Kanji - Level 5 - Vocab

Question 1

休学

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

空気

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

古来

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

大作

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

角

Answer 5

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!

Question 6

考古学

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

当たり

Answer 7

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).

Question 8

牛肉

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

体

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

〜斤

Answer 10

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!

Question 11

兄弟

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

毛虫

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

近い

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

色

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

会社

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

作文

Answer 16

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!

Question 17

コンビニ

Answer 17

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

Question 18

大会

Answer 18

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…

Question 19

代金

Answer 19

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!

Question 20

三日月

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

デパート

Answer 21

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

Question 22

図

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

外交

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

下町

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

工学

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

毎日

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

毎月

Answer 27

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!

Question 28

毎回

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

毎年

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

すみません

Answer 30

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

Question 31

羽

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

林

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

〜形

Answer 33

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!

Question 34

〜年来

Answer 34

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.

Question 35

会

Answer 35

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!

Question 36

大体

Answer 36

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!

Question 37

仕草

Answer 37

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.

Question 38

金

Answer 38

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.

Question 39

上手い

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

草

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

工作

Answer 41

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.

Question 42

本社

Answer 42

Headquarters
Kanji: 本 origin + 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.

Question 43

里

Answer 43

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 😉

Question 44

何日

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

何人

Answer 45

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!

Question 46

何回

Answer 46

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.

Question 47

自立

Answer 47

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.

Question 48

体内

Answer 48

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.

Question 49

皮肉

Answer 49

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.

Question 50

入社

Answer 50

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.

Question 51

大声

Answer 51

Large voice
Kanji: 大 big + 声 voice
A large voice is probably pretty large. Maybe even annoying, too. That’s why this is a large voice or a loud voice.
Reading: おおごえ
The reading for 声 is ごえ (rendaku’d version of the reading you know: こえ). The reading for 大 is the kun’yomi reading, like with the word 大きい (おおきい). Just imagine a loud voice saying “おお！.”

Question 52

光

Answer 52

Light
Kanji: 光 sunlight
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: ひかり
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 a ton of sunlight where you live. This creates heat. With this sunlight heat you’re able to make your favorite food in the world: hickory (ひかり) smoked bacon. Mmm, taste that delicious bacon.

Question 53

光年

Answer 53

Light year
Kanji: 光 sunlight + 年 year
What happens when light travels a year? You have a light-year.
Reading: こうねん
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 54

文学

Answer 54

Literature
Kanji: 文 writing + 学 study
If you study writing it’s called literature. You’ll get to study lots of things other people wrote before you!
Reading: ぶんがく
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:
All the great works of literature are about buns (ぶん). That’s the subtle thread running through all literature: buns.

Question 55

男の人

Answer 55

Man
Kanji: 男 man + の + 人 person
The の particle makes it so the 人 belongs to the 男. Basically, this literally means “a man person” or “a person of man.” It’s a more polite way to say plain old man, though, so all you have to remember is that.
Reading: おとこのひと
This word is actually two separate words combined with a particle. So, since you treat them like separate words, you read each of them with the kun’yomi readings (they are both single kanji words all alone). That being said, in level 4 you learned about the vocab readings for these separate words, so use that knowledge to remember the reading for this word as well.

Question 56

多い

Answer 56

Many
Kanji: 多 many + 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 many? It is also many (or you could say much). Speaking of which, there are so many kanji to learn, ammiright?
Reading: おおい
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:
Think of something that is many. Doesn’t matter what it is as long as you imagine a ridiculous number of them. Many of them. So many that they start avalanching into you and crushing you. The last thing you yell is “おお!!!” as you get smushed.

Question 57

多分

Answer 57

Maybe
Kanji: 多 many + 分 part
You have many parts. Look at them all. You have to choose one of the parts. You can’t decide which one you want. This one? Maybe. How about this one? Hmm, maybe that one too.
Reading: たぶん
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 58

肉

Answer 58

Meat
Kanji: 肉 meat
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: にく
Luckily for you, this word uses the on’yomi reading that you learned even though it’s a single kanji all on its own. So, you should know it already!

