Water & liquid

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

slippery, smooth; slide

Components

On'yomi

カツ

Kun'yomi

すべ(る) | なめ(らか)

Example words
滑走かっそう

gliding, taxiing

円滑えんかつ

smooth, harmonious

滑るすべる

to slip, to slide

#2湿

Meaning

damp, humid, wet

Components

On'yomi

シツ

Kun'yomi

しめ(る)

Example words
湿度しつど

humidity

湿気しっけ

moisture, dampness

湿るしめる

to become damp

#3

Meaning

moisten; profit, enrich

Components

On'yomi

ジュン

Kun'yomi

うるお(う)

Example words
潤沢じゅんたく

abundant, plentiful

湿潤しつじゅん

moist, humid

潤ううるおう

to become moist; to profit

#4

Meaning

submerge, hide, lurk

Components

On'yomi

セン

Kun'yomi

もぐ(る) | ひそ(む)

Example words
潜水せんすい

diving

潜在せんざい

latent, potential

潜るもぐる

to dive, to slip into

#5

Meaning

stagnate, be delayed; stay

Components

On'yomi

タイ

Kun'yomi

とどこお(る)

Example words
停滞ていたい

stagnation, congestion

滞在たいざい

stay, sojourn

滞るとどこおる

to be delayed, to stagnate

#6

Meaning

waterfall

Components

Kun'yomi

たき

Example words
滝壺たきつぼ

plunge basin (of a waterfall)

滝登りたきのぼり

climbing a waterfall

白滝しらたき

thin white noodles (shirataki)

#7

Meaning

drift, float

Components

On'yomi

ヒョウ

Kun'yomi

ただよ(う)

Example words
漂流ひょうりゅう

drifting

漂白ひょうはく

bleaching

漂うただよう

to drift, to float

#8

Meaning

sink; die; lack

Components

On'yomi

ボツ

Example words
没収ぼっしゅう

confiscation

沈没ちんぼつ

sinking

没頭ぼっとう

absorption, immersion

#9

Meaning

perish, destroy, extinguish

Components

On'yomi

メツ

Kun'yomi

ほろ(びる)

Example words
滅亡めつぼう

downfall, ruin

全滅ぜんめつ

annihilation

滅びるほろびる

to perish, to fall

#10

Meaning

wave; wander; waste

Components

On'yomi

ロウ

Example words
浪費ろうひ

waste, extravagance

放浪ほうろう

wandering, vagrancy

浪人ろうにん

ronin; exam repeater

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.