Earth & construction

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

lump, mass, clod

Components

On'yomi

カイ

Kun'yomi

かたまり

Example words
金塊きんかい

gold nugget/bar

団塊だんかい

lump; baby-boom

血塊けっかい

blood clot

#2

Meaning

pit, mine shaft

Components

On'yomi

コウ

Example words
坑道こうどう

mine tunnel

炭坑たんこう

coal mine

坑内こうない

inside a mine

#3

Meaning

cultivate, reclaim land

Components

On'yomi

コン

Example words
開墾かいこん

reclamation, cultivation

墾田こんでん

reclaimed rice field

未墾みこん

uncultivated

#4

Meaning

platform, podium; circle (of art)

Components

On'yomi

ダン

Example words
演壇えんだん

rostrum, platform

花壇かだん

flower bed

文壇ぶんだん

literary world

#5

Meaning

fall, crash down

Components

On'yomi

ツイ

Kun'yomi

お(ちる)

Example words
墜落ついらく

crash, fall

撃墜げきつい

shooting down (aircraft)

失墜しっつい

loss (of authority)

#6

Meaning

paint, coat, plaster

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

ぬ(る)

Example words
塗装とそう

painting, coating

塗料とりょう

paint, coating material

塗るぬる

to paint, to coat

#7

Meaning

tumulus, burial mound

Components

On'yomi

フン

Example words
古墳こふん

ancient burial mound

墳墓ふんぼ

grave, tomb

円墳えんぷん

round burial mound

#8

Meaning

ink, ink stick

Components

On'yomi

ボク

Kun'yomi

すみ

Example words
水墨画すいぼくが

ink-wash painting

墨汁ぼくじゅう

India ink

白墨はくぼく

chalk

#9

Meaning

bury, fill in

Components

On'yomi

マイ

Kun'yomi

う(める) | う(まる)

Example words
埋没まいぼつ

burial, being buried

埋蔵まいぞう

buried reserves

埋めるうめる

to bury, to fill in

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.