N1 Kanji

JLPT N1 Kanji: 益 (Eki) – Mastering Benefit and Gain 益 Readings: エキ, ヤク (Onyomi), ます, ますます (Kunyomi) Meaning: benefit, gain, profit, advantage The character 益 depicts water overflowing from a vessel (皿, dish/container), symbolizing an increase or accumulation. This visual metaphor evolved to represent “benefit,” “gain,” or “profit” – something that adds to or […]

JLPT N1 Kanji: 雄 (Yuu, Osu) – Mastering the Male, Heroic & Grand 雄 Readings: ユウ, オウ (Onyomi), おす, おの, お-, おとこ (Kunyomi) Meaning: male, masculine, hero, prowess, outstanding The kanji 雄 combines 止 (stop/foot) and 隹 (bird), originally depicting a male bird. Its meaning expanded to refer to male animals in general, then to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 模 (mo) – Master the Art of Patterns and Models 模 Readings: モ, ボウ (Onyomi), かたどる, もす (Kunyomi) Meaning: pattern, model, emulate, imitate, copy, standard 形声 (けいせい) – Phono-semantic character. Formed from 木 (tree/wood) representing the meaning (e.g., a wooden mold or pattern) and 莫 (ばく – dusk/nothing, used for sound). View

JLPT N1 Kanji: 抗 (KOU / aragau) – To Oppose, Resist 抗 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), あらがう (Kunyomi) Meaning: oppose, resist, defy, anti- Semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 扌 (tehen, hand radical) signifies action or movement. The right component 亢 (kō) provides the sound and conveys a sense of stiffness, raising the neck, or being unyielding,

JLPT N1 Kanji: 遣 – Dispatching Knowledge 遣 Readings: ケン (Onyomi), つか.う, -つか.い, -づか.い, や.る, -や.り (Kunyomi) Meaning: dispatch, send, give, do, dispose of, manage, release, allow 形声 (Phono-semantic compound). The radical 辶 (辵) means “walk, move” and 𡵡 (けん) is the phonetic component, suggesting “sending off” or “dispatching”. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How

JLPT N1 Kanji: 素 – Unveiling the Essence of “Element” and “Bare” 素 Readings: ソ, ス (Onyomi), もと, しろ (Kunyomi) Meaning: element, principle, naked, unadorned, simple, raw The character depicts silk threads (糸) being dyed or bleached, suggesting the original, unadorned state, or fundamental quality. View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke

JLPT N1 Kanji: 邦 (HOU, Kuni) – Mastering “Country” 邦 Readings: ホウ (Onyomi), くに (Kunyomi) Meaning: Home country, land, nation, state 邦 (bāng) is a phono-semantic compound. The left part, 丰 (fēng), used phonetically here, originally depicted a plant with flowers, indicating prosperity or abundance. The right part, 邑 (yì), is the radical for “city”

JLPT N1 Kanji: 塁 (RUI) – Master the Meaning of “Base” and “Fortress” 塁 Readings: ルイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Base (baseball), fort, rampart, heap, pile The kanji 塁 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 耒 (lái, meaning “plow” or “to rake,” used for its sound) and 土 (tǔ, meaning “earth” or “soil,” indicating the meaning).

JLPT N1 Kanji: 遺 – Understanding Bequeathal and Legacy 遺 Readings: イ, ユイ (Onyomi), のこ.す, のこ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: bequeath, leave behind, remnant, inherit The kanji 遺 is composed of 貴 (ki – noble, precious) and 辶 (shinnyou – movement, walk). While the “precious” part of 貴 could imply leaving something valuable or important, the original

JLPT N1 Kanji: 浜 – Mastering the Kanji for “Beach”! 浜 Readings: ヒン (Onyomi), はま (Kunyomi) Meaning: beach, seashore, coast The kanji 浜 combines the water radical (氵) with the character 賓 (hin), which originally meant “guest” or “visitor.” The combination suggests a place where water meets land and is frequented, thus leading to the

JLPT N1 Kanji: 維 (I) – Understanding “Fiber, Maintain, Link” 維 Readings: イ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: fiber, link, sustain, maintain The kanji 維 is formed from 糸 (thread, silk) and 隹 (a short-tailed bird, often used phonetically to indicate “only” or “tie”). Combined, it represents the idea of tying or binding with threads, leading to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 厳 (gen, ogosoka, kibishii) – Mastering Severity and Solemnity 厳 Readings: ゲン (Onyomi), おごそ-か, いか-めしい, いか-つい, きび-しい (Kunyomi) Meaning: strict, rigid, severe, austere, majestic The character is composed of components suggesting a cliff or mountain (厂) and a stern or brave person (敢). It depicts something grand, solemn, or stern, like a

JLPT N1 Kanji: 献 (ken, kon) – To Offer and Dedicate 献 Readings: ケン, コン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: offer, present, dedicate, contribute undefined View JLPT N1 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke order for 献 begins with the left radical 犬 (dog). First, the two strokes for the top right component

JLPT N1 Kanji: 異 (I / Koto) – Exploring Differences and Uniqueness 異 Readings: イ (Onyomi), こと (Kunyomi) Meaning: different, unusual, strange The character 異 is a pictograph of a person wearing a mask or a monstrous face, symbolizing something “different” or “unusual” from the norm. It represents an outsider or something out of the

JLPT N1 Kanji: 就 – Mastering Employment and Assignment 就 Readings: シュウ, ジュ (Onyomi), つ-く, つ-ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: to settle, to adhere, to arrive, to take (a position), to be employed The kanji 就 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 京 (jīng, “capital/tall building” – often simplified) representing a high place, and 尤 (yóu, “excellent/especially”

JLPT N1 Kanji: 弁 (Ben) – Mastering the Nuances of Discrimination, Speech, and Valves 弁 Readings: ベン (Onyomi), わきまえる, はなびら, べんず (Kunyomi) Meaning: distinction, understand, differentiate, valve, speech, dialect, discrimination, dispose of, provide, manage The kanji 弁 depicts two hands (廾) holding or managing something, often associated with a cap or a flower, leading to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 故 (ko, yue) – Understanding Cause, Reason, and the Past 故 Readings: コ (Onyomi), ゆえ, ふる.い, もと (Kunyomi) Meaning: Cause, reason, circumstances, intentionally, therefore, old, deceased The kanji 故 originally depicted an ancient drum (古) and a hand holding a stick (攴), symbolizing a performance or past event. Over time, it evolved

JLPT N1 Kanji: 拡 (kaku) – Expand, Enlarge, Extend 拡 Readings: カク (Onyomi), ひろげる, ひろがる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Expand, Enlarge, Extend, Spread The kanji 拡 combines 広 (broad, wide) and 殳 (radical often associated with striking or action, sometimes simplified to 又, a hand). It depicts an action of making something broad or wide, hence to

JLPT N1 Kanji: 織 (oru, shoku) – The Art of Weaving and Organization 織 Readings: ショク, シキ (Onyomi), お.る, お.り, お.り.なす (Kunyomi) Meaning: weave, fabric, organize The kanji 織 combines the radical 糸 (thread) with 職 (profession, duty), representing the act of weaving as a skilled craft or profession, and by extension, the creation of

JLPT N1 Kanji: 隊 (tai) – Mastering the Kanji for “Corps” and “Group” 隊 Readings: タイ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: corps, regiment, party, company, group, squad The radical 阜 (こざとへん – hill, mound) indicates a line or row, often associated with a group moving along a path or being arranged. The right side component 豕 (pig)