N4 Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji: 黒 (Kuro) – Mastering “Black” 黒 Readings: コク (Onyomi), くろ, くろい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Black The kanji 黒 originally depicted smoke rising from a fire, signifying “black” or “darkness.” The top part represents smoke, and the bottom part resembles fire. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke […]

JLPT N4 Kanji: 紙 (kami/shi) – Mastering the Kanji for “Paper” 紙 Readings: シ (Onyomi), かみ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Paper The kanji 紙 combines the ‘糸’ radical (いとへん – thread/silk) on the left, which indicates a connection to fibrous materials, with ‘氏’ (し/shi) on the right, which acts as a phonetic component. This reflects that early

JLPT N4 Kanji: 風 (Kaze/Fū) – Master the Kanji for Wind & Style! 風 Readings: フウ (Onyomi), かぜ, かざ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Wind, style, manner The kanji 風 is said to be a pictograph of a bird or a creature (虫) whose wings create wind, simplified over time. It visually conveys the concept of movement in

JLPT N4 Kanji: 歩 (Ho, Aru) – Walk, Step 歩 Readings: ホ, ブ (Onyomi), ある, あゆ (Kunyomi) Meaning: walk, step The kanji 歩 is a pictograph representing a foot (止) and a step (少 or 止 combined with a stroke), symbolizing the act of walking or taking steps. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to

JLPT N4 Kanji: 室 (shitsu) – Learn “Room” 室 Readings: シツ (Onyomi), むろ (Kunyomi) Meaning: room, chamber, hothouse, cellar, apartment Pictograph of a roof covering an object, representing a room or chamber. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 室 is written with 9 strokes. It starts with the

JLPT N4 Kanji: 週 – Mastering “Week” 週 Readings: シュウ (Onyomi), (Kunyomi) Meaning: Week The character 週 (shū) combines 辶 (しんにょう – “road/movement”) and 周 (shū – “around/circumference”). It implies “going around” or “a cycle,” thus representing a “week” as a cycle of days. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order

JLPT N4 Kanji: 図 – Mastering Drawings, Maps, and Plans 図 Readings: ズ, ト (Onyomi), え, はか-る (Kunyomi) Meaning: Drawing, map, plan, diagram, to devise, to attempt Pictogram of a map or diagram within an enclosure, symbolizing a plan or drawing. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The kanji 図

JLPT N4 Kanji: 悪 (aku) – Mastering “Bad” and “Evil” 悪 Readings: アク, オ (Onyomi), わる, わる.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: Bad, evil, wrong The kanji 悪 (aku) is formed from 亜 (a), meaning “second, inferior,” and 心 (kokoro), meaning “heart.” The combination suggests a heart that is not good, hence “bad” or “evil.” View JLPT N4

JLPT N4 Kanji: 買 (Buy) – Master the Meaning, Readings, and Usage! 買 Readings: バイ (Onyomi), か.う, か.い (Kunyomi) Meaning: Buy The kanji 買 combines 罒 (net, a simplification of 網) and 貝 (shell, historically used as currency). The original form suggested using a net to acquire goods or money, thereby representing the act of

JLPT N4 Kanji: 歌 (uta) – Master the Kanji for “Song” and “Sing” 歌 Readings: カ (Onyomi), うた, うた.う (Kunyomi) Meaning: song, sing The kanji 歌 (song) is formed by combining 哥 (elder brother, a phonetic component, also implying a sequence or chorus) and 欠 (to lack, yawn, open mouth, often associated with breathing or

JLPT N4 Kanji: 古 (furu, furui, ko) – Mastering the Kanji for “Old” 古 Readings: コ (Onyomi), ふる, ふるい (Kunyomi) Meaning: Old This kanji is said to have evolved from a pictograph representing a tombstone or an old grave, indicating something that has existed for a long time. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to

JLPT N4 Kanji: 帰 (KI, kaeru, kaesu) – Returning Home with Ease! 帰 Readings: キ (Onyomi), かえ.る, かえ.す (Kunyomi) Meaning: Return, go home, send back The kanji 帰 (き) depicts a person (similar to 止, indicating stopping or going back) returning to their home or village, often represented by elements related to a shelter or

JLPT N4 Kanji: 注 (chuu, soso-gu, tsu-gu) – Pour, Focus, Attention 注 Readings: チュウ (Onyomi), そそ-ぐ, つ-ぐ (Kunyomi) Meaning: Pour, flow, concentrate, direct (attention), annotate, inject The kanji 注 is formed by combining the radical 水 (water) and the component 主 (master/main). This combination suggests the idea of water being “poured” or “directed” as if

JLPT N4 Kanji: Mastering 音 (oto/ne) – The Kanji for Sound! 音 Readings: オン (Onyomi), おと, ね (Kunyomi) Meaning: sound, noise The character depicts a drum (立) with a mouth (口) below it, symbolizing sound produced from the mouth or an instrument. View JLPT N4 Kanji List How to Write – Stroke Order The stroke

JLPT N4 Kanji: 夜 (Yoru/Yo/Ya) – Mastering the Night 夜 Readings: ヤ (Onyomi), よ, よる (Kunyomi) Meaning: Night This kanji is a pictograph depicting a person (人 or simplified form) with a crescent moon (月) or evening (夕) to denote night. Some interpretations suggest it combines 夕 (evening) with 亦 (meaning ‘also’ or serving as

JLPT N4 Kanji: 答 (kotaeru, kotae) – Learn to Answer! 答 Readings: トウ (Onyomi), こた(える), こた(え) (Kunyomi) Meaning: Answer, reply, respond The kanji 答 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 竹 (bamboo) indicating bamboo slips or written records, and 合 (to fit, join) indicating the sound. Historically, it relates to “responding” or “answering,” often in

JLPT N4 Kanji: 字 – Master “Character, Letter” 字 Readings: ジ (Onyomi), あざ (Kunyomi) Meaning: character, letter, word, writing Originally a pictogram depicting a child (子) under a roof (宀). This represented learning or the continuation of a family line through written records, evolving to mean “character” or “writing.” View JLPT N4 Kanji List How

JLPT N4 Kanji: 写 – Copy, Photograph, Describe 写 Readings: シャ (Onyomi), うつ.す, うつ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: copy, be photographed, describe The kanji 写 is derived from the older form 寫. The top component 宀 (ukanmuri) represents a roof or house, and the lower part, though simplified, originally conveyed the idea of “to place” or “to

JLPT N4 Kanji: 味 (Taste, Flavor) 味 Readings: ミ (Onyomi), あじ, あじ.わう (Kunyomi) Meaning: taste, flavor The kanji 味 combines 口 (kuchi), meaning ‘mouth’, and 未 (mi), which serves as a phonetic component and can subtly suggest something delicate or not fully developed, hinting at the nuanced nature of taste or flavor. View JLPT N4

JLPT N4 Kanji: 去 (きょ, コ / さ.る) – Master “Leave, Past, Remove” 去 Readings: キョ, コ (Onyomi), さ.る (Kunyomi) Meaning: Depart, leave, past, to remove The kanji 去 depicts a person (大, which evolved to become similar to 土) walking away from a private enclosure (厶), signifying “to leave” or “to depart.” View JLPT