Kanji - Level 16 - Vocab

Question 1

留守

Answer 1

Absence
Kanji: 留 detain + 守 protect
You have gotten a mission. You must go out and detain a dangerous criminal to protect your country. While you go do that, you will be away from home and have an absence from society.
Reading: るす
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.

Question 2

料理人

Answer 2

A cook
Kanji: 料 fee + 理 reason + 人 person
You’ve seen 料理 and probably know it means “cooking.” So, what is a person who does cooking? That is a cook or chef.
Reading: りょうりにん
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.

Question 3

入門

Answer 3

Admission
Kanji: 入 enter + 門 gates
If you are able to enter the gate then you have gained admission and entrance to the facility. Sometimes you do this to start an apprenticeship, where you get an introduction to some sweet new skills, like how to make an entrance.
Reading: にゅうもん
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.

Question 4

冒険

Answer 4

Adventure
Kanji: 冒 dare + 険 risky
You dare to do something risky. It’s adventure time! Imagine yourself daring yourself to do risky things. Is this an adventure? If not, make it so!
Reading: ぼうけん
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.

Question 5

記念日

Answer 5

Anniversary
Kanji: 記 write down + 念 thought + 日 sun
You should write down all your thoughts on this day, because it’s not just any day — it’s an anniversary!
Wondering how 記念日 differs from 周年? 周年 is usually for a numbered anniversary, like 十周年 (10th anniversary), whereas 記念日 refers to the specific date on which a memorable event took place in the past.
Reading: きねんび
The reading is a combination of on’yomi for the first two and kun’yomi for the last one. That being said, all of the readings for all of the kanji are the readings you’ve learned already, so you should be able to read this word too. Just watch out because ひ is rendaku’d into び.

Question 6

品

Answer 6

Article
Kanji: 品 product
This is the same as the kanji, at least in regards to the article or goods meaning, which means you can use this word to mean article or goods.
Readings: しな, ひん
When this kanji is used as a single-character vocabulary word, it is usually read as しな. You’ll see it read as ひん more often in kanji combination words. That said, there is an expression, 品がない, which means “unrefined” or “lacking taste,” and the kanji is read ひん in this case. Here’s a mnemonic to help you remember the しな reading:
Think of it like a video game. The first time you see new goods there’s a sheen (しな) about it. But when you bring it back to your place, the sheen is gone. Then when you go back to the store, wow! All the goods you don’t already own have that sheen! Gotta buy them!

Question 7

芸術家

Answer 7

Artist
Kanji: 芸 art + 術 technique + 家 house
You know that 芸術 is art so you’d think that 芸術家 would be something like “art house.” Well, it’s not. Think of it this way: Who is the person who works for “House Art”? It’s the artist.
Reading: げいじゅつか
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.

Question 8

自動的

Answer 8

Automatic
Kanji: 自 self + 動 move + 的 target
An automatical (自動 + 的) thing of course isn’t “automatical.” A better way to say it is to cut off the -al and call it automatic.
Reading: じどうてき
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. It will help to know the reading of 自動 as well.

Question 9

自動車

Answer 9

Automobile
Kanji: 自 self + 動 move + 車 car
You know that 自動 is automatic. So what is an automatic car? That is an automobile, or simply a car.
Reading: じどうしゃ
The reading comes from 自動 and the kanji 車’s readings, combined.

Question 10

作品

Answer 10

A work
Kanji: 作 make + 品 product
If you make a product, it’s not really a product anymore, but a work. It’s your work of art or literature, or maybe a theater production.
This can be any kind of artistic creation: a book, a composition, a painting, a movie, a play… It doesn’t mean “product” (you’ll learn the word for that later!) but it can be used for a product when you want to highlight the artistic talent behind it.
Reading: さくひん
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.

Question 11

弁当

Answer 11

Bento
Kanji: 弁 dialect + 当 correct
You know how 弁 means dialect and 当 means success? Well, this isn’t going to help you much, because this means bento or box lunch. Chances are, though, you know the word “bento” from English. So, if you read this word (which you should be able to) you can figure out it’s べんとう. If you do that, you can realize this word means bento too!
Reading: べんとう
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.

Question 12

箱

Answer 12

Box
Kanji: 箱 box
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: はこ
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji.

Question 13

新品

Answer 13

Brand new
Kanji: 新 new + 品 product
A new product is something that’s brand new or a new item. I like looking around the store for the brand new stuff because it’s interesting!
Reading: しんぴん
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. Notice though that ひん changes to ぴん. This is because you’re buying some brand new pins?

Question 14

仏典

Answer 14

Buddha scriptures
Kanji: 仏 buddha + 典 rule
Buddha transcribed all of the rules of Buddhism in the Buddhist Scriptures and Buddhist Writings.
Reading: ぶってん
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. Note that ぶつ gets shortened to ぶっ.

Question 15

字典

Answer 15

Character dictionary
Kanji: 字 letter + 典 rule
Letter rules can be found in a character dictionary. In Japanese, one kanji “letter” or “character” can hold a lot of information, so you have dictionaries dedicated to kanji meanings. That’s what this is.
This word is a little old-fashioned these days, so you might also see 漢字辞典 used for a character dictionary. (You’ll learn 辞典 soon, if you haven’t already!)
Reading: じてん
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.

