ILLUSTRATED KANJI ANATOMY FOR GENKI I NORIKO KUROSAWA WILLIAMS@ 2005

Lesson 3
Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

1 一 one; single; first イチ・ひと(つ)

2 二 two; second; double ニ・ふた(つ)

Strokes 1 Strokes 2
Words いち ひと いっかい ひとり
Words に じゅうに ふた ふたり
一 one; 一つone piece; 一回 once; 一人 one
二 two; 十二 twelve; 二つtwo items; 二人two
ついたち いちにち いちばん
ふつか にがつ
person;一日 first day of the month; 一日 one day; 一番 people; 二日two days, second day of the month; 二月
the first, most にねんせい

FormationIt depicted a single February; 二年生sophomore student

extended finger or a stick of Formation It depicted two
wood, which signified the extended fingers or two
number ‘one.’ sticks of wood, which
The kanji 一 means ‘one; signified the number ‘two.’
single; first.’ The kanji 二 means ‘two;
second; double.’

Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

3 三 three; third; many サン・み・みっ(つ)
4 四 four シ・よ・よん

Strokes Strokes 5
3 よん よっ じゅうよん よっか
さん みっ さんにん みっか
Words
Words
三three; 三つthree items; 三人three people; 三日 四four; 四つfour items; 十 四 fourteen； 四日forth
しほう
さんびゃくえん
day of the month; four days; 四方all directions
three days, third day of the month; 三百円 three
hundred yen Formation The
old form for ‘four’
Formation It
depicted three had four lines, but four lines
fingers or three sticks of probably might have become
wood that indicated the confusing or cumbersome for
number ‘three’. accurate communication.
The kanji 三 means ‘three; The later form 四 consisted
third.’ of 囗, ’mouth, area,’ and 八,
’splitting up into half,’ and was borrowed from
another word which had the same sound. The kanji
四 means ‘four’.
Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

5 五 five ゴ・いつ(つ)
6 六 six ロク・む(っつ)

Strokes 4 Strokes ４
Words ご いつ いつか Words ろく むっ ろくにん むいか
五five; 五つfive items； 五日 fifth day of the month; 六six; 六つsix items; 六人six people; 六日six days,
ごにん ごがつ ろっかい
五人five people; 五月May sixth day of the month; 六回six times
Formation Oneof the old forms Formation Originally it was a
had five lines to indicate depiction of an entrance to a
‘five.’ Another form had two house. In counting six, one
lines at the top and bottom added another finger on a
and a cross in between. clenched fist. Because the
When one counts to ten using sounds for ‘fist’ and ‘house’
fingers, five is the crossing were similar, a depiction of a
point. The kanji 五 means house may have been used to mean ‘six.’ The kanji
‘five.’ 六 means ‘six’.

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 Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

7 七 seven シチ・なな・なの
8 八 eight ハチ・やつ・やっ(つ)・
よう
Strokes Strokes 2
2
しち Words はち やっ はちにん ようか
Words なな なのか
七seven; 七 つseven items; 七日seven days, seventh 八eight; 八つeight items; 八人eight people; 八日
しちがつ はちがつ

day of month; 七月July eight days, eighth day of the month；八月August;

はっせん
kanji ten 十 was
Formation The 八 千 eight thousands
cut in an odd way, not quite Formation It
shows two lines
in the middle. Seven is an moving away from each
odd number that is more other or splitting up. ’Eight
than a half but short of ten, is four divided in half. It also
which is full. The kanji 七 means many.
means ‘seven.’ The kanji 八 means ‘eight.’

Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

９ 九 nine ク・キュウ・ここの(つ
10 十 ten; full ジュウ・ジッ・とお・と

Strokes 2 Strokes 2
Words きゅう く ここの ここのか Words じゅう にじゅう じゅっぷん とお
九 nine; 九 nine; 九 つnine；九日nine days, ninth 十 ten；二十 twenty; 十分 ten minutes; 十 ten;
きゅうこ くがつ とおか じゅうぶん
day of the month; 九個 nine items；九月 September 十日ten days, tenth day of the month; 十分 に
sufficiently
FormationIt was a depiction of a
Formation (a)
Two lines crossing
bent elbow. One tried to
indicated the all directions,
thrust a hand into a hole to
signifying ‘full and complete.’
reach the end but fell short of
Alternatively, (b) In tallying,
it. It was used for a number
every ten was marked with
almost full (ten) but a little
an emphatic dot. The kanji
short of it, which is nine. The
kanji 九 means ‘nine’.
十 means ‘ten’ or ‘full.’

Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

11 百 hundred; all; whole ヒャク

12 千 thousand セン・ち

Strokes 6 Strokes
3
Words ひゃく さんびゃく はっぴゃく
Words せん さんぜん ごせんまんえん
百 hundred; 三百 three hundreds; 八百 eight 千thousand; 三千three thousands; 五千万円 fifty
や お や
ち よ
hundreds；八百屋green grocery store million yen; 千代 a thousand generations
Formation It consisted of 一 Formation It is a combination of

‘one; top’ and 白 ’white’ was a person ｲ and one 一.

a thumb. (The pronunciation Soldiers were counted by the
of 白 is also similar to that of thousand and the divisions
hundred.’) In ancient times a were marked by a line.
thumb was used to indicate a Hence, the kanji depicted
hundred. people coming together by
The kanji 百 means ‘hundred.’ the thousands. The kanji 千 means ‘thousand.’

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 Meanings On-Kun Readings Meanings On-Kun Readings

13 万 ten thousand マン・バン

14 円 Japanese yen; round エン・まる(い)

Strokes 3 Strokes
4
Words さんまんえん じゅうまん にほんえん よんひゃくえん えんまん
Words
三万円thirty thousand yen； 十 万 a hundred 日本円Japanese yen; 四 百 円 four hundred yen; 円満
ひゃくまんにん ばんじ えん
thousand; 百万人 a million people; 万事everything; な`harmonious; 円circle
original kanji 萬
Formation The Formation The old form 圓 had a
came from a depiction of a circle 囗 and a round pot
scorpion. For a long time in
with tripods 員. Both
Buddhism, the kanji 万 has
expressed roundness, hence
been used as a variant of 卍, ‘harmony.’ The meaning of
an ancient swastika. It was Japanese yen comes from the
borrowed to indicate the round shape of old coins.
number 10,000 for its sound, not for its meaning. Now the much simpler 円 is used instead. The kanji
The kanji 万 means ‘ten thousand.’
円 means ‘round’ or ‘Japanese currency yen.’
Meanings On-Kun Readings

117 時 time; o’clock ジ・とき・と

Strokes
10
Words さんじ じかん とけい

三時 three o’clock; 時間time, hour; 時計clock, watch;

とき

そういう時 at the time like that

日 was a pictograph
Formation

of a sun. 寺 consisted of 土
(originally 止 ’footstep’) and
寸 ‘hands’ or ‘a little’ (from
an inch between a hand and
the pulse point in the wrist),
gave the meaning of ‘to hold in hand’ (and later
‘temple.’ ‘Having a sun’ indicated ‘sustaining time.’
The kanji 時 means ‘time.’

The Kanji Words Lesson 3 (Highlighted word in げんき I pp262-263)

Word Reading Meaning 12. 六時 ろく"じ six o’clock 24. 三百 さ"んびゃく three
1. 一 いち one hundred
13. 六百 ろっぴゃく six
25. 六百 ろっぴゃく six hundred
2. 一時 いち"じ one o’clock
14. 七 しち・な"な six o’clock
26. 八百 はっぴゃく eight
3. 二 に two
15. 七時 しち"じ seven hundred
4. 二時 に"じ two o’clock 27. 千 せ"ん thousand
16. 八 はち eight
5. 三 さん three 28. 三千 さんぜ"ん three
17. 八時 はち"じ eight o’clock
thousand
6. 三時 さ"んじ three o’clock
18. 八百 はっぴゃく eight 29. 八千 はっせ"ん eight
よ"ん hundred thousand
7. 四 four
19. 九 きゅ"う nine 30. 一万 いちま"ん ten thousand
8. 四時 よ"じ four o’clock
20. 九時 く"じ nine o’clock 31. 十万 じゅうま"ん one hundred
9. 五 ご five thousand
21. 十 じゅ"う ten
ひゃくま"ん one million
10. 五時 ご"じ five o’clock 32. 百万
22. 十時 じゅ"うじ ten o’clock
11. 六 ろく six 33. 百円 ひゃくえん one hundred
ひゃく yen
23. 百 hundred

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