phono-semantic compound. The radical 氵 (water) indicates the semantic field. The phonetic component 尼 (ni) depicts a kneeling person, implying “low” or “base,” contributing to the meaning of “mud” or “mire” as dirty, low-lying
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 鈍 (don, nibui) – Mastering the Meaning of Dull and Slow 鈍 Readings: ドン (Onyomi), にぶ.い, なま.る, なまく.ら (Kunyomi) Meaning: Dull, slow, obtuse, blunt, clumsy The kanji 鈍 combines 金 (metal) and 屯 (tun – a phonetic component indicating thickness or dullness). This suggests a metal that is thick, heavy, or
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 耕 (KOU / tagayasu) – Cultivate, Till, Plow 耕 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), たがや-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: cultivate, till, plow The radical 耒 (plow) on the left depicts a plowing tool. The right part, 井 (well), acts as a phonetic component and possibly suggests regularity or a grid-like field pattern. Together, it represents