Question 16

古典的

Answer 16

Classical
Kanji: 古 old + 典 rule + 的 target
When something is “old rules-like,” it is not very modern. It is in the past. It is classical.
Reading: こてんてき
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.

Question 17

全治

Answer 17

Complete recovery
Kanji: 全 all + 治 cure
All cured! That means you’ve made a complete recovery! You’re completely healed!
Reading: ぜんち
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.

Question 18

関心

Answer 18

Concern
Kanji: 関 related + 心 heart
The things related to your heart are the things that concern and interest you the most.
Reading: かんしん
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.

Question 19

関係

Answer 19

Connection
Kanji: 関 related + 係 connection
A connection related to another connection obviously has some kind of connection, at least between all those meanings.
Reading: かんけい
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.

Question 20

保守的

Answer 20

Conservative
Kanji: 保 preserve + 守 protect + 的 target
Who are all like “I want to preserve and protect what I have, get out of my business, government!”? Conservative people, of course.
Reading: ほしゅてき
The reading doesn’t match up for this word’s 守. The reading is しゅ, but you can remember that because the conservatives want to protect and preserve their hoes (ほ) and their chutes (しゅ) from the government. For some reason those get taxed a lot.

Question 21

取材

Answer 21

Covering an event
Kanji: 取 take + 材 lumber
Your job is to take materials from a bunch of different people because you’re covering an event. This data collection needs to be thorough, so you try to take all the materials you can from as many people as you can find.
Reading: しゅざい
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You haven’t learned the on’yomi of 取 yet, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
You’re covering an event featuring all kinds of chutes (しゅ). They have the whole range, from laundry chutes and garbage chutes, to evacuation chutes and so much more. You’ll be doing some data collection and interviews about all these chutes, and you can’t wait!

Question 22

下品

Answer 22

Crude
Kanji: 下 below + 品 product
Things that are below normal products are the cheap knockoffs and bad quality items. These items are incredibly crude and vulgar in their manufacturing and design. So much vulgarity!
Reading: げひん
You haven’t seen this reading for 下 yet (sorry there’s so many for this kanji!) so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Those items are so crude that you can’t even tell what they’re supposed to be. Honestly they all just look like statues of lumpy geckos (げ). That says it’s a lamp but it looks more like a gecko looking at the sky. That chair? Definitely a bunch of geckos having a pool party. Are you sure you didn’t get this stuff from a weird gecko artist?

Question 23

危ない

Answer 23

Dangerous
Kanji: 危 dangerous + な + い
This is a single kanji with an い on the end, meaning you know it’s probably an adjective. What’s the adjective form of dangerous? It’s dangerous.
Reading: あぶない
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with this kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you: Someone is in danger! It’s poor old abe (あぶ) Lincoln. You try to save him, yelling out 危ないよ！！！！, but he gets shot in the back of the head anyways.

Question 24

曜日

Answer 24

Day of the week
Kanji: 曜 weekday + 日 sun
The weekday day is the day of the week, as in “Monday” or “Tuesday.” You’ll be learning those on level 18, but first you should learn 曜日 to get you prepared.
Reading: ようび
This word uses the on’yomi reading for 曜 and the kun’yomi reading for 日. You’ve learned both of these already, but be careful because ひ of 日 changes to び here.

Question 25

悪化

Answer 25

Deterioration
Kanji: 悪 bad + 化 change
A bad change is exactly what it sounds like: deterioration, aka getting worse .
Reading: あっか
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. The on’yomi readings of the kanji are あく and か, but here they become あっか, to make the word easier to pronounce. Try and say it out loud to see if you agree.

Question 26

〜弁

Answer 26

Dialect
Kanji: 弁 dialect
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. The 〜 is there to show this attaches onto things, like 東京弁, meaning “Tokyo Dialect.”
Reading: べん
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. Because it’s normally attached to other words it uses the on’yomi reading like a jukugo word normally would.

Question 27

辞書

Answer 27

Dictionary
Kanji: 辞 quit + 書 write
Take all the words you use in writing, put them together and you have a dictionary!
Reading: じしょ
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.

Question 28

辞典

Answer 28

Dictionary
Kanji: 辞 quit + 典 rule
You need to know the word rules of the language you’re learning, don’t you? Then you need a good dictionary that can explain its lexicon!
Reading: じてん
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 29

事典

Answer 29

Encyclopedia
Kanji: 事 action + 典 rule
If you come across a matter in which the rules aren’t clear, you’ll need to have a look in an encyclopedia!
Reading: じてん
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.

Question 30

証

Answer 30

Evidence
Kanji: 証 evidence
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: あかし
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. When learning the kanji, you didn’t learn that reading, so here’s a mnemonic to help you with this word:
Your relentless search for evidence has finally uncovered the existence of a car sheep (あかし)! It’s a bizarre hybrid, having a car’s body but a sheep’s head and legs. “Ah, car sheep! I’ve finally found the evidence proving you’re real!”

