Grade 4 kanji
Lesson 21

Place-name kanji (1)

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

thorny plant; (Ibaraki)

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

いばら

Example words
茨城いばらき

Ibaraki (prefecture)

茨の道いばらのみち

thorny path

#2

Meaning

hill; (place names)

Components

On'yomi

コウ

Kun'yomi

おか

Example words
岡山おかやま

Okayama

福岡ふくおか

Fukuoka

静岡しずおか

Shizuoka

#3

Meaning

open sea, offshore

Components

On'yomi

チュウ

Kun'yomi

おき

Example words
沖縄おきなわ

Okinawa

沖合おきあい

offshore, the open sea

#4

Meaning

congratulate; (place names)

Components

On'yomi

Example words
滋賀しが

Shiga

年賀状ねんがじょう

New Year greeting card

#5

Meaning

lagoon; (Niigata)

Components

On'yomi

セキ

Kun'yomi

かた

Example words
新潟にいがた

Niigata

干潟ひがた

tidal flat

#6

Meaning

fork, branch off

Components

On'yomi

Example words
岐阜ぎふ

Gifu

分岐ぶんき

branching, divergence

#7

Meaning

bear

Components

On'yomi

ユウ

Kun'yomi

くま

Example words
熊本くまもと

Kumamoto

白熊しろくま

polar bear

#8

Meaning

fragrance, incense

Components

On'yomi

コウ | キョウ

Kun'yomi

か | かお(り) | かお(る)

Example words
香川かがわ

Kagawa

香水こうすい

perfume

香りかおり

fragrance, scent

#9

Meaning

assist; (place names)

Components

On'yomi

Example words
佐賀さが

Saga

補佐ほさ

assistance, aide

#10

Meaning

slope; (Osaka)

Components

On'yomi

ハン

Kun'yomi

さか

Example words
大阪おおさか

Osaka

京阪けいはん

Kyoto-Osaka area

#11

Meaning

cape, promontory

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

さき

Example words
長崎ながさき

Nagasaki

宮崎みやざき

Miyazaki

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.