Level 13-1 Flashcards
像
Statue
image
On’Yomi:
ぞう
Kun’Yomi:
ぞう
Meaning Mnemonic
A good leader has no excuse to pig out on a ton of food before someone comes to paint his or her image and then make a statue from it. If you do that, you won’t look good for the image / statue that’s being made of you, so no pigging out and no excuses, okay leader?
Additional Info:
Imagine the pigging out on a statue sized amount of food. That’s a lot to eat. Now the leader is disgustingly full and the image / statue made of him/her isn’t very representative.
Reading Mnemonic
What’s even worse is that the image and statue are so big that they have to create new zoning laws to cope with the sheer size of them.
Additional Info:
You are the zoning inspector. You are the one who created these zones, much to your embarrassment.
問
Problem
N/A
On’Yomi:
もん
Kun’Yomi:
と.う
Meaning Mnemonic
If you run into a gate mouth first, you’re going to have a problem. Smashing your mouth into a gate is going to hurt. A lot. The problem you’re now in is one of getting to a hospital and having your mouth sewn back on.
Additional Info:
Imagine having your mouth bashed into a gate. It’s going to hurt. Imagine how painful this would be and how problematic it is.
Reading Mnemonic
The reason you ran mouth first into this gate was because you were being chased by a monster (もん). A monster in and of itself is a big enough problem as is, let alone smashing your mouth into a gate. You poor, hapless soul.
Additional Info:
Monsters are scary. Maybe you’ve had a dream where you were being chased by one. Remember how scary that is when you see this kanji.
士
Samurai
N/A
On’Yomi:
し
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The samurai radical and the samurai kanji are exactly the same! Tubular!
Additional Info:
Reading Mnemonic
Do you know who is an awesome samurai? Charlie Sheen (し). What? You didn’t know that Charlie Sheen is a samurai? Well he is. Trust me.
Additional Info:
Charlie Sheen wins at everything. But one thing he wins at the most is at being a samurai. Next time you see a samurai, just think of Charlie Sheen. Winning!
想
Concept
N/A
On’Yomi:
そう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
If you don’t understand a painting of a tree with an eye holding a heart, you’re not really getting the concept. The eye sees the world as it is, the tree grows strong and stable, and holds the heart of mankind. It’s a pretty simple concept, you just don’t get art very well.
Additional Info:
Conceptualize this painting in your mind. Imagine the tree with its eye, holding a heart. Try and imagine what concept the artist was going for.
Reading Mnemonic
Upon further inspection you realize that the artist used a needle and thread to sew (そう) his signature into the painting. What an interesting concept – using thread to sew your signature into a painting.
Additional Info:
Have you ever seen someone sew their name into a work of art? I haven’t. Imagine what a novel concept this is. Imagine yourself threading a needle and sewing your name into a canvas.
料
Fee
material
On’Yomi:
りょう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
If you don’t eat your rice with chopsticks, you will be charged a fee. Yes, there is a fee for not using chopsticks to eat rice. The fee is very strictly enforced in Japan, so be sure to eat your rice with chopsticks if you don’t want to be charged a fee.
Additional Info:
Imagine having to pay a fee for not using chopsticks to eat rice. You’d use chopsticks all the time, wouldn’t you? Picture yourself using chopsticks to eat the rice to avoid paying a fee.
Reading Mnemonic
You’ll also be charged a fee if you try and use chopsticks as paddles in a row (りょう) boat. Chopsticks are for eating rice, not rowing a row boat. Geez.
Additional Info:
Imagine how silly it would be trying to use chopsticks to row a boat. You wouldn’t get anywhere. You’d be old and dead by the time you got anywhere rowing with chopsticks. Picture yourself fruitlessly trying to row a boat with a pair of chopsticks.
暗
Dark
N/A
On’Yomi:
あん
Kun’Yomi:
くら.い
Meaning Mnemonic
If you yourself are a sun, and you stand next to another sun, no area around you will be dark. The two suns are very bright and standing right next to each other, so all the area will be lit up and nothing will be dark.
