字Jōyō KanjiOrganized by Radical

kanji

Meaning

Year

Reading

Parts

厂Cliff 午Noon

Example Word

年: year. The Japanese noun '年 (とし)' primarily means 'year'. It refers to a period of 12 months or the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. This word is commonly used in various contexts, such as discussing age, calendar years, or durations. For example: I am 20 years old「私は20歳です」(わたしははたちです). This year is 2023「今年は2023年です」(ことしはにせんにじゅうさんねんです). It's important to note that '年' can also be used in compound words, such as '去年 (きょねん)' (last year) or '来年 (らいねん)' (next year).

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

37

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Flat

Reading

Parts

干Dry 丷Divide

Example Word

平仮名: hiragana. The Japanese noun '平仮名 (ひらがな)' refers to the hiragana script, one of the three main writing systems used in Japanese. Hiragana is a phonetic script consisting of 46 basic characters, each representing a specific syllable. It is primarily used for native Japanese words, grammatical elements, and words without kanji. Example sentences: I am learning hiragana「私は平仮名を勉強しています」(わたしはひらがなをべんきょうしています). This word is written in hiragana「この言葉は平仮名で書かれています」(このことばはひらがなでかかれています).

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

111

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Happiness

Reading

Parts

土Soil 𢆉Sheep (羊)

Example Word

不幸: misfortune or unhappiness. The Japanese adjectival noun '不幸 (ふこう)' can mean both 'unhappiness' and 'misfortune'. It is used to describe a state of being unhappy or experiencing bad luck. This word is often used in contexts involving personal suffering, tragic events, or unfortunate circumstances. For example: She felt deep unhappiness「彼女は深い不幸を感じた」(かのじょはふかいふこうをかんじた). The family experienced great misfortune「その家族は大きな不幸に見舞われた」(そのかぞくはおおきなふこうにみまわれた). Note that '不幸' can also be used to describe someone's life or situation, as in '不幸な人生 (ふこうなじんせい) (unfortunate life)'.

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

380

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Dry

Reading

Example Word

梅干: pickled plum. The Japanese noun '梅干 (うめぼし)' refers to pickled plums, a traditional Japanese food made by pickling ume fruits in salt and drying them. They are known for their sour and salty taste and are often eaten with rice or used as a flavoring in bento boxes. Example sentences: I like pickled plums「梅干が好きです」(うめぼしがすきです). Pickled plums are good for your health「梅干は健康に良いです」(うめぼしはけんこうにいいです).

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

1121

Handwriting

kanji

Meaning

Trunk, Main

Reading

Parts

干Dry 車Car

Example Word

新幹線: bullet train. The Japanese noun '新幹線 (しんかんせん)' refers to the high-speed railway system in Japan, commonly known as the 'bullet train'. It is a network of trains that operate at very high speeds, connecting major cities across Japan. The term is often used to describe the trains themselves, as well as the system as a whole. For example: I took the bullet train to Osaka「新幹線で大阪に行きました」(しんかんせんでおおさかにいきました). The bullet train is very fast「新幹線はとても速いです」(しんかんせんはとてもはやいです). The 新幹線 is a symbol of Japan's technological advancement and efficiency in transportation.

Radical

干

Stroke Count

JLPT

Grade

Frequency

1480

Handwriting