Level 4 Kanji Flashcards
竹
Bamboo (たけ)
The bamboo radical and the bamboo kanji are exactly the same!
There’s a little bamboo shrub sitting there, holding onto a lollipop. Because you’re bigger than the bamboo shrub, you just take (たけ) it from the bamboo, causing it to cry.
車
Car (しゃ)
The radical car and the kanji car are exactly the same.
When we need to remember the reading しゃ, we use “shaman”.
There’s a car. It’s the nicest car you’ve ever seen. Exquisite, beautiful. Wouldn’t you be surprised to learn it belongs to a shaman (しゃ)? Well it does. This shaman charges a premium for his shaman services so he can afford fancy cars like this.
央
Center(おう)
If someone has a BIG HEAD you have to try to focus on the center of it when you talk to them.
This is the center of the 王’s (おう) head so you have to be extra careful not to look anywhere else.
写
Copy(しゃ)
The BEGGAR is pointing his FOREHEAD up at you, his feet trapped in the GROUND. What diabolical scheme are you planning with this poor beggar you trapped? Turns out, you’re planning to copy him to have your own version of him.
To remember the reading しゃ, we use the word “shaman”.
You finally decide on how you’re going to copy him. You hire a shaman (しゃ) and have the shaman perform a sacred shaman cloning ritual.
仕
Doing(し)
The leader SAMURAI didn’t become LEADER by sitting around not taking action. He got to where he is by doing.
He was doing things with sheep (し). He is the leader of the sheep clan, and he was able to do more with sheep than anyone else. That’s why he’s the leader.
耳
Ear(みみ)
The ear radical and ear kanji are the same in looks as well as meaning.
Put your hand to your ear and sing… “Mimimimimimiiiii!” (みみ) and listen to your tone with your ear.
早
Early(そう)
When the SUN is over the CROSS it’s time to go to church… which is so darn early. And if you want to get to church early, you need to be fast, otherwise, you’ll be too late.
To remember the そう reading we use the word “soul.”
When you’re forced to get up fast and early you can feel it in your soul (そう). You’re so tired and it’s so early, your soul cries out, “Please don’t make me go this fast this early. I’m gonna leave your body if you keep this up!”
気
Energy (き)
You’re looking for a TREASURE, but no normal treasure… a treasure that’s a stash of ENERGY. Not gold, money, or anything like that. Imagine yourself finding it, and opening up a treasure chest. Out bursts a spirit ball of energy like you’ve never seen.
As you reach inside the energy spirit, you feel something hard inside. It’s a large key (き) that gives you access to another treasure.
平
Flat(へい)
If you want to DRY your HORNS you need to lay them flat. If they aren’t flat they’ll always be a little damp somewhere and you’ll never have a moment’s peace.
Being flat isn’t enough, so you cover the whole thing in hay (へい). Hay absorbs water, so you add a flat layer of it.
花
Flower(はな)
A LEADER with a SPOON is planting FLOWERS so that one day this place may be full of beautiful flowers.
The leader can’t stop planting flowers though. He’s going crazy. Maybe it’s the pollen? He comes up to someone named Hannah (はな) and starts planting flowers in her face, probably killing her in the process.
足
Foot (そく)
The radical for foot and the kanji for foot are exactly the same.
That being said, there’s also another meaning you should keep in mind, which is sufficient. If you think about it, one foot should be sufficient enough to walk around with if you hop.
What do you wear on your foot? You wear a sock
(そく).
打
Hit(だ)
Take your FINGERS to the STREET to hit some people! Street fingers are for curling into a fist. And that street fist wants to do some hitting!
As you hit one chump after another, suddenly your dad (だ) comes marching out of your house. Uh oh. Dad caught you hitting, which, honestly, isn’t a very nice thing to do, so he has every right to stop you.
百
Hundred(ひゃく)
There is a LEAF growing out of the SUN! You fly out into space to check it out and when you get closer you see that it isn’t just one leaf, it’s a hundred! That makes sense, you wouldn’t be able to see just one leaf on the sun from where you were on earth.
You fly closer, counting all one hundred leaves when you hear a strange sound. You take off your space helmet and hear, “GUH HYUCK (ひゃく)!” You know that laugh… it’s Goofy! On top of the hundredth leaf is Goofy laughing and waving around. He must have built this leaf tower to get your attention.
氷
Ice(こおり)
You have WATER already… and it’s pretty cold. All it takes is one cold DROP of liquid nitrogen added to it to turn it into one big block of ice, just like that.
When you think of ice, I want you to think of someone frozen with ice. Do you know anyone named Corey
(こおり)? Anyone famous named Corey, perhaps Corey Feldman? Imagine this Corey person frozen solid with ice.
虫
Insect(むし)
The insect radical and insect are the same in looks as well as and meaning.
It’s an insect! Get it! You squish it with your foot - what sound does it make? A mush (むし) sound.
