Kanji - Level 5 - Vocab Flashcards
休学
Absence from school
Kanji: 休 rest + 学 study
When you rest from school you are taking an absence from school. This is only for very long absences though, not a day or a week, but months or years. Think about it like taking an extended leave of absence from school.
Reading: きゅうがく
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.
空気
Air
Kanji: 空 sky + 気 energy
The sky energy… once known as a mystical essence that kept us from flying into space. Now we know this is the air. It can also mean atmosphere, though, because that’s what a bunch of air between the earth and space is called. ここの空気はいいね！
Figuratively, this can also refer to the mood that’s in the air or room, but not a specific person’s mood!
Reading: くうき
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.
古来
Ancient
Kanji: 古 old + 来 come
If you come to the party wearing something really, really old, everyone will know you’re from ancient times (as if your wrinkles didn’t give it away already, right?).
Reading: こらい
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.
大作
An epic
Kanji: 大 big + 作 make
The big make! What is your big make? Bigger than anything else. It is your epic (as in an epic that you write). It’s your masterpiece.
Reading: たいさく
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:
Did you know that there’s an epic about a tie sack (たいさく)? It’s a masterpiece about a magic sack that produces tie after tie after tie. A bit like The Magic Porridge Pot, but with a sack and ties instead.
角
Angle
Kanji: 角 angle
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Readings: かく, かど
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
But this word has two different meanings and each one has its own reading. You should make sure you don’t mix them up. The first one is the reading you learned with the kanji. かく means angle.
The second reading (かど), is something you haven’t learned, and it means corner. Just picture a deck of cards (かど). Now take one card at a time and fold them to make a corner. Now tape those cards into all the corners of your house. Why? Because it’s artsy!
考古学
Archeology
Kanji: 考 think + 古 old + 学 study
If you often think about studying old things, it’s called archeology. All archeology involves thinking about old things, at least a little bit.
Reading: こうこがく
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
当たり
A success
Kanji: 当 correct + た + り
This is the noun version of the kanji right. What happens when you get “a right?” You get a success.
Reading: あたり
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 あ portion of this word to read it. What is the correct answer that will give you a success? It is the first answer, A (あ).
今すぐ
At once
Kanji: 今 now + す + ぐ
You’ll have to learn this word in two parts. You already know the meaning of 今 because of the kanji, which means “now.” The すぐ part, however, is a new word, meaning “soon.” すぐ and “soon” even start with a similar sound, so maybe that can help you remember this! If you put 今 and すぐ together, you get “now soon.” Put in better English, that’s at once or right now.
Reading: いますぐ
Since you already know the vocab word 今 (read いま), you should be able to read this word as well.
牛肉
Beef
Kanji: 牛 cow + 肉 meat
What do you call cow meat? You call it beef (what’s for dinner?).
Reading: ぎゅうにく
Both readings for both kanji are the readings you learned with the kanji so you should be able to read this.
生まれ
Birthplace
Kanji: 生 life + ま + れ
Remember how you learned that 生まれる means “to be born?” Well once you’re born that place where it happened becomes your birthplace!
Reading: うまれ
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 生まれる. Just drop the る off the end and you have your reading!
青い
Blue
Kanji: 青 blue + 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 blue? It’s still blue! It can also mean unripe, which might sound confusing, but it comes down to the fact that in Japanese there’s some overlap between blue and green. So while in English we think of the “go” traffic light and unripe bananas as “green,” in Japanese they’re actually called “blue.”
Reading: あおい
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:
You have to remember the あお portion to read this word. Think of blue things on your body. Those are bruises. Touch them. What would you say? OW! (あお).
体
Body
Kanji: 体 body
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: からだ
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 have your body. It’s nice - looking good! What would really mess up your body? It would be a car raider (からだ). I’m talking about a dude who is a raider of some kind driving a car. If he runs into your body, you’re done for, so watch out for the car raider.
Of course, this mnemonic is only meant to get you close to the reading. Hopefully it is close enough to get you to the actual reading, からだ.
男の子
Boy
Kanji: 男 man + の + 子 child
A child of a man is no man, it is a boy.
Reading: おとこのこ
If you know the kun’yomi readings of both of these kanji you should be okay. You have two separate single-kanji words put together by a の. That’s why it’s the kun’yomi reading - they’re separate.
〜斤
Bread loaf counter
Kanji: 斤 axe
This has the 〜 for counters, so you can bet this shares the bread loaf counter meaning with the kanji.
Reading: きん
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!
