A GUIDE TO REMEMBERING JAPANESE CHARACTERS by Kenneth G. Henshall vi rc TUTTLE PUBLISHING Tokyo * Rutland, Vermont * SingaporePublished by Turtle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., with editorial offices at 36¢ Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, Vermont 05759 U.S.A. and 61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12, Singapore 534167. ‘© 1998 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, Ine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced of utilized in any form ‘of by any means, electronic oF mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any {information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher LCC Card No. 88050325 ISBN 978-0-8048-2038-7 First edition, 1988 Distributed by: Japan Tuttle Publishing Yockari Building, 3rd Floor 5-412. Osaki Shinagawa-ku ‘Tokyo 141-0032 ‘Tek (81) 3 5437-0171 Fax: (81) 3 5437-0755, tuttle-sales@gol.com, North America, Latin America & Europe Tuttle Publishing 364 Innovation Drive North Clarendon, VT 05759.9436 U.S.A. ‘Tals 1 (802) 773-8930 Fax: 1 (802) 773-6993, info@tuttlepublishing-com wenwtuttlepublishing.com Asia Pacific Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd. (61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167 Tek: (65) 6280-1330 Fax: (65) 6280-6290 iries@periplus.com.sg ‘wore periplus.com 11100908 22212019 Printed in Singapore TUTTLE PUBLISHING isa registered trademark of Tole Publishing, 2 division of Periplus Editions (HK) LdCONTENTS Acknowledgements Preface Introduction The History of Kanji ‘Types of Kanji ‘The Structure of Kanji General Principles of Stroke Order Explanatory Notes Finst-Grape Cuaracrers SzconD-GRaDE CHARACTERS Tuinp-Grape CHaracters Fourra-Grape CHARACTERS Firri-Grape CHARACTERS SocrH-GRaDE CHARACTERS GeNERAL-Ust CHARACTERS Appendices and Indices Elements Appendix Kana Appendix Non-General-Use Character Index Stroke Count Index Readings Index 22 127 189 254 316 623 624 627 631 636 646ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lam greatly indebted to Tomoko Aoyama, of the Japanese Studies Unit of the University of Wester Australia, forthe calligraphy in this book. 1am also greatly indebted to Professor Jim Everet, of the Department of Management, University of Western Australia, for his in- valuable technical guidance in the computer-assisted preparation of camera-ready copy. In addition, my thanks are due to the Charles E. Tuttle Company for their guidance and sup- port, and to my wife Carole for her many hours of proofreading, In the research for this book I have been especially guided by the work of three of Japan's ‘most highly regarded scholars inthe field of kanji etymology, namely Tsunckata Kato, Kat- sumi Yamada, and Hideyuki Shindo. Those readers wishing to pursue further study of ‘kanji are recommended to consult in particular their joint work Jigen Jiten (Etymological Dictionary of Kanji, Kadokawa, Tokyo, 2nd edition 1985), together with Katsumi Yama- dda's Kanji no Gogen (The Etymology of Kanji, Kadokawa, Tokyo, 1976). ‘With regard to stroke count, and in some cases arrangement of characters within a given grade, I have been guided by the reference work Kanji Kakijun Jiten (Dictionary of Kanji Stroke Order, edited by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Daiichi Hoki Publishing, Tokyo, revised edition 1982),British spelling has been retained throughout,PREFACE ‘The main aim of this book is o help students of the Japanese language overcome the obsta- cle presented by characters -- or kanji, to use the Japanese term, Without a sound knowl- edge of kanji itis impossible to acquire a proper command of the language, and yet so ‘many students seem to spend years gaining merely a vague knowledge of no more than & few hundred of the two thousand kanji in general use. For every one student who feels Confident in reading and writing kanji, there are dozens who seem daunted and full of de spair. For students accustomed to Western writing systems kanji can indeed be a daunting propo- sition, Mastering the twenty-six simple symbols in the English alphabet, even allowing for difficulties with their pronunciation, seems like child's play compared with tackling two thousand kanji of up to twenty or so strokes. It should be realised that there is no magic ‘Way to set about this task. Even Japanese nationals themselves often have problems learn- ing and remembering kanji, despite the great advantage of constant exposure. There are, however, ways to make the task a lot easier {believe that for Western students the key to successful study of kanji lies not in rote leam- ing, as favored by the Japanese themselves, but in breaking down the barrier of unfamiliari- ty. Once one can appreciate how a character is made up, how it acquired its shape and how and why it came into existence, then one is a long way towards achieving this end. Some- thing that is understood and therefore familiar is far less daunting than something un- known, and far more easily remembered. A character that once seemed merely a lifeless ‘and anonymous jumble of lines and dots becomes a ‘character’ in a different sense; that is, with a distinctive personality of its own, Once a characteris essentially understood, the proper use of mnemonics (memory aids) is a useful adjunct, though for the serious scholar it can be misleading to rely on mnemonics alone. That is, there is no harm in a student remembering the character used for ‘east (see # 184) by conveniently interpreting its elements as the sun rising behind a tree, provided the student also remembers that that is not the real meaning. Misunderstanding the origin of a ‘character or element can in some cases lead to serious misconceptions regarding its conno- tations, its role in compounds, and its role as a window on the society of the day. In this book I have explained the origin and subsequent evolution of each of the characterspreface in general use, and where relevant have given the ancient forms. ‘There are a few cases where the exact origin is obscure, and here, after clearly stating that the character is ob- scure, I have given the most authoritative theories and occasionally some thoughts of my own. I have also made frequent reference to Chinese character usage, since the kanji are with a handful of exceptions ~ Chinese in origin (see Introduction). ‘The elements forming ‘each character are analysed and explained in detail, with cross-referencing to indicate where a recurring element is first introduced. Where relevant I have also added socio-historical ‘comment to clarify the meaning and role of a character. Each character's usage is illustrated by three compound terms, alongside its modern readings and meanings. At the end of each explanation I have given a suggested mnemonic using the key elements in that character. ‘Where possible I have tried in the mnemonic to use the elements in exactly the same way that they are used in the character itself, but since so many characters have changed their original meaning due to borrowing and/or miscopying this is usually not feasible. ‘The sug- gested mnemonics are ones which I personally have found useful, but each reader may pre~ fer to make up their own, ‘The characters are listed systematically in the order determined by the Japanese Ministry of Education (see Introduction). ‘That is, the first 996 kanji, the so-called Educational Kanji which are prescribed for the six grades of elementary school, ae set out in their respective grades (76 for Grade One, 145 for Grade Two, etc. et.) followed by the remaining 949. Since these gradings approximately correspond to frequency of usage, the reader who ‘wishes to leam only a few hundred kanji will be able to concentrate on the early grades con- fident in the knowledge that these will contain the most useful characters, In the course of explaining the kanji in general use it has often been necessary to refer 10 characters outside the general use category, as well as to characters found in Chinese but io all intents and purposes no longer used in Japanese. For the reader's convenience I have listed these in an index under stroke count. The general use kanji are listed in both a stroke ‘count index and a readings index. Ihave also added an appendix ofthe key elements found {in kanji, and for the reader's interest an appendix showing the characters from which the ‘two kana syllabaries have evolved. In the Introduction I have briefly outlined the history, structure, and types of kanji, together with a guide to general principles of stroke order. Following the Introduction there are Explanatory Notes which clarify the conventions and terms used in the text. The reader should consult both the Introduction and the Explanatory Notes before proceeding to the main text, tis my hope and belief thatthe book will be of value not only to students tackling the entire corpus of the Japanese language, but also to those with more moderate aims, such as sec:preface ondary students with a target of just two or three hundred kanji and private individuals ‘wishing for an introduction to the Japanese writing system, In all cases, Iwill be happy if the book goes some way towards removing the mystique surrounding kanji. K.G. Henshall, Perth, Australia, February 1988 xiINTRODUCTION ‘The History of Kanji ‘The characters from which kanji are ultimately derived originated between 2000 ~ 1500 B.C. in the Yellow River region of China. About 3000 characters have been discovered from this early period, mostly inscribed on bones and tortoise shells and often connected with divination. At the outset they were mostly simple pictographs, but with the passage of time became increasingly complex and abstract. Pictographs were combined to form ideo- graphs, symbolic characters were also devised, and, as standardisation of form started to Prevail, certain characters also acquired a more or less fixed phonetic role (see Types of Kanji below). A considerable degre of standardisation is evident in highly stylised charac- ters from the third century B.C., while the square style forming the real prototype of to- day's characters (known in Japanese as kaisho a§ ) was established by about 200 A.D. By this stage the number of characters had grown to approximately 50,000. (Characters were first brought to Japan around the third or fourth century A.D. by migrating Chinese and Koreans, and became established during the following four centuries. (The word kanji means literally ‘symbols from Han China, the Han Period extending from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) At that stage the Japanese language existed only in spoken form, ‘and Chinese characters were borrowed to enable it to be expressed in writing. For exam- Ple, the Chinese character for mother, 4, pronounced BO (for the sake of illustration: its actual pronunciation at the time was different) was used to express the spoken Japanese ‘word for mother, pronounced haha. Its own Chinese pronunciation also entered the Japa- nese language, and was generally favored in compounds. Thus many compounds using take its Chinese reading of BO, such as BOSEI 4£(motherhood) and BOKOKU@ (mother country), The Chinese reading is known as the on reading and the Japanese read- ing the kun reading. KOKU (@] of BOKOKU above is, as a further example, the on read- ing of the character for country, which has a kun reading of kuni, (Note that the convention usually followed is to romanise on readings in upper case and kun readings in lower case.) As seen from the above examples, the adoption of the Chinese script presented no particular problems with simple lexical items and indeed contributed to the enrichment of the Japanese language, leading to the formation of many new terms (especially compounds) and in some ‘cases new concepts and modes of expression. Its role has often been likened to that of Lat- xiiiintroduction in in the case of English. However, as a result of fundamental differences between the ‘monosyllabic Chinese language and the polysyllabic, highly inflected Japanese language, the Chinese writing system proved decidedly unsuitable in the case of inflected items such as verbs, In practice a principal character was used for its meaning to represent the stem of a Japanese verb of similar meaning, while other characters were used for their sound to rep- resent the variable ending of the verb. The potential for confusion was obviously considera- be, even more so in view of the fact that a whole range of characters could be used to ex- press a given sound, and it became necessary to use various methods to distinguish be- tween the semantic characters and the phonetic characters. Atone stage, for example, the later were written smaller and/or to one side (script being vertical). Eventually, by about the ninth century, standardised characters used as phonetics were simplified into syllabaries known as kana (6.2 : literally ‘assumed names}. There are two such syllabaries: hiraga- na, which generally derives from highly stylised cursive forms of full character, and kata- kana, which generally uses just one part of a character (see Kana Appendix). Katakana symbols are now used primarily for expressing words borrowed from English or other Western languages, and hiragana used for inflections. For example, the Japanese verb ‘meaning to go, iku, uses the Chinese character with that meaning, 47 (see # 118), to ex- press its unchangeable stem i-. -ku is then expressed by means of hiragana, giving 4% Not go, ikanai, is written with the kana symbols for ka, na, andi, giving “fev. s. Thus is the principal kun reading of 4 , while its on readings -- usually KO or GYO ~ are gen- erally used in compounds, e.g. ryok6 #4 meaning travel. Over the ensuing centuries the characters brought into Japan evolved in their own particular ‘way, acquiring nuances and connotations not necessarily found in Chinese, and in most ceases undergoing phonetic modification. Many characters were borrowed for their sound to ‘express entirely different meanings, and in not a few cases miscopying also led to the ac- uisition of new meanings, Periods of renewed contact with China, such as around the ninth and thirteenth centuries, also tended to bring newly evolved Chinese readings and ‘meanings, and thus the potential range of meanings and readings for any one character be- came quite considerable, ‘The typical kanji now has two or three on readings and two or three kun readings, while some of the commoner kanji, such as life “£ 42 and below F 7, can have as many as ten fundamentally different readings. Not all readings are in com- ‘mon use, however. In a handful of cases new characters were created in Japan using Chi- nese clements, such as dry field 448 369 and frame #4 1943, and some of these have ‘been borrowed for use in Chinese (such as work ff 558). These ‘made in Japan’ charac- ters usually -- but not necessarily ~- have kun readings only. Shortly after the end of World War Two the Japanese Ministry of Education attempted to xivintroduction ‘Tationalise the characters used in Japan by designating 1850 of them as the Téy6 Kanji 4#4 ‘APCiterally ‘Temporary Use Kanji’), which were felt to represent the commonest and most important of the kanji. Of these 1850, 881 were designated as KyGiku Kanji G47 (Educational Kani), these being seen as parcularly important and forming the basic re- 4uirement for the six years of elementary education, Accordingly the Kyéiku Kanji were divided into six grades to correspond to the elementary grades, with the grading also ap- proximately corresponding to frequency of usage and/or degree of importance (though cer- tain anomalies do appear to exist, such as in the omission of the characters for differ 1006 and sharp/ bitter 3 1432). Readings were also presribed, including the point inthe syllabus at which a particular reading should be taught. ‘Theoretically no characters outside the Téy6 Kanji were supposed to be used except in proper nouns (for which there were an additional 92 approved characters in the case of per- sonal names) and special circumstances such as the writing of literature, However, in prac- tice these limitations were not infrequently ignored, and persons or companies involved in work related to printing and publishing sometimes appear to have followed their own guidelines. In this regard it might be of interest to the reader to note that a Japanese type- ‘writer produced by a well known manufacturer as late as 1979 has, while containing sever- al thousand characters, omitted no fewer than 35 of the Téyé Kanji from its standard range (a fact which has caused considerable inconvenience in the preparation of the manuscript for this book!) ‘The same typewriter also uses a number of old and variant forms, which is similarly not in keeping with the guidelines for the Téy6 Kanji In 1981 a revision of the T6y6 Kanji took place, resulting inthe establishment of the Joy6 Kanji¥mr4i(which can be interpreted either as ‘General Use Kanj' or Permanent Use Kanji’). The J6y6 Kanji comprise 1945 characters, of which 996 are designated as Kyoiku Kanji (the six grades containing 76, 145, 195, 195, 195, and 190 kanji respectively). However, the reader should still be prepared to encounter occasional characters outside the prescribed range, ‘Tepes of Kanji ‘Since as early as the second century A.D., when the first Chinese dictionary was produced, characters have traditionally been classified into six categories. However, in many cases the categorisation is open to difference of opinion, and similarly in many cases one charac- ter can legitimately belong to more than one category, Moreover, the categories are of ‘questionable validity as classifications since they are based upon different criteria, the first xvintroduction four relating to character composition while the other two relate to character usage. In prac- tice these traditional categories are unimportant to all but the specialist scholar, and may even be misleading. They are listed below for the reader's convenience, and do shed con- siderable light on the nature of kanji, but atthe same time the reader should treat the the cat- ‘egories per se as no more than rough guides. 1. The Pietograph (##'$ Shékei Moji). Essentially a picture of a physical object, and usually quite simple. For example, ee A, 69 from %K ),oreye B72 (from G) ), Some of these have become highly stylised and to all intents and purposes unrecognisable as pictographs, such as horse JH 191 (from 3fP) or woman tC 35 (from 2). Some have also been turned on their axis, such as moon A 16 (from “D ). 2. The Sign or Symbol (7#4#Z% Shiji Moji). Essentially a symbol expressing an ab- stract concept, and usually quite simple, For example, above E. 37 (from = ) or rota tional motion (#86 (from @). There is some confusion as to whether certain charac- ters are symbols or pictographs, with considerable evidence of miscategorisation. For ex- ample, one — 1 is treated by many scholars asa symbol, but in fact it seems more appro- priate to weat it as a pictograph, since it originally depicted a single finger. 3. The Ideograph ( £823 Kaii Moji). Essentially a meaningful combination of two or ‘more pictographs or symbols, and usually quite simple. For example, mountain pass J 1663, combining up 37,down F 7,and mountain dh 24. See servant (3 1820 for an unusually complex example, made more so by a high degree of stylisation. In many ‘eases the ideograph category has a considerable overlap with the semasio-phonetic category (ee 4 below). 4, ‘The Phonetic-Ideograph or Semasio-Phonetic (HPF: Keisei Moji). The larg- est ofthe categories, theoretically containing about 85% of all the characters, but at the same time a rather confused one. Essentially a combination of a semantic element with a phonetic element, the former usually indicating the general nature of the item to be repre- sented and the latter usually giving more specific information by lending its sound to ex- press the pronunciation of a descriptive word (which word typically has a character of its ‘own too complex to be used easily in combination). For example, pour 22 344 has @ se mantic element water 40, and a phonetic element $=. 299 which expresses the sound of a word meaning continuous (specifically continue #%€, 536, both 536 and 299 having the same pronunciation atthe time). ‘Thus continuous (flow of) water, a reference to pour- ing, Since it could also be said that atthe same tite necessarily acts phonetically to ex- press the word pour itself, there is clearly an etymological link between pour and continui- xviintroduction ty, and thus an analysis of semasio-phonetic characters sheds considerable light on the ety ‘mology of words and not just characters (cf. similar etymological/ phonetic links in English between birch, beech, bark, book ete.). The element used asa phonetic was usually chosen fom a range of similarly pronounced characters onthe basis fit also lending relevant semantic connotations of its own, Inthe case ofthe example above itis almost certtin that was chose a the phone because its original meaning was long stemmed lamp, this suggesting connotations of column and hence column of wate, thereby enforcing the idea of continuous flow of water. Thus itis also possible to consider such semaso-phonetcs as ideographs, and whether they areca, tegorsed as ideographs or smasio-phonelics then becomes a mater of degre, ie depend ing on whether the semantic roles fl to outweigh the phonetic or vice-versa. Inthe ese of pour: itiscleur that he sound is the more important and thus itis classified as ase masio-phonet, but classification sno always easy. The mater is made more complex since even inthe cae of seemingly obvious ideographs one ofthe elements also lends its sound, and could therefore be sad to bea phonetic element expressing its own meaning through ts owa sound. For example blind ~F 1852 combines die & 973 and eye Bh 72 and is weated inthis book as an ideograph meaning dead eyes. However, sme schol ars make out a case that it is technically a semasio-phonetic, with acting phonetically to express di and thus giving the same result of dead eyes. This treatment of seemingly obvious ideographs as semasio-phonetics may seem unneces- sarily complex, and in this book has been avoided where at all possible. However, the problem in attempting to attribute a semantic role toa phonetic element is thatthe present- day scholar is frequently reduced to speculation, since most ofthe principal ancient sources used in etymological research (suchas the writings ofthe tenth century scholar Jokai #248) ‘generally end to state the phonetic role of an element but do not necessarily refer to any se- ‘mantic role, The reason for tis isnot clear, since some ofthe characters treated as sema- sio-phonetics in Jokai’s writings are treated as ideographs in still earlier writings. As a re sult ofthis relative wealth of information regarding phonetic roles the present-day scholar can be sure that, despite enormously convoluted changes in pronunciation over the centu- res (for example en changing by degrees to soku and shi changing to ten), ata given point in ime a particular element had a particular reading and served a particular phonetic role. With regard to semantic role, however, from today's perspective itis not at all easy to ‘know with certainty what particular meaning an element had at a given point in time two thousand or more years ago (such as for instance at what precise point in time long stemmed lamp > in the example above ceased to mean long stemmed lamp and came to ‘mean master). Thus in most cases comments regarding semantic roles must be expressed xviiintroduction with varying degrees of tentativeness and qualification, Some ofthe simpler elements do appear to have been used purely as phonetics in some cas- es,such as 113 in nape of neck FA. 1262 expressing rearfback, in place of “AC 111), botin general one must reasonably assume that any element with more than a few stokes was chosen fr its connotations as well ails sound. IF this were not the case, one would surly see a more of less fixed patter in which a given sound was expressed by the same (simple) element. One can however only ever say ‘more or less fixed’, since there ise dence to suggest that in some cases complex characters were chosen as a phonetic despite their complexity, or even because of it, n order to display erudition and/or to lend a degree of visual substance or elegance toa character, (See also borrowings in Category 5 below.) ‘A further type of semasio-phonetic which is treated by some scholars as a distinct category is the onomatopoeie character. For example, in the case of mosquito $1056 the clement ‘X68 is used purely for its sound BUN, combining with insect $ 36 to give ‘insect that makes a BUN sound’. There are only a few of these onomatopoeic characters, however. 