JLPT N3 Kanji: 抱 (HOU, da.ku, ida.ku, kaka.eru) – Embrace, Hold, Carry 抱 Readings: ホウ (Onyomi), だ.く, いだ.く, かか.える (Kunyomi) Meaning: Embrace, hug, hold, carry The kanji 抱 is formed from the hand radical (扌) and 包 (to wrap/include), symbolizing the action of holding or embracing with the hand. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How […]

JLPT N3 Kanji: 賛 (SAN) – Master Approval & Praise! 賛 Readings: サン (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: approval, praise, agree, support The kanji 賛 (SAN) combines the radical 貝 (かい), meaning “shell” or “money,” which often appears in kanji related to value, wealth, or transactions. The upper part, 兟, represents advancing or praising. Together, these elements

JLPT N3 Kanji: 刻 (koku, kiza.mu) – Master the Art of Time and Carving! 刻 Readings: コク (Onyomi), きざ.む, きざ.み (Kunyomi) Meaning: Engrave, carve, cut, time, minute, chop The kanji 刻 is composed of 亥 (いのこ: wild boar, also an ancient character representing a pestle or mortar) and 刀 (かたな: knife, sword). This combination suggests

JLPT N3 Kanji: 更 (kō, sara, fukeru) – Mastering “Further” and “Late Night” 更 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), さら, ふ-ける, ふ-かす (Kunyomi) Meaning: further, again, more, furthermore, to renew, to reform, to change, late at night The kanji 更 is said to depict a person (represented by the top left and bottom right components, or a

JLPT N3 Kanji: 欠 (Ketsu / Kakeru) – The Kanji for “Lack” 欠 Readings: ケン, ケツ (Onyomi), か.ける, か.く (Kunyomi) Meaning: lack, deficit, yawn, want, fail, gap The kanji 欠 is a pictograph of a person yawning or gaping. This visual representation evolved to convey the meaning of “lack,” “defect,” or “absence” as in something

JLPT N3 Kanji: 困 (Komu/Kon) – Getting into Trouble! 困 Readings: コン (kon) (Onyomi), こ-まる (ko-maru), こま-る (koma-ru) (Kunyomi) Meaning: to be troubled, to be in difficulty, to be embarrassed, to be bothered, to be at a loss, to be stuck The kanji 困 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 囗 (enclosure, representing a boundary

JLPT N3 Kanji: 招 (maneku, shou) – Invite, Beckon, Summon 招 Readings: ショウ (Onyomi), まね.く (Kunyomi) Meaning: beckon, invite, summon, usher, cause The kanji 招 combines the radical 手 (てへん – tehen), meaning “hand,” and 召 (めす – mesu), which means “to call” or “to summon.” Together, these components vividly depict the action of calling

JLPT N3 Kanji: 雑 (Zatsu/Zou) – Miscellaneous, Mixed 雑 Readings: ザツ, ゾウ (Onyomi), まざ.る, まぜ.る, まじ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: miscellaneous, rough, mixed, complex, crude The kanji 雑 combines 糸 (ito: thread, representing entanglement or complexity) and 隹 (furutori: a bird, indicating a chaotic or disorderly group like birds flying irregularly). Together, they convey the idea of

JLPT N3 Kanji: 居 (iru/ima) – To Be, Reside, Live 居 Readings: キョ (Onyomi), い, お (Kunyomi) Meaning: to be (animate), to exist, reside, live, inhabit The radical 尸 (shikabane), meaning “corpse” or “body,” often represents things related to a body or shelter. The right part, 古 (ko), meaning “old” or “ancient,” serves as a

JLPT N3 Kanji: 遅 – Mastering “Late” and “Slow” 遅 Readings: チ (Onyomi), おく, おそ, おくらす (Kunyomi) Meaning: Late, slow, to be late, to be slow The kanji 遅 combines the radical 辶 (しんにょう), meaning “to go” or “walk,” with the phonetic component  (音の省略形, related to 尺 and originally meaning “slow” or “to lengthen”).

