People & matters

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

suffer; cover; wear

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

こうむ(る) | かぶ(る)

Example words
被害ひがい

damage, harm suffered

被服ひふく

clothing

被るかぶる

to put on (the head), to wear

#2

Meaning

dance; flutter

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

ま(う) | まい

Example words
舞踊ぶよう

dance, dancing

歌舞伎かぶき

kabuki

舞うまう

to dance, to flutter

#3

Meaning

wing

Components

On'yomi

ヨク

Kun'yomi

つばさ

Example words
主翼しゅよく

main wing (aircraft)

右翼うよく

right wing

尾翼びよく

tail wing

#4

Meaning

rely on, request, trust

Components

On'yomi

ライ

Kun'yomi

たの(む) | たよ(る)

Example words
依頼いらい

request; reliance

信頼しんらい

trust, confidence

頼むたのむ

to ask, to request

#5

Meaning

separate, leave, part

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

はな(れる) | はな(す)

Example words
分離ぶんり

separation

距離きょり

distance

離れるはなれる

to be separated, to leave

#6

Meaning

heal, treat, cure

Components

On'yomi

リョウ

Example words
治療ちりょう

medical treatment

医療いりょう

medical care

療養りょうよう

recuperation, convalescence

#7

Meaning

slave, servant; subordinate

Components

On'yomi

レイ

Example words
奴隷どれい

slave

隷属れいぞく

subordination, subjection

隷書れいしょ

clerical script (calligraphy)

#8

Meaning

age, years

Components

On'yomi

レイ

Kun'yomi

よわい

Example words
年齢ねんれい

age

高齢こうれい

advanced age

樹齢じゅれい

age of a tree

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.