5. Characters of borrowed meaning and pronunciation (#£IF Tenchi Moji). ‘A rather vague category which has never been properly defined, but essentially kanji whose ‘meanings and/or pronunciations have changed asa result of borrowing. Some scholars take the category to include extended and associated meanings, while others restrict it simply to pure borrowings. Since the majority of characters have undergone some change of mean- ing, now often displaying extended or associated meanings in addition to or in place of their original meanings (such as a sword meaning by association to cut ~ see 181), and since a very large number have also experienced a change of pronunciation, any category based "upon such changes is now in effect pointless, though it may have had some relevance in the second century. ‘The confusing vagueness ofthe category is perhaps typified by the fact that itis traditional- ly illustrated by the character for music and enjoyment E218, which is popularly said to have pictographically depicted a drum and then to have acquired its present meanings by as- sociation and/or borrowing. This is avery poor example since in fact che characteris not a pictograph at all, but essentially an ideograph which originally meant oak tree, and i is not really clear how it came by is present meanings. Nevertheless, it still serves as an example ‘of how a character can acquire new meanings and pronunciations, though not forthe rea- sons popularly cited. A better example is 2 1491, which originally meant divination but has now also acquired a major meaning of occupy as a result of its being used instead of a similarly pronounced but more complex character of that meaning (in very similar fashion xviiiintroduction to many of the phonetic elements in the semasio-phonetic characters of Category 4). See domination $1683 for an example ofa raze case where a more complex character was deliberately borrowed. 6. Phonetically borrowed characters ((i#Z% Kasha Moji or Kashaku Moji). Somewhat confused with the preceding category, but essentially characters borrowed pho- netically in what isin effect a kanji alphabet (in that sense very similar to the origins of the kana syllabaries). For example, the four kanji used to express one syllable each of A-me- ri-ca, namely 34 to. In addition to the above six categories, some scholars weat asa seventh category the dozen or so characters made in Japan, known as Kokuji (GY, literally National Characters). ‘They are mostly ideographic, a for example mountain pass Jf used to illustrate Catego- zy 3, but do include extremely unusual characters such as monme #1858, which is a strange graphic amalgam devised for phonetic reasons and does not readily fit into any rec- ognised category ‘The Structure of Kanji ‘Though some of the simpler kanji, such asthe pictographs and symbols seen in Categories 1 and 2 above, are essentially single element characters, most kanji comprise two ot more elements. In almost all cases there is one key element, known as the radical, which indi- cates the general nature ofthe character . This radical combines with one or more other ele- ments which give more specific information, either semantically or phonetically (see Cate- gories 3 and 4 above). For example, earth 2 60 is often used as a radical, usually at the bottom of the composite character or in slightly stylised form 4 on the lei, and indicates that the character relates in some way to earth, or soil, or ground (though its present mean- ings may have changed through borrowing or extension), For example, 3% 903 originally ‘meant earthen ramparts and now means castle ( jf primarily acting phonetically to express pile up), while % 468 originally meant a clay mold and now usually means model in a broad sense (| primarily acting phonetically to express make). There are about two hun- dred of these radicals, most of which are listed in the Elements Appendix towards the end of this book. Most character dictionaries list their characters under radicals, but unfortu- nately such listings can be misleading from an etymological point of view as they some- times use graphic similarity as an expedient, For example, leave 4 258 is listed in many dictionaries under the earth radical. due tothe presence ofthe shape 3 but in fact 3 derives from a double lid 4x and has nothing to do with earth xixintroduction There are seven basic posit which a radical can be used, as listed below. 1, On the left (hen or-ben). For example, person 4 39 in rank 4% 421 (combining with standing person i. 73 to give person standing in position in a line), or tree/ wood 7.69 in timber #4 485 (in which 7 primarily acts phonetically to express cut down). Person (on the left is known as ninben and tree/ wood on the left is known as kihen. 2. On the right (tsukuri or -zukuri). For example, sword/ cut |] 181 in divide #4) 823 (with $ primarily acting phonetically o express dismember), or stike/ coerce K 101 in govemment J 724 (combining with correct sE. 41 to give an original meaning of en- force correciness/ make correct). Sword on the right is known by the special term rité (standing sword!) while strike/ force on the right is known as bokuzukuri (boku meaning strike). 3. On the top or crown (kanmuri). For example, bamboo "7 170 in pipe/tube "443 (in which % primarily acts phonetically to express pierce), or hole 7? 849 in sky/ space 15 (with x. primarily acting phonetically o express open). Bamboo crown is known as take kanmuri and hole crown is known as ana kanmuri 4, At the base or foot (ashi or shita-). For example, heary feelings .? 147 in endure 1677 (in which blade #7 1446 acts phonetically to express bear and also lends connota- tions of something painful), or fire ..»s 8 in fierce/ intense 1929 (in which #1] pri ‘marily acts phonetically to express destroy, to give an original meaning of destructive fire). Heart at the base is known as shitagokoro, while fire at the base is known by the special term rekka (fire in a row’). 'S. The outside or frame (kamae or -gamae). For example, enclosure () 123 in country 123 (with £ being a simplification of delineated area 3X, 809), or gate P| 211 in space Ff] 92 (combining with sunlight @ 62), orcontainer [225 in craftsman 1388 (combining with ax ff 1176 to give an original meaning of tool box). Enclosure frame is known as kunigamae, gate frame is known as kadogamae, and container frame is known as kakushigamae (hiding frame). 6. Hanging or trailing (tare or -dare). For example, building p~ 114 in store & 178 (in which & primarily acts phonetically to express display) or sickness {7 381 in epidemic 4% 1019 (combining with suike % 153). Hanging building is known as madare (being named after the character hemp [pronounced ma] ff. 1829), while hanging sickness is known as yamaidare. xxintroduction 7. Leshaped (ny6). For example, movement i 129 in advance {8 326 (combining with bird #€ 216 to give move like a bird, ic. forwards), or rin £_ 161 in proceed if 1751 (with f acting phonetically to express announce and giving an original meaning of run to announce something). L-shaped movement is known as shinnyé or shinnyi, while L-shaped run is known as siny6. ‘Of these seven basic positions, on the left (hen) is the most common. General Principles of Stroke Onder ‘Though there are inevitably a number of exceptions, most characters are writen according to established principles of stroke order. A knowledge of these principles is important in order to achieve the proper shape and to write in the cursive style or semi-cursive style, in which normally separate strokes flow into one another. The basic principles listed below were issued by the Ministry of Education in 1958, and are considered the most authorita- tive. The guidelines apply either to individual strokes or to the arrangement of component elements as the case may be. The first two are especially important. 1. Top 0 bottom. three 23 TF ~sre word 274 * 3 gests. Oa 2. Left to right. province304. > oY oF HM HY faction 955 5 GK example 605 4 45H fil 3. Horizontal strokes usually precede vertical strokes when crossing. ten 33 -— + xxiintroduction enboo OT OE aon = 2 OR Re BE 4, However, in a few cases vertical strokes precede horizontal ones, king $ ~ 7 FE field 59 noone bend2or =) AB 5. Center usually precedes right and lft where later do not exceed two strokes each, small 36 Ioaloals waters | ol” AK receives. «TBF A TK ‘Note that the two exceptions are the heart radical ¢} (= f )andfire i (-* x), 6. Outer frame frst, but bottom line last county 123 TT FF] LB) sun 62 nA moots JT fl A ‘Note the order of C , with the left hand stroke joined to the bottom (e.g. — 7 Uf ). Right-to-left diagonal stroke precedes left-to-right. person39 JA faer197 xxiiintroduction again 835 7h 8. Central vertical line lat. riddles OP veces ~ BS things OH 9. Strokes which cut through come last, woman3s Yo chitd 25 ji oF boats f] Note that the only exception is (—¥ th), ‘The following pointers should also be observed. A. squares are written with three strokes not four ({ 7 1) '. vetical strokes should notslope (eg. op not ee ) ¢. horizontal strokes may slope, bat should be parallel (e.g. % ) 4, characters should be of uniform size xxiiEXPLANATORY NOTES Characters are set out according to the conventions established by the Ministry of Educa- tion, that is with the first 996 characters (the KyGiku Kanji or Educational Kanji) divided ‘nto six grades corresponding to the six grades of elementary school, followed by the re- maining 949, There is slight potential for confusion in that the latter are usually referred to as general use kanji, while General Use Kanji is also the generic term for the whole set of 1945 characters comprising the J6y% Kanji. Within each grade characters are arranged in the gojionjun (a--u-e-0 order) according to their principal reading, witha ‘hard’ sound following the unmodified sound (e.g. GA after KA, JL after SHI. Where two or more characters within a given grade share the same read- ing they are listed in ascending order according to their stroke count. Where characters in a given grade share both the same readings and the same stroke count there is no real conven tion regarding order, and this book has simply followed the order of printing in Ministry of Education lists. On readings take precedence over kun readings of the same sound. That is, the 15 stroke KA. 4& (1055) comes after the 14 stroke KA. {i (1054) but before the 1Osstroke ka $3, (1056) . Principal readings are usually on, but not necessarily so (e.g. ka ‘BK above, which is listed under its kun reading ka but also has an on reading BUN). There are a few dozen characters which are the subject of difference of opinion as to which of their readings isthe principal one, and accordingly kanji lists arranged by some scholars 4o not neccessarily follow the same order as the Ministry of Education lists (though grad- ings etc. are unaffected). After surveying a range of such lists Ihave made the following six alterations to the onder given in the Ministry of Education lists: 2 218 listed under RAKU not GAKU; §% 533 under ZO not SHO; 34 544 under CHI not JI; #2. 652 un- der KYOnot KO; H 803 under RITSU not SOTSU; and. [981 under its kun reading ya not its on reading SHI. Thave also made a numberof alterations which do not affect or- der, such as listing K 53.as TAI, DAL rather than DAL, TAL. The Ministry of Education recognises the right of scholars to make such alterations to arrangement within a given «rade and in no way claims its own arrangement to be definitive. No alteration should be ‘made to actual gradings themselves, however. On readings are given in upper case, kun readings in lower case, Word stems are given in bold type, with italics being used to indicate variable endings (ie. the part of the word which should be expressed in kana, known in this case as okurigana), such endings being xxivexplanatory notes separated from one another by an oblique (). The use of okuriganais very vague, and the ‘eader should not be alarmed atthe frequent discrepancy between the okurigana given inthe readings block, which usually follows strict theory, and examples given inthe compounds block, which usually follow actual practice. For example, jbiki (dictionary) can be written either as 3] or #3], though technically the former is correct. With regard to theory I have generally followed the conventions found in Ministry of Education publications, while ‘with regard to practice I have been guided by such widely used dictionaries as Nelson's Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Tutte, Tokyo, 1962) and Kenkyusha's New Japa- snese-English Dictionary (Kenkyusha, Tokyo, 4th edition 1974), ‘The reader should similarly expect minor graphic discrepancies between the form of the character given in brush and the typed form in the compounds block. The latter accasional- 'y uses slighty old forms (-g. 4 for #R 1165) or even variant forms (e.g. with up- tumed dish 7 instead of west a6 in the case of #1683, though it shouldbe noted that even the more usual west 2 is in any case a simplification variant of rain 42 Since these were the forms supplied with a typewriter manufactured as late as 1979 it is lear that they are still widely used, and thus the reader should be prepared to recognise them, One should similarly be prepared to encounter any form of character described in the explanation as ‘formerly written... which usually indicates a form that was standard un- til shorly after World War Two, whereas forms described as ‘ancient, stil earlier, once ‘written... or ‘original’ are almost without exception no longer found in Japanese (though they may be in Chinese). Characters which lie outside the General Use/ J6y6 Kanji but are still found in Japanese (usually in the Nelson dictionary cited above, which lists $446 characters in total) are re- ferred to in this book as NGU characters, standing for Non General Use. Characters found in Chinese (in Mathews’ Chinese-English Dictionary [Harvard U.P., Massachusetts, 1966], which lists 7773 characters) but not normally in Japanese are referred to as CO char- acters, standing for Chinese Only. It should however be noted that, with the possible ex- ception of the very modern simplified forms, any Chinese character can theoretically be used in Japanese in an NGU capacity (some of the pre-war Japanese dictionaries listing as ‘many as 50,000 characters). Some 400 NGU/CO characters occur incidentally in the course of the JGy6 Kanji explanations given in this book, and for the reader's convenience are listed under stroke count in a separate index. It should be appreciated, however, that ‘there is no systematic explanation of them nor any listing of their readings, ‘As 4 general principle, when seeking characters in any stroke count index the reader should always be prepared to check one or two strokes either side of the estimated number. Someexplanatory notes characters are legitimately permitted to be written in slightly different ways, which can af- fect the stroke count, and some variant forms also result in a slightly different stroke count. In some dictionaries, it seems that there are also occasional cases of honest miscounts! Obliques have been used inthe explanations with considerable frequency, partly asa stylis- tic expedient and parly in order to aid flexibility of conceptualisation. Itis a serious error to assume that each word in Japanese corresponds exactly to a word in English, and the same applies to characters and their component elements. For example, @ 90 means shell ‘when used as an independent character, but as an element usually means money, and occa- sionally means valuable item or asset in broad sense. Thus itis usually referred to as shell money rather than just shell. Similarly ;% 695 is used as an independent character tomean show, but as an element sometimes has its literal meaning of altar and generally has its associated meaning of ‘elating wo the gods. Thus itis usually referred 10 as altar/ show or altar/ ofthe gods etc. ‘The question of classification into nouns, verbs, adjectives etc. should similarly be treated ‘with considerable conceptual flexibility. For this reason the readings and compounds blocks have omitted (o/ to) suru (and its variant jru), meaning to do, onthe grounds that so ‘many nouns can be made into verbs (especially in their on readings) by adding suru jira that its in effect pointless to list each one (e.g. KAN feeling 246 giving kanjiry/ to feel, or BATSU punishment £j 1709 giving bassuru/ to punish). Similarly almost any adjective can be made into a verb by adding suru to its adverbial form (e.g. TAW/ 6 big 53 giving Gkiku suru/ to enlarge) ‘The main text is generally written in semi-note style, Ihave deliberately kept the explana- tions in the early grades relatively brief and simple, while those in the later grades go into greater detail in the expectation of a more specialised readership. In one or two cases I have used the adjective ‘authoritative’ in front of the term ‘scholars. This is in no way intended to imply that scholars not so described lack authority, but in ‘most cases is simply used to indicate that an explanation which may possibly seem unlikely to the general reader is in fact supported by scholars whose views are particularly highly re~ spected in their field Examples used in the compounds block are chosen to illustrate a variety of readings and meanings. The vast majority of the terms can be found in the Nelson dictionary and/ or Kenkyusha dictionary mentioned above, but a few are reasonably rare and will only be found in large Japanese-Japanese dictionaries. Where such terms contain a character out xxviexplanatory notes side the 16y6 Kanji, kana has been used, Asterisks denote iregular readings. Generally only principal readings and meanings have been given, particularly in the early ‘grades, though specific minor meanings/ readings have been given where important to a proper understanding of the evolution of a particular character. It should be appreciated that where a character has multiple readings and multiple meanings, it does not necessarily fol- low that each reading can be used to express each meaning. Finally, as a convenient reference I give below a simple summary explanation of key terms with which some readers may not be completely familiar CO character: found in Chinese only ‘connotation(s): suggested or implied meaning ‘etymology: the history/ evolution of a word or character Mdeograph: ‘combination of meaningful elements to express a new idea lexical: relating to vocabulary mnemonic: relating to memory; as @ noun, memory aid NGU character: found in Japanese but notin general use phonetic: relating to sound/ pronunciation pictograph: picture-drawing qv. ‘quod vide which see (by way of cross reference) semantic relating to meaning semasio-phonetic: combination of meaning-ctement and sound-element syllabary: form of alphabet xxviiFIRST GRADE 1-3 THE 76 FIRST GRADE CHARACTERS 1 ICHI, ITSU, hito- — Ai ICHIGATSU January oe one %3— KINITSU uniformity 1 stroke —A HiTorr ‘one person ‘The easiest character of all. A pictograph of a single extended finger —. Mnemonic: ONE FINGER 2 U, YO, migi Aik UHA RIGHT &¥E UGAN 5 strokes 4% F MIGITE right hand Originally showing a right hand 3 over a mouth 1 20, The right hand symbol- ised strength/support, and the original meaning of 2 was support verbally (stil ocea- sionally found in Chinese). Tis meaning was later assumed by an NGU character 1&5 that adds person 4 39, while 2 itself came to mean simply right hand, ‘The retention of ‘mouth C2 may have been influenced by a popular interpretation of the elements as hand favored for feeding. ‘Mnemonic: RIGHT HAND TO THE MOUTH 3 me, ama- "i UKI rainy season q RAIN KR OAME heavy rain 8 strokes, Mi AMAGUMO rain cloud Ancient form ¢\ or %. Raindrops :* falling from clouds +7) beneath a symbol of the heavens . Some scholars feel that €7 alone is cloud, and that | is a symbol of falling. Mnemonic: RAIN FROM HEAVENLY CLOUDSFIRST GRADE 4-6 4 EN, marui FI ENKEI circle ROUND, YEN FSi ENDAKA strong yen 4 strokes: HF] HYAKUEN hundred yen Formerly [§] . (2 indicates roundness, while @ is round kettle 228 q.v., here em- phasising roundness and also lending its sound to express circle. The meaning (yen in Japan) stems from an association of shape, A simpler if facetious mnemonic is to see the character as a bank-teller's window, from which round coins are issued. ‘Mnemonic; ROUND COINS FROM BANK-TELLER'S WINDOW 5 6 =F on prince KING, RULER KE 300 queen 4 surokes SE OSAMA king Usually explained as a symbol of the three orders of heaven, earth, and man = united by an all-perva. rmnemonie, but incorrect. was once written & and 2; , depicting the blade of a ig force | ,to give a meaning of great potentate or king. A useful large battle ax. Over the years, rather like the English terms "big gun’ and 'big shot’ it came to mean powerful figure, and eventually king. Mnemonic: KING WITH AX RULES HEAVEN, EARTH AND MAN 6 a ON, IN, oto, ne 3K ONGAKU music SOUND FH SHIN consonant BD sickes 38 HATSUON pronunciation Once waiten %. The old form of speak % 274.4. & . withthe addition of tongue + inside the mouth 1 to show greater vocalisation, i.e. shout/sing. This led to just sound. Suggest taking 3 as rise/stand 73, and B as sun 62. Mnemonic: SOUND OF RISING SUNFIRST GRADE 7-9 7 KA,GE,shita,shimo,moto, 4 F TEIKA decrease udasaruiry sagaru,oriu FH GESHA lighting BASE, UNDER, LOWER | F_ KAWASHIMO 3 strokes downstream Symbol indicating an area below a given line. Originally = , with a vertical line added lat- et for emphasis. The downwards tilt of the short third stroke is also believed to be for em- phasis. Mnemonic: T-BAR WITH DROOPY LOWER HANDLE 8 KA, hi Al A KAYOBI Tuesday N FIRE 2k IL) KAZAN voleano 4 surokes Ji HIBANA spark Stylised derivative of pictograph of fire with flames and sparks WY. As a radical often OCCU aS i445. Mnemonic: FLAMES OF FIRE 9 = KA, hana 4 # KABEN petal FLOWER, BLOSSOM Tek HANABI fireworks Cores 7 asa blossom viewing Grass/plant *F (derived from a pictograph of growing plants YY to i to +¢ to-+f ) plus change {Y, 238 qv.,to give a meaning of change in state of plants, ie. blos- soming. Mnemonic: FLOWERS APPEAR WHEN PLANTS UNDERGO CHANGEFIRSTGRADE 10-12 10 GAKU, manabu 8 GAKKO school LEARNING 4t% KAGAKU chemistry 3 Seeman “mae ‘Somewhat obscure. Formerly “3, and originally ¥3 */E4 represents hands. % is a CO character meaning intertwine, and shows interwoven sticks. Since the sticks had to bbe matched it has connotations of match and by extension emulate. Thus ff means em- ulate manually. An old form 443 suggests that 7 derives from a roof/ building 4, but some scholars maintain that 4T was originally merely a stylisation of 3 , and cite an- other old form 2, Child 3 25 is alter addition, presumably from a natural association ‘of children with the idea of manual emulation (ie. lesming by imitation to use the hands, symbolic of learning in general). Suggest taking #4 as an ornate roof. Mnemonic: CHILD LEARNING UNDER ORNATE ROOF ao Je kiKe SF KIBUN — mood, feeling SPIRIT RR TENKI weather DAG sites ER DENKI ——eloticiy Formerly writen ‘.. skis rice 201, while ®, is arepresentation of vapors . 