Question 31

遠足

Answer 31

Excursion
Kanji: 遠 far + 足 foot
Far feet are feet that have gone on long excursions. These feet have been on some trips, man. They’ve seen some things.
Reading: えんそく
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 32

生存

Answer 32

Existence
Kanji: 生 life + 存 exist
Existing life is in existence on this planet… What would that say about life and survival in such an unforgiving place?
Reading: せいぞん
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.

Question 33

急行

Answer 33

Express
Kanji: 急 hurry + 行 go
Things that hurry and go faster than the other things are express. This is often used with trains or subways, so look out for it if you’re looking to get somewhere in a hurry. Also be careful in case it doesn’t stop at your stop, because 急行 trains don’t stop at every station (which is what makes them express!).
Reading: きゅうこう
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.

Question 34

外面

Answer 34

External appearance
Kanji: 外 outside + 面 face
The outside face to something is the external appearance of that thing.
While 外面 can refer to the outer surface of an object, it’s more commonly used to describe someone’s outward appearance, behavior, or demeanor on the surface.
Readings: がいめん, そとづら
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji, so this is がいめん. But note that this can also use the kun’yomi readings, which makes it そとづら.
While がいめん is neutral, そとづら is a bit negative, often implying that the person’s outward appearance might be deceptive, hiding their true nature.

Question 35

顔面

Answer 35

Face of a person
Kanji: 顔 face + 面 face
The face of a face is a face, but more specifically the face of a person. Probably because the most face-like thing you can ever have is a human’s face… at least in our eyes (by “our” I mean the human race’s eyes, because I am totally with you guys on that one).
Reading: がんめん
The reading for 顔 isn’t the one you learned with the kanji. But, we’re going to learn that reading right now.
The worst thing that can happen to a face is if a face disappears. If it becomes totally gone (がん). A man that is walking up to you with no face, is a man with a gone face. Those men are men who are a part of the gone men (がんめん). Faces, totally gone!

Question 36

不合格

Answer 36

Fail a test
Kanji: 不 not + 合 suit + 格 status
You know that 合格する is “to pass a test,” so what’s the opposite of that? Fail a test or failure.
Reading: ふごうかく
If you know the reading for 合格, all you have to do is add 不 to it! You’ve learned all these readings, yay!

Question 37

遠い

Answer 37

Far
Kanji: 遠 far + い
This is a single kanji with an い on the end, meaning you know it’s probably an adjective. What’s the adjective form of far? It’s also far (or it’s far away).
Reading: とおい
You want to go far, far away when you see a toe… oh (とお)! You realize there is a zombie toe on the ground and it reminds you of where you can go that’s far from here—where the zombie that once had this toe went! (Remember the kanji mnemonic? It’s that scooter zombie’s toe that makes you say oh and want to go.)

Question 38

お世辞

Answer 38

Flattery
Kanji: お + 世 world + 辞 quit
When you quit your current generation to join an older one, you’ll need to use all kinds of flattery. Older people love being flattered; so be nice and give them some compliments.
Reading: おせじ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Just watch out, as the 世 gets shortened from せい to せ! You can memorize this by remembering to be short and sweet with your flattery, don’t make it too long and overcomplicated!

Question 39

ふわふわ

Answer 39

Fluffy
Kanji: No kanji! (whew!)
Who are who are (ふわふわ) fluffy? I’m thinking puppies, but ask yourself, “who are the fluffiest creatures I know?”
This is an オノマトペ meaning fluffy, like a puppy, a cloud, or a cotton ball. It can also describe the movement of a dandelion puffball or a jellyfish, floating lightly in the air or the water. And if you’re feeling lightheaded, that’s called ふわふわ too. Basically, anything with light or fluffy vibe!
Reading: ふわふわ

Question 40

折り目

Answer 40

Fold
Kanji: 折 fold + り + 目 eye
A fold you can see with your eye is a fold or crease in something.
Reading: おりめ
The readings are both kun’yomi vocab readings. You should have seen 折る by now which should help you to read 折り. Then there’s 目, which I’m guessing you won’t have a problem with.

Question 41

前面

Answer 41

Front
Kanji: 前 front + 面 face
The front face of something is the front or the front side of it (kind of like how 外面 is the exterior because it’s the outside face). This also means fore or forefront, especially when used metaphorically.
Reading: ぜんめん
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.

Question 42

基本的

Answer 42

Fundamental
Kanji: 基 foundation + 本 book + 的 target
The things that are basics (基本) like (的) are basic and fundamental.
Reading: きほんてき
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. Knowing how to read the word 基本 will be helpful too.

Question 43

ゴミ箱

Answer 43

Garbage can
Kanji: ゴ + ミ + 箱 box
ゴミ means “garbage.” Add a box to it and you have a garbage box aka a garbage can or garbage bin.
Readings: ごみばこ, ゴミばこ
The reading is just the kun’yomi reading, the one you learned with the kanji. Be sure to pay attention to the rendaku though. はこ changes to ばこ.

Question 44

門

Answer 44

Gate
Kanji: 門 gates
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: もん
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!

