General Flashcards
丸い
まるい
round, circular, calm, harmonious
大勢
おおぜい
many, crowd (people), current trend
ひどい
terrible, cruel, harsh
幸福
こうふく
happiness, well-being, joy
幸, happiness, good luck, fortune + 福, good fortune
以上
いじょう
… and more, the end/goal/top
以下
いか
below, the following, not more than
減少
げんしょう
decrease, fall
重要
じゅうよう
important, essential, major
重: heay, 要: need, requirement
足る
たる
be sufficient, be enough
primitive for foot
足りない
たりない
insufficient, lacking
価値
かち
value, worth, merit
価: associated with monetary value, price, 値: associated with pricing
結果
けっか
result, effect, outcome
結: associated witb outcomes, things coming together, combining, 果: fruit
作成
さくせい
create, produce, make
作: work, crop, cultivate, 成: associated with moulding, forming, settling into its final form
不足
ふそく
shortage, lack, insufficiency
不: un-, non-, negative prefix, 足: foot, leg, pace, also associated with grounding, staying in place
有効
ゆうこう
valid, effective, legal, available
有: existnce, having, 効: effect, use, result
期待
きたい
expectation, hope, anticipation
期: period, age, time, 待: wait
試験
しけん
test (e.g. in school), experiment (e.g. in a lab), examination, study
試: trial, 験: attempt, trial, test
扉
とびら
front door
primitives: “door” + “mistake” (“Jail cell”)
無限
むげん
infinite, unlimited
無: nothing, un-, 限: end, limit
決定
けってい
decision, determination (i.e. sth. that has been determined)
決: decision, vote, associated with approval, 定: associated with determining, establishing, defining things
現象
げんしょう
phenomenon
現: current, existing reality, 象: phenomenon, ELEPHANT
提案
ていあん
suggestion, proposal, proposition
提: associated with submission, presenting, offer, 案: plan, motion, thought, expectation
賛成
さんせい
agreement, approval, favor, support
賛: praise, tribute, associated with support, 成: associated with moulding, forming, shaping into a final form, maturing, growing up
下ろしる
おろしる
unload
from 下: down, below
映る
うつる
be reflected, projected
primitives: sun + center
慣れる
なれる
get used to, get accustomed to
passive form of 慣る, observe the primitives for state of mind + pierce (mama + oyster)
慣る
なる
break sth. in, accustomize, warm up
primitives: state of mind (heart) + pierce (mama + oyster)
情報
じょうほう
intelligence, gossip, news, information (in data, documents)
情: almost always associated with 報, love, sympathy, compassion on its own, 報: information, report, news
全員
ぜんいん
everyone, “all hands”, everybody
全: whole, complete, pan-, 員: member of a group
突然
とつぜん
suddenly, abrupt, all at once
突: associated with intrusions, coming forward, things clashing together, 然: as such, -like
非常
ひじょう
emergency, extraordinary, unusual
非: error, fault, disadvantagous, 常: usual, eternity, associated with continuity
非常に
ひじょうに
very, extremely, exceedingly
from 非常, extraordinary, emergency
持っていく
もっていく
bear, bring along, take
from 持つ, have, keep, いく (also 行く), go
ほとんど
almost, mostly, all but
笑う
わらう
smile, laugh, sneer, ridicule
primitives: “bamboo” + “heavens”
story: laughter – bubbling up to the heavens, like bamboo striving to the sky
早速
さっそく
immediately, at once, without delay
早: early, immediately, now, 速: speed, also in 速い, fast
Fan fact: 速い and 早い are homonyms: はやい
糸
いと
thread, yarn
primitives: “elbows” + “little”
story:
as a primitive in kanji: associated with things coming together, as in stitching; convergence
糸 is an exceedingly common element in kanji.
苦しい
くるしい
difficult; painful, agonizing
primitives: “flowers” + “old”: Putting down flowers at the grave of a beloved can be painful.
状況
じょうきょう
situation, circumstances, state of affairs
状: a polite prefix, in compounds associated with a state, 況: associated with not mentioning sth
材料
ざいりょう
material, ingredient
材: (raw) material, wood, 料: section, course (of study), fault
漢字
かんじ
kanji (chinese characters)
漢: associated with China, 字: character (writing), section of a village, nickname. Do not confuse this with 学, learning, knowledge
感じ
かんじ
feeling
note the primitive for heart at the bottom
感情
かんじょう
emotion, feeling
感: feeling, 情: love, sympathy, conpassion
note that 情感, じょうかん, is a word as well and means emotion, feeling, sensitivity
配達
はいたつ
delivery, distribution
配: associated with distributing things, 達: associated with reaching, mastering; note the primitives path and good fortune.
として
with roles: in that role
used in contexts like “We hired her as a translator”.
幅
はば
width, breadth
primitives: “width” + ??? + “rice field / brains”
事故
じこ
accident, incident, circumstances, trouble
事: thing, matter, affair; super widely used in professional contexts, too, 故: reason, cause
fun fact: 故事, こじ, is the historical fact
失う
うしなう
lose, part with
primitives: based on “husband”, with a drop added
story: something is falling from the husband, so he loses it
専用
せんよう
dedicated, for … only, private / personal / exclusive use
専: first, number one priority, selfish; associated also with expertise, exclusively personal, 用: use; business, duty
決
けつ
decision, determination
primitives: “water” + “guillotine”
story: etymology of “decide” it to cut sth off. add “fluently”, et voila.
