Kanji - Level 2 - Vocab Flashcards
四月
April
Kanji: 四 four + 月 moon
月 in Japanese means “moon” but it also means “month.” Why? Probably because the moon takes about a month to get through its cycles. So, what’s the fourth moon of the year? Here’s a hint, it’s the same as the fourth month of the year: April.
Reading: しがつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. 月 has two on’yomi readings, but it always uses the がつ reading in the names of the months, so here’s a mnemonic to help you remember that:
In April, you habitually eat sheep guts (しがつ). It’s a tradition you started many years ago, and now you just can’t stop eating sheep guts every April. Delicious!
玉
Ball
Kanji: 玉 ball
As an alone single kanji vocab, you know that this vocab word has the same meaning as its parent kanji: Ball.
Reading: たま
This word uses the same reading as the one you learned when learning the kanji: たま.
本
Book
Kanji: 本 book
This vocab word is exactly the same as its parent kanji, including its meaning as well: book. It doesn’t have those other meanings though, when it’s just 本 alone, it’s just a book.
Reading: ほん
The reading for this word is the same as the single kanji it comes from.
丸
Circle
Kanji: 丸 circle
This vocab word and the kanji that makes it have the same meaning: Circle.
Reading: まる
The reading you learned for this kanji is the kun’yomi one. Since this vocab word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. Guess what? That means you already know it!
丸い
Circular
Kanji: 丸 circle + い
With an い on the end, you can guess that this word is an い-adjective. What is the adjective version of the kanji 丸? “Circle” becomes circular, spherical or round. This, compared to another similar word (円), is more general purpose and can be used with 3D spherical objects as well.
Reading: まるい
This word uses the reading you learned for the kanji 丸, though you’ll need to tack the い onto the end too.
正しい
Correct
Kanji: 正 correct + し + い
Ending with an い tells you that this word is an い-adjective. So since you know that the kanji 正 means “correct,” what is the adjective version of that word? Well, it’s also correct.
Reading: ただしい
This word uses a reading you didn’t learn from the kanji. You have to remember the ただ portion in order to read this word, so think about it this way:
After you get the answer correct a clown jumps out of nowhere yelling “TA DA!!!” Imagine it scaring the crap out of you, too.
犬
Dog
Kanji: 犬 dog
This vocab made up of a single kanji shares its meaning with said single kanji. That meaning is dog.
Reading: いぬ
Since this is a word made up of a single kanji and nothing else, you can assume that this word will use the kun’yomi reading. The reading you learned for this kanji happens to be the kun’yomi reading as well. So if you know the kanji you know the reading.
八日
Eighth Day (or Day 8)
Kanji: 八 eight + 日 sun
Eighth day or day eight. No matter how you look at this word, it makes a lot of sense.
Reading: ようか
Words that count days use an exceptional reading. Even though this is a jukugo word, it uses kun’yomi readings for both the kanji. Think about this word this way:
Every eighth day you have to buy yogurt to fuel your car (ようか). Your car runs on yogurt, but it needs to be refilled every eight days to keep running. It’s really inconvenient because it’s just ONE day more than a week. And a week just feels better. Oh well.
出口
Exit
Kanji: 出 exit + 口 mouth
The mouth you exit out of is just a doorway (I hope), but an easier way to describe this word or concept is to call it an exit.
Reading: でぐち
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. 出口 is an exception to this rule, however, and uses its kun’yomi readings. There’s no particular reason why this is, but oftentimes a “body part” word (like mouth) changes a word to use kun’yomi readings instead of on’yomi ones. You already know the kun’yomi reading for 口 (くち) from learning the vocab, but to remember the reading for 出 you can think the following:
If I exit out this mouth, I’ll end up in the ocean (you were swallowed by a whale) and I will surely end up dead (で).
Also keep in mind that because of rendaku, くち becomes ぐち.
目
Eye
Kanji: 目 eye
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: め
The reading is the same as the one you learned for the kanji, meaning you should already know it!
目玉
Eyeball
Kanji: 目eye + 玉 ball
What is an eye ball? Oh wait, that’s easy. It’s an eyeball!
Reading: めだま
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. 目玉, however, is an exception. Perhaps this is because it includes a body part (the eye) in it, which often makes a word switch to kun’yomi readings. Either way, it doesn’t matter too much. Both the readings you learned for the kanji in this word are the kun’yomi, meaning you should know how to read this one. Just make sure you watch out for the rendaku.
二月
February
Kanji: 二 two + 月 moon
The kanji 月 means both month and moon (because moon cycles take about a month, presumably). So, what is the number two month? It’s not January… it’s not March… it’s February!
Reading: にがつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. 月 has two on’yomi readings, but it always uses the がつ reading in the names of the months, so here’s a mnemonic to help you remember that:
February is the month when somebody gives you a knee in the guts (にがつ). A complete stranger comes around each February just to knee you right in the guts. Ouch! That’s why February is your least favourite month.