兄弟
Brothers
Kanji: 兄 older brother + 弟 younger brother
You have an older brother and a younger brother. Wow! Both are here. These are brothers!
Reading: きょうだい
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
毛虫
Caterpillar
Kanji: 毛 fur +虫 insect
When you think of a fur insect what do you think of? My mind immediately goes to a caterpillar. Imagine the furriest caterpillar you can and touch it. How does it feel? Furry?
Reading: けむし
The readings for this word are strange. Both use the kun’yomi readings - 虫 uses the reading you learned with the kanji, so that’s easy. The 毛 part is like the vocab word 毛 you learned in the previous lesson.
近い
Close
Kanji: 近 near + 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 near? It’s close or nearby.
Reading: ちかい
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:
You have to remember the ちか portion to be able to read this word. Imagine someone close to you… Too close. They are so close to you that they’re touching their cheek (ちか) to your cheek. Feel the cheek on yours, it’s getting awkward.
色
Color
Kanji: 色 color
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: いろ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. This is the reading you learned with the kanji, though, so enjoy.
会社
Company
Kanji: 会 company + 社 meet
The place where your company meets is your company. Sony is a company. Nintendo is a company. Etc.
Reading: かいしゃ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
作文
Composition
Kanji: 作 make + 文 writing
When you make writing, what are you doing? Simply put, you’re writing. If you want to be fancier about it, you could say this is composition.
Note that 作文 often refers to the end result of a writing process, like a finished essay, rather than the writing process itself. It’s also commonly associated with various writing tasks assigned to students in Japanese elementary or middle school.
Reading: さくぶん
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since both 文 and 作 have two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which ones to use:
You can’t stop writing compositions about sacks ‘n’ buns (さくぶん). You’re obsessed with them. You’ve been writing essay after essay about sacks ‘n’ buns. Stop writing about sacks ‘n’ buns!
コンビニ
Convenience store
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
コンビニ comes from the English word convenience store, but who has time for all those syllables? That’s why they cut it down to “conveni”. So much more convenient that way.
Watch out for the “v” sound, which usually becomes “b” in Japanese, and this word is no exception.)
Reading: コンビニ
大会
Convention
Kanji: 大 big + 会 meet
When you have a big meet there’s a lot of people together. Why would you have a bunch of people gather together? Probably for a convention or some kind of tournament or event.
Reading: たいかい
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:
Did you know that Japan has entire conventions on tie kayaking (たいかい)? They regularly hold tournaments where they go kayaking using nothing but ties! Sounds pretty exhausting…
代金
Cost
Kanji: 代 substitute + 金 gold
When you buy something, you basically substitute it with money. That substitute money is the cost or price of the thing you’re paying for.
There are a lot of money-related synonyms in Japanese, but keep in mind this one is the money you’re paying to get some goodies or service in return, rather than cost as in expense, or price as in value. It’s “substitute money” after all!
Reading: だいきん
This is a jukugo word, which means it uses on’yomi readings for both of the kanji. You already know those, so you should be good to go!
三日月
Crescent moon
Kanji: 三 three + 日 sun + 月 moon
What’s “third day moon”? It’s crescent moon. Crescent moon is the new moon that appears on the third day of the month in the lunar calendar that Japanese people used back in the day.
Reading: みかづき
The word comes from 三日 and 月, but the readings are slightly different. There’s no small つ in the reading for 三日, and you need to rendaku 月, all to make it easier to pronounce. Try reading it aloud yourself to see what I mean!
To write the character づ, type “du” on your keyboard.
デパート
Department store
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
デパート comes from department store. Yet another shortened loanword! There’s an extra “o” sound on the end of this one, since a word can’t end in “t” in Japanese.
Reading: デパート
図
Diagram
Kanji: 図 diagram
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: ず
While words that are made up of a single kanji usually take the kun’yomi reading, this one takes the on’yomi reading. Luckily, this is the same reading you learned with the kanji, so it shouldn’t be too hard to remember.
外交
Diplomacy
Kanji: 外 outside + 交 mix
You want to mix opinions from outside your country into the way you handle things. That’s called diplomacy. If you mix your country with the ones outside of your own, you’ll all profit!
Reading: がいこう
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
下町
Downtown
Kanji: 下 below + 町 town
You have the below town. Does this sort of sound familiar? We have another word for it in English, but it’s essentially the same thing: downtown. It isn’t the downtown you might be used to though. In Japan, this is an old word that was used for the commercial districts literally, physically down (lower than) the main city. So picture an old, urban Japanese area!
