Directions & position

Tap an example word to hear it pronounced.

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).

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

#1

Meaning

east

Components

Example words
ひがしぐち

east exit

とうきょう

Tokyo

とう西ざい

east and west

#2西

Meaning

west

Components

Example words
西にし

afternoon sun

ほく西せい

northwest

#3

Meaning

south

Components

Example words
みなみぐち

south exit

なんぼく

north and south

とうなん

southeast

#4

Meaning

north

Components

Example words
きたぐち

north exit

ほっかいどう

Hokkaido

なんぼく

north and south

#5

Meaning

front, before

Components

Example words
まえ

name

ぜん

morning, a.m.

Example words
うし

behind, back

afternoon, p.m.

あと

later

こうはん

second half, latter half

のちほど

later, afterwards (polite)

#7

Meaning

inside

Components

Example words
うちがわ

the inside

ないがい

inside and outside

ない

one's wife

#8

Meaning

outside

Components

Example words
そとがわ

the outside

がいこく

foreign country

かいがい

overseas, abroad

#9

Meaning

far, distant

Components

Example words
とお

far, distant

えんそく

excursion, field trip

えいえん

eternity

#10

Meaning

near, close

Components

Example words
ちか

near, close

きんじょ

neighborhood

さいきん

recently

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.