Mastering Kanji 1500

JapanesePod101.com A RADICAL APPROACH TO MASTERING KANJI THE SECRET TO LEARNING 1500+ KANJI

A RADICAL APPROACH TO MASTERIN THE SECRET TO LEAR Master the radicals that appear in 75% of all jōyō kanji!

NG KANJI: RNING 1500+ KANJI

AN INTRODUCTION TO RA Hello there! Are you starting your kanji learning adventure and noticing that it’s a big, scary world out there? 2,000 kanji is a lot! Well, this book puts your fears to rest. You’ll learn kanji using one very powerful method. By learning the top 50 radicals. These 48 radicals (plus two bonus radicals) appear in over 75% of the jōyō kanji! What are radicals? They each carry their own meanings and sounds. Radicals are the building blocks of kanji. Simply by knowing the radicals inside of unknown kanji, you get an instant general understanding of the kanji you haven’t yet learned. THE 48 RADICALS THAT APPEAR IN 75% OF THE JŌYŌ KANJI 6 most frequent = 25% + 12 most frequent + 30 most frequent

ADICALS And jōyō kanji? These are the 2000 most commonly used kanji characters, as set by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Knowing these is necessary to reach a comfortable literacy level as possessed by Japanese adults. By the time you’re done with this book, you’ll easily recognize, read and know the meanings of 75% of the must-know kanji. Simply put, you’ll know more Japanese words and read and understand a ton of Japanese! Check out our site for a basic overview of kanji: http://www.japanesepod101.com/write-japanese/ = 50% = 75% 1

How to use this book The kanji examples on the main pages, and the first three kanji in each radical section of the appendix, are the most There are over 2,000 jōyō kanji. How long would it frequently used. We recommend learning these first. take to memorize all of these kanji one by one? Years! If you try to learn kanji while ignoring radicals, you will Most of the vocabulary is designed for beginner need to learn each stroke separately. Some kanji have levels, associated with the JLPT Levels 4 and 5. We’ve also over 20 strokes! For example: included some useful examples which are at an advanced level. These are indicated with the following icon: The powerful technique in this book will help you understand radicals, so you can recognize them inside of Advanced kanji characters. Soon you’ll be seeing kanji as just a group Feel free to skip over these advanced readings and come clearly easier than remembering 20 strokes, and most kanji back to them at a later stage. are made up of only 2 radicals! Good luck on your great kanji learning adventure! In this book we introduce the top 50 kanji radicals; these are the most common radicals you will find in everyday situations. Each radical component is displayed over two pages. The first page shows the visual aspects of the radical; the shape, name, meaning and stroke order. The second page gives kanji examples and associated vocabulary for both the On and Kun readings. The appendix displays more example vocabulary attached to each reading. 2



Types of radicals Radicals are generally formed from characters that have on the left side or the right side. been simplified. Some radicals retain a square shape, while many others are distorted to fit into the block format of the There is , which is derived and simplified from kanji character. , meaning ”city.” The radical is placed on the right side of the kanji. For example, , . meaning. And , which is derived and simplified from , meaning ”hill.” The radical is placed on the left side of and (“human”) and are derived from the kanji. For example, , , . and are derived from and (“sword”) (“heart”) for “moon” or “meat” and (“fire”) (“water”) as radicals. The form is the same, and (“animal”) and (“point out”) just means “moon.” Of course, as and (“clothing”) “moon” was created to symbolize “crescent moon.” and (“hand”) But meaning ”meat” is derived from (“meat”). So this radical is often used with kanji related to the body. For example, (”arm”), (“shoulder”), (”chest”), and so on.” 3



Radical Positions Radicals can be categorised by their position in the kanji character: / hen / tsukuri / kanmuri / kamae left-sided element right accompanying Crown element Posture (box, enclosure) element element / ashi / tare / nyō Foot element Dangle / left Surround / left and shoulder element bottom element 4



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CHAPT An Intro to Rad WHAT ARE HOW TO RADICALS? USE THIS BOOK

TER 1 oduction dicals RADICAL TYPES OF POSITIONS RADICALS

CHAP The Top 50

PTER 2 0+ Radicals

亻 Variatio Radical Nam Radical mean 1 亻2

亻 on of me: にんべん ning: human Common positions: 10

Kanji Examples V human ON: ジン、ニン ア being, KUN: ひと 男 person ON: ダイ、タイ 時 age, era, KUN: か(わる)、 代 substitute か(える)、よ、しろ body, ON: タイ、テイ 体 object, KUN: からだ 体 reality