Reading: したまち
The reading for this word is all kun’yomi despite being jukugo. Just think of sketchy things going on in the downtown, just like how there’s sketchy kun’yomi readings for this word. You should know both the kun’yomi readings from the previous level, though, so if you do you know the reading for this word as well.
工学
Engineering
Kanji: 工 construction + 学 study
Someone with the study of industry is someone who creates things. That would be the study of engineering.
Reading: こうがく
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.
毎日
Every day
Kanji: 毎 every + 日 sun
Every day is daily (or just every day).
Reading: まいにち
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 day you watch your favorite program, My Nietzsche (まいにち). It’s a daily cartoon about Nietzsche and his life, which you follow religiously. Oh how much you love Nietzsche.
毎月
Every month
Kanji: 毎 every + 月 moon
Every moon is every month (as you know from all the month-related vocab). This can also mean monthly.
Reading: まいつき, まいげつ
The most common reading for this word has the on’yomi reading for 毎 plus the kun’yomi reading for 月. That makes it まいつき. But it can be read まいげつ using both on’yomi readings too. You can use either!
毎回
Every time
Kanji: 毎 every + 回 times
Every times is really just every time. Do you get your kanji readings correct 毎回?
Reading: まいかい
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.
毎年
Every year
Kanji: 毎 every + 年 year
You have every and year to combine into every year (yearly works as well).
Reading: まいとし, まいねん
The reading for 毎 is what you’d expect. The reading for 年 is the kun’yomi reading, though. So, use your knowledge of the vocab 年 to help yourself to remember the reading for this word. You’ll need to remember that the reading for this word is strange to get it into that brain of yours.
That being said, the reading まいねん works as well. I don’t like this one as much as まいとし but it’s equally acceptable.
すみません
Excuse me
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
Sue me, Ma Sen! (すみません), you yell at Ma Sen, before quickly adding “Excuse me…I’m sorry, so sorry!” You shouldn’t have shouted at Ma Sen like that. You hope she won’t actually sue you.
You can use すみません both to apologize and to get someone’s attention. This expression is really common in Japan, and dropping it in wherever you can will help you blend right in!
Reading: すみません
羽
Feathers
Kanji: 羽 feathers
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: はね
Since this word is made up of a single kanji with nothing attached it uses the kun’yomi reading. You learned this reading with the kanji, so you should be able to read this.
林
Forest
Kanji: 林 forest
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: はやし
Since this word is made up of a single kanji it uses the kun’yomi reading. You’ve already learned this reading with the kanji, though, so you should be able to read this.
〜形
Form
Kanji: 形 shape
The kanji and the word share one of the same meanings: form. It doesn’t just mean form though, it means tense too. Like verb tense.
Reading: けい
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!
〜年来
For some years
Kanji: 年 year + 来 come
When you have years coming and going, you know it is for some years. Don’t confuse this one with 来年 which means “next year.” The kanji 来 comes after the kanji for year, so instead of “coming year” it’s “years that come (and go).” At least, you can think of it that way to differentiate.
You can also add numbers to this word. For example ５年来 means something to the tune of “for five years.” But this is a pretty formal word. Just keep that in mind.
Reading: ねんらい
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.
会
Gathering
Kanji: 会 meet
This is the noun version of the kanji meet, and it means a gathering or a meeting, as you’d expect! It isn’t really used for the kind of meeting you have at an office, though. It’s more in the sense of a people coming together for a specific purpose, like volunteer group, or a birthday party.
Reading: かい
This has the same reading as the kanji you learned, meaning you know the reading!
大体
Generally
Kanji: 大 big + 体 body
If all you can see is the big body of something, then you’ll only get a general idea of what it is. You’ll be able to say that it’s generally a certain way, but that’s about all. You’ll get the gist, but no more.
Reading: だいたい
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:
Generally, it’s a bad idea to dye your ties (だいたい). The tie police isn’t a big fan of it, and you wouldn’t wanna get arrested!
仕草
Gesture
Kanji: 仕 doing + 草 grass
Things you end up doing in the grass and not inside probably take a lot of big gestures and actions. You have to do them outside on the grass because if you did them anywhere else you might break something.
Reading: しぐさ
The reading is a combination of on’yomi and kun’yomi. That being said, both readings for both kanji are the readings you learned with the kanji so you should be able to read this. Just watch out because rendaku makes くさ become ぐさ.
金
Gold
Kanji: 金 gold
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: きん
Since this word is made up of a single kanji you would normally think it uses the kun’yomi reading. Not this word, though. It still uses the on’yomi reading, which you learned with the kanji. Don’t confuse this one with お金, though. That one uses kun’yomi which you know because it has a hiragana attached.
