4-Stroke Kanji (Part 2)
This next group of 4-stroke kanji are going to be ever so slightly more difficult, but in the end they’re just 4-stroke kanji, so it can’t be that much worse, right? Just continue to do what you’re doing from the previous chapter, and everything will be okay. Remember, consistency is the key here, so take your time, do a little bit at a time, and stick with it.
| 漢字(Kanji) | 予 |
| Meaning | in advance / beforehand |
| おんよみ | よ |
| Build | Selfish Me Radical (マ) + (Barbed) Nail Radical. Imagine a crazy homeless dude, sitting in your construction site. He says: “IN ADVANCE, before you try to steal it, that right there is my nail.” |
| Memory | I’d like the money IN ADVANCE, so I can buy my yogurt (yo). |
| くんよみ | 予め |
| Common Words |
予定（よてい）＝ plan 予約（よやく）＝ appointment, reservation 予報（よほう）＝ forecast |
| Notes | All of the common words above are things that are done in advance. You make plans in advance, you make appointments in advance, and you forecast things that are going to happen in advance. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 化 |
| Meaning | transform, change |
| おんよみ | か、け |
| Build | Influential Person Radical + Spoon Radical (ヒ)
The influential person TRANSFORMed into a spoon. |
| Memory | TRANSFORMing was one of the features of his new Autobot Car |
| くんよみ | ばける、ばかす |
| Common Words |
変化する（へんかする）＝ transform, change 文化（ぶんか）＝ culture |
| Notes | ばける (the kun’yomi) is hardly used, so don’t worry about it. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 区 |
| Meaning | ward |
| おんよみ | く |
| Build | Overturned Box Radical (匚) + An X
The overturned box looks a lot like some roads or a section of a map, and the X marks where the WARD is. |
| Memory | This particular WARD was known for it’s cool (ku) lion hipsters. Make sure you imagine some lion hipsters walking around, wearing sunglasses with braided manes, saying “I’m so coooool” while winking at any good looking cat that walks by. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
区（く）＝ ward, district 学区（がっく）＝ school district 区域（くいき）＝ area, zone, boundary |
| Notes | You’ll see this kanji on a lot of maps and envelopes (where addresses are written) a lot. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 反 |
| Meaning | anti- |
| おんよみ | はん |
| Build | Cliff Radical (厂) + Stool Radical (又)
If a stool is found within a cliff (that’s solid rock, ya’all!), it must have been put there using some kind of ANTI-matter |
| Memory | ANTI-matter is how my hand was taken, the space pirate said. Imagine a space pirate, with a sweet eye patch, staring at you, looking all crazy, holding up his missing hand. Can you smell the dirty space pirate, too? |
| くんよみ | そる、そらす |
| Common Words |
反対（はんたい）＝ opposite, opposition 反対する（はんたいする）＝ to be against something 反則（はんそく）＝ foul / broken rule |
| Notes | n/a |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 不 |
| Meaning | non-, un-, bad |
| おんよみ | ふ、ぶ |
| Build | Kanji for below/bottom (下) + Slide Radical (ノ)
Getting stuck at the bottom of the slide could be considered UN-lucky (because that kid with the cleats is coming down right behind you!) |
| Memory | Un-lucky people are just fools (fu). |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
不便（ふべん）＝ inconvenient (the opposite of 便利!) 不足（ふそく）＝ shortage (of something) 不安（ふあん）＝ unease, anxiety 不思議（ふしぎ）＝ mystery, marvel 不人気（ふにんき）＝ unpopular |
| Notes | If it has 不, the word probably has some kind of negative connotation to it! |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 夫 |
| Meaning | husband |
| おんよみ | ふ、ふう |
| Build | Big Radical (大) + One / Ground Radical (一)
The Sumo Wrestler was One Big HUSBAND |
| Memory | HUSBANDS tend to fool (fu) around more than wives do. |
| くんよみ | おっと |
| Common Words |
夫婦（ふうふ）＝ married couple 夫（おっと）＝ husband 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）＝ alright, okay |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 欠 |
| Meaning | lack |
| おんよみ | けつ |
| Build | Person Radical (人) + Modified Enclose Radical (勹) Imagine a person being enclosed into a small room. It’s so tiny, that he has a real LACK of space. |
| Memory | LACKing mustard, he decided to put Catsup (ketsu…using an old spelling of Ketchup) on his muffin instead. - Imagine someone so disappointed that they lacked mustard, so instead they put ketchup on their muffin. Imagine the smell of the ketchup and the muffin, mixing together. Does it make your stomach turn? Good, then you’ve imagined hard enough to remember it. |
| くんよみ | かける、かく |
| Common Words |
欠ける（かける）＝ to lack (a non-physical thing) 不可欠（ふかけつ）＝ indispensable, essential. Notice the kanji 不 here! It’s like a double negative. Not-lacking… i.e., essential! |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 氏 |
| Meaning | family name |
| おんよみ | し |
| Build | Family Name Radical (氏) |
| Memory | Her FAMILY NAME, ironically enough, was Sheepman (she). Ironic, because she fought crime under the name Sheepwoman. - You’ll have to be sure you imagine a Sheepwoman superhero. Imagine in detail to help yourself remember. Can she fly? How does SheepWoman fight crime? |
| くんよみ | うじ |
| Common Words |
氏（し）＝ family name 氏名（しめい）＝ full name 彼氏（かれし）＝ boyfriend |
| Notes | 氏 is also used at the end of names, like さん, though this is a lot more formal and not seen as often. In general, I’d just avoid using this as an alternate to さん. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 仏 |
| Meaning | Buddha |
| おんよみ | ぶつ |
| Build | Influential Person Radical + Me Radical (ム) I am an influential person, like BUDDHA. |
| Memory | BUDDHA liked wearing high heel boots (butsu) when he went out clubbing. - Imagine Buddha walking around with some sexy high heel boots hitting the clubs. Only someone like Buddha could pull it off. |
| くんよみ | ほとけ |
| Common Words |
仏（ほとけ）＝ Buddha 大仏（だいぶつ）＝ large statue of Buddha 仏教（ぶっきょう）＝ Buddhism |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 支 |
| Meaning | support, branch |
| おんよみ | し |
| Build | Ten Radical (十) + Stool Radical (又) |
| Memory | Ten Stools were needed to SUPPORT the sumo wrestler’s weight. -Imagine a sumo wrestler sitting on 10 stools, which are bending under his weight, barely able to support him. |
| くんよみ | ささ.える |
| Common Words |
支える（ささえる）＝ to support (something) 支店（してん）＝ branch office 支援（しえん）＝ backing, aid |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 比 |
| Meaning | compare |
| おんよみ | ひ |
| Build | Compare Radical (比) |
| Memory | COMPAREd to the outside, the heat (hi) of igloo was welcome Imagine yourself outside in a blizzard, freezing your butt off. Feel how nice the heat feels inside the igloo, and compare the two feelings in your mind. |
| くんよみ | くら.べる |
| Common Words |
比べる（くらべる）＝ to compare 比較する（ひかくする）＝ to compare (more formal) 比較（ひかく）＝ comparison 比率（ひりつ）＝ ratio |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 収 |
| Meaning | take in, get |
| おんよみ | しゅう |
| Build | The Number 4 (not this 4, but the one with an open top) + Stool Radical (又) I’m sorry, sir, 4 stools is all you’re going to GET |
| Memory | GET that falling shoe! (shu) - Imagine a shoe falling towards you, and it’s your responsibility to get it before it hits the ground. Also, imagine they’re cleats, and make yourself a little scared. |
| くんよみ | おさ.める、おさ.まる |
| Common Words |
収める