Japanese Core 1000

Question 1

行く

Answer 1

Going, journey, walk, enclosure.

五段 Verb - Intransitive
6 Strokes

On-Yomi: コウ、ギョウ、アン —

Kun-Yomi: い.く、ゆ.く、-ゆ.き、-ゆき、-い.き、-いき、おこな.う、おこ.なう

By joining the top four strokes, you should get a picture of the front current of a river, the stream trailing behind. Hence the character for going.

い·き
い·っ·て
い·か·な·く·て
い·か·な·い
い·っ·た

Question 2

見る

Answer 2

To see; to look; to watch; to view

一段 - Verb
7 Strokes

On-Yomi: ケン —
Kun-Yomi: み.る、み.える、み.せる

The elements that compose the character for see are the eye firmly fixed to a pair of human legs. Surely, somewhere in your experience, there is a vivid image just waiting to be dragged up to help you remember this character….

Question 3

多い

Answer 3

Many, Numerous, A lot

i-adjective
6 Strokes

On-Yomi: タ — Kun-Yomi: おお.い、まさ.に、まさ.る

“Many moons ago,” begins much of Amerindian folklore - a colorful way of saying “Once upon a time” and a great deal of help for remembering this kanji. Here we have two moons (three of them would take us back to the beginning of time, which is further than we want to go), lacking the final stroke because they are partially hidden behind the clouds of time.

Question 4

家

Answer 4

House, residence, dwelling

Noun
10 Strokes

On-Yomi: カ、ケ —
Kun-Yomi: いえ、や、うち

This is the full character whose primitive form we learned already. To help a little, this kanji recalls the times when the “domestic” animals were, as the word itself suggests, really kept in the house. Hence: house . . . sow.

Question 5

これ (此れ)

Answer 5

This …

Kore

Question 6

それ (其れ)

Answer 6

That (near the listener)

Sore

Question 7

私

Answer 7

I (feminine, with a connotation of privacy)

Pronoun
7 Strokes

On-Yomi: シ —
Kun-Yomi: わたくし、わたし

Wheat . . . elbow. Like the characters for I (Frame 17) and ego (Frame 690), this kanji is also representative of the subject, with the special connotation of privacy.

Question 8

仕事

Answer 8

Work

(Shigoto)

Noun
12 Strokes

仕 - attend, doing, official, serve

On-Yomi: シ、ジ —
Kun-Yomi: つか.える

Person . . . samurai. The key word means to wait on someone or serve them.

事 - Matter, thing, fact, business, reason, possibly

On-Yomi: ジ、ズ —
Kun-Yomi: こと、つか.う、つか.える

This key word here refers to abstract matters. The elements are: one . . . mouth . . . rake. Note how the rake handle reaches out the top and bottom of the character.

Question 9

何時

Answer 9

When, At What Time, How Soon.

Interrogative

(Itsu, Nanji)

何

what

On-Yomi: カ —
Kun-Yomi: なに、なん、なに-、なん-

Person . . . can.

時

time

On-Yomi: ジ —
Kun-Yomi: とき、-どき

“What is time?” asked St. Augustine in his memoirs. “Ask me not, and I know. Ask me, and I cannot tell you.” Here we have the kanji’s answer to that perennial riddle. Time is a sun rising over a Buddhist temple. It sounds almost like a Zen kōan whose repetition might yield some deep secret to the initiated. At any rate, imagining a monk seated in meditation pondering it might help us remember the character.

Question 10

する (為る)

Answer 10

To do, to carry out, to perform

Irregular verb.

Question 11

出る

Answer 11

To leave; to exit; to go out; to come out.

一段 verb
5 Strokes

On-Yomi: シュツ、スイ —
Kun-Yomi: で.る、-で、だ.す、-だ.す、い.でる、い.だす

The kanji for exit pictures a series of mountain peaks coming out of the earth. Learn it together with the following frame.

Question 12

使う

Answer 12

To use (a thing, method, etc.), to make use of, to put to use.

五段 verb
8 Strokes

On-Yomi: シ —
Kun-Yomi: つか.う、つか.い、-つか.い、-づか.い

Person . . . officer.

Question 13

所

Answer 13

Place, spot, scene, site

Noun
8 Strokes

On-Yomi: ショ —
Kun-Yomi: ところ、-ところ、どころ、とこ

Door . . . ax.

Question 14

作る

Answer 14

To make; to produce; to manufacture; to build; to construct.

五段 verb
7 Strokes

On-Yomi: サク、サ —
Kun-Yomi: つく.る、つく.り、-づく.り

Person . . . saw.

Question 15

思う

Answer 15

To think; to consider; to believe; to reckon; to judge; to imagine.

五段 verb
9 Strokes

On-Yomi: シ —
Kun-Yomi: おも.う、おもえら.く、おぼ.す

Brains . . . heart.