Question 59

お金

Answer 59

Money
Kanji: お + 金 gold
The お is an honorific that makes this word a bit more fancy. When you’re talking about money you gotta be fancy, after all. So, you’re basically saying “gold” in a nicer way. What was gold back in the day? It was money.
Reading: おかね
The reading for 金 is different from the one you learned with the kanji. Makes sense since this is a single kanji with hiragana attached. Here’s a mnemonic to help you:
You’ve saved up a ton of money. With it you’re going to buy something awesome. Then, suddenly someone hits you in the knees with a bat. Now you have to spend all your money buying a cane (かね). Sucks for you :(

Question 60

月光

Answer 60

Moonlight
Kanji: 月 moon + 光 sunlight
The moon light (not sunlight!) can be bright sometimes. This is night when you’re stumbling home from a nomikai after work. What is this light from the moon called? It’s moon light. This word can also mean a moonbeam as well.
Reading: げっこう
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:
The moonlight brings out a strange creature known as a Geck-こういち (げっこう), which are geckos with the head of こういち. Imagine a swarm of them all crawling out of their crevices once the moon comes out.

Question 61

来月

Answer 61

Next month
Kanji: 来 come + 月 moon
The next month is the next month! It isn’t this month or the month before, it’s the next one!
Reading: らいげつ
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:
Next month is when rye gets (らいげつ) into your diet! You’re going to eat only rye bread and drink only rye beer for all of next month. Bet you can’t wait!

Question 62

来年

Answer 62

Next year
Kanji: 来 come + 年 year
The next year is next year! It isn’t last year or this year, it’s the next one!
Reading: らいねん
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 63

いいえ

Answer 63

No
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
Eeh! Eh? (いいえ) No! You’re so surprised by whatever the question was, you can only manage “Eeh! Eh? No!” in response.
いいえ is a formal word for “no”, so you can use it to answer politely in the negative.
Reading: いいえ

Question 64

北西

Answer 64

Northwest
Kanji: 北 north + 西 west
This word is so simple. North + West = Northwest.
Reading: ほくせい
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 65

兄

Answer 65

Older brother
Kanji: 兄 older brother
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. This implies that it is your older brother, by the way. Not somebody else’s.
Reading: あに
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. You haven’t learned this reading yet, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Your older brother is different from everyone else’s. He has odd powers… some would say powers of the force. Do you know what his name is? It’s Ani (あに), short for Anikin… wait a sec, does that sound familiar?

Question 66

自分

Answer 66

Oneself
Kanji: 自 self + 分 part
You have your self part. Part of your self is you. This is oneself. This is myself. Wait, who is this part of me? You’re not sure… wait, no, it’s myself. Is it? Be a little psychotic for a moment as you try to remember this vocab word.
Reading: じぶん
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 67

三十代

Answer 67

One’s thirties
KanjI: 三 three + 十 ten + 代 substitute
You have the number “thirty”, and age. So this refers to one’s thirties.
Reading: さんじゅうだい
This uses on’yomi for all the kanji, so you should be good to go here!

Question 68

一回

Answer 68

One time
Kanji: 一 one + 回 times
One times is one time. How many times? Just one.
Reading: いっかい
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. Take note that 一 is shortened (as it often is) to いっ.

Question 69

空車

Answer 69

Open taxi
Kanji: 空 sky + 車 car
When a car has sky in it (and not, say, a bunch of people) it is free to give you a ride. If you see this sign lit up on a taxi feel free to hail it down, it will be able to take you somewhere. It is an open taxi.
Reading: くうしゃ
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 70

本来

Answer 70

Originally
Kanji: 本 book + 来 come
You want to talk about the origin where something comes from. That’s where it is from originally.
Reading: ほんらい
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Question 71

体力

Answer 71

Physical strength
Kanji: 体 body + 力 power
You have your body power. This is just another way to say physical strength. Watch out, if you use too much of your physical strength you may run out of physical stamina and endurance completely! They’re tied together, so make sure to pace yourself.
Reading: たいりょく
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since 力 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember which one to use:
Your physical strength and stamina are tied together with a tie lock (たいりょく). That’s a lock made of ties that ties your strength and stamina up together, making it much easier to pace yourself.

Question 72

雨

Answer 72

Rain
Kanji: 雨 rain
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: あめ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji it uses the kun’yomi reading. Lucky for you, you learned this reading with the kanji.