上手い
Good at
Kanji: 上 above + 手 hand + い
Remember how 上手 means that you’re good at something? Well, this word uses the exact same kanji, and means the exact same thing!
Reading: うまい
That い on the end is your clue that the reading is different, and you can forget about the readings you learned for each kanji. This is a native Japanese word, and the kanji were assigned to it based on the meaning alone. That means you just have to memorize the reading, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
When you see that someone’s good at something, you say, “Ooh, my (うまい)!” at the top of your lungs. Try it! Think of something that impresses you and say “ooh my!” out loud.
草
Grass
Kanji: 草 grass
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: くさ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it uses the kun’yomi reading. You learned this reading when you learned the kanji.
工作
Handicraft
Kanji: 工 construction + 作 make
What is the “industry of make”? Well, it’s when you industriously make things, obviously. That can only be handicraft or crafts, often referring to craft activities or hands-on projects done in elementary or middle school!
But wait, 工作 isn’t just about glue and popsicle sticks! It can also mean maneuvering, in the sense of pulling strings behind the scenes. So, whether you’re crafting a masterpiece or scheming a clever plan, 工作 encompasses the wonders of crafting!
Reading: こうさく
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 作 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Your favorite handicraft is making こういち sacks (こうさく). They’re sacks that look exactly like こういち, and you’re incredibly good at making them. Soon, the Tofugu offices will be decorated all over with your こういち sacks.
本社
Headquarters
Kanji: 本 book + 社 company
The origin company is where everything in your company comes from. This is your main base. This is your headquarters.
Reading: ほんしゃ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
里
Hometown
Kanji: 里 hometown
This is the village you came from. This is where your parents live. This is your hometown (same meaning as the kanji you learned).
This word is old-fashioned and evokes a warm, nostalgic image of home. Often seen in folktales and traditional songs, it represents an idyllic, pastoral life.
Reading: さと
The reading is the same as with the kanji you learned, so you should feel nice and “at home” with this one 😉
何日
How many days
Kanji: 何 what + 日 sun
What day equals the fairly obvious translation “what day.” But, it also means how many days.
Reading: なんにち
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji, but 何 actually uses the kun’yomi reading here! And since 日 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember this reading:
How many days does it take you to bake a naan Nietzsche (なんにち)? It’s not easy to make a Nietzsche entirely out of naan, so I wonder how many days it would take.
何人
How many people
Kanji: 何 what + 人 person
When you ask what people you’re not actually asking “what people?” You’re asking how many people. One thing you’ll notice with Japanese and kanji is that 何, when added to other things, often means “how many _____” rather than “what ____.” Just something you have to know and experience a bit to catch on to, but you will, I believe in you.
Reading: なんにん
This word uses the kun’yomi reading for 何 and the on’yomi reading for 人. Since 何 and 人 both have two readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which ones to use:
How many people eat naan at Nintendo (なんにん)? You’ve been tasked with counting everybody eating naan for lunch at Nintendo, so you better get started!
何回
How many times
Kanji: 何 what + 回 times
What times? This doesn’t make any sense. One thing you’ll notice with Japanese and kanji is that 何, when added to other things, often means “how many _____” rather than “what ____.” Just something you have to know and experience a bit to catch on to, but you will, I believe in you. So, for this one it’s how many times.
Reading: なんかい
This is a jukugo word with a slightly unique reading, where the first kanji uses the kun’yomi reading and the second uses the on’yomi reading. You’ve seen these readings before, so you should be able to read this alright.
自立
Independence
Kanji: 自 self + 立 stand
You are able to stand using your self. Nobody is helping you. Nobody is holding you down. This is your independence!
自立 primarily refers to a person’s ability to stand on their own, make decisions, and act independently.
Reading: じりつ
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.
体内
Internal
Kanji: 体 body + 内 inside
Something that’s inside your body… hmm, could be a lot of things, but we can generalize and just say it’s internal.
Reading: たいない
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.
皮肉
Irony
Kanji: 皮 skin + 肉 meat
The skin on the meat is kind of like the outer shell. It’s not very nice, and people who eat only meat skin tend to use sarcasm and irony. That being said, Japanese people don’t really understand sarcasm. So, maybe that’s why “meat skin” means “sarcasm.” Is this ironic? Now I’m not even sure.
Reading: ひにく
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
入社
Joining a company
Kanji: 入 enter + 社 company
When you enter a company you’re actually joining a company. Welcome, new recruit. Prepare to be hazed!
Reading: にゅうしゃ
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you’ll know how to read this as well.
