Introduction はじめに Rules for Writing Kanji Kanji are meant to be written in a specific stroke order. Similar to how letters in English are actually meant to be written in a certain way (from left to right, top to bottom), Kanji also have rules that you are supposed to follow. Of course, like in English, not everyone follows these rules 100% of the time. And you could argue that as long as it gets written, the order does not matter. The following rules are meant to help you write kanji the way that it is meant to be written, in order. 1. Write from left to right. kawa (river) 川 2. Write from top to bottom. san (three) kō (craft) 一 一一 三 工 3. Horizontal strokes are usually written before vertical strokes, even when they are curved. jū (ten) nana (seven) 一十 七 4. Write the center stroke first, followed by the left and right strokes. chiisai (small) mizu (water) 小 水 5. Write the outside strokes, except for the bottom one, before the cen- ter strokes. hi (sun, day) me (eye) 日 目 6. Write a left-hand sweeping stroke before a right-hand one. chichi (father) 父 7. A vertical stroke which pierces the center is written last. naka (middle) 中 8. A horizontal stroke which pierces the center is written last. onna (woman) ko (child) 女 子 9. Write a short left sweeping stroke before a horizontal stroke. aru (to be) 有 10. Write a long left sweeping stroke after a horizontal stroke. hidari (left) 左 Of course, there is an exception to every rule. Here are some exceptions to the normal stroke order rules. 3. ō (king) 3. ta (rice field) 王 田 ku (ward) 5. 区 yo (world) 8. 世 Kanji Origin and Radicals Kanji originally came from China. In Japanese there are two types of readings for kanji: On (Chinese) reading, and Kun (Japanese) reading. Most kanji have multiple readings depending on the combination of characters. Most kanji are made up of two or more parts which can be combined to create new meaning. These parts are called radicals, orbushu in Japanese. Radicals are helpful in classifying kanji as well as identifying meaning in kanji. Here are some common radicals. 1. Hen (on the left) - This is the most common category. 校 こう kō school kihen 村 むら mura village 木 (tree) 林 はやし hayashi woods 休む やすむ yasumu to rest ninben 体 からだ karada body 亻 (man) 作る つくる tsukuru to make 好き すき suki to like onnahen 姉 あね ane big sister 女 (woman) 妹 いもうと imouto little sister 2. Tsukuri (on the right) 新 しん shin new onozukuri 所 ところ tokoro place 斤 (ax) 折る おる oru fold; break 顔 かお kao face ōgai 頭 あたま atama head 頁 (big shell) 願う ねがう negau to wish 動く うごく ugoku to move chikara 功 こう kō merit 力 (power) 助けるたすける tasukeru to help 3. Kanmuri/Kashira (on the top) 雲 くも kumo cloud amekammuri 雪 ゆき 雨 (rain) yuki snow 電 でん den electricity 安い やすい yasui cheap ukammuri 家 いえ ie house 宀(katakana ウ) じ character 字 ji (kanji) 京 きょう kyō capital nabebuta 夜 よる 亠 (lid) yoru night 高い たかい takai high 4. Ashi (on the bottom) 見る みる miru to look hitoashi 先 さき 儿 (human legs) saki ahead 光 ひかり hikari light 楽しい たのしい tanoshii fun shitagi 集める あつめる 木 (tree) atsumeru collect 薬 くすり kusuri medicine 5. Tare (at the upper left) 広い ひろい hiroi wide madare 店 みせ 广 (linen) mise store 度 ど do degree 病 やまい yamai illness yamaidare 痛み いたみ 疒 (illness) itami pain 6. Nyō (at the bottom left) 進む すすむ susumu to proceed shinnyō 近い ちかい 辶 (proceed) chikai near 道 みち michi road 延ばす のばす nobasu to extend ennyou 建てる たてる 廴 (extend) tateru to build 7. Kamae (an enclosure) - radicals that appear to enclose the kanji 間 あいだ aida between mongamae 聞く きく 門 (gate) kiku listen, hear 開けるあける akeru to open 同じ おなじ onaji same dōgamae 内 うち 冂 (same) uchi inside 円 えん en circle, yen Practice れん しゅう 練習 イチ ichi イツ itsu 一 ひと hito ひと(つ)hito(tsu) one; first Common Compounds and Phrases 一月 ichigatsu January 一日 ichinichi/tsuitachi one day; the first day of the month 一番 ichiban the first; the most 一つ hitotsu one (thing) Example Sentences 1. 今日は一月一日です。 Kyou wa ichigatsu tsuitachi desu. Today is January first. 2. 一番好きなアニメはナルトです。 Ichiban sukina anime wa naruto desu. My favorite (most liked) anime is Naruto! 3. りんごを一つ買いました。 Ringo o hitotsu kaimashita. I bought one apple. Strokes: 1 一 一 ニ ni 二 ふた ふた(つ) futa futa(tsu) two Common Compounds and Phrases 二時 niji two o’clock 二人 futari two people 二月 nigatsu February 二日 futsuka two days, the second Example Sentences 1. 今日は二月二日です。 Kyō wa nigatsu futsuka desu. Today is the 2nd of February. 2. 二時に会いましょう。 