11 originally meant vapors rising from (cooked) rice, and eventually came to mean invisible movement/ unseen force/ spirit etc. Suggest king X as X. Mnemonic: SPIRIT-LIKE VAPORS FROM SOURCE X 2 KYU, KU, kokono- +L JoKYo nineteen NINE LH KOKONOKA ninth day 2 strokes AFL KUGATSU September Originally written 3 , depicting a bent elbow. In ancient times a bent elbow was used to indicate the number nine when counting with only one arm. ‘The commonly heard expla- nation that it is the character for ten + 33 with a hook on the cross stroke to represent the concept of subtraction is incorrect, but is useful as a mnemonic. Mnemonic: LESS THAN PERFECT TEN: WORTH ONLY NINE.FIRST GRADE 13-15 1B KYU, yasumu tk A KYONITSU holiday REST KW KYUSEN truce 6 strokes & t® Ak NATSUYASUMI summer vacation 4 is person 39 and % is tree 69. is used parly phonetically to express stop/stay, and partly semantically as tree, i. a shady place where people stop to rest. Now means stop or rest in general. Mnemonic: PERSON RESTS AGAINST TREE 14 KIN, KON, kane, kana- @ ff! @ KINYOBI Friday GOLD,Mo 4% KONIIKI gold color 8 strokes && #* KANEMOCHT rich person Once writen 4. The four dots: ow reduced to two, represent nuggets buried inthe ground + 60. There is a range of opinion regarding AX/4~ . Some scholars take it to show a mound ©, others an element indicating covering (se 87), which also lent its Sound to express shine, The later theory seems more likly Mnemonic: TWO GOLD NUGGETS UNDER COVER OF EARTH 45 co KG, sora, kara, ake 2 & KUKI air [2 = SKY, EMPTY 7% f& SORAIRO sky-blue 8 stokes 22 FE KARABAKO. empty box Hole 7 849 (literally open space under roof) and work upon Z. 113, The latter is Uused for its sound to express opening as well as its meaning. Originally 15 meant to ‘work upon the digging out of a hole that would then be covered with a roof to form a rimitive dwelling. Since the roof was domed the idea of (empty) space within the dwell- ing naturally became particularly associated wth the central vaulted area, and eventually the concept of upper space extended to the sky itself. Mnemonic: WORK TO OPEN HOLE IN ROOF TO SEE EMPTY SKYFIRST GRADE 16-19 16 GETSU, GATSU, tsuki 4 J) KONGETSU this month MOON, MONTH JE 8 GETSUYOBI Monday 4 strokes AA i TSUKIMI moon viewing From a pictograph of a crescent moon with pitted surface gradually tilted on its axis in the course of stylisation (“) to A) to A ). Popularly interpreted as a crescent moon behind wispy clouds, but this appears incorrect. See also 44, Mnemonic: PITTED CRESCENT MOON SHINING DOWN 7 KEN, inu SH RYOKEN — hunting-dog DOG K > BE INUGOYA, keane A stokes us & KOINU puppy Stylised derivative of a pictograph showing a dog with pointed ears standing on its hind legs barking 2. As a radical found as 4 (also symbolising beast). Suggest remember- ing by association with big X.53, with * as a spot. Mnemonic: BIG SPOTTED DOG REARING UP. 18 KEN, mirwiseruleru 9% SL HAKKEN discovery LOOK, SEE, SHOW §2.%% KENBUTSU sightseeing 7 stokes 58% MIMONO spectacle Eye B 72and bent legs 1L, the latter deriving from a pictograph of a person knecl- ing X39 (to stare at something). Mnemonic: BENDIN DOWN TO LOOK CLOSELY WITH SEEING EYE 1» GO, itsu- = Al GoGaTsU May FIVE HA GONIN five people 4 strokes #8 ITSUKA fifth day Five was once shown by five fingers 2 . However, from ancient times a thread-reel B(B to B) was used as a substitute, both for its sound and the fact that it replaced the five fingers when winding yarn. Mnemonic: A REEL IS BETTER THAN FIVE FINGERS 6FIRST GRADE 20-22 20 KO, KU, kuchi AQ uINKO Population MOUTH, OPENING 1% KOsrrsu pretext 3 strokes. HC DEGUCHT exit A pictograph of an open mouth, originally written. Can also symbolise speech. Mnemonic: OPEN MOUTH 2 > «xd #2 1E KOs! proof reading SCHOOL, CHECK #1 KOKO high seho! mr 10 stokes BEE KOCHO school principal AAis tree/wood 69. His crossed legs 115. 21 originally meant wooden shackles (Ge. wooden item to encumber the legs). However, owing tothe similarity in both meaning and depiction to crossed sticks % in Character 10 qu. reinforced by a silty in pronunciation atthe time it ook on the later's meanings of collate/match? emulate. In fact, atone stage the two characters seem to have been virtually interchangeable. Eventually 10 came to mean learning while 21 became checking and also place of learning. Suggest taking 7 assix 76 and x as across, Mnemonic: CHECK SIX WOODEN CROSSES FOR SCHOOL 2 SA, hidari Ze WR SAHA leftist faction LEFT Zz] HIDARIGAWA left side S strokes Ze WMDARITE —efthand Left hand % and work upon =. 113 q.v. Rather like the right hand, the left hand also symbolised support, but with connotations of reserve/auxiliary as opposed t0 the strength of the right (See 2). Thus 22's original meaning was assist someone at work (till found in Chinese). Again like 2, ts original meaning was later taken over by a charae- ter adding person 4 39, giving assist 4%. 1283, while 22 itself came to mean simply Heft hand, with = retained though redundant. Suggest taking =. literally as carpen- ter's square, Mnemonic: LEFT HAND STEADIES CARPENTER'S SQUAREFIRST GRADE 23-26 23 gm SAN, mie FA SANGATSU March we THREE =A MIKKA third day me Sse 24 SANKAKU triangle ‘Three extended fingers Mnemonic: THREE FINGERS 24 SAN, yama 2k HyOZAN iceberg MOUNTAIN WAL TAKUSAN alot 3 strokes 18} YAMABA peak, climax A range of mountains with a prominent central peak Mnemonic: TRIPLE-PEAKED MOUNTAIN 28 SIL, SU, ko F DENSHI electron CHILD + #£ KODOMO. child 3 strokes 6k F YOSU took, situation An infant wrapped in swag clothes waving its arms, ‘Mnemonic: LONG-ARMED CHILD IN SWADDLING CLOTHES 26 SHI, yon, yo- (3 SHIGATSU April FOUR WG YOKKA fourth day S strokes WE YONKAL — fourtimes Four was once shown by four fingers Z , while w3 originally meant breath (‘hat which emerges 1. 66 froma mouth 1 20). gq was later used as a phonetic substitute for =, but may also have been chosen since its shape was a rough approximation of the four fingers of a fist held palm side down GL. Mnemonic: FOUR FINGERS IN CLENCHED FIST7 SHI, ito 4% SEISHI silk making THREAD *& *% KEITO woolen yam R 6 strokes 3% % TTOMAKI thread-reel rom a pictograph of a skein of yarn %, originally doubled 8%. {nemonic: SKEINS OF TWISTED THREAD 8 co are 5\ 8 JIBIKI dictionary LETTER, SYMBOL TRE AKAII the red’, deficit > 6 strokes 2 SUN digit, number ‘oof <*7 (from (>) ), symbolising house/home, and child 425. It originally meant house where children are raised (still found in Chinese in the minor meanings ackle/nourish/bring forth). ‘This came to symbolise proliferation and, fanciful as it day seem, came to be figuratively applied to written symbols, which like children be- ame increasingly numerous and complex. {nemonic: CHILD AT HOME STUDYING LETTERS 9 JL, mimi Tf Ft JIKA otology EAR HW 5 ~MIMINART tinnitus 6 strokes TE ffs 9 MIMIKAZARI earring stylised derivative of the pictograph of anear ( . {nemonic: POINTED EAR 0 SHICHI, nana- +: A SHICHIGATSU July SEVEN -& A NANOKA* seventh day 2 strokes -t BR NANABAN seven nights ‘riginally ++ , with a longer lateral line than the character for ten + 33, to represent and 1ean a line cutting another. It was one of several characters used phonetically to express aven, and was probably especially favored since it roughly resembled a bent finger nder a fist, an old way of signaling seven. {nemonic: BADLY WRITTEN TEN AGAIN: NOW WORTH ONLY SEVENFIRST GRADE 31-34 31 SHA, kuruma ‘1 # DENSHA trait VEHICLE, CHARIOT 36 Hi HASSHA departure 7 strokes: 1 4 KUCHIGURUMA cajolery From a pictograph of a long-shafted two-wheeled chariot, viewed from above $. Mnemonic: CHARIOT WITH TWO WHEELS 32 SHU, te & SHUDAN mean: HAND A TEHON model, standarc 4 strokes: £ F s0zu* skil From a semi-stylised pictograph of a hand with five fingers (one bent), a palm, and wrist Y. As a radical usually found as $ . Mnemonic: HAND WITH FINGERS SPREAD 33 JO, 13 +4) s0GaTsu October TEN F ATOKA tenth day 2 strokes: + son across Usually explained as two lines crossing to symbolise the four main directions, which in turn expressed the concept of completeness and by association all the fingers, i. ten. However, this seems a confused version of its actual origin. It derives from a depiction of a sewing needle t, and was used purely as a substitute for the more complex character ten $2 305 qv. (literally hands together). Mnemonic: ALL POINTS CONSIDERED, TEN OUT OF TEN 34 SHUTSU, deru, dasu iti 38 SHUPPATSU departure EMERGE, PUT OUT —_&. > ff OMOIDE memory 5 strokes | ® th L HIKIDASHI drawer Once written (ey, with foot 4 129 q.v. and J. Some scholars take \ to indicate ¢ cover, i.e. shoe, to symbolise going out, while others take it to be a line of contain- ment, beyond which the foot has emerged. Another theory sees the character as derivec from a pictograph of an emerging plant X (see 42), but this is not widely supported Suggest taking it as two mountains ua 24, Mnemonic: MOUNTAIN EMERGING ATOP ANOTHER 10FIRST GRADE 35-38 35 JO, NYO, NYO, onna, me tt JOSEL ‘woman WOMAN & B NyOBO wife 3 strokes KO F ONNANO-KO girl From a pictograph of a kneeling woman with outstretched arms 2. Mnemonic: KNEELING WOMAN 36 SHO, ko-, 05 ehiisal 7» A SHOJINIKOBITO awart SMALL “is KOUSHI calf, BIN 3 sicics AsIIl OGAWA. brook, steam ‘Commonly but erroneously explained as a person standing with their arms at their side, ie, looking small, The error is no doubt attributable to the pictographic origin of the opposite big K 53 q.v. (literally a person with arms outstretched). |. is actually a stylised representation of three small points, as is clear from the older version." Some scholars feel the lengthening of the middle stroke serves to express the concept of ‘one large item being divided into two small ones. Mnemonic: A STROKE DIVIDED INTO TWO SMALL ONES 37 JO, ue, kami, uwa-, Lb WO over, above noboru, agaru/geru Jil KAWAKAMI upstream UP,TOP,OVER,GOUP fff 1: 7 NEAGE price rise 3 strokes ‘Symbol indicating an area above a line. Originally written = , with a vertical line added later for clarity. Mnemonic: BAR WITH HANDLE, STICKING UP OVER BASELINE 38 x SHIN, mori 3 AK SHINRIN forest ‘WOODS ‘WK SHINGEN na solemn 1Dewokes AG SHINKAN silence An ideograph showing many trees A 69, See also forest #75. Mnemonic: THERE ARE MANY TREES IN THE WOODS. M1FIRST GRADE 39-42 39 JIN, NIN, BAA NIHONIIN Japanese PERSON, PEOPLE A ffl NINGEN human being 2 strokes A th HITODE: crowd, turn-out From a pictograph of a standing person viewed side-on , though in compounds often ‘bending or stooping person AL/iL . Asa radical usually found as 4 , but occasional- ly A/F, oreven 1 . Better taken as headless, armless person. Mnemonic: HEADLESS, ARMLESS PERSON 40 SUL, mizu 7k GF SUIYOBI — Wednesday WATER 1 & suiso hydrogen 4 strokes ok OMIZU flood From a pictograph of a river X, the central stroke showing current and the dots ripples Since ancient times blurred with river }1| 48, As a radical, usually found as , best re- ‘membered as falling droplets. Suggest taking >< as narrow banks. Mnemonic: WATER SQUEEZES BETWEEN BANKS 41 SEI,SHOmasa,tadashit/su JF # SEIKAI correct answer CORRECT, PROPER JE H SHOGATSU New Year ) S strokes TEU SHOMIKI na honest Often explained as foot/stop s&-129 qv. and a bar —, to indicate stopping at the right place, ie, being correct. A useful mnemonic, especially in view of the English term toe the line, but infact old forms such as & show it tobe a variant of lower leg ESI, which was straight and by figurative extension proper/eorrect. Mnemonic: TO STOP AT THE LINE IS TO DO THE CORRECT THING 42 SEI, SHO, nama, “#4: GAKUSEI student ikiru, umulmareru, haeru 4 ISSHO one’s whole life LIFE, BIRTH, GROW“ * IKIMONO living thing S strokes From a pictograph of a growing plant %, symbolising vitality. Note that there is a character-element st, derived from a differently written plant & , which confusingly is identical to foot/stop st 129, Mnemonic: GROWING PLANT IS A SYMBOL OF LIFE 12FIRST GRADE 43-46 43 = SEI, SHO, aoi i SEINEN youth BLUE, GREEN, YOUNG #2 AOZORA blue sky A 8 strokes i) AOMONO sgreens Also written . 4 is a simplified version of growing plantilife 42. F/R is a simplified version of} . Now an NGU character meaning receptacle/bowl, 3 orig- inally depicted a well 3 1470 with a mark to indicate water in it, Here it has that origi nial meaning, and combines with # to express growth around a full well, which is fresh and green. Green overlaps conceptually with blue, and also has a figurative asso- ciation with immature and young (as in English). Suggest taking as moon 16, Mnemonic: YOUNG BLUE-GREEN PLANTS LIVE ON THE MOON 44 SEKI, yi 4% KONSEKT this evening EVENING 4S YUSHOKU evening meal 3 strokes SH yon setting sun To all intents and purposes derived from the same pictograph of a erescent moon as moon A 16 q.v., but without the pitted surface. The unpitted, only semi-tilted eres- ‘cent moon of 44 came to symbolise evening. Mnemonic: CLEAR MOON INDICATES EVENING. 45 SEKI, SHAKU, ishi 1G 41 KASEKI fos STONE, ROCK a Ti KOISHT pebble 5 strokes Fill SEKIYU petroleum A slightly modified cliff J“ ((o J~ )anda boulder 1. Usually explained as a bout- der having rolled down a cliff, but it is more likely a boulder hewn from a cl face. Mnemonic: ROUND STONE AT BASE OF CLIFF 46 SEKI, SHAKU, akai ae ith sEKIDO equator RED i til SEKIMEN blush PYIN 1 sv0kes Ah AKANBO infant Usually explained as an ideograph combining earth +. 60 and fire lis(variant 1011 8), with a meaning of fired earth/terracotta. However, an old form %& clearly shows that + isa variant of big K 53, giving a meaning of big blaze with a ruddy glow. Mnemonic: BIG FIRE MAKES EARTH GLOW RED 13FIRST GRADE 47-50 47 SEN, chi °F SENEN thousand yen THOUSAND iF GOSEN five thousand 3 strokes + fe CHIDORT plover A combination of person 4 39nd one — 1. Possibly pany for phonetic reasons, in ancient times the body symbolised a thousand, with one thousand being waitten 4, wo thousand 4, and so on Mnemonic: THAT ONE PERSON IS WORTH A THOUSAND OTHERS 48 SEN, kawa JIL KAWAGUCHI rivermouth DAP se Win vic sea 3 strokes IL F JI| EDOGAWA — Edo River Once written [XL showing water 3 flowing between two banks |. See also 40. Mnemonic: RIVER FLOWING BETWEEN BANKS 49 SEN, saki 3 HE SENSEI teacher PREVIOUS,PRECEDE,TIP 4%: A SENGETSU last month 6 strokes 496 YUBISAKI fingertip Accombination of YS and 1L. Asan old form YE clearly reveals, ye derives from foot/stop se 129 and IL derives from person AL39. Stop came to mean by exten- sion eease to bel die, and the whole character meant dead people/ancestors. By as- sociation of ideas it later acquired meanings such as precede, lead, tip, and so on. Sug- est taking asa variant of life % 42. Mnemonic: THOSE DEAD PEOPLE PRECEDED US IN LIFE 50 SO, hayai #& sOxyU immediately EARLY, PROMPT, FAST © [1 HAYAKUCHIrapidspeech 6 strokes SIE (C HAYASINI early death Sun 2 62 and cutting/opening + (see 30), to give a meaning of the sun breaking through (the darkness). ‘The popular theory that -} represents a plant, to give a meaning of the sun just rising through the plants, is incorrect. Fast is an associated meaning with early. Suggest taking + as ten 33, Mnemonic: SUN SHOWS TEN BUT IT'S STILL EARLY 14FIRST GRADE 51-54 Si SOKU, ashi, tariru 4% JE FUSOKU _ insufficiency LEG, FOOT, SUFFICIENT 4 § ASHIKUBI ankle 7 strokes #2 % ASHIOTO footsteps Foot j&. (variant at 129) anda kneecap o , giving (lower) leg. Borrowed phonet- ‘cally to express suffice, though it may also have lent an idea of able (i.e, not maimed), Mnemonic: ROUND KNI E AND FOOT SUFFICE TO SHOW LEG 32 SON, mura f SONCHO village head NP vurace 2A NOSON farming village 7 strokes #t A MURABITO. villager ‘Surprisingly obscure, Of confused etymology, though its elements are clearly tree K 69 and hand/measure =f 909. According to one theory #4 is a simplification of #&., a CO character comprising tree % and eneampment & 1669 q.v. and meaning lacquer tree, with & fel to be used parly for its original meaning of shoot and partly phonetical- ly forthe name of the tree (*} had the same pronunciation). #, became confused with Rl, , 4 CO character meaning village (composed of encampment , and village 355) Thus at one stage both AL, and fl, were used for village. #f then replaced. in this meaning, and #&, went back to meaning lacquer tree. Mnemonic: MEASURE TREES IN VILLAGE 53 TAL, DAL, ékii K& TAIKAL assembly BIG A DAIGAKU university 3 strokes * #8 OGOE loud voice A person standing with arms and legs spread out to look as large as possible Occasionally used to indicate person, as well as big. Mnemonic: PERSON LOOKING BIG AS POSSIBLE 84 DAN, NAN, otoko 3) F DANSHI boy MAN, MALE #5 CHONAN eldest boy 7 strokes B/ OTOKOG! gallantry Usually explained as the strength 77 74 out in the fields. ¥ 59, though there is also a theory that = was used purely phonetically to express a word reliable, to give a meaning of reliable strength. Mnemonic: MAN PROVIDES STRENGTH IN FIELD 15FIRST GRADE 55-58 55 CHU, naka ‘XE CHORITSU — neutrality MIDDLE,INSIDE,CHINA = ‘F &] CHUGOKU China 4 strokes HCA, MANNAKA. very middle Once written &, Some scholars take this to be a stylised depiction of a Magpote rein- forced by a second pole running through its center, while others take it to show an ar row piercing the center of a target. In Chinese itcan still mean hit center, suggest ing the later theory is correct. Also refers to China, the middle kingdom, See also 496, Mnemonic: CHINESE ARROW PIERCES MIDDLE OF TARGET. 56 CHT, musti SER KISEICHT parasite INSECT, WORM 3 @ GAICHU harmnfal inset 6 strokes 42 Y& MUSHIBA decayed tooth From a pictograph of a partly coiled snake. The earliest form 4, suggests a large- headed snake, whereas a later form @, suggests a hooded snake (cobra). In ancient times snakes and insects were teated much alike. Suggest taking # as inside 55. Mnemonic: COILED HOODED SNAKE: SIMILAR INSIDE TO INSECT 37 CHO, machi 8). CHOMIN townspeople TOWN, BLOCK By f CHOCHO — town mayor 7 strokes “FET SHITAMACHI downtown Field 59 qu. and mail J 346. ‘The latter was used phonetically to express walk, and also lent its T-shape to suggest junction of paths. 57 originally meant paths through the fields, and by extension place where fields join, then area/community. Mnemonic: TOWN AT T-JUNCTION OF PATHS THROUGH FIELDS 58 TEN, ama- angel HEAVEN, SKY emperor A strokes FD AMAKUDARI descent from heaven Originally written $&,, showing person 53 with an exaggerated head symbolising ‘uppermost/ upper part. By association it came to mean that up above. Mnemonic: PERSON'S HEAD IS CLOSEST PART TO HEAVEN 1639 DEN, ta fi BR DENEN rural district RICE FIELD fH fi 4 TAUE tice planting 5 strokes Hi & INAKA* countryside A pictograph of a rice field () crossed by ridges/paths +. Mnemonic: RICE FIELD CROSSED BY PATHS 60 DO, TO, tsuchi +1 & poyOsr Saturday EARTH, SOIL, GROUND — +: $1 TOCHI land 3 strokes ck & Va TSUCHIKUSAI cloddish From a pictograph of a clod of earth on the ground s@. The popular theory that it shows aplant + growing in the earth — is incorrect but a useful mnemonic, Mnemonic: PLANT GROWS IN EARTH | 61 em ON, fut =H NIGATSU February TWO o+ NuU twenty Oo strokes =A FUTARI ‘two people Two extended fingers =. Mnemonic: TWO FINGERS 52 NICHI, JITSU, hi, -ka A Hi A NICHTYOBI Sunday | SUN, DAY ” A HONIITSU today 4 strokes = Al FUTSUKA* second day ‘ pictograph of the sun with a sunspot © . Also indicates day, and light. Mnemonic: SUN WITH SPOT 53 NYO, hairy, ireru/ru # A YUNYU import ENTER, PUT IN A 5 4 iricucut entrance 2 strokes Af IREMONO container “opularly said to show a person bending down A. to enter a primitive dwelling. How- ver, old forms such as A, A and /\ show it to be the entrance itself. Anemonic: ENTER THROUGH INVERTED V OPENING 7FIRST GRADE 64-66 64 NEN, toshi 2K 4 RAINEN next year YEAR ‘Hi 4 GONENSEI fifth grader 6 strokes 48 & TOSHIYORI old person Stylised derivative of ideograph % , showing rice-plant & 81 q.v. and bending per- son 9.39. Some scholars take it to show a person bending to cut rice, others as simply showing the relationship between man and rice, while yet others feel that A. was used phonetically to express abundant. The first view is the most likely, but all involve the annual harvest, which symbolised the cycle of a year. Suggest taking F as per- son, and 3 as variant of well # 1470. Mnemonic: PERSON VISITS WELL EVERY YEAR 6s HAKU, shiroi 9] & HAKUSHO White Paper WHITE TH El OMOSHIROT interesting 5 strokes Fl A HAKUJIN Caucasian From a pointed thumbnail 8 (some forms such as 3 show the exaggerated length in vogue in ancient China), used phonetically to express white, and also suggesting pale- ness (relative to the skin). However, there is also some evidence to support a popular be- licf thar 8 shows an acorn, whose inside is whitish (see 218), suggesting that two pic- tographs may have coexisted at one stage. See also 67. Suggest taking @ as sun 62, with 7 asa stroke, Mnemonic: SUNSTROKE LEAVES ONE WHITE?! 