Level 11-2 Flashcards
令
Orders
N/A
On’Yomi:
れい
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The orders radical and the orders kanji are exactly the same! Super!
Additional Info:
Reading Mnemonic
A bright ray (れい) of sunshine makes it easier to spot stamps on the ground. Following your orders, you use these rays of sun to find all the stamps on the ground and cover them with your hat.
Additional Info:
Imagine yourself on this hunt for exposed stamps on the ground. A ray of sunshine makes them easier to spot, but sun is also bright and the glare hurts your eyes. You have to squint a lot and the strain really pains your eyes. Lousy orders.
共
Together
N/A
On’Yomi:
きょう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The only card game fish can be decent at is blackjack because their fins can’t hold their cards together. In blackjack, they don’t have to touch the cards, they just have to hit or stay. Fish fins weren’t designed with holding cards together in mind.
Additional Info:
Imagine a fish trying to hold a hand of cards together. Impossible! Fish don’t have fingers. They can’t hold things! Imagine a fish trying to hold cards together and failing miserably.
Reading Mnemonic
Did you know that blackjack is the most popular card game amongst fish in Kyoto (きょう)? Well it is. Every year trillions of fish gather together in Kyoto to have the biggest blackjack tournament ever.
Additional Info:
Imagine a bunch of fish gathering together in Kyoto to participate in this blackjack tournament. With so many fish all together in one place, it probably smells pretty fishy. Imagine this strong stench of fish smell and ocean with all the fish gathered together in Kyoto.
命
Fate
N/A
On’Yomi:
めい
Kun’Yomi:
いのち
Meaning Mnemonic
Orders coming from your mouth will determine the fate of your men. You are a commanding officer and orders from your mouth are law. Your orders alone determine the ultimate fate of your soldiers.
Additional Info:
Pretend you are a high ranking officer and imagine yourself giving orders to your underlings. Imagine all the power and influence you have. It feels good.
Reading Mnemonic
You are the commanding officer on the Mayflower (めい). You give orders to colonize America. The orders spewing from your mouth hole determine the fate of the settlers and the fate of America and the fate of the world! You and the Mayflower have changed everything forever.
Additional Info:
Students of American history are very familiar with the Mayflower. Recall learning about it in school whenever you see this kanji. Or look it up on Wikipedia if you don’t know about it. The Mayflower is a big deal!
意
Idea
N/A
On’Yomi:
い
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The sound of your heart gives me an idea. The methodic thump thump thumping of a heart puts me in a trance that gives me great ideas. It’s a very inspirational sound, the sound of a heart is. It gives me an idea.
Alternatively, you could look at this kanji and see a “stand” radical and something that kind of (almost) looks like the kanji for “think.” When you stand up and think, you come up with your very own ideas!
Additional Info:
Put your hand over your heart, or on your wrist, or somewhere you can feel your pulse. Your heart is pumping blood through your body, hear the sound of your heart beat and try to picture and get an idea for how all the blood flows through your body.
Reading Mnemonic
The heart of an eagle (い) is very strong. The person who knew this probably came up with the idea to make the bald eagle a symbol of the United States. Eagles are always flying around and doing things, so their hearts are very strong.
Additional Info:
Picture the majestic animal that is the bald eagle. Imagine the sound of an eagle screeching as it zooms through the air, flapping its wings in the wind. It’s pretty impressive.
成
Become
N/A
On’Yomi:
せい
Kun’Yomi:
な.る
Meaning Mnemonic
A drunkard with a sword will never become a respected swordsman. Just because a drunkard possesses a sword, does not mean he’s a swordsman. There’s not even a good chance he’ll ever become one, either.
Additional Info:
Picture some drunkard, stumbling around in the streets. Now imagine him with a sword. The sword doesn’t make him become any less of a drunkard. It does, however, make him become much more likely to be arrested.
Reading Mnemonic
This drunkard is so drunk that he thinks he’s Hard Gay. He runs around the streets brandishing his sword shouting, “Sei (せい), sei, sei!” If he wasn’t likely to become arrested before, he sure is now.
Additional Info:
Imagine that same sword brandishing drunkard from before. Now imagine him running all about shouting, “Sei, sei, sei!” Hear his loud, slurred voice in your ears as you watch him bumble around drunkenly.
戦
War
battle
On’Yomi:
せん
Kun’Yomi:
たたか.*
Meaning Mnemonic
A witch doctor who is also a drunkard could be likely to start a war. If a witch doctor gets drunk, he might do some crazy witch doctor magic and inadvertently start a war between two factions. This drunkard witch doctor has no idea what he’s doing.
Additional Info:
Imagine what a witch doctor looks like. They’re usually viewed as being a bit eccentric and out there. Now imagine one that’s also a drunkard. This is a very annoying, bumbling and stumbling witch doctor.
