JLPT N3 Kanji: 努 (Do/Tsutomeru) – Endeavor & Effort 努 Readings: ド (Onyomi), つと-める (Kunyomi) Meaning: toil, diligent, endeavor The kanji 努 is composed of the radical 力 (chikara, meaning “strength” or “power”) and the component 奴 (do, meaning “slave” or “person”). The combination suggests putting forth strength or effort, like a person diligently working. […]
JLPT N3 Kanji: Mastering 罪 (Tsumi) – Sin, Crime, Guilt 罪 Readings: ザイ (Onyomi), つみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: sin, crime, offense, guilt The kanji 罪 combines 罒 (あみがしら, a net, symbolizing capture or punishment) and 非 (ひ, meaning “wrong” or “not”). Together, it depicts being caught in a net for doing something wrong, hence “crime” or
JLPT N3 Kanji: 留 (ryū/to-maru) – To Stop, To Stay 留 Readings: リュウ, ル (Onyomi), と-める, と-まる, とど-める, とど-まる (Kunyomi) Meaning: to stop, to detain, to stay, to keep The character 留 (ryū) is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left part is composed of 卯 (う) which represents a door or gateway, and 田 (た) which
JLPT N3 Kanji: 便 (Ben/Bin/Tayo) – Convenience, Mail, Excrement 便 Readings: ベン, ビン (Onyomi), たより (Kunyomi) Meaning: convenience, mail, facilities, excrement The kanji 便 originally depicted a person (人) with an object, symbolizing ease or convenience in carrying things or performing actions. Over time, its meaning expanded to include communication (mail) and physical bodily functions
JLPT N3 Kanji: 抜 (nuku, nukeru) – Mastering Extraction and Omission 抜 Readings: バツ (Onyomi), ぬく, ぬける, ぬかす, ぬき (Kunyomi) Meaning: extract, pull out, omit, surpass, escape The kanji 抜 combines the radical 扌 (tehen, hand) indicating an action performed with the hand, and the phonetic component 犮 (batsu/hatsu, meaning to pull out or walk
JLPT N3 Kanji: 許 – Mastering “Permit” and “Forgive” 許 Readings: キョ (Onyomi), ゆる.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: Permit, allow, approve, forgive The kanji 許 combines 言 (speech, word radical) on the left and 午 (noon, but here acts as a phonetic component indicating “allow” or “give”). Together, it originally represents giving verbal permission or allowing something.
JLPT N3 Kanji: 途 (to) – Your Path to Mastering Japanese 途 Readings: ト (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: way, route, journey, during 途 is a phono-semantic compound (形声字). The radical 辵 (also written as 辶) means “walk” or “movement,” and 余 (よ) acts as the phonetic component, providing the sound. Together, they convey the concept of
JLPT N3 Kanji: 船 (fune/sen) – Master the Kanji for “Ship” and “Boat” 船 Readings: セン (Onyomi), ふね, ふな- (Kunyomi) Meaning: ship, boat The kanji 船 is a pictogram that graphically represents a boat or ship, capturing its basic shape. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 船 is
JLPT N3 Kanji: 覚 (Kaku, Oboeru, Samasu, Sameru) – To Remember, To Awaken 覚 Readings: カク (Onyomi), おぼえる, さます, さめる (Kunyomi) Meaning: learn, remember, awake, perceive The kanji 覚 combines 見 (to see) and 學 (to learn/study), originally suggesting “to learn by seeing” or “to perceive with the senses.” View JLPT N3 Kanji List How
JLPT N3 Kanji: 頼 (Rely, Request, Trust) 頼 Readings: ライ (Onyomi), たの-む, たの-もしい, たよ-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: depend, request, ask, rely on, trust The kanji 頼 (賴 in traditional form) is composed of 束 (soku, a bundle or to bind) and 頁 (ketsu, head). Historically, it depicted binding someone by the head or bowing one’s head
