Kanji and kana
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Kanji and kana · Page 2
Kanji for Heart: 心 (Kokoro, Shin), Readings, Words and Uses
The Japanese kanji for heart is 心, read kokoro on its own and shin in most compounds. It means the heart as the seat of feelings, the mind and the spirit; the physical organ that beats in your chest is a different word, 心臓 (shinzō).
10 min readKanji for Happiness: 幸, 福 and 喜, and Which One to Use
The most common Japanese kanji for happiness is 幸, read shiawase in 幸せ, happiness or happy. Two close relatives complete the picture: 福 (fuku) means good fortune and blessings, and 喜 (yorokobi) means joy, the bright feeling of a happy moment.
9 min readKanji for Smile: 笑 in 笑顔, 微笑み and 笑う Explained
The Japanese kanji for smile is 笑, which means both to smile and to laugh. A smiling face is 笑顔 (egao), a soft, quiet smile is 微笑み (hohoemi), and the verb 笑う (warau) covers everything from a grin to a belly laugh.
9 min readKanji for Tears: 涙 (Namida), and 泣く vs 鳴く for Crying
The Japanese kanji for tears is 涙, read namida. To cry is 泣く (naku) when people do it, while 鳴く, pronounced the same, is for animals: birds sing, cats meow and insects chirp with 鳴く.
9 min readKanji for Life: 命 vs 生, and Words Like 人生 and 生活
Japanese has two main kanji for life. 命 (inochi) is life itself, the precious life inside a person or animal, while 生 (sei, ikiru) is about living, being born and growing. Life as a journey is 人生 (jinsei), and everyday life is 生活 (seikatsu).
9 min readKanji for Fate: 運命, 宿命 and 縁 (Go-en) in Japanese
The usual Japanese word for fate is 運命 (unmei), destiny, the course your life is carried along. 宿命 (shukumei) is a heavier fate you cannot escape, and 縁 (en, often ご縁, goen) is a fated bond or connection between people.
10 min readKanji for Eternity: 永遠, 永久 and the Kanji 永 and 久
The Japanese word for eternity is 永遠 (eien), written with 永 (long-lasting) and 遠 (far). 永久 (eikyū) also means forever, but it sounds more technical, as in permanent teeth or permanent storage. In everyday speech, people more often say ずっと or いつまでも.
9 min readKanji for Beauty: 美 in 美しい, 美人 and Even 美味しい
The Japanese kanji for beauty is 美, read bi in compounds and utsukushii in the adjective 美しい, beautiful. It appears in 美人 (a beautiful woman), 美術館 (an art museum) and even 美味しい (delicious), where it was chosen for its meaning of something fine.
9 min readKanji for Fire: 火 vs 炎, Readings, Everyday Words and Tattoos
The kanji for fire in Japanese is 火, read hi on its own and ka in most compound words, as in 火事 (kaji, a fire) and 火山 (kazan, volcano). For a flame or a blaze, Japanese uses 炎 (honoo, en), which is simply two 火 stacked on top of each other.
13 min readKanji for Water: 水, Its Readings, Words and the 氵 Radical
The kanji for water in Japanese is 水, read mizu on its own and sui in most compounds, as in 水曜日 (suiyōbi, Wednesday) and 水泳 (suiei, swimming). On the left side of other kanji, water shrinks into three drops, 氵, the radical you see in 海 (sea), 泳 (swim) and 洗 (wash).
11 min readKanji for Moon: 月, Its Readings, Months and Moon-Viewing Words
The kanji for moon in Japanese is 月, read tsuki when it means the moon itself. The same kanji also means month, and then it is read gatsu in month names such as 一月 (ichigatsu, January) or getsu in words such as 今月 (kongetsu, this month) and 月曜日 (getsuyōbi, Monday).
11 min readKanji for Star: 星, Its Readings, Star Words and Star Signs
The kanji for star in Japanese is 星, read hoshi on its own and sei in most compounds, as in 星座 (seiza, constellation or star sign) and 火星 (kasei, Mars). After another word, hoshi often becomes boshi, as in 流れ星 (nagareboshi, shooting star).
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