Kanji - Level 4 - Vocab

Question 1

他人

Answer 1

Another person
Kanji: 他 other + 人 person
When you have an other person, you really have another person.
他人 has a sense of unfamiliarity or distance, and suggests that the person isn’t well-known, or is different from you or a specific group of people. It doesn’t usually mean “another person” in the sense of an additional person, or another person distinct from the one you’re talking about.
Reading: たにん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 人 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Another person just stole your taco and your Nintendo (たにん). This complete stranger just walked up and took your taco and your Nintendo console straight out of your hands. Yoink.

Question 2

早々

Answer 2

As soon as
Kanji: 早 early + 々repeater
Essentially you have the kanji 早 twice, because 々 is just a repeater kanji. When you have something early twice, it obviously has some kind of urgency to it. You’ll need to take an action as soon as you finish whatever it is you’re doing there.
Readings: そうそう, はやばや
The reading is just the on’yomi readings (which you learned with the kanji) twice in a row.

Question 3

大気

Answer 3

Atmosphere
Kanji: 大 big + 気 energy
If there is a big energy it’s going to fill up the atmosphere! Think about big energies you feel in the atmosphere: thunderstorms, tornadoes, the aurora borealis. Just remember, this is the atmosphere in the sky, not the atmosphere in a fancy restaurant.
Reading: たいき
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 大 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Imagine an atmosphere consisting entirely of ties and keys (たいき), floating around. The ties are getting tangled together, and the keys keep bashing you on the head. Bring back the normal atmosphere, this one’s horrible.

Question 4

赤ちゃん

Answer 4

Baby
Kanji: 赤 red + ち + ゃ + ん
ちゃん is the honorific you put on a child’s name. So, who is this mysterious child you’re calling red? When a baby is born, what color are they? You got it, they’re all red. And, because you want to be nice and cute you add ちゃん to that. That’s why あかちゃん is a baby.
Reading: あかちゃん
If you know the reading of the kanji 赤 you should know the reading of this too.

Question 5

竹

Answer 5

Bamboo
Kanji: 竹 bamboo
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well!
Reading: たけ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading which is also the reading you associated with the kanji, earlier.

Question 6

竹の子

Answer 6

Bamboo shoot
Kanji: 竹 bamboo + の + 子 child
What is bamboo’s child? That would be a baby bamboo. Because “baby bamboo” doesn’t really make sense, we’ll instead call this word bamboo shoots.
When this is written as 竹の子, the bamboo shoots are probably still growing in the ground. If they’re picked and cooked and ready to eat, the pronunciation is the same, but it’s usually written in other forms, such as タケノコ.
Reading: たけのこ
If you know the readings of the kanji for 竹 and the vocabulary for 子 you should be able to read this word as well.

Question 7

太字

Answer 7

Bold letter
Kanji: 太 fat + 字 letter
What do you think a fat letter is? If I were to guess, I’d say a bold letter.
Reading: ふとじ
The reading for this one is a bit odd. The 太 uses the ふと from ふとい (kun’yomi) and the 字 is just the normal on’yomi reading for “letter.” You have to remember this weird mismatched reading pair on your own, I’m afraid. Perhaps if you think about how fat letters don’t really fit with the rest of the text, kind of like how the readings of both kanji also don’t fit in it will help?

Question 8

少年

Answer 8

Boy
Kanji: 少 few + 年 year
Someone of few years is someone who’s young. But, back in the day the Japanese and Chinese tended to favor the boys, so this one means boy, usually a young boy. Sorry girls! Use your irritation at this kanji to remember it better.
Reading: しょうねん
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 9

虫

Answer 9

Bug
Kanji: 虫 insect
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. This word is actually more general than the English words insect and bug, though. It covers things like worms and spiders, too, so in that sense it’s more like creepy-crawly.
Reading: むし
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading, which is also the reading you learned when you learned this kanji!

Question 10

年内

Answer 10

By the end of the year
Kanji: 年 year + 内 inside
Inside the year means by the end of the year. In other words, before the end of this year, or within the year.
Reading: ねんない
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 11

子牛

Answer 11

Calf
Kanji: 子 child + 牛 cow
You have a child cow. What do you think a child cow is? Probably a calf or a baby cow.
Reading: こうし
Since you should know the readings of the words 子 and 牛 from the previous level, you should be able to read this word too even though it’s using the kun’yomi readings for the kanji.

Question 12

平気

Answer 12

Calm
Kanji: 平 flat + 気 energy
You have a flat energy. What kind of energy would be a flat one? Probably a cool or calm one. You’d also tell people about this flat energy by saying you are all right or just okay.
Reading: へいき
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 13

車

Answer 13

Car
Kanji: 車 car
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: くるま
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:
You visit your mom who lives inside of a car. It’s sad, and you feel bad. The first thing that pops out of your mouth is: “Cool Room, Ma (くるま) because you don’t know what else to say about your ma’s living situation.
Be sure to sort of cut off the last letters of the first two words… something like “coo’ roo’ ma!” Sad thing is, there is only one room in this car your mom calls home.