JLPT N3 Kanji: 険 (kiken) – Mastering Danger and Steepness! 険 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), けわ-しい (Kunyomi) Meaning: steep, dangerous, risky, hazardous The kanji 険 combines the radical 阜 (こざとへん), meaning “hill” or “mound,” with the component 検, which here contributes both sound (ケン) and a sense related to “difficult” or “critical.” Together, they suggest a
JLPT N3 Kanji: 薬 (kusuri/yaku) – Medicine, Drug 薬 Readings: ヤク (Onyomi), くすり (Kunyomi) Meaning: Medicine, Drug, Chemical The kanji 薬 is composed of the radical 艹 (kusa-kanmuri), meaning “grass” or “herb,” placed over 楽 (raku), meaning “music,” “comfort,” or “ease.” This combination suggests that ancient medicines were often made from herbs (grass) and were
JLPT N3 Kanji: 宿 (shuku, yado) – Inn, Lodging, Homework 宿 Readings: シュク (Onyomi), やど, やどる, やどす (Kunyomi) Meaning: inn, lodging, dwelling, to lodge, to dwell The kanji combines “宀” (roof/house) and “人” (person) with “百” (one hundred). It depicts a person staying overnight under a roof, often for a long time or repeatedly, leading
JLPT N3 Kanji: 熱 (Netsu) – Mastering Heat, Fever, and Passion! 熱 Readings: ネツ (Onyomi), あつ-い (Kunyomi) Meaning: heat, fever, enthusiasm, passion The character 熱 combines 埶 (yì), related to planting or skill, and 火 (fire). Originally denoting the application of heat, it evolved to signify warmth, fever, and metaphorical passion. View JLPT N3 Kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 背 (Hai, Se) – Mastering the Kanji for “Back” and “Height” 背 Readings: ハイ (Onyomi), せ, せい, そむく, そむける (Kunyomi) Meaning: back (body), height, to turn one’s back, to disobey The character 背 is formed from 肉 (にく, flesh) and 北 (ほく, north, also used phonetically for “back”). It depicts the back
JLPT N3 Kanji: 妻 (tsuma) – Meaning, Readings, & More! 妻 Readings: サイ (Onyomi), つま (Kunyomi) Meaning: wife The kanji 妻 depicts a woman (女) with a hairpin or ornamental comb in her hair, symbolizing a married woman or wife. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 妻 has
JLPT N3 Kanji: 返 (kaesu, kaeru, hen) – Return, Reply, Send Back 返 Readings: ヘン (Onyomi), かえ-す, かえ-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: return, send back, reply The kanji 返 is composed of the radical 辶 (しんにょう), meaning “walk” or “movement,” and the component 反 (はん/そ-る), which signifies “to return,” “to reverse,” or “to turn over.” Together, these
JLPT N3 Kanji: 王 (Ō) – The King of Knowledge 王 Readings: オウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: King, ruler A pictograph of an axe, symbolizing power and authority. Over time, it was simplified and came to be interpreted as three horizontal lines representing heaven, earth, and humanity, connected by a vertical line, signifying the king who
JLPT N3 Kanji: 余 (yo, amaru) – Understanding “Surplus” and “Remainder” 余 Readings: ヨ (Onyomi), あまる, あまり, あます (Kunyomi) Meaning: surplus, remainder, excess, more than, I, me (archaic) The kanji 余 is said to depict a house with something left over, hence “remainder” or “excess”. It evolved from a pictograph representing a dwelling with an
JLPT N3 Kanji: 類 (rui) – Kind, Type, Sort 類 Readings: ルイ (Onyomi), たぐい (Kunyomi) Meaning: kind, type, sort, class, similarity The kanji 類 combines 黍 (kibi/millet, representing various grains) and 頁 (ōgai/head, originally a standing person). It originally depicted various types of grains, thus evolving to mean “kind,” “type,” or “sort.” View JLPT N3