Question 45

幸運

Answer 45

Good luck
Kanji: 幸 happiness + 運 carry
When you carry happiness with you, you look at the good side of everything and end up having really good luck. Someone who carries happiness will be really lucky in life.
Reading: こううん
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 46

政府

Answer 46

Government
Kanji: 政 politics + 府 government
Politics and government. They are needed to keep the government rolling.
Reading: せいふ
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.

Question 47

卒業式

Answer 47

Graduation ceremony
Kanji: 卒 graduate + 業 business + 式 ritual
You know that 卒業 is graduation so what about when you add ceremony to it? That makes it a graduation ceremony.
Reading: そつぎょうしき
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. It will help if you know how to read 卒業 already as a word, too.

Question 48

食料品

Answer 48

Groceries
Kanji: 食 eat + 料 fee + 品 product
Products you’re paying a fee to eat later are your groceries. Buy them now, eat them later, yum!
Reading: しょくりょうひん
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 49

地面

Answer 49

Ground
Kanji: 地 earth + 面 ground
The ground/earth face is the surface that makes up the ground or the Earth’s surface.
Reading: じめん
The reading for 面 is what you’d expect. 地 on the other hand is じ, which is a bit different (though close sounding) to what you learned previously. Thank the Chinese and their ever changing language for this one. Think of Jesus laying on the ground, telling you how comfortable the ground is. You say “Jesus, you have to get off the ground, you have a dinner to go to,” but he doesn’t want to leave.

Question 50

保証

Answer 50

Guarantee
Kanji: 保 preserve + 証 evidence
Giving evidence (or a guarantee) that you will preserve something, is giving a guarantee, assurance, or warranty.
This word is used when the emphasis is on taking responsibility for something, as in a guarantor, a product warranty, or quality assurance.
Reading: ほしょう
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.

Question 51

阪神

Answer 51

Hanshin
Kanji: 阪 heights + 神 god
The slopes of the gods! What could this be? Well, it’s mainly just a company, known as Hanshin. They’re based in the area between Osaka and Kobe. Think of it this way: 大阪 + 神戸 = 阪神! They’re everywhere, though, and even have a baseball team (the Hanshin Tigers), so it’s good to know.
Reading: はんしん
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.

Question 52

幸福

Answer 52

Happiness
Kanji: 幸 happiness + 福 luck
With a little happiness and luck you can achieve happiness, though that goes without saying.
幸福 is often used to discuss happiness in a broader, more abstract sense, like the happiness of a population or the concept of happiness in philosophical contexts.
Reading: こうふく
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.

Question 53

幸せ

Answer 53

Happiness
Kanji: 幸 happiness + せ
This is the noun version of the kanji 幸. The kanji means happiness and the vocab word means happiness.
Compared to 幸福, 幸せ is more commonly used in everyday language and refers to a more immediate, personal sense of happiness or contentment.
Reading: しあわせ
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with this kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
On your quest for true happiness, you meet a happiness guru. She always says (しあわせ), “just be happy!” She always says that, and you always listen. You can’t believe how simple yet profound her approach is!

Question 54

不完全

Answer 54

Incomplete
Kanji: 不 not + 完 perfect + 全 all
You know that 完全 means “complete” or “perfect.” So, a not “complete” or “perfect” is something that is incomplete or imperfect.
Reading: ふかんぜん
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. It also will help if you can read 完全.

Question 55

不治

Answer 55

Incurability
Kanji: 不 not + 治 cure
When you can not cure something, this is a problem of incurability.
Readings: ふじ, ふち
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.

Question 56

保険

Answer 56

Insurance
Kanji: 保 preserve + 険 risky
When you are able to guarantee against risk, it’s probably because you bought some good insurance! What do you use? The gecko 保険?
Reading: ほけん
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.

Question 57

面白い

Answer 57

Interesting
Kanji: 面 face + 白 white + い
The face of this object is so white! Why is it so white compared to everything else? This is so interesting…
Reading: おもしろい
The reading is unlike what you’ve learned before, at least with the 面 part (白い is just like the vocab word 白い). When you look at the white face of the object you say to your friend Moe: “Oh mo!” (おも) because you want him to come over and look at this. Try to imagine someone you know named Moe, or at least a celebrity or something named Moe.

Question 58

冗談

Answer 58

Joke
Kanji: 冗 superfluous + 談 talk
When you have a superfluous talk you aren’t being serious, you’re telling a joke.
Reading: じょうだん
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.

Question 59

関西

Answer 59

Kansai
Kanji: 関 related + 西 west
The Kansai region of Japan is the Southern Central part of Japan. It actually connects the East side of Japan (at least back in the day) to the West side, making it the “connection to the west.” For our purposes, though, we should call it “Kansai.”
Reading: かんさい
Urgh, what a confusing reading! The 西 is さい instead of せい. Readings like this just make you want to sigh (さい), no?