66 HACHI, ya- J.B HACHIGATSU August S, EIGHT /\ HR YAOYA* —_ greengrocer 2 strokes: A240 YATSUATART outburst of anger Once written )(, symbolising splitting/dividing. Some scholars feel it was later used for eight since it is a readily divided number, others that its shape was close to the old way of showing eight by bending down the three middle fingers and extending the thumb and little finger. In compounds, often found as »\ or \/, with a meaning of divide/ disperse/ away/ out. Mnemonic: EIGHT CAN BE EASILY DIVIDED — 18FIRST GRADE 67-70 67 HYAKU 8 ff HYAKUBAL hundred-fold HUNDRED Bt HYAKUSHO farmer 6 strokes @ $@ (§ HYAKKATEN department store One — 1 and white @ 65 q.v., here used for its meaning of thumbnail. In ancient times the thumb was used to indicate a hundred, and two hundred was written & , five hundred & (see 19), and so on, Mnemonic: SCORE ONE HUNDRED WITH ONE WHITE THUMBNAIL 68 BUN, MON, fumi 3% BUNGAKU literature WRITING, TEXT iF MONT character 4 strokes. 4% 4% MONBUSHO Ministry of Education Originally writen , depicting a beautifully/ intricately patterned overlaid collar (it can still mean stripe/pattern in Chinese). The core meaning of intricate pattern was eventually extended to writing. Suggest taking X as cross and 4. as a top, Mnemonic: CROSS IS BASIC FORM OF WRITING: TRY TO TOP IT 69 BOKU, MOKU, ki, ko- 4° FH MOKUYOBI Thursday TREE, WOOD AB OKIME grain, texture 4 strokes 2 sh KODACHI grove Pictograph of « tree with sweeping branches >K. Often indicates wooden). Mnemonic; TREE WITH SWEEPING BRANCH. 70 HON, moto fi AE NIHON/NIPPON Japan ROOT,TRUE,BOOK,THIS, 4 i HONYA bookstore CYLINDER-COUNTER — /éj HONTEN S strokes head office, this store Usually explained as an ideograph showing the base — of a tree 2 69, but an old form de shows itto bea pictograph of the roots, Numerous extended meanings have evolved {rom this concept, usualy involving essence/origin. Also used for counting cylindrical objects Mnemonic: TREE WITH ONE CENTRAL ROOT 19FIRST GRADE 71-74 1 MEL, MYO, na ‘6 % YUMEL famous NAME, FAME 4A. MEUIN expert 6 strokes ti NAMAR ame Mouthisay 1 20 and evening 4 44. ‘The latter also lends its sound to express call. ‘That is, in the dim light of evening it was necessary to identify people verbally, calling their names. Mnemonic: MOUTH CALLS NAME AT NIGHT 72 MOKU,BOKU,me,ma- — > f HITOTSUME first one EYE,ORDINALSUFFIX 2 H CHUMOKU attention S strokes 8 HITOMEde —ataglance Pictograph of an eye, originally written 6. Sometimes found as «, but usvally tilted on its axis t0 B. Borrowed to express ordinals. Mnemonic: UPRIGHT EYE 713 ~ RITSU,RYU, tassuwiteru 8 Xp JIRITSU independence “SD STAND, RISE, LEAVE 58 TACHIBA standpoint Dee Seo 82> MeDATSU “soon From a pictograph of a person standing on the ground ds. Originally it mean stand stil shen wo stand up, and by extension came to mean leave Mnemonic: PERSON STANDING 74 RYOKU, RIKI, chikara #E 4 NORYOKU ability STRENGTH, EFFORT A 4 8 JINRIKISHA rickshaw 2 strokes 2) & L CHIKARADAMESHI test of strength From a pictograph of an arm with bulging biceps f, simplified to and later pushing down and symbolising strength/ effort! foree. Mnemonic: HAND PRESSING DOWN WITH STRENGTH 20FIRST GRADE 75-76 78 RIN, hayashi AK RINGAKU forestry FOREST “bs #& KOBAYASHI a sumame 8 strokes EK MITSURIN dense forest As with woods x. 38 qwv., an ideograph showing plural trees 4.69. In comparison {0 38 the tees are fewer, but taller and more stately, which some may feel to be the differ. fence between forest and woods. Mnemonic: FOREST CONTAINS TALL STATELY TREES 76 ROKU, mu AB ROKUGATSU June ——m™ six A MUIKA* sixth day BON Asw0kes Af ROKKAKU hexagon One popular theory claims that an early form GR shows two hands of which the thumbs and index fingers are joined in a circle and the remaining three fingers are pointed downwards. However, @ is: ‘simply a stylistic variation of a still earlier form 4+. ‘This was jn facta roof, and originally had that meaning before being used as a phonetic substitute {or 8 complex character meaning clenched fist, which was an old way of showing six Suggest taking 7» as eight 66 and 1 asa top. Mnemonic: EIGHT TOPPED BY SIX?! END OF FIRST GRADE 2SECOND GRADE 77-79 THE 145 SECOND GRADE CHARACTERS 1 IN, hiku 31 J) INRYOKU gravitation PULL, DRAW 31 qpiKr dictionary 4 strokes WD 9| & TORIAIKI — dealings Bow % 836 anda line |. Some scholars interpret the line as the bow string, i.e. that which is pulled, while others see it simply as an abstract symbol representing stretch ing. Mnemonic: BOW WITH STRING WAITING TO BE DRAWN 78 UN, kumo = UNMO* ‘mica 5. cLoup 4. SEIUN nebula By Ose 3F 8 X UKIGUMO aiifting cloud Originally written @ , later inverted to 2, and eventually z , representing billowing va- pors, This was later used as an NGU character to mean speak, so rain ¥) 3 was added to emphasise cloud. Suggest taking % astwo = 61 noses & 134. Mnemonic: BILLOWING RAIN-CLOUDS LOOK LIKE TWO NOSES 97 EN, tdi 38 ENSOKU excursion DISTANT 3b TOMAWARI detour 13 strokes 38 i ENSHI ongsighted Movement 4_ 129 and SF. The later is a CO character meaning long robe, 10 all in- tents and purposes combining a variant of clothing % 420 with e, meaning encircling and by extension spacious and big, leading by association to long, Here act pho- neticlly to express long, and also lends similar connotations ofits own. Thus Tong, movement, ic. distancel distant. Mnemonic: LOOSE CLOTHES FOR TRAVELING ANY DISTANCE 22SECOND GRADE 80-82 80 KA, nani, nan (181 NANKAI how often? WHAT? HOW MANY? 2 NANIMONO who? \") ee 1A NANNIN how many people? Person 4 39 and ean 31 816 qv., here acting phonetically to express hear and also Tending its own connotations of bending. ‘Thus person bers toad), still retained as a minor meaning in Chinese. In Japanese tis exactly 7 346, Mnemonic: WHAT EXACTLY CAN A PERSON SAY? 81 wp KA ALE KAGAKU science SL course, secrion 2A GAKKA school subject 9 strokes BER AL KENKYUKA research section ice plant & (from a pictograph 3, symbolising grain, and measure 4 1633, 0 Eite 2 meaning of measure grain. By extension this came to mean sift/sort and tnen CateHor’, which by further extension came to mean section. Course is an aseociaca meaning. See also 599, Mnemonic: COURSE TO CATEGORIZE RICE MEASURES 82 KA, GE, natsu WB SHOKA early summer SUMMER HOE MANATSU midsummer 10 strokes, SL NATSUMATSURI summer festival Cr sinaly writen 1, showing a person dancing (symbolised by sopping and starting & 438 qv, holding (symbolised by hands t4) a mask (represent by head G 93 4). How exactly ic came to mean summer isnot clear, Some scholars claim twas hos ‘oe Purely phonetically bu its complexity suggests otherwise. Presumably summer crac tasiated wit a panicular dance or festival. Suggest remembering 5238 he shape of crossedlegs. Mnemonic: MASKED HEAD AND CROSSED LEGS IN SUMMER DANCE 23SECOND GRADE 83-86 83 x KA, KE, ie, ya #& BR NOKA farmhouse HOUSE, SPECIALIST i K BUKE —_wartior family 10 strokes, Ye HR SAKKA waiter Roof/building #7 28 and pig % 1670. Long believed to refer to supposed ancient prac- tice of keeping pigs in house. However, many scholars now take 3% to be used phoneti- cally to express leisure/relax, giving building for relaxing. ‘The pig may also have been associated with not working, as opposed to a working animal such as a horse. Ironically, 83 has now also come to mean (house of) a specialist. Mnemonic: HOUSE LOOKING LIKE PIG-STY ug KA, uta, utaw oF KASHU singer SONG, SING 42 & TANKA short verse 14 strokes 4 SR KAZOEUTA counting-rhyme Lack/ gaping mouth % 471 q.v. and 4. ‘The latter is an NGU character that doubles can 3 816 qv. Itcan mean elder brother (presumably associated with pemnission or po- tential) bat here acts phonetically to express the sound KA doubled, ie. KA-KA. ‘This was the ancient Chinese equivalent of (TRA-)LA-LA, and indicated singing. From is lit eral meaning of emerge from the mouth af may also act to reinforce gaping mouth XR - Thus KA-KA from a wide open mouth. Mnemonic: GAPING MOUTH SINGS THE CAN-CAN 85 GA, KAKU Hi BIGA movie ny PICTURE, STROKE iti fi GAMEN screen 8 strokes i KEIKAKU plan Formerly £, or 2 or B.. & showsa hand # applying a brush 4 142. Wis rice field 59. .»/— indicates partitioning. Thus to partition fields with a brush, i.e. ‘on a map. By extension it also came to mean strokes or diagram/picture. ‘Mnemonic: FIELD IN PICTURE PARTITIONED BY STROKES 86 KAL, mawarulsu (3) & KAITEN revolution TURN, ROTATE fl KAISU frequency 6 strokes @ Pl L UMAWASHT tum of phrase From a symbol of rotational motion @. ‘Mnemonic: COAXIAL ROTATION 24SECOND GRADE 87-90 87 KAT, Fy ae Bit KAISHA company DN MEET 4K ESHAKU greeting 6 strokes Bie KOKKAL ——theDiet Formerly @ , and in ancient times @ , isa pot for steaming rice, and Cis its id, Putting the lid on the pot came to mean put together in general, and eventually became the intransitive come together/ meet. The Simplification using speak & 78 may possibly. stem from confusion with put together & 121 (iterally mouth/say and lid), compounded by confusion of the lower part ofthe pot with an old NGU character meaning sey, £) (see 688) . However, an intermediate form } suggests it may result merely from a paph- ic simplification, Suggest taking % as two = 61 noses 4134, with A as a roof, Mnemonic: TWO NOSES MEET UNDER ROOF aN KAI, umi i 7. KAIGUN navy ~ SEA AW NIHONKAT Japan Sea i 9 strokes #0) UMIBE seaside Water 40 and every 4 206, which may also act phonetically to express salty. ‘Thus every (drop of) (salty?) water. All waters finish in the sea. Mnemonic: EVERY DROP OF WATER GOES INTO SEA ® BA kane 126 KAICA pce pining PICTURE KUCH " fonispeee 12 strokes #@ 4 EHON picture book Formerly 7 . Thread # 27 and put together/meet @ / 87. Originally embroi- dered picture, now picture in general Mnemonic: THREADS MEET IN EMBROIDERED PICTURE 90 ki ®L AE A HOTATEGAI scallop SHELL, SHELLFISH FP KAIGARA seashell NA Totrokes FMM KAIRUL shellfish Usually claimed to be derived from a pictograph of a cone-shell or similar with feelers protruding. A useful mnemonic, but old forms such as B4/ Bl show that it derives from an exaggeratcdly pointed bivalve. Shells were once used as money and symbolised val- Uuable items or assets. In compounds 90 is generally used in such an extended sense. Mnemonic: SHELLFISH WITH PROTRUDING FEELERS 25SECOND GRADE 91-94 91 GAI,GE,soto,hoka,hazusu 4 A. GAUIN, foreigner OUTSIDE,OTHER,UNDO % #} GEKA surgery S strokes $l SOTOGAWA exterior Crescenit moon 7 44 and | . The latter shows a erack (in a turtle shell used in divina. tion), and is in fact an NGU character meaning di In.. 7 is used phonetically to ex- press split open, and also lends its crescent shape to suggest a turtle shell. Since the cracks generally appeared on the outside (convex) surface of the shell, 91 came to mean outsidefouter, Other and undo are associated meanings. ‘Mnemonic: CRESCENT MOON WITH CRACK ON OUTSIDE 92 KAN, KEN, aida, ma 8 fe TIKAN hour, time SPACE, GAP A.[i NINGEN human being BY roscoe WSR MACHIGAL mistake Door/gate P| 211 with sun(light) @ 62 showing through, indicating a gap or space. In olden times moon 16 could be used instead of sun with no change of meaning, Mnemonic: GATE WITH SPACE TO LET SUN SHINE THROUGH 93 GAN, kao i ii GANMEN face FACE Bi & KAORO complexion ID: 18 strokes MATA KAOTSUKI features is an NGU character now used to mean page, but in Chinese can still be use in its original meaning of head. It derives from §%,, showing person 39 with exaggerated head G. # isan NGU character meaning handsome. © is a variant of intricate elegant collar £ 68, here meaning attractive, while / is a CO character meaning hair, show- ing tree delicate hairs and sometimes meaning delicate and by extension attractive . is cliff 45, here used largely phonetically 10 express forehead but probably also suggest- ing brow in itself. Thus € means literally altractive forehead, with head & rein- forcing this. It then came to mean attractive face, then just face. Suggest taking # as a variant of stand % 73. Mnemonic: ONLY THREE HAIRS STAND ON HEAD: GLUM FACE 94 Nhe YR KISHA steam rain ~ STEAM, VAPOR A KISEN steamship 4 7 strokes. SALE KIATSU steam pressure Water 3 40 and vapor 11 Mnemonic: STEAM COMPRISES WATERY VAPORS 26SECOND GRADE 95-98 oN KI % KISHA journalist = ACCOUNT, CHRONICLE i % KUL antcle a 10 strokes @ NIKKI diary Words % 274 and selfithread @ 855 q.v., used both for its sound to express account 4nd for its idea of from end to end. Thus thorough verbal account, now also of written accounts. Mnemonic: WORDY ACCOUNT OF ONESELF 96 KI, kaeru #8 (6 KIKA ——naturalisation J RETURN 48% KISET homecoming 7 10 stokes #8 D3 KAERIMICHT way back Formerly fi. § is an NGU character meaning broom (from a hand 2 holding a broom WP), and by extension meant (house-)wife (see also 779), $ isa variant of follow if 350. Thus wife following, In ancient China it was the custom for a groom to spend some time at his new bride's home, before returning to his own home with his wife fol- lowing, Suggest taking simplified \) as sword 181 Mnemonic: RETURN WITH WIFE CARRYING BROOM AND SWORD 97 GYU, ushi “ 1 GYUNIKU beef COW, BULL “& 3, GYUNYO milk 4 strokes 4 G1\9 USHIKAL ——cowherd From a stylised pictograph of a cow's head and horns 4. Opinion is divided as wo ‘whether the lower exoss-stroke depicts ears or represents the erown of the heed. Mnemonic: COW WITH EARS AND BROKEN HORN 98 GYO, uo, sakana SIR KINGYO ——goldtisn FISH #2 » voTsuRI fishing DANN HU strokes {UB SAKANAYA fishmonger From a pictograph of fish J. Suggest remembering by association with fire» 8 Mnemonic: FISH WITH FIERY TAIL 21SECOND GRADE 99-101 9 KYO, KET RK TOKYO Tokyo CAPITAL EKK JOKYO going ocapita WB KEIHIN 8 strokes atr ‘rete Often explained as deriving from a pictograph of a stone lantern § at the gate of the em- peror's palace in the capital. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect. It derives from a picto- graph AR . Some scholars see this as a tower of the emperor's palace, others as a house fon a hill . In ancient China nobles generally lived on hilltops, with commoners on the flattand. Since nobles also spent much of their time in the eapital (to be near the emperor), the idea of the place where nobles live is felt to have eventually become associated with ‘the capital, It can still mean height in Chinese. Mnemonic: STONE LANTERN AT EMPEROR'S PALACE IN CAPITAL. 100 KYO, GO, tsuyoi 438 BENKYO study STRONG 3816 KYOKA strengthening 11 strokes RU TSUYOMI — strongpoint Formerly 3% . & is insect 56. 3p (also #4 ) isan NGU character meaning big/strong, and is technically a simplification of the NGU character 38, also big/strong. This com- prises bow 3 836 and big % (actually large area of delineated fields, similar to 85 q.¥), giving big, strong bow. In the case of 100 it acts phonetically to express pierce, and also lends an idea of big and strong. Thus big, strong insect that pierces, a refer- ence to the horsefly. This came to represent strength, possibly via an intermediate mean- ing of persistent. Suggest taking 4 as nose 134 Mnemonic: STRONG INSECT DRAWS BOW WITH ITS NOSE 101 KYO, oshieru 4 & KYOKAL ‘church TEACH % B KYOSHITSU classroom LI strokes #2. F OSHIEGO pupil Formerly $ and originally $A, showing that § is not piety $ 860qv. £ (now # ) is the same erossed sticks! emulation as in 10q.v., while $/ # is child 25. A/K shows a hand holding a cane or stick, and means strike/ coerce/ cause to do (sometimes interchanged with &/& , showing a hand holding a whip), Thus, force a child to emulate, ic. teach. See also 197, Mnemonic: CANE IN HAND TEACHES CHILD STICK ARRANGING 28SECOND GRADE 102-105 102 GYOKU, tama HS GYOKUHAT jade cup JEWEL, BALL + ® ® TAMATSUKI _ billiards DX Sstrokes 5 5E MEDAMA eyeball From a pictograph of a string of beads $, probably originally jade discs. Ball is an ‘extended meaning. The extra point + was added to distinguish it from king £. 5, but is, dropped in the radical Mnemonic: STRING OF JEWELS FIT FOR KING oN KIN, chikai iE Bf KINIO neighborhood 4 NEAR 220 SAIKIN recently T strokes EH CHIKAMICHT shortcut Movement i 129 and ax ff 1176, here used phonetically o express short and proba by also lending an idea of chop/make small, Thus short movement, indicating near. Mnemonic: DISTANCE TO MOVE CHOPPED, MAKING IT NEAR 108 KEL, GY@, kata, katachi 1% st KEISHIKI form ‘4 SHAPE, PATTERN ATE NINGYO doll (BT 1c0kes, He {f & KATACHIZUKURU form Once writen iY . xf isnot well # 1470, buta grille or lattice window, here mean- ing pattern or frame. % is hairs 93, here also suggesting pattern and reinforcing. ‘Thus pattern/shape. Some scholars feel 4, indicates a brush, to give a meaning of write downicopy a pattern. Mnemonic: PUT HAIRS INTO PATTERN OF WELL-FRAME 0s KEI, hakaru st GOKEL tonal — MEASURE St KEISAN calculation vu 9 strokes: %& 0% Ft KANDANKED thermometer Words % 274 and ten + 33, meaning to count in tens and later just count/measure. Mnemonic: COUNTING IN T 'S IS A WAY OF MEASURING 29SECOND GRADE 106-109 106 om 3E RA GENKI good health ORIGIN, SOURCE Ji GANRAL originally IG Astrokes 7B Y MOTODORI as before Once written R, showing a person © 39 with the head exaggerated. As in English, the head symbolised upper part or prime part, and by extension origin. An extra top stroke was added later for emphasis. Suggest taking = as two 61. Mnemonic: TWO PERSONS OF SAME ORIGIN 107 GEN, hara RF GENSHI atom PLAIN, ORIGIN JL GENBUN original text 10 strokes # J KUSAHARA grassy plain WN tro grassy pl J iscliff 45, 2 isa variant of spring $ 915 qv. Thus cliffside spring, and by extension source or origin, often with connotations of primary/primitive/natural. Plain/moor is felt by some scholars to be a borrowed meaning, and by others to stem from the idea of primitive and undeveloped land. Mnemonic: ORIGINALLY CLIFF WITH FUNNY SPRING, NOW A PLAIN 108 wm KO, 10 PSL KOGAT outdoor DOOR FE KOSHU head of house 4 srokes FO TOGUCHT — doorway Prom a pictograph of a door Bi, being one half of door/gate P4 211 Mnemonic: ONE DOOR FORMS HALF A GATE 109 KO, furui @@ ui FUKKO restoration ow 4 te % KOKOGAKU archeology 5 strokes di FURUHON secondhand book Somewhat obscure, Commonly explained as mouth/say 2 20 and ten + 33, with the latter meaning many, to give something told many times,and therefore old. A useful ‘mnemonic, but shown to be incorrect by old forms such as 8, Some scholars take this to indicate a skullslike mask (sometimes an actual skull) wor at festivals honoring ances- tor-gods. Since the ancestor-gods were people of old, the mask itself came to symbolise antiquity and hence old. Mnemonic: AN OLD STORY, TOLD AT LEAST TEN TIMES 30110 GO fil GOZEN — am., moming NOON “F # GOGO p.m. aftemoon 4 strokes JE 4 SHOGO noon From a pictograph of a pestle J. It was borrowed to express the central zodiac/ horary sign, ic. the middle part of the day, partly because a pestle was associated with striking the center of a mortar, Pestle itself is now represented by an NGU character adding wood *{ 69, #. Distinguish cow 4 97. Mnemonic: NOON STRIKES, KNOCKING TOP BIT OFF COW ut 2 GO, KO, ushiro, ato, 44 & IGO after nochi, okureru te KOHAN second half BEHIND, AFTER, DELAY #5 ATOAJI aftertaste 9 strokes Road/movement 4 118 qv., inverted foot & 438, and & , a CO character meaning Smalll and to all intents and purposes a short version of thread fe 27. 4 normally com. bines with uninverted foot st to give normal progress/movement (see 129), but here, in combination with inverted foor, indicates abnormal progress, & acts phonetically to express go but also lends its meaning of little. Thus to make (abnormally) little Progress, indicating delay and by extension coming after/behind. Suggest taking Z as sitting crosslegged. Mnemonic: SIT CROSSLEGGED ON THREADING ROAD, FALL BEHIND mw GO, kataru at a GOCHO tone = TELL, SPEAK, TALK 4) #7 MONOGATARI saga vo TP stokes fl * 88 NIHONGO Japanese language Words $ 274 and & . The later is an NGU character meaning Wme, but in Chinese can also mean resist. It was originally written ¥ , showing two identical reels % 19, This expressed the idea of being equal and well matched, leading both to resist and to its use as a first person pronoun: that is, one who is a person just like anyone else, Note that not all first person references were depreciatory (see also 817). 