Question 73

本当

Answer 73

Reality
Kanji: 本 book + 当 correct
What is real is right. It is the reality. It is also the truth. Don’t believe anything that isn’t real and true.
Reading: ほんとう
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 74

近年

Answer 74

Recent years
Kanji: 近 near + 年 year
The close years are years that aren’t too long ago. They are the recent years.
This is a formal word that is often used in writing or formal speech.
Reading: きんねん
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 75

米

Answer 75

Rice
Kanji: 米 rice
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Note that this word refers to the grains of rice more than something that’s a meal. If you’re eating rice at a meal you’d call it ごはん. This is like when you’re talking about the rice in the fields or rice grains or something like that.
Reading: こめ
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:
“Everyone, we have rice! Come (こめ) and get it!”

Question 76

同じ

Answer 76

Same
Kanji: 同 same + じ
This word is the kanji same with hiragana attached, and it also means same.
It’s a bit of an oddball among Japanese adjectives, because you don’t need な or い to attach it to a noun. So it’s usually considered to be a “special” な-adjective.
Reading: おなじ
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:
When you think of the word “same” think same owner (おな). You’re looking at a restaurant that has a sign that says, “New owners!” However, when you walk in you see it’s the same terrible owner you remember from before. What a liar.

Question 77

同日

Answer 77

Same day
Kanji: 同 same + 日 sun
You have the same day, which comes out to same day.
Note that this word is quite formal. To say the same day more casually, just use 同じ日!
Reading: どうじつ
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:
On the same day, you once ate two entire doughnuts. Gee, two (どうじつ) on the same day? How did that feel?

Question 78

入学

Answer 78

School admission
Kanji: 入 enter + 学 study
You enter into a study (place). When does this happen? It happens when you get accepted into a school, aka school admission, university admission, or entry into school.
Reading: にゅうがく
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.

Question 79

学年

Answer 79

School grade
Kanji: 学 study + 年 year
Your study year is kind of like the years you’ve studied. Where do you study? School. What is a year of study in a school? It’s your school grade.
Reading: がくねん
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 80

皮

Answer 80

Skin
Kanji: 皮 skin
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: かわ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. You haven’t learned this reading yet, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
As a human (we think), you have a lot of skin. But sometimes a normal shower isn’t enough to wash all that skin. What do you do when you can’t fit all your skin in the shower or the tub? You get your skin cleaned at the car wash, of course!

Question 81

空

Answer 81

Sky
Kanji: 空 sky
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: そら
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:
In the sky, you are the ruler. You are known as “The soarer!” (そら). Imagine your theme song and make sure it includes “soarer of the sky” or something awesome like that.

Question 82

水色

Answer 82

Sky blue
Kanji: 水 water + 色 color
You’d think that water color would have something to do with watercolors, but it doesn’t. No, it has to do with the color of water, which, ironically, is sky blue in English. Light blue works as well.
Reading: みずいろ
The reading for this word consists of the kun’yomi reading of 水 and the kun’yomi reading of 色. For 水 you’ll know this reading via your vocab studies. For 色 it just so happens to be the reading you learned with the kanji.

Question 83

近日

Answer 83

Soon
Kanji: 近 near + 日 sun
The near day is a day coming very soon. It’s a day coming in a few days or in the coming days. In other words, you wouldn’t use this word for something that’s going to happen in a few minutes, or a few months.
This is a relatively formal word that is commonly used in professional or official contexts.
Reading: きんじつ
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:
Soon, the place where you live will have two kings. Gee, two (きんじつ) of them? Yep, yours is the first country ever to have two kings.

Question 84

音

Answer 84

Sound
Kanji: 音 sound
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: おと
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:
Did you hear that sound? It’s barely audible (おと). Go ahead and say the word “audible” with the pronunciation of おと to help you to remember this.

Question 85

四角

Answer 85

Square
Kanji: 四 four + 角 angle
What shape has four angles? The most common one is a square, but it could also be a rectangle or even a cube.
Reading: しかく
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings for the kanji. You’ve learned them both already, so you should be able to read this word!

