Creation & structure
Tap an example word to hear it pronounced.
On'yomi & Kun'yomi
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.
What the component colors mean
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.
creation
founding, establishment
originality
musical performance
ensemble, concert
to play (an instrument)
device, apparatus
clothing, attire
disguise
development, unfolding
exhibition, display
development, growth
social stratum, class
high-rise, high-altitude
fault (geology); gap
refrigerator
storage
book collection
existence
preservation, saving
continued existence
grand, magnificent
height, prime
to heap up, to serve
stage, phase
stairs
means, method
scale, measure, yardstick
reduced scale
shakuhachi (bamboo flute)
Practice
Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.