112 originally ‘meant match someone verbally, i.e. in an argument or similar, but later came to mean speak well and later tell/speak in a broad sense. Suggest taking & as five 19 and @ 1s mouth 20, Mnemonic: FIVE MOUTHS SPEAK MANY WORDS 31SECOND GRADE 113-116 3 KO, KU T #% KOIO factory WORK AX. JINKO manmade 3 strokes AT DAIKU carpenter A carpenter's adze-cum-square, originally written IL. Symbolises work. Mnemonic: WORK WITH CARPENTER'S SQUARE 4 KG, hiroi/geru IK ® KODAI vast WIDE, SPACIOUS 1 ® HIROSHIMA place name Ly 5 strokes IK 4 KOKOKU advertisement | Formerly & , and originally (1. (\//* shows a roof/building. %/% is yellow 120 qv, here used phonetically to express space but possibly also lending an idea of big area from its original meaning of flaming arrow, with its connotations of illuminating an area. 114 originally referred to a spacious building, and now means spacious in a broad sense. Suggest taking the modern 4 as an elbow. Mnemonic: SPACIOUS BUILDING WITH ELBOW-ROOM us x KO, majiru, kawasu 3i& KOrsd traffic MIX, EXCHANGE S43 GAIKO diplomacy OA, 6 strokes 3% #& KOKAN exchange From a pictograph of a person sitting with crossed legs @. Crossing gave rise to various extended meanings such as intermingle, mix, change, exchange. Suggest taking 7% as six 76and > as across. Mnemonic: MIX SIX CROSSES 116 ~p, KO, hikaru, hikari Fit NIKKO sunlight LIGHT, SHINE 36 4 KONEN light year 6 strokes ¢ % KOGAKU optics Old forms such as % show sk to be a variant of fire X 8, with being bending per- son 39. Some scholars feel Lis used purely phonetically to express big, giving big fire and by extension light. However, the positioning of the components suggests a fire car- ried overhead, i.e. a torch. Mnemonic: PERSON CARRIES FIRE THAT SHINES LIGHT 32SECOND GRADE 117-119 uy KG, kangaeru % #® KOAN idea CONSIDER @* SankO reference 6 strokes % & % KANGAEGOTO concem Once written. (now 3) isa rather awkward ideograph showing a bent figure A, 39 and long hair Pathe same form as hair #/€, 210), both of which were aeerece with ofd age. '/5 (also § )is twisting waterweed 281, emphasising the idea of bending. Thus an old man bent with age, a meaning tll ound in Chinese, Some scholars feel consider is a borrowed meaning, others see it as stemming from the wisdom associated with old age. Suggest remembering old man ¥ by association with earth = 60, with / representing something half-buried, i. ready for grave. BENT OLD MAN CONSIDERS BURIAL IN EARTH o_O, GVO, AN, iku, yuku, 4 TKKG canying out okonau 42 Fl) GYORETSU procession GO,CONDUCT,COLUMN #7 4) YUKUE* — whereabouts 6 strokes, From a pictograph of crossroads 4. Has a range of extended meanings, such as go, travel, column, and act. As a radical, simplified 1o 4. Otten combined with foot sk 129 qv. to produce i. or 3, both indicating movement. Mnemonic: COLUMN GOES ALONG TO CROSSROADS 19 Samm KO, taka, taka #4 HR KOGEN plateau TALL, HIGH, SUM. HL SATIKO highest 2 yl 10 strokes ffi TAKANE high price Aso . From a pictogaph ofa all watehtower 4p. Sum drives fom the idea of build up. Mnemonic: TALL WATCHTOWER 33SECOND GRADE 120-123 120 KG, 6, kiiro HR KYO yellow leaves YELLOW % @ OGON old 11 strokes: 3% & KURO yellow, ™~ Formerly fj ,and.in ancient ies $ or $. fishows an arroxe, while © is combust- ible material bound to it (some scholars claim’a weight to counterbalance combustibie material at tp). The exact meaning of (earliest form tJ ) isnot clear, but itis known t0 be associated with burning and is possibly a stylised variant of an early form of fre V8, “The original mening of 120 was flaming arrow, Yellow was the color ofthe light giv- cen off, and came to prevail asa meaning. Suggest remembering Naming arrow by as tion with grass + 9 and field 59. Mnemonic: ARROW BURNS YELLOW WITH GRASS FROM FIELD a GO,KATSU, auwaseru 8! GORE rationality MEET, JOIN, FIT @ ®& KASSEN battle yp 6 strokes 5 L & 6 HANASHIAT discussion Originally >. Aisa lid or cover. Some scholars see as a container, to give a similar meaning to that of 87, while others see it as mouth /say 20, to give a meaning imilar to the English term cap off a remark, ie. reply fittingly. The role of 121 in reply "& 185 qv. supports the latter theory. It now means fit or join in a broad sense. Mnemonic: CAP FITS MOUTH 122 \ KOKU, tani, ya 4 YOKOKU — deep ravine VALLEY, GORGE 4 i TANIZOKO valley bottom 7 strokes S& 4 )I| HASEGAWA® sumame Opening o 20 and splitting 1\ 66, doubled for emphasis. Thus deeply/ widely split opening, ic. valley or gorge. Mnemonic: VALLEY IS DOUBLY SPLIT OPENING 123 KOKU, kuni 94 Fl GAIKOKU ‘overseas COUNTRY, REGION QUIS] SHIKOKU Shikoku 8 strokes FI KOKKA state Formerly (#7. Wis delineated area 809 gwv., while [2 indicates enclosed. ‘The mod- em form uses jewel % 102, though king £ 3 might have been a more logical choice. S COUNTRY IS AN ENCLOSED JEWEL Mnemonic: ONE 34SECOND GRADE 124-127 124 KOKU, kuroi A KOKUIIN negro Gg BLACK x KUROMI (in) 'the black’ 1 strokes #89695 KOKUSHIBYO Iw black death Formerly <2. and originally $f . is ame 1024. @ represents a grille or window @ With marks s: on itesulting fm it position over the flames, i.e. soot . Soot symbolic ¢s black. Suggest following the popular but incorrect theory that 2 is field 39 and 2 's ground 60, with ww as fire &, giving the color of the ground ina burnt held Mnemonic: GROUND IN BURNT FIELD IS BLACK 1s KON, KIN, ima 4 #1 KONSHO this week — NOW 4 © KONDO this time 4 strokes 4% KOTOSHI* this year Somewhat obscure. Once written sand . is cover 87. € is felt to mean put in a corner {conceal (variant \ 349), Thus to cover/hide, Some scholars fed! it was bor, rowed to express sudden, which came to mean imminent and finally now. Mnemonic: COVER THE CORNER, RIGHT NOW 126, SAI Kt TENSAL genius TALENT, YEAR OF AGE aE SAINO talent 3 strokes FF GOSAT five years old Originally X. later %, depicting a dam @ across stream |. Tis curent meanings result from borrowing. Mnemonic: FUNNY DAM BUILT BY TALENTED ONE-YEAR-OLD 7 PJ Saku, 5A, tsukurn AL fe SEISAKU production E MAKE fe dh SAKUHIN a work 7 strokes H fe DOSA action d is person 39. # is an NGU character now borrowed phonetically to express white but ‘originally meant make. It derives from 6, with e being a type of adze and A being wood 69, giving adze on wood and thus make/construct something, Here it lende is early meaning of make, and also acts phonetically to express deceive - Thus a madel constructed person used to deceive, ie. a dummy ot by extension stand-in. Over the years the elements became reinterpreted a5 person who makes, rather than person ‘who is made, and finally came to mean just make. Suggest taking asa saw. Mnemonic: PERSON WITH SAW ABOUT TO MAKE SOMETHING 35SECOND GRADE 128-130 128 SAN it KEISAN calculation RECKON, COUNT FL YOSAN budget 14 stokes $% SANSU arithmetic tris bamboo 170. ¥ derives from A, showing two hands YX holding what is felt to be an abacus @. Thus use @ bamboo abacus. Mnemonic: COUNT BY USING BAMBOO ABACUS WITH BOTH HANDS 129 SHI, tomeru/maru 81k CHUSHT suspension sToP tt % J TOMEDO end 4 strokes ik DA TOMARIGE perch From a pictograph of a (left) footprint ©, later Originally meant fot, but also came to mean stop, from the idea of planting the foot. Confusingly, it can also be used in compounds 10 mean move, from the idea of a trail of footprints, but when used in this sense it i almost always used in combination with road 4 118 to give e and hence i_/ 4/4. Also confusingly, the shape ste is virtually identical with jb, a rarely encountered variant of growing plant ‘£42, Suggest remembering by association with above 37, Mnemonic: FOOTPRINTS STOP ABOVE LINE 130 sy, int 9K SUITASHT Suita City CITY, MARKET 69% SHU market 5 strokes fH UOICHL ——fishmarket Originally #1. seis stop 129.) (indicates confines and by extension delineated area. 7 is a variant of waterweed 5 281, which normally indicates bending but confusingly can occasionally mean flat (from the idea of the weed twisting up tothe surface and then spreading ovt fla). Thus place where things flatten out and stop, Fanciful as it ‘may seem, this was a reference tothe abstract idea of the leveling of opposed interests of buyer and seller, which took place in a market. Markets were usually held in large towns, Suggest taking fp as cloth 778 and 4. asa top hat. Mnemonic: GO TO CITY MARKET TO BUY CLOTH TOP HAT 36SECOND GRADE 131-133 LI SHI, omou {48 suiso ‘ideology WD os Usually explained as heart/feelings 1 147 qv. and field 59, tothe effect tha peo Ple of old were constantly thinking oftheir fields and crops. A useful mnemonie, bee inc orect. Old forms such as @ show that isa brain (froma depiction ofa brain with srenellations @). Thus the feelings in one’s brain, i. thoughts \ ti + OMomASU recall Mnemonic: ALWAYS THINKING OF ONE'S FIELD IN ONE'S HEART 132 SHI, kami a YOSHI book-cover PAPER 40 # WASHI Japanese paper 10 strokes Ff TEGAMI letter f is thread 27, here meaning silk thread. & is spoon/ladie 495 q.v., here used pho- netically to express smooth and possibly also lending similar connotations (the surface of 8 spoon usually being smooth). 132 originally referred to smooth silk, and by extension Smooth cloth. In ancient times cloth was used as writing material, and thus 132 came to ‘mean writing material and hence paper. Mnemonic: POUND THREADS WITH SPOON TO MAKE PAPER 133 JI, tera % Z = RYGANI Ryoan Temple TEMPLE. “5 Be JIN Buddhist temple 6 strokes Ui $F YAMADERA ‘mountain temple Once written fF leading to long-standing belief that seis stop s&.129, However, an earlier form shows that iis in fac the confusingly similar variant of ‘growing plant 4 42.qy. Itis used here to symbolise activity (an extended meaning from living growth 48 opposed to inanimate inertia), and combines with measure/hand + 909, which here ‘means regular and methodical use of the hands, o give active and methodical use of the hands (rather than stationary work with hands when = is taken to meen stop). This was a reference to clerical work (the English use of the term manual labor to ‘mean physical labor being somewhat misleading), and by extension place of work! government office, It can still have this meaning in Chinese, but generally came to ‘mean temple since temples were often associated with clerical work. Suggest aking as ground 60. Mnemonic: TEMPLE HAS MEASURED GROUNDS 37SECOND GRADE 134-136 134 Ji, SHI, mizukara 8 BUN self SELF 4% SHIZEN ature 6 strokes: 6 {8 JISHIN self-confidence From a stylised depiction of the nose ‘#, for some reason showing what appears to be @ ridge =. Self stems from the Oriental practice of pointing to the nose to refer to oneself, as opposed to the chest as in the West, Self is sometimes expressed by 2, an NGU char- acter and a common element in compounds. Its early form is 2, the same form as plow 419 qv. Some scholars see these as one character, plow, with self stemming from a pho- netic borrowing, while others see it as depicting a nose seen side-on and thus by associa- tion self. Suggest remembering by association with eye 72, taking / asa stroke. Mnemonic: NOSE IS JUST A STROKE FROM EYE, SYMBOLISING SELF 135 JI, toki 85 40 DAL ‘era, period TIME, HOUR = 8 NUL ‘two o'clock DP to strokes BY RF TOKIDOKI sometimes Surprisingly obscure. Originally written §, showing stop W//t 129 and sun /day B 62, and possibly having a meaning such as end of the day and thus symbolising the passage of time, However, at a very early stage stop st appears to have become con- fused with growing plant $/'E 42 qv., giving $, which possibly meant emergence of the sun, At a later stage 2 was replaced by temple # 133 q.v., used phonetically to express move and probably also lending connotations of regularity. Thus regular movement of the sum, ie. time, Hour is an associated meaning, Mnemonic: TELL TIME BY SUN ON TEMPLE, 136 = SHITSU, muro 289 SHITSUNAI indoors ROOM, HOUSE J %_ KYOSHITSU living room 9 strokes $2 JR MUROTSU place-name 7 is roof 28. is arrive 875 q.v., here acting phonetically to express stop and also lending a similar idea of arrive and stop (from an arrow sinking in). Thus place under roof where one can stop, ie. a room. By extension it is sometimes used to mean house or household. Mnemonic: ARRIVE AT ROOFED ROOM. 3837 SHA, yashiro # & SHAKAT society SHRINE 48 4h TINIA shrine 7 strokes 4t BL SHAIN company employee Formerly 2. %/% is altar 695 q.v. 2 is ground 60, The ground around an altar was sacred, and thus a shrine, Mnemonic: ALTAR GROUND IS SHRINE 138 JAKU, yowai 38 A JAKUTEN ‘weak point <= WEAK 33 JAKUSHO. Ppuniness KUBIKiRI decapitation Yriginally %, showing an eye with exaggerated eyebrow and indicating the eye area of the ace, However, later forms such as_@} show confusion with head @/@ 93, with haie Madded. Can also be used figuratively as ¢ est taking @ asa variant of 93, with +? as hi f. Neck is an associated meaning. Sug- ir. Tnemonic: CHIEF HAS HAIR ON HEAD 40 > SHU, aki SK BANSHO tate autumn AUTUMN * $ SHUBUNautumn equinox 9 strokes #k 2% AKIZORA — autumn sky ice plant £ 81 and fire X 8. Some scholars feel X is used purely phonetically to ‘press gather, thus referring to the autumn harvest. However, it may also lend a mean. 8 of dry (after the heat of summer) or refer literally to the autumn erop-fires caused "the Foehn Wind, nemonic: RICE PLANTS CAN GET BURNED IN AUTUMN 39SECOND GRADE 141-144 141 SHUN, haru § # SEISHUN youth SPRING 3% # BAISHUN prostitution 9 strokes 3% HF HARUGI spring clothes Originally ¥F, showing the vigorous growth of a mulberry plant ¥f(see 1518) in the sunshine @ 62. Vigorous growth symbolises spring. Suggest taking & as three 23 people A39. Mnemonic: THREE PEOPLE ENJOY SPRING SUN 142 SHO, kaku iC SHOKI secretary WRITE 4 74 & KYOKASHO textbook UG 10 strokes 38 HAGAKI postcard # shows ahand 2 holding a brush A. & is a simplified form of thing % 298, which also lends its sound to express copy. Thus copy a thing by brush, ic. write. Suggest taking as day 62. Mnemonic: TAKE BRUSH IN HAND DAILY AND WRITE 143 SHO, sukoshi, sukunai “> 4 SHONEN ayouth AY rew, aur 2b # SHOSU minority 4 strokes % a> TASHO more or less Originally «\". As small »1s 36 but with four points instead of three, to suggest smaller size, It originally meant tiny size but is now generally applied to quantity rather than size. Mnemonic: SMALL WITH JUST A LITTLE EXTRA 144 a JO, ba 4 KAUO meeting place PLACE A 4 NYUIO admission iq 12 strokes JK 4% HIROBA ‘open space + is ground 60. § is a CO character now meaning bright and open out. Its carly form $ shows the sun B 62 rising high and shining down (represented by a symbol 7 conveniently thought of as rays), and in compounds it often lends a meaning of rise. Sun rising and shedding light led by association to bright and to the idea of opening something up to the light. Here it lends a meaning of open and also lends its sound to express clear. Thus clear open ground, now used to mean place. Mnemonic: PLACE WHERE SUN SHINES DOWN ON GROUND 40SECOND GRADE 145-147 45 SHOKU, SHIKI, iro 8$ € KOSHOKU amorousness COLOR, SENSUALITY — 3 SHIKISO Pigment 6 strokes 48 & GINIRO silver color Once written B. AV shows a person bending, B/@, also shows a person bend- ine (originally knesling, bu sed 10 indicate bending body in genera). ‘Thus one person bending over another bending person, which was a reference tothe sex act. It stil reure strong sexual connotations, especially in Japanese Its not completely clear how iteamee ra mean color. However, many scholars feel that it was used to refer 1 sexual partner, specially from a male perspective, and tha it then came to mean sexually attractive Mnemonic: COLORFUL TALE ABOUT BODIES BENT IN SEX ACT 146 SHOKU, taberu, kun 4 SHOKUII meal FOOD, EAT & <" TABEMONO food 9 strokes #¢ \ 9 KUIMONO food, victim Originally @ , showing food piled in a long-stemmed dish and essentially the same Prototype as vessel SE 1640. At an early stage the piled food ~ became a lid A 87, iv. ing covered food in dish. Thus food and by association eat. Suggest remembering by association with good K 98, As aradical, usually R,® , or € Mnemonic: COVERED FOOD GOOD FOR EATING a7 SHIN, kokoro #0 CHUSHIN core t NOS HEART, FEELINGS ob BL SHINZO heart 4 strokes 4&1» MAGOKORO. sincerity From a piciograph ofa heart GP. Also used figuratively a feelings or mind, As ara ica usually {Suggest remembering a8 & heart whose strokes have been ‘damaged! by stylisation Mnemonic: HEART SHOWS STROKE DAMAGE 41SECOND GRADE 148-150 148 # — SHIN, atarashii, arara Wi 4% SHINNEN New Year NEW ‘i dh SHINPIN — newarticle 13 strokes i A. SHINJIN newcomer Originally $, showing ax ©9/ff 1176and needle/sharp $/3 1432. Thus sharp ax. ‘Avan early stage the barbs ofthe needle became merged or confused with tree A 69 and its branches, giving $ and a meaning of chop down a tree, ‘The idea of cutting wood is retained in firewood. i 1445,that adds plant =f 9, (Note also that $ exists as a CO character meaning thorn-tree, but does not actin that capacity here.) How exactly 148 came to mean new is not clear. Some scholars feel it was borrowed phonetically, but its com- plexity suggests otherwise, More likely, the idea of chopping down tees was associated with building, i.e. new construction, or else newly cut wood requiring seasoning. Sug- gest taking @ as stand 73, Mnemonic: STAND OF TREES NEWLY CUT DOWN BY SHARP AX SHIN, shitashii, oya 1 & RYOSHIN parents INTIMATE, PARENT. $i Si SHINRUI relatives 16 strokes. LF OVAKO parent and child ‘Somewhat obscure. Originally $4, showing see {@ 18 and needle/sharp 8 # 1432, the latter acted phonetically to express kin, giving kin one sees (all the time), ie, one's nmediate family. Possibly because of the similarity to 148 q.v., 149 similarly (but at a later stage) replaced needle $ with needle-tree 3, though the sound value was unaffected, Suggest taking #2 as stand 73 and as tree 69, Mnemonic: PARENT SEES ALL FROM STAND OF TREES 150 ZU, TO, hakarw 28 cmzu map PLAN, DIAGRAM Hi ZuGA drawing 7 strokes [1 # fM) TOSHOKAN library Formerly []. Q isan enclosure. % is to all intents and purposes a variant of the fields and sections seen in picture Gi 85 q.v. In fact, 150 and 85 are very similar in their basic meaning of partitioning fields on a map. Suggest taking X as X and “as two pointers Mnemonic: DIAGRAM WITH SPOT MARKED BY X AND TWO POINTERS, 42SECOND GRADE 151-153 151 SU, SU, kazu, kazoeru 2&2 SUGAKU mathematics NUMBER, COUNT #1 suze rosary 4. 13 strokes ®t KAZUKAZU many Formerly PC. Lis tik in hand 101, usually meaning strike but here indicating anand holding counting sticks. ¥ is a rare NGU character now meaning tie or often (also. wear in Chinese), but its original meaning was shamaness. Is comprises woman 35 and“ an obscure element that appears to mean link items (aot unlike skewer 1101), [Ahamaness was a woman linked tothe gods (kamigakari). Here“ lends ts ound tg expzess chant, and presumably lends sinvlar connotation of is own om the chanting oe, sociated with a shamaness. ‘Thus chant while holding counting sticks, seeing count and mumber. The moder form uses rice 4201, primarily 4s «graphic sieplie cation but possibly aso using rice grains to suggest quan, Mnemonic: WOMAN COUNTS NUMBER OF RICE GRAINS BY HAND 152 SEI, SAI, nishi Re seve the West WEST BU KANSAT — Kanssi area 6 suokes #% Fl NISHIBI afternoon san Originally W, showing a basket. The basket was used as a crude wine press, and later forms such as @& show the addition of a pressing device F. It was used phonetically to express west, but also lends a suggestion of falling (sun) from the idea of falling drops of wine. See also 399 Mnemonic: SUN FALLS IN WEST LIKE DROP FROM WINE PRESS 153 QE SET, SHO, koe FY SEIEN vocal support VOICE A DAIONIO. loud voice 7 strokes ht & SS NAKIGOE sobbing voice Formerly 4 . ¥ is ear 29. fis a simplification of AE , a CO character indicating a mu- sical instrument using suspended stones. Tt comprises stone & 45, strike © (a hand holding an ax /a., now used rather like strike AK 101), and f, which derives from a pie. tograph of the instrument itself . Thus that which enters the ear when a mush. cal instrument fs struck, ie, sound. It can still mean sound in Chinese, but in Japa nese is found only in its extended meaning of voice. Suggest taking + as samurai 494 and f asa variant of door 7 108. Mnemonic: VOICE OF SAMURAI AT DOOR 43SECOND GRADE 154-157 154 SEI, SHO, hoshi Jk HA KASEL Mars STAR 55 2 MYOIO Venus 9 strokes, if tt. NAGAREBOSHI shooting star Formerly “2, and originally simply &, showing a trebling of sun @ 62. fis now bright 1403, but its original meaning was many points of light. Bicthllife 42 was sudded primarily for its sound, to express clear, but may also lend an idea of activity, light that twinkles as opposed to inert ight. ‘Thus many points of (twinkling?) light, ie. stars. Mnemonic: STARS BORN FROM SUN 155 SEI, hareru fit % SEITEN clear sky CLEAR, BRIGHT PAY HAREBARE bright A ones a Hana endo Also ai. @ issun 62. #/% is blue! young 43, here used phonetically to express open/ elear and possibly also lending an idea of fresh and blue, Thus elear open sun, ie. clear weather. Mnemonic: SUN AGAINST BLUE MEANS CLEAR WEATHER 156 SETSU, SAI, #8) SHINSETSU kindness cur — 9 ISsar all 4 strokes 9) 0 HARAKIRI — harakiri 71is sword/cut 181. is seven 30 q.v., with its literal meaning of cutting. Mnemonic: SEVEN SWORD CUTS. 17 SEy sets, ne HES KOSETSU — snowiall KE? snow AS OFUKI heavy snow 11 strokes && SH JOSETSUSHA snowplow ‘Also Sand earlier &. is rain 3, here meaning that which falls from the h ens. 2 is hand, while 4+ is « broom doubled for emphasis and symbolising clearing away. ( exists as an NGU character now meaning comet, from the idea of a sweeping tail, but in Chinese still means broom/sweep.) Being able to clear away that which has fallen from the heavens indicates that it has some substance toi, ie. snow. ‘Mnemonic: RAIN THAT HAND SWEEPS AWAY IS SNOW 44SECOND GRADE 158-160 18D SEN, fune, funa- 48% SENCHO captain a BOAT, SHIP ¥ #8 KOGIBUNE Towboat 1 strokes $8 (8 FUNABIN. —sea-mail tis boat 1354, @ isa CO character now meaning water at base of bill, bot it originally meant hollowed out (from splivout 66 and opening © 20), and was virwaly a lesser version of valley 2 122, Thus @ hollowed out boat. Opinion is divided as to whether this initially referred toa primitive dug-out or rather tothe carying capacity of a boat (ef English vessel), Suggest taking /~ as eight and cas hole Mnemonic: BOAT WITH EIGHT PORTHOLES IS SHIP 9 SZ. EN, me fi ZENSHA the former BEFORE, FRONT ®t KUZEN — unprecedented A‘ 9 strokes BY 4h 3 MAEBARAT prepayment Formerly fjivand easier J}. 4/41 is swordlcut 181. $/4F is anovw defunct char- acter meaning advance, comprising foot x= 129 (now a), here meaning go, and boat ‘1-4 1354, which from its connotations of hollowed out (wood) was occasionally used, as here, to refer toa primitive ype of clog. Thus ° mean iteally put on one’s shoes and 0, thus coming to mean go ahead) advance. In combination with eut it len ie sound to express trim/ arrange and also lent an idea of progress, o mean make Progress in trimming with a cutting tool. However, eventually f, revered to the ‘meaning of i, advance and by extension fronl/ before. ‘The ides of timming with 4 cutting tool is now conveyed by an NGU character prune $f , that adds an extra cut 181. (Note also that adding hand 32 gives the NGU character arrange $f.) Suggest tak- ing | as meat 365, with =» as horns Mnemonic: BEFORE CUTTING MEAT CUT HORNS 160 50, kumi, kumu #8 SOSHIKI organisation GROUP, ASSEMBLE fi KUMIAT union 2 11 strokes #€@ ANC KUMITATE assembly Thread #& 27 and furthermore! cairn B 1091 qwv., here used in its early meaning of build up, Build up threads meant to braid, and by extension assemble. Group is an associated meaning, Mnemonic: FURTHERMORE, THREADS CAN BE ASSEMBLED IN GROUP 45SECOND GRADE 161-164 161 SO, hashiru i KyOsO rave RUN #15 SOKO traveling T strokes i 0% & HASHIRIGAKI scrawl Originally 4, showing foot & /AE 129, here meaning move, and a man moving fran- tically 2. Thus frantic movement with the feet, ie. running, Suggest taking = as ground 60, Mnemonic: FOOT RUNNING ALONG GROUND 162 80, kusa MH zassd weed GRASS, PLANT SH SOSHO cursive script 9 strokes Fi fh KUSACHT grassland Grass/plant + 9 and early % 50.q.v. ‘The latter is used phonetically to express plant, and possibly also lends an idea of a seed splitting open and thus being about to develop into a plant . (Though the + of 50 can conveniently be taken as the crossed lines/cut of seven + 30, it also overlaps with the crossed cuts + of the early forms @ and + of shell 'P 1243 qv., depicting a seed splitting open. 50 and 1243 were in fact sometimes con: fused.) Plant and grass are less clearly differentiated than in English, Mnemonic: GRASS IS EARLY PLANT 163 TA, 6 2H TASU —msjoriy, mas MANY Ziii TAMEN many sides o4 6 stokes %@*®S GSUGIRU — womany Evening 7 44 doubled to indicate plurality. Thus many evenings/ often, finally just many. ‘Maemonic: MANY EVENINGS 164 TAI, TA, futoi/ru AF TAISHI prince FAT, BIG AB TAO sun 4 strokes AF FUTOIL bold type A simplification of 2S, showing two = 61 and big K.53, which was in turn a simplifica- tion of 4 being a doubling of % for emphasis. Thus very big, now often used for fat. Mnemonic: FAT IS A BIT MORE THAN JUST BIG 46SECOND GRADE 165-167 165 TAL, TEL, karada (6 ¥ TAIKAKU physique BODY BL f& FUTEL appearance strokes fk ff 2 KARADATSUKI figure Formerly also #¥, showing bone # 867 and plentiful = 790. Thus, that in which bbones are plentiful, meaning the entire body as opposed to a limb. ‘The form using person { 39 and root $ 70, to give the root of a person, has been used for several centuries as a substitute, but i technically a separate character with an early meaning of crude (presumably basfe person or simi). Mnemonic: ROOT OF A PERSON IS THE BODY 166. 