Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 綿 (wata/men) – Cotton, Wadding 綿 Readings: メン (Onyomi), わた (Kunyomi) Meaning: cotton, wadding The kanji 綿 is composed of the radical 糸 (ito), meaning “thread” or “silk,” and 免 (men), which means “to escape,” “to avoid,” or “to be free of.” The combination likely suggests something light, fluffy, and easily […]
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 糸 (ito) – Thread & String 糸 Readings: シ (Onyomi), いと (Kunyomi) Meaning: thread, string, yarn The character 糸 is a pictograph of a skein of twisted threads, representing thread or silk. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 糸 is written with 6 strokes.
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 粉 (kona, fun) – Powder Your Way to Proficiency! 粉 Readings: フン, コ (Onyomi), こな, こ (Kunyomi) Meaning: powder, flour, dust The kanji 粉 combines 米 (rice, grain) and 分 (divide), symbolizing grain or other substances that have been broken down into small, fine particles, hence “powder” or “flour.” View JLPT
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 拾 (ひろう) – To Pick Up 拾 Readings: シュウ, ジュウ (Onyomi), ひろ.う (Kunyomi) Meaning: To pick up, gather, find The kanji 拾 combines the hand radical (扌), indicating an action done with the hand, and the component 合 (to fit, join). This suggests the meaning of picking something up and fitting
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 祈 (ino-ru) – To Pray 祈 Readings: キ (Onyomi), いの-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: Pray, entreat The kanji 祈 combines the radical 示 (shimesu), which depicts an altar or a religious service, and 斤 (kin), which acts as a phonetic component. Together, it conveys the idea of presenting or showing one’s wishes or
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 棒 (bou) – The Kanji for ‘Stick’ and ‘Rod’ 棒 Readings: ボウ (Onyomi), ぼう (Kunyomi) Meaning: stick, rod, pole, bar 形声文字 (Keisei Moji). Composed of 木 (ki), meaning “tree” or “wood” (semantic component), and 奉 (hō, bō), which gives the phonetic reading (sound component). View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 乾 (KAN, kawa.ku) – Dry & Drying 乾 Readings: カン (Onyomi), かわ.く, かわ.かす, ほ.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: dry, to dry, heaven The kanji 乾 visually combines components that hint at its meaning. The top part, 天 (ten), means “heaven” or “sky,” suggesting exposure to the elements like the sun and open air,
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 氷 (Koori/Hyou) – The Kanji for Ice 氷 Readings: ヒョウ (Onyomi), こおり, ひ (Kunyomi) Meaning: ice A pictograph representing ice crystals or water frozen into ice, derived from the water radical (水), which is simplified to 冫 when on the left side. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write –
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 拝 (Hai) – To Worship, Bow, Humbly Visit 拝 Readings: ハイ (Onyomi), おが-む (Kunyomi) Meaning: To worship, to bow, to humbly visit The character 拝 depicts hands (手) respectfully brought together in front of a ritual vessel or altar (a component related to 豊), signifying an act of reverence, worship, or
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 叫 (sakebu) – To Shout, Yell, Cry Out 叫 Readings: キョウ (Onyomi), さけ.ぶ (Kunyomi) Meaning: shout, cry, yell The kanji 叫 is a phonetic-semantic compound. It combines 口 (kuchi, “mouth”) as the semantic component and 叫 as the phonetic component, which visually depicts a person shouting. View JLPT N2 Kanji List
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 毒 (doku) – Understanding ‘Poison’ in Japanese 毒 Readings: ドク (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: poison, venom, germ, harm, injury The character 毒 is composed of two parts. The top part represents a poisonous plant or substance, and the bottom part 毋 (mu) signifies ‘not’ or ‘do not.’ Together, it forms the meaning
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 軒 – Mastering Eaves and Counting Houses 軒 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), のき (Kunyomi) Meaning: eaves; counter for houses A pictograph of a vehicle (車) with a projecting part (干), evolving to mean the eaves or roof extension of a house, and used as a counter for buildings. View JLPT N2 Kanji
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 塗 (to smear, to paint) 塗 Readings: ト (Onyomi), ぬ-る, ぬ-り, まみ-れる, まぶ-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: paint, smear, apply, spread, coat The kanji 塗 combines 土 (earth, soil) and 余 (surplus, remaining, to go over). The “余” component suggests the idea of “excess” or “spreading out,” and when combined with “土,” it
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji 枝: Everything You Need to Know About “Branch” 枝 Readings: シ (Onyomi), えだ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Branch, twig, limb A phono-semantic compound (形声字); derived from the semantic component 木 (tree) and the phonetic component 支 (zhi, meaning ‘branch, support’), indicating something extending from a main body. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 鋭 (surudoi, EI) – Sharpen Your Knowledge! 鋭 Readings: エイ (Onyomi), するど.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: sharp; keen; pointed; acute; excellent; perceptive The kanji 鋭 (ei) is formed from the radical 金 (kin/kane), meaning “metal,” and 兌 (da/tai), which signifies “to exchange,” “to open,” or “to shed.” The 兌 component here is thought
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 孫 (mago) – Grandchild 孫 Readings: ソン (Onyomi), まご (Kunyomi) Meaning: grandchild, descendant The character is a combination of 糸 (thread) and 子 (child), suggesting the continuation of a family line, like a thread extending from a child to a grandchild. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 匹 (hiki) – Counter for Small Animals 匹 Readings: ヒツ (Onyomi), ひき, びき, ぴき (Kunyomi) Meaning: Counter for small animals (fish, insects, dogs, cats, etc.); pair; equal A pictogram of two horses standing side by side, suggesting a pair or “equal.” It later evolved to be used as a general counter
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 涙 (Namida) – Understanding Tears 涙 Readings: ルイ (Onyomi), なみだ (Kunyomi) Meaning: tears, sympathy The kanji 涙 is formed from the radical 水 (sui, mizu), meaning “water,” and 戻 (rei, modosu), meaning “to return” or “to revert.” The 戻 component acts as a phonetic element for the “rui” (ルイ) reading and
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 鉱 (Kou) – Mine, Mineral 鉱 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: mine, mineral The kanji 鉱 combines 金 (metal) and 広 (wide, extensive). It metaphorically represents metal or minerals found extensively within the earth, leading to its meaning of “mine” or “mineral.” View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write –
Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 溶 (yō, tokeru) – Dissolve, Melt 溶 Readings: ヨウ (Onyomi), と-ける, と-かす (Kunyomi) Meaning: dissolve, melt The kanji 溶 combines the water radical 氵 (water) with the component 容 (yō), meaning “contain” or “appearance.” Together, they visually suggest a substance changing its form within water, leading to the meanings “dissolve” or
