Water & liquids

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

liquid, fluid

Components

On'yomi

エキ

Example words
液体えきたい

liquid

血液けつえき

blood

液晶えきしょう

liquid crystal (LCD)

#2

Meaning

eternal, long

Components

On'yomi

エイ

Kun'yomi

なが(い)

Example words
永遠えいえん

eternity

永久えいきゅう

permanence

永いながい

long, everlasting

#3

Meaning

river

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

かわ

Example words
河川かせん

rivers

運河うんが

canal

銀河ぎんが

the Milky Way, galaxy

#4

Meaning

mix, blend; be crowded

Components

On'yomi

コン

Kun'yomi

ま(じる) | ま(ぜる) | こ(む)

Example words
混雑こんざつ

congestion, crowding

混合こんごう

mixture

混ぜるまぜる

to mix (something)

#5

Meaning

pure, clean

Components

On'yomi

ケツ

Kun'yomi

いさぎよ(い)

Example words
清潔せいけつ

clean, hygienic

潔白けっぱく

innocence, purity

簡潔かんけつ

concise, terse

#6

Meaning

decrease, reduce

Components

On'yomi

ゲン

Kun'yomi

へ(る) | へ(らす)

Example words
減少げんしょう

decrease, reduction

加減かげん

degree, adjustment

減るへる

to decrease

#7

Meaning

measure, gauge

Components

On'yomi

ソク

Kun'yomi

はか(る)

Example words
測定そくてい

measurement

観測かんそく

observation

測るはかる

to measure

#8

Meaning

perform, act; lecture

Components

On'yomi

エン

Example words
演技えんぎ

acting, performance

講演こうえん

lecture

演奏えんそう

musical performance

#9

Meaning

standard; semi-, quasi-

Components

On'yomi

ジュン

Example words
準備じゅんび

preparation

標準ひょうじゅん

standard, norm

水準すいじゅん

level

#10

Meaning

benefit, profit

Components

On'yomi

エキ | ヤク

Example words
利益りえき

profit, gain

有益ゆうえき

beneficial, useful

益虫えきちゅう

beneficial insect

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.