JLPT N1 Kanji: 致 – Mastering the Humble Verb and Its Compounds 致 Readings: チ (Onyomi), いた.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: cause, result in, lead to, do (humble), accomplish, send, dedicate The kanji 致 combines 至 (to arrive) and 攴 (a hand holding a stick, implying action or striking). The original meaning was “to arrive at” or […]
JLPT N1 Kanji: 塚 – Unearthing the Meaning of “Mound” and “Tomb” 塚 Readings: チョウ (Onyomi), つか (Kunyomi) Meaning: mound, hillock, tumulus, tomb The kanji 塚 combines the radical 土 (earth) with the phonetic component 冢, which itself originally depicted earth piled up to form a mound or tomb. Thus, it visually and semantically represents
JLPT N1 Kanji: 刑 (Kei) – Understanding Punishment and Law 刑 Readings: ケイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: punishment, penalty, sentence, execute The kanji 刑 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 幵 (a phonetic component related to balancing or cutting) and 刀 (sword/knife), indicating cutting or punishment. It originally depicted cutting off a nose as a form
JLPT N1 Kanji: 拒 (Kyo, Koba-mu) – Mastering Refusal and Rejection 拒 Readings: キョ (Onyomi), こば-む (Kunyomi) Meaning: refuse, reject, decline, prohibit, resist The kanji 拒 combines the radical 扌 (tehen, “hand”) on the left, with the phonetic component 巨 (kyo/ko, “giant” or “large”) on the right. Together, they suggest the action of “pushing away”
JLPT N1 Kanji: 秘 – Unveiling the Secrets of “Secret” 秘 Readings: ヒ (Onyomi), ひ.める, ひそ.か (Kunyomi) Meaning: secret, private, mysterious 形声 (けいせい – Phono-semantic compound). The left part (禾) means grain, symbolizing something sacred or auspicious. The right part (必) acts as a phonetic component and implies “certainty,” contributing to the idea of something
JLPT N1 Kanji: 拠 – Understanding its Meaning, Readings, and Usage 拠 Readings: キョ, コ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: basis, foundation, depend on, rely on, connected with, evidence, proof, fort, base A semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 扌 (hand radical) suggests action or manipulation. The right component 豦 is a phonetic element that implies “clinging” or
JLPT N1 Kanji: 功 (Kou) – Mastering Achievement and Merit 功 Readings: コウ, ク (Onyomi), いさお (Kunyomi) Meaning: achievement, merit, success, honor, credit The kanji 功 combines the radical for ‘power’ or ‘strength’ (力) and ‘craft’ or ‘work’ (工). It symbolizes the idea of creating or achieving something through diligent effort, skill, or significant work,
JLPT N1 Kanji: 償 (Shou, Tsugunau) – Compensation and Atonement 償 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), つぐな-う (Kunyomi) Meaning: compensate, atone, recompense, redeem The kanji 償 combines the radical 亻 (hito-hen, meaning “person”) with 貝 (kai, meaning “shell” or “money”) and 尚 (shou, a phonetic component indicating value or matching). Together, it depicts a person providing money
JLPT N1 Kanji: 弾 – Master the Meanings of Bounce, Play, and Bullet 弾 Readings: ダン (Onyomi), ひ.く, -び.き, はず.む, たま, はじ.く, はじ.ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: bullet, shot,弹 (弹) is a pictograph of a small ball, used for shooting with a bow. This character implies “ball,” “bullet,” “to shoot,” or “to bounce.” Formed from 弓 (bow)
JLPT N1 Kanji: 徴 (CHOU) – Sign, Indication, Collect 徴 Readings: チョウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: sign, indication, mark, extract, collect, levy The kanji 徴 is composed of 彳 (chì – step, stride), representing movement, and 𧾷 (zhēng – to levy, collect, evidence), which provides the sound and the original meaning of taking or collecting. The
