Earth & terrain

Tap an example word to hear it pronounced.

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.

#1

Meaning

break, destroy, collapse

Components

Example words
かい

destruction

ほうかい

collapse

こわ

to break, to destroy

#2

Meaning

hard, solid, firm

Components

Example words
けん

firm, solid

ちゅうけん

mainstay, midlevel

かた

hard, firm

#3

Meaning

take hold; carry out; persist

Components

Example words
しっぴつ

writing (an article)

しゅうねん

tenacity, obsession

しっこう

execution, enforcement

#4

Meaning

embankment, dike

Components

Example words
ていぼう

embankment, levee

とってい

jetty, breakwater

ぼうてい

breakwater

#5

Meaning

tower, pagoda

Components

Example words
てっとう

steel tower

せきとう

stone pagoda

かんせいとう

control tower

#6

Meaning

wall

Components

Example words
へき

mural, wall painting

がんぺき

quay, wharf; cliff

しょうへき

barrier, obstacle

#7

Meaning

monk; boy; quarter (of town)

Components

Example words
ぼう

Buddhist monk; shaven head

あかぼう

baby

ぼう

little boy

#8

Meaning

shade, shadow; yin

Components

Example words
いん

gloomy, dreary

こういん

time (light and shade)

かげ

shade

#9

Meaning

hide, conceal

Components

Example words
いんきょ

retirement, seclusion

いんぺい

concealment, cover-up

かく

to hide, to conceal

#10

Meaning

battle formation; camp

Components

Example words
じんえい

camp, faction

じん

position, encampment

ほうどうじん

the press corps

#11

Meaning

neighbor, adjacent

Components

Example words
りんせつ

adjacency

きんりん

neighborhood, vicinity

となり

next door, neighbor

#12

Meaning

mountain pass; peak, crisis

Components

Example words
とうげみち

mountain pass road

とうげ

crossing a pass

おおとうげ

big pass; critical point

#13

Meaning

peak, summit

Components

Example words
れんぽう

mountain range

こうほう

lofty peak

みね

striking with the back of a sword

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.