N2 Kanji

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 塩 (Shio/En) – Salt 塩 Readings: エン (Onyomi), しお (Kunyomi) Meaning: Salt Phono-semantic compound (形声, keisei): semantic 鹵 (“salt”) + phonetic 皿 (“dish”). Original character was 鹽. This is a simplified form. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 塩 has 10 strokes. It starts […]

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 砂 (suna/SA) – Sand 砂 Readings: サ (Onyomi), すな (Kunyomi) Meaning: sand The kanji 砂 is formed by combining 石 (ishi, meaning “stone” or “rock”) and 少 (shou, meaning “small” or “few”). This combination intuitively represents “small pieces of stone,” which is essentially sand. View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 胸 (mune) – Chest, Heart, Feelings 胸 Readings: キョウ (Onyomi), むね, むな- (Kunyomi) Meaning: chest, breast, heart, feelings The kanji 胸 is a phono-semantic compound. The left part 月 (肉 radical, meaning “flesh” or “body part”) indicates the meaning, and the right part 匈 (a phonetic component that originally meant “chest”

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 封 (seal, closing, letter) 封 Readings: ホウ, フウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: seal, closing, letter The kanji 封 originally depicted a tree with an arrow stuck into it, symbolizing demarcation or enclosing a boundary. Over time, its meaning evolved to represent “seal,” “enclosure,” and by extension, “letter” or “envelope.” View JLPT N2

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 宝 (HOU / takara) – Treasure 宝 Readings: ホウ (Onyomi), たから (Kunyomi) Meaning: treasure, wealth, jewel The kanji 宝 (HOU / takara) is a pictograph combining a roof (宀) symbolizing a house or building, and 玉 (gyoku, jewel) or 貝 (kai, shell) which were ancient forms of currency and valuable items.

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 童 (DOU / warabe) – Child, Juvenile 童 Readings: ドウ (Onyomi), わらべ (Kunyomi) Meaning: child, juvenile The kanji 童 is composed of 立 (tatsu, meaning “stand”) and 里 (ri, meaning “village” or “unit of measurement”). Originally, it depicted a young person standing in a village, likely a servant or child. Over

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 浴 (yoku, abiru) – To Bathe 浴 Readings: ヨク (Onyomi), あびる, あびせる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Bathe, be bathed in, receive The kanji 浴 (yoku) is composed of 氵 (sanzui), the radical for water, and 谷 (tani), which depicts a valley or ravine, implying a flowing stream or water. Together, it conveys the

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 訓 (Kun) – Instruction & Training 訓 Readings: クン (Onyomi), おし.える, よ.む (Kunyomi) Meaning: instruction, to teach, to train, precept, maxim A phono-semantic compound: 言 (word, speech) + 川 (river, stream, here phonetic for sound and meaning of flowing/following). Represents words flowing out or being passed down, hence “instruction” or “teaching”.

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 筆 (fude, Hitsu) – Writing Brush 筆 Readings: ヒツ (Onyomi), ふで (Kunyomi) Meaning: writing brush, writing, brushstroke The kanji 筆 (fude) is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 竹 (take – bamboo), which indicates the material of traditional writing brushes, and 聿 (itsu), which is a pictograph of a hand holding a

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 袋 (fukuro) – Bag, Sack, Pouch 袋 Readings: タイ (Onyomi), ふくろ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Bag, sack, pouch A semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 衣 (clothing) indicates the meaning related to fabric or covering, while the right component 代 serves as the phonetic element. It depicts something made from cloth to contain items.

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 祭 (matsuri, matsuru) – Festival, Rites, Worship 祭 Readings: サイ (Onyomi), まつ-る, まつ-り (Kunyomi) Meaning: festival, rites, worship The kanji 祭 is composed of 示 (shimesu – altar, show) and 又 (mata – hand/right hand). It depicts a hand offering sacrifices on an altar, symbolizing a ceremony or ritual. View JLPT

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 柱 (hashira, chuu) – The Essential Pillar 柱 Readings: チュウ (Onyomi), はしら (Kunyomi) Meaning: Pillar, column, post The kanji 柱 combines the radical 木 (ki, tree) and 主 (shuu, main/master). This combination visually represents a central or main piece of wood, thus signifying a pillar or column. View JLPT N2 Kanji

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 埋 (Mai, Umeru) – To Bury, To Fill 埋 Readings: マイ (Onyomi), う.める, う.まる, う.もれる, うず.める, うず.まる (Kunyomi) Meaning: bury, fill up, embedded undefined View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 埋 consists of 10 strokes. It begins with the earth radical (土), followed by

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 硬 (KOU / Katai) – Hard, Stiff, Solid 硬 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), かた-い (Kunyomi) Meaning: hard, stiff, solid Formed from the radical 石 (stone) meaning ‘rock’ or ‘hardness’, and 更 (change/renew, also used phonetically for the sound ‘kou’). Together, they suggest something that is solid or has become firm/hard like a

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 貯 (CHO / TAME-ru) 貯 Readings: チョ (Onyomi), た（める）, た（まる）, たくわ（える） (Kunyomi) Meaning: store, save, hoard, lay in The kanji 貯 combines 貝 (kai, shell/money), which indicates its connection to wealth and valuables, with 宁 (tei/nei), a phonetic component that also implies ‘to place’ or ‘to store’. Together, they convey the

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 荒 (arai, areru) – Rough, Wild, Desolate 荒 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), あら-い, あ-れる, あ-らす, すさ-む (Kunyomi) Meaning: rough, wild, desolate, rude, stormy The kanji 荒 combines the radical 艹 (grass/plant) and 亡 (perish/lost) over 川 (river). This combination suggests land or vegetation that has become wild, devastated, or fallen into disrepair,

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 漁 (Fishing, Fishery) 漁 Readings: ギョ (Onyomi), いさ.る, あさ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: fishing; fishery The kanji 漁 is a combination of 水 (みず – water, represented by 氵 on the left) and 魚 (さかな – fish) on the right. It visually depicts the act of catching fish in water, thereby conveying the

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 皮 (kawa/HI) – Skin, Hide, Peel 皮 Readings: ヒ (Onyomi), かわ (Kunyomi) Meaning: skin, hide, leather, peel, bark The kanji 皮 is a pictogram depicting an animal skin from which the hair has been removed, illustrating the meaning of “skin” or “hide.” View JLPT N2 Kanji List How to Write –

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 泉 (Izumi) – Spring, Fountain 泉 Readings: セン (Onyomi), いずみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: spring, fountain The kanji 泉 is a pictogram showing water (水) gushing out from under a cliff or rock (白, originally a depiction of white steam or vapor from a source, here representing a gushing source). It visually represents

Learn Japanese N2 Kanji: 悩 (Nayamu) – How to Express Worry & Trouble 悩 Readings: ノウ (Onyomi), なやむ, なやます, なやましい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Worry, trouble, be annoyed, suffer, be anxious The kanji 悩 combines the radical 疒 (sickness, illness) and 厄 (misfortune, disaster), with 心 (heart) indicating an emotional or mental state. Together, it conveys a