Place-name kanji (1)

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).

?

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

#1

Meaning

thorny plant; (Ibaraki)

Components

Example words
いばらき

Ibaraki (prefecture)

いばらみち

thorny path

#2

Meaning

hill; (place names)

Components

Example words
おかやま

Okayama

ふくおか

Fukuoka

しずおか

Shizuoka

#3

Meaning

open sea, offshore

Components

Example words
おきなわ

Okinawa

おきあい

offshore, the open sea

#4

Meaning

congratulate; (place names)

Components

Example words

Shiga

ねんじょう

New Year greeting card

#5

Meaning

lagoon; (Niigata)

Components

Example words
にいがた

Niigata

がた

tidal flat

#6

Meaning

fork, branch off

Components

Example words

Gifu

ぶん

branching, divergence

#7

Meaning

bear

Components

Example words
くまもと

Kumamoto

しろくま

polar bear

#8

Meaning

fragrance, incense

Components

Example words
がわ

Kagawa

こうすい

perfume

かお

fragrance, scent

#9

Meaning

assist; (place names)

Components

Example words

Saga

assistance, aide

#10

Meaning

slope; (Osaka)

Components

Example words
おおさか

Osaka

けいはん

Kyoto-Osaka area

#11

Meaning

cape, promontory

Components

Example words
ながさき

Nagasaki

みやざき

Miyazaki

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.