School & study

Tap an example word to hear it pronounced.

On'yomi (音読み) is the reading borrowed from Chinese, usually used in compound words, e.g. 三月 (さんがつ, March).

Kun'yomi (訓読み) is the native Japanese reading, used when the kanji stands alone or takes kana endings, e.g. 三つ (みっつ, three items).

By convention the readings list writes on'yomi in katakana (シュ) and kun'yomi in hiragana (さけ). Example words show furigana in hiragana, so the same on'yomi can look like シュ in the list but しゅ in a word.

Blue - the main radical the kanji is filed under in dictionaries.

Green - a component that hints at the meaning.

Orange - a component that hints at the reading (sound).

?

Grey - another building block, with no clear meaning or sound role.

#1

Meaning

study, learning

Components

On'yomi

ガク

Kun'yomi

まな(ぶ)

Example words
学ぶまなぶ

to learn, to study

学校がっこう

school

学生がくせい

student

#2

Meaning

school

Components

On'yomi

コウ

Example words
学校がっこう

school

校長こうちょう

principal

高校こうこう

high school

#3

Meaning

before, ahead

Components

On'yomi

セン

Kun'yomi

さき

Example words
先生せんせい

teacher

先月せんげつ

last month

春先はるさき

early spring

#4

Meaning

life, be born

Components

On'yomi

セイ | ショウ

Kun'yomi

い(きる) | う(まれる) | なま

Example words
学生がくせい

student

先生せんせい

teacher

生まれるうまれる

to be born

生きるいきる

to live

生水なまみず

unboiled water

#5

Meaning

year

Components

On'yomi

ネン

Kun'yomi

とし

Example words
年上としうえ

older, senior

一年いちねん

one year

今年ことし

this year

#6

Meaning

writing, sentence

Components

On'yomi

ブン | モン

Kun'yomi

ふみ

Example words
文字もじ

character, letter

作文さくぶん

composition, essay

漢字かんじ

kanji

文字もじ

character, letter

#7

Meaning

character, letter

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

あざ

Example words
漢字かんじ

kanji

文字もじ

character, letter

数字すうじ

number, digit

#8

Meaning

book; origin; main

Components

On'yomi

ホン

Kun'yomi

もと

Example words
日本にほん

Japan

一本いっぽん

one (long object)

#9

Meaning

to see

Components

On'yomi

ケン

Kun'yomi

み(る) | み(える) | み(せる)

Example words
見るみる

to see, to watch

見学けんがく

field trip, study visit

花見はなみ

flower viewing

#10

Meaning

spirit, energy, air

Components

On'yomi

キ | ケ

Example words
元気げんき

healthy, energetic

天気てんき

weather

空気くうき

air

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.