Question 14

中央

Answer 14

Center
Kanji: 中 middle + 央 center
The middle of the central… that is really, really in the center if you ask me (and is very central as well). This is one of those “overdid it on the meaning” words.
Reading: ちゅうおう
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 15

字

Answer 15

Character
Kanji: 字 character
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: じ
You only learned one reading for the kanji that makes up this word, and it’s the same as the reading for this word (of course). That means you should already know the reading.

Question 16

耳

Answer 16

Ear
Kanji: 耳 ear
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: みみ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading which is the reading you learned with the kanji. So you should be able to read this word already.

Question 17

早い

Answer 17

Early
Kanji: 早 early + 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 early? It’s also early.
Reading: はやい
The reading for this word is the kun’yomi reading, which you did not learn when you learned the kanji. You have to remember the はや portion to be able to read this word. In order to do that, here’s a mnemonic:
You’re fast! You’re early! Your chop comes down onto your opponent’s neck so quickly! As you chop him, you yell “はや!”

Question 18

元気

Answer 18

Energy
Kanji: 元 origin + 気 energy
What is the origin of your energy? It is your health. This word also means energy, and when it’s used as an adjective it means healthy or energetic.
Reading: げんき
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 19

名人

Answer 19

Expert
Kanji: 名 name + 人 person
A person whose name is known (because he’s famous?). Why is this person’s name known? Why is this person famous? It’s because they are an expert / master at something. How else does someone become famous or well-known? That’s pretty much it, even if they’re just an expert at being an idiot.
Reading: めいじん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 人 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Did you know that every expert has their own pair of May jeans (めいじん)? A true master of anything has a specific pair of jeans they wear only in the month of May. That’s what makes them so good at what they do.

Question 20

気分

Answer 20

Feeling
Kanji: 気 energy + 分 part
Part of your energy is your feeling or your mood. Just think of it like you’re breaking up your energy into parts. One part is sugar giving you energy. Another part is your happiness. So, when you combine these together you get the total: your mood!
Reading: きぶん
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 21

花火

Answer 21

Fireworks
Kanji: 花 flower + 火 fire
The flower fire… what looks like flowers on fire? That would be fireworks. Totally makes sense, right?
Reading: はなび
The readings for the kanji that make this word are the kun’yomi readings, where fire’s ひ changes to び. You already learned the kun’yomi reading for 花 when you learned the kanji, so it’s only a matter of remembering to use the kun’yomi for 火. If you do, you should be able to read this word.

Question 22

先ず

Answer 22

First of all
Kanji: 先 previous + ず
The kanji means previous. This is an adverb version of that word. It’s a little thing you can begin sentences with. You can’t start your sentences with “previous” but you can start it with “First of all” or “to start with.”
This is usually written without kanji though, so keep that in mind.
Reading: まず
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun’yomi reading. In fact, the reading for this word is very rare, and kind of an exception. We’ll use a mnemonic that uses both the kanji part and the hiragana attachment part.
First of all and to start with, you have to make it through this maze (まず).

Question 23

一年生

Answer 23

First year student
Kanji: 一 one + 年 year + 生 life
You’d maybe think this just means one year of life, but it actually means first year student. A second year student is a 二年生, and so on. Just think about how crazy the Japanese are about school. You can see why school is life, and not life itself, making this vocab word “first year student.”
Reading: いちねんせい
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 24

五百

Answer 24

Five hundred
Kanji: 五 five + 百 hundred
When you have five hundreds you also have five hundred.
Reading: ごひゃく
This word uses the on’yomi readings for both kanji, so you should be able to read it already!

Question 25

平ら

Answer 25

Flat
Kanji: 平 flat + ら
The kanji and the word are exactly the same with a little hiragana sticking out. Because the hiragana doesn’t really indicate what it is, it’s okay to assume that they share meanings as well.
Reading: たいら
Since this word is made up of a kanji plus some hiragana attached, 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:
Something is very, very flat. Perhaps someone who doesn’t eat much, like a model? Which model? Let’s imagine it’s Tyra (たいら) Banks.

Question 26

花

Answer 26

Flower
Kanji: 花 flower
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: はな
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. This is the reading you learned when you learned the kanji, so you’re good to go. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses on the way, though.

Question 27

足

Answer 27

Foot
Kanji: 足 foot
The kanji and the word are almost exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. A foot is a foot, you know?
Reading: あし
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:
If you remember in the radical/kanji mnemonic, you kick someone with your foot. But what happens after you kick them? Turns out they were made of fire, and you just burned your foot off, turning it to ashes (あし). Imagine this happening.

Question 28

四十

Answer 28

Forty
Kanji: 四 four + 十 ten
What do you get when you have four tens? You get forty.
Reading: よんじゅう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. The only exception to this is 四, which uses the kun’yomi reading, since the on’yomi reading sounds too much like the word for “death.” Luckily you know these reading already, so there’s nothing new to learn!

