Kanji Flashcards
Contains kanji characters, the elements they are made up from, and example vocables using the kanji. Based on Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji, Duolingo’s Japanese course, and references Linguee and Apple Translate.
晶
crystal, sparkle
multiple “tiny suns”
結晶、けっしょう: crystal, crystallisation
晶光、しょうこう: brilliant light
理
reason, truth, logic
“jewel” + “computer” (“brain” + “soil”)
story: the true jewels of mere computing is computing to reason
examples:
理論、りろん: theory
理由、りゆう: reason, motive
理事、りじ: director, chairman
石
いし
stone
“cliff” + “mouth”
boulders collect at the bottom (the entrance) to a cliff.
石鹸、せっけん: soap
歯石、しせき: (dental) tartar, German: Zahnstein
石灰、せっかい: lime stone, 灰: ash
石炭、せきたん: coal, 炭: “mountains of ash”, charcoal, associated with carbonisation
石油、せきゆ: oil, petrolium
油
あぶら
oil
“water” + “seedling” (sprout)
Liquifying seeds usually gives you oil for cooking
ごま油、ごまあぶら: sesame oil
石油、せきゆ: oil, petrolium
油断、ゆだん: unpreparedness, 断: decision
由
reason, cause, source
a seed sprouting from a “rice field”
理由、りゆう: reason
来由、らいゆ and 由来、ゆらい: source, origin, from 来, come, future
由来書、ゆらいしょ: memoirs, history
炭
すみ
charcoal
“mountain” + “ash”, associated with everything carbon
石炭、せきたん: coal
炭水化物、たんすいかぶつ: carbohydrate
炭化、たんか: carbonisation
炭田、たんでん: coalfield
混
mix
“water” + “sun” + “compare”
story: a (flowing) continuum, in which only the brightest sunlight allows for a separation of the ingredients for a comparison is well-mixed
混合、こんごう: mix, mixture
混乱、こんらん: confusion; chaos, mayhem
零
zero
“rain” + “order” (command)
story: rain nullifies a great deal of military orders
零度、れいど: freezing point, 0°C
凍
freeze
“ice” + “east”
For Europe, freezing cold wave tend to come from the East
烈
fierce, rage, patrionsim
“bone” + “sword” + “fire”
猛烈、もうれつ: violent
烈女、れつじょ: heroine
烈士、れっし: patriot, hero
烈風、れっぷう: gale, violent wind
危
dangerous
“bound up” + “unlucky”
危ない、あぶない: dangerous
危険、きけん: danger, hazard
危機、きき: crisis, 機 is likely more along the lines of chance, opportunity - crisis as an opportunity to change direction
水
みず
water
A walking stick (first stroke) dropping into a body of water and making it splash in all directions
水路、すいろ: channel, waterway, aqueduct
水泳、すいえい: swimming (discipline)
水源、すいげん: spring, origin of a waterway
水銀、すいぎん: mercury
氷
こおり
ice
“water” crystalizing around a “drop”
氷河、ひょうが: “river of ice”: glacier
氷河期、ひょうがき: ice age, glacial period
氷輪、ひょうりん: the moon, “white circle”
永
eternity, long
a drop of water in the ocean as a symbol for eternity
永遠、えいえん: eternity, permanence, from 遠, far, distant
永眠、えいみん: eternal sleep, death
明
clear, bright
“sun” + “moon”
Also mental brightness, cleverness, associated with cheerfulness
明るい、あかるい: bright; cheerful
証明、しょうめい: proof (-> clear up sth, enlighten)
鮮明、せんめい: vivid, clear
明細、めいさい: details, particulars, 細: detail, small, pebble
明記、めいき: specification
説
theory, opinion, hearsay, view
“say” + “convert” (change into sth else)
仮説、かせつ: hypothesis
説明、せつめい: explanation
談
だん
story, talk, conversation, discussion
“say” + “flame” (passion, rarely inflammation)
談話室、だんわしつ: lounge
談義、だんぎ, also 談議、だんぎ: discussion, discourse
話
はなし
story, talk, conversation, tale
“say” + “tongue” (“a thousand mouths”)
話し、はなし: speak (a language)
話芸、わげい: (the art of) storytelling
話者、わしゃ: narrator
言
word; remark, statement, say
“four soundwaves” coming out of a “mouth”
言葉、ことば: word, term, language; with 葉, leaf
言語、げんご: language
葉
は
leaf
bottom to top: “tree” + “generation” + “flowers”
言葉、ことば: language
葉洩れ日、はもれび: sunlight sifting through tree leaves, cf. 木漏れ日、こもれび: sunlight filtering through trees. The latter is known, replacing 木 with 雲 to get the German Gottesfinger is not a phrase a Japanese would use, according to reddit
