MIT Lesson 14 Kanji: 第１４課の漢字
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(or less) QuickTime movie of the character being painted with a brush.
JP NET is grateful to Prof. Saeko Komori
of Chubu University for
permission to use the kanji movies at our site. All movie data is
copyright 1995, 1996 by Saeko Komori.
In the following definitions, on (Chinese-based) readings
are represented by katakana, and by capital romaji letters;
kun (native Japanese-based) readings are represented by
hiragana, and by lower-case romaji letters. This is a common
dictionary convention, and does not have any bearing on meaning.
- Printed form:
- 昼
- Readings:
- ひる
- hiru
- Meaning:
- daytime; noon
- Mnemonic:
- 尺 is a ruler like a compass which determines the exact noon time
when the sun 日 is high above the horizon.
- Usage Examples:
- 昼ご飯 (ひるごはん) lunch
- Printed form:
- 飯
- Readings:
- ハン
- HAN
- Meaning:
- meal; cooked rice
- Mnemonic:
- The radical for "eating" on the left and 反 (a hand ヌ making an
enbankment).
- Usage Examples:
- 朝ご飯 (あさごはん) breakfast
- 晩ご飯 (ばんごはん) supper
- Printed form:
- 願
- Readings:
- ねが
- nega
- Meaning:
- request
- Mnemonic:
- The radical for big head 頁 and a source or origin 原.
- Usage Examples:
- お願いする (おねがいする) to request
- Printed form:
- 元
- Readings:
- ゲン
- GEN
- Meaning:
- origin; beginning
- Mnemonic:
- The heaven (top line), the earth (lower line) and two wide spread
legs of a person who is full of spirit.
- Usage Examples:
- 元気だ (げんきだ) is fine
- Printed form:
- 気
- Readings:
- キ
- KI
- Meaning:
- spirit
- Mnemonic:
- The old form is 氣. When you cook rice 米, rice bubbles and
produces vapor.
- Usage Examples:
- 病気 (びょうき) sickness
- Printed form:
- 室
- Readings:
- シツ
- SHITSU
- Meaning:
- room
- Mnemonic:
- The roof radical and 至 "to reach".
- Usage Examples:
- 教室 (きょうしつ) classroom
- ５号室 (５ごうしつ) No. 5 room
- Printed form:
- 止
- Readings:
- と/や
- to/ya
- Meaning:
- stop; quit
- Mnemonic:
- Push the button in order to stop the ascending elevator 上.
- Usage Examples:
- 車を止める (くるまをとめる) to stop a car
DD>仕事を止める (しごとをやめる) to quit a job
- 電車が止まる (でんしゃがとまる) a train stops
/DL>
- Printed form:
- 歩
- Readings:
- ある
- aru
- Meaning:
- walk
- Mnemonic:
- To walk, you need to stop 止 your steps little by little 少.
- Usage Examples:
- 歩く (あるく) to walk
- 歩いて行く (あるいていく) to walk to (a place)
- Printed form:
- 調
- Readings:
- しら
- shira
- Meaning:
- check; investigate
- Mnemonic:
- The radical "words" 言 and 周 "to surround/go round and round".
- Usage Examples:
- 調べる (しらべる) to investigate
- Printed form:
- 茶
- Readings:
- チャ
- CHA
- Meaning:
- tea
- Mnemonic:
- The grass radical on the top, a pointed roof to mean "gather",
and green leaves on a tea trea 木.
- Usage Examples:
- お茶 (おちゃ) tea
- Printed form:
- 院
- Readings:
- イン
- IN
- Meaning:
- institute
- Mnemonic:
- IN for INstitute where there are researchers full of energy 元
in a building with two flags outside.
- Usage Examples:
- 院長 (いんちょう) an institute director
- 大学院 (だいがくいん) a graduate school
- Printed form:
- 丁
- Readings:
- チョウ
- CHOO
- Meaning:
- town subsection
- Mnemonic:
- A picture of a big nail that is used to divide blocks in a town.
- Usage Examples:
- 一丁目 (いっちょうめ) 1-chome
- Printed form:
- 工
- Readings:
- コウ
- KOO
- Meaning:
- construction; engineering
- Mnemonic:
- A picture of a ruler.
- Usage Examples:
- 工学 (こうがく) engineering
- 電気工学 (でんきこうがく) electric engineering
- Printed form:
- 部
- Readings:
- ブ
- BU
- Meaning:
- section; division
- Mnemonic:
- A manager 部長 is standing 立 at the entrance 口 holding a flag.
- Usage Examples:
- 部長 (ぶちょう) division manager
- 部屋 (へや) room
- Printed form:
- 定
- Readings:
- テイ
- TEE
- Meaning:
- fix; establish
- Mnemonic:
- A roof radical at the top and the symbol for "going straight".
- Usage Examples:
- 定食 (ていしょく) fixed meals
[J3 Kanji]