JLPT N3 Kanji: 顔 (kao/gan) – Face 顔 Readings: がん (Onyomi), かお (Kunyomi) Meaning: Face The kanji 顔 is a phonetic-semantic compound. It is a simplification of the older character 顏, which originally depicted a head (頁) and a phonetic component. Over time, it came to specifically represent the face. View JLPT N3 Kanji List […]
JLPT N3 Kanji: 込 – Understanding Komyaku (Connections)! 込 Readings: (Onyomi), こ・む, -こ・む, こ・み (Kunyomi) Meaning: crowded, mixed, included, to be involved in, to go into The kanji 込 is a kokuji (国字), a character made in Japan. It combines the radical 辶 (しんにょう – “movement, path”) with 込 (as a phonetic component, resembling 入
JLPT N3 Kanji: 寄 (Yoru / Yoseru) – Draw Near, Collect 寄 Readings: キ (Onyomi), よる, よせる (Kunyomi) Meaning: draw near, send, collect, gather, stop in, approach The kanji 寄 combines 宀 (roof, representing a house or shelter) and 奇 (strange, rare, or phonetic component for “lean on, depend on”). It depicts people or things
JLPT N3 Kanji: 婦 (FU) – Understanding the Kanji for “Woman” 婦 Readings: フ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: lady, woman, wife The kanji 婦 combines 女 (woman) and 帚 (broom), historically symbolizing a woman involved in household duties or a woman of the house. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The
JLPT N3 Kanji: 適 – Master “Suitable” & “Proper” 適 Readings: テキ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: suitable, proper, adequate, conform A semantic-phonetic compound. The left radical 辶 (しんにょう) means “walk” or “movement,” suggesting movement towards a goal. The right component 啻 (テイ) is phonetic, indicating “just” or “only,” implying a precise fit. View JLPT N3 Kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 冷 (Rei, Hiya, Tsune) – Understanding “Cold” 冷 Readings: レイ (Onyomi), ひや.す, ひ.える, つめ.たい, さ.ます, さ.める (Kunyomi) Meaning: Cold, cool, chill The kanji 冷 combines the radical 冫 (ni-sui), which represents ice or water, and 令 (rei), which denotes an order or command, or a feeling of calmness. Together, they convey the
JLPT N3 Kanji: 亡 (BŌ, MŌ / na.i) – Understanding Death, Loss, and Absence 亡 Readings: ボウ, モウ (Onyomi), な.い, ほろ.びる, ほろ.ぼす (Kunyomi) Meaning: Deceased, lost, perish, run away, death, absent A pictograph of a person running away or escaping, which later evolved to represent concepts of loss, disappearance, and death. View JLPT N3 Kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 舞 (mai/bu) – Dance, Flutter, Whirl 舞 Readings: ブ (Onyomi), ま.う, まい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Dance, flit, whirl The character depicts a person with long sleeves dancing. It is thought to be derived from an ancient depiction of a dancer with large, flowing sleeves. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write –
JLPT N3 Kanji: 未 (MI) – The Kanji for “Not Yet” 未 Readings: ミ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Not yet; un- A pictograph of a tree with short branches, symbolizing that it is “not yet” fully grown or developed. This root meaning extends to “not yet” or “un-.” View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write
JLPT N3 Kanji: 彼 (kare/kano) – Mastering “He” and “That” 彼 Readings: ヒ (Onyomi), かれ, かの (Kunyomi) Meaning: he, him, boyfriend; that (one) The kanji 彼 combines 彳 (gyōninben, “stride” or “go,” signifying movement or distance) and 皮 (kawa, “skin,” “hide,” also implying something external or peeled away). Together, it suggests “that person” or “that
JLPT N3 Kanji: 富 (fù / tomi) – Understanding Wealth and Abundance 富 Readings: フ (Onyomi), とみ, とむ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Rich, wealth, abundance The kanji 富 combines the radical 宀 (ukanmuri), meaning “roof” or “house,” and the phonetic component 畐 (fú), which originally depicted a vessel (jar or pot) full of alcohol, symbolizing fullness or
JLPT N3 Kanji: 愛 (Ai) – Mastering the Kanji for “Love” 愛 Readings: アイ (Onyomi), いと-しい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Love, affection The kanji 愛 (love) is an interesting character that visually suggests someone embracing a heart (心). The top part, 爪 (tsume), initially depicted hands or claws, here implying holding. The middle part, 冖 (wa), is
JLPT N3 Kanji: 馬 (uma/ba) – The Horse You Need to Know! 馬 Readings: バ (Onyomi), うま, ま (Kunyomi) Meaning: Horse This kanji is a pictogram, directly representing the shape of a horse. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 馬 is written with 10 strokes. It starts with
JLPT N3 Kanji: 因 (In/Yoru) – Understanding Cause and Reason 因 Readings: イン (Onyomi), よ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: cause, factor, depend on, be related to The kanji 因 is said to depict a large object (大, which is similar in shape to the original form of ‘big’) contained within an enclosure (囗). This imagery suggests something
JLPT N3 Kanji: 辞 – Mastering Words, Resignation, and Refusal 辞 Readings: ジ (Onyomi), や.める, いな.む (Kunyomi) Meaning: resign, word, phrase, decline, expression The character 辞 combines 舌 (tongue/speech) and 辛 (thorny/bitter/punishment, implying a precise or formal context). It originally referred to meticulously chosen words or formal speech, which evolved to mean “words,” “phrases,” and
JLPT N3 Kanji: 具 (gu, sona(eru)) – Mastering Tools and Ingredients 具 Readings: グ (Onyomi), そな(わる), そな(える), つぶさ(に) (Kunyomi) Meaning: tool, utensil, means, ingredient The kanji 具 is said to depict a vessel or utensil, suggesting its meaning of “tool” or “implement.” View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 園 (En, Sono) – Exploring Gardens, Parks, and More! 園 Readings: エン (Onyomi), その (Kunyomi) Meaning: garden, park, yard, farm The kanji 園 (en) depicts an enclosure (囗) containing plants and earth (土) with a central element (袁, originally meaning “round garment” but here simplified to represent the interior), suggesting a cultivated,
JLPT N3 Kanji: 迎 (mukaeru) – Welcome, Meet, Greet 迎 Readings: ゲイ (Onyomi), むかえる (Kunyomi) Meaning: to welcome, to meet, to greet, to receive, to go out to meet The kanji 迎 combines the radical 辶 (shinnyou), representing movement or road, with the component 卯 (u), which phonetically suggests “to face” or “to receive.” Together,
JLPT N3 Kanji: 苦 (kuru, niga – Suffering, Bitter) 苦 Readings: ク (Onyomi), くるしい, くるしむ, にがい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Suffering, hardship, pain, bitter The character 苦 (kǔ) originally depicted a plant with a bitter taste. The top part 艹 (草) represents grass or plants, and the bottom part 古 (gǔ) suggests old or ancient, which also
JLPT N3 Kanji: 苦 (Kuru, Ni, Ku) – Mastering Bitterness & Hardship 苦 Readings: ク (Onyomi), くるしい, くるしむ, にがい, にがて (Kunyomi) Meaning: bitter, suffering, difficult The kanji 苦 is composed of the radical 艹 (kusa-kanmuri, meaning “grass” or “plant”) and 古 (ko, meaning “old” or “ancient”). Historically, it is thought to depict a plant with