Question 29

四百

Answer 29

Four hundred
Kanji: 四 four + 百 hundred
When you have four hundreds, you have four hundred.
Reading: よんひゃく
This word has number four in it, and uses the kun’yomi reading for that kanji (よん). The reading for 百 though, is the on’yomi reading (ひゃく). This is pretty normal when it comes to words containing four in Japanese. You know both of these readings already. Hooray!

Question 30

四日

Answer 30

Fourth day
Kanji: 四 four + 日 sun
Fourth day or day four. No matter how you look at this combination of kanji, the meaning of the word makes a lot of sense!
Reading: よっか
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Counting days, however, is an exception (at least up to ten). You need to use the kun’yomi readings to read this word. You already know the kun’yomi reading for 四, so that’s fine (the ん gets turned into a small っ, though). Think of it this way:
On the fourth day of being lost in the wilderness, you start yelling “Yo, car (よっか)!” out of desperation, never getting an answer. You keep marching on, occasionally yelling “Yo, car!”, but no car ever comes to help you.

Question 31

四つ

Answer 31

Four things
Kanji: 四 four + つ
Any number with a つ attached is a word that means “NUMBER Things.” In this case, it’s four things.
Reading: よっつ
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can assume it uses the kun’yomi reading. The ん part of よん gets converted to a small っ though, so watch out for that.

Question 32

四千

Answer 32

Four thousand
Kanji: 四 four + 千 thousand
You have four and you have thousand. Multiply them together and you have four thousand.
Reading: よんせん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. That’s true for the 千 part, but the 四 reading is kun’yomi. You should know how to read this word as long as you’ve been studying your kanji!

Question 33

さようなら

Answer 33

Goodbye
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
I saw your Nara (さようなら), but I then had to say goodbye. It was just a short trip, but at least I saw your Nara.
さようなら is a formal way to say goodbye, so a good word to use with colleagues and teachers.
A quick tip before I say goodbye: さようなら often drops its middle う, becoming さよなら.
Reading: さようなら

Question 34

こんばんは

Answer 34

Good evening
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
Con ban, wah! (こんばんは) cries your friend, just as you say good evening. There’s a report on the evening news about a con ban (yes, that’s a ban on conning people). Wah! Exciting stuff.
You can use こんばんは as a greeting from around 5pm or 6pm, in both formal and informal situations.　Watch out for that は on the end, which is pronounced わ here too.
Reading: こんばんは

Question 35

主人

Answer 35

Head of household
Kanji: 主 master + 人 person
The master person isn’t just a master. You have to think back to when they were making these kanji. Who was the master? It was the head of household. This head of household probably told servants what to do and was all bossy and stuff. He was the master person.
Also, this often means husband. Because, I guess the head of household back in the day was the husband. Those sexist ancient people!
Reading: しゅじん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 人 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
In Japan, tradition says the head of a household must slide down a chute in only jeans (しゅじん). Whenever you need to speak to the head of the household, they’ll come sliding down a chute wearing nothing but jeans. What a sight!

Question 36

休日

Answer 36

Holiday
Kanji: 休 rest + 日 sun
When you have a rest day you have a holiday.
Reading: きゅうじつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 日 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Every holiday, you eat not one, but two cucumbers. Gee, two (きゅうじつ)? Take it easy!

Question 37

百

Answer 37

Hundred
Kanji: 百 hundred
When a vocab word is a single kanji without okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) it usually has the same meaning as the kanji it’s spawned from. If you know the kanji meaning you’ll also know the vocab meaning. It’s one hundred!
Reading: ひゃく
When a vocab word is a single kanji with no okurigana, it usually uses the kun’yomi reading. Numbers are an exception to this. Numbers use the on’yomi reading, which you’ve already learned by learning the kanji’s reading! How nice!

Question 38

氷

Answer 38

Ice
Kanji: 氷 ice
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: こおり
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading which is what you learned with the kanji.

Question 39

丸ごと

Answer 39

In its entirety
Kanji: 丸 circle + ご + と
If you go to (ごと) a circle, you need to go to it in its entirety. That means you have to circle around the whole thing. Otherwise, it isn’t even a circle. It’s like a line or a squiggle or something.
You often hear this word when talking about food – like when biting into a whole apple or accidentally swallowing a grape without chewing. But it’s not just for food: you can also use it to talk about memorizing a whole book from beginning to end, for example.
Reading: まるごと
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, so you should be able to read this too!

Question 40

不正

Answer 40

Injustice
Kanji: 不 not + 正 correct
When you have something that’s not correct, you have no justice. In fact, you have injustice. Just imagine yourself being put in an unjust situation, and think about how not correct it is. It’s probably dishonest and unauthorized too.
Reading: ふせい
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 41

車内

Answer 41

Inside the car
Kanji: 車 car + 内 inside
The car inside is simply that, inside the car. This can be used for other means of transport too, so it can also mean inside the train or inside the bus.
Reading: しゃない
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 42

宝石

Answer 42

Jewel
Kanji: 宝 treasure + 石 stone
A treasure stone is a very valuable stone. What kind of stones are considered treasures? How about a jewel, or a gem?
Reading: ほうせき
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 43

先月

Answer 43

Last month
Kanji: 先 previous + 月 moon
The previous month is last month.
Reading: せんげつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 月 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
As of last month, your centaur gets (せんげつ) up every night and comes to sleep in your bed. Apparently, he gets really bad nightmares. Poor little centaur.

