Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 派 派 Readings: ハ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: faction, group, party, school (of thought), dispatch, send The kanji 派 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines the radical 氵 (sanzui, water), which suggests flowing or branching, and the phonetic component 衺 (meaning to deviate or diverge). Together, it conveys the idea of something […]
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 結 (ketsu, musubu) – Tie, Bind, Conclude 結 Readings: ケツ (Onyomi), むす・ぶ, ゆ・う (Kunyomi) Meaning: Tie, bind, conclude, contract, join, organize The kanji 結 combines the radical 糸 (thread) and the component 吉 (good, auspicious). This combination suggests the act of tying or binding things together in a way that leads
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 第 (Dai) – Mastering Ordinal Numbers 第 Readings: ダイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: No., ordinal, in order, sequence The kanji 第 combines 竹 (bamboo) and 弟 (younger brother/order). Historically, bamboo strips were used for writing, and 弟 signifies arrangement or sequence. Together, they imply “sequence” or “order,” giving rise to its meaning
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 改 (kai, aratameru) – To Change, Reform, Revise 改 Readings: カイ (Onyomi), あらた.める, あらた.まる (Kunyomi) Meaning: reform, change, alter, revise, inspect, repair, improve The character 改 combines 己 (self/to oneself) and 攵 (a variant of 攴, meaning to strike or tap gently). Together, they suggest striking or correcting oneself or something
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 保 (Ho, Tamo.tsu) – To Protect and Preserve 保 Readings: ホ (Onyomi), たも.つ (Kunyomi) Meaning: protect, guarantee, keep, preserve, maintain The kanji 保 (ほ) is formed from 人 (ひと – person) and 呆 (ほう – a phonetic component that also implies “to stay, to protect,” originally depicting a person holding a
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 設 (setsu, moukeru) – To Establish, To Set Up 設 Readings: セツ (Onyomi), もう.ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: establish, provide, set up, make, found The kanji 設 is composed of 言 (word, speech) on the left and 殳 (a hand holding a club, implying action or setting up) on the right. Together, it
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 県 (ken) – Prefecture 県 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Prefecture, county The kanji 県 originally depicted a person’s head hanging upside down, suggesting “suspension” or “division.” This evolved to signify an administrative “district” or “prefecture,” a “division” of land. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 領 (ryō) – Territory, Receive, Jurisdiction 領 Readings: リョウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: territory, domain, jurisdiction, receive, collect The kanji 領 is composed of two parts: 令 (command, order) and 頁 (head, page). The 令 part signifies “to receive” or “to command,” while the 頁 part, related to the head, often implies
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 区 – Understanding Ward, District, and Division 区 Readings: ク (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Ward, district, section, division The kanji 区 is formed from 匚 (box/enclosure) and 又 (right hand/again, here implying something contained or divided). It depicts something being enclosed or divided, hence its meaning of section or district. View JLPT
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 総 (SOU) – Master “Whole, All, General” 総 Readings: ソウ (Onyomi), すべて (Kunyomi) Meaning: whole, all, general, total The kanji 総 combines 糸 (thread) and 悤 (meaning busy or hurried, also representing the sound of threads unwinding). Together, it signifies the act of gathering or collecting all threads, thus conveying the
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 協 (Kyō) – Cooperation and Collaboration 協 Readings: キョウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: cooperation, highly, to act in concert, to agree The kanji 協 is formed from two components: 十 (jū), meaning “ten,” and a variant of 力 (chikara), meaning “power” or “strength.” Originally, it depicted “three powers coming together,” signifying cooperation
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 党 (TŌ) – Party, Faction 党 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: party (political), faction, clique The kanji 党 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 尚, which represents a group or assembly, with 黒, which can signify darkness or a group of people. The original meaning relates to a group of people,
JLPT N3 Kanji: 太 (Futo, Tai) – Fat, Thick, Big 太 Readings: タイ (Onyomi), ふと-い, ふと-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: Fat, thick, big The kanji 太 is a combination of 大 (big/great) and a dot/line, emphasizing the idea of something being “greatly” or “exceptionally” big, thus leading to meanings like fat or thick. View JLPT N3 Kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 他 – Learn “Other, Another” 他 Readings: タ (Onyomi), ほか (Kunyomi) Meaning: other, another The kanji 他 depicts a person (人) resting on or leaning against something. This visual representation evolved to convey the meaning of “other” or “another,” implying something distinct or separate from oneself. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How
JLPT N3 Kanji: 候 (KOU) – Weather, Season, Sign 候 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), そうろう (Kunyomi) Meaning: weather, season, wait for, depend on, sign, symptom The character combines the radical for “person” (亻) and a component that suggests “waiting” or “observing the climate.” It depicts a person observing the changing seasons or conditions. View JLPT N3
JLPT N3 Kanji: 葉 – Mastering “Leaf” and Related Vocabulary 葉 Readings: ヨウ (Onyomi), は (Kunyomi) Meaning: Leaf, blade (of grass), foliage Semantic-phonetic compound. The top radical 艹 indicates “plant” or “grass.” The bottom part (枼) contributes the sound and also suggests flatness or thinness, like a leaf. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to
JLPT N3 Kanji: 流 (ryū / naga.reru) – Master the Kanji for “Flow” 流 Readings: リュウ (Onyomi), なが.れる, なが.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: flow, current, stream, class, style, system, school The character 流 (ryū) is a pictograph of water flowing in a stream. The left radical 氵 (さんずい, sanzui) represents water, and the right component depicts the
JLPT N3 Kanji: 向 (KOU, mu.ku) – Direction, Facing 向 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), む.く, む.い, む.ける, む.け, む.かう, む.かい, む.こう (Kunyomi) Meaning: beyond, yonder, facing, toward The kanji 向 originally depicted a window opening, or a person looking out from an opening, symbolizing facing or looking towards a direction. It combines a depiction of an
JLPT N3 Kanji: 誰 (Dare) – Who/Whom 誰 Readings: (Onyomi), だれ, たれ, どなた (Kunyomi) Meaning: who; whom The kanji 誰 combines 言 (word, speech) and 隹 (bird, often used as a phonetic component but can also imply “one,” “only,” or “gathering”). The combination suggests “who is speaking” or “who is the one.” View JLPT N3
JLPT N3 Kanji: 幾 (いく / キ) – How Many & Several 幾 Readings: キ (Onyomi), いく (Kunyomi) Meaning: how many, several, some The kanji 幾 is said to represent a small, intricate pattern or a small amount of thread, leading to the meaning of “small quantity,” “how many,” or “almost.” It evolved from ancient
