Grade 4 kanji
Lesson 20

Trees, buildings & history

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

pine tree

Components

On'yomi

ショウ

Kun'yomi

まつ

Example words
松林まつばやし

pine forest

門松かどまつ

New Year pine decoration

#2

Meaning

state, -like, so

Components

On'yomi

ゼン | ネン

Example words
自然しぜん

nature

全然ぜんぜん

(not) at all

天然てんねん

natural, native

#3

Meaning

warehouse, storehouse

Components

On'yomi

ソウ

Kun'yomi

くら

Example words
米倉こめぐら

rice granary

倉庫そうこ

warehouse

米倉こめぐら

rice granary

#4

Meaning

broad, extensive; doctorate

Components

On'yomi

ハク | バク

Example words
博物館はくぶつかん

museum

博士はかせ

doctorate; learned person

博学はくがく

erudition, wide learning

#5

Meaning

group, flock, crowd

Components

On'yomi

グン

Kun'yomi

む(れ) | むら

Example words
群れむれ

flock, herd, crowd

大群たいぐん

large swarm, big crowd

魚群ぎょぐん

school of fish

#6

Meaning

well

Components

On'yomi

セイ | ショウ

Kun'yomi

Example words
井戸いど

a well

天井てんじょう

ceiling

福井ふくい

Fukui (prefecture)

#7

Meaning

castle

Components

On'yomi

ジョウ

Kun'yomi

しろ

Example words
城下町じょうかまち

castle town

お城おしろ

castle (polite)

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.