N1 Kanji

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

JLPT N1 Kanji: 奈 – Understanding Its Meanings and Usage 奈 Readings: ナ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Nara; what? (used in names, old interrogative) The kanji 奈 is said to derive from a pictograph of a tree (木) with large fruits (大), representing a specific type of fruit tree. It later evolved to be used phonetically,

JLPT N1 Kanji: 傷 (Kizu, Itamu, Shō) – Mastering Wounds, Damage, and Hurt 傷 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), きず, いたむ, いためる (Kunyomi) Meaning: wound, injury, hurt, damage, flaw The kanji 傷 combines the radical 人 (person) on the left, which gives the meaning related to people, and the component 殤 (shō), which means “to die young”

JLPT N1 Kanji: 監 (KAN) – Oversee, Supervise 監 Readings: カン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: supervise, observe, oversee, inspect, superintendent The character 監 (かん) is an ideogrammic compound. It combines 皿 (さら, “dish” or “basin,” often representing a mirror in ancient contexts) and 臣 (しん, “minister,” “subject,” or “eye,” suggesting someone looking down). Together, it implies

JLPT N1 Kanji: 評 (Hyou) – Evaluate, Criticize, Review 評 Readings: ヒョウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: evaluate, criticize, review, comment The kanji 評 combines 言 (speech, word) with 𠄢 (pyeong), a phonetic component indicating flat or level, suggesting the idea of setting a standard or judging something evenly and fairly. It conveys the action of speaking

JLPT N1 Kanji: 抑 (Yoku, Osaeru, Somosomo) 抑 Readings: ヨク (Onyomi), おさえる, そもそも (Kunyomi) Meaning: suppress, restrain, check, repress, prevent; in the first place, or rather, anyway Phono-semantic compound (形声): semantic 扌 (hand) + phonetic 卯 (yokumitsu, suggesting pressing down or restraining). View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji

JLPT N1 Kanji: 為 (Tame, Nasu) – For the Sake of Mastery 為 Readings: イ (Onyomi), ため, な-る, な-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: for the sake of, to do, to make, to act, to become The character 為 (爲) originally depicted an elephant being led by a hand. This imagery conveyed the meaning of “to do,” “to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 我 (GA, WARE) – Mastering the Kanji for “Self” 我 Readings: ガ (Onyomi), われ, わ (Kunyomi) Meaning: I, me, self, ego The character depicts a hand holding a serrated weapon, symbolizing “self” or “I” as a distinct entity with its own power and assertion. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to Write

JLPT N1 Kanji: 陣 – Mastering the Meaning of “Camp” and “Formation” 陣 Readings: ジン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: battle array, camp, position, formation The kanji 陣 (jin) originally depicts a line of chariots or a camp formed with chariots for defense, suggesting a military formation or an encampment. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 載 – Mastering “Load, Publish, Record” 載 Readings: サイ (Onyomi), の.せる, の.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: load, publish, record, place on The kanji 載 is composed of 車 (kuruma, “vehicle” or “cart”) on the left and 戈 (ka, “halberd” or “spear”) on the right, which serves as a phonetic component. The original meaning relates

JLPT N1 Kanji: 志 – Unveiling the Spirit of Ambition and Will 志 Readings: シ (Onyomi), こころざし (Kunyomi) Meaning: will, aim, ambition, resolution, intention, motive, spirit The character 志 combines 士 (scholar, samurai) and 心 (heart, mind). It depicts a person with a determined spirit or a heart set on a particular goal, thus conveying

JLPT N1 Kanji: 措 (SO, Oku) – Measures and Meanings 措 Readings: ソ (Onyomi), おく (Kunyomi) Meaning: to set aside, discard, abandon, to put, to place (in specific contexts) 形声文字 (Keisei Moji). Formed from 手 (hand radical, indicating action) and 昔 (sound component, meaning “old” or “past”). The overall meaning relates to the action of

JLPT N1 Kanji: Master 密 (Mitsu/Hisoka) – Density, Secrecy, Closeness 密 Readings: ミツ (Onyomi), ひそ.か, ひそか (Kunyomi) Meaning: Density, secrecy, closeness, intimacy, carefulness, concentration, compactness, confidentiality The character 密 is composed of 宀 (roof) and 必 (surely, certainly). The older form often included something suggesting a dense forest or thicket, conveying the idea of something

JLPT N1 Kanji: 削 (Kezuru/Saku) – Master the Art of Cutting and Reduction 削 Readings: サク (Onyomi), けず-る, はつ-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: to shave, to sharpen, to pare, to reduce, to scrape, to cut down The kanji 削 is composed of 肖 (shou), meaning ‘small’ or ‘resembling’, and 刀 (katana), meaning ‘sword’ or ‘knife’. The combination