The Kanji Code

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The Kanji Code Page 5

by Natalie Hamilton


  boy’s name

  TAI

  太陽

  TAIYOU sun

  太鼓

  TAIKO

  traditional Japanese

  drum

  皇太子

  KOUTAISHI

  Crown Prince

  46

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  K16 多 TA

  many

  Basis for: TA katakana タ

  多分

  TABUN

  maybe, probably,

  perhaps

  多数

  TASUU

  countless, majority

  K17 知 CHI

  wisdom,

  Basis for: CHI hiragana ち

  knowledge

  知識

  CHISHIKI

  knowledge

  知人

  CHIJIN acquaintance

  K18 天 TEN

  heavens, natural

  Basis for: TE

  hiragana て

  katakana テ

  天然

  TENNEN natural

  雨天

  UTEN

  rainy weather

  天国

  TENGOKU heaven

  露天風呂

  ROTENBURO

  outdoor hot spring

  bath, onsen

  K19 止 to*

  stop

  Basis for: TO

  hiragana と

  katakana ト

  止まる

  tomaru

  be stopped

  痛み止め

  itame dome

  pain-killer

  (lit. stop pain)

  * kun reading

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  47

  K20 奈 NA

  phonetic NA

  Basis for: NA hiragana な

  katakana ナ

  奈良

  NARA Nara

  (Japan’s ancient

  capital)

  奈落

  NARAKU

  hell (Buddhism),

  worst possible

  circumstances

  K21 波 HA

  wave

  Basis for: HA

  hiragana は

  波浪注意報

  HAROU

  wave warning

  CHUUIHOU

  (for example,

  after an earthquake)

  波及

  HAKYUU

  spread, ripple,

  after effect

  電波

  DENPA

  radio wave

  K22 比 HI

  compare

  Basis for: HI

  hiragana ひ

  katakana ヒ

  比較的 に

  HIKAKUTEKI ni

  comparatively

  比例

  HIREI proportion

  無比

  MUHI unparalleled,

  peerless

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  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  K23 不 FU

  not, un-

  Basis for: FU

  hiragana ふ

  katakana フ

  不明

  FUMEI

  unclear, unknown

  行方不明

  YUKUE FUMEI whereabouts

  unknown,

  missing person

  不満

  FUMAN unsatisfied

  不完全

  FUKANZEN incomplete

  K24 保 HO

  preserve, protect

  Basis for: HO

  hiragana ほ

  katakana ホ

  保存

  HOZON save

  保管

  HOKAN

  store, storage

  K25 末 MATSU

  end, last part

  Basis for: MA

  hiragana ま

  katakana マ

  月末

  GETSUMATSU month-end

  K26 武 MU

  military

  Basis for: MU

  hiragana む

  武者人形

  MUSHA

  samurai doll

  NINGYOU

  荒武者

  araMUSHA

  rowdy, daredevil

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  49

  K27 毛 MOU

  hair, fur

  Basis for: MO

  hiragana も

  katakana モ

  毛布

  MOUFU blanket

  羊毛

  YOUMOU wool

  K28 由 YU, YUU

  reason

  Basis for: YU

  hiragana ゆ

  katakana ユ

  YU

  由来

  YURAI

  origin, reason

  経由

  KEIYU

  through, via

  YUU

  自由

  JIYUU freedom

  理由

  RIYUU reason

  K29 与 YO

  give

  Basis for: YO

  hiragana よ

  与党

  YOTOU

  ruling party

  関与

  KAN YO

  participation

  K30 利 RI

  profit, advantage Basis for: RI

  hiragana り

  katakana リ

  利益

  RIEKI profit

  ご利用ください goRIYOU

  please use …

  kudasai

  利子

  RISHI

  interest (banking)

  権利

  KENRI

  right, privilege

  50

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  K31 流 RU, RYUU

  flow, current Basis for: RU katakana ル

  RU

  流布

  RUFU circulation,

  dissemination

  RYUU

  流動的

  RYUUDOUTEKI changeable

  K32 礼 REI

  etiquette, bow

  Basis for: RE

  hiragana れ

  katakana レ

  礼儀

  REIGI

  manners, etiquette

  礼

  REI

  bow

  無礼

  BUREI

  rude

  K33 呂 RO

  spine,

  Basis for: RO

  hiragana ろ

  katakana ロ

  phonetic RO

  お風呂

  oFURO bath

  露天風呂

  ROTEN BURO

  outdoor hot

  spring bath, onsen

  K34 和 WA

  harmony, peace, Basis for: WA

  hiragana わ

  katakana ワ

  Japanese-style

  和風

  WAFUU

  Japanese style

  (food, etc.)

  和室

  WASHITSU

  Japanese room

  (tatami mat flooring)

  平和

  HEIWA peace

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  51

  KANA LOOKALIKES

  This section builds on the previous section in using the connection between the look of kanji and kana to help remember the kanji’s reading. These kanji are not the official basis for kana, I just think they look similar. It’s a useful mnemonic to remember another 23 kanji readings.

