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 3
Kanji for Wind: 風, Its Readings and 風 vs 風邪 (Cold)
The kanji for wind in Japanese is 風, read kaze on its own and fū in most compounds, as in 台風 (taifū, typhoon) and 扇風機 (senpūki, electric fan). A cold, the illness, is also pronounced kaze but written 風邪, so kaze o hiita means I caught a cold, not that you caught the wind.
10 min readKanji for Rain: 雨, Its Readings, Tsuyu and Everyday Rain Words
The kanji for rain in Japanese is 雨, read ame on its own, as in ame ga futte iru (it is raining). In compounds it can be ama, same or u: 雨傘 (amagasa, umbrella), 小雨 (kosame, light rain) and 雨天 (uten, rainy weather), and the rainy season 梅雨 has its own special reading, tsuyu.
11 min readKanji for Snow: 雪, Its Readings, Snow Words and Names
The kanji for snow in Japanese is 雪, read yuki on its own, as in yuki ga futte iru (it is snowing), and setsu in compounds such as 積雪 (sekisetsu, snow cover). Powder snow is 粉雪 (konayuki), a blizzard is 吹雪 (fubuki), and the first snow of the winter is 初雪 (hatsuyuki).
10 min readKanji for Sun: 日, 陽 or 太陽? Readings, Words and Names
The basic kanji for sun in Japanese is 日, read hi, which also means day. When you mean the sun in the sky as an object, the usual word is 太陽 (taiyō), and 陽 (yō) is a kanji for sunlight and brightness that is popular in names. So sunrise is 日の出 (hinode), Sunday is 日曜日 (nichiyōbi) and the sun itself is taiyō.
11 min readKanji for Light: 光, Its Readings, 光る and Why 観光 Means Travel
The kanji for light in Japanese is 光, read hikari as a noun, as in hikari ga mieru (I can see a light), and hikaru as a verb, to shine. In compounds it is read kō, as in 日光 (nikkō, sunlight) and, surprisingly, 観光 (kankō), sightseeing.
10 min readKanji for Cherry Blossom: 桜 vs さくら vs サクラ, and 花見
The kanji for cherry blossom in Japanese is 桜, read sakura, and the same word means both the tree and its flowers. Japanese also writes it in hiragana, さくら, for a softer feeling and in katakana, サクラ, in botany or for a hired fake customer. Viewing the blossoms is 花見 (hanami), and cherry-blossom pink is 桜色 (sakurairo).
10 min readKanji for Dragon: 竜 vs 龍, the Zodiac 辰 and Ryū vs Tatsu
The Japanese kanji for dragon is 竜, the standard modern form, or 龍, the older and more elaborate form. Both are read ryū or tatsu and mean the same thing. The zodiac Year of the Dragon is written with a third character, 辰, also read tatsu.
10 min readKanji for Wolf: 狼 (Ōkami), Lone Wolf 一匹狼 and Wolf Words
The Japanese kanji for wolf is 狼, read ōkami on its own and rō in compound words. It combines the animal radical 犭 with 良, which gives the sound. The best-known word with it is 一匹狼, ippiki ōkami, a lone wolf.
10 min readKanji for Tiger: 虎 (Tora), 虎の巻 and the Zodiac Tiger 寅
The Japanese kanji for tiger is 虎, read tora on its own and ko in compound words. The zodiac Year of the Tiger uses a different character, 寅, also read tora. A favourite tiger word is 虎の巻, tora no maki, a secret handbook or crib sheet.
10 min readKanji for Fox: 狐 (Kitsune), Kitsune Udon and Inari Foxes
The Japanese kanji for fox is 狐, read kitsune on its own and ko in a few compounds. It is made of the animal radical 犭 and 瓜, which gives the sound. You will meet the word most often on a menu, in きつねうどん, and at Inari shrines, where stone foxes guard the gates.
10 min readKanji for Cat: 猫 (Neko), 猫舌, 招き猫 and Everyday Cat Idioms
The Japanese kanji for cat is 猫, read neko on its own and byō in a few compounds. It combines the animal radical 犭 with 苗, which gives the sound. Cats appear in some of the most useful everyday idioms in Japanese, from 猫舌, a tongue that cannot take hot food, to 猫の手も借りたい, so busy you would borrow a cat's paws.
10 min readKanji for Dog: 犬 (Inu), 子犬, 忠犬 and 犬 vs 大 vs 太
The Japanese kanji for dog is 犬, read inu on its own and ken in compound words. It looks like 大, big, with an extra dot at the top right; put the dot inside at the bottom and you get 太, thick. The zodiac Year of the Dog uses a different character, 戌.
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