Question 86

学生

Answer 86

Student
Kanji: 学 study + 生 life
Who has a study life? Only one person that I know of, and that’s a student.
Reading: がくせい
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 87

日光

Answer 87

Sunlight
Kanji: 日 sun + 光 sunlight
You have sun light. What kind of light would this be? Obviously sunlight.
Reading: にっこう
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on’yomi readings from the kanji. Since the にち reading of 日 becomes にっ here, we’ve made a mnemonic for you to remember this reading:
The best place for sunlight in Japan is Nikkō (にっこう). It’s one of Japan’s most beautiful national parks, and the perfect spot to catch some rays!

Question 88

金玉

Answer 88

Testicles
Kanji: 金 gold + 玉 ball
You have some gold balls. What balls are more important than any other balls, at least for a dude? That would be his testicles.
This word came about because tanuki scrotum skin would be used to pound down gold into sheets. Tanuki scrotums are apparently very good at this because they are very strong and very flexible. Strange, yeah? That’s why Gold balls = testicles.
As you might have guessed, this word is slang and you’ll probably want to avoid using it at the doctor’s! It’s a comical word that is used in casual situations.
Reading: きんたま
This word uses the on’yomi for 金 and the kun’yomi for 玉. If you know the readings of your kanji, you’ll know how to read this as well.

Question 89

それ

Answer 89

That one
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
Sorry (それ), can you grab that one for me? Yeah, that, thanks!
You can use それ for things that are close to the person you’re talking to, or fairly close to both of you.
Reading: それ

Question 90

その他

Answer 90

The others
Kanji: そ + の + 他 other
その means “that” or “the”, and その plus other means things like the others, other, and other than that, depending on the context.
Readings: そのほか, そのた
This has two readings, but luckily you learned one of them when you learned the kanji, and the other one when you learned the word 他. The two readings are usually interchangeable, too.

Question 91

今回

Answer 91

This time
Kanji: 今 now + 回 times
The now times is this time.
Reading: こんかい
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.

Question 92

何千

Answer 92

Thousands
Kanji: 何 what + 千 thousand
What thousand? Could be five thousand, two thousand, or ten thousand, since you’re asking. Let’s generalize. How do you say all of those amounts at the same time? You say “thousands.”
If this is used in a question, it can also mean how many thousands?
Reading: なんぜん
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. Just take note that 千 is read as ぜん and not せん because of rendaku.

Question 93

〜回

Answer 93

Times
Kanji: 回 times
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: かい
The reading is the on’yomi reading which you learned with the kanji. This is probably because this word gets attached to numbers usually, which makes it behave more like jukugo. So, you can have １回, ２回, ３回, or even １００回 if you’re into that sort of thing.

Question 94

当たる

Answer 94

To be right
Kanji: 当 correct + た + る
You know this is a verb because it ends with an う sound. The kanji for this word is right or success, so what’s the verb form of that? Turns out it’s a ton of things. Like, a crazy amount of things. I tried narrowing it down for you, but it will still be a lot. This word tends to be about getting an answer right. As in, to be right or to be on target. It means many other things too, but I think these are the two meanings you’ll see the most, so focus on those.
Reading: あたる
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 あ portion.
When your guess turns out to be right, you can’t help but shout, “Ah! (あ)” That “Ah” is your victory cry.

Question 95

見える

Answer 95

To be visible
Kanji: 見 see + え + 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, and 見える is to be visible, or to be in sight, though it’s often more naturally translated into English as can see. It’s used when you don’t actively intend to see something, it just happens.
This verb can also mean to seem, when talking about how you perceive something you can see.
Reading: みえる
The reading for this word is the same as the one you learned with the kanji (the kun’yomi reading). So as long as you know that you should be able to read this word as well.

Question 96

来る

Answer 96

To come
Kanji: 来 come + 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 come so you know this word means to come.
Reading: くる
The reading for this word is pretty strange. It changes depending on the type of verb form you use (it’s a pesky exception verb). To remember the reading of this word, here’s a mnemonic:
“I want you to come to the cool (く) side, Luke,” says Darth Vader.
“What?” replies Luke.
Just replace this line into the famous line from Star Wars. Say it out loud. Do the Vader voice. It’ll help you to remember.

