Kanji - Level 7 - Kanji

Question 1

辺

Answer 1

Area
Radicals: ⻌ scooter + 刀 sword
While riding your scooter, you take your sword and cut out an area on the ground. This whole place is your area now!
Reading: へん
As you look down at your area, you suddenly realize there is a hen (へん) pecking at the ground in there. “Um, excuse me, hen, I believe I said this is MY area?!” You try to kick it out, but it hops over your leg.

Question 2

付

Answer 2

Attach
Radicals: ｲ leader + 寸 measurement
You have to take the measurement of a leader. Imagine yourself measuring that leader’s height and then coming up short. This is not good, you think. Leaders need to be at least six feet tall. So, to make the leader tall enough, you attach another head to the top of the leader’s head.
Reading: つ
You have to remember the kun’yomi reading of this kanji, and the part you need to remember is つ. So, think of attaching something to something else. What would you need? You’d need two (つ) things to put together!

Question 3

札

Answer 3

Bill
Radicals: 木 tree +乚 umbrella
The tree has an umbrella, and it’s holding it over his head, which is strange, because trees normally like water… turns out, it’s not water falling on him, but dollar bills floating down.
Reading: さつ
The tree couldn’t take the body parts of his friends falling down on him, so he sat (さつ) down, and began crying uncontrollably.

Question 4

鳥

Answer 4

Bird
Radicals: 鳥 bird
The bird radical and the bird kanji are the same!
Reading: ちょう
Think of a run of the mill bird, whatever comes to mind for you first is fine. Then, your lovely bird swells. The shape of a face, then a hand, start stretching the bird apart until it explodes outward. Covered in blood and feathers is Mrs. Chou (ちょう).

Question 5

黒

Answer 5

Black
Radicals: 黒 black
The radical black and the kanji black are exactly the same.
Reading: こく
You’re in a completely black room. There’s no way out, and you can’t see. The room starts to fill with liquid. It gets in your mouth. You taste it. It’s Coke (こく)! Mm, tasty Coke.

Question 6

船

Answer 6

Boat
Radicals: 舟 boat + ハ fins + 口 mouth
Your boat has fins and a mouth! It’s still a boat though.
Reading: せん
This boat belongs to the centaurs (せん). That’s probably why you’ve never seen a boat like it before.

Question 7

必

Answer 7

Certain
Radicals: 心 heart +丿slide
The slide coming out of the patient’s heart is there because a mad scientist is testing to see if it’s a good way to drain the body of blood. The patient is alive now… but they are definitely slated for certain death.
Reading: ひつ
As the beeping heart thing starts to do one long continuous beeeeeeeeeeeeeep, the doctor puts his hands together and hits (ひつ) the dead patient over and over, attempting to bring him back.

Question 8

末

Answer 8

End
Radicals: 未 jet
This kanji uses a modified jet radical. The front area of the wing is wider than the middle area of the wing. This may seem counterintuitive, but by doing this they can fit so much more jet fuel. The jet zooms off and keeps going for a long, long time, until it reaches the end of the earth.
Reading: まつ
When you get to the end of the world, you land your jet and put out a few mats (まつ) to sit on so you can view the sights.

Question 9

氏

Answer 9

Family name
Kanji: 氏 clan
Your clan is where you get your name. But not your given name, your family name. That’s why people have names that mean “in a rice paddy” and “near the ferry crossing.” The location of your clan determined your surname! Hope your ancestors didn’t live on “Poo Lake” or something.
Reading: し
Don’t worry, I’ll tell you where your family name came from. Your family used to herd sheep (し). You read that right, your family was of the sheep clan because you took care of sheep all day.

Question 10

失

Answer 10

Fault
Radicals:丿slide + 夫 husband
That slide is your husband’s only fault. He loves that slide, more than you, and it’s the only thing you don’t like about him.
Reading: しつ
You try to come up with another fault of his so you can complain when you see a tiny shih tzu (しつ) trotting by. Oh no! Before you can call out, your husband has fallen off the slide and crushed the poor thing. You hear a sharp yelp and then nothing.

Question 11

魚

Answer 11

Fish
Radicals: 魚 fish
The radical fish and the kanji fish are exactly the same!
Reading: ぎょ
You catch a fish. As you pull it out of the water, it starts yelling and pointing: “GO!” (ぎょ). “GO GYO GYO GYO!” There’s a huge cruise ship coming right towards your little fishing boat. No wonder the fish was yelling GO at you.

