Jumping in at the deep end
This picks up where the White Rabbit kanji cards leave off. Kanji are ordered by usefulness, though what constitutes “useful” depends heavily on what you plan to do with your Japanese skillz.
1. I started with a list of most-frequent
kanji as they appear in newspapers, but after the first few hundred it started
showing a strong bias toward political vocabulary (which, apart from a
political-themed porn I happened to read, I have no use for). In college
Japanese they seem to think that reading the newspaper in the Holy Grail, the
be-all and end-all of Japanese study, to which I go, pfft, as if. If I
wanted to read the newspaper I’d read it in English – the whole point of
learning a foreign language is to have access to material that doesn’t exist in
your native language. Nevertheless, I recognize that reading newspapers is the
goal for a lot of people, so kanji with a newspaper bias are included and color-coded in green.
2. I learned Japanese so I could read
fiction, namely manga, and fiction has its own set of frequently occurring
kanji. A lot of these, like 俺 (おれ), aren’t
even Joyo kanji, but are insanely common anyway. There are
also “literary” kanji for words and phrases that are usually just written in
kana – except in the hands of terribly pretentious writers, and there’s no
shortage of those. Kanji with a manga bias are color-coded
in orange.
3. And lastly, there are many kanji that
aren't much use as vocabulary, but appear very frequently in names and places (田 would be the prime example of
this) -- they're good to know, particularly if you're living in Japan or
planning to. Name kanji are color-coded with purple.
**
Radicals that appear frequently but don’t have
a common name or associated meaning – I’m giving them my own definitions and
sticking with them.
殳 – labor
彡 – fur
隹 – complications
攵 – to strike
寸 – handspan
戈 – to kick
尺 – shaku; an old Japanese measurement of
about 30 cm
**
THE TOP FOUR: Fiendishly useful kanji that
aren’t JLPT-2 but really, really should be
001
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素 |
ソ す、（もと） |
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elementary; principle; suffix for atomic compounds |
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1. 素直 |
すなお frank; honest;
unaffected |
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2. 簡素な |
かんそな simple;
plain |
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3. 酸素 |
さんそ oxygen |
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4. 質素な |
しっそな simple;
modest; frugal |
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5. 要素 |
ようそ factor; element;
item (in a list) |
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6. 素っ気ない |
そっけない cold; blunt; curt |
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7. 素行 |
そこう conduct;
behavior |
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8. 素材 |
そざい raw materials |
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9. 素子 |
そし electronic
component; data |
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10. 素質 |
そしつ personal
quality; potential |
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11. 素人 |
しろうと amateur;
layman |
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12. 素性 |
すじょう lineage;
background; history |
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13. 素晴らしい |
すばらしい beautiful; magnificent; splendid |
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14. 素早い |
すばやい quick;
prompt; nimble; agile |
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15. 素敵 |
すてき fantastic;
superb; cool; great |
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this radical
doesn’t have a name, but it turns up a lot of places. The Japanese think of
it as 亠 plus 土 |
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thread 糸 |
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002
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振 |
シン ふ.る、ふ.るう |
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shake; wave; wag; swing |
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1. 振る |
ふる to wave; to
shake; to swing; to dump someone |
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2. 三振する |
さんしんする to strike out (in baseball) |
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3. 不振 |
ふしん slump;
depression; stagnation |
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4. 振られる |
ふられる to get
dumped; to get jilted |
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5. 振り |
ふり suffix
indicating a manner or style |
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6. 久し振り |
ひさしぶり a long time (since something) |
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7. 振り仮名 |
ふりがな Hiragana
pronunciation written alongside kanji |
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8. 振り掛ける |
ふりかける to sprinkle on top of |
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9. 振込み |
ふりこみ direct
bank transfer |
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10. 振るう |
ふるう to wield; to exert
[power/influence] |
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11. 振替 |
ふりかえ transfer;
exchange |
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12. 振動 |
しんどう oscillation;
vibration |
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13. 振る舞う |
ふるまう to act;
to behave; to conduct oneself |
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hand |
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also appears in 震 (earthquake)、農 (agriculture)、娠 (pregnant)、strong radical
for シン |
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003
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掛 |
カイ、（ケイ） か.ける、か.かる |
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hang; suspend; depend; arrive at; tax; pour |
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1. 電話が掛かる |
でんわがかかる to get a phone call |
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2. 出掛ける |
でかける to go out |
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3. 掛り |
かかり expenses |
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4. 手掛かり |
てがかり clue;
hint |
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5. 飛び掛る |
とびかかる to jump at; to lunge for |
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6. 引っ掛かる |
ひっかかる to get stuck; to fall for a trick |
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hand
radical |
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also in 封 (envelope)、街 (town)、佳 (beautiful) |
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katakana ト |
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Notes: |
Lookalike
kanji: 街 |
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004
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証 |
ショウ |
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evidence; proof; credentials |
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1. 証 |
あかし testimony; proof |
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2. 学生証 |
がくせいしょう student ID card |
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3. 査証 |
さしょう visa |
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4. 認証 |
にんしょう authentication; confirmation |