Question 44

去年

Answer 44

Last year
Kanji: 去 past + 年 year
The past year is just last year.
Reading: きょねん
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 45

左手

Answer 45

Left hand
Kanji: 左 left + 手 hand
Your left hand is your left hand! This word can also be used to mean left arm, and left-hand side.
Reading: ひだりて
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. This word, however, uses the kun’yomi readings. This is possibly because of 手, because body parts often use kun’yomi. You learned both readings with the individual words, so you should be able to read this.

Question 46

文字

Answer 46

Letter (of the alphabet)
Kanji: 文 writing + 字 letter
A writing letter is simpler than it sounds. It’s really just a letter, right? You’re reading 文字 right now, in fact!
Reading: もじ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. The reading of 文 is a bit of an exception here. It uses a shortened version of the on’yomi もん, which is も. Here’s a mnemonic to remember this:
You know all the letters of the alphabet only because of Moe (も). If it wasn’t for your buddy Moe teaching you all the letters, you probably wouldn’t even be able to read today. Thanks Moe!

Question 47

主に

Answer 47

Mainly
Kanji: 主 master + に
主 means main so when you add に it becomes the adverb mainly.
Reading: おもに
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:
You mainly spend your time talking to your master Moe. But you mainly address him like, “Oh Moe The Great!” (おも). That’s because he’s above you. Imagine yourself saying “OH MOE THE GREAT!” as you walk into his room, bowing low.

Question 48

男

Answer 48

Man
Kanji: 男 man
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Just be aware that this word used alone can sound a bit rude. You’ll learn a more neutral option very soon.
Reading: おとこ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. Here’s a mnemonic to help you to remember it:
There is a man. Think of the manliest man you can. He works in an auto shop. As a child, he was an auto 子 (おとこ), working at the auto shop from an early age. This turned him into a man very quickly.
Like other mnemonics that aren’t lined up quite perfectly, your goal here is to get close enough to remember the true reading. Step, step, step, jump!

Question 49

仕方

Answer 49

Method
Kanji: 仕 doing + 方 direction
The doing way is basically a “way of doing” something. More simply put, this is the method. “What’s your way of doing this?” No no no. “What’s your METHOD.” There we go.
Reading: しかた
This word uses the on’yomi reading for the first kanji 仕, and the kun’yomi reading for the second kanji 方, so watch out for that! You’ve learned both of these readings already, so you should be able to read this!

Question 50

百万

Answer 50

Million
Kanji: 百 hundred + 万 ten thousand
One hundred ten thousands is how much? Multiply the two together and you get a million.
Reading: ひゃくまん
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 51

先々月

Answer 51

Month before last
Kanji: 先 previous + 々 repeater + 月 moon
The previous previous month (remember that 々 just repeats the kanji before it) is the month before last.
Reading: せんせんげつ
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 52

月見

Answer 52

Moon viewing
Kanji: 月 moon + 見 see
When you moon see something, you’re doing a moon viewing.
Reading: つきみ
The readings for this word are both kun’yomi readings. For 見 you already learned the kun’yomi reading when you learned the kanji. For 月 you’ll have to think back to the vocab word 月 which uses the つき reading. Combine these two together and you have つきみ.

Question 53

名

Answer 53

Name
Kanji: 名 name
This vocabulary word is the same as the ‘name’ meaning of the kanji. If you can remember that, you’ll have no trouble remembering this word as well.
Reading: な
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it probably uses the kun’yomi reading. You did not learn this reading, so here’s a mnemonic to help you to remember: Just think of the first part of the English word name. What is it? It’s na (な), just like this word!

Question 54

ノート

Answer 54

Notebook
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
ノート is a shortened form of notebook, with an extra “o” on the end since you can’t end a word with “t” in Japanese.
You can also use this to mean notes, in the context of taking down notes in a class.
Reading: ノート

Question 55

号

Answer 55

Number
Kanji: 号 number
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
This word is generally added to the end of a number, as in 三号 (“number 3”). It can also go together with other words to give things like train car numbers, as in ２号車 (“car 2”), and room numbers. When used on its own, it indicates the edition number of magazines and the like.
Reading: ごう
This word is made up of a single kanji all alone, but it uses the on’yomi reading. This is probably because you’ll usually see this word attached to other things, like numbers. This shows the edition or number of an item. So, even though it’s alone, it’s usually used like jukugo, which is why the reading for this one is the same as the reading you learned when you learned the kanji.

