Movement & beasts

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

kick

Components

On'yomi

シュウ

Kun'yomi

け(る)

Example words
蹴球しゅうきゅう

football, soccer

一蹴いっしゅう

flatly rejecting; trouncing

蹴るける

to kick

#2

Meaning

traces, whereabouts

Components

On'yomi

ソウ

Example words
失踪しっそう

disappearance

踪跡そうせき

traces, tracks

失踪者しっそうしゃ

missing person

#3

Meaning

go upstream, retroactive

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

さかのぼ(る)

Example words
遡及そきゅう

retroactivity

遡上そじょう

going upstream

遡るさかのぼる

to go back, to trace back

#4

Meaning

humble, modest

Components

On'yomi

ソン

Kun'yomi

へりくだ(る)

Example words
謙遜けんそん

modesty, humility

不遜ふそん

insolence, arrogance

遜色そんしょく

inferiority

#5

Meaning

aim at, target

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

ねら(う)

Example words
狙撃そげき

sniping, shooting

狙うねらう

to aim at

狙いねらい

aim, target

#6

Meaning

horse; chess piece

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

こま

Example words
こま

chess/shogi piece

手駒てごま

pieces at hand; pawns

持ち駒もちごま

available pieces/resources

#7

Meaning

fang, tusk

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

きば

Example words
きば

fang, tusk

象牙ぞうげ

ivory

牙城がじょう

stronghold, citadel

#8

Meaning

tiger

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

とら

Example words
とら

tiger

虎穴こけつ

tiger's den; danger

猛虎もうこ

fierce tiger

#9

Meaning

turtle, tortoise

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

かめ

Example words
かめ

turtle

亀裂きれつ

crack, rift

海亀うみがめ

sea turtle

#10

Meaning

beg, request

Components

On'yomi

コツ

Kun'yomi

こ(う)

Example words
乞うこう

to beg, to ask for

物乞いものごい

begging; beggar

命乞いいのちごい

begging for one's life

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.