Question 16

持つ

Answer 16

To hold in one’s hand; to take; to carry; to possess; to have; to own.

五段 Verb
9 Strokes

On-Yomi: ジ —
Kun-Yomi: も.つ、-も.ち、も.てる

Fingers . . . Buddhist temple.

Question 17

買う

Answer 17

To buy; to purchase; to value; to have a high opinion; to stir; provoke.

五段 Verb
12 Strokes

On-Yomi: バイ —
Kun-Yomi: か.う

Eye . . . shellfish.

Question 18

時間

Answer 18

Time; hour; period; class; lesson
(Jikan)

Noun

時 -Time

On-Yomi: ジ —
Kun-Yomi: とき、-どき

“What is time?” asked St. Augustine in his memoirs. “Ask me not, and I know. Ask me, and I cannot tell you.” Here we have the kanji’s answer to that perennial riddle. Time is a sun rising over a Buddhist temple. It sounds almost like a Zen kōan whose repetition might yield some deep secret to the initiated. At any rate, imagining a monk seated in meditation pondering it might help us remember the character.

間 - Interval

On-Yomi: カン、ケン —
Kun-Yomi: あいだ、ま、あい

Gates . . . sun/day. This interval applies to time and space alike, but the latter is better for creating an image.

Question 19

知る

Answer 19

To be aware of; to know; to be conscious of; to cognize; to notice; to feel; to understand.

五段 Verb
8 Strokes

On-Yomi: チ —
Kun-Yomi: し.る、し.らせる

Dart . . . mouth.

Question 20

同じ

Answer 20

Same; identical; equal; uniform; equivalent; similar; common (origin); changeless; alike.

Noun
6 Strokes

On-Yomi: ドウ —
Kun-Yomi: おな.じ

The primitives in this kanji show us one and mouth under a hood. Let us take the key word to connote the sameness that characterizes the life in community of the monk. They all have the same habits, including the “habit” they wear on their backs. Here we see the monk’s cowl, drawn down over the eyes so that all you can see when you look at him is a mouth. But since monks also speak their prayers in common, it is but a short step to think of one mouth under a hood as the kanji for the sameness of monastic life.

Question 21

今

Answer 21

Now; the present time; just now; soon; immediately.

Noun
4 Strokes

On-Yomi: コン、キン —
Kun-Yomi: いま

The final stroke of this kanji is a rare shape, which we have not met before and will only meet in this character and others that include it as a primitive. We are more accustomed to seeing it straightened out as part of other shapes - for instance, as the second stroke of mouth. If you need any help at all with this character, you may picture it as two hands of a clock pointing to what time it is now. The element above it, meeting, should easily relate to that image.

• We shall use clock as the primitive meaning of this character, in line with the above explanation.

Question 22

新しい

Answer 22

New; novel; fresh; recent; latest; up-to-date; modern.

i-adjective
13 Strokes

On-Yomi: シン —
Kun-Yomi: あたら.しい、あら.た、あら-、にい-

Red pepper . . . ax.

Question 23

なる (成る)

Answer 23

To become; to get; to grow; to be; to reach; to attain.

五段 Verb

Question 24

まだ (未だ)

Answer 24

Still; as yet; only.

Adverb

Question 25

後

Answer 25

Behind; back; later; after.

Noun
9 Strokes

On-Yomi: ゴ、コウ —
Kun-Yomi: のち、うし.ろ、うしろ、あと、おく.れる

Question 26

聞く

Answer 26

To hear; to listen; to ask.

五段 Verb
14 Strokes

On-Yomi: ブン、モン —
Kun-Yomi: き.く、き.こえる

Gates . . . ear. Compare the story you invented for the kanji meaning listen (Frame 890).

Question 27

言う

Answer 27

To say; utter; or declare; to name; to call.

五段 Verb
7 Strokes

On-Yomi: ゲン、ゴン —
Kun-Yomi: い.う、こと

Of all the things we can do with our mouths, speech is the one that requires the greatest distinctness and clarity. Hence the kanji for say has four little sound-waves, indicating the complexity of the achievement.

• This kanji, which appears often as a primitive, can mean saying, speech, or words, depending on which is most useful.

Question 28

少ない

Answer 28

Few.

i-adjective
4 Strokes

On-Yomi: ショウ —
Kun-Yomi: すく.ない、すこ.し

First we need to look at the fourth stroke, the drop at the bottom that has been extended into a longer diagonal stroke leaning left. This happens because a single, isolated drop will NEVER appear beneath its relative primitive in its normal size, for fear it would drop off and get lost. As for the meaning, let the tiny drop indicate a further belittling of what is already little - thus making it a few of something little.

1) [raseru] 6-2-2008(129): Only a few people can make an ugly face like that.