Question 56

一気

Answer 56

One breath
Kanji: 一 one + 気 energy
It’s weird to think of having one energy. But, what gives you energy? You do it one time every couple of seconds. That would be taking breaths. So, “one energy” is one breath.
Reading: いっき
The reading is the same as the ones you learned with the individual kanji, though いち from 一 is shortened to いっ.

Question 57

一打

Answer 57

One strike
Kanji: 一 one + 打 hit
You have one hit. What is one hit? It is one strike, one stroke, or simply one hit.
Reading: いちだ
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 58

一本気

Answer 58

One track mind (single-mind)
Kanji: 一 one + 本 book + 気 energy
You have only one book energy. No other books cross your mind. Only this one book. Why? Because you have such a one track mind.
Reading: いっぽんぎ
The reading is based off the on’yomi readings for everything, though every reading is slightly altered. いち getting shortened to いっ, ほん changing to ぽん, and き gets changed to ぎ. They’re based off the readings you know already, though, so making this shift shouldn’t be too hard… that is, unless you have an 一本気, ammiright?

Question 59

他

Answer 59

Other
Kanji: 他 other
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: ほか
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:
You need to go for a drive to the public gardens, but you aren’t going to get your normal car, you’re going to get your other car. Your hoe car (ほか)! It’s a car made entirely out of garden hoes. You can drive it and hoe with it at the same time! Your other car can’t do that!

Question 60

皿

Answer 60

Plate
Kanji: 皿 plate
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: さら
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading which is also the reading you learned when you learned the kanji.

Question 61

人気

Answer 61

Popular
Kanji: 人 person + 気 energy
If a person has a lot of energy then they’re very charismatic and fun! What’s another feature of charismatic / fun people? They are most likely popular as well.
Reading: にんき
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 人 and 気 both have two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you:
You’re so popular that you’ve been given the Nintendo key (にんき). That’s right, Nintendo gave you the master key to their entire office. Just like that.
This is a lot of responsibility even for your levels of popularity, so be careful not to lose this key!

Question 62

切手

Answer 62

Postage stamp
Kanji: 切 cut + 手 hand
To remember the meaning of this word, just think about how in the olden days, before perforation was invented, people had to cut their postage stamps by hand. It took forever, especially if you had a lot of friends to mail things to. Be thankful that perforation was invented to save you time cutting them.
Reading: きって
You’d think that the reading for this would consist of the on’yomi readings, but human body parts (hand) do funny things to words. In this case, it’s the kun’yomi readings of both the kanji. You should know the kun’yomi reading for 切 and 手 from the previous levels, meaning you should be able to remember the reading for this word fairly easily. Watch out for the small っ, though.

Question 63

赤

Answer 63

Red
Kanji: 赤 red
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: あか
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!

Question 64

赤い

Answer 64

Red
Kanji: 赤 red + 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 red? Why, it’s red!
Reading: あかい
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!

Question 65

休み

Answer 65

Rest
Kanji: 休 rest + み
The kanji rest has a little hiragana attached, but it’s nothing that would suggest it’s anything but a noun (it is!). It means the same thing as the kanji, rest.
Reading: やすみ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji with some hiragana, 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:
So, do you want a rest from work or school? You should say “Yes!” (やす).

Question 66

右手

Answer 66

Right hand
Kanji: 右 right + 手 hand
Your right hand is your right hand! This word can also be used to mean right arm, and right-hand side.
Reading: みぎて
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. This word, however, uses the kun’yomi readings. This is possibly because of 手, because body parts often use kun’yomi. You learned both readings with the individual words, so you should be able to read this.

Question 67

二世

Answer 67

Second generation
Kanji: 二 second + 世 world
The two generation is the second generation.
Reading: にせい
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 68

本気

Answer 68

Serious
Kanji: 本 book + 気 energy
What is book energy? It is energy you put into reading - it is your studies! In order to have book energy, though, you have to be very serious.
Reading: ほんき
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 69

かき氷

Answer 69

Shaved ice
Kanji: か + き + 氷 ice
This is かき ice, which is shaved ice.
Reading: かきごおり
The reading for 氷 is the same as the one you learned (こおり) except it gets converted to ごおり because it comes after かき, so it’s rendaku’d.

Question 70

貝

Answer 70

Shell
Kanji: 貝 shell
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: かい
The reading for this word is the same as the one you learned with the kanji, meaning you should be able to read this already.

Question 71

不足

Answer 71

Shortage
Kanji: 不 not + 足 foot (sufficient)
You have something that’s not sufficient. When something isn’t sufficient, you have an insufficiency or shortage.
This word is more commonly used in formal contexts. In more casual, everyday conversations, 足りない is often preferred to express something being insufficient.
Reading: ふそく
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 72

小皿

Answer 72

Small Plate
Kanji: 小 small + 皿 plate
You have a small plate. Wait, is that it? Yep, that’s it.
Reading: こざら
さら uses the same reading as the one you learned with the kanji, except it’s ざら this time because of the rendaku. 小 uses an alternate kun’yomi reading. You can remember it by thinking “What are small? Kids (子) are small. Bwahaha.”