Question 97

下がる

Answer 97

To get lower
Kanji: 下 below + が + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb.
This is an intransitive verb. That means it does not take a direct object. The kanji means below so this means something gets lower, by falling or dropping. For example: Prices get lower or fall. Squirrels come down from trees. See? No direct object here. That’s why this verb means to get lower or to fall.
Reading: さがる
Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you know that it’s probably going to be the kun’yomi reading. Let’s use a mnemonic to remember the reading of the kanji:
You know it means to fall so instead of using a saw (さ) to cut down the tree, you decide to let it come to you. It has to come down all by itself. Picture yourself placing a saw at the foot of a tree then sitting back and waiting for it to drop itself at your knees. (This could actually work, don’t you judge my methods!)

Question 98

生む

Answer 98

To give birth
Kanji: 生 life + 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 itself means “life” so what is the verb form of that? Would it be “to do life”? No, probably not. In this case it is to give birth, or to produce.
You’ll have to differentiate this one from the word 生まれる as well. You can remember that this one means “to give birth” because when you compare, the act of giving birth probably feels shorter than the act of being birthed, at least in terms of sheer terror. The pain of giving birth will make it feel quick, when you look back on it… but just imagine how traumatized the baby must be from going through that as well. So, the act of giving birth is shorter, just like the word itself!
Reading: うむ
You have to remember the う part of this word to be able to read it. It’s the same as 生まれる, so that could help if you’ve learned that word already. If not, just imagine yourself giving birth, but not to a baby. Instead, it’s an uni (う) you’re delivering. And of course, all you can do when bringing the spiky uni into the world is scream: “UUuUUuuUUuUuu!”

Question 99

行く

Answer 99

To go
Kanji: 行 go + 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 go so the verb form of this is to go.
Reading: いく
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 い portion. To remember い we use the word “eagle.”
You want to go somewhere (anywhere!) but you can’t. An eagle (い) blocks your path. You try to go forward and it opens its wings and bites at you. You try to go back and it jumps at you. There’s nowhere for you to go with this eagle standing there.

Question 100

上がる

Answer 100

To go up
Kanji: 上 above + が + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb.
This is an intransitive verb. That means it does not take a direct object. The kanji means above so this means something rises. For example: A fever goes up. The sun rises. See? No direct object here. That’s why this verb means to rise or to go up.
Be careful not to confuse this with its transitive buddy 上げる, which means “to lift something” or “to raise something.” With that other verb, someone is doing the lifting, it’s not happening by itself like it is here.
Reading: あがる
Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you can guess that it uses the kun’yomi reading, which also happens to be a reading you didn’t learn when you learned the kanji. Let’s use a mnemonic for the kun’yomi reading now, though. You have to remember at least the あ part to read it.
You know that this word means to go up. Imagine something just rising on its own, like a floating tree or something. What would you say? Probably a “surprised” sound. Maybe you’d scream “あ!” when you saw this floating tree.
If you need help remembering the hiragana part, imagine that it’s a girl rising up and you scream “Ah! Girl!”(あがる).

Question 101

入れる

Answer 101

To insert
Kanji: 入 enter + れ + 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 入 means “enter,” but this word does not mean “to enter” (which you already learned as 入る). Still, the meaning of 入れる is still related to the kanji’s meaning: it means to insert or to put in. It’s something you do to another object, like inserting a key into a lock, or your hand into a glove.
Reading: いれる
When a vocab is a single kanji plus some okurigana (hiragana stuck on the end of kanji) it’s almost always going to be the kun’yomi reading. This is one of two kun’yomi readings you’ll be learning for the kanji 入. As long as you know that this vocab means to insert, you can use that to remember the reading as well.
Imagine inserting your hand into a hole and an eagle (い) flies out, screaming: “い!” This is something that happens every time you insert your hand into something: an eagle comes out. You don’t know why.

Question 102

学ぶ

Answer 102

To learn
Kanji: 学 study + ぶ
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 study or learning. When you do these things, what ends up happening? You learn. That’s why this word means to learn.
There is another word that means “to learn” that is going to be more common, which is 習う. You’ll learn this one later on. 学ぶ sounds a little more serious compared to 習う, so keep that in mind when you use it.
Reading: まなぶ
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 まな part to learn this word’s reading. Think about a class you’re taking. It’s a manners class, and you’re there to learn manners (まな). Imagine this study of manners and imagine yourself practicing it.