Niji ni aimashō. Let's meet at two o'clock. 3. 二人で海に行きました。 Futari de umi ni ikimashita. The two of us went to the beach. Strokes: 2 一 二 二 サン san み mi 三 み(つ） mi(tsu) みっ(つ) mit(tsu) three Common Compounds and Phrases 三枚 sanmai three (sheets, slices) 三人 sannin three people 三月 sangatsu March 三日 mikka three days, the third Example Sentences 1. 三月三日はひな祭りです。 Sangatsu mikka wa hinamatsuri desu. March 3 is the day of hinamatsuri. 2. 三時二十分です。 Sanji nijuppun desu. It is 3:20. 3. 私は大学三年生です。 Watashi wa daigaku sannensei desu. I am a junior (third year) in college. Strokes: 3 一 一 一 一 一一 三 四 シ shi よ yo よん yon よっ(つ) yot(tsu) four Common Compounds and Phrases 四季 shiki the four seasons 四人 yonin four people 四月 shigatsu March 四日 yokka four days Example Sentences 1. 日本には四季があります。 Nihon ni wa shiki ga arimasu. There are four seasons in Japan. 2. 今日は四月四日です。 Kyō wa shigatsu yokka desu. Today is April 4. 3. 四年ぶりですね。 Yonen buri desu ne. It has been about 4 years, hasn’t it? Strokes: 5 四 四 五 ゴ go いつ itsu いつ(つ)itsu(tsu) five Common Compounds and Phrases 五月 gogatsu March 五時間 gojikan 5 hours 五日 itsuka five days, the fifth 五ヶ月 gokagetsu five months Example Sentences 1. 五百円玉を貸してくれませんか。 Gohyakuendama o kashite kuremasenka. Could you lend me 500 yen? 2. ここまで来るのに五時間かかりました。 Kokomade kurunoni gojikan kakarimashita. It took 5 hours to come here. 3. 五月五日はこどもの日です。 Gogatsu itsuka wa kodomo no hi desu. May 5 is the day of children. Strokes: 4 五 五 六 ロク roku むっ(つ) mut(tsu) む mu むい mui six Common Compounds and Phrases 六回 rokkai six times 六人 rokunin six people 六時間 rokujikan six hours 六ヶ月 rokkagetsu six months Example Sentences 1. 私の娘は小学六年生です。 Watashi no musume wa shōgaku rokunensei desu. My daughter is a 6th grade elementary school student. 2. 朝の六時に起こして下さい。 Asa no rokuji ni okoshite kudasai. Please wake me up at 6:00 in the morning. 3. 今日は六時間も勉強しました。 Kyō wa rokujikan mo benkyō shimashita. I studied for 6 hours today. Strokes: 4 六 六 シチ shichi なの nano 七 なな nana なな(つ) nana(tsu) seven Common Compounds and Phrases 七枚 shichimai seven (sheets, slices) 七時 shichiji seven o’clock 七日 nanoka seven days, the seventh 七人 shichinin seven people Example Sentences 1. 私の好きな数字は七番です。 Watashi no suki na sūji wa nanaban desu. My favorite number is the number 7. 2. 今日は七月七日です。 Kyō wa shichigatsu nanoka desu. Today is July 7. 3. 七人の侍という映画を見ました。 Shichinin no samurai to iu eiga o mimashita . I watched a movie called “Seven Samurai”. Strokes: 2 七 七 ハチ hachi よう yō 八 や やっ(つ) eight ya yat(tsu) Common Compounds and Phrases 八月 hachigatsu August 八百屋 yaoya vegetable store 八回 hachikai eight times 八時 hachiji eight o’clock Example Sentences 1. 八月に沖縄へ行きます。 Hachigatsu ni okinawa e ikimasu. I will go to Okinawa in August. 2. 今日は八時に起きました。 Kyō wa hachiji ni okimashita. Today I woke up at 8:00. 3. 八百屋へ買い物に行ってきます。 Yaoya e kaimono ni ittekimasu. I am going to go shopping at the vegetable store. Strokes: 2 八 八 キュウ kyū ク ku 九 ここの ここの(つ) kokono kokono(tsu) nine Common Compounds and Phrases 九枚 kyūmai nine (sheets, slices) 九時 kuji nine o’clock 九日 kokonoka nine days, the ninth 九人 kyūnin nine people Example Sentences 1. 今日は九月九日です。 Kyō wa kugatsu kokonoka desu. Today is September 9. 2. 私のおじいさんは九十歳です。 Watashi no ojiisan wa kyūjussai desu. My grandfather is 90 years old. 3. テストで九十点を取りました。 Tesuto de kyūjutten o torimashita. I got 90 points on the test. Strokes: 2 九 九 十 ジュウ jū ジッ ji’ とお tō と to ten Common Compounds and Phrases 十人 jūnin ten (people) 十年 jūnen ten years 十回 jukkai ten times 十時 jūji ten o’clock Example Sentences 1. 日本に来てもう十年になります。 Nihon ni kite mō jūnen ni narimasu. It has been ten years already since I came to Japan. 2. 十時十分です。 Jūji juppun desu. It is 10:10. 3. 今日は十月十日です。 Kyō wa jūgatsu tōka desu. Today is October 10. Strokes: 2 一 十 十 百 ヒャク hyaku もも momo one hundred Common Compounds and Phrases 百 hyaku one hundred 百人 hyakunin one hundred people 百点 hyakuten one hundred points 百円 hyakuen one hundred yen Example Sentences 1. 百人ぐらいの人がいました。 Hyakunin gurai no hito ga imashita. There were around 100 people there. 2. 英語のテストで百点をとりました。 Eigo no tesuto de hyakuten o torimashita. I got 100 points on my English test. 3. 百円玉が落ちていました。 Hyakuendama ga ochiteimashita. A 100 yen coin was on the ground. Strokes: 6 百 百 千 セン sen ち chi one thousand Common Compounds and Phrases 千 sen one thousand 五千万 gossenman fifty million 千人 sennin a thousand people 千秋 chiaki Chiaki (a name) Example Sentences 1.