Question 60

図書館

Answer 60

Library
Kanji: 図 diagram + 書 write + 館 public building
A public building where written things are all diagramed out in a way that lets you find said written things? That sounds like a library to me!
Reading: としょかん
The 書館 part should be readable by you, but it’s the 図 that’s troublesome with an alternate reading from the one you learned. Imagine yourself at the library. You check out every single book you can about the human toe (と). You have a giant stack of books on it, then you drop it… ironically on your toe. You decide to show Khan (your buddy) your smashed toe.

Question 61

特急

Answer 61

Limited express train
Kanji: 特 special + 急 hurry
Something that’s special and in a hurry must be special indeed. This refers to limited express trains in Japan. They go fast, they stop at fewer stops (because they’re special!) and they hurry. Look out for these if you want to get somewhere in a jiffy.
Reading: とっきゅう
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. Just note that the とく goes to とっ.

Question 62

行列

Answer 62

Line
Kanji: 行 go + 列 row
You know the two words that make up this word, 行 and 列, and they both have similar meanings: a line and a row. Put them together and you have a line or a queue.
This usually means a line of people waiting for their turn, for example to enter a restaurant. It can be also used for a line that marches, like a line in a parade. In a mathematics context, it can refer to a matrix, which makes sense because they’re lines and rows of numbers and stuff.
Reading: ぎょうれつ
This word takes the readings of the two words that make it up, so you should be lining up to read it!

Question 63

荷物

Answer 63

Luggage
Kanji: 荷 luggage + 物 thing
A luggage thing is your luggage. It’s also your baggage and load too.
Reading: にもつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. You’ll need to remember the 物 reading as もつ, though. Why? Because all your luggage just got thrown into various moats along the countryside. It’s going to take you forever to collect your luggage from these moats and by then it’ll be all soggy. Dangit…

Question 64

仮面

Answer 64

Mask
Kanji: 仮 temporary + 面 face
A temporary face is something you put over your face to cover it. It’s a mask.
Reading: かめん
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.

Question 65

明治

Answer 65

Meiji era
Kanji: 明 bright + 治 cure
It’s the era of Bright Rule! If this doesn’t make sense, don’t worry about it. Focus more on the reading, which is めいじ. Sound familiar? This is the famous Meiji Era or Meiji Emperor. If you don’t know about it consider reading up, it’s interesting history!
Reading: めいじ
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.

Question 66

商品

Answer 66

Merchandise
Kanji: 商 merchandise + 品 product
Articles of merchandise are still merchandise.
Reading: しょうひん
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.

Question 67

美術館

Answer 67

Museum
Kanji: 美 beauty + 術 technique + 館 public building
You know 美術 is fine art. So what is a public building that contains said fine art? It’s a museum.
Reading: びじゅつかん
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.

Question 68

折り紙

Answer 68

Origami
Kanji: 折 fold + り + 紙 paper
You know that 折る is “to fold,” so what about “to fold paper”? Ever heard of something that involves lots of folding of paper that is Japanese? Most likely you have. This is origami, aka the art of paper folding.
Reading: おりがみ
The reading comes from 折る and the vocab word 紙. As long as you know those you should be able to read this. Also, you probably already know this reading because it’s an English word, too.

Question 69

大阪

Answer 69

Osaka
Kanji: 大 big + 阪 heights
The big heights. What a nice area to be, it’s where everyone wants to live! This magical place is Osaka. Heard of it before? It’s a city, and kind of the rival to Tokyo.
Reading: おおさか
The reading is pretty weird, but then again so are people from Osaka (just kidding, Osakazens!). The 大 reads like おお from おおきい. Then, 阪 uses the kun’yomi reading as well, which you didn’t learn. That being said, doesn’t this kanji look like 坂, which also means slope? Well, it shares a kun’yomi reading as well, so if you’ve seen 坂 you can apply that reading over to here, making おおさか. Then again, if you know this word means Osaka you probably can figure out how to write it too. Don’t forget the double おお though!

Question 70

外来

Answer 70

Outpatient
Kanji: 外 outside + 来 come
From foreign lands, you have come to this hospital. That makes you an outpatient.
外来 describes something or someone that comes from elsewhere. You’ll see it most often in hospitals, where it means outpatient, but it’s also used in formal contexts to talk about foreign species or imported words.
Reading: がいらい
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.

Question 71

支払い

Answer 71

Payment
Kanji: 支 support + 払 pay + い
The pay that supports you is made in payments. Whether you make payments to keep your house or your car, or you get payments from your boss, they keep you going.
Reading: しはらい
This is a combination of the on’yomi reading of 支 and the kun’yomi reading of 払. You’ve learned them both, so you know this too!

Question 72

写真

Answer 72

Photograph
Kanji: 写 copy + 真 reality
A copy of reality is a lot like magic. How do you make a copy of reality, though? You take a photo.
Reading: しゃしん
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.

Question 73

真っ黒

Answer 73

Pitch black
Kanji: 真 reality + っ + 黒 black
The reality is that it’s black. Like, so black that it’s beyond fake black, it’s reality black. This is so black it’s pitch black.
Reading: まっくろ
The reading for the 真 is the vocab kun’yomi reading. Think of what is pitch black. It’s your poor Ma (ま). She is so dark that she sucks in light, like a black hole… wait, she is a black hole, it explains why your Ma is pitch black.