2; DAIL, TAL 44 pbopat base STAND, PLATFORM 8A TAU typhoon, 5 strokes #57 DAIDOKORO kitchen In Japanese formerly also writen -:, but his is a separate character andis generally treated a such in Chinese. -Bis the correct character for platform, and comprises tall eS(variant $119), earth + (variant 2 60), nd peakjarive #875, which also acts phonetically to express stop/be stationed. Thus mound of earth on the top of which one is stationed, i. look-out rampart and hence platform. & is used in Chinese o mean self (onfusingly both as I and you), and comprises self Z 134 and mouthisay © 20, g ing name oneself and finaly just self. It was borrowed phonetically asa simple substi tate for Mnemonic: I MOUNT STAND TO SAY SOMETHING 167 cnt, 31 38 CHI region GROUND, LAND 4h F CHIKA underground 6 strokes 42th Kure cloth, texture, + is ground 60. # is an NGU character now borrowed to express to be, but originally ‘meant twisting ereature (opinion is divided as to whether early forms such as @and @ depict a scorpion, snake, or some type of insect, though snake seems most likely), and of- ten lends an idea of twisting. Here it means undulating, giving undulating ground and eventually just ground/land/region with various extended usages. Unfortunately there is no easy mnemonic for t Mnemonic: LAND WITH ODD TWISTING CREATURES ON GROUND 41SECOND GRADE 168-171 16 NN CHT, ike JK Me YOSUICHI reservoir ~ POND, LAKE € te DENCH battery YE te Bh PURE en Water 40 and twisting creature © 167. The latter is used phonetically to express bank, and probably also lends an idea of coiling and thus joining with itself. ‘Thus wa- ter encircled by banks, Mnemonic: WATERS OF POND CONTAIN TWISTING CREATURES 169 CHL, shirw #1 #% CHISHIKI — knowledge KNOW 41 HE CHISEL intellect 8 strokes 40D Vs SHIRIAL — acquaintance Mouth/say 7 20 and arrow ‘K 981, to give a meaning of speak with speed of ar- row , thus indicating thorough knowledge. Suggest taking 9 as a hole. ‘Mnemonic: KNOW ARROW HOLE 170 CHIKU, take ‘bh CHIKUZAL bamboo BAMBOO ‘FH TAKEDA — asumame 6 strokes 4h? TAKEYABU bamboo grove Often believed to show bamboo segments Hf, but in fact early forms such as 4 depict stems of dwarf bamboo with spiky leaves. Now bamboo in general, ‘Mnemonic: TWO BAMBOO STEMS m CHA, SA Jeb A CHAWAN ——_teabowl TEA, ANNOY 26 2 CHACHA interruption BLD osuvtes JHE SAKA tenand cakes Formerly also # , incorrectly showing tree # 69. + is plant 9, while 4 is a simplifi- cation of ample $800. The latter is used phonetically to express bitter, but its semantic, role is unclear. Bitter plant is a reference to tea. The very occasional use of 171 to mean annoy or similar may derive from bitter. Mnemonic: AMPLE TEA PLANTS: 48SECOND GRADE 172-175 m2 cut, hiru #& ® CHUSHOKU lunch NOON, DAYTIME ASH CHUKOSET —— diumal 9 strokes 48 jj HIRUMA daytime Formerly writen & and car a Very sini early frm of picture 854%, Bao caer as) except eld 59 is placed by unlday 1.62 3 /& since to indicate sec off/ partition, and also lends its sound to express bright. Thus the bright section ofthe days ie. daytime or noon. Suggest sng at horizon and the modem simplification R as measure in feet R 884 , of which it may in fact be a Setberteborowing Mnemonic: MEASURE IN FEET NOON SUN OVER HORIZON 173, CHO, naga’ St SEICHO growth LONG, SENIOR & KR KAICHO chairperson 8 stokes Site & NAGAIKI —— longlife Also & . From a depiction of an gld man with long lowing hair (a sign of age), bent with age and leaning on a stick QX(see also old % 609). This gave rise to long, grow, and senior, with associated meanings such as excel and chiet. Mnemonic: LONG HAIRED OLD MAN WITH STICK IS VERY SENIOR 4 CHO, tori Fi& HAKUCHO swan BIRD 55 & YACHO wild bird = 11 strokes 2 TORI shrine gate From a pictograph ofa bird & Mnemonic: BIRD WITH WINGS AND TALONS 15 CHO, asa 84% CHOSHOKU breakfast MORNING, COURT PB ASAT ——moming sun 12 strokes $8 CHOTEL — imperial coun Formerly $A, and earlier as ${}, showing that A is not moon 16 but a derivative of river M48. $7 shows the sun 62 rising through plants + 9, lending a meaning of rise o give rising river. This is still found in tide 349 941, which adds water 7 40. In the case of 175 the rising sun element came to prevail in its own right, leading to morning Court is felt to derive from figurative association with the idea of source of light. Sug- gest taking | as moon, Mnemonic: MORNING SUN RISES ON PLANTS, DISPLACING MOON 49COND GRADE 176-178 TSU, tirwsu, kayou ih 47 TSUKO passage PASS, WAY, COMMUTE i) TSUKIN commuting 10 strokes ah Y ODORT ‘main road Lis movement 129. Fi is a CO character meaning It was originally written {Q, showing the sun ©/ B62 ising above a Brushwood fence }4/fl 215, and also has connotations of break clear or emerge. In combination with i_ it gives a meaning of uninterrupted movement, giving pass through, « road/way, and commute (i. so directly), Suggest taking Hin its modem sense of use, with = as a bent figure. Mnemonic: BENT FIGURE USES EXTRA MOVEMENT TO PASS 177 2 TEI, Dal, DE, atito F & SHITEL sons YOUNGER BROTHER ¥ DESH pupil 7 strokes. 52% KYODAL brothers Once written ¥. Fis a stake, still technically listed as an NGU character *% with that meaning bat now usually found as an NGU character stake #% that adds wood AL.69. 2- shows binding, which was necessary asa grip since stakes were used as weapons ( Y overlaps with % , the prototype of lance/halberd 493). ‘There was a set order to the man- ner of binding, and hence 17 also came to mean sequence or order. It can still be used in this sense in Chinese, though itis generally replaced by order (339, that adds bam- boo "rr 170. By association the idea of order was also applied to sons ina family, espe- cially those other than the eldest, since age-order was an important factor in ranking, Mnemonic: YOUNG BROTHERS PUT IN ORDER AS BINDING ON STAKE, 178 TEN, mise, tana IEE TENIN store clerk STORE, PREMISES % ffi YOMISE night stall B strokes HiME -C TANADATE eviction P is building 114, & is divination 1491 q.v., here acting phonetically to express ar- Fange/ display and probably also lending its own idea of arrange and announce. ‘Thus building where goods are arranged on display (and announced?), ic. a store. It is sometimes used of premises in gencral. Suggest taking in its commoner meaning of occupy. ‘Mnemonic: STORE OCCUPIES BUILDING 50SECOND GRADE 179-182 179 TEN Xi TENSEN dotted line POINT, MARK #8 & TOKUTEN points 9 strokes % & JOTEN emphasis me” phasis Formerly $5 . ¥. is black 124. & is divination 1491 q.v., here acting phonetically to express small and also lending an idea of meaningful sign. ‘Thus small black sign, ice. point/ mark, also used as in English to mean score. Suggest taking & in its com. rmoner meaning of occupy, and » as fire 8, Mnemonic: MARK LEFT AFTER OCCUPATION BY FIRE 180 ey :DEN ‘EEG DENWA telephone IS 4S ELECTRICITY %R DENKYT light bulb 13 strokes ‘BH, DENRYU elecwic current Once written J , and earlier ¥ . @ is rain 3, here meaning sent down from the heavens, §/88/@ is the prototype of lightning 322 qw. 180 can sill occasionally ‘mean lighting, but is usually used nowadays to refer to electricity. Suguest taking @ as field @ 59 with lightning bolt \. Mnemonic: LIGHTNING STRIKES FIELD IN ELECTRIC RAIN STORM 181 70, katana KT) DATO ong sword SWORD 7) GUNTO military sword 2 stokes 1s 7] KOGATANA pocket knife From a pictograph of a curved sword J , broader than the typical Japanese katana As a radical usually found as If . Often symbolises eut. Mnemonic: BROAD-BLADED SWORD 182 TO, fuyu 4 (R TOMIN hibernation WINTER 4& & TOKI winter season 5 strokes 4% % FUYUSHOGUN Jack Frost Obscure. Formery also 4 and easier $2 and $2. The exact meaning of § is unclear, though itis known to have acted phonetically to express gather together/become com. pact. ‘There is some evidence to support a view that it represents hanging ropes tied together (see 306) std by some scholars to be ropes from which cured mest was hing during winter. £/ is the prototype of ice #378. Thus when ice becomes com- pact, ie. winter. Suggest taking AX as sitting crosslegged Mnemonic: SITTING CROSSLEGGED ON WINTER ICE SISECOND GRADE 183-184 183 ‘TO ataruiteru AS SOTO appropriate ™! APPLY, HIT MARK, 24 A TONIN person concerned APPROPRIATE, THIS 24 °C TEATE allowance: 6 stokes Formerly $ . wo is field 59, 4 js a variant of furthermore #8] 1392 q.v., used pho- netically to express in proportion and possibly also lending its own connotations of ap- propriate (from its depiction of a house with window appropriately facing north to avoid the sun from the south) 183 otiginally refered to offering afield — or by extension Property - as surety fora loan, the amount of land to be pledged being determined in proportion o the sum advanced and being therefore deemed appropriate. (More exact ly, the surety was usually the right to farm the land, since private ownership was very limite 4) It still retains pledge as a lesser meaning in Chinese. Apply, this, and hit mark/ be accurate are associated meanings. Suggest taking modem form as small \|/ (variant als 36) and hand 3 (see 96). Mnemonic: SMALL HAND APPROPRIATELY HITS MARK 184 ‘TO, higashi BO TOYO Orient EAST “5 CHUTO. Middle East 8 strokes 4 fl] HIGASHIGAWA east side Usually explained incorrectly as sun 62 rising behind trees * 69 to indicate dawn and thas east, an error of many centuries’ standing. Very ol forms such as. reveal that it isa tied sack % with a pote thrust through to facilitate carrying, and in that r- ‘gard itis in the same group as bundle # 1535 and select/ open bundle # 608 (see also ridge-pole ## 1653). The error appears to stem from a reasonably early form % in which the ends of the binding have become separated from the sack, thus suggesting the early form of ree/wood. Its not clear whether ths i a simple copying error, an attempt to refer to the wooden nature ofthe pole, or a mistaken interpretation of the elements as sun sind tree. In any event, from an early stage 184 was borrowed phonetically to express east. Some scholars feel that it also lent an idea of thrusting through (i.e. the pole through the binding) and thus by extension suggested the sun thrusting up through the horizon, giving dawn and hence east. ‘The usual theory is useful as a mnemonic. Mnemonic: SUN RISING THROUGH TREES IN EAST 52SECOND GRADE 185-188 185 1, kotaeru Me Karo solution ANSWER & & TOAN answer paper 12 strokes 1% & KUCHIGOTAE retort =} * Fit & 121 qv. and bamboo 'rr 170. if 121 is taken to mean lid on container then this would give bamboo lid, but no such meaning has been discovered. It is thus as sumed that 121 is cap off a remark, ic. reply fittingly, and that, most unusually for a radical, »'r is used phonetically, to express firm, Thus fitting, firm answer, Mnemonic: BAMBOO GIVES FITTING ANSWER 186 TO, ZU, atama, kashira i # TOKOTSU skull HEAD, TOP, START 545 ZUTST headache y 16 stokes RAT ATAMAUCHT top Head A 93 and bean/ vessel @ 1640, giving vessel which is the head, Also used figuratively as brain, chief, top or start. ‘Mnemonic: HEAD IS A BEAN-LIKE VESSEL 187 0G, onaji FB Dov similar SAME 85 Dow same time cz 6 strokes [5] DOr agreement Somewhat obscure. Once written B. Taken by some scholars to indicate a round hole © ina board }4, a round hole having the same diameter from all angles. However, ¥4 is more likely to bea variant of boat AY /#- 1354, used phonetically to express together and also lending an idea of convey, with tJ being mouth/say 20. Thus convey ver- bally together, meaning say the same thing, and hence same. Suggest taking ([) as ahoop, © as an opening, and — as single 1 Mnemonic: ALL HOOPS HAVE SAME SINGLE OPENING 188 N32 Dd, 70, michi 3H TETSUDO railway Way, ROAD #438 SHINTO Shinto 12 strokes it MICHTBATA roadside Lis movement 129. % is head/chief 139, here acting phonetically to express direct and also lending an idea of ehief/main, ‘Thus chief means of direct movement, ‘meaning a main road, Also used figuratively a an abstract way (1o enlightenment ete). Mnemonic: HEAD MOVES, SHOWING WAY ALONG ROAD 53SECOND GRADE 189-192 Bo ow +e DOKU, TOKU, yomu 4% DOKUSHA reader, SB wea 3 TOKUHON reading book BA ws 73 YOMIKATA reading Formerly &f .& is words 274, $f isto all intents and purpose a variant ofthe old form of sell $ /%,192, which had connotations of calling out (one's wares), ‘Thus eall out words, ic. read. Mnemonic: SELL WORDS TO READ 190 NAN, minami SE TONAN south-east SOUTH FH AK _NANKYOKU South Pote 9 strokes Ff fil MINAMIGAWA south side Somewhat obscure. Originally 9 ater PAL and HL. Some scholars fee 2K depies a primitive tepee-tike tent, and take }a{ to be the prototype of red FF 1563 used phonetically Cbeapress warm, ‘Thos, the warm sie of tent ie. the south side Sopger taking +t asten 33, 1] asa hoop, and ¥ as the sign for yen. Mnemonic: GET A HOOP FOR TEN YEN DOWN SOUTH 191 BA, uma, ma 6 # BASUTSU —equitaion HORSE IE BASHA — horse carriage LSYF strokes 15%) UMANORI riding From pcogaph ofa horses sted o Mnemonic: REARING HORSE in 78 A BATBAT dealing a 78% BAITEN stall DY = 38 5% URIMONO item forsale Formerly # .% is buy 193 qv. + is simplification of put out 2 34. Thus put out for buying, ic, sell. Suggest taking + as samurai 494, with 7 as legs be- hind a counter. ‘Mnemonic: SAMURAI STANDS BEHIND COUNTER SELLING 34193 Tw BAI, kau BUR BaisHv purchase Ba BUY i 4 KAIMONO shopping 12 strokes Bio KAITE buyer ~ Once written fi]. Pi/l is shell/money 90. [F]/ea isa net, though there is disagree- ment over its role. Some scholars see it as acting phonetically to express exchange, giv- ing exchange money (for goods). Others sce it as indicating a bagful of money, suggesting someone about to buy. It may serve both roles, Mnemonic: NET FULL OF SHELL-MONEY CAN BUY A LOT 194 BAKU, mugi 2 BAKUGA malt BARLEY, WHEAT 27% MUGICHA barley tea 7 strokes “ys #% KOMUGI wheat Formerly 4. A derives from a pictograph of a wheat plant 98. Ais inverted foot 438 q.v., acting phonetically to express sharp/spiky and possibly also lending an idea of ‘low progress. Thus (slow growing?) wheat plant with spiky ears. Suggest ‘aking X as sitting crosslegged, with 4 asa variant of growing plant/life € 42, Mnemonic: SITTING CROSSLEGGED WATCHING WHEAT PLANT GROW s HAN, nakaba + 3} HANBUN half HALF, MIDDLE ‘© & HANTO peninsula 5 strokes 6 4% HANTOSHI half-year ‘ormerly # and earlier 4. / is split 66, while 4 is a variant of cow 97, 195 riginally referred to butchering a cow by splitting it in half, ie. down the middle. Now sed in a broader sense, fnemonic: HALF A HORNLESS COW, SPLIT DOWN MIDDLE 36 BAN 1% JUNBAN order, turn TURN,NUMBER,GUARD #% A BANNIN watchman 12 strokes -~ # ICHIBAN number one nee written & , showing field @ 59 and rice 2& 201. At some stage 3 became %K, ‘parently @ confusion with rice plant + 81. The planting of rice in the fields followed set order and also involved working by roster, ie. in turn, Roster also led by asso- xtion to guard (duty). nemonic: RICE SOWN IN FIELDS BY NUMBER, IN TURNS 55SECOND GRADE 197-199 197 NFU, chichi XE FUBO parents FATHER > 3 OTOSAMA Father 4 strokes Xi CHICHIOYA father ‘Once written A, showing a hand holding a stick (as strike 101), indicating a stern figure. Mnemonic: FATHER HAS CANE IN HAND 198 FU, kaze IR #4 FUSEN balloon WIND, STYLE 44 KAMIKAZE divine wind 9 strokes Fl & WAFU Japanese style Somewhat obscure. Felt to be asimpler formof /#1 an NGUcharacter meaning phoenix. ‘This comprises bird 174 and F\, a variant of common }U 1827. The latter is thought to be used phonetically to express big, but may also be used in a sense of common since the phoenix was a very common motif. The phoenix was believed by the ancients to ride the wind and hence came to symbolise it. Wind itself represented abstract concepts such as invisible force and spirit, with manner and style being extended meanings from spirit. Insect ' 56 appears to have been used as a simple substitute for bird. The popular explanation using sail #1711 q.v., giving insect blown by wind against sail, is incorrect but a useful mnemonic. Mnemonic: INSECT BLOWN AGAINST SAIL BY WIND 199 BUN,FUN,BU,wakaru/keru 3} 7 BUNSHI molecule DIVIDE, MINUTE, — 4} IPPUN one minute UNDERSTAND — 4} ICHIBU one tenth, 4 strokes Split /\ 66 and sword/eut 7 181, giving cut and split, and hence divide. This has led to numerous extended meanings, such as fraction, minute (now of time, but origi- nally meaning small portion, in similar fashion to the English term), and understand (i. something which is able to be divided/broken down). Mnemonic: UNDERSTAND ONE DIVIDES BY SPLITTING WITH SWORD 56SECOND GRADE 200-203 200 BUN, MON, kiwkoere $1) SHINBUN newspaper HEAR, ASK, LISTEN 46 3] CHOMON listening. HK 14 stokes ME OB 4 KIKITORU catch, hear Usually taken as an ear Hf 29 listening ata gate P4211, though some scholars feel PA also lends its sound to express guish. Thus distinguish through ear (at gate). Ask is an associated meaning. Mnemonic: EAR LISTENING AT GATE HEARS A LOT 201 BEI, MAI, kome ok fifi BENKA Price of rice x RICE, AMERICA >€ Bl BEIKOKU America 6 strokes Fi 2& HAKUMAL polished rice From a graindladen ear of rice $7. Later appears to have become confused with rice plant % / 4 81, resulting in central grains becoming joined as if a stalk, and in the variant ‘%_ In Japanese also borrowed phonetically to refer to AMErica (rom ol reading ME) Mnemonic: GRAIN-LADEN EAR OF AMERICAN RICE 202, HO, aruku, ayumu é A SHINPO progress WALK 447 & HOKOSHA pedestrian yi 8 strokes ae & ih F ARUKIDASU start walking Formerly also J, and earlier, showing a doubling of foot 2 129 qv (he lower fone being a righ foot, the upper & Ie) to indicate putting one foot in tromt of whe other. Suggest taking syed. as few 143. Mnemonic: FEW FEET WALK NOWADAYS 203 BO, haha f Y: BOSEI ‘maternity MOTHER do KR OKASAMA Mother 5 strokes 8% HAHAOYA — mother Variant & of woman $35 with nipples > exaggerated o suggest suckling and motherhood. In compounds usually -g Mnemonic: MOTHER IS WOMAN WITH PROMINENT NIPPLESSECOND GRADE 204-206 204 HO, kata #4 HOGAKU direction SIDE, WAY, SQUARE, #77 OYAKATA boss DIRECTION, PERSON $2.5. MIKATA way of looking 4 strokes Surprisingly obscure. Popularly fel to derive from a pictograph ofa tethered boat J swinging in the direction of the curent. ‘There is evidence to support the view that it shows a boat (see 1818), though technically itis probably two boats tethered together 10 form a square (square being the main meaning of 204 in Chinese). However, many scholars feel that 204 in fact derives from a plow, and cite an old form Wt as wel as the similarity to swordblade 5/7 181. Direction can then be taken as an assocsied idea, from the line of the plowed furrow. Side and way can be taken as extcnded meanings from direction (from the idea of over that way), as also person (originally an indirect and usualy pote reference). No one interpretation seems to satisfy all meanings, though some ofthese may have been borrowed. The mos likely explanation is that there were two separate picographs in existence, one being boas tethered to form a square, the other & plow Mnemonic: BOTH BOAT AND PLOW CAN POINT THE WAY 205 HOKU, BOKU, kita Rdt TOHOKU — north-east NORTH, FLEE Wie at HAMBOKU defeat 5 strokes at JR KITAKAZE north wind Originally AS , showing two persons sitting back to back. Turning one's back ex- pressed the idea both of fleeing and of the north, the coldest direction and hence shunned, Mnemonic: PEOPLE FLEE, TURNING THEIR BACKS ON THE NORTH 06 MAI, -goto ‘3 A MAINICHT daily EACH, EVERY 451 MAIO eachtime i 6 strokes 5 4 HIGOTO daily Formerly ‘€ . Usually interpreted as every person }/4 39 has a mother & 203, which is a useful mnemonic. However, old forms such as show that the upper partis not person bat a plant # 9. Mother symbolised fertility, and the original meaning of 206 was richly growing plant. It is not clear how exactly it came to mean every. Some scholars fel it was borrowed, others thatthe idea of fertile growth led to reproduc tion and hence repetition’ eyele, with every being an associated idea. Mnemonic: EVERY PERSON HAS A MOTHER 58SECOND GRADE 207-211 207 MAI, imito ‘We SHIMAT sisters YOUNGER SISTER ‘& 4 IMOTOBUN ‘sister’ 8 strokes 47 REIMAL ‘your sister Woman Y 35 andimmature # 794 qv. Mnemonic: YOUNGER SISTER IS IMMATURE WOMAN 208 MEI, MYO, akarui, akeru 88 A MEIHAKU clarity a CLEAROPENBRIGHT 1! MYONICHI —wonomow 8 suokes BUH AKEGATA dawn Sun @ 62andmoon A 16, both symbolising light, Thus very light/bright. Open isan associated idea Mnemonic: BRIGHT SUN AND MOON GIVE CLARITY 209 MET, natura % 8 MEO rumbling NON-HUMAN CRY 88 8 7 NAKIGOE animal ery SSP sstrores % DM NARIMONO music Mouth © 20 and bird #, 174, Originally bird-cal, later sound from a range of non- human sources including insects and inanimate object. Mnemonic: BIRD'S MOUTH PRODUCES NON-HUMAN CRY 210 MO, ke = YOM wool HAIR % BK KEGAWA fur 4 strokes 26 KEMUSHI caterpillar From a pctograph ofa tuft of hate Mnemonic: TUFT OF HAIR 2 MON, kado dE PY SEIMON main gate GATE, DOOR P MONBAN — doorman 8 strokes PYM KADODE —— departure From a pictograph of a double-doored gate Fi, ‘Mnemonic: DOUBLE-DOORED GATE 59SECOND GRADE 212-215 212 x YA, yo, yoru 2 & HONYA tonight NIGHT KH YOAKE dawn 8 strokes % #i YORUGAO moonflower Once written 2. pis the old form of moon A 16 (ancient forms show moon/ evening 4 44), Lis a variant of 2, the old form of the NGU character again a (literally both sides 1+ of a person K 53). is used phonetically to express clear, but its semantic role is not known, ‘Thus when the moon is clear, ie. night. Suggest taking 4 as person 39, as atop hat,and 4 simply as a variant of moon. Mnemonic: AT NIGHT, PERSON PUTS ON TOP HAT TO VIEW MOON 213 YA, no SF te YASEI wild MOOR, WILD SR YAKYT baseball 11 strokes 3} IX NOHARA — moor, field Eis village 219. % is already 403 q.v., here with its early meaning of ample space. ‘Thus ample space around a village, meaning the outer parts still not fully developed, Hence moor and wild. Mnemonic: VILLAGE ALREADY BUILT ON WILD MOOR 24 YU, tomo BA YU friend FRIEND RA YUO friendship 4 strokes ‘%KA¥ TOMODACHI fiend Often thought to be a left hand 7 22 reaching out to grasp aright hand % 2 in friendship. A useful mnemonic, but in fact old forms such as *& show two right hands, indicating togetherness and also both lending their sound to express support (ie. mutual support), Mnemonic: HANDS REACHING QUT IN FRIENDSHIP 25 YO, mochiirw Al YOu business USE FA YOL preparation S strokes 28 )) AKUYO abuse Once written JA and HA, showing crude fencing. It was borrowed to express use, but, since fencing was used to enclose pasture land, it may also have suggested something useful in its own right. Mnemonic: USE FENCE.SECOND GRADE 216-218 yo YORI day of week S- DAY OF WEEK Jk BE KAYO Tuesday 18 strokes +: fi SHICHTYO days of week B is sun 62. 