JLPT N3 Kanji: 雑 (Zatsu/Zou) – Miscellaneous, Mixed 雑 Readings: ザツ, ゾウ (Onyomi), まざ.る, まぜ.る, まじ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: miscellaneous, rough, mixed, complex, crude The kanji 雑 combines 糸 (ito: thread, representing entanglement or complexity) and 隹 (furutori: a bird, indicating a chaotic or disorderly group like birds flying irregularly). Together, they convey the idea of […]
JLPT N3 Kanji: 居 (iru/ima) – To Be, Reside, Live 居 Readings: キョ (Onyomi), い, お (Kunyomi) Meaning: to be (animate), to exist, reside, live, inhabit The radical 尸 (shikabane), meaning “corpse” or “body,” often represents things related to a body or shelter. The right part, 古 (ko), meaning “old” or “ancient,” serves as a
JLPT N3 Kanji: 遅 – Mastering “Late” and “Slow” 遅 Readings: チ (Onyomi), おく, おそ, おくらす (Kunyomi) Meaning: Late, slow, to be late, to be slow The kanji 遅 combines the radical 辶 (しんにょう), meaning “to go” or “walk,” with the phonetic component (音の省略形, related to 尺 and originally meaning “slow” or “to lengthen”).
JLPT N3 Kanji: 勤 (kin, tsutomeru) – Master the Kanji for Work and Diligence 勤 Readings: キン (Onyomi), つと-める, -づと-め (Kunyomi) Meaning: diligence, serve, work, employment The kanji 勤 combines 堇 (kin – diligent, attentive, a small flower, often implies effort) and 力 (chikara – strength, power). Together, it depicts applying one’s strength or effort
JLPT N3 Kanji: 徒 – Master “Apprentice,” “Futile,” and “On Foot” 徒 Readings: ト (Onyomi), いたずら, かち, あだ, むだ (Kunyomi) Meaning: apprentice, futile, junior, on foot, pedestrian, useless Formed from the radical 彳 (go, walk) and a component that historically implied running or futility. It conveys meanings related to walking, followers, and extended to concepts
JLPT N3 Kanji: 庭 (niwa) – Your Guide to Japanese Gardens 庭 Readings: テイ (Onyomi), にわ (Kunyomi) Meaning: garden, yard The radical 广 (house/shelter) signifies a dwelling, while 廷 (court, imperial court) acts as a phonetic component and also suggests a wide, open space. Together, they form the meaning of an open area connected to
JLPT N3 Kanji: 払 (harau) – Mastering Payment and Brushing Off! 払 Readings: フツ (Onyomi), はら.う (Kunyomi) Meaning: pay, clear away, brush off, wipe, sweep away The kanji 払 is formed from the radical 扌 (hand) and the component 弗, which suggests removing or discarding. Together, they depict using a hand to remove or clear
JLPT N3 Kanji: 曲 – Bend, Music, or Office? Decoding This Versatile Character! 曲 Readings: キョク (Onyomi), ま, まが (Kunyomi) Meaning: bend, music, melody, composition, crooked The kanji 曲 (kyoku) depicts a basket or container with a curved or bent shape, or something winding. It originally represented something bent or crooked, leading to meanings like
JLPT N3 Kanji: 老 (Rō, Oiru, Fukeru) – Understanding Old Age in Japanese 老 Readings: ろう (Onyomi), お-いる, ふ-ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: old, aged The kanji 老 is a pictograph depicting an old person with a cane. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke order for 老 is as follows:
JLPT N3 Kanji: 等 (Tō, Nado) – Equality & More! 等 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), ひとしい, など (Kunyomi) Meaning: etc., and so forth, equal, same, class, quality The kanji 等 combines the radical 竹 (bamboo) and 寺 (temple/Buddhist temple, phonetic component indicating “level” or “order”). Originally, it might have represented a bamboo sieve used for leveling
JLPT N3 Kanji: 倒 – To Fall, To Defeat 倒 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), たお-れる, たお-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: fall, collapse, topple, overthrow, defeat The kanji 倒 is formed by the radical 亻 (hito-hen, meaning person) and the component 到 (tō, meaning to arrive or reach). Together, they depict a person falling or something arriving at a
JLPT N3 Kanji: Mastering 押 (osu) – Push, Press, Stamp 押 Readings: オウ (Onyomi), お(す), お(さえる), お(し) (Kunyomi) Meaning: Push, press, stamp, seal, hold down, control The kanji 押 combines the hand radical 扌 (tehen) on the left, which indicates an action performed with the hand, and the character 甲 (kō, kabuto) on the right.