  KL1

  気 KI

  spirit, air

  Looks like: KI

  hiragana き

  katakana キ

  気候

  KIKOU climate

  元気

  GENKI

  in good spirits,

  energetic

  KL2 句 KU

  phrase

  Looks like: KU katakana ク

  字句

  JIKU wording,

  way of expression

  俳句

  HAIKU

  Japanese 17-mora p
oem

  文句

  MONKU complaint

  KL3 区 KU

  ward, district

  Looks like: KU hiragana く

  区別

  KUBETSU

  distinguish, differentiate

  地区

  CHIKU

  district, section

  KL4 古 KO

  old

  Looks like: KO katakana コ

  古代

  KODAI

  ancient times

  古文

  KOBUN

  classical (Japanese)

  literature (e.g. the

  school subject)

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  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  KL5

  沙 SA

  sand

  Looks like: SA

  katakana サ

  沙汰

  SATA

  matter, deed

  沙織

  SAori

  girl’s name

  K KL6

  SHI

  officiate,

  Looks like: SHI katakana シ

  administrate,

  寿司

  SUSHI

  sushi

  manage

  司会

  SHIKAI chairman,

  host, presenter

  KL7

  寿 SU, JU

  longevity,

  Looks like: SU

  katakana ス

  congratulations

  SU

  寿司

  SUSHI

  sushi

  JU

  寿命

  JU MYOU

  lifespan

  長寿

  CHOUJU longevity

  KL8

  祖 SO

  ancestor

  Looks like: SO

  hiragana そ

  katakana ソ

  祖先

  SOSEN

  ancestor

  祖父

  SOFU

  grandfather, old man

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  53

  KL9 地 CHI

  ground, earth

  Looks like: CHI hiragana ち

  地区

  CHIKU

  district, section

  地域

  CHIIKI

  community, district

  地下鉄

  CHIKATETSU

  underground railway

  現地

  GENCHI

  on-site, local

  天地

  TENCHI

  heaven and earth

  KL10 訂 TEI

  revise, correct

  Looks like: TE hiragana て

  訂正

  TEISEI

  revision, correction

  丁寧

  TEINEI

  polite, conscientious

  KL11 定 TEI

  decide, fix

  Looks like: TE hiragana て

  定食

  TEISHOKU

  set menu

  設定

  SETTEI settings

  KL12 低 TEI

  low

  Looks like: TE hiragana て

  高低

  KOUTEI

  high and low,

  rise and fall

  低ナトリウム

  TEI natoriumu

  low sodium

  54

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  KL13 伝 DEN

  transmit

  Looks like: TE katakana テ

  伝言

  DENGON

  verbal message,

  rumour

  伝統

  DENTOU

  tradition

  宣伝

  SENDEN

  publicity, advertising,

  propaganda

  KL14 秘 HI

  secret

  Looks like: HI

  katakana ヒ

  秘密

  HIMITSU

  secret

  秘書

  HISHO

  secretary

  KL15 非 HI

  fault, non-

  Looks like: HI

  hiragana ひ

  非難

  HINAN

  criticism

  非常 に

  HIJOU ni

  extraordinarily,

  extremely

  KL16 火 hi*

  KL16 fire

  Looks like: HI

  katakana ヒ

  火

  hi

  fire

  火花

  hibana

  spark

  花火

  hanabi

  fireworks

  * kun reading

  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  55

  KL17 付 FU

  attach

  Looks like: FU

  katakana フ

  添付

  TENPU

  attachment

  (e.g. email)

  付与

  FUYO

  grant, allowance

  KL18 布 FU

  cloth

  Looks like: FU

  katakana フ

  昆布

  KONBU

  kelp (often used

  as a soup base)

  布団

  FUTON

  quilt, doona,

  futon mattress

  綿布

  MENPU

  cotton cloth

  分布

  BUNPU

  distribution

  KL19

  丙 HEI

  third in ranking

  Looks like: HE

  hiragana へ

  甲乙丙

  KOU OTSU HEI A, B and C

  KL20

  MA

  hemp, numb

  Looks like: MA katakana マ

  胡麻

  GOMA

  sesame

  麻酔

  MASUI

  anaesthetic

  麻薬

  MAYAKU

  narcotic drugs

  * The Japanese name for the ⼴ radical is madare, which means a MA enclosure in the top left position. The name is a direct reference to the ON reading of this kanji. The transformation to マ is my own interpretation.

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  CHAPTER 2 – THE KANA CODE

  KL21 理 RI

  logic, science

  Looks like: RI

  hiragana り

  理科

  RIKA

  science

  理解

  RIKAI

  understand,

  comprehend

  理由

  RIYUU

  reason

  論理

 

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