Jōyō KanjiOrganized by Onyomi reading

kanji

Meaning

Flat

Reading

Parts

干Dry 丷Divide

Example Word

平日: weekday. The Japanese noun '平日 (へいじつ)' refers to a 'weekday', specifically the days from Monday to Friday when most people work or attend school. It excludes weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays. This term is commonly used in contexts related to schedules, routines, and business operations. For example: I work on weekdays「平日は仕事です」(へいじつはしごとです). The library is open on weekdays「図書館は平日に開いています」(としょかんはへいじつにあいています). Note that '平日' is often contrasted with '休日 (きゅうじつ)', which means 'holiday' or 'day off'.

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

111

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Illness

Reading

Parts

丙Third, Third class 疒Sick

Example Word

病室: hospital room. The Japanese noun '病室 (びょうしつ)' refers to a 'hospital room' or 'sickroom'. It is used to describe a room in a hospital where patients stay for treatment or recovery. This word is commonly used in medical contexts or when discussing healthcare facilities. For example: The hospital room is quiet「病室は静かです」(びょうしつはしずかです). She is resting in her hospital room「彼女は病室で休んでいます」(かのじょはびょうしつでやすんでいます). The term emphasizes the specific function of the room as a space for medical care.

Radical

疒

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

249

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Depict, Draw

Reading

Parts

扌Hand (手)苗Seedling

Example Word

描く: draw. The Japanese verb '描く (えがく)' primarily means 'to draw' or 'to depict'. It is used when referring to creating a visual representation, such as drawing a picture or painting. It can also be used metaphorically to describe depicting or portraying something in words or imagination. For example: She drew a beautiful landscape「彼女は美しい風景を描いた」(かのじょはうつくしいふうけいをえがいた). He depicted the future in his novel「彼は小説で未来を描いた」(かれはしょうせつでみらいをえがいた). Note that this verb is often used in both literal and figurative contexts, making it versatile in Japanese.

Radical

手

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

713

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Cat

Reading

Parts

犭 苗Seedling

Example Word

猫: cat. The Japanese noun '猫 (ねこ)' means 'cat'. This word refers to the domestic feline animal, commonly kept as a pet. It can be used in various contexts, such as describing a pet, talking about cats in general, or even in idiomatic expressions. For example: I have a cat「猫を飼っています」(ねこをかっています). The cat is sleeping「猫が寝ている」(ねこがねている). Cats are cute「猫はかわいい」(ねこはかわいい). The word '猫' is straightforward and widely used in everyday conversation.

Radical

犬

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

1031

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Seedling

Reading

Parts

艹Grass 田Rice field

Radical

艸

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

1807

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Second

Reading

Parts

禾Cereal 少Few

Example Word

秒: second. The Japanese suffix '秒 (びょう)' means 'second' and is used as a unit of time. It is commonly attached to numbers to indicate a specific number of seconds. For example: 10 seconds「10秒」(じゅうびょう). It can also be used in expressions like 'a few seconds'「数秒」(すうびょう). This suffix is essential for discussing time durations in Japanese, whether in everyday conversation or technical contexts. Note that '秒' is always used as a suffix and never stands alone as a word.

Radical

禾

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

1870

Handwriting