Additional Info:
Think of how bright the sun is. Now multiply that by two. Suns are especially bright right after you come out of a dark area. Imagine yourself looking at these suns and feeling the pain as your eyes are blinded by the bright light.
Reading Mnemonic
Since the sun has blinded you, your vision is now very dark. You can’t see anything, but you are hungry so you reach around for some food and eat it. Yuck! It’s anchovies (あん). You don’t even like anchovies, how did they get in your house?
Additional Info:
Picture yourself eating anchovies. The anchovies taste particularly fishy and salty. Taste the anchovies on your tongue as you eat them in darkness.
様
Formal Name Title
formal name ender, manner
On’Yomi:
よう
Kun’Yomi:
さま
Meaning Mnemonic
A sheep in the water by a tree has the formal name title of Sir Wilburt Coddington III. When he’s not in his castle, Sir Wilburt Coddington III enjoys playing in water and by trees. He’s a royal sheep.
This can also mean manner, as in “manner” of doing things. Someone who has a formal name title has a different manner of doing things.
Additional Info:
Picture how Sir Wilburt Coddington III obtained his formal name title. He must have done some pretty amazing things, even for a sheep. Just imagine the feats he must have accomplished.
Reading Mnemonic
This sheep with the formal name title of Sir Wilburt Coddington III only likes to play outside in the water during the summer (さま). Summer is the best season for this fancy sheep. The other seasons just can’t compare.
Additional Info:
Imagine playing in the water in the summer. It’s crazy hot outside in the summer, so going in the water feels nice. Imagine the coolness of the refreshing water around your body.
標
Signpost
N/A
On’Yomi:
ひょう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The tree has a west pointing jackhammer tied to it. You look closer, because this is an odd sight. Sure enough, there is a sign too. It points to the west and shows you where you’re going. It’s a signpost.
Additional Info:
Not the best signpost you’ve ever seen, but better than nothing at all, you suppose.
Reading Mnemonic
As you look at this weird signpost you notice a button. You press it because it will supposedly tell you where you’re going. Instead, it just yells out in a loud obnoxious voice: HEYO (ひょう)!!
Additional Info:
Press it a few more times and hear the sound in your head. Also spell it out in kana as you hear it as a nice little additional visual.
橋
Bridge
N/A
On’Yomi:
きょう
Kun’Yomi:
はし
Meaning Mnemonic
A tree from heaven with a mustache above his mouth valiantly crosses a bridge. This holy tree from heaven was sent down to earth to cross this very bridge. It is the tree’s angelic mission. Also the tree has a mouth and a mustache.
Additional Info:
Picture this majestic tree as it crosses the bridge. Its mustache is very distinguished. Hear its roots and branches swaying, creaking, and cracking in the wind.
Reading Mnemonic
This tree is Hashi (はし). Yes, Tofugu’s very own Hashi is secretly a heavenly tree. Hashi’s mission is to cross every bridge in the known world. Only then will his angelic mission be completed.
Additional Info:
Imagine Hashi with a mustache. Now imagine Hashi as a tree (with a mustache). He looks pretty awesome. Every time you see Hashi now, remember that he is a bridge crossing tree.
殺
Kill
N/A
On’Yomi:
さつ
Kun’Yomi:
ころ.す
Meaning Mnemonic
Ikea can make a treasure out of a tree by instructing its workers to kill the tree. Once the tree has been killed, the tree can then be used to create a treasure that Ikea will sell to fashionable young people.
Additional Info:
Imagine Ikea as a killer of trees. Hear the tree wood snap and splinter as the tree cries out to Ikea for mercy, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill meee~!”
Reading Mnemonic
After the kill, these trees are then made into Ikea chairs. You’re probably sitting in a chair right now. How long ago did you sats (さつ) down? Excuse me, did I say sats? I meant sit. My apologies. Sats isn’t a word! Please don’t kill me for my mistake!
Additional Info:
The English language is strange sometimes. We say sit and sat but not sats. Do you think sats should be a word? Think about it.
