MIT Lesson 15 Kanji: 第１５課の漢字
Each large, brush-stroke image below which shows
up as a hypertext link (e.g. has a colored box around it) is a link to a 1 Megabyte
(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:
- 洋
- Readings:
- ヨウ
- YOO
- Meaning:
- western
- Mnemonic:
- The water radical on the left and a character for "sheep" 羊.
- Usage Examples:
- 洋食 (ようしょく) Western-style meal
- 洋室 (ようしつ) Western-style room
- Printed form:
- 鳥
- Readings:
- とり
- tori
- Meaning:
- bird
- Mnemonic:
- A picture of a bird.
- Usage Examples:
- 鳥 (とり) bird
- Printed form:
- 魚
- Readings:
- さかな
- sakana
- Meaning:
- fish
- Mnemonic:
- A picture of fish.
- Usage Examples:
- 魚 (さかな) fish
- 魚屋 (さかなや) fish store
- Printed form:
- 肉
- Readings:
- にく
- niku
- Meaning:
- meat
- Mnemonic:
- A sletch of a lump of meat with threads. (内 inside)
- Usage Examples:
- 肉 (にく) meat
- 肉屋 (にくや) butcher
- Printed form:
- 物
- Readings:
- もの
- mono
- Meaning:
- thing; object
- Mnemonic:
- A cow 牛 and a pig 豚. They are precious things to farmers.
- Usage Examples:
- 食べ物 (たべもの) food
- 飲み物 (のみもの) beverage
- 買い物 (かいもの) shopping
- Printed form:
- 海
- Readings:
- カイ/うみ
- KAI/umi
- Meaning:
- sea
- Mnemonic:
- The sea is the place where every 毎 drop of water flows into.
The sea is also Mother 母 of living things.
- Usage Examples:
- 海 (うみ) sea
- Printed form:
- 特
- Readings:
- トク
- TOKU
- Meaning:
- special
- Mnemonic:
- A special cow 牛 kept at a temple 寺.
- Usage Examples:
- 特上 (とくじょう) super-deluxe (sushi)
- Printed form:
- 持
- Readings:
- も-
- mo-
- Meaning:
- hold
- Mnemonic:
- The hand radical on the left and a temple 寺.
(時 time; 待つ wait; 特 special)
- Usage Examples:
- 持つ (もつ) to hold
- 持って行く (もっていく) to take with oneself
- 持って来る (もってくる) to bring with oneself
- Printed form:
- 天
- Readings:
- テン
- TEN
- Meaning:
- heaven
- Mnemonic:
- A big man 大 under the heaven.
- Usage Examples:
- 天ぷら (てんぷら) tempura
- Printed form:
- 米
- Readings:
- こめ/ベイ
- kome/BEE
- Meaning:
- rice; America
- Mnemonic:
- A few grains together.
- Usage Examples:
- 米 (こめ) uncooked rice
- 米国 (べいこく) U.S.A.
- Printed form:
- 料
- Readings:
- リョウ
- RYOO
- Meaning:
- material; fee
- Mnemonic:
- A measuring cup 斗 and raw rice 米.
- Usage Examples:
- Printed form:
- 理
- Readings:
- リ
- RI
- Meaning:
- reason; basic principle
- Mnemonic:
- A king 王 of a village 里 who makes orders. (野 field)
- Usage Examples:
- 料理 (りょうり) cooking
- 日本料理 (にほんりょうり) Japanese food
- Printed form:
- 全
- Readings:
- ゼン
- ZEN
- Meaning:
- whole; total
- Mnemonic:
- A ruling king 王 in a castle with a pointed roof.
- Usage Examples:
- 全部 (ぜんぶ) all
- Printed form:
- 好
- Readings:
- す- (su-) like; favorable
- Mnemonic:
- Mother and child. They love each other.
- Usage Examples:
- 好きだ (すきだ) (I) like (something).
- Printed form:
- 杯
- Readings:
- ハイ/バイ/パイ
- HAI/BAI/PAI
- Meaning:
- (classifier -cupfuls)
- Mnemonic:
- 不 means "negative"--the wine is not yet drunk in a wooden cup.
- Usage Examples:
- 一杯 (いっぱい) one cup
- New Readings:
- 何名 (なんめい) how many people
- 外の店 (ほかのみせ) other stores
- 国 (くに) country; your hometown
- めし上がる (めしあがる) to eat; to drink (honorific)
[J3 Kanji]