JLPT N1 Kanji: 秀 – Master “Excellent” and “Outstanding” 秀 Readings: シュウ (Onyomi), ひい.でる (Kunyomi) Meaning: excellent, outstanding, beautiful, flourishing The kanji 秀 (shū, hiideru) is formed from two components: 禾 (nogihen), meaning “grain” or “rice plant,” and 乃 (no), which here suggests the idea of “pulling out” or “standing out.” Together, it depicts a
JLPT N1 Kanji: 択 (Taku/Erabu) – The Kanji of Choice and Selection 択 Readings: タク (Onyomi), えら.ぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: choose, select, prefer The kanji 択 combines the radical 手 (hand) with 尺 (shaku, a measure or ruler), which serves as the phonetic component. Together, it conveys the idea of “choosing” or “selecting” by hand, often
JLPT N1 Kanji: 請 – Request, Accept, Undertake 請 Readings: セイ, ショウ (Onyomi), こう, うけたまわ.る, う.ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: Request, ask, invite, please, accept, undertake Semantic-phonetic compound: 言 (word, speech) for meaning, and 青 (blue, green; also phonetic for Sei/Shō) for pronunciation. The “word” radical indicates asking or speech. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to
JLPT N1 Kanji: 健 (ken, sukoyaka) – Health and Vigor 健 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), すこ-やか (Kunyomi) Meaning: healthy, strength, health The kanji 健 combines the radical 人 (person) and the component 建 (to build, establish). Together, it suggests a person who is well-built, strong, and in good health. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to
JLPT N1 Kanji: 振 (ふ.る) – Shake, Wave, Swing 振 Readings: シン (Onyomi), ふ.る, ふ.り, ふ.るう (Kunyomi) Meaning: shake, wave, swing, sprinkle, cast (dice), give up, abandon, be rejected The kanji 振 combines the radical 手 (てへん), meaning “hand,” with the component 辰, which phonetically suggests movement or vibration (often associated with “dragon” or “time”).
JLPT N1 Kanji: 踏 (ふむ/トウ) – Mastering the Art of Stepping 踏 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), ふ.む, ふ.まえる (Kunyomi) Meaning: step on, tread, trample, set foot on Semantic-phonetic compound (形声文字). The radical 足 (あし – foot) provides the meaning, while 沓 (トウ/カツ – shoes/repeatedly) acts as the phonetic component and also contributes to the sense of
JLPT N1 Kanji: 源 – Unveiling the Source 源 Readings: ゲン (Onyomi), みなもと (Kunyomi) Meaning: source, origin, root The character 源 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 氵 (水), the radical for “water,” indicating its connection to flowing water, with 原 (gen), which acts as the phonetic component and also carries the meaning of “origin”
JLPT N1 Kanji: 葬 (SOU, houmu.ru) – Master the Kanji for Burial and Funerals 葬 Readings: ソウ (Onyomi), ほうむ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: Burial, interment, funeral The kanji 葬 (sou) is a phono-semantic compound. The top part 艹 (kusa-kanmuri) is the grass radical, hinting at plants or earth related to graves. The bottom part, though simplified, relates
JLPT N1 Kanji: 幕 (Boku, Maku) – Unveiling the Meanings of ‘Curtain’ and ‘Act’ 幕 Readings: ボク (Onyomi), まく, とばり (Kunyomi) Meaning: curtain, act (of a play), camp 形声文字 (Keisei moji). This character combines 巾 (kin/hatahoko, meaning “cloth” or “napkin”) and 莫 (baku, which provides the sound and originally meant “evening” or “darkness,” implying something
JLPT N1 Kanji: 染 – Mastering the Art of Dyeing and Contamination 染 Readings: セン (Onyomi), そ, し (Kunyomi) Meaning: Dye, stain, color, infect, contaminate A phono-semantic compound (形声字). Semantic component 氵 (water) + phonetic component 染 (sensible component indicating a heap/pile, hence something accumulated or soaked). Originally depicted a bundle of fibers being dyed