Question 73

気

Answer 73

Spirit
Kanji: 気 energy
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: き
The reading is the same as the kanji that makes up this word. Lucky you!

Question 74

石

Answer 74

Stone
Kanji: 石 stone
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: いし
You pick up a stone. You throw it through a window. Huh. That was surprisingly easy.
Do it again. Throw the stone again. It’s so easy, just do it.

Question 75

一文字

Answer 75

Straight line
Kanji: 一 one + 文 writing + 字 letter
When you have one writing letter what do you have? Here’s a hint, there’s one kanji in this word that consists of one writing letter (aka a straight line).
Reading: いちもんじ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 文 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Straight lines are for monsters (もん). Only a monster would ever draw a perfectly straight line. You’re no monster, so no straight lines for you!

Question 76

名字

Answer 76

Surname
Kanji: 名 name + 字 letter
A name written in letters is the surname. Back in the day your surname was the important name (it’s your family name after all, and family was king back in the day). This is the name you’d write out in kanji… aka in letters. So, that’s why this combination of kanji means “surname.”
Reading: みょうじ
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.
Note that the 名 portion is the alternate reading, so adjust your thinking accordingly so you can get to みょう. Just imagine someone saying “more” with a funny accent. They say “myou” instead of “more”. Imagine them saying they have myou people in their family than yours. Their surname is spread amongst myou people than yours.

Question 77

休止

Answer 77

Suspension
Kanji: 休 rest + 止 stop
A stop that’s just a rest (aka not permanent) isn’t a straight up stop. You’re planning on continuing again. That’s why this is a suspension, or a pause.
This is a fairly formal word, and it’s often used when an activity or a service is temporarily suspended. For example, you could use it to talk about a pop band going on a hiatus or a machine suspending its operation.
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 78

先生

Answer 78

Teacher
Kanji: 先 previous + 生 life
Previous life… So we’re talking about someone who has a previous life, or maybe previous life experience? When you have previous life experience, you can teach others about it, making you qualified to be some kind of teacher.
先生 is often used for school teachers, but it’s also used to show respect to doctors, lawyers, authors, and other respected experts. It’s used as a standalone word or a name ender like トム先生.
Reading: せんせい
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 79

テレビ

Answer 79

Television
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
テレビ comes from the English word television. It’s been shortened, which is really common with loanwords in Japanese. The “vi” sound becomes ビ, too.
テレビ is sometimes written as “TV”, but even then it’s usually pronounced テレビ.
Reading: テレビ

Question 80

お礼

Answer 80

Thanks
Kanji: お + 礼 thanks
The meaning of this word is the same as the kanji, except it has an お before it, which just makes the thing you’re saying elevate the other person more. Basically, it’s more polite and awesome.
Reading: おれい
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji.

Question 81

先日

Answer 81

The other day
Kanji: 先 previous + 日 sun
The previous day isn’t necessarily yesterday. It can be any recent day, which is why this word means the other day.
Reading: せんじつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 日 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
The other day, you saw two centaurs! Gee, two (せんじつ) of them?! You’re lucky you’re still alive!

Question 82

三世

Answer 82

Third generation
Kanji: 三 three + 世 world
The three generation is the third generation. Depending on the context, you can sometimes use this alone to say you’re third generation Japanese. Usually, though, you’ll want to specify whether you’re third generation Japanese or another nationality.
Reading: さんせい
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 83

糸

Answer 83

Thread
Kanji: 糸 thread
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: いと
Since this word is made up of a single kanji it should use the kun’yomi reading (which is the reading you learned with the kanji).

Question 84

先

Answer 84

Tip
Kanji: 先 previous
Everything that happened to you previously is just the tip of the iceberg, and the important stuff is ahead of you, in your future. So make sure you put that stuff first!
The original meaning of this word is the tip of something, like a pen or a finger. From that meaning, it’s expanded into all sorts of meanings, like ahead, first, and future, depending on the context and where it is in the sentence. It can also mean “previous” in formal contexts (and we’ll accept that meaning too, but we’re not teaching it here because it’s more advanced).
Reading: さき
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn that reading with the kanji, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Just ahead of you are the tips of a saw and a key(さき). You have no idea what they’re doing there, but both saws and keys have very sharp tips, so watch out you don’t hurt yourself. Imagine yourself edging carefully past those saw and key tips.
You can differentiate this from 先ず (まず) because it doesn’t have any hiragana on the end.

Question 85

足りる

Answer 85

To be enough
Kanji: 足 foot +り+ 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 leg or sufficient, and we’re going with the “sufficient” meaning for this word! This word means to be enough.
Reading: たりる
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 to remember the た portion. Whenever we need to remember the た we use the word “taco.”
What do you have enough of? What is sufficient? Turns out it’s tacos (た). Your bunker is filled with them and it’s going to be enough to last the winter.