Question 74

政治

Answer 74

Politics
Kanji: 政 politics + 治 cure
If you want to cure the government, you have to get into politics. Gotta join ‘em to fix them… but can you survive that long without being corrupted yourself?
Reading: せいじ
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.

Question 75

保存

Answer 75

Preservation
Kanji: 保 preserve + 存 exist
We try to preserve anything we want to exist with preservation. Want a special sea creature or bird to exist? Up conservation efforts! And, if you want to save data (like on a computer), you can use this word for that kind of saving, as well.
Reading: ほぞん
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.

Question 76

首相

Answer 76

Prime minister
Kanji: 首 neck + 相 mutual
The neck minister? This meaning prime minister makes sense if you think about the neck being the most important part of the body, kind of like the head!
Reading: しゅしょう
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. It also uses a reading for 相 that you haven’t learned yet, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
The first prime ministers of Japan were actually the shoguns (しょう)… kind of.

Question 77

証明

Answer 77

Proof
Kanji: 証 evidence + 明 bright
Is the evidence bright enough to convince me? Is this really proof enough to prove it?
Reading: しょうめい
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.

Question 78

治安

Answer 78

Public order
Kanji: 治 cure + 安 relax
If your people can relax because you rule over them so well, there is public order. You don’t want the people you rule being upset or stressed out, you want public safety and public peace for all!
Reading: ちあん
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 79

公園

Answer 79

Public park
Kanji: 公 public + 園 garden
A public park is a park that is public. It’s a public park.
Reading: こうえん
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.

Question 80

危険

Answer 80

Risky
Kanji: 危 dangerous + 険 risky
Something that is dangerous and risky is probably pretty risky, dangerous, and unsafe.
Reading: きけん
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.

Question 81

場面

Answer 81

Scene
Kanji: 場 location + 面 face
Everything on a location’s surface is really just a part of the scene before you. This is the kind of scene that would be set in a novel. It’s the setting.
Reading: ばめん
The reading is a combination of kun’yomi and on’yomi readings. That being said, both readings for both kanji are the readings you learned already, so you should be able to read this.

Question 82

画面

Answer 82

Screen
Kanji: 画 drawing + 面 face
The image surface is a screen. Just imagine your computer screen. There’s an image on the surface, right? It just happens to move around all the time, like most images on screens these days.
Reading: がめん
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.

Question 83

手軽

Answer 83

Simple and easy
Kanji: 手 hand + 軽 light
Your hands are light because it was a simple and easy task, so you didn’t get your hands full. This word describes something that’s hassle-free and doesn’t take much effort, time, or sometimes cost to do.
Reading: てがる
Both kanji use kun’yomi readings in this word, which you’ve already learned. Just make sure you rendaku the 軽.

Question 84

笑顔

Answer 84

Smile
Kanji: 笑 laugh + 顔 face
A laughing face is a smiling face (or just a smile!). 笑顔s all around!
Reading: えがお
The reading for this word won’t make you smile, though. You were smiling, but then you heard about the reading of this kanji. It made you yell out “EH??” (え). Just watch out for the rendaku of かお to がお.

Question 85

専門

Answer 85

Specialty
Kanji: 専 specialty + 門 gates
Your specialty gate is the thing you open to let out your specialty. Imagine the thing you’re best at (your specialty). Now imagine opening a gate in your chest that lets it out, allowing you to be good at it.
Reading: せんもん
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.

Question 86

仏像

Answer 86

Statue of buddha
Kanji: 仏 buddha + 像 statue
You have Buddha’s image. What is that? It’s a statue of Buddha. It can also mean an image of Buddha.
Reading: ぶつぞう
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.

Question 87

留学

Answer 87

Study abroad
Kanji: 留 detain + 学 study
You detain your study and take it away to a foreign place. That foreign place is having you study abroad.
Reading: りゅうがく
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. The reading for 留 is the りゅう version. You can remember this because Ryu (りゅう) from street fighter is doing a study abroad program to learn more karate.

Question 88

急

Answer 88

Sudden
Kanji: 急 hurry
This takes its meaning from the sudden part of the kanji, meaning it’s sudden, urgent, or an emergency!
Reading: きゅう
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!

Question 89

急死

Answer 89

Sudden death
Kanji: 急 hurry + 死 death
A sudden death makes for just that, a sudden death.
Reading: きゅうし
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.

Question 90

急に

Answer 90

Suddenly
Kanji: 急 hurry + に
Something that happens in a sudden way happens suddenly, immediately, or abruptly.
Reading: きゅうに
The reading is the same as what you learned with the kanji. Suddenly you can read a new word!

Question 91

日光浴

Answer 91

Sunbathe
Kanji: 日 sun + 光 light + 浴 bathe
You know that 日光 is sunlight so when you add bathe you get “sunlight bathe” … but that sounds dumb, so let’s call this word sunbathe instead!
Reading: にっこうよく
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 92

荷札

Answer 92

Tag
Kanji: 荷 luggage + 札 bill
A luggage tag is a tag you put on luggage. It’s also a label you can put on a package before you send it, like a shipping label.
Reading: にふだ
This word uses the kun’yomi reading for both kanji. You’ve learned both of these readings already, so you should be able to read this word too.

