A handful of “cards” for JLPT 3 kanji. This selection is designed to help you start conceptualizing kanji in terms of their components – strong radicals for reading, and paying attention to what parts are reused in other kanji – which you can then apply when you study on your own.
** Readings in
parenthesis are not often used and can probably be safely ignored.
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飯 |
ハン めし |
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food; meal; boiled rice |
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1. 飯 |
めし meals; food |
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2. 御飯 |
ごはん food; cooked rice |
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food 食 |
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opposite 反 (strong radical
for onyomi ハン) |
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借 |
シャク か.りる |
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borrow; rent |
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1. 賃借 |
ちんしゃく renting; hiring; leasing |
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2. 借りる |
かりる to borrow; to
take out a loan; to rent |
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3. 借金 |
しゃっきん debt; loans; liabilities |
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person |
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long ago 昔 (shares onyomi シャク) |
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貸 |
タイ か.す |
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lend |
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1. 賃貸 |
ちんたい lease |
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2. 貸す |
かす to lend; to
loan; to rent out |
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3. 貸し |
かし loan; lending |
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4. 貸間 |
かしま room for rent |
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5. 貸付 |
かしつけ a loan |
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6. 手を貸す |
てをかす to help
out; to lend a hand |
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7. 耳を貸さない |
みみをかさない to turn a deaf ear; to refuse to listen |
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exchange 代 (strong radical
forタイ) |
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money 貝 |
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試 |
シ ため.す、こころ.みる |
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test; try; attempt; experiment; ordeal |
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1. 試験 |
しけん exam |
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2. 試合 |
しあい game; match |
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3. 試み |
こころみ trial;
attempt; experiment |
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4. 試作 |
しさく prototype;
experimental make |
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5. 試す |
ためす to attempt; to
test; to try out |
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words 言 |
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style 式 |
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験 |
ケン |
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verification; effect; testing |
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1. 試験 |
しけん exam |
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2. 実験 |
じっけん experiment;
test |
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3. 経験 |
けいけん experience
(vs) |
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4. 受験 |
じゅけん taking an
exam (vs) |
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5. 体験 |
たいけん personal
experience |
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horse 馬 |
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also
in 険 (danger)、検 (test)、strong radical for onyomi ケン |
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英 |
エイ |
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England; English |
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1. 英語 |
えいご English language |
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2. 英会話 |
えいかいわ English conversation school |
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3. 英国 |
えいこく England |
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4. 英字 |
えいじ English letter;
alphabet characters |
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5. 英雄 |
えいゆう hero |
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plants |
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also in 映 (reflection), shares onyomi エイ |
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堂 |
ドウ |
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public chamber; hall |
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1. 講堂 |
こうどう auditorium;
lecture hall |
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2. 食堂 |
しょくどう diner; eatery; cafeteria |
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3. 堂々 |
どうどう magnificent;
grand; imposing |
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roof with
smokestacks |
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mouth 口 |
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earth 土 |
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Notes: |
Lookalike
kanji: 党 (political party); 常 (ordinary) |
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映 |
エイ うつ.る、うつ.す |
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reflect; reflection; projection |
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1. 映画 |
えいが movie |
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2. 反映 |
はんえい reflection;
glare; mirror (vs) |
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3. 映写 |
えいしゃ projection |
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4. 映像 |
えいぞう reflection;
image; picture |
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sun 日 |
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also in 英 (English), shares onyomi エイ |
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菜 |
サイ （な、よう） |
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vegetable; greens; side dish |
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1. 野菜 |
やさい vegetable |
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plants |
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appearance 采 also in 採 (extraction), shares onyomi サイ |
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説 |
セツ、（ゼイ） と.く |
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rumor; opinion; theory |
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1. 説明 |
せつめい explanation |
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2. 説 |
せつ theory |
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3. 小説 |
しょうせつ novel; story |
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4. 演説 |
えんぜつ speech;
address |
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5. 解説 |
かいせつ explanation;
commentary; elucidation |
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6. 仮説 |
かせつ hypothesis;
assumption |
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7. 学説 |
がくせつ (academic)
theory |
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8. 逆説 |
ぎゃくせつ paradox |
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9. 伝説 |
でんせつ tradition;
folklore |
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10. 説く |
とく to advocate; to
persuade; to reason with |
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words 言 |
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also in 脱 (undress)、税 (tax)、鋭 (sharp); no associated onyomi |
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低 |
テイ ひく.い、ひく.める、ひく.まる |
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low; short; humble |
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1. 低い |
ひくい low; short;
humble |
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2. 最低 |
さいてい the
lowest; the worst; horrible |
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3. 低下 |
ていか fall; decline;
deterioration |
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4. 低価格 |
ていかかく low price |
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person |
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also in 底 (bottom), strong radical for テイ; similar to 氏 (lineage) but with an extra line below it |
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民 |
ミン たみ |
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people; nation; subjects |
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1. 移民 |
いみん immigrants |
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2. 原住民 |
げんじゅうみん natives; aboriginals |
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3. 国民 |
こくみん citizens;
countrymen |
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4. 市民 |
しみん townspeople;
citizens |
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5. 自公民 |
じこうみん Liberal Democratic Party |
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6. 住民 |
じゅうみん residents; inhabitants |
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Notes: |
This
appears in 眠 (sleepy), and is
a strong radical for ミン. Lookalike
kanji: 氏 (lineage), 尺 (30 cm) |
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以 |
イ （もっ.て） |
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by means of; in view of |
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1. 以外 |
いがい with the
exception of |
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2. 以下 |
いか below; not
exceeding |
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3. 以後 |