Reading Mnemonic
The witch doctor, like the drunkard he is, uses his witch doctor magic and accidently conjures up a centaur (せん). This centaur then summons other centaurs, and they amass a whole army of centaurs which the centaur leader uses to start a war on humanity.
Additional Info:
Imagine this army of centaurs. Half man, half horse, all business. War business. They’re out to conquer the world and they’re thirsty for human blood. Centaurs are scary. Be afraid.
昔
Long Ago
long time ago
On’Yomi:
None
Kun’Yomi:
むかし
Meaning Mnemonic
You’ve been playing blackjack in the sun since long ago. This is the longest game of blackjack you’ve ever played and it feels like ages since you started. You’ve been sitting out in the sun playing blackjack since long, long ago.
Additional Info:
Imagine yourself playing a never-ending game of blackjack out in the hot sun. You’re sticky, sweaty, and tired. But all you can do is continue to play your game of blackjack. It’s miserable.
Reading Mnemonic
Once you finally finish the game, you walk to long walk back home, in the sun, barefoot, on a dirt road that hasn’t been renovated since long ago. Your feet are all sweaty from being out in the sun, and walking on this dirt road gives you muck ashi (むかし). Your ashi (feet) are all mucky and muddy from the combination of dirt and sweat. Your muck ashi are really gross, man.
Additional Info:
Imagine your muck ashi, all dirty and muddy from walking on that old road from long ago. Feel the muck between the toes of your ashi, squishing with every step. Hear the sound the mud makes as it slides between your sweaty mucky toes.
波
Wave
N/A
On’Yomi:
は
Kun’Yomi:
なみ
Meaning Mnemonic
A tsunami crashes into your skin like a wave of destruction. This mighty tsunami wave has struck the skin of your body and whisks you away with its powerful current.
Additional Info:
If you’ve ever been to the ocean or a large lake, you know what kind of forces even small waves can hit with. Now imagine the force with which a tsunami wave would strike you. You’d have the wind knocked out of you for sure. Imagine what this would feel like and picture it happening to you.
Reading Mnemonic
And to make matters even worse, along with that tsunami wave a hammerhead (は) shark comes at you as well. It’s being carried along by the force of the wave and the hammerhead takes a bite out of your skin! Worst. Day. Ever.
Additional Info:
I surely hope you’ve not been attacked by a hammerhead shark before, but I’d like you to try and imagine what it would feel like to get bit by a shark as large as a hammerhead. Imagine its teeth digging into your skin and ripping the flesh clean from the bone. Not a very comfortable thing to imagine, but use the uncomfortability to remember this kanji.
特
Special
N/A
On’Yomi:
とく
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
A sacred cow inside a temple is a special thing. This cow is very important to the temple and has a special place in the heart of every temple worshipper. This cow is special indeed.
Additional Info:
Picture this special cow inside of a temple with people showing their adoration for it. Hear the people singing their praise while the special cow just goes, “Mooo~ mooo~,” its moos reverberating off the temple walls.
Reading Mnemonic
Then, out of nowhere, the special cow begins to talk (とく)! What? A talking cow in the temple? This is the most special day in the history of ever! Animals can’t talk! How did this special cow gain the ability to talk?
Additional Info:
Now picture this special cow inside of the temple giving a sermon. The cow is dressed in special sacred vestments as it preaches to the parishioners. Listen to the cow talk as it spreads the good word. Who knew cows could talk?
神
God
N/A
On’Yomi:
しん
Kun’Yomi:
かみ
Meaning Mnemonic
A pelican can say humbly the word of God. This pelican was religiously educated in a school with superb manners, but he’s never forgotten his place in this world. As such, this pelican is able to say humbly to everyone the good works and glory of God.
Additional Info:
Picture this pelican in religious vestments spreading the word of God. He is very proper, but speaking very humbly. Perhaps he has a British accent. And a monocle.
Reading Mnemonic
Even though the pelican is speaking humbly, he manages to anger a passerby. This passerby runs up to the pelican and breaks both of his shins (しん) with a baseball bat. “Oh, God!” the pelican cries, taking God’s name in vain. “My shins! You’ve broken them! Blimey!”
Additional Info:
Picture this scene in your mind. A crazed onlooker running up to this humble pelican and breaking his shins with a baseball bat. The pelican is screaming and squawking in pain as both of its shins are broken.
秒
Second
N/A
On’Yomi:
びょう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
It takes a pine tree just a few seconds to fall to the ground. After being chopped down, the pine falls to the ground very quickly. It only takes a few seconds for it to fall.