Question 12

床

Answer 12

Floor
Radicals: 广 canopy + 木 tree
Under the canopy, you use a tree for your floor. It also becomes your bed, because hey, what is a floor but the original bed?
Readings: ゆか, とこ
It’s great having a floor or bed, but whenever you use it you say yucka (ゆか) because it just gets so dirty. That’s the one flaw of using a floor as a bed. In fact, it’s the dirtiest floor you’ve ever seen, because it’s covered in yucca (ゆか) leaves. You’re sleeping on a yucca floor. Ew!

Question 13

以

Answer 13

From
Radicals: L lion + 丶drop + 人 person
The lion drops a drop of saliva onto this person from above. The person is in a much worse place compared with where they were before, since they only just recently fell into this pit.
Reading: い
From above there is a loud caw, and a giant eagle (い) swoops down, forcing the lion to back off. The eagle grabs the person with its talons, bringing him into the air! But now he’s… in the air being carried by a giant eagle, compared with where he was before, is this really better?!

Question 14

組

Answer 14

Group
Radicals: 糸 thread + 且 top hat
Sew thread through your top hat and to the top hats of other people you know and you’ll turn into a group of top hat wearing people. You’re all connected by the thread now, so everyone will assume you’re a group, even if that’s all you guys have going for yourselves.
Reading: そ
This group decides to make soap (そ) together. You take off your top hats and use them as soap molds, mixing together all of your favorite smells and colors.

Question 15

家

Answer 15

House
Radicals: 宀 roof + 豕 pig
Under this roof is a pig. Your pig, because it’s your house! You keep your pig inside where it’s nice and warm. He’s a member of your family, so he deserves to live in your home too.
Readings: か, け
Also in your house, is your car (か). Your pig and your car are safe under your roof.

Question 16

欠

Answer 16

Lack
Radicals: 欠 lack
This kanji is the same as the radical it comes from. Lack becomes Lack!
Reading: けつ
To remember けつ, we use the word “ketsup.” It’s the perfect blend of ketchup and catsup!
You’re lacking something in your fridge. You look around, trying to find the ketsup (けつ) you lack. You can’t find it, because you lack it.

Question 17

未

Answer 17

Not yet
Kanji: 未 jet
You’re flying in a jet. Even though it’s one of the fastest things on earth, your child is sitting in the back asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” You have to keep responding. “Not yet! Not yet! NOT YET!”
Reading: み
What a selfish kid, right? Well, all he thinks about is “Me (み) me me me me me me me me me me.” Hate kids like that.

Question 18

紙

Answer 18

Paper
Radicals: 糸 thread + 氏 clan
The thread that ties you to your clan is paper. Your papers, that is.
Reading: かみ
You need this specific paper to prove that you aren’t a Commi (かみ), aka a Communist. Or that you are. It really depends on where you want to go and what decade this is.

Question 19

通

Answer 19

Pass through
Radicals: ⻌ scooter + マ mama + 用 task
There’s a scooter with your mama carrying a task she needs to get done. You see her pass through, hurrying by to get that task done.
Reading: つう
As you watch your mama pass through the house, she yells, “YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TASK TOO (つう)!” Too?! Oh no, now you have to do it too. Hurry up!

Question 20

民

Answer 20

Peoples
Radicals: 口 mouth + 氏 clan
The mouth clan are a group of people. They are the people of a nation.
Reading: みん
The mouth clan peoples are a nation of people who use their mouths to say mean (みん) things to other peoples.

Question 21

由

Answer 21

Reason
Radicals: 十 cross + 口 mouth
A giant cross with a mouth stands above you. “I am reason!” it says to you. It is the Cross of Reason.
Readings: ゆう, ゆ, ゆい
The reason that this Cross of Reason exists is to combat the youths (ゆう) of the world, who just bring chaos into everything.

Question 22

理

Answer 22

Reason
Radicals: 王 king + 里 village
The king’s village is the reason he’s king. Without the village there would be no reason to have a king in the first place.
Readings: り
You can’t have reason without re (り).

Question 23

校

Answer 23

School
Radicals: 木 tree + 亠 lid + 父 father
Next to the tree, a lid is put on your father. “Hello child,” he says. “This is your new school.”
Reading: こう
Your new school has other students too. They are all こういちs, though.