奪
rob, steal, dispossess
“big” + (St Bernard’s dog) + “turkey” + “glue”
story: The St Bernard’s dog tries to steal the turkey, but since it is glued to the table, the dog needs to exert considerable force
奪う、うばう: steal, rob
奪回、だっかい: recapture, recovery (of something previously lost in battle)
奪還、だっかん: recapture, recovery (of something previously lost in battle)
泉
いずみ
spring, fountain
“white” + “water”
water gushing out of the spring, bubbling white
線: line, route, track; “thread” + “spring”
間欠泉、かんけつせん, also 間歇泉: geyser, from 間: between, among + 欠: lack, vacancy = 間欠: intermittent
温泉、おんせん: onsen, hot spring
泉下、せんか: Hades, the Hereafter
原
はら
original, raw, plain, primary; also tundra, moor, meadow
“cliff” + “spring” (fountain)
原因、げんいん: cause, origin, source
原理、げんり: principle; theory, fundamental truth
地雷原、じらいけん: minefield (“The source of the land rumbling”), 地雷、じらい: land mine
源
げん
source; origin
“water” + “origin, primary, meadow”
specifically the source of water
源泉徴収、げんせんちょうしゅう: tax withholding at the source
料
りょう
fee, material; ingredient
“rice” + “(big) measuring cup”
fees were messured out in rice cups
食料、しょくりょう: groceries, food
給料、きゅうりょう: salary
料金、りょうきん: rate, fee
料理、りょうり: cooking, cuisine
料理人、りょうりにん: cook
料理法、りょうりほう: recipe
含
がん
include; have, contain, imply
“now” + “mouth” (entrance)
it is in the entrance now; it is included
含む、ふくむ: contain, include
含水化合物、がんすいかごうぶつ: hydrate
含浸、がんしん: impregnation
用
utilize; use, service
primitives: “flesh” + “walking stick”
用具、ようぐ: tools, implement
用心、ようじん: precaution (“use of mind”)
専用、せんよう: dedicated; exclusive or personal use, private
作用、さよう: use, effect, action
医
doctor; medicine, healing
primitives: “enclosure” + “loss”
story: A doctor / medicine / healing constrains the loss of well-being
医学、いがく: medical science
医者、いしゃ and 医師、いし: doctor, physician
医療、いりょう: medical treatment
暮
end; nightfall, sunset; livelihood
“not, do not” + “day”
From nightfall to livelihood: You spend your time until nightfall with earning your livelihood.
暮らし、くらし: living, lifestyle
暮れる、くれる: end
夕暮れ、ゆうぐれ: dusk, nightfall
Can also be used as a suffix indicating twilight, e.g. 暮雲, 暮雨
煙
けむり
smoke
“fire” 火 + “west” 西 + “soil” 土
煙水晶、えんすいしょう: smoky quartz
煙草、えんそう: tobacco, cigarettes
煙突、えんとつ: chimney, smokestack
乱
war; riot; rebellion, revolt
primitives: 舌, tongue + 乙, hook
混乱、こんらん: confusion, mayhem, disorder
動乱、どうらん: riot
乱臣、らんしん: traitor (a rioting servant)
乱流、らんりゅう and 乱気流、らんきりゅう: (air) turbulence
精
spirit, vitality, energy; essence
primitives: 米, rice + 青, blue (“grow up” + 月, moon)
“grow up” is an element that is not a kanji itself. it is associated with plants. Do not confuse it with 王, king, or 主, master, proprietor!
story: rice growing quietly under the light of the moon is an image of vitality and energy.
精神、せいしん: spirirt, mind; soul; 精神的: mental
精力、せいりょく: energy, vitality, vigour
精算、せいさん: adjustment; exact calculation
精緻、せいち: subtle; delicate, minute
住
living; dwelling
primitives: person 人 + master, lord, host 主
story: “Man’s home is their castle”
住む 、すむ: reside, inhabit, dwell
住居、すまい: house, residence; address, dwelling
居住、きょじゅう: residence, house
住所、じゅうしょ: residence, address
住民、じゅうみん: resident, inhabitant, population, citizens
寂
loneliness
primitives: “house” + uncle 叔 (up 上 + small 小 + or again, &)
寂しい、さびしい: lonely, desolate
寂滅、じゃくめつ: nirvana, death
寂靜、せきせい: calmness, enlightenment, tranquility
景
scenery
primitives: sun, 日 + capital, 京
風景、ふうけい: scenery, scene, landscape
前景気、まえげいき: prospect, outlook, promise
景色、けしき: scenery, scene, landscape
雪景色、ゆきげしき: snowy landscape
影
かげ
shadow
primitives: scenery, 景 + “shape”
影響、えいきょう: affect, effect
影口、かげぐち: malicious gossip
影像、えいぞう: silhouette
黒影、こくえい: dark shadow, silhouette
影印、えいいん: facsimile