Additional Info:
Pretend you are the one responsible for felling this tree. You just chopped the last chop and the tree is falling to the ground. It only takes a few seconds but you head the pine cracking and snapping as it falls to the ground, and once it does you get a strong whoosh of wind blown into your face smelling strongly of pine.
Reading Mnemonic
It was hard work chopping down this pine, and once you get a second to rest, you realize that you smell pretty bad. Uh-oh, looks like you’ve got a bad case of B.O. (びょう). Chopping down the pine was a hard task, and you got all sweaty. Therefore, you hop inside for a quick second for some deodorant to take care of that rank B.O. smell.
Additional Info:
Remember how sweaty and gross you can get after a physically demanding task – you probably don’t smell like roses and rainbows afterwards. Imagine that smelly smell of B.O. wafting up into your nostrils after a hard day’s work.
競
Compete
N/A
On’Yomi:
きょう
Kun’Yomi:
きそ.*
Meaning Mnemonic
Standing next to your older brother it’s so hard not to compete with him on everything (he’s your older brother, after all).
Additional Info:
I don’t know if you have an older brother, but imagine that you do. Now imagine that they’re always being praised for everything and you aren’t It feels bad, you want to be recognized too. You’re not only standing next to him, you’re standing in his shadow too.
Reading Mnemonic
One thing you think you might be able to compete with your older brother in is a foot race. As such, you challenge him in a race to Kyoto (きょう). You’ve competed in races before, and you’re pretty fast. Maybe even faster than your older brother. So you decide to race him to Kyoto. Kyoto is pretty far away, but that just makes the race more exciting.
Additional Info:
Picture how far Kyoto is away from your current location. It’s probably pretty far. Imagine yourself competing against your older brother in a race to Kyoto. It’s a long way away and you’re gonna get really tired running there. Picture how tired and exhausted this competition will make you.
級
Rank
grade, level
On’Yomi:
きゅう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
A thread running up a set of escalator can help keep soldiers in rank and file. These soldiers have trouble walking in a straight line, so the thread is there to guide them along in a straight line. The stairs are escalator because there are so many soldiers and they weigh a lot. You can also think of this kanji as grade, essentially the same thing as rank (will come up sometimes in vocab, so good to be familiar with this meaning, at least).
Additional Info:
Picture if these soldiers were marching rank and file in a building you were in. You can hear the clomp of their boots in unison on the escalator and each step they take causes the whole building to shake. Feel the rumble of the building as you hear them marching rank and file up the escalator.
Reading Mnemonic
The reason they are marching rank and file up the escalator is to reach the top of the building where a cute (きゅう) rabbit has been stranded. The thread running up the escalator will lead them right to the cute rabbit’s location. They must hurry for the cute rabbit’s life is in danger!
Additional Info:
Picture yourself saving this cute rabbit from certain doom. Rabbits are cute and cuddly and very fuzzy. Feel the soft fur of this cute rabbit ad you hold it in your arms and pet it.
育
Nurture
raise
On’Yomi:
いく
Kun’Yomi:
そだ
Meaning Mnemonic
The boob of Mother Moon nurtures and nourishes its young. A mother’s boob provides milk for its children, and Mother Moon is no different. Mother Moon nurtures all of her children.
Alternatively you can remember this kanji to mean raise (as in “to raise” a child). This is similar to nurture, of course, too, so remembering this shouldn’t be too bad.
Additional Info:
Imagine what the moon would look like if it had boobs. It’d be a pretty wacky sight, don’t you think? Next time you see the moon in the night sky, imagine it with boobs.
Reading Mnemonic
People would be so amazed at this moon’s boobs and its ability to nurture that they’d write many a haiku (いく) about it. These haikus would be great. Mother moon has boobs / They nurture all of mankind / This is a haiku.
Additional Info:
Use this awesome haiku I wrote to help you remember this kanji. It’s so artistically moving, I don’t know how anyone could forget this haiku.
良
Good
N/A
On’Yomi:
りょう
Kun’Yomi:
よ
Meaning Mnemonic
A good drop of water sure tastes good. Especially on a hot summer’s day. Good water isn’t always easy to come by, and when you’re thirsty, a good drop of water really does taste very good. So good, you find yourself wanting drop after drop of it.
Additional Info:
Imagine you’re dehydrated. All you want is a good number of water drops to drink. Picture how refreshing drinking these many drops of good water would be.
Reading Mnemonic
A good way to pass the time until you finally get some water is by playing with a yo-yo (よ). You can spin it up and down, walk the dog, and do all other sorts of crazy tricks with this yo-yo. Before you know it, you’ll have drop after drop of refreshment. Playing with a yo-yo sure does make the time fly!
Additional Info:
See yourself playing with this good yo-yo out in the desert. You’re still super thirsty, but having this yo-yo to play with makes it all a bit more bearable.
