Places & districts

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

roof; shop, store

Components

On'yomi

オク

Kun'yomi

Example words
屋根やね

roof

本屋ほんや

bookstore

部屋へや

room

#2

Meaning

bureau, office; station

Components

On'yomi

キョク

Example words
薬局やっきょく

pharmacy

結局けっきょく

after all, in the end

局長きょくちょう

bureau chief

#3

Meaning

palace; shrine

Components

On'yomi

キュウ | グウ

Kun'yomi

みや

Example words
お宮おみや

Shinto shrine

王宮おうきゅう

royal palace

神宮じんぐう

Shinto shrine

#4

Meaning

hall, large building

Components

On'yomi

カン

Kun'yomi

やかた

Example words
図書館としょかん

library

旅館りょかん

Japanese inn

会館かいかん

hall, assembly building

#5

Meaning

warehouse, storehouse

Components

On'yomi

コ | ク

Example words
車庫しゃこ

garage

金庫きんこ

safe, vault

書庫しょこ

book storage, stacks

#6

Meaning

garden, yard

Components

On'yomi

テイ

Kun'yomi

にわ

Example words
裏庭うらにわ

backyard

家庭かてい

household, home

校庭こうてい

schoolyard

#7

Meaning

capital, metropolis

Components

On'yomi

ト | ツ

Kun'yomi

みやこ

Example words
都落ちみやこおち

leaving the capital

東京都とうきょうと

Tokyo Metropolis

都合つごう

convenience, circumstances

#8

Meaning

ward, district; section

Components

On'yomi

Example words
地区ちく

district, area

区分くぶん

division, classification

#9

Meaning

boundary; world, realm

Components

On'yomi

カイ

Example words
世界せかい

the world

業界ぎょうかい

industry, business world

外界がいかい

the outside world

#10

Meaning

state, province; sandbar

Components

On'yomi

シュウ

Kun'yomi

Example words
本州ほんしゅう

Honshu (main island)

九州きゅうしゅう

Kyushu

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.