JLPT N3 Kanji: 勤 (kin, tsutomeru) – Master the Kanji for Work and Diligence 勤 Readings: キン (Onyomi), つと-める, -づと-め (Kunyomi) Meaning: diligence, serve, work, employment The kanji 勤 combines 堇 (kin – diligent, attentive, a small flower, often implies effort) and 力 (chikara – strength, power). Together, it depicts applying one’s strength or effort

JLPT N3 Kanji: 徒 – Master “Apprentice,” “Futile,” and “On Foot” 徒 Readings: ト (Onyomi), いたずら, かち, あだ, むだ (Kunyomi) Meaning: apprentice, futile, junior, on foot, pedestrian, useless Formed from the radical 彳 (go, walk) and a component that historically implied running or futility. It conveys meanings related to walking, followers, and extended to concepts

JLPT N3 Kanji: 庭 (niwa) – Your Guide to Japanese Gardens 庭 Readings: テイ (Onyomi), にわ (Kunyomi) Meaning: garden, yard The radical 广 (house/shelter) signifies a dwelling, while 廷 (court, imperial court) acts as a phonetic component and also suggests a wide, open space. Together, they form the meaning of an open area connected to

JLPT N3 Kanji: 払 (harau) – Mastering Payment and Brushing Off! 払 Readings: フツ (Onyomi), はら.う (Kunyomi) Meaning: pay, clear away, brush off, wipe, sweep away The kanji 払 is formed from the radical 扌 (hand) and the component 弗, which suggests removing or discarding. Together, they depict using a hand to remove or clear

JLPT N3 Kanji: 曲 – Bend, Music, or Office? Decoding This Versatile Character! 曲 Readings: キョク (Onyomi), ま, まが (Kunyomi) Meaning: bend, music, melody, composition, crooked The kanji 曲 (kyoku) depicts a basket or container with a curved or bent shape, or something winding. It originally represented something bent or crooked, leading to meanings like

JLPT N3 Kanji: 老 (Rō, Oiru, Fukeru) – Understanding Old Age in Japanese 老 Readings: ろう (Onyomi), お-いる, ふ-ける (Kunyomi) Meaning: old, aged The kanji 老 is a pictograph depicting an old person with a cane. View JLPT N3 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke order for 老 is as follows:

JLPT N3 Kanji: 等 (Tō, Nado) – Equality & More! 等 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), ひとしい, など (Kunyomi) Meaning: etc., and so forth, equal, same, class, quality The kanji 等 combines the radical 竹 (bamboo) and 寺 (temple/Buddhist temple, phonetic component indicating “level” or “order”). Originally, it might have represented a bamboo sieve used for leveling

JLPT N3 Kanji: 倒 – To Fall, To Defeat 倒 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), たお-れる, たお-す (Kunyomi) Meaning: fall, collapse, topple, overthrow, defeat The kanji 倒 is formed by the radical 亻 (hito-hen, meaning person) and the component 到 (tō, meaning to arrive or reach). Together, they depict a person falling or something arriving at a

JLPT N3 Kanji: Mastering 押 (osu) – Push, Press, Stamp 押 Readings: オウ (Onyomi), お(す), お(さえる), お(し) (Kunyomi) Meaning: Push, press, stamp, seal, hold down, control The kanji 押 combines the hand radical 扌 (tehen) on the left, which indicates an action performed with the hand, and the character 甲 (kō, kabuto) on the right.

JLPT N3 Kanji: 幸 (Kou, Saiwai, Sachi) – Unlocking Happiness and Fortune 幸 Readings: コウ (Onyomi), さいわ.い, さち, しあわ.せ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Happiness, good fortune The kanji 幸 is derived from a pictograph said to represent a person’s head enclosed in handcuffs or a thorny branch, symbolizing being fortunate to escape punishment or harm. It later