Question 86

写す

Answer 86

To copy
Kanji: 写 copy + 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 copy so you know this means to copy. You know this word means “to copy” because it ends with す. You’re copying the documents you need to sue (す) someone who screwed you over.
Reading: うつす
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:
You have to remember the うつ part. To remember that, think of yourself as a beatboxer. You’re saying うつうつうつ over and over again. Thing is, the other beatboxer is going to copy everything you do. That’s why you’re suing him.

Question 87

出かける

Answer 87

To go out
Kanji: 出 exit + か + け +る
You exit but you do it with かける added to it. Just think of that かける as you are exiting while being “cocky” about it. You do this when you want to go out or to leave. You go out in a cocky way!
This word can only be used for a person going out. You can’t say a train 出かける’d.
Reading: でかける
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 出る, so if you can remember that, you should be able to remember this one too!

Question 88

打つ

Answer 88

To hit something
Kanji: 打 hit + つ
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 hit so the vocab is to hit something or to strike something. It can also mean to type.
You can use this word to describe bumping a part of your body on something, hitting a ball or a nail, or typing on a keyboard. It can also describe hitting a person, but that use is less common and sounds a bit literary.
Reading: うつ
This word uses the kun’yomi reading, which you haven’t learned yet, but never fear! A mnemonic is here:
If you’re planning to hit an uni (う), you’re going to need a special bat or hammer. I don’t know why you’d want to hit a sea urchin, but make sure you have the right equipment if you do, because those things are spiky!

Question 89

生きる

Answer 89

To live
Kanji: 生 life + き + 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 “life,” making this word mean “to live.”
Reading: いきる
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use a kun’yomi reading. You didn’t learn the い reading with this kanji though, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
What does it mean to live? Life is pretty icky (いき … the き comes from the hiragana part), but you have to take that ickiness and roll with it if you want to have a good life… if you want to live!

Question 90

口にする

Answer 90

To mention
Kanji: 口 mouth + に + す + る
You’ve already learned that 口 means “mouth” and here it’s followed by the particle に, which pinpoints a location. The verb する means “to do” so you’re doing something to your mouth! Logically enough, this expression is used to describe lots of actions that you do with your mouth. It’s often used to mean to mention or to say, but with an added descriptive nuance that you’ve said something accidentally or unexpectedly, maybe something you shouldn’t have said! 🙊
It can also mean other things done with the mouth, like to eat and to drink!
Reading: くちにする
In this expression, 口 is a standalone vocabulary word, so it uses the same reading that you learned when you learned the vocabulary.

Question 91

休む

Answer 91

To rest
Kanji: 休 rest + む
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 休 means rest, so what’s the verb version of that? It’s to rest or to take time off.
Reading: やすむ
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:
You need to rest, right? Don’t just answer with a “yes,” this deserves a “YAASS” (やす)! YAAASSS let’s RESSST!!!

Question 92

申す

Answer 92

To say humbly
Kanji: 申 say humbly +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 say humbly, and this is just the verb form, to say humbly. You can also call this to say, just remember that it’s humble!
This is a very humble way to say “to say” so it’s used in especially formal situations, and only to talk about yourself or your associates. Because of its formality, it’s almost always in the ます form, which is 申します.
Reading: もうす
The reading for this kanji is the kun’yomi reading, but that’s the reading you learned with the kanji. High Fives.

Question 93

見る

Answer 93

To see
Kanji: 見 see +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 see so the vocab here means to see or to look.
Reading: みる
The reading for this word is the same as the reading you learned with the kanji (kun’yomi) so you should be able to read this.

Question 94

見せる

Answer 94

To show
Kanji: 見 see + 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. It’s related to the meaning of the kanji 見 “see,” but this one is about having someone else see something. In other words, it means to show.
Reading: みせる
The reading for this word is the same as the one that you learned with the kanji, so you should be able to read it.

Question 95

気に入る

Answer 95

To take a liking
Kanji: 気 energy + に + 入 enter + る
You enter into the energy. When entering into (positive) energy, you are going to take a liking to something and to be pleased and to be happy with it. Just imagine yourself entering into some happy energy when you take a liking to something.
Reading: きにいる
The 気 portion is pretty straight forward. The 入る reading is the same as the one you learned with the vocabulary 入り口. Just imagine you’re really, really, reeeally pleased with your lovely new pet eagle (い)! You’re so satisfied and happy with it. Feel the good energy your eagle is bringing you.

Question 96

町

Answer 96

Town
Kanji: 町 town
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: まち
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:
You walk into this town. You hate it (because it’s vocab, and who doesn’t hate vocab?). So what do you do? You pull out a match (まち) and burn this town to the ground. Whoa, you some kind of psycho?

Question 97

宝

Answer 97

Treasure
Kanji: 宝 treasure
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: たから
Anyone with some treasure is going to be a real talker about it. In fact, they act like they’re the Egyptian Sun God, Ra, and they have way more treasure than they really do. Making them a talker like Ra (たから), a Takara, if you will.

