JLPT N1 Kanji: 貴 (Ki) – Exploring Nobility and Value 貴 Readings: キ (Onyomi), とうと.い, たっと.い, たっと.ぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Noble, esteemed, precious, valuable The character 貴 (kì) is an ideogrammic compound (会意字 – kaii-ji). It combines 貝 (bèi – shell, ancient currency, implying value) and 𠔿 (zhī), which is a corrupted form of 丮 (jǐ), […]
JLPT N1 Kanji: 徹 (TETSU) – Master the Meaning of “Thorough” and “Penetrate” 徹 Readings: テツ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: penetrate, pervade, dedicate, thorough The radical 彳 (gyōninben – stride, go) combined with 徹 (originally meaning ‘to remove’ or ‘to clear’, also related to ‘to penetrate’). It suggests ‘penetrating’ or ‘going through thoroughly’. View JLPT N1
JLPT N1 Kanji: 併 – Master “annex, combine” 併 Readings: ヘイ (Onyomi), あわ.せる (Kunyomi) Meaning: annex, combine, concurrently, merge The kanji 併 is composed of the radical 人 (ninben, meaning person) on the left, and 並 (narabu, meaning to line up, to be parallel) on the right. The 並 component suggests things being arranged side-by-side
JLPT N1 Kanji: 郡 (Gun / Kōri) – Understanding Districts and Counties in Japanese 郡 Readings: グン (Onyomi), こおり (Kunyomi) Meaning: district, county The kanji 郡 combines 君 (kun, lord/ruler) and 邑 (yū, city/district). It visually represents a territory or administrative district under the governance of a lord or ruler. View JLPT N1 Kanji List
JLPT N1 Kanji: 獲 (Kaku/Eru) – Obtain, Catch, Acquire 獲 Readings: カク (Onyomi), え・る (Kunyomi) Meaning: obtain, acquire, gain, catch, hunt A combination of the animal radical 犭 (dog/beast) and 蒦 (a phonetic component, originally depicting catching birds with a net). It literally signifies “to catch animals/birds,” thus extending to “to obtain” or “to gain.”
JLPT N1 Kanji: 賃 (CHIN) – Mastering Fees, Fares, and Wages 賃 Readings: チン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: fare, fee, rent, charge, wage The kanji 賃 combines 貝 (かい – shell), which historically represents money or wealth, and 壬 (じん), serving primarily as a phonetic component. Together, it conveys the idea of a payment or compensation
JLPT N1 Kanji: 端 (Hashi) – Exploring Edges, Ends, and Beginnings 端 Readings: タン (Onyomi), はし, は, はた (Kunyomi) Meaning: edge, end, tip, beginning, origin, margin, point The character 端 combines 立 (standing) and an old character that depicted a pole with a flat top, suggesting a flat surface or edge. Its original meaning is
JLPT N1 Kanji: 却 (kyaku) – Unpacking Rejection, Withdrawal, and The Unexpected 却 Readings: キャク, キャ (Onyomi), しりぞ-く, しりぞ-ける, かえ-って (Kunyomi) Meaning: Instead, on the contrary; withdraw, reject, dismiss, get rid of. (Often used as a suffix meaning “away” or “back”). 形声文字 (Phono-semantic character). Combines 「去」(go away) with 「卩」(a kneeling person, often indicating sealing or
JLPT N1 Kanji: 鹿 (Shika/Roku) – Mastering the Deer Kanji 鹿 Readings: ロク (Onyomi), しか, か (Kunyomi) Meaning: deer The kanji 鹿 is a pictograph depicting a deer, showing its antlers, head, body, and legs. It clearly illustrates the animal it represents. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji
JLPT N1 Kanji: 貢 (Kō/Mitsugu) – Contribute & Support 貢 Readings: コウ, ク (Onyomi), みつ.ぐ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Tribute, contribution, support, present The character 貢 is formed from 貝 (bèi, shell/money, signifying value) and 工 (gōng, work/craft/skill, possibly phonetic). Together, it implies labor or valuable goods offered as tribute or contribution. View JLPT N1 Kanji List