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5. 証拠 |
しょうこ evidence |
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6. 証券 |
しょうけん stocks and bonds; securities |
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7. 証言 |
しょうげん testimony |
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8. 証人 |
しょうにん witness |
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9. 証明 |
しょうめい proof; verification |
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10. 証書 |
しょうしょ document; certificate |
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words 言 |
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correct 正 |
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The following appear on lists of required JLPT-2 kanji, but were not included in the White Rabbit flashcards:
005
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街 |
ガイ、（カイ） まち |
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boulevard; street; town |
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1. 街 |
がい (suffix)
–street; -quarters; -neighborhood |
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2. 商店街 |
しょうてんがい shopping district |
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3. 市街 |
しがい urban areas; the
city |
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4. 中心街 |
ちゅうしんがい high street; town center |
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5. 繁華街 |
はんかがい downtown; business district |
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6. 街角 |
まちかど street
corner |
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7. 街路 |
がいろ road; street;
avenue |
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to go 行 |
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stacked stuff,
also in 封 (envelope)、掛 (hang)、佳 (beautiful) |
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Notes: |
Lookalike kanji:
掛、衝 |
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006
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瓶 |
ビン かめ |
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flower pot; bottle; jar; jug; vat |
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1. 瓶 |
びん bottle |
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2. 瓶 |
かめ earthenware pot;
jar; jug |
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3. 空き瓶 |
あきびん empty
bottle |
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4. 花瓶 |
かびん flower vase |
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5. 魔法瓶 |
まほうびん thermos |
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6. 瓶詰め |
びんづめ bottled;
bottling |
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put
together 并 (archaic) |
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tile 瓦 |
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007
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缶 |
カン かま |
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tin can; container |
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1. 缶 |
かん can; tin |
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2. 空き缶 |
あきかん empty can |
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3. 薬缶 |
やかん kettle |
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4. 缶切り |
かんきり can-opener |
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5. 缶詰 |
かんづめ canned
goods; packing in cans |
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Notes: |
Appears in many
other kanji, no associated onyomi |
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008
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隻 |
セキ |
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vessels; counter for ships, items one of
a pair |
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1. 一隻 |
いっせき one ship |
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2. 隻手 |
せきしゅ one hand |
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3. 隻語 |
せきご just a few words |
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4. 数隻 |
すうせき several
boats |
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complications
radical 隹 |
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again 又 (archaic way of
writing また) |
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009
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幾 |
キ いく.ら、いく.つ |
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interrogative marker |
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1. 幾つ |
いくつ how many? |
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2. 幾度 |
いくたび how many
times?; how often? |
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3. 幾ら |
いくら how much? |
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4. 幾何学 |
きかがく geometry |
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5. 幾多 |
いくた numerous |
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Notes: |
This reappears
as a unit in 機 (machine) and shares an onyomi of キ |
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010
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患 |
カン わずら.う |
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afflicted; disease; suffer from; be ill |
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1. 患う |
わずらう to fall
ill |
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2. 患者 |
かんじゃ patient |
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3. 患い |
わずらい illness |
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4. 疾患 |
しっかん disease;
ailment |
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skewer 串 (shares onyomi
of カン) |
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heart 心 |
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Notes: |
Lookalike kanji:
忠 (fidelity) |
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011
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籍 |
セキ |
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enroll; domiciliary
register; membership |
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1. 戸籍 |
こせき census; family register |
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2. 国籍 |
こくせき nationality |
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3. 書籍 |
しょせき book; publication |
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bamboo radical |
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also in 耕 (plow) |
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long ago 昔 (shares onyomi of セキ) |
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012
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跡 |
セキ あと |
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tracks;
mark; print; impression |
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1. 跡 |
あと traces; remains;
signs |
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2. 追跡 |
ついせき pursuit;
chase; trace |
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3. 奇跡 |
きせき miracle; marvel |
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4. 足跡 |
あしあと footprints |
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5. 跡継ぎ |
あとつぎ successor;
heir |
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foot 足 |
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red 赤 (shares onyomi
of セキ) |
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And eight more very common kanji to finish out the set:
013
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嫌 |
ゲン いや、きら.い、きら.う |
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dislike; detest; hate |
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1. 嫌い |
きらい dislike; hate |
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2. 嫌な |
いやな disagreeable;
unpleasant |
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3. 機嫌 |
きげん mood |
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4. 不機嫌 |
ふきげん bad temper;
sullenness; ill humor |
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5. 機嫌を取る |
きげんをとる to please someone; to curry favor |
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6. 嫌悪 |
けんお hatred;
antipathy; prejudice |
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woman 女 |
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simultaneous 兼 (shares onyomi
of ケン) |
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014
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駄 |
ダ、タ |
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burden; waste |
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1. 駄目 |
だめ useless; no
good; emphatic “no!” |
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2. 無駄な |
むだな futile; useless;
pointless |
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3. 下駄 |
げた traditional
Japanese sandals |
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4. 無駄遣い |
むだずかい a waste; squander (vs) |
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5. 千駄ヶ谷 |
Sendagaya (place) |
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horse 馬 |
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fat 太 |
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015
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提 |
テイ、（チョウ、ダイ） |
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propose; carry |
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1. 前提 |
ぜんてい premise;
prerequisite; hypothesis |
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2. 提げる |
さげる to take along;
to hold with oneself |
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3. 手提げ |
てさげ handheld |
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4. 提供する |
ていきょうする to offer; to sponsor; to furnish |
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5. 提出する |
ていしゅつする to turn in; to hand in; to submit |
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6. 提灯 |
ちょうちん paper lantern |
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7. 提携 |
ていけい cooperation;
partnership |
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hand |
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this 是 (archaic way of
writing これ), also in 題 (topic) |
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016
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影 |
エイ |
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shadow; silhouette |
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1. 影 |
かげ shadow;
reflection |
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2. 影響 |
えいきょう influence; effect |
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3. 撮影 |
さつえい film;
photography |
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4. 投影 |
とうえい projection |
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scenery 景 |
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fur radical 彡 |
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017
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派 |
ハ |
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faction; group; sect |
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1. 派 |
は clique; faction; school |
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2. 派手 |
はで gaudy; flashy; showy |
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3. 立派 |
りっぱ splendid; fine; legitimate |
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4. 戦後派 |
せんごは postwar
generation |
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5. 派遣 |
はけん dispatch; send |
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6. 派生 |
はせい derivation |
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7. 派閥 |
はばつ faction |
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water |
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also in 脈 (blood vessel); don’t confuse with 瓜 (melon) |
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018
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謝 |
シャ あやま.る |
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apologize; thank |
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1. 謝る |
あやまる to
apologize |
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2. 感謝 |
かんしゃ thanks; gratitude;
appreciation (vs) |
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3. 感謝祭 |
かんしゃさい Thanksgiving Day |
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4. 謝礼 |
しゃれい monetary
reward; compensation; fee |
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words 言 |
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inject 射 |
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019
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離 |
リ はなす、はなれる |
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detach; separation; disjoin; digress |
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1. 離婚 |
りこん divorce (vs) |
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2. 距離 |
きょり range; distance |
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3. 分離 |
ぶんり separation;
detachment (vs) |
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4. 隔離 |
かくり isolation |
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5. 離す |
はなす to part; to
separate; to release |
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6. 離席中 |
りせきちゅう afk |
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7. 遠距離恋愛 |
えんきょりれんあい long-distance relationship |
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appears in a handful of rare kanji, indicates an onyomi of リ |
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complications radical 隹 |
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020
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敵 |
テキ かたき、あだ、かな.う |
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enemy; foe; opponent |
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1. 敵 |
てき rival; foe;
opponent |
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2. 素敵 |
すてき cool; superb;
fantastic |
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3. 政敵 |
せいてき political
opponent |
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4. 匹敵する |
ひってきする to match with; to equal; to rival |
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5. 敵わない |
かなわない no match for; uncomparable |
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6. 敵意 |
てきい hostility;
animosity |
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7. 敵対 |
てきたい hostility;
antagonism; opposition |
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also in 滴 (droplet)、適 (suitable)、strong radical for onyomi テキ |
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strike radical 攵 |
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