Earth & terrain

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

break, destroy, collapse

Components

On'yomi

カイ

Kun'yomi

こわ(す) | こわ(れる)

Example words
破壊はかい

destruction

崩壊ほうかい

collapse

壊すこわす

to break, to destroy

#2

Meaning

hard, solid, firm

Components

On'yomi

ケン

Kun'yomi

かた(い)

Example words
堅固けんご

firm, solid

中堅ちゅうけん

mainstay, midlevel

堅いかたい

hard, firm

#3

Meaning

take hold; carry out; persist

Components

On'yomi

シツ | シュウ

Kun'yomi

と(る)

Example words
執筆しっぴつ

writing (an article)

執念しゅうねん

tenacity, obsession

執行しっこう

execution, enforcement

#4

Meaning

embankment, dike

Components

On'yomi

テイ

Kun'yomi

つつみ

Example words
堤防ていぼう

embankment, levee

突堤とってい

jetty, breakwater

防波堤ぼうはてい

breakwater

#5

Meaning

tower, pagoda

Components

On'yomi

トウ

Example words
鉄塔てっとう

steel tower

石塔せきとう

stone pagoda

管制塔かんせいとう

control tower

#6

Meaning

wall

Components

On'yomi

ヘキ

Kun'yomi

かべ

Example words
壁画へきが

mural, wall painting

岸壁がんぺき

quay, wharf; cliff

障壁しょうへき

barrier, obstacle

#7

Meaning

monk; boy; quarter (of town)

Components

On'yomi

ボウ

Example words
坊主ぼうず

Buddhist monk; shaven head

赤ん坊あかんぼう

baby

坊やぼうや

little boy

#8

Meaning

shade, shadow; yin

Components

On'yomi

イン

Kun'yomi

かげ

Example words
陰気いんき

gloomy, dreary

光陰こういん

time (light and shade)

日陰ひかげ

shade

#9

Meaning

hide, conceal

Components

On'yomi

イン

Kun'yomi

かく(す) | かく(れる)

Example words
隠居いんきょ

retirement, seclusion

隠蔽いんぺい

concealment, cover-up

隠すかくす

to hide, to conceal

#10

Meaning

battle formation; camp

Components

On'yomi

ジン

Example words
陣営じんえい

camp, faction

陣地じんち

position, encampment

報道陣ほうどうじん

the press corps

#11

Meaning

neighbor, adjacent

Components

On'yomi

リン

Kun'yomi

とな(る) | となり

Example words
隣接りんせつ

adjacency

近隣きんりん

neighborhood, vicinity

となり

next door, neighbor

#12

Meaning

mountain pass; peak, crisis

Components

Kun'yomi

とうげ

Example words
峠道とうげみち

mountain pass road

峠越えとうげごえ

crossing a pass

大峠おおとうげ

big pass; critical point

#13

Meaning

peak, summit

Components

On'yomi

ホウ

Kun'yomi

みね

Example words
連峰れんぽう

mountain range

高峰こうほう

lofty peak

峰打ちみねうち

striking with the back of a sword

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.