Vocabulary Words アメリカ人; アメリカじん; American 男の人; おとこのひと; man 時代; じだい; era 代わる手段; かわるしゅだん; alternative plan 体育館; たいいくかん; gymnasium 体を壊す; からだをこわす; harm one's health 11

䴀 Variatio Radical Name: ひと Radical mean 䴀1 2

䴀 on of 亻 とがしら・ひとやね ning: human Common positions: 12

Kanji Examples V meet, ON: カイ、エ 学 association, KUN: あ(う) め join now ON: コン、キン 今 KUN: いま 今 ON: ゼン 全 all, KUN: まった(く)、 全 complete, すべて fulfill

Vocabulary Words 学会; がっかい; academic conference めぐり会う; めぐりあう; encounter 今度; こんど; this time 今から; いまから; starting now 全部; ぜんぶ; all of them 全く知らない; まったくしらない; don't know at all 13

口 Radical Name: く Radical mean 2 口1 3

口 くち・くちへん ning: mouth Common positions: 14

Kanji Examples V same, ON:ドウ 同 agree KUN:おな(じ) こ T ON:ゴウ、ガッ、カッ 合 fit, join KUN: あ(う)、あ(わ 助 す)、あ(わせる) ON:イン 駅 employee, member, number

Vocabulary Words 同時に; どうじに; at the same time これはあれと同じ; これわあれとおなじ; This is the same as that over there. 合格をする; ごうかくをする; pass a test 助け合う; たすけあう; help each other 駅員; えきいん; train station attendant 15

心 Variation o Radical Name Radical meani 3 心1 2 4

心 of 忄 and ⺗ e: こころ ing: heart Common positions: 16

Kanji Examples ON: イ V idea, 誠 intention, heart think ON: シ 意 KUN: おも(う) 思 heart, mind, ON: シン 関 spirit KUN: こころ 心

Vocabulary Words 誠意; せいい; sincerity 意思; いし; intention 思い出す; おもいだす; remember 関心; かんしん; interest 心掛ける; こころがける; to bear in mind 17

忄 Variation o Radical Name: り Radical meanin 忄1 2 3

忄 of 心 and ⺗ りっしんべん ng: heart Common positions: 18

Kanji Examples V sex, ON: セイ、ショウ 女 gender, nature ON: ジョウ、セイ Adv. 感 feelings, KUN: なさ(け) 情 facts, circumstances humility, ON: シン 慎 be careful, KUN: つつし(む) 言 discreet

Vocabulary Words 女性; じょせい; woman 感情; かんじょう; emotion 情けない; なさけない; That's too bad. 慎重; しんちょう; careful 言葉を慎む; ことばをつつしむ; mind one's language 19

⺗ Variation o Radical Name:し Radical meani 1 ⺗2 3 4

⺗ of 心 and 忄 したごころ ing: heart Common positions: 20

Kanji Examples V respect, ON: キョウ 恭 reverent pining, KUN: うやうや(しい) 恭 love dearly m ON: ボ 慕 KUN: した(う) 亡

Vocabulary Words 恭順; きょうじゅん; obeying reverently 恭しくお辞儀する; うやうやしくおじぎする; make a respectful bow 慕情; ぼじょう; yearning heart 亡き母を慕う; なきははをしたう; miss my late mother 21

扌 Variatio Radical Nam Radical mea 2 扌1 3

扌 on of 手 me: てへん aning: hand Common positions: 22

Kanji Examples ON: ジ V KUN: も(つ) pick up, 持 hold, own 持 ON: シ 指 finger, KUN: ゆび、さ(す) 親 point to, indicate throw ON: トウ 投 KUN: な(げる) 石

Vocabulary Words 持参する; じさんする; take something 持ち越す; もちこす; defer 指摘する; してきする; indicate 親指; おやゆび; a thumb 投書; とうしょ; letter to the editor 石を投げる; いしをなげる; throw a stone 23

手 Variatio Radical N Radical mea 12 手3 4

手 on of 扌 Name: て aning: hand Common positions: 24

Kanji Examples V raise ON: キョ 挙 beat, 手 attack, KUN: あ(げる)、 defeat あ(がる) ON: ゲキ 目 KUN:う(つ) 撃 ON:ショウ 承 receive, KUN: うけたまわ(る) 私 accept I