五日
Fifth day (or Day 5)
Kanji: 五 five + 日 sun
Day five or the fifth day. No matter how you look at this word, it makes a lot of sense.
Reading: いつか
Words that count days use an exceptional reading. Even though this is a jukugo word, it uses kun’yomi readings for both the kanji. Think about this word this way:
On the fifth day I have to eat (いつ) five cars (か). Now imagine yourself eating five cars. How did you manage to get past the first one? I’m impressed.
五十
Fifty
Kanji: 五 five + 十 ten
What happens when you have ten five times? You get fifty!
Reading: ごじゅう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. That’s the case for this word too, which means you should already know how to read this word.
火
Fire
Kanji: 火 fire
This vocab is made from a single kanji, which means it shares the same meaning as the parent kanji: fire.
Reading: ひ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses 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:
What comes off of fire? Lots and lots of heat (ひ). Feel it coming off the fire, touching and warming your face.
五
Five
Kanji: 五 five
This vocab is made from a single kanji, which means it shares the same meaning as the parent kanji: Five.
Reading: ご
Since numbers are an exception, this word is read using the on’yomi reading even though it’s made from a single kanji all alone. Luckily for you, you learned the reading for this word when you learned the parent kanji.
五つ
Five things
Kanji: 五 five + つ
From previous number + つ words, you can probably guess that this word means five things.
Reading: いつつ
The reading of this word is the kun’yomi reading of the kanji 五, meaning you didn’t learn it when you learned the parent kanji reading. To remember this word, think of it this way:
You have five things. What do you have to do with them? You need to eat (いつ) them. Just imagine having five delicious things to eat, sticking each on one finger of your hand, and then eating them one after another. And make sure to count down from five while doing it!
四
Four
Kanji: 四 four
This vocab word has the same meaning as its parent kanji (single alone kanji usually do that!), meaning it means four.
Reading: よん
When a vocab is alone like this with no okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) it usually uses its kun’yomi reading. Numbers are an exception, though, and use the on’yomi reading. However, four and seven actually use both. We’re going to go with the kun’yomi reading here, and since you haven’t learned this reading yet, here’s a mnemonic to help you:
You have to count to four. But you’re tired. One… two… three… YAWN … four. There, you did it. But yawn now you can’t stop yawning. You’re so, so sleepy. Four is too high a number to count without falling asleep.
By the way! Both the reading よん and し are pretty common, but because the on’yomi reading し sounds just like the word for “death,” it isn’t used as much. Generally when you’re just counting (for example, “1, 2, 3, 4…”), you will use the reading し. But when you are counting things or people, you’ll use よん. There are exceptions to this, but you’ll learn them as they come up.
天才
Genius
Reading: 天 genius + 才 heaven
A genius from heaven is still a genius.
Reading: てんさい
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. As long as you know the readings for these kanji, you should be able to read this word just fine.
女子
Girl
Kanji: 女 woman + 子 child
Reading: じょし
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.
女の子
Girl
Kanji: 女 woman + の + 子 child
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana stuck in the middle you can guess that it is like putting two separate words that you’ve learned together into one word. This hiragana is の, a particle that makes something possessive. In this case, the 子 is of the 女. Basically, this suggests that the woman is a child, aka a girl.
Reading: おんなのこ
Since there’s hiragana in here, you can bet that these kanji will use the kun’yomi readings. You already know the kun’yomi reading for 女. The only thing I have to make sure that you know is 子. When you need to remember the kun’yomi reading of 子, just think about you fighting a child (you’re a jerk, apparently!). When you hit her in the face, she flies to the floor, and the ref calls out “KO!” because you just knocked the poor kid out.
上手
Good at
Kanji: 上 above + 手 hand
Think of someone holding out their hand. This is average. Things rated below the hand are things you’re bad at. Things rated above the hand are things you’re good at.
Reading: じょうず
Both of these kanji use on’yomi reading, though 手 uses an on’yomi reading you didn’t learn with the kanji. It’s a rare reading, so it wasn’t included (and we just have to deal with exceptions like this as we go along). To remember the reading for this word, here’s a mnemonic:
What are you good at? You’re really good at taking Jourm (じょう) to the zoo (ず). No one else can take Jourm to the zoo, he gets mad and throws them into the animal enclosures. But you? Jourm trusts you.
おはよう
Good morning
Kanji: No kanji (yay!)
From Ohio (おはよう), you shout good morning. Why Ohio? Because that’s where you woke up this morning. Imagine yourself waking up in Ohio, and wishing everyone “good morning” at the top of your lungs.
おはよう is a casual way to say “good morning.” It can also be written in kanji, but hiragana is much more common.
Reading: おはよう
手
Hand
Kanji: 手 hand
The kanji means hand, and the word means hand too! It can also be used to refer to your whole arm.
Reading: て
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. Since this is a body part, the kun’yomi reading usually takes priority. That means you learned the kun’yomi reading already when you learned the kanji.