Question 93

技術

Answer 93

Technique
Kanji: 技 skill + 術 technique
You’ve seen 技 as a vocab word meaning “technique,” and the kanji 術 means technique. So this means technique! Your technique is also your craft, and what’s needed for technology.
Reading: ぎじゅつ
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.

Question 94

証言

Answer 94

Testimony
Kanji: 証 evidence + 言 say
Evidence that you say is testimony. You could also say you’re providing verbal evidence. Hopefully you won’t have to give too much of this in your lifetime.
Reading: しょうげん
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.

Question 95

教科書

Answer 95

Textbook
Kanji: 教 teach + 科 science + 書 write
The thing you use to teach a course with writings is a textbook. It’s a book of writings you use to teach your course!
Reading: きょうかしょ
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 96

浴びる

Answer 96

To bathe in
Kanji: 浴 bathe + び + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means bathe so the verb vocab version is to bathe in.
This verb is transitive, and the object is whatever you’re “bathing in”. It could be a bath or a shower, but it could also be the sun. So you can both シャワーを浴びる and 日の光を浴びる. More negatively, this can also mean to be exposed to something, such as criticism or radioactivity.
Reading: あびる
You want to know the best way to bathe in something? With a bunch of aardvarks (あ) in the water. They use their sticky little tongues to clean all your cracks and crannies..

Question 97

関する

Answer 97

To be related to
Kanji: 関 related + す + る
You know that 関 means related. So, when you add する to it you make it a verb. Now it means to be related to.
Reading: かんする
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji.

Question 98

折れる

Answer 98

To break
Kanji: 折 fold + れ + る
You already learned how 折る means “to fold something” or “to break something”. This is the intransitive version of that, which just means it has no object. You just folded something too far, and now it’s starting to break.
Reading: おれる
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You learned this reading when you learned 折る, so you should know this one too!

Question 99

妥協する

Answer 99

To compromise
Kanji: 妥 gentle + 協 cooperate + す + る
You know that 妥協 means compromise. So, what happens when you make it a verb? It becomes to compromise.
Reading: だきょうする
The reading is the same as the vocab word 妥協, so if you know that you should be good (also, just the reading of the kanji works too).

Question 100

卒業する

Answer 100

To graduate
Kanji: 卒 graduate + 業 business + す + る
You know that 卒業 is “graduation.” Make it a verb, and you have to graduate.
Reading: そつぎょうする
The reading is just the same as the vocab word 卒業.

Question 101

急ぐ

Answer 101

To hurry
Kanji: 急 hurry + ぐ
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means hurry so the verb vocab version is to hurry.
Reading: いそぐ
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with this kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you: Someone who is trying to hurry is someone who is not at ease (いそ).

Question 102

問い合わせる

Answer 102

To inquire
Kanji: 問 problem + い + 合 suit + わ + せ + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The first kanji is question. And you learned 合わせる is “to join together.” What’s “to join questions together”? It’s to inquire. When you inquire, you ask all your questions together, right?
Reading: といあわせる
You know how to read 合わせる already, so here’s a mnemonic to help you remember the reading of 問:
You love to inquire with your toes (と). By that, you mean you love to type on your keyboard with your toes. There’s no particular reason for this besides that you like the feel on your toes when you type up an inquiry.

Question 103

存じる

Answer 103

To know
Kanji: 存 exist + じ + る
This is like a very formal and humble way of saying to know or to believe. Sure, the kanji means suppose, but think of it this way… When you say “I suppose” it’s like a humble way of saying “I know” or “I believe.” You’re not being as direct about it this way, and in Japanese, that makes you more humble and polite. So, that’s why 存じる means to know or to believe.
Note this word is typically used in the polite ます form. When you’re humble, you may want to be as polite as possible, I suppose!
Reading: ぞんじる
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. If you remember the kanji reading, you’ll have no problem remembering this vocabulary reading as well!

Question 104

東京弁

Answer 104

Tokyo dialect
Kanji: 東 east + 京 capital + 弁 dialect
You know that 東京 is Tokyo, and you know that 弁 is dialect, so you have yourself Tokyo dialect.
Reading: とうきょうべん
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. It will help to know how to read 東京 already, which you should.

Question 105

笑う

Answer 105

To laugh
Kanji: 笑 laugh + う
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means laugh so the verb vocab version is to laugh.
Reading: わらう
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. You can laugh freely, now!

Question 106

残す

Answer 106

To leave behind
Kanji: 残 remainder + す
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means remainder, but you can’t really “to remainder.” What is something that’s similar that would make sense? How about to leave behind. This is when you’re actually doing the leaving behind too. For example, you eat some food and you leave behind your rice because you’re a bad child. You can remember this because of す. Every time you leave some food behind your mom would sue you, because she was a terrible mom. Imagine this.
Reading: のこす
The reading for this word can come from level 14 item 残る. Associate the two in your mind and you’ll be able to read both.

