Insects & heads

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

mosquito

Components

On'yomi

ブン

Kun'yomi

Example words
蚊取り線香かとりせんこう

mosquito coil

蚊帳かや

mosquito net

蚊柱かばしら

swarm of mosquitoes

#2

Meaning

firefly

Components

On'yomi

ケイ

Kun'yomi

ほたる

Example words
蛍光けいこう

fluorescence

蛍光灯けいこうとう

fluorescent lamp

蛍狩りほたるがり

firefly viewing

#3

Meaning

snake, serpent

Components

On'yomi

ジャ | ダ

Kun'yomi

へび

Example words
蛇行だこう

meandering, zigzag

大蛇だいじゃ

giant snake

蛇口じゃぐち

faucet, tap

#4

Meaning

melt, dissolve; finance

Components

On'yomi

ユウ

Kun'yomi

と(ける)

Example words
融合ゆうごう

fusion, merging

金融きんゆう

finance

融通ゆうずう

accommodation, flexibility

#5

Meaning

stubborn, obstinate

Components

On'yomi

ガン

Kun'yomi

かたく(な)

Example words
頑固がんこ

stubborn, obstinate

頑丈がんじょう

robust, sturdy

頑張るがんばる

to persevere, to try hard

#6

Meaning

manifest, obvious

Components

On'yomi

ケン

Example words
顕微鏡けんびきょう

microscope

顕著けんちょ

remarkable, striking

露顕ろけん

disclosure, coming to light

#7

Meaning

distribute, disseminate

Components

On'yomi

ハン

Example words
頒布はんぷ

distribution

頒価はんか

distribution price

頒布会はんぷかい

distribution society/club

#8

Meaning

frequently, repeatedly

Components

On'yomi

ヒン

Kun'yomi

しき(りに)

Example words
頻繁ひんぱん

frequent

頻度ひんど

frequency

頻発ひんぱつ

frequent occurrence

#9

Meaning

rhyme; elegance

Components

On'yomi

イン

Example words
韻律いんりつ

rhythm, meter

押韻おういん

rhyming

余韻よいん

lingering resonance

#10

Meaning

hemp, flax; numb

Components

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

あさ

Example words
麻酔ますい

anesthesia

麻薬まやく

narcotics, drugs

大麻たいま

cannabis, hemp

Practice

Test yourself on this lesson's kanji.