Question 103

作る

Answer 103

To make
Kanji: 作 make + 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 make. The verb form of that is to make.
Reading: つくる
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:
You have to remember the つく portion. In order to do that let’s think about something that you’re going to make. Imagine something really awesome. You complete it and look at your masterpiece. It’s amazing. You realize right then and there that it’s too cool (つく) for the general public to see. You proceed to smash it. It’s way too cool.

Question 104

会う

Answer 104

To meet
Kanji: 会 meet + 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 meet so the verb form of that is to meet or to encounter.
Reading: あう
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 part but let’s include the う as well for this one. Who do you want to meet more than anyone? Think about it. Then, imagine meeting them. The first thing they do is grab your arm and pinch it. You yell out “OW!” (あう) and they laugh and run away.

Question 105

交ぜる

Answer 105

To mix something
Kanji: 交 mix + ぜ + 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 mix so the verb version is to mix something.
There are similar words to this one, including 交じる which means “to be mixed” and 交わる which means “to intersect.” This one is when you’re doing the mixing. It’s transitive. Like 交じる, the connotation is that the things being mixed are distinguishable from each other, like two types of fish, or books being mixed together. They don’t become homogenous like paint or something would.
Reading: まぜる
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:
You have to remember the ま portion. Who would mix things for you (like cakes and other goodies) growing up? That would be your Ma (ま).

Question 106

回る

Answer 106

To revolve
Kanji: 回 times + 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 times. There’s no good verb for the word “times” but you can probably imagine something doing something over and over and over again. What word would represent this? It would be to revolve, to go around, or to rotate.
Bear in mind that this verb is intransitive, so it happens on its own. Something revolves or rotates, all by itself.
Reading: まわる
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:
You have a bag of walnuts that you’re bringing to a friend’s house but you trip and drop them all on the ground. You shout, “Mah Walnuts! (まわ)” as they start to revolve around you on the ground. Picture your walnuts going around you, getting all dirty.

Question 107

走る

Answer 107

To run
Kanji: 走 run + 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 run so now you know the verb version of that is to run.
Reading: はしる
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:
You have to remember the はし portion. Think of yourself running. It’s nice. As you run, though, you notice the ground changing into something weird and mushy. Everything is turning into hash (はし) browns. You start to get sucked in, and soon you can’t run anymore. Smell the hash browns and taste them too. What a terrible run this was.

Question 108

言う

Answer 108

To say
Kanji: 言 say + 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 say, so the verb version of that is to say.
Reading: いう
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 reading い we use the word “eagle.”
You’re trying to say something, but every time you try to say anything an eagle (い) swoops down and pecks at your face then flies away. Just imagine yourself saying tiny bits of words, then an eagle crashing down on your face. Then, you wait in silence. Nothing happens. You try to say something again, and the eagle swoops down on you again.

Question 109

立てる

Answer 109

To stand something up
Kanji: 立 stand + て + 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 “stand” and this means to stand something up. It also can mean to make something, both in a physical sense, like making a sound, and a mental sense, like making a plan.
Don’t confuse this with 立つ. 立てる means that you’re standing something up. As in, “I stood up the action figure” or “I will erect the flag.” You’re doing the action to something else.
Reading: たてる
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:
You have to remember the た portion. In order to do that, think of yourself standing up a huge sign. On it, written in big words:
“ta ta (た)!”

Question 110

止まる

Answer 110

To stop
Kanji: 止 stop + ま + る
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb.
This is an intransitive verb. That means it does not take a direct object. Something comes to a stop. No direct object here. That’s why this verb means to stop.
Reading: とまる
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:
You come to a stop sign and decide to stop because the sign has a picture of a toe (と) on it. This toe looks eerily like a toe your Ma (ま) has too… and your Ma always taught you to stop and look both ways before crossing her toes.

