Grade 4 kanji
Lesson 17

Battle, loss & necessity

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).

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

#1

Meaning

war, battle; to fight

Components

On'yomi

セン

Kun'yomi

たたか(う) | いくさ

Example words
戦争せんそう

war

戦うたたかう

to fight, to battle

作戦さくせん

strategy, tactics

#2

Meaning

defeat, failure; to lose

Components

On'yomi

ハイ

Kun'yomi

やぶ(れる)

Example words
失敗しっぱい

failure, mistake

敗れるやぶれる

to be defeated

勝敗しょうはい

victory or defeat

#3

Meaning

courage, bravery

Components

On'yomi

ユウ

Kun'yomi

いさ(む)

Example words
勇気ゆうき

courage

勇者ゆうしゃ

brave person, hero

勇むいさむ

to be spirited, to cheer up

#4

Meaning

to lack, to be absent; a gap

Components

On'yomi

ケツ

Kun'yomi

か(ける) | か(く)

Example words
欠けるかける

to be lacking, to be chipped

欠席けっせき

absence (from a seat)

欠点けってん

fault, flaw, weak point

#5

Meaning

to lose, to miss

Components

On'yomi

シツ

Kun'yomi

うしな(う)

Example words
失ううしなう

to lose

失敗しっぱい

failure

失礼しつれい

rudeness; excuse me

#6

Meaning

need, essential; main point

Components

On'yomi

ヨウ

Kun'yomi

い(る) | かなめ

Example words
必要ひつよう

necessary

重要じゅうよう

important

要るいる

to need, to require

#7

Meaning

promise; approximately; to reduce

Components

On'yomi

ヤク

Example words
約束やくそく

promise

予約よやく

reservation, booking

法律ほうりつ

law

文法ぶんぽう

grammar

#8

Meaning

weather, season; to wait; sign

Components

On'yomi

コウ

Kun'yomi

そうろう

Example words
天候てんこう

weather

気候きこう

climate

候補こうほ

candidate

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.