Level 3 Flashcards
牛
cow
ON:
ぎゅう
Have you ever heard of わぎゅう beef? That ぎゅう is this ぎゅう.
HINT
I hope you know what わぎゅう beef is, otherwise this will be a difficult one to learn.
切
cut
ON:
せつ
Because having seven swords for yourself is too much, you decide to take the swords and divide them up amongst pairs of people. You split them into pairs, and give sets (せつ) to everyone who needs them in the village.
HINT
Just make sure you think about how you need to give them away in sets, and not anything else. This is the most important thing to think about in your head as you’re trying to establish the mnemonic for your kanji reading memory. It’s gotta be sets.
分
part
ON:
ぶん, ふん
Now that you’ve cut the fish, it’s time to cut something else into parts. Next on your list is the buns (ぶん) which need to be split up amongst the people. If you’d like to learn the second reading, just think about how fun (ふん) it will be to do this task.
HINT
Think about the buns (ぶん) as absolutely delicious things you want to eat really bad. If you want to eat the buns, and you taste the buns in your imagination, you’ll surely remember that the reading for this kanji is ぶん as well.
友
friend
ON:
ゆう
“You (ゆう) are my friend, Narwhal prince,” you say. “Only you.”
HINT
To remember this reading, you’ll have to focus in on the ゆう part. It’s only you, narwhal friend. Nobody else.
万
ten thousand
ON:
まん, ばん
When you cut the leaf in half with your sword at ten thousand mph, it falls into the ocean. The ripples in the water attract ten thousand manatees (まん). They jump out of the water and swarm you, and you can feel their little manatee mouths all over you, tearing you apart.
HINT
Whenever we need to remember the reading まん we’ll use the word “manatee” - it’s better than something generic like “man.” Be sure to feel the manatees all over your body, chomping and biting you. The pain will help you to remember the reading. Keep thinking how you wish you hadn’t let the leaf fall in the ocean, because it’s what attracted them in the first place.
少
few
ON:
しょう
Why is there a little traffic jam on the slide? Because the shogun (しょう) is using the slide, causing everyone to stop and watch, even though there are people backed up behind him. How inconsiderate.
HINT
Imagine this in your head. A traffic jam on the slide, all because the shogun is using it. Picture some caution tape, orange cones, and Japanese secret service members all making sure no one gets close to the shogun while he slides.
兄
older brother
KUN:
あに
The strange thing about your older brother is that 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?
HINT
Be sure to be surprised to find out your older brother is actually the future Darth Vader. Now imagine your mouth-legs older brother wielding a light saber, coming at you… “Ani!!!” you yell… but it’s no good, because mouths don’t have ears.
公
public
ON:
こう
When we need to remember こう, we’ll think of こういち, the person who writes all these things. Hopefully I’m not too abstract in your mind - if I am, take a second to memorize my name, so that way you can memorize a lot of kanji that use the reading こう as well!
So, who’s the greediest member of the public knocking people out of the way, stealing fins from children and old ladies? Of course, that’s the horrible こういち. I’m so, so evil when it comes to getting my fins.
HINT
Make sure you make こういち appalling in your mind. How can someone even act like this? How can someone be so terrible? These questions should come to mind while you’re imagining me throwing babies to the side to get closer to the pile of fins.
内
inside
ON:
ない
You know this kanji means inside, so you can keep thinking about the person that’s inside you, running around. You finally discover him, and try to take him out, but before you can, he pulls out a knife (ない) and threatens to cut you if you do anything irrational.
HINT
Imagine him holding the knife out, threatening to stab your brain. You’re in a conundrum here. If you don’t take him out, you’re in trouble, but if you do try to take him out, he might stab you in the brain with his knife. Try to think a way around this situation, focusing mainly on his knife.
外
outside
ON:
がい
You go outside (you’re not supposed to be out there at night!) and you’re accosted by a couple of guys. Then, all of a sudden, Guy Fawkes jumps from the roof above you and takes them out, then starts running. “Guy Fawkes!” you yell after him!
HINT
If you don’t know Guy Fawkes, you should do a little reading up on him to make this mnemonic make sense. Also, Anonymous People wear a Guy Fawkes mask, if that helps any.
太
fat
ON:
たい
This poor fat guy has trouble with a lot of things. One of the things he has the most trouble with is tying a tie (たい).
HINT
Imagine him trying to tie the tie but he can’t lift his hands around to do it. You have to help him out. Another thing that might help you to remember this kanji’s reading is that it’s the same reading as 大 (or, one of the same readings). Similar kanji often have similar readings, which is a good thing to know when you have to guess (it’s true with this one, anyways!).
引
pull
KUN:
ひ
Amazingly, your spring propelled stick flies right into the heel of Achilles. You know what happens when he gets hit in the heel, don’t you?
HINT
Imagine him grabbing his heel, screaming like a little baby. That’s his weakness after all (that’s why they call it the Achilles Heel and not something else). He falls to the ground and slowly groans himself to death, all because of your little stick.
市
city
ON:
し
The city you are imagining has one main leader, though. You need to go see him. Since the leaders of this city have crosses on their heads, you know that you’ll probably find the mayor in a church. Sure enough, you’re right. It’s Charlie Sheen. He looks up, and beckons you.
HINT
You walk up to him. Now, request something of the Mayor, Charlie Sheen. What will you request? Come up with something silly and city-related.
台
machine
ON:
だい
Finally, you’re in luck. The police and emergency services have found you and saved you (feel the relief of that!). But, because you’re full of cars and microwave ovens, they can’t fit you in the ambulance (feel the disappointment at that). They do everything they can to get you out of there and back to the hospital but you’re too big. You just die (だい) right there while they try to shove you into various emergency vehicles.
HINT
Imagine the conversation the emergency people would have… “we can fit him in…” “If we don’t get him in, he’ll die!” “Well, I guess he’s going to die then…” Wait, they’re going to let me die???
止
stop
ON:
し
When we need to remember the sound し, we use the word “Charlie Sheen.” - When you think stop, do you also think “stop sign”? I hope you do. You’re coming up to a stop sign, and on top of it, standing straight up and down, you see Charlie Sheen, saluting the sky. Even before you come to a stop, Sheen starts yelling “STOPP! STOPPP!!” and jumps down onto the hood of your car, breaking the windshield in.
HINT
Make sure to feel the curiosity of someone standing like that on a stop sign. Then, feel the surprise when you figure out it’s a celebrity standing up there. Lastly, feel the fear as he jumps onto your car and busts your windshield. See his face on the glass, looking in on you, all crazy like.