Question 111

出す

Answer 111

To take out
Kanji: 出 exit + 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 “exit” and this is kind of a verb form of this. The word means to take out or to hand out, so it’s like you’re doing the action of causing something else to exit (rather than exiting yourself).
In other words, this verb is transitive, like most verbs ending in す. You can remember this because the hiragana す is like the word “sue.” You’re taking out way too much of something, and someone’s going to sue (す) you for it.
Reading: だす
The part of the word that you have to learn how to read is the だ portion. Remember how someone was going to sue you for trying to take out way too much? Well, that someone is your Dad (だ)! Your own Dad is going to sue you if you keep taking out way too much stuff, so you better stop!

Question 112

考える

Answer 112

To think about
Kanji: 考 think + え + 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 think, so the verb version is to think about or to consider.
Note that this isn’t the “to think” that is like “I think that he is a power ranger.” No, this is more like the actual thinking action. That’s why this word is “to think about” or “to consider” rather than plain old “to think” which is 思う.
Reading: かんがえる
If you want to think, the best way to do so is to do the conga (かんが). Imagine yourself doing the conga and thinking away. You’re so inspired! The thoughts are flowing as freely as your sweet, slow dance moves.

Question 113

分かる

Answer 113

To understand
Kanji: 分 part + か + る
This word means to understand, which might surprise you if you remember that the kanji 分 means part. Think of it this way: to understand something you have to break it down into its parts to see how it works.
Watch out, though, because whereas in English you understand something, in Japanese the thing you understand is the grammatical subject (it’s doing the action). So, a more literal meaning for this is to be understandable. In other words, there’s no object, and 分かる is intransitive, meaning it happens on its own. The かる ending is a hint, because verbs with かる as okurigana (kana added to the kanji) are usually intransitive.
Reading: わかる
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:
You scream “WAHHHHHH” (わ) in terror and “CAAAR!!!” (か) as you careen down the freeway. Your dad is driving like a maniac and almost hit another car! “WAAH CAAAR!!!” (わか) you scream again. If only he understood your terror!

Question 114

行き

Answer 114

Train direction
Kanji: 行 go + き
This is a weird word. Call it exceptional. You’ll see this at train stations, especially. You know the kanji means go. So, something is going somewhere. Now just use the き to help you to remember that this word means train direction (aka it tells you which direction a train is going), because this word is the key (き) to you knowing what direction you’re going in so you don’t get lost. You could also remember this word as “bound for” aka “Bound for Tokyo Station.”
Readings: ゆき, いき
The reading is also an exception. It can be いき, but instead we’re focusing on the ゆき reading. You have to remember the ゆ portion, so think of it this way:
Just think about the train direction that you (ゆ) need to go in. It’s all about you. Not your friends or anyone else. You. You are the most important person at this train station.

Question 115

走行

Answer 115

Traveling
Kanji: 走 run + 行 go
A vehicle that run-goes is running and it’s moving you somewhere else. You’re traveling!
This word is typically used to describe the movement of vehicles such as cars and trains. It carries a slightly formal or rigid tone, so keep an eye on our context sentences to make sure you’re using it right!
Reading: そうこう
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 116

三角

Answer 116

Triangle
Kanji: 三 three + 角 angle
When you have something with three angles, what shape is that? It’s a triangle.
Reading: さんかく
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 117

大学

Answer 117

University
Kanji: 大 big + 学 study
What’s the big study? If I had to choose, I’d probably say this is college or university.
Reading: だいがく
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:
Your university is best known for its dye gawking (だいがく). It’s a sport in which you gawk at dye, and your university is the best at it! Other universities might be known for their football or basketball teams, but yours is the best at dye gawking.

Question 118

今まで

Answer 118

Until now
Kanji: 今 now + ま + で
You know that 今 means now. What you probably don’t know is that まで means “until.” So, this word means until now.
Reading: いままで
The reading for this word is the kun’yomi reading which you learned previously when you learned the vocab word 今. You can tell this is a kun’yomi reading because it has hiragana attached. So if you know that, you should be able to read this word as well.

Question 119

谷

Answer 119

Valley
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: たに
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun’yomi reading. This happens to be the reading you learned with the kanji, too, so don’t feel like you’re stuck in a valley of despair or anything. Rejoice!