いご after this;
henceforth; from now on |
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4. 以降 |
いこう after; thereafter |
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5. 以上 |
いじょう beyond;
not less than |
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6. 以前 |
いぜん before;
previously |
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7. 以内 |
いない within; inside
of |
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8. 以来 |
いらい since; henceforth |
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Notes: |
Lookalike
kanji: 似 (to resemble),
no shared onyomi |
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急 |
キュウ いそ.ぐ |
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hurry; emergency; sudden |
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1. 急ぐ |
いそぐ to hurry; to
rush |
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2. 急な |
きゅうな urgent;
sudden; emergency |
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3. 緊急 |
きんきゅう urgent; pressing; emergency |
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4. 早急 |
さっきゅう prompt; immediate; pressing |
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5. 救急車 |
きゅうきゅうしゃ ambulance |
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6. 急行 |
きゅうこう express (train, mail, etc) |
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7. 急進 |
きゅうしん radical; dramatic change |
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8. 急用 |
きゅうよう urgent business |
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Japanese people
conceptualize it as a katakana ク, who am I to
argue |
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katakana ヨ |
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heart 心 |
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Notes: |
The top components do not appear together
in any other kanji Possible
lookalike kanji: 争、負 |
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洗 |
セン あら.う |
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wash; inquire into |
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1. 洗う |
あらう to wash; to
investigate |
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2. お手洗い |
おてあらい washbasin; restroom; lavatory |
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3. 洗濯 |
せんたく laundry;
washing clothes |
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4. 洗車 |
せんしゃ car wash |
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5. 洗浄 |
せんじょう washing; cleaning; laundering |
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water |
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ahead 先, shares onyomi セン |
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県 |
ケン |
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prefecture |
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1. 県 |
けん prefecture |
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2. 府県 |
ふけん prefectural
government |
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3. 県知事 |
けんちじ governor |
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4. 県庁 |
けんちょう prefectural office |
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Notes: |
Possible
lookalike kanji: 具 (tool)、真 (pure) |
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便 |
ベン、ビン たよ.り |
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convenience |
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1. 郵便 |
ゆうびん mail;
postal service |
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2. 便利な |
べんりな convenient;
useful; handy |
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3. 不便な |
ふべんな inconvenient
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4. 便所 |
べんじょ lavatory;
toilet |
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5. 便り |
たより news; information; tidings |
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person |
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further 更 |
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Notes: |
Lookalike
kanji: 使 (use) |
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勉 |
ベン つと.める |
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exertion |
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1. 勉強 |
べんきょう study |
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2. 勤勉 |
きんべん hard work;
diligence |
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3. 勉学 |
べんがく study; pursuit of knowledge |
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exemption 免 |
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power 力 |
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Notes: |
In the
kunyomi reading, 努 is usually used instead |
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料 |
リョウ |
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fee; materials |
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1. 料 |
りょう (suffix) fee;
charge for a service |
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2. 料理 |
りょうり cooking;
cuisine |
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3. 料金 |
りょうきん fee; charge; fare |
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4. 給料 |
きゅうりょう salary |
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5. 無料 |
むりょう free of
charge |
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6. 飲料 |
いんりょう drink |
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7. 衣料 |
いりょう clothing |
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uncooked rice 米 |
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“sake ladle”
radical; also in 科 (section) |
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産 |
サン う.む、う.まれる |
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products; bear; yield; give birth |
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1. 産む |
うむ to give birth |
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2. 産まれる |
うまれる to be
born |
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3. 産業 |
さんぎょう business; industry |
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4. 産物 |
さんぶつ product; produce |
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5. 倒産 |
とうさん bankruptcy;
insolvency |
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6. 不動産 |
ふどうさん real estate |
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7. 共産 |
きょうさん Communism |
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8. 財産 |
ざいさん property; fortune; assets |
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stand 立 |
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cliff 厂 |
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life 生 |
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働 |
ドウ、（リュク、リキ、ロク、リョク） はたら.く |
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work |
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1. 働く |
はたらく to work;
to labor |
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2. 労働 |
ろうどう toil;
manual labor |
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3. 働き者 |
はたらきもの hard-working person |
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person |
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move 動, shares onyomi ドウ |
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質 |
シツ、（シチ、チ） （たち、ただ.す、もと、わりふ） |
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substance; quality; matter; temperament |
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1. 質問 |
しつもん question;
inquiry |
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2. 質 |
しつ quality |
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3. 気質 |
きしつ disposition;
temperament |
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4. 質素 |
しっそ simple; modest;
frugal |
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5. 物質 |
ぶっしつ material; substance; stuff |
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two axes 斤 |
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money 貝 |
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Notes: |
Lookalike
kanji: 習 |
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軽 |
ケイ かる.い、（かろ.やか、かろ.んじる） |
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lightly; trifling;
unimportant |
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1.
軽い |
かるい light;
non-serious; minor |
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2. 気軽な |
きがるな lighthearted;
carefree |
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3. 軽率な |
けいそつな careless; rash; thoughtless |
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4. 軽蔑 |
けいべつ scorn; disdain |
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car 車 |
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appears in
経 (pass through)、怪 (suspicious), strong radical for ケイ |
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題 |
ダイ |
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subject; topic |
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1. 問題 |
もんだい question;
problem |
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2. 宿題 |
しゅくだい homework |
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3. 議題 |
ぎだい agenda |
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4. 課題 |
かだい (school)
assignment |
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5. 主題 |
しゅだい theme;
subject |
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6. 放題 |
ほうだい all-you-can-[eat/drink] |
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this 是 (archaic kanji
for これ) |
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head
radical 頁 |
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