44 is wings 812, is bird, from a pictograph &. % is a CO character meaning bird's plumage, and in combination with @ means dazzling (ie. plumage of the sun). ‘This is sil 216s meaning in Chinese. In Japanese it can very occasionally mean dazzling, bot has generally had its elements reinterpreted as sun winging like a bird, giving the passing of a day. 216 Mnemonic: SUN WINGS ITS WAY LIKE A BIRD, AND SO DAY PASSES 217 RAL, kurw 2% Al RAIGETSU next month COME #1% % SHINRAISHA newcomer T strokes. HAS DEKIRU be possible Formerly 3, from a pictograph of a wheat plant 4 (see 194). It sil retains wheat as 4 minor meaning in Chinese. It is used to express come instead of come (listed in Japanese as an old form of 217 but in Chinese as a separate character. 4& comprises road/ movement ¢ 118 and wheat & 217, which is used for its sound to express move towards but also lends its own connotations of emerge or come out (from the idea of a plant growing). Suggest taking as ten -F 33 grains of rice 201. Mnemonic: WHEAT COMES TO BE TEN GRAINS OF RICE?! 18 _@y -RAKU, GAKU, S% KIRAKU comfort < tanoshiiishimu 2% LA TANOSHIMI pleasure PLEASURE, MUSIC 2 GAKKI 13 strokes ‘musical instrument Popularly said to be one of the easiest characters to explain but in fact one of the most diffi- ‘cult. The common explanation that it derives from a pictograph of a tasseled drumdlike ‘musical instrument on a stand, with music coming to mean pleasure, is incorrect, though a useful mnemonic, The earlier form #€ shows threads 8% 111, white @ 65 qy., and tree/wood 69, while the earliest form 4B shows only threads and tree. It originally referred to a type of oak, whose leaves were eaten by silk worms (symbolised by thread $4). The role of the later addition {4 is not clear. No phonetic use has been 61SECOND GRADE 218-220 identified. On the other hand, neither its early meaning of thumb nail nor its later mean- ings of hundred or white seem obviously relevant, unless white reinforced the idea of silk. Its also possible that thumb lent an idea of prineipal (as in 1694), to mean principal type from among a variety of oaks. However, it seems more likely that there existed a sec- cond prototype for white, the pictograph of an acorn. In any event, the original meaning of 218 was oak tree, now conveyed by an NGU character 424¢ that adds an extra tee, How i came to mean pleasure and musie is not clear. {ts complexity suggests it was not merely borrowed for its sound. It may possibly have symbolised the joy of a silk worm breeder upon finding such a type of oak, with music being an associated meaning of joy, or its shape may indeed have suggested a musical instrument, with pleasure being the associat ed meaning. Mnemonic: TASSELED DRUM ON STAND MAKES PLEASING MUSIC 29 RI, sato = Ice ‘one league VILLAGE, LEAGUE A. SATOBITO rustic 7 strokes i FURUSATO home town Field 59 and earth/ground £60. ‘The latter lent its sound to express path, and also lent an idea of the raised earthen ridges separating the fields. Thus ground with fields and dividing paths, indicating a settlement. Also used as a unit of distance (2.44 miles), i. league. Mnemonic: GROUND TILLED INTO FIELDS, INDICATING VILLAGE 20 RI St 4b RISEL reason REASON, RATIONAL — 2 MURI unreasonable 11 strokes (: 8 4% SHINRIGAKU psychology B is jewel 102. € is village 219 qv., here acting phonetically to express split and also lending its own loose connotations of divide (from paths dividing the fields). 220 originally meant to split a jewel (still retained as a minor meaning in Chinese). This volved splitting along the natural line of cleavage, which required considerable attention. ‘Thus 220 came to mean act carefully/ handle/ manage (also still retained in Chinese), and also came to indicate concentration, leading to the idea of using the mind and hence the associated meaning reason(ing). Mnemonic: KEEPING JEWELS IN VILLAGE IS REASONABLE 62SECOND GRADE 221 21 ~ WA, hanashi, hanasu #58 KAIWA conversation = SPEECH, TALK 8M WADAL talking point = 13 strokes, “hy if KOBANASHI tale Usually explained as words & 274 and tongue 4 732 q.v., giving articulated words and hence speak. A useful mnemonic, but incorrect. Old forms such as $f show that & is not tongue but the early form of hollowed out space §{ 244 q.v. Here it lends its sound to express good, and may also lend an idea of booming/echoing, or else com- ing out from the space that is the mouth. ‘This good words, giving speech. Mnemonic: TONGUE CONTROLS WORDS WHEN TALKING END OF SECOND GRADE 63THIRD GRADE 222-224 THE 195 THIRD GRADE CHARACTERS 22 Ww AKU, 0, warui ES axur malice BAD, HATE A OKAN chill WQD rstcees HEE WARUMONO rascal Formerly #8. so is heartifeelings 147, HB. /&.is sub- 997 qwv., here acting phonet- cally 1 express ugly and also lending its own connotations of ugly and twisted. Thus ugly, twisted feelings. 222 originally referred to someone twisted with hatred, and can sill ocasionally be usd inthis sense, but in general it has come to mean bad in a broad sense. ‘Mnemonic: SUB-HUMAN, UGLY, TWISTED FEELINGS ARE BAD 223 oe AN, yasui/maru AE FUAN unease RESTFUL, EASE, CHEAP % (» ANSHIN relief S strokes B49 YASUMONO cheapitem Woman +4 35 q.v. and building/home © 28. Usually explained as a woman at home representing the idea of peaceful normality. However, old forms such as 9) reveal that 4 does not derive from the nocmal Kneeling woman > , but a woman siting ona thin, flat item 2. Itreferred to a woman using a napkin during menstruation. At suct times @ woman was left alone to rest quietly in s comer of the house, and did no work, That is, she was at her ease. Cheap is an associated meaning, related tothe idea of giving no cause for concern, Mnemonic: WOMAN AT HOME, RESTING AT EASE 224 AN, kurai #1 MEIAN light and dark DARK, GLOOMY ff 4 ANSATSU assassination BD pstrores FU MAKKURA pitch dark B issun 62. % is sound 6 qv., here acting phonetically to express shade and possibly also lending connotations of indistinetness (from its stress on volume of sound rather than artculateness or clarity). ‘Thus shaded sun, ie. darkness and gloom. Maemoni UN GOES DARK, ACCOMPANIED BY SOUND 64THIRD GRADE 225-227 225 1, iyasw t& 4% ISHA doctor HEAL, MEDICAL SALE GEKAL surgeon 7 strokes I % IGAKU medical science Formerly {1 . Gis striking hand 153, while % is an arrow 981 in its quiver C., giv- ing a now defunct character 2% meaning to attack. @ is a wine jar 302, here indicating alcohol, ‘Thus to attack with alcohol, which refers to the ancient practice of using al- ‘cohol asa medicine and possibly also anesthetic. By extension this came to refer to heal- ing and medical practice. Mnemonic: DOCTOR'S BAG CONTAINS ARROW, USED FOR HEALING 226 = 1 FE CHUL tention, care MIND, THOUGHT, WILL 2% KETSUI resolution ae Sa asics SL IKEN opinion \ is heart/feelings 147. % is sound 6, Some scholars feel the latter is used to mean state aloud, to give voicing one's feelings and hence opinion or similar, Others feel itis used phonetically to express full, to give that of which the heart is full, ic. ‘concerns or thoughts. Some feel it may also lend an idea of sound but in a figurative sense, ie. ‘the sound of the heart’. A combination of the last two theories seems the most likely, ic. a heart full of thoughts which are its ‘sounds’. Will and mind are extended meanings. Mnemonic: A THOUGHT IS A SOUND FROM THE HEART 227 za IKU, sodatsu/teru BCH KYOIKU education RAISE, EDUCATE #8 Kun childcare AR B strokes CH SODATEOYA foster parent Originally A, showing a woman / 4 35 q.v. (but sitting rather than kneeling) and inverted child & /% 25. The inversion indicates a newborn infant, emphasised by the amniotic Nid (See also 409), In a later form the drops of fuid became stylised as \«, and ina still later form % became replaced by A)/f . Some scholars see this as meat 365 used purely phonetically to express birth (replacing woman 4, which similarly represented birth), but it may just be a stylistion of i. 227 can still mean birth in Chi- nese, but it is generally used to mean raise children in a broad sense Mnemonic: EDUCATE CHILD UPSIDE-DOWN LIKE PIECE OF MEAT 65THIRD GRADE 228-230 28 PIN # A KAIIN group member MEMBER, OFFICIAL @ & ZENIN all members 10 strokes @ & DOIN mobilisation (014 forms such as. show that isnot shell 90 but a simplification of round three Iegged kettle $ (now an NGU character with that meaning), which in itself symbolised roundness but is here reinforced by a circle 1 . Thus the original meaning was round kettle, This led to round (still found in Chinese). Member and official are felt to de- rive from the idea of a group of persons gathered around (a superior) in a meeting. Sug ‘gest taking as shell-money and {J as mouth/say 20. Mnemonic: OFFICIAL MEMBERS ALWAYS TALK OF MONEY 20 ROP 45 ByOIN hospital INSTITUTE Bi IN temple 10 suokes aE GN the House F is froma pictograph of a terraced slope By, and often means hill, mound, or em- bankment (as here). Itis the forerunner of the NGU character hill 8. is complete 440 q.v., which originally meant building with surrounding fence/wall and as such is the prototype of 229. The addition of embankment F suggests an important building ‘with solid surrounding walls. It can sill mean large building, but generally indicates an stitute or similar. Suggest remembering fin its commonest sense of hil Mnemonic: INSTITUTE COMPLETE WITH SURROUNDING HILLS 230 IN, nomu 9% J 7 INYOSUT drinking water’ DRINK, SWALLOW {% > i) NOMIMONO drinks 12 strokes 9K J FB NOMIYA tavern ‘Though nowadays written with the food/eat radical E 146, old forms such as $3 show clearly that this is a substitute for wine jar /alcohol yg 302. {2 is lack 471, used here in its early sense of gaping mouth. Thus to quaff alcohol with gaping mouth, now to drink in general, as well as swallow (without chewing). Mnemonic: LACK FOOD, SO SWALLOW DRINK 66THIRD GRADE 231-233 231 ~ UN, hakobu 32% UNDO movement TRANSPORT,LUCK,MOVE 7%: FUUN misfortune 3 12 swokes 3 UNSO —transporation {Lis movement 129. % is army 466 q.v. Some scholars take the latter in a literal sense, giving army on the move and by association transportation and the fortunes of war. Others take it to act phonetically to express round, as well as lending its own con- notations both of circle and vehicle (from a circle of vehicles), thus giving a meaning of vehicles rolling along, and hence transport, Luck is then felt to stem from an asso ciation between fortune and circular/cycic movement. Mnemonic: ARMY ON MOVE NEEDS LUCK AND TRANSPORT. 232 SEL, oyogu 7k Bk SUIEL swimming .Jyp swm Wt HAIEL backstroke é 8 strokes Fk ¥ HIRAOYOGI breaststroke i iswater 40. i is long 615 qv, here used phonetically to express float and also. lending its original connotations of flowing water. 232 originally meant to float with the current, but has now broadened to mean swim. Mnemonic: LONG SWIM IN WATER 233 EKI REE EKICHO — stationmaster STATION |RIF EKIBEN station lunch = 14 strokes FRGR TOKYOEKI TokyoStation Formerly £¥ . Hishorse 191. ¥ isa CO character meaning spy on and lead. It was once written 4, showing an eye § 72 and 4 (also @ ), a type of shackle used on prisoners and hence symbolising them. Thus ‘Y is an ideograph meaning to keep watch over prisoners. Since the prisoners were chained together in a line it often also has connotations of line or succession, as here. Thus 233 means literally a succession of horses, and referred to the relay stations at which imperial messengers changed their horses. It now means station in a broader sense. Suggest taking the simplified form asa person A 39 with a pack 2 on their back Mnemonic: LADEN PERSON MOUNTS HORSE AT RELAY STATION 67THIRD GRADE 234-236 234 EN, sono park GARDEN, PARK ‘fh % | DOBUTSUEN 700 13 strokes 2 bil HANAZONO. flower garden Enclosure () 123 and spacious % 79, The latter also lends its sound to express fence. Thus spacious fenced enclosure. Suggest remembering } by association ith distant 3 79, Mnemonic: SPACIOUS PARK ENCLOSES CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE 235 3, yoko si We ODAN crossing SIDE, CROSSWAYS 1847 OKO siruting 15 strokes HH YOKOGAO profile Wood A 69 and yellow % 120. The latter acts phonetically to express bar/block, and may also lend connotations of wooden shaft from its original meaning of flaming ar- row. 235 originally referred to a piece of wood laid across a gate to prevent its being opened, leading to erossways and by extension on its side and side, I also occasional- ly has connotations of defiance from prevent) and perversity (a figurative extension from not upright). Mnemonic: YELLOW PIECE OF WOOD LAID ON ITS SIDE 236 OKU, ya mL oKUIO roof STORE, BUILDING sy KOYA hut 9 strokes 47 FE OPANYA baker(y) is an NGU character meaning corpse, derived from a slumped figure ‘7. In com- pounds it can also mean buttocks or, a here, slump in the sense of relax. #. isarrive (and stop) 875, which also acts phonetically to express room (in fat, some scholars feel it is used as a simplified form of room “<7 136). Thus a room where, having ar- rived, one can relax. This came by extension to mean house or building, and in Jap- anese is also used of store and by extension storekeeper. Mnemonic: ARRIVE AND FIND CORPSE IN STORE BUILDING 68237 ~ ON, atatakai/meru i 2 ONSEN spa ~ WARM if 17 ONIO kindness 432 12 strokes Ui & ONSHITSU hothouse Formerly :8 . There is some difference of opinion as to its origins. Some scholars take it to refer to an act of kindness in giving a prisoner (] 1353. bowl a2. 1307 of wa- ter % 40, with the figurative sense of warm unusually preceding the physical one. Other scholars interpret (£) as a variant of vapors v9 26, with watery vapors from a bowl indicating steam and thus heat. ‘Though the latter theory seems the more logical, is listed (though without examples) as a CO character meaning feed a prisoner, suggest- ing that the former theory is in fact accurate, For the modern form, suggest taking @ as sun 62. Mnemonic: SUN WARMS WATER IN A BOWL. 238 KA, KE, bakeru 25 4b HENKA change CHANGE, BEWITCH {t HE KESHO make-up 4 strokes 4&0} & BAKEMONO ‘spook’ 4 shows a standing person 39, while, shows a fallen person, thus indicating a change of state. Some scholars feel that &% also acts phonetically to express deceive, leading to deceitful change and hence bewitch, while others see bewitch simply as an as- sociated meaning of change, Mnemonic: BEWITCHED PERSON CHANGES AND FALLS 239 KA, ni Hi #47 SHUKKA consignment LOAD, BURDEN 43 73] FUNANI ship's cargo 10 strokes fei 49, NIMOTSU baggage + is plant 9. {if is what? 80 q.v. The latter is almost certainly used in its early sense of dear a heavy load, though its precise role is unclear. The original meaning of 239 was ‘otus (still retained in Chinese as a significant meaning), ‘The idea of bearing a heavy load nay possibly have been used to refer to the large head of the lotus. In any event, bearing a Toad came to prevail as the main meaning in Chinese and the sole meaning in Japanese. Mnemonic: WHAT A BURDEN THE LOTUS PLANT CAN BE! 69THIRD GRADE 240-243 240 KAL ttt SEKAI world AREA, BOUNDARY 45% KYOKAI boundary 9 strokes EX S* SEIKAI political world Field @ 59 and come between 4 1059. Thus division of land, leading to both boundary and area, Mnemonic: BOUNDARY BETWEEN FIELDS MARKS AREAS 241 KAL, hiraku, akeru 6838 KAIHATSU development OPEN bata KAISHI inception FA 12 strokes Ba & #2 HIRAKIZUNA rip-cord Once written fi4, showing a gate P4 211 and two hands y reaching out to remove the bar — that is keeping it closed, thereby opening it. Mnemonic: HANDS REMOVE BAR AND OPEN GATE 242 KAI fs B KAIDAN stairs STORY, GRADE, STEP = NIKAT upstairs a@ 12 strokes WR KAIKYD class, grade F is terraced hill 229. % is all 1064, here acting phonetically to express row and also lending similar connotations from its literal meaning of row (of people talking). Thus row of terraces on a hillside, now used to mean step or graduation in a broad sense. Mnemonic: ALL THE STEPS OF A TERRACED HILL 243 KAKU, tsuno, kado #4 BE KAKUDO. angle HORN, ANGLE, CORNER fj & TSUNOBUE hom, bugle 7 strokes 8y fy MACHIKADO street comer From a pictograph of ahorn {. Now has a range of extended meanings such as corner, angle. Mnemonic: ANGULAR HORN 70THIRD GRADE 244-246 uso KATSU 4% SEIKATSU life ~ ACTIVITY, LIFE 18 Si KAKKI liveliness 4 9 stokes 18 KATSUDG activity Usually explained as a moist 7 (water 40) tongue 4 732, which is a sign of life. A useful mnemonic, but old forms such as 3 show that 4; isin facta derivative of an element combining opening @ 20 and scoop By 495 and meaning hollowed out space 244 originally referred to water rushing into sucha space. By extension itcame to mean activity and, perhaps because of the life-giving property of water, life. Note that in Chi- nese it still retains a minor meaning of sound of (rushing) water. Mnemonic: WET TONGUE IS SIGN OF LIFE 245 KAN, samuf 9 R KANPA cold wave COLD #% & SAMUKE, chill 12 strokes 9% St KANDANKEL ~ thermometer Somewhat obscure. Formerly %€. , and in ancient times ff. (\/7 is roof/building 28. 4/7 isice 378, possibly symbolising winter. +4 (also $3) appears to be plants 9 245 thus appears tobe a reference o the custom of binding straw or rushes to the outside of a house to insolate it agains the cold of winter. Suggest taking 37 as well 1470 and 7— asa variant of six 7 76 Mnemonic: BUILDING'S SIX WELLS ICE OVER IN COLD 246 KAN fl KANSHIN admiration FEELING i 82 KANKAKU sense 13 strokes: AW KANIO feelin; KS ig Heart/feeling «" 147 and @X.. The latter is a CO character meaning unison. It com- prises trimming tool sharp weapon FX (variant 75, 515 q.v.), which symbolised trimming and making correct and by extension harmonising, and mouthisay © 20, thus giving harmony of expression and unison. Here it acts phonetically to express sway, and probably also lends an idea of all together. ‘Thus all hearts swayed together, in- dicating intense emotion or feeling. Suggest taking 7X) asa variant of halberd *% 493, with — as one 1. Mnemonic: ONE HALBERD IN MOUTH CAUSES FEELING IN HEART nTHIRD GRADE 247-250 247 KAN ‘fil KAIKAN tall LARGE BUILDING, HALL ff fff RYOKAN ian | 16 strokes 95 ff BUUTSUKAN ar gallery Eat & 146 and official "@ 441 q.., here with its original meaning of official in a building. 247 originally referred to a building where traveling officials could eat, ie. an inn, but then came to mean building in a broader sense, usually with connotations of size and qui Mnemonic: OFFICIAL EATS IN HALL 28 EY GAN, Kitt IE KAGAN coast BANK, SHORE 3] TAIGAN far bank Fr 8 strokes JIL KAWAGISHI riverbank us is mountain 24, here meaning high ground. 77 is cliff 45. = is dry 825 qv., here acting phonetically to express high and also lending an idea of thrusting from is original meaning of thrusting weapon, Thus tall thrusting cliffs, and by extension shore or bank. Mnemonic: MOUNTAINOUS CLIFF FORMS DRY SHORE 2 Qh GAN me BH GANSEKI rock ROCK, CRAG iB IWAYA cave 2 8 szokes JHE KASEIGAN igneous rock Mountain Jy 24 and stone/rock 7% 45. Mnemonic: STONY MOUNTAIN SHOWS ROCKY CRAGS 250 KI, okirwkoru/kosu 42/5 KIGEN origin ARISE, CAUSE S242 % HAYAOKI early rising 10 swokes 324 2) KIDORYOKU motive power Formerly #@,. &isrun 161. @ is an NGU character meaning serpent, and derives froma pictograph 2 . Here it acts phonetically to express stop, and also lends an idea of rearing up. Thus to stop running and rear up, such as an animal at bay, The idea of rearing came to prevail, leading to associated meanings such as rise, arise, occur, and ‘cause, Suggest taking Z,as thread self 855. ‘Mnemonic: CAUSE ONESELF TO RUN 2THIRD GRADE 251-254 251 KI, GO “F9) GAKKI school term PERIOD, EXPECT Sif KITAL ‘expectation 12 strokes EME SAIGO end Once written $$. Sun/day @ 62 has now been replaced by moon month 16, both indicating time, Fis an NGU character borrowed to express that, but it derives from a pictograph of a winnowing device ® . Like the harvest itself (see 64) winnow- ing came to symbolise a cycle of time. This led to the idea of regular and predictable, i.e. something one can expect. Mnemonic: EXPECT PERIOD OF MONTHS BETWEEN WINNOWINGS 252 KYAKU, KAKU 2% RAIKYAKU visitor e GUEST, VISITOR %& JOKYAKU passenger 9 strokes. A KAKUIN guest member Roof/building © 28, andeach 4 438 q.v., here with its literal meaning of visit and stay. Thus person who visits building(especially house). Suggest taking 2 as sitting erosstegged, and as mouth 20, Mnemonic: EACH HOUSE GUEST SITS CROSSLEGGED,OPEN MOUTHED 283 \ Dep YE Kiwamera DIS KENKYU research Am INVESTIGATE, EXTREME £15 KYUMEI investiga 7 strokes HER TANKYU inquiry Hole § 849 and nine jt 12 qw., here with its literal meaning of bent elbow. Though its exact etymology is somewhat disputed, many scholars feel that 253 originally eferred to thrusting the arm into a hole in order to ferret’ something out, thus indicating going to extreme lengths. Mnemonic: EXTREME INVESTIGATION OF NINE HOLES 254 KY, isog u FE KYUSHI sudden death HURRY, SUDDEN 88 KYUSOKU rapidity WE "= KEN OSGI —_ great haste Once writen 2. 5/B isthe prototype of reach A 1148 qv. «sis heartifeetings 147. 254 originally indicated the feelings of someone uying to reach something, ie. a sense of urgency or haste. Sudden is an associated meaning. Suggest taking 3 liter- ally as bending person 7 and hand 2 Mnemonic: HURRYING PERSON SUDDENLY BENDS, HAND TO HEART. BTHIRD GRADE 255-257 255 KYU iff #{ SHINKYU promotion RANK, GRADE. FR DOKYUSEI — classmate J 9 strokes: Lf JOKYU upper grade & is thread 27. A is reach 1148, which acts phonetically to express order and also lends its own connotations of making contact. Thus to join threads in a set order, i.e, weave, This gave rise to the idea of relative position, and eventually rank and grade, Mnemonic: REACH OUT AND GRADE THREADS. 256 KYU, GU, KU, miya 4% JINGU shrine PALACE, SHRINE, ® KYUCHU Court PRINCE, ‘8 MIYASAMA prince 10 strokes > is roof/building 28. & is an NOU character meaning vertebrae, though itis often used simply to mean joined blocks. Here it means joined rooms, suggesting a build ing of considerable size. It became particularly associated with temples and palaces, and in Japanese is also used to refer to nobles associated in tum with palaces. Mnemonic: PALACE IS BUILDING WITH JOINED ROOMS 287 KYG, tama sR KYUGI ball game Qe SPHERE, BALL suk CHIKYT Earth ‘4. 