Question 24

雪

Answer 24

Snow
Radicals: 雨 rain + ヨ wolverine
The rain is hated so much by wolverines, so they always want to live in the snow.
Reading: ゆき
You ask the wolverine, “Why do you want this snow so bad?” He replies quickly: “Because the rain is yucky” (ゆき).

Question 25

強

Answer 25

Strong
Radicals: 弓 bow + ム private + 虫 insect
You have a private bow made of insects that’s extremely strong. Insect bodies are really durable, so they make for strong bows. You also have to be strong to use it, since it was made just for strong arms.
Reading: きょう
You had this strong bow made especially for you in きょうと. きょうと is famous for their strong bows, so if you ever want another, you know where to go.

Question 26

夏

Answer 26

Summer
Radicals: 丆 leaf + 目 eye + 夂 winter
The eye leaf grows only in the winter. Every other leaf, however, will do the opposite, which is to grow in the summer.
Reading: なつ
Now it’s summertime! What do you do during the summer? You just sit around with your favorite string tying knots (なつ) in it over and over again.

Question 27

高

Answer 27

Tall
Radicals: 亠 lid + 口 mouth + 冋 mustache
There’s a lid on your mouth and mustache, covering up all your talking holes. This is because you kept saying how tall and expensive you are.
Reading: こう
“I am taller and more expensive than you.”
You’re saying this because there are some こういちs in the room, and you want to make them feel inferior (you’re a こういち hater). You keep comparing your height to the こういちs in the room, and you keep checking price tags. Then you tell them you’re taller and more expensive than they are.

Question 28

教

Answer 28

Teach
Radicals: 孝 teacher + 夂 winter
A teacher in winter is happiest because they get to teach! The kids can’t go out and play because it’s too cold. They all have to come in and stay warm as the teacher teaches!
Reading: きょう
Teachers can teach the most about Japan in winter by going to きょうと. きょうと is where all the old temples and history of Japan is centered. And it’s really gorgeous when it snows.

Question 29

時

Answer 29

Time
Radicals: 日 sun + 寺 temple
The sun is used in a temple to tell time. They don’t have clocks or cell phones, they have sun dials and good old fashioned “looking up and seeing where the sun is right now.”
This also can mean o’ clock, as in “five o’clock” It’s used when measuring what time it is in Japanese.
Reading: じ
Time in a temple makes you think of Jesus (じ). Specifically, Jesus being able to perform time travel magic. He winks at you, goes back to the dinosaur ages, where he wrestles a T-rex. Then, he goes to WWII era and punches Hitler in the mouth.

Question 30

弱

Answer 30

Weak
Radicals: 弓 bow + 冫ice
You have two bows but they’re both covered in ice. This has made them very weak.
Reading: じゃく
You give up on your trip and bring the weak bows back to your car, but it’s stuck in the ice and snow. You decide to use the bows as a jack (じゃく) to try to get your car unstuck. Unfortunately, they’re just too weak and they break in half.

Question 31

週

Answer 31

Week
Radicals: ⻌ scooter + 周 circumference
Use a scooter to travel the circumference of the world and it will take you a full week. Seven whole days!
Reading: しゅう
If you want to scoot for a week, you’ll need shoes (しゅう). Good shoes too, not sandals or high heels or boots. Solid, high quality shoes, so you don’t fall off the scooter and hurt yourself.

Question 32

風

Answer 32

Wind
Radicals: 几 table +丿slide + 虫 insect
There is an insect sliding around under your table, being blown by the wind. You try to grab the insect but it keeps sliding past your hand because the wind is so strong. It’s going to start blowing you around under the table too!
Reading: ふう, ふ
The only way you can distract yourself from the wind and the insect sliding around under your table is by eating lots of food (ふう). That’s why you were at the table in the first place. It’s your dining room table and it’s dinner time!

Question 33

記

Answer 33

Write down
Radicals: 言 say + 己 oneself
What you say to oneself (yourself), you decide to write down. Whether this is in the form of a journal, diary, or blog, you feel the need to record these important thoughts in some way.
Reading: き
You need to protect what you write down and record for yourself with a key (き). These are your special thoughts and feelings, you don’t want anyone else to see! Lock them away with a key!

Question 34

黄

Answer 34

Yellow
Radicals: 黄 yellow
The radical yellow and the kanji yellow are exactly the same!
Reading: き
You’re in a room, surrounded completely by yellow. You can’t get out. Somewhere in the room is a yellow key (き) but you can’t find it, because everything looks the same. You crawl around trying to find this tiny thing so that you can escape.