Question 98

二十日

Answer 98

Twentieth day
Kanji: 二 two + 十 ten + 日 sun
Two times ten days is twenty days.
Reading: はつか
Words that count days use an exceptional reading. The readings for 二十 are exceptions, and 日 takes the kun’yomi reading. Here’s a mnemonic to help with that:
If you make one hat for twenty days you’ll have enough hats (はつ) to fill up your car (か) completely! That’s a lot of days and a lot of hats.

Question 99

二百

Answer 99

Two hundred
Kanji: 二 two + 百 hundred
When you have two hundreds, you have two hundred.
Reading: にひゃく
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 100

花見

Answer 100

Viewing cherry blossoms
Kanji: 花 flowers + 見 see
When you have flowers that you can see, you are viewing flowers. But not just any flowers. What flowers do Japanese people love viewing? That’s right, this word refers to viewing cherry blossoms.
The focus of 花見 is on the act of appreciating blossoming trees, often accompanied by outdoor gatherings, picnics, or parties. Although cherry blossoms are the most commonly associated flowers, the term can encompass other flower-viewing experiences as well.
Reading: はなみ
The reading for this vocab is all kun’yomi, but you learned the kun’yomi readings of both these when you learned their kanji. So no worries there. You can spend the extra time viewing the cherry blossoms.

Question 101

村

Answer 101

Village
Kanji: 村 village
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: むら
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. This is the reading you learned already with the kanji. Huzzah!

Question 102

村人

Answer 102

Villager
Kanji: 村 village + 人 person
You have a village person. That isn’t someone dancing while wearing construction worker clothes, that’s a villager.
Reading: むらびと
This word uses double kun’yomi for its reading, probably because it’s like two separate words (village and person) put together into one big word. You should know these two kun’yomi readings (it’s the main reading for 村 that you learned and you should know 人 by now), though you will need to look out for the rendaku’d びと reading.

Question 103

見方

Answer 103

Way of seeing
Kanji: 見 see + 方 direction
The way you see is the way of seeing something. This is like when someone has a dumb opinion and you’re like “oh, okay, so that’s one way of seeing it…”
Reading: みかた
This uses the kun’yomi readings from the vocab words 見る and 方. So as long as you’re okay with those, you can apply that knowledge over here.

Question 104

天気

Answer 104

Weather
Kanji: 天 heaven + 気 energy
What is the heaven energy? If you think about it, that’s all the stuff that falls on us from the sky. Lightning, rain, snow, hail… What is all of that? It’s the weather.
Reading: てんき
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 105

平日

Answer 105

Weekdays
Kanji: 平 flat + 日 sun
The flat days are boring. They’re the same. One day after another. That’s definitely not your exciting weekends… that’s your boring, flat weekdays.
Reading: へいじつ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 日 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Weekdays are flat, but you do at least earn two entire bales of hay. Gee, two (へいじつ) of them! What a hard worker you are.

Question 106

どれ

Answer 106

Which one
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
Do re (どれ) mi fa sol la ti… which one of these notes are you going to start singing from?
The question word どれ is used to ask which one out of three or more choices.
Reading: どれ

Question 107

白い

Answer 107

White
Kanji: 白 white + 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 white? White, of course!
Reading: しろい
This has the same reading as the vocab 白 you learned, so you already know the reading. Go you!

Question 108

年

Answer 108

Year
Kanji: 年 year
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. You can also use this word to talk about someone’s age.
Reading: とし
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:
This year you plan on tossing (とし) out all your old stuff as a New Year’s resolution. You pronounce it “toshing” though, because it has more vigor that way.

Question 109

２０１１年

Answer 109

Year 2011
Kanji: ２０１１ + 年 year
It’s the 2011 year. I think the meaning is pretty obvious. This just means year 2011 or simply 2011.
Reading: にせんじゅういちねん
The reading is a little trickier. You start with two thousand (二千／にせん), then you need to add eleven to it (十一／じゅういち). Then, you simply add the reading for 年 which you already know. You can assume it’s the on’yomi reading because it’s attached to something else, like a jukugo. From there, you get the entire reading.

Question 110

年中

Answer 110

Year round
Kanji: 年 year + 中 middle
The year middle sounds like it should be something like “the middle of the year,” but it’s not. Think of something that happens in the middle of the year and then all other parts of the year. It’s just referring to everything within this year, which is how we get year round.
Reading: ねんじゅう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings for the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well. 中 does have a strange reading, though, which is じゅう. This is basically just ちゅう changing to ぢゅう, but since ぢ is very rare it just switches to じ and you end up with じゅう. That’s called rendaku.

Question 111

うん

Answer 111

Yep
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
Wanna play Uno (うん)? Yep! ‘Course I do. I always wanna play Uno.
うん is a casual way to say yes, or yeah, so you’d generally use it with friends and family, and in other informal situations.
Reading: うん

Question 112

はい

Answer 112

Yes
Kanji: No kanji (amazing!)
Want me to write a haiku (はい)? Yes, of course!
はい is a formal word for “yes”. You can use it to let someone know they’re right, or simply that you’re listening, as well as to respond if someone says your name.
Reading: はい