Kanji - Level 10 - Vocab Flashcards
学院
Academy
Kanji: 学 study + 院 institution
A study institution is an academy. That’s where all the fancy people study, anyways.
Reading: がくいん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
足し算
Addition
Kanji: 足 foot + し + 算 calculate
Remember how 足す means “to add?” Add calculate to that and you’ll have addition! It’s the type of calculation you’re doing when you add.
Reading: たしざん
This is the kun’yomi reading for 足 and the on’yomi for 算. And the さん reading is rendaku’d into ざん. This is the same for all the math-ish words (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), so try to remember that, because you’ll see it again!
進行
Advance
Kanji: 進 advance + 行 go
When something advances and goes, it is moving forward. So this means advance or progress.
進行 can be used to describe various situations, like when a project progresses; but also when an illness advances to a more serious stage.
Reading: しんこう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
農業
Agriculture
Kanji: 農 farming + 業 business
What’s another way to call the farming business? If you encapsulated it into one word (assuming we’re talking about plant farming, here), you could call it agriculture.
Reading: のうぎょう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
ちょっと
A little
Kanji: No kanji (surprising!)
You chortle (ちょっと) a little at a silly joke. You can’t help chortling for a moment. Go ahead, chortle just a little, for just a moment, to help you remember this word.
Reading: ちょっと
路地
Alley
Kanji: 路 road + 地 earth
If you think about it, an earth road isn’t going to be the main road. It will be the road less traveled. You could call it a path (you know, like a dirt path!) or a dirt road. Alternatively, another less traveled street that would probably be made out of dirt back in the day (before everything was paved) would be an alley. Imagine yourself walking down a dirt alley at night with no shoes. Scary!
Reading: ろじ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. You’ve learned these readings already, so you should be able to read this word too! And remember, that it’s the じ reading that you learned with 生地 here.
高度
Altitude
Kanji: 高 tall + 度 degree
Something that is tall in degrees can either refer to its altitude, or to the fact that it’s quite high-level.
Note that this can refer to any altitude, even lower ones. But when used to refer to, for example, skills or a technique, it always talks about a high level or degree.
Reading: こうど
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
回答
Answer
Kanji: 回 times + 答 answer
How many times do I have to tell you that an answer is an answer? Well, okay, it can be a reply or a response, too.
Reading: かいとう
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You didn’t learn the on’yomi for 答 with the kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Give me your answer and I’ll take you to とうきょう. How does that sound? All I need is your reply, and we’ll be in とうきょう before you know it.
算数
Arithmetic
Kanji: 算 calculate + 数 count
What is it called when you calculate numbers? That is the study of math and arithmetic.
Reading: さんすう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
助手
Assistant
Kanji: 助 help + 手 hand
Remember how 手 can mean a “doer” in some words? What do you think your help doer is? It’s someone who helps you, so it’s your assistant, helper, or aid.
Reading: じょしゅ
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You learned the on’yomi reading of 手 with the vocabulary word 投手.
早速
At once
Kanji: 早 early + 速 fast
Doing something both fast and early probably requires you to do it at once or immediately. Whatever it is, be sure to do it without delay.
Reading: さっそく
The reading for this one is strange. The reading for 速 (そく) is what you’d expect (on’yomi), but 早 gets a reading you haven’t seen before, meaning you should treat this as an exception. Just think about how you’re learning this word at once and without delay so there’s no time for any sass (さっ), just kanji learning.
心配
A worry
Kanji: 心 heart + 配 distribute
When you distribute your heart around you, it’s like your heart is everywhere at once, but not in your body. You feel frantic, you don’t know what to do because your heart is out there. This represents the feeling you have when you have a worry or concern. 心配しないでね!
Reading: しんぱい
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well. Take note that the ぱい in 配 got rendaku’d from はい, as well.
