Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 並 (nara.bu, nami) – To Line Up, Ordinary 並 Readings: ヘイ (Onyomi), なら.ぶ, なら.べる, なら.びに, なみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: to line up, to stand in a row; ordinary, average; side by side; and, in addition A pictograph depicting two people standing side-by-side, symbolizing “to line up” or “alongside.” View JLPT N2 Kanji […]
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 超 (chō / koeru) – Exceed, Super 超 Readings: チョウ (Onyomi), こえる, こす (Kunyomi) Meaning: transcend, super, ultra, hyper, surpass, exceed The kanji 超 combines 走 (run) and 召 (call/summon). It depicts someone running past or exceeding a certain point, conveying the idea of surpassing or going beyond. View JLPT N2
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 竹 (take / chiku) – Bamboo 竹 Readings: チク (Onyomi), たけ (Kunyomi) Meaning: bamboo A pictograph representing the stalks and leaves of bamboo. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 竹 has 6 strokes. The radical itself is a modified form of bamboo. The first
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 捜 (Sou / Sagasu) – To Search & Investigate 捜 Readings: ソウ (Onyomi), さが.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: to search, to look for, to investigate The radical 手 (hand) combined with 叟 (an old man, contributing to the sound and implying a thorough, perhaps careful search). It signifies using one’s hands to seek
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 編 (hen, amu) – Compile, Edit, Knit! 編 Readings: ヘン (Onyomi), あむ (Kunyomi) Meaning: compile, edit, knit, braid, volume (of a book), compilation The kanji 編 combines the radical 糸 (ito), meaning “thread,” and 扁 (hen), which contributes to the sound and suggests flatness or thinness. Together, it conveys the idea
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 券 (ken) – Ticket, Coupon, Bond 券 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: ticket, coupon, bond The kanji 券 (ken) is composed of two parts: 卷 (kan), meaning “to roll” or “scroll,” and 刀 (katana), meaning “sword” or “knife.” Historically, documents or contracts were often written on scrolls and then cut into
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 央 (Ō) – Center, Middle 央 Readings: オウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: center, middle The kanji 央 is thought to be a pictogram of a person with arms outstretched, emphasizing the central part, thus signifying “center” or “middle.” View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 央
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 戸 (To) – Your Guide to Doors, Houses, and More! 戸 Readings: コ (Onyomi), と (Kunyomi) Meaning: Door; house; family A pictograph of a single-leaf door, often found in ancient dwellings. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 戸 is drawn in 4 strokes. Start
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 材 (Zai) – Master Materials, Timber, and Talent 材 Readings: ざい (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: material, timber, talent, ability 形声文字 (Keisei Moji – phono-semantic compound). Composed of 木 (き – tree), indicating wood or material, and 才 (さい – talent, capability), which provides the phonetic element ‘zai’ and also conceptually implies usefulness
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 周 (shuu, mawari) – Surroundings, Week, Circumference 周 Readings: シュウ (Onyomi), まわ-り, めぐ-る, めぐ-らす (Kunyomi) Meaning: surroundings, circumference, circuit, week The kanji 周 combines ⺆ (a simplified form of 圍 ‘enclosure, surrounding’) and 口 (a mouth/container shape), symbolizing something that surrounds or encircles. It originally depicted a field or a territory
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 岸 (きし/ガン) – Shore, Bank, Coast 岸 Readings: ガン (Onyomi), きし (Kunyomi) Meaning: shore, bank, coast The kanji 岸 is composed of 厂 (hàn) meaning “cliff, steep hill” and 𠄞 (gān) which is a phonetic component possibly related to “bank” or “dry land.” The combination visually represents a “bank” or “shore”
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 橋 (hashi) – The Bridge 橋 Readings: キョウ (Onyomi), はし (Kunyomi) Meaning: Bridge The kanji 橋 combines the radical 木 (ki), meaning ‘tree’ or ‘wood’, with the component 喬 (kyou), which means ‘tall’ or ‘high’. Together, they represent a ‘tall wooden structure’ that spans across, hence a bridge. View JLPT N2
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 旧 (kyuu) – Old, Former 旧 Readings: キュウ (Onyomi), ふる.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: old, former, ex- Pictograph of a mortar (臼) with a line indicating an old, worn out object, suggesting “old” or “former.” View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 旧 (kyuu) has 5 strokes.
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 省 (Shou / Habuku) – Omit, Save, Reflect, Ministry 省 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), はぶ.く, かえり.みる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Omit, save, reflect, ministry The kanji 省 is composed of 目 (me), meaning ‘eye,’ and 少 (shou), meaning ‘few’ or ‘little.’ Originally, it depicted an eye looking at something small or few, implying ‘to
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 録 (roku) – The Kanji of Records and Recordings 録 Readings: ロク (Onyomi), しる-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: record, register, to copy Phonetic-semantic character (形声文字). The left part 金 (metal) suggests meaning related to engraving or carving, as records were often made on metal or stone. The right part 录 (an archaic form
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 湾 (wan) – Bay, Gulf, Inlet 湾 Readings: ワン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Bay, gulf, inlet The kanji 湾 combines the “water” radical (氵) with the phonetic component 彎 (wan), which means “to bend” or “curve.” Together, it graphically represents a “curved body of water,” hence its meaning of “bay” or “gulf.”
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 丸 (maru) – The Essence of Roundness 丸 Readings: ガン (Onyomi), まる, まるい, まるめる (Kunyomi) Meaning: round, circle, whole, full, complete This kanji is an ideogram (象形文字, shōkei moji) representing a round object. Its form depicts a simplified image of a sphere or something circular. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 効 (Kou/Kiku) – Efficacy & Effect 効 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), き-く (Kunyomi) Meaning: efficacy, benefit, effect, result Formed from “力” (power/strength) and “交” (to cross, to mix, phonetic component), implying the power or strength to interact or mix, leading to a result or effect. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 細 (Hosoi/Komakai) – Thin, Fine, Detailed 細 Readings: サイ (Onyomi), ほそ-, ほそ.い, ほそ.る, こま-, こま.かい, ささ.やか (Kunyomi) Meaning: thin, fine, slender, minute, detailed The kanji 細 is composed of the radical 糸 (thread) and the component 田 (field, but here functions phonetically or indicates a fine division). It visually suggests the
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 接 (setsu, tsu.gu) – Connect, Touch, Receive 接 Readings: セツ (Onyomi), つ.ぐ (Kunyomi) Meaning: connect, touch, contact, join, receive The kanji 接 combines the radical 手 (hand) on the left, symbolizing actions involving the hand, with the phonetic and semantic component 妾 on the right, which hints at concepts of joining
