JLPT N3 Kanji: 配 (Hai/Kubaru) – Distribute, Deliver, Arrange 配 Readings: ハイ (Onyomi), くば.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: distribute, deliver, arrange, spouse The kanji 配 combines 酉 (you), an ancient vessel for wine, and 己 (ki), meaning oneself or a snake-like winding motion. The original meaning relates to distributing or arranging things, often liquid, from a vessel. […]
JLPT N3 Kanji: 害 (gai) – Understanding Harm, Damage, and Obstacles 害 Readings: ガイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: harm, injury, damage, evil The kanji 害 combines 宀 (roof, representing a house or shelter) and a modified form of 豊 (bountiful, often depicted as a vessel with plants, implying growth or abundance). The combination suggests something that
JLPT N3 Kanji: 宅 – Your Home Away From Home! 宅 Readings: タク (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: house, home, residence, my house The character 宅 combines 宀 (うかんむり), representing a “roof” or “house,” with 乇 (たく), which suggests “entrusted” or “dwelling.” Together, it conveys the idea of a dwelling or residence. View JLPT N3 Kanji List
JLPT N3 Kanji: 備 (bi, sona.eru) – Prepare, Provide, Equip 備 Readings: ビ (Onyomi), そな.える, そな.わる (Kunyomi) Meaning: prepare, provide, equip, provision, arrangement, store The kanji 備 combines the radical 亻 (人, person) with 備 (originally depicting a person holding something, implying preparation or provision). It signifies the act of a person preparing, providing, or
JLPT N3 Kanji: 術 (jutsu) – Mastering Techniques and Skills 術 Readings: ジュツ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: art, technique, skill, means, trick, magic The kanji 術 combines 行 (gyō, go/walk), which signifies movement or action, with 朮 (jutsu, millet; a phonetic component that also implies method or skill). Together, it represents a method, technique, or art
JLPT N3 Kanji: 規 (Ki) – Standard, Rule, Measure 規 Readings: キ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Standard, measure, rule, regular, calculate The kanji 規 combines 見 (eye/see) with 夫 (man/husband), which here often serves as a phonetic component or represents a tool. It originally depicted a compass or a tool used for drawing circles, hence evolving
JLPT N3 Kanji: 番 (ban/tsugai) – Your Turn to Master! 番 Readings: バン (Onyomi), つが(い) (Kunyomi) Meaning: number, order, turn, duty, watch, guard The kanji 番 (ばん) is composed of 釆 (はん), meaning ‘to distinguish’ or ‘to divide,’ and 田 (た), meaning ‘rice paddy’ or ‘field.’ The original meaning relates to distinguishing or dividing fields,
JLPT N3 Kanji: 神 (kami, shin) – Exploring the Divine in Japanese 神 Readings: シン, ジン (Onyomi), かみ, かん (Kunyomi) Meaning: God, deity, spirit The kanji 神 combines 示 (shimesu), meaning “to show” or “altar,” and 申 (mōsu), which originally depicted a lightning bolt. Together, it represents a divine revelation or a deity appearing, indicating
JLPT N3 Kanji: 消 (shō, ki.eru, ke.su) – To Disappear & Extinguish 消 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), き.える, け.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: extinguish, vanish, subside, turn off, dissolve 形声 (Phono-semantic compound). From 氵 (water) + 肖 (shō – similar, dwindle). The water radical suggests liquid, and 肖 implies disappearing or diminishing. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How
JLPT N3 Kanji: 違 (I/chiga.u) – Different, Violate, Contrary 違 Readings: イ (Onyomi), ちが.う, ちが.える, ちが.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: Different, violate, contrary 形声文字 (Keisei moji). The left part 辶 (movement) and the right part 韋 (wei – surrounding, going around, also indicates sound). Together, it suggests moving in a way that is “off” or “different.” View
JLPT N3 Kanji: 石 (Ishi/Seki) – Mastering “Stone” 石 Readings: セキ, シャク, コク (Onyomi), いし (Kunyomi) Meaning: Stone, rock This kanji is a pictograph depicting a stone or rock, often shown as a cliff with a stone dropping from it. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 石 is
JLPT N3 Kanji: 断 (dan, tatsu, kotowaru) 断 Readings: ダン (Onyomi), たつ, ことわる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Sever, cut off, reject, decline, discontinue, judge 形声兼会意文字 (Keisei ken Kaiimoji). The character originally depicted a thread being cut by a cleaver (斤), symbolizing the act of cutting or severing. It combines semantic and phonetic elements. View JLPT N3 Kanji
JLPT N3 Kanji: 収 – Mastering Income, Collection, and Storage 収 Readings: シュウ (Onyomi), おさ-める, おさ-まる (Kunyomi) Meaning: income, obtain, collect, store, put away, settle, receive Formed as a phono-semantic compound (形声). The left part 乂 (gai) represents cutting or stopping, and the right part 又 (yū) represents a hand. Together, it conveys the idea
JLPT N3 Kanji: 夫 – Master the Kanji for “Husband” and More! 夫 Readings: フ, ブ (Onyomi), おっと (Kunyomi) Meaning: Husband, man The kanji 夫 depicts a large man (大) with a hairpin (一) symbolizing an adult male or husband, having completed his coming-of-age ceremony. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke
JLPT N3 Kanji: 優 (YUU, yasa-, sugu-) – Master the Meaning of “Gentle, Superior, Actor” 優 Readings: ユウ (Onyomi), やさ(しい), すぐ(れる) (Kunyomi) Meaning: Gentle, superior, excellent, actor The kanji 優 is composed of the radical 人 (person) on the left, signifying human qualities, and 憂 (worry, grieve, be anxious) on the right. The original meaning
JLPT N3 Kanji: 難 (nan) – Understanding the Kanji for “Difficult” 難 Readings: ナン (Onyomi), むずか.しい, -にく.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: difficult, trouble, hardship The kanji 難 is composed of 隹 (a short-tailed bird or small bird) and 堇 (a sound component often associated with “mud” or “difficulty”). The combination suggests a bird struggling in mud or
JLPT N3 Kanji: 説 (setsu, toku) – Explanation and Theory 説 Readings: セツ (Onyomi), とく (Kunyomi) Meaning: explanation, theory, rumor, opinion, to explain, to preach, to persuade 形声文字 (Keisei moji). It combines 言 (word, speech) and 兌 (to exchange, to please, to explain – providing the sound component). View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to
JLPT N3 Kanji: 由 (Yū) – Understanding Reason, Origin, and Freedom 由 Readings: ユ, ユウ (Onyomi), よし, よる (Kunyomi) Meaning: reason, cause, origin, means, freedom The kanji 由 is thought to be a pictograph representing a sprout emerging from the ground, symbolizing “origin” or “source.” Over time, its meaning expanded to include “reason” or “cause,”
JLPT N3 Kanji: 付 (fu, tsuku, tsukeru) – Attach, Stick, Add 付 Readings: フ (Onyomi), つ.ける, -づ.ける, つ.く, -づ.く (Kunyomi) Meaning: attach, append, stick, join, fix, apply, glue, pay The kanji 付 combines the radical for “person” (人) on the left and “inch/hand” (寸) on the right. It originally depicted a hand giving or passing
JLPT N3 Kanji: 費 (Hi) – Master the Meaning of “Expense” and “Spend” 費 Readings: ヒ (Onyomi), つい.やす, つい.える (Kunyomi) Meaning: expense, cost, consume, spend The kanji 費 is formed from 弗 (フツ), which suggests “not” or “reverse,” and 貝 (かい), meaning “shell” or “money.” Together, they imply “to spend money” or “to use up