11 strokes BRA TAMAHIROI caddie # is jewel 102, 3 is seek 455 q.v., used partly phonetically to express beautiful, and partly for its connotations of desirable object. Thus beautiful, desirable jewel. It became particularly associated with well formed round jewels rather than faceted ones, partly because its sound could also express eurved, and hence came to mean perfectly round/ spherical. ‘Mnemonic: SEEK SPHERICAL JEWEL 14THIRD GRADE 258-260 258 KYO, KO, saru 2 KYONEN last year GO, LEAVE, PAST i€ 2% KAKO the past 5 strokes WHS TACHISARU — depart Once written &, showing a doublectid on a rice container, ‘The double-lid indicated security, indicating in tum the importance of rice. Though a lidded container might logical Iy be expected to suggest fullness, as indeed it does inthe case of joy 25 1142... in the case of 258 it seems that since the rice was looked upon as vital rations its rate of con- sumption was of paramount importance. Consumption led to used up and gone, with Past being a figurative extension. Suggest taking Za as nose 134 and 4 as ground 60. Mnemonic: NOSE TO GROUND SUGGESTS ONE'S GONE TOO FAR 259 KYO, hashi 1G TEKKYO steel bridge BRIDGE BEE RIKKYO overpass 16 strokes i ¥f ISHIBASHI stone bridge & is wood 69. % is an NGU character meaning tall. In effect it isa variant of tall % 119 qv., showing a watchtower 3 /-> but surmounted by a person with bent neck £ 279, symbolising bent at the tip/top. Thus tall arched wooden structure, now used of bridges in general. Mnemonic: TALL ARCHED WOODEN STRUCTURE IS BRIDGE 260 yp> GVO, GO, waza BR SANGYO industry PROFESSION, DEED, 5 ® ZAIGO sin KARMA fE% SHIWAZA act, deed 13 stokes Once written, depicting a base and notched board of a musical instrument. Cross- Pieces were slotted into the notches and bells hung from them. Opinion differs as 10 how this pictograph of a musical instrument came to acquire its present meanings. Some schol. ar fel that there was a similar device from which wooden tables inscribed with characters ‘ere hung, these tablets apparently being used as teaching aids. Thus the pictograph be. ‘ame associated with learning, leading to profession and hence to work, with work siving rise to deed/act, which in turn became associated with karma (the eect of @per= Son's ations onthe sum of their existence), Other scholars see the instrument as symbulis: ing intricacy and complexity, and by extension something demanding much study in ‘order to master. From study, the evolution of meaning is seen as similar to that ofthe first theory. Suggest remembering partly by association with wood #69, Mnemonic: STUDY COMPLEX WOODEN INSTRUMENT AS PROFESSION 15THIRD GRADE 261-262 261 KYOKU, magaruigera ti KYOKUSEN curve BEND, MELODY fellii SAKKYOKU songwriting 6 stokes {W797 MAGEMONO round box ‘Somewhat obscure. Originally 5 , and later @ and @9. Some scholars see this as a ‘carpenter's tool used in cutting curves and angles, while others see it as a crude re- ‘ceptacle made by bending softened wood, There is in fact evidence to support both views. Melody is an associated meaning, from the idea of convoluted, Suggest taking as a ‘multi-pathed' variant of field 59. ‘Mnemonic: FIELD HAS MANY BENDING PATHS. 262 KYOKU Fill KYOKUMEN — sination OFFICE, SECTION, END, #ti/) KEKKYOKU finally ‘CBE circumstances 645} YoBINKYOKU 7 sokes post office Obscure. Once writen ZB and ff. Some scholars see , as the prototype of measure R884 qv. and 2 asan area, giving measured area and by extension prescribed section, leading on the one hand to division and by figurative extension interruption and thence termination/end, and on the other to appropriate part of a larger unit, such as 8 specialised branch/offce ofa government ministry. However, such a theory does not easi- Iy explain the meaning circumstances. Other scholars see f /? as a slumped figure symbolising bending (essentially corpse 77 236), plus the protoype {) of phrase) 655 q.v., used for its idea of interlocking, thus giving a meaning of interlocking and bending, ic. convoluted. Circumstances is an associated meaning from convotutions Office is seen as stemming from 262's replacement of a now defunct characte of which it was an element in combination with building 7 28, ‘23 , which meant complicated building such as one housing many government offices. The office was a section of the maze-like building, which one finally found. (Similarly a court lady's chamber, which is a further minor meaning of 262.) A further theory is that /~ is merely a variant of large building /* 114, The later use of corse 236 is consistent with the occasion- aluse of Pasa simplification of building ¢ 236. This gives interlocking (i.e. com- plicated) building, and thea follows the second theory, but does not account for eir- cumstances. It seems possible that 262 may in fact be a confusion of several characters. Suggest taking it as corpse and a variant of phrase. Mnemonic: OFFICE CORPSE USES ODD PHRASE IN CIRCUMSTANCES 16THIRD GRADE 263-265 263 GIN, shirogane BFF GINKO bank SILVER G2 I GINGA Milky Way 7 14 suokes SES GINKA silvercoin is metal 14, K isan NGU character meaning stop. It was once written @, showing an eye on twisted legs (as opposed to eye on bent legs in look 18), and indicated a person turning round and staring. Here its used primarily for its sound, to express White, but also lends an idea of take a second look , ie. scrutinise, That is, it r- quired 2 careful examination to distinguish silver from similar but less precious meals ‘Thus white, carefully examined metal. Suggest remembering Ras stop and stare, distinguishing it from good ® S98. Note that shirogane means literally ‘white metal’. See also 353, Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE AT SILVERY METAL 268 KU, kurushiishimu, nigai 0 KUSHIN pains, wouble PAINFUL, BITTER AW KUTS pain, agony 8 strokes, SOK NIGAMI bitterness Plant + 9 and old & 109, here used phonetically to express bitter but possibly also lending an extended idea of lingering. Thus plant with (lingering?) bitter taste. Bitter is also used figuratively. Mnemonic: OLD PLANT LEAVES BITTER TASTE 265 GU, sonaeru SL & GUAT condition EQUIP(MENT), MEANS ff). YOGU appliance FT tse st R Docu tool Formerly and in ancien times J, showing hands ¥- holding upakettle SB 228, Kettle symbolised utensil. Thus offer a utensil, meaning to equip with the where. withal. Some later forms such as suggest that ket became confused with shell/ money § 9, but the core meaning (provide wherewithal) remained unchanged. Suggest taking. Bas eye 72 and x asatable, Mnemonic: KEEP AN EYE ON TABLE: IT'S VALUABLE EQUIPMENT 7THIRD GRADE 266-268 26 KUN, kimi 4B BOKUN tyrant LORD, YOU, MR © # SAIKUN wife 7 strokes il fi YAMADAKUN (Mr) Yamada 1D is mouth/say 20. # is a CO character meaning govern, deriving from hand hold- ing a stick - (sce also 101), Thus to govern by mouth, ic. command and by exten- sion commander/lord. Also used as what was originally a very polite form of address (now informal). ‘Mnemonic: LORD HOLDS STICK NEXT TO MOUTH 267 KEI, KYO, ani 2. FUKEI guardians ELDER BROTHER 53. 8 NUSAMA * Elder Brother S strokes 52,8 SE KYODAIAT brotherly love Once written 9, showing a person crouching “39 and amouth 1 20, indicating speaking. ‘There is some disagreement over the role of crouching figure. Many scholars SAIWAIni fortunately Once writen ¢ . & is an NGU character meaning death or calamity, and derives from figure K 53 witha slumped head “. is an inverted stylisation of figure 53, the inversion indicating the reversal of the calamity. A reversal of calamity means happi- ness and good fortune. See also 646. Suggest remembering by association with needie/ sharp % 1432, 279 having an extra stroke. Mnemonic: EXTRA SHARP STROKE BRINGS HAPPINESS 82THIRD GRADE 280-281 280 KO, minato SEE KOKO airport HARBOR, PORT Ai NYOKG ——_portentry 3% 12 strokes ¥ BY _MINATOMACHI port town Also written 26. 7 is water 40. % is an NGU character meaning streets of a settle- ment, It was once written 9§\, showing the early forms of village $/ P 355 and to- ether §/ 460, and referred to the coming together of roads near a village. Confus- ingly, though it usually means point of convergence of roads and hence settlement, from 8 different perspective it can also mean point of divergence and hence forking road. Some scholars take 4 to mean settlement and thus assume 280 means simply waterside Settlement, but usage in Chinese, where 280 can also mean ereek, suggests that 5° rep- resented river, that #% meant forking road, and that 280 originally meant forking ri er. Thats, it presumably then came to refer to-a delta (characterised by branching) and hence rivermouth, the site of most ports. Suggest taking % as together and 2 as self 855, Mnemonic: FIND ONESELF TOGETHER WITH WATER IN PORT at EP GO #3 BANGO number NUMBER, CALL, SIGN 4 GOI command 5 strokes SM GOKYU wailing Formerly $ . #& is an NGU character meaning tiger. Though it looks like a variant of skin R374 itis in fact derived from an extremely stylised pictograph of a tiger that ap- ears to have accentuated the fangs. (fo AC to), and toll inents and purposes represents a mass of claw and fang, A/1\ is feltto be legs 39 used ideographically, and is dropped in most cases in compounds. © is mouth/say 20. % is a CO character mean- ing seeking an exit, and shows a waterweed twisting up to the surface before spreading out flat. Thus -% indicates a call that is loud and/or drawn out, ie. that is pre- /ceded by a certain build-up such as the gathering of breath, 281 originally referred to a tie 4ger's call, then came to mean loud call in general. Number is an extended meaning from calling out a person's name or number, as in the army, and sign is a similar extension from designation, Mnemonic: MOUTH CALLS NUMBER OF TWISTING WEED 83THIRD GRADE 282-285 282 KON, ne fe 2 KONPON basis ROOT, BASE X #l DAIKON —giantradish 10 stokes EE YANE roof ‘Tree A. 69 and stopping and staring & 263. The later acts phonetically to express root/base and also lends an idea of ‘rooted to the spot. Thus root which fixes tree in place, now also root/base in a figurative sense. Mnemonic: STOP AND STARE AT TREE ROOT 283 SAI, matsuru, matsuri $8 A SADITSU holiday PR vestivat, worst 2 54 SaIDAN alae 11 strokes ‘] # YUKIMATSURI aN ' snow festival Once written %, clearly showing a hand 3 placing meat 4 365 on an altar jf 695, thus indicating a sacrifice during a religious ceremony. Festival and worship are asso- ciated meanings. Mnemonic: HAND PUTS MEAT ON ALTAR IN sSTIVAL OF WORSHIP 284 SAI, hosoi, komakai MUL SATKU craftsmanship SLENDER, FINE #1 a HOSONAGAT slender 11 strokes Mi ds KOMAKA ni minutely Once written 8, showing thread f} / 4% 27 and brain @ /i) 131. acts phonetical: ly to express thin, and also lends an idea of fine crenellations. ‘Thus fine, thin thread(s). Suggest taking gas field 59. Mnemonic: SLENDER PATH THREADS THROUGH FIELD 285 SHI, JI, tsukaeru 4 3 SHIGOTO: work: SERVE, WORK, DO 497 SHIKATA — way, means 5 strokes 4k #1 Zs SHIKUMI arrangement Person { 39.and samurai + 494. A samurai was a person who served his master. Do and work are associated meanings. Mnemonic: SAMURAI IS PERSON WHO WORKS AND SERVES 84286 wg = SHI, shinu FE t& SHITAL corpse DEATH % H SHIKYO death 6 strokes 4 WE VC WAKAIJINI early death Once written AA. A (now F )is a variant of bone ¥F 867 q.v,, its 'meatlessness' in- dicating bare bone(s) and hence skeleton/ death. A is person 39, now replaced by fallen person {, 238 which reinforces the idea of death. Thus death of a person, now death in general. Mnemonic: PERSON FALLS IN DEATH, SOON BARE BONES 287 SHI, tsukaw 4/8 SHIYO use USE, SERVANT X (i TAISHI ambassador 8 strokes as 6 KOZUKAI servant Once written 4%. 4 is person 39. & is the early form of thing $ 293 qv. here with its original meaning of work. Thus 287 originally meant working person. In time ¢ also acquired a causative meaning, i.e. to make a person work, and employ/use zventually became extended to inanimate objects also. See also official ® 1894, and suggest taking @ as this. Mnemonic: OFFICIAL PERSON USES SERVANT 288 SHI, hajimeru/maru 46% SHOU throughout BEGIN, FIRST 48 % BE SHIDOKI starter 4 % SHIHATIMERU wo 8 strokes te start to do Somewhat obscure. Once written 2% and earlier as 22. The later forms clearly show tame oneself % 166 q.v. The early form appears to use just self/nose &/ Zs 134 without the mouth/say element 0 20, - is woman 35. 44/4 is known to have acted phonetically to express start, giving start of females and by extension first-born Jaughter. Opinion differs, however, over its semantic role. Some scholars take 2 /La, 0 be plow 419 q.v., used in its meaning of starting point and thus reinforcing the pho- retic start, and take @ to be a miscopying. However, it seems questionable whether slow had acquired this meaning at the time of the form 2.2. Other scholars take 2 to be ielf 134, with an associated meaning of first person, and take ¢ to be a later deliberate ase of 166 in its meaning of announce oneself, since the first born daughter would have spoken on behalf of all the daughters of a family. In any event, from beginning of fe- nale line 288 came to mean first and beginning in a broad sense. Suggest taking ¢& nits modem meaning of platform. Mnemonic: FIRST WOMAN BEGINS TO MOUNT PLATFORM 85THIRD GRADE 289-292 & SHI, yubi, sasu 48 78 SHUI indication FINGER, POINT 348 OYAYUBI thumb 9 strokes 48 SASHIZU directions 4 ishand 32. & is good 1312, here used phonetically to express branch and possibly also lending an idea of good in the sense of skilful or useful. Thus (useful?) branch- es of the hand, ie. fingers. Point is an associated meaning. Suggest taking & as person sitting © 238andsun € 62. Mnemonic: PERSON SITS POINTING AT SUN WITH FINGER 290 SHI, ha 8 AR SHIKON dental root TOOTH ii % HAISHA dentist 12 strokes Ba HL HAGURUMA. gear Formerly dj, and earlier 9. The earliest form (BD isa pictograph of teeth in a mouth ‘7 20. Stop sf 129 was added later largely for its sound, to express row, but may also have lent an extended meaning of clamp. Its bottom stroke became fused with the upper stroke of mouth, Suggest taking the modem form as rice 34 201. Mnemonic: TEETH ENSURE RICE STOPS IN MOUTH 21S SHI a A SHIIN poet = POETRY #349 SHITEKI poetic vp~ 13 strokes 1% SHUO Poetic feeling Z is word 274, 4 is temple 133 qv., here used largely phonetically to express feel- ing but probably also lending connotations of regular, i.e. in this case rhythmic, Thus rhythmic words of feeling. Mnemonic: WORDS FROM TEMPLE ARE PURE POETRY JI, SHI, tsugi, tsugu w%® SANIL tertiary ~ NEXT, FOLLOW %K HF SHIDAT ni gradually 4 Ie 6 strokes #1 K aT AITSUIDE in succession Once written =A, showing that 7 derives from two = 61. % is lack/ gaping mouth 471 qv., here meaning yawn. When one person yawns, a second invariably follows suit. Thus sequence. Suggest taking 7 as ice 378. Mnemonic: LACK OF ICE FOLLOWS NEXT 86THIRD GRADE 293-295 293 BI, ZU, koto 2 DAU imporance THING, MATTER, ACT 45% KOZU curiosity 8 strokes i 3&3} DEKIGOTO ‘event Once writen X and eartieras {7 a isa hand, but the precise meaning of ¥is un- clear, It appears to show a flag on a pote ¥(see 333), with some scholars taking © 10 be an outer suppor for the flagpole (see 55) and others taking it to be a placard or sign- board, In any event it seems likely that 293 originally showed a hand holding aloft some form of identification, taken to indicate a guild or similar engaged in a particular type of ‘work (not unlike the distinctive pole once seen outside a barber's shop in the West). Cer- tainly its early meaning was work and by extension worker/servant, and in Chinese it still retains servant as a reasonably major meaning. It is also the prototype of servant (& 287 qw. (and see also official @ 1894), Its present meanings are all felt wo be extensions of work. Suggest taking the modern form as a mix of ten + 33, box 19 ,and hand 2+. Mnemonic: HANDLING TEN BOXES IS NO SMALL THING JI, morsu 7¥ JISAN bringing. HOLD,HAVE,MAINTAIN #¥ 3 MOCHINUSHI owner 9 strokes 259 5 NAGAMOCHI durability is hand 32. 4 is temple 133 q.v., here acting phonetically to express use and slso aves its early meaning of use of the hands. Thus to use the hands. Though some- what vague, this appears to have originally meant to hold something up, leading to the present meanings of support/ maintain and hold/ have. Hold is also found in the ex- tended sense of hold out, ic. last/ endure. Mnemonic: HOLD HANDS AT TEMPLE 298 “ SHIKI #iX SHINSHIKI new style CEREMONY, FORM 353%, HOSHIKI formu Fy G strokes B30 KAIKAISHIKI opening ceremony 5 is carpenter’ square 113, here meaning measure. “Lisa stake 177. 295 originally refered to stakes planted in the ground at measured intervals, giving scale. Scale then came to mean set format or order, leading to pattern, style etc. In Japanese it also re- fers by association to a formal ceremony. Mnemonic: CARPENTER'S SQUARE IS A FORM OF STAKE 87THIRD GRADE 296-297 296 JITSU, mi, minoru EAT WKKO ——canying out xz (BEAR) FRUIT, TRUTH, #4 JUITSU fact REALITY HAD MIRE crop, gains 8 strokes: Formerly“ and originally) . is field full of ripe crops 504, with shetl/ money 90 emphasising the value ofthe crop. @r is building 28, 296 originally re- ferred t a house made prosperous through bumper erops. The idea of house has now ds appeared, leaving such meanings as crop, fullness, substance, ripen, and by exten: sion bear fruit and reality. Unusually, the semi-abstract idea of bumper crop was also extended to the physical crop, giving fruit, nut, ete. The use of threaded money 1202 isa longstanding miscopying, though it sil gives a meaning of prosperous house Suggest taking A asa bigman X53 withsix arms Mnemonic: IN REALITY, A BIG SIX-ARMED MAN IS IN THE HOUSE! 27 SIA, utsusu/ra FE SHASHIN photograph COPY, TRANSCRIBE HE SHAJITSU realism ‘S strokes #5 M FUKUSHAKI copier Somewhat obscure. Formerly 72} . > is building 28. % is a CO character now used ina number of rather unhelpful meanings such as shoe and large. Ik comprises kx, which is a simplified form of bird , 174, and mortar 63 648, and this appears to be a variant of a similar combination of bird and mortar (with the latter used purely phonetically) found in ow! 9 648 g.v. Thus presumably $3, also originally meant owl, which is a large bird (hough how it came to mean shoe is not clea), Inthe case of 297 itis known to have act- ce phonetically to express transfer, to give a meaning of transfer from one building to another, Its semantic role is not clear, though some scholars fee! it could also mean magpie, a bird associated with removing items, Itis also possible that 42 suggested tal: ‘ons, and by extension seizing and removing. Transfer from one building to another came to mean transfer ina broader sense, and for some unclear reason later became particularly associated with transferring written items, ic. transcribing or copying. The modern form uses convey 4. 1873, partly asa graphic simplification and partly for its meaning, Mnemonic: CONVEY COPY OF BUILDING 88THIRD GRADE 298-300 298 SHA, mono { # SAKUSHA author PERSON & # KOSHA the latter - 8 strokes 25% WAKAMONO young people Formerly #% andearlier %. is. storage box (container U plus contents ~), while 2% iskindling (felt tobe a combination offre 7:/ K 8 and wood % 69). Thus box for storing kindling, ‘This became box for storing odds and ends, and eventually just odds and ends or various things. Thing later became used as a somewhat unflat- tering reference to certain persons, and later became person in e general sense. Suggest taking as burfed in the ground 117, with — as day 62. Note that in compounds 298 often lends an idea of many {rom various things). Mnemonic: PERSON WILL BE BURIED IN GROUND ONE DAY 29 OU™ SHU, nushi, omo 3A. SHUJIN master, husband MASTER,OWNER,MAIN ft 3 JINUSHI landowner 5 surokes = suuyo principal From a pictograph of an ornately stemmed burning ol lamp + . It became a sym- bol ofthe master of the house, who issued the command forthe lamp tbe it. Master led to extended meanings such as lord, owner, chit/main etc, Suggest taking a king Sand abit Mnemonic: KING WITH BIT EXTRA IS REAL MASTER 300 > SHU, SU, mamoru 4% F HOSHU conservatism PROTECT, KEEP AFH RUSUBAN caretaker 6 strokes, FF KOMORI* — nursemaid Building/house >> 28nd hand/measure ~t 909, here meaning regulate or ad- minister. Thus looking after a house, later to keep or protect in general. Mnemonic: TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT HOUSE. 89THIRD GRADE 301-303 SHU, toru 3 4} SHUTOKU acquisition TAKE, CONTROL FRY fF TORIDASU take out 4M 4 GYUNRU* contol Ahand 2 taking hold of an ear 29, Usually explained as seizing @ person by the car, with the explanation often extended to ripping off the ear of a prisoner of war as a sym= bol of capture. Ripping off an ear by hand would be no easy matter, but it should be noted that there is aCO character fi} , using earand cut 1] 181, which means cutting off a pris- coner's ear. This was actually a punishment rather than a symbol of capture, but it may ac- count for the popular misinterpretation of 301. It seems more likely that the ear actually represented an animal's ear. When seizing an animal that may bite or gore the ear is the safest part to take hold of. Its also a tender part, both for animals and humans, and thus an important part when attempting to control or subdue these. Thus hand holding ear represented both seizeltake and control, though the latter is now a minor meaning, ‘Mnemonic: HAND TAKES CONTROL OF EAR SHU, sake, saka- $k 8 INSHU drinking ALCOHOL, SAKE 144) SAKABA tavern “3 10 strokes WS 4 SAKENOMI hard drinker 1S is a pictograph of a wine jar , and symbolises alcohol in general. (It now exists as a ‘minor NGU character indicating a zodiac sign, deriving from the fact that a particular type of spirit was brewed [actually from millet} at a fixed point [the eighth month} of the year) y is water 40, here indicating liquid. Thus liquid in wine jar, ic. alcohol. In Jap- nese it also refers to sake. Mnemonic: WATERY ALCOHOL IN WINE JAR 303 JU, wkeru 28 JUKENSHA — examinee 2 > keceive 2M UKETORI receipt Ze 8 strokes % A) UKETSUKE reception Once writen $ , showing ahand reaching down ¢ (now an NGU character mean- ing claws/ talons), a hand reaching up 2 , and 4, the prototype of boat fi} 1354 q.v. which was often used as a symbol of conveyance. Thus to convey from one hand to another. 303 came to indicate the receiving hand, whereas the giving hand is now ex- pressed by # 702, which adds afurtherhand $ 32. Suggest taking 7 a a baton, Mnemonic: ONE HAND RECEIVES BATON FROM ANOTHER HAND 90THIRD GRADE 304-306 6 stokes Mi é sHOGIKAL state parliament 304 SHU, su NY HONSHU Honshu URINE PRovINcE, saNDBANK #4 SASU sandbank Once written \Q\, and earlier as 8, showing a sandbank © ina river T1148. The {dea of small amount of land surrounded by water gave rise to separate area, ic, astate or province. Mnemonic: SANDBANK IN RIVER IS SEPARATE PROVINCE 305 SHU, JU, hirou Rie snisHd control LBS PICK UP, GATHER, #819 HIROIMONO bargain wm ms #8 s0icH eleven 9 strokes Hand + 32 and join & 121,10 give the idea of using both hands to gather or pick up. It also came to express ten, ic. the fingers of two hands, and was in fact the pre- cursor often + 33. Mnemonic: JOINED HANDS CAN GATHER OR COUNT TO TEN 306 SHU, ovarveru #8 SHOTEN end, terminus FINISH #€1E SHUSHI termination DO swokes #8 OWARIni finally ~ Formerly #$, and once $& and 6. Q¥is feltto be a pictograph of ropes with a knot in each end (10 prevent fraying), and $2 to be ropes tied together. Ropes tied together also led to knot, which by association meant tying off and thus finishing, Thread 4 27 was added later for clarity. Suggest taking as winter 182 Mnemonic: THREADS FINISH IN WINTER OL