JLPT N1 Kanji: 充 – Mastering “Allocate, Fill, Provide” 充 Readings: ジュウ (Onyomi), あてる (Kunyomi) Meaning: allocate, fill, provide The kanji 充 is formed by combining 育 (which can suggest “fullness” or “growth”) with 儿 (a stylized human figure or “legs”). It depicts the idea of filling something up or making it full. View JLPT
JLPT N1 Kanji: 揮 (KI, furu.u) – Wielding Your Japanese Proficiency! 揮 Readings: キ (Onyomi), ふる.う (Kunyomi) Meaning: wield, brandish, wave, command, direct, display, demonstrate The kanji 揮 (hui) is composed of 扌 (shǒu), meaning “hand,” and 㒟 (huī), which is a phonetic component. The phonetic component 㒟 originally meant “to wave a banner,” conveying
JLPT N1 Kanji: Mastering 購 (Kou) – Purchase & Buy 購 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: purchase, buy The radical 貝 (かい) denotes “shell” or “money,” while the phonetic component 冓 (こう) signifies “to construct” or “to meet/intertwine.” Together, it represents the act of acquiring or building something using money, hence “to buy” or “to
JLPT N1 Kanji: 射 (SHA, Iru) – Shoot, Emit, Cast 射 Readings: シャ (Onyomi), い, いる (Kunyomi) Meaning: shoot, emit, cast, hit The kanji 射 is said to be a pictograph of an arrow being shot from a bow, or a person shooting an arrow. It combines elements that originally represented a body/person and an
JLPT N1 Kanji: 需 – Understanding Need and Demand 需 Readings: ジュ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: need, demand, request, require The kanji 需 is composed of 雨 (rain) and 而 (a phonetic component often meaning “and then” or “thus”). The original meaning relates to the “need” or “demand” for rain, which expanded to a general sense
JLPT N1 Kanji: 節 – Understanding Seasons, Joints, and More 節 Readings: セツ, セチ (Onyomi), ふし, のり (Kunyomi) Meaning: node, joint, season, occasion, paragraph, counter for sections The kanji 節 combines 竹 (bamboo) and 卩 (a kneeling person, often associated with a seal or a section). It visually represents the distinct joints of bamboo, extending
JLPT N1 Kanji 緩: Master “Slack, Loosen, Relax” 緩 Readings: カン (Onyomi), ゆる.い, ゆる.む, ゆる.める, ゆる.やか (Kunyomi) Meaning: slack, loosen, relax, abate, be lenient The kanji 緩 combines the radical 糸 (ito, meaning “thread” or “silk”) with 爰 (en, meaning “slowly, gently” or serving as a phonetic component). The thread radical often relates to things
JLPT N1 Kanji: 沖 (おき/チュウ) – Navigating the Open Sea 沖 Readings: チュウ (Onyomi), おき (Kunyomi) Meaning: Open sea, offing, offshore A phono-semantic character (形声文字, keisei moji). Formed from the radical 氵 (水, water), indicating its relation to water, and 中 (チュウ, middle/center) as the phonetic component, suggesting the sound and conceptually ‘in the middle
JLPT N1 Kanji: 露 – Mastering “Dew,” “Russia,” and “Exposure” 露 Readings: ロ, ロウ (Onyomi), つゆ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Dew, Russia, exposure, reveal The kanji 露 is composed of 雨 (rain) at the top, and 路 (road/path) at the bottom. The original meaning combines these elements to suggest “dew” or “moisture on a path/open ground,” leading
JLPT N1 Kanji: 恵 (めぐむ, ケイ) – Blessing & Wisdom 恵 Readings: ケイ, エ (Onyomi), めぐ-む, めぐ-み (Kunyomi) Meaning: favor, grace, blessing, kindness, wisdom The kanji 恵 is composed of 彗 (a broom, indicating clearing or sweeping away) and 心 (heart). It originally depicted a compassionate heart that bestows blessings or wisdom, suggesting benevolence, favor,