存在
そんざい
existence, being
存: diffuse kanji associated with being alive, presence 在: country , countryside; associated with bein enrolled, involved
原因
げんいん
cause, source, origin
原: original, primary; associated with raw, pricipal and principles, 因: cause; also rely on, be the cause of a consequence
来年
らいぬん
next year
来: since, next, come (as in 来る, くる), 年: year, age
偶然
ぐうぜん
by chance / accident, coincidence
偶: rarw, occasional, casually, accidentally, 然: -like, as such, like that
来る
くる
come, get
odd one out, learn as is
思う
おもう
think; want, consider, feel (as in believe)
primitives: “brain” + “heart”
特別
とくべつ
special
特: associated with defining, outstanding characteristics; differentiate; special, 別: separate, dostinction, different (no connotation)
歩行
ほこう
walking, walk
歩: step, walking, progress, advamcement, 行: going, row; also associated with carrying out something, governing, doing stuff
散歩
さんぽ
a walk, stroll
散: associated with scattering, spreading out, diffusion, “here and there”, 歩: walk
走る
はしる
run, retreat (from battle), travel, hurry
primitives: “soil” + “mend”
質問
しつもん
question, inquiry
質: diffuse kanji referring to the quality or nature of something, quality as in quality control, collateral, 問: question, query
質
しつ
qualiy, nature of sth, collateral
primitives: “jin (unit for measuring)” or “axe” + “oyster”
story: might be better to focus of the element “eye” here instead of oyster. then we get: dividing something up by eye, i.e. assessing its quality
量
りょう
amount, quantity
primitives: “nightbreak” + “ri” (ri: a measuring unit for land areas, note the primitives for rice field land; rice fields were so ubiquitous that they came to ne standardized units of land size; Heisig’s designation as a “computer” for ri is pretty far-fetched and I’ll stick with ri)
story: measuring things in time and space: time from nightbreak, a ri in space
超
ちょう
super- (more than normal), very, really
elements: “run” + “summon, call in”
story: if you run to a summons, it must be super important
底
そこ
bottom, sole, base (logarithmic, binary, etc.)
primitives: “cave” + “calling card” (a card with your family name on it, made up from “family” and “floor”)
近づく
ちかづく
approach, get close
primitives of 近: “path” + “axe” (also a measuring unit)
story: to get closer to your goal, you hack your path with an ax through the underbrush.
不便
ふべん
inconvenience
不: not, un-, non-, 便: mail, service, convenience
新しい
あたらしい
new
primitives: “spicy” (red pepper) + “axe”
計画
けいかく
plan; project, program, scheme
計: associated with planning, measuring, 画: picture, drawing, painting, sketch
時
とき
time, when, time of
primitives: “sun” + “Buddhist temple”
利用
りよう
use, utilisation
利: interest, benefit, profit, advantage, 用: use, business; generally associated with using something
利用法
りようほう
means of use
利用: use, utilisation, 法: law, method, principle
鮮明
せんめい
clear; vivid, distinct
鮮: associated with vivid, bright, clear, 明: clear, clean
覚える
おぼえる
learn, remember, memorize
primitives: “schoolhouse” + “see”
story: See things in a schoolhouse to remember them
役に立つ
やくにたつ
be useful
役: role, use, service, 立つ: associated with standing up, departing
理解
りかい
understanding, comprehension
理: reason, truth, logic, 解: solution (of a problem, state); associated with dissolution, termination, dissolution, dismantling, endings, …
破壊
はかい
destruction; disruption
破: “stone” + “skin”, associated with breaking, 壊: associated with destruction, breaking, withering
全体
ぜんたい
whole, entirety
全: all, whole, 体: body
石鹸
せっけん
(bar) soap
石: stone, 鹸: rogue kanji meaning soap
普通
ふつう
general; usual, normal, ordinary
普: associated with usual, normal, regular, (also universal),通: authority; also associated with communication and transfer
猛烈
もうれつ
violent; furious, spirited, vehement
猛: ferocious; severe, extreme, also associated with savage烈: associated with raging, fierceness, but also compatrionism and heroines (only females!)
危険
きけん
hazard, danger
危: danger; harm, 険: steepness, harsh
危ない
あぶない
dangerous
primitives: “bound up” + “unlucky”
危機
きき
crisis
危: danger, 機: chance, opportunity
this is very close to the original meaning of crisis, which is a “turning point” or “decision” (usually about life and death).
奪う
うばう
steal; snatch away, claim (e.g. natural disaster) by force, rob
primitives: “big” (St Bernard’s dog) + “turkey” + “glue”
最も
もっとも
most (superlative)
As in: 空で最も明るい星はシリウスです。The brightest star in the sky is Sirius.
最: identifies the superlative, most
贅沢
ぜいたく
(live in) luxury; extravagance
贅: luxury; associated with splurging, excess, 沢: mountain stream; marsh, valley, swamp; in one instance associated with “a lot”: 沢山、たくさん
沢山
たくさん
a lot, many, much
沢: mountain stream, marsh: valley, swamp, 山: mountain
Well, there ARE many streams in mountains.
暮らす
くらす
live (in a certain way), spend your time, making a livelihood
primitives: “must not” (graveyard) + “sun”
note urgently that 暮 in itself signifies an end; sundown, sunset, nightfall (which makes so much more sense given the kanji elements). How did we get from that to “livelihood”?
Perhaps like this: You spend your time until sundown earning your livelihood.
生活
せいかつ
live, livelihood; the way you spend your life
生: life, raw, alive, 活: living, also stronglh associatedbwith activity, active (noge the “flowing” “tongue”)
のおかげ
alternative spellings: のお陰, のお蔭
assictance, benevolence; “thanks to (something)”
外れる
はずれる
veer off, be off, get out of place
外: outside