自転車
Bicycle
Kanji: 自 self + 転 revolve + 車 car
A self revolving car. You’d think this would be a regular car, but bicycles were probably introduced before cars were, meaning the self revolving car is the bicycle, not the car. Just imagine yourself on a bike, and you don’t even have to move the pedals. They revolve themselves, but now you’re going too fast and it’s scary.
Reading: じてんしゃ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
苦い
Bitter tasting
Kanji: 苦 suffering + い
The kanji for 苦 means suffering. This word, however, is a bit different, but you’ll see how it’s related. It means bitter tasting. Think of putting the most bitter thing in the world in your mouth. You feel sick, your mouth gets all weird, and you try to spit it out but the bitterness remains. Obviously eating bitter tasting things will cause you to suffer.
Reading: にがい
This reading of the kanji is unique to this meaning of the word, so here’s a mnemonic to help you out!
The taste is so bitter tasting that you fall to your knees really, really hard. Luckily, you were wearing your knee guards (にが). Feel the relief that you were wearing them. Ack, no relief now. It’s still bitter in your mouth.
パン
Bread
Kanji: No kanji (surprising!)
パン is the katakana version of the Portuguese word “pão” and means bread in English.
If you know the Portuguese, Spanish, or French word for bread, you shouldn’t have trouble remembering this word. If not, here’s a mnemonic to help you:
You use a pan (パン) to make all your bread. It’s your special bread pan, and all the bread you make with it is delicious.
Reading: パン
ビル
Building
Kanji: No kanji (surprising!)
ビル is the Japanese version of the English word building. It usually refers to buildings that are taller than they are wide, most commonly apartment blocks and office buildings.
Reading: ビル
千葉
Chiba
Kanji: 千 thousand + 葉 leaf
There is only one place in Japan that has a thousand leaves and that’s Chiba. Picture all of those leaves swirling around you on your vacation to Chiba. Beautiful.
Reading: ちば
This is a place name and it uses the kun’yomi. You haven’t learned kun’yomi for 千 yet, so here’s a mnemonic to help you remember it:
While you’re admiring all of the leaves in Chiba, you realize you’re craving something. What goes well with watching leaves? Why, cheese (ち) of course. Delicious Chiba cheese.
親友
Close friend
Kanji: 親 parent + 友 friend
A friend who is like one of your parents is someone who will look out for you. They are like family, in fact! That’s why this word means best friend or close friend. Just imagine someone who watches over you like a parent would. This is the way to describe them.
Reading: しんゆう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
集金
Collecting money
Kanji: 集 collect + 金 gold
When you collect gold you are collecting money (or doing money collection). Of course, back in the day gold was like money, which is why this word works the way it does. Hopefully you don’t have to deal with too much 集金 in your daily life. We’ll try to keep WaniKani nice and reasonably priced for you.
集金 often refers to collecting bills, dues, or fees in person or through a designated representative. This can be carried out by a business, an organization, or even just a small group of people.
Reading: しゅうきん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
集中
Concentration
Kanji: 集 collect + 中 middle
When you collect to the middle of yourself, you are collecting towards your brain. All energy is going towards there, massing up in the middle, giving you extreme concentration and focus.
Reading: しゅうちゅう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
調子
Condition
Kanji: 調 investigate + 子 child
Imagine yourself investigating a child. You heard this child was having a rough time, so you need to come check on the condition of his home and life. You find the condition to be terrible, and you tell the parents you have to take the child away because of these conditions (imagine them being ridiculously bad… perhaps they raise raccoons in their kitchen?).
Reading: ちょうし
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
曲線
Curve
Kanji: 曲 music + 線 line
A bend in a line is merely a curve.
Reading: きょくせん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
要求
Demand
Kanji: 要 need + 求 request
You need this request to happen, so you don’t just ask nicely, you demand it.
Reading: ようきゅう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
開発
Development
Kanji: 開 open + 発 departure
You are now open for departure. You get on your boat and leave this place. You are going to another place to start its development, where you will create a new world.
Reading: かいはつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.