然
Nature
N/A
On’Yomi:
ぜん
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
The moon, a dog, and a fish tail are all things that can be found in nature. The moon in the sky, dogs in lots of homes, and fish tails on, you guessed it, fish. Nature is amazing!
Additional Info:
Imagine yourself out in nature looking up at the moon. It’s a beautiful sight and makes you think of how small you really are compared to everything else in nature.
Reading Mnemonic
While you are out in nature meditating on nature, you drift into a Zen (ぜん) trance. While in this Zen trance you become one with nature.
Additional Info:
Imagine you are a Zen practitioner and picture yourself in the Zen trance. Imagine yourself traveling through nature like a breeze. Visualize all the scenery you see.
皆
All
everyone, everything, everybody
On’Yomi:
かい
Kun’Yomi:
みな, みんな
Meaning Mnemonic
If you compare white to the other colors you’ll realize… white consists of all the colors in one. It contains all the colors in the spectrum in one color. It is the one color that is everything.
Additional Info:
Just look at the color white. Compare it to other colors. Now look at white again. Split it up into all the colors, creating a beautiful spectrum. Wow, it’s all the colors!
Reading Mnemonic
You decide white is the ultimate color. You decide you want to put it on all things to make everything white. “What a great idea,” your psychosis thinks. You try to put it on everything and you nearly succeed… except, the miners (みな). They keep getting dirty doing all their mining things. NOOO, your plan is ruined!
Additional Info:
Imagine everything covered in white. Everything in the world. Then, you see a dark splotch. It’s the miners, they’re all covered in coal, ruining all your ambitions. Walk up to them and see all the dirt on the perfectly white uniforms you gave them just a few minutes earlier. Feel enraged at them. How could they ruin all this white you made for all all the people of the world!?
緑
Green
N/A
On’Yomi:
りょく
Kun’Yomi:
みどり
Meaning Mnemonic
If you see a wolverine in the water playing with a piece of thread, there’s no doubt that it’s green. Wolverines love green thread. Almost as much as they love the water.
Additional Info:
Picture this wolverine playing with the green thread. It’s like a little kitten with yarn. That wolverine loves that green thread. Picture how cute it is as it plays with the thread and coos in happiness.
Reading Mnemonic
Midori (みどり) is a green colored melon liqueur with a sweet, fruity taste. This wolverine is too young to drink alcohol like Midori, so he just sticks to drinking water.
Additional Info:
If you’ve ever had Midori before, imagine that taste. It’s also green, so that’s an easy way to remember this kanji. If you haven’t had it, just picture the taste of melon and imagine that flavor on your tongue.
詩
Poem
N/A
On’Yomi:
し
Kun’Yomi:
し
Meaning Mnemonic
If you go to a temple and say a poem, all the gods will hear it. They live in the temple so they hear everything you say. Even poems.
Additional Info:
Saying prayers is like saying poems in a temple. Picture yourself saying these poems inside of a temple and hearing your voice reverberate off the ceiling of the temple creating a slight echo.
Reading Mnemonic
The god of this temple is the venerable Charlie Sheen (し). He only listens to your poem because it is about winning. Those are the only kinds of poems that the Sheen is interested in.
Additional Info:
Imagine reciting a poem to Charlie Sheen. You’d probably be nervous. Imagine how nervous you’d be reciting a poem in front of Charlie Sheen.
賞
Prize
N/A
On’Yomi:
しょう
Kun’Yomi:
None
Meaning Mnemonic
If a Viking shoots a clam in the mouth at a fair, the Viking will win a prize. The game is to shoot the clam in the mouth to knock it over, and that is how the prize is won.
Additional Info:
You’ve probably seen those fair games where you have to shoot something over to win a prize. Imagine yourself doing this and concentrating really hard on hitting the target. Don’t be distracted by all the fair noises you hear around you.
Reading Mnemonic
One of the biggest distractions from keeping your eyes on the prize here is the shogun (しょう) giving a speech right next to you. The shogun is prattling on about political and military nonsense and all you want to do is win your prize!
Additional Info:
Imagine what the shogun is saying. There are people clapping, cheering, and booing at him. It’s very hard to concentrate on winning that prize.