Question 107

固める

Answer 107

To make something hard
Kanji: 固 hard + め + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means hard so the verb vocab version? To make something hard. You need to differentiate this from 固まる, though, which means “to harden” (the hardening happens on its own). This word means “to make something hard,” because you’re doing the hardening. You can remember this because you want to make something hard. And to do that, you send special “mail” (める) to this thing you want to make hard, and this mail does that for you.
Reading: かためる
Since the reading for 固 (かた) is different than the one you learned with the kanji, here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Why would you want to make something hard? Obviously because you want to put it in a catapult (かた). There’s no point putting soft things in catapults, after all.

Question 108

生じる

Answer 108

To occur
Kanji: 生 life + じ + る
Remember how 生まれる means “to be born”? This word is similar, but it’s used for when non-living things are “born”. So as an intransitive verb, this means to occur or to arise. When used transitively, it means to cause something. You’ll probably encounter the intransitive use much more, though.
Reading: しょうじる
You’d think this would use kun’yomi, but it actually doesn’t! Like other verbs ending in じる, this takes the on’yomi reading of the kanji. 生 has two of those, so here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
If you wanted anything to occur in medieval Japan, you needed to talk to the Shougun. You always needed the Shougun’s help to cause something. Without the Shougun, nothing would ever happen!

Question 109

約束する

Answer 109

To promise
Kanji: 約 promise + 束 bundle + す + る
約束 is a “promise.” So when you add する to it you’re making it a verb, meaning to promise. Now promise you’ll remember!
Reading: やくそくする
The reading is the same as 約束 with する added. Make sure you know 約束 and you’ll know this word as well.

Question 110

守る

Answer 110

To protect
Kanji: 守 protect + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means protect so the verb vocab version is to protect and also to defend. This can also mean to obey, in the sense of obeying the rules.
Reading: まもる
You need to protect against breast cancer, so you get yourself a mammogram (まも).

Question 111

辞める

Answer 111

To quit
Kanji: 辞 quit + め + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means quit so the verb vocab version is to quit.
Reading: やめる
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with this kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you: “Hey, you going to quit?” “Yah (や) man, I’m going to quit.”

Question 112

帰す

Answer 112

To send someone back
Kanji: 帰 return + す
The hiragana ends with an う sound, so you know this is a verb. The kanji itself means return, and this verb is transitive, meaning it takes a direct object. You send someone back. You send them home. And tell them to never come near you again. So this means to send someone back or to send someone home.
In fact, most verbs ending in す are transitive. To help you remember that, think of suing (す) someone to make sure they go home!
Reading: かえす
The reading for this word is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. Yay! But since this word has a pair verb, let’s think of a way to remember the ending:
What’s the most surefire way to send someone home? Threaten to sue (す) them if they don’t!

Question 113

重ねる

Answer 113

To stack
Kanji: 重 heavy + ね + る
You’ve got lots of heavy things, so the only logical thing is to stack them all up.
Besides heavy physical things, you can also use this word when you’re going to accumulate things like experience, practice, or years on your back.
Reading: かさねる
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with this kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
All the things you’ve stacked up were in preparation for your new casa (かさ). With everything inside boxes and neatly piled up, you’re finally ready to move into your new casa. Hooray!

Question 114

希望する

Answer 114

To wish
Kanji: 希 wish + 望 hope + す + る
You know that 希望 is a “wish.” When you “do a wish,” that means to wish, to request or to hope.
This is a formal way to say that you wish for something, so you might use it at work to request an opportunity to work abroad, or let them know politely that you’re resigning.
Reading: きぼうする
The reading comes from 希望. It’s also the on’yomi jukugo reading as well, if that helps any.

Question 115

書く

Answer 115

To write
Kanji: 書 write + く
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means write so the verb version means to write.
Reading: かく
The reading you learned with the kanji is the on’yomi one, but this word is read with the kun’yomi, か. So just be sure to remember the kun’yomi reading to read this word in the car (か) … or to write it, or whatever.

Question 116

真実

Answer 116

Truth
Kanji: 真 reality + 実 truth
The reality of the truth is nothing more than the truth and the reality. Doesn’t get any more real than this.
Reading: しんじつ
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.

Question 117

不幸

Answer 117

Unhappiness
Kanji: 不 not + 幸 happiness
When you do not have happiness, you have unhappiness, misfortune and misery. This can also mean death, usually of a family member.
Reading: ふこう
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.

Question 118

待合室

Answer 118

Waiting room
Kanji: 待 wait + 合 suit + 室 room
A room where you join other people to wait. This is a waiting room.
Reading: まちあいしつ
Remember how you learned 待合 already? Well throw the on’yomi for 室 on the end of that and you have your reading!

Question 119

証人

Answer 119

Witness
Kanji: 証 evidence + 人 person
An evidence person is a witness, because witnesses are people who provide evidence (you know, with their mouths or something).
Reading: しょうにん
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.

Question 120

動物園

Answer 120

Zoo
Kanji: 動 move + 物 thing + 園 garden
Remember how 動物 means animal? Well when you add park it becomes a zoo. It’s a park for animals. Except the animals can’t leave. Ever.
Reading: どうぶつえん
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.