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

lewd, excessive

Components

On'yomi

イン

Kun'yomi

みだ(ら)

Example words
淫行いんこう

lewd conduct

淫乱いんらん

debauchery

荒淫こういん

dissipation, debauchery

#2

Meaning

crush, collapse

Components

On'yomi

カイ

Kun'yomi

つぶ(す) | つぶ(れる)

Example words
潰瘍かいよう

ulcer

潰すつぶす

to crush, to smash

胃潰瘍いかいよう

stomach ulcer

#3

Meaning

sand; grit

Components

On'yomi

Example words
沙汰さた

affair; news; verdict

ご無沙汰ごぶさた

long silence (no contact)

音沙汰おとさた

news, word

#4

Meaning

select, wash out

Components

On'yomi

Example words
淘汰とうた

selection, weeding out

沙汰さた

affair; news

自然淘汰しぜんとうた

natural selection

#5

Meaning

drown; indulge

Components

On'yomi

デキ

Kun'yomi

おぼ(れる)

Example words
溺愛できあい

doting, blind love

溺死できし

death by drowning

溺れるおぼれる

to drown; to indulge

#6

Meaning

overflow, flood

Components

On'yomi

ハン

Example words
氾濫はんらん

flood; overflow

氾濫原はんらんげん

floodplain

大氾濫だいはんらん

great flood

#7

Meaning

pan-, general, wide

Components

On'yomi

ハン

Example words
汎用はんよう

general-purpose

広汎こうはん

wide-ranging, extensive

汎論はんろん

general remarks

#8

Meaning

well up, gush

Components

On'yomi

ユウ

Kun'yomi

わ(く)

Example words
湧水ゆうすい

spring water

湧出ゆうしゅつ

gushing out, welling

湧くわく

to well up, to gush

#9

Meaning

fertile; irrigate

Components

On'yomi

ヨク

Example words
肥沃ひよく

fertile, rich (soil)

沃土よくど

fertile soil

沃野よくや

fertile plain

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.