N1 Kanji

JLPT N1 Kanji: 喪 (Mourning, Loss) 喪 Readings: ソウ (Onyomi), も (Kunyomi) Meaning: mourning, funeral, loss The character 喪 (mò in Chinese) is an ideogrammic compound. It originally depicted a person (亡) under a covering or shroud (衣), symbolizing death, burial, and thus, mourning. It conveys the sense of loss and the rituals associated with […]

JLPT N1 Kanji: 項 – Mastering “Item,” “Clause,” and More 項 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: paragraph, clause, item, term, neck (archaic) The kanji 項 originally depicted a person’s head and neck, specifically the nape. Over time, its meaning evolved to represent an item, clause, or paragraph, likely due to the concept of enumeration or

JLPT N1 Kanji: 盤 – Mastering “Board,” “Disk,” and “Foundation” 盤 Readings: バン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: tray, board, dish, plinth, counter, stand, coil, disk, something broad and flat 形声文字 (Keisei moji – Phono-semantic character). Formed from 舟 (boat) and 皿 (dish). The original meaning was a flat plate or dish. The 舟 element likely represented

JLPT N1 Kanji: 鈴 (Suzu/Rei) – Master the Bell Kanji 鈴 Readings: レイ (Onyomi), すず (Kunyomi) Meaning: bell, buzzer, chime A phono-semantic character (形声文字). It combines the radical 金 (metal), indicating the object’s material, with 令 (sound/command/order), which provides the phonetic component for the “rei” sound and also implies the clear sound of a bell.

JLPT N1 Kanji: 描 (byō, ega.ku, ka.ku) – Drawing, Depicting 描 Readings: ビョウ (Onyomi), えが.く, か.く (Kunyomi) Meaning: to draw, to paint, to sketch, to depict, to describe The kanji 描 combines the radical 手 (hand), indicating an action done with the hand, and the phonetic component 苗 (seedling), which suggests the sound “byō” and

JLPT N1 Kanji: Unraveling 尾 (O/Bi) – The Kanji for Tail, End, and Ridge 尾 Readings: ビ (Onyomi), お (Kunyomi) Meaning: Tail, end, lower part, ridge The kanji 尾 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines the radical 尸 (shikabane), which here represents the body of an animal, and 乇 (a simplification of 毛, meaning “hair”

JLPT N1 Kanji: Mastering 繰 (kuri – To Reel, Repeat) 繰 Readings: ソウ (Onyomi), く-る, く-れる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Reel, spin, turn over, repeat, reiterate Formed from 糸 (thread, silk) and 操 (operate, handle). The character originally depicts handling thread, leading to meanings of reeling, spinning, and by extension, repeating an action. View JLPT N1 Kanji

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