JLPT N3 Kanji: 幸 (Kou, Saiwai, Sachi) – Unlocking Happiness and Fortune 幸 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), さいわ.い, さち, しあわ.せ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Happiness, good fortune The kanji 幸 is derived from a pictograph said to represent a person’s head enclosed in handcuffs or a thorny branch, symbolizing being fortunate to escape punishment or harm. It later
JLPT N3 Kanji: 絶 – Mastering the Kanji for “To Cease” and “Absolute” 絶 Readings: ゼツ (Onyomi), た.える, た.やす, た.つ (Kunyomi) Meaning: To discontinue, to cut off, to cease, to sever, absolute, unparalleled Formed from 糸 (thread) and 刀 (knife), suggesting cutting or severing. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order
JLPT N3 Kanji: 浮 (Uku, Ukabu, Ukaberu) – Float, Rise, Surface 浮 Readings: フ (Onyomi), う-かぶ, う-かべる, う-く, う-かれる, う-き (Kunyomi) Meaning: float, rise, surface, appear Semantic-phonetic compound. The left radical 氵 (water) indicates the meaning related to water and fluidity. The right component 孚 (fú – to hatch, to be trustworthy) provides the phonetic
JLPT N3 Kanji: 喜 – Exploring the Kanji for “Joy” 喜 Readings: キ (Onyomi), よろこ-ぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Joy, rejoice, pleasure, congratulate The kanji 喜 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 壴 (an ancient drum or musical instrument, indicating sound/music and thus joy/festivity) and 口 (mouth, indicating speech or exclamations of joy). The drum part suggests
JLPT N3 Kanji: 婚 (kon) – Master “Marriage” 婚 Readings: コン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: marriage, wedding The character 婚 combines 女 (woman) and 昏 (dark, dusk). Historically, it refers to the custom of a man going to the woman’s house at dusk to take her as his wife, representing the joining of families. View JLPT
JLPT N3 Kanji: 静 (SEI, shizu) – Quiet, Still, Peaceful 静 Readings: セイ, ジョウ (Onyomi), しず-か, しず-まる, しず-める (Kunyomi) Meaning: Quiet, Still, Peaceful The kanji 静 combines 青 (blue/green, symbolizing purity or serenity) and 争 (strife/dispute, here representing motion or struggle). The combination implies a state of “serenity without motion,” thus stillness or quietness. View
JLPT N3 Kanji: 散 (san, chiru) – To Scatter and Disperse 散 Readings: サン (Onyomi), ち.る, ち.らす, ち.らかす, ち.らかる (Kunyomi) Meaning: scatter, disperse, fall apart, distribute, dissipate The character 散 (sàn) is composed of 艹 (cǎo – grass/plants), 敞 (chǎng – wide/open, acting as phonetic and suggesting emptiness/openness), and 攴 (pū – to tap, strike
JLPT N3 Kanji: 精 – The Essence of 精 (Sei/Shou) 精 Readings: セイ, ショウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: refined, essence, spirit, energy, detailed, skill The kanji 精 combines 米 (rice) and 青 (blue/green, often implying purity or essence). The original meaning refers to highly refined or polished rice, highlighting the essence or purity of something. This