Question 120

色々

Answer 120

Various
Kanji: 色 color + 々repeater
This is the kanji color repeated twice (the 々 character just repeats the kanji before it). When you have colors and colors and colors, you have a lot of variety. That’s why this word means various.
Reading: いろいろ
The reading for this kanji is just the kun’yomi reading twice. Since you’ve learned the kun’yomi reading already, you should be able to read this word as well. Nothing tricky about it.

Question 121

声

Answer 121

Voice
Kanji: 声 voice
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: こえ
The reading for this word is the same as the one you learned with the kanji making it easy to remember!

Question 122

西

Answer 122

West
Kanji: 西 west
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: にし
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:
You go off to the west. It’s the Wild West, even. There aren’t many people out here, making it easy to find a niche (にし) for your snake oil business.

Question 123

何

Answer 123

What
Kanji: 何 what
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Readings: なに, なん
The reading for this word is the same as the reading you learned with the kanji. What? Yeah, that’s what.

Question 124

何月

Answer 124

What month
Kanji: 何 what + 月 moon
You have what month - as in: what month is it? It’s １0月, you fool. Get a job, hippy.
Reading: なんがつ
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 月 has two on’yomi readings, here’s a mnemonic to help you remember this reading:
What month gives you naan guts (なんがつ)? It’s the month you eat so much naan that even your guts turn into naan! But which month was it again?

Question 125

何年

Answer 125

What year
Kanji: 何 what + 年 year
You have the kanji what and year, as in: “what year is it?”
This also means how many years too, depending on the context. As in: “How many years did you play soccer?”
Reading: なんねん
The readings are both the readings you learned with the separate kanji, meaning you should know them. How many years have you been studying kanji now? You should be able to read this one.

Question 126

麦

Answer 126

Wheat
Kanji: 麦 wheat
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: むぎ
Since this word is made up of a single kanji that uses the kun’yomi reading which is the reading you learned with the kanji.

Question 127

一生

Answer 127

Whole life
Kanji: 一 one + 生 life
One life is all you get. It’s your whole life. This can also mean all through life, and when it’s used as an adjective it means lifelong.
Reading: いっしょう
This is a jukugo word that uses the on’yomi readings of the kanji. You didn’t learn this reading for 生 though, so here’s a mnemonic to help you:
Who has been in charge of you your whole life? The shogun (しょう). He owns everyone and that’s how it will stay for your entire life.

Question 128

社内

Answer 128

Within the company
Kanji: 社 company + 内 inside
When you’re doing something inside the company you’re doing it within the company or in-house. For example, we do our kanji in-house. It gives it that artisan flavor.
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 129

毛糸

Answer 129

Wool yarn
Kanji: 毛 fur + 糸 thread
When you have fur string (aka string made of fur) what do you think of? Hopefully wool yarn.
Reading: けいと
The readings for these kanji are the kun’yomi readings. With 毛 you should have learned this reading via the vocab word in the previous level. With 糸 it’s actually the main reading for the kanji, so you should already know it.

Question 130

あなた

Answer 130

You (yeah, you!)
Kanji: No kanji (good for you!)
“A gnat, ah! (あなた). I’m going to get you! Yes YOU,” you shout as you swat at that pesky gnat buzzing around your head.
あなた is a lot less common than “you” in English, but you’ll come across it in adverts, online forums, and textbooks, where it’s used to address a general, anonymous audience. Some people also use it with their significant other, in which case it sounds intimate, like “darling”. In casual conversations, though, it can come off as standoffish, so it’s better to use someone’s name or social title (like “teacher”) instead.
Reading: あなた

Question 131

弟

Answer 131

Younger brother
Kanji: 弟 younger brother
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
Reading: おとうと
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 look at your younger brother. He’s a scheming one. He’s smiling up at you. Why? Because he’s lit a firecracker on your foot. It explodes, sending your toe flying. You yell “OH. Toe? TOE!” (おとうと) as you realize what’s going on.

Question 132

青年

Answer 132

Youth
Kanji: 青 blue + 年 year
Someone who is in their young years is a youth, or young man.
Reading: せいねん
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 133

男の子

Answer 133

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.

Question 134

青い

Answer 134

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).

Question 135

生まれ

Answer 135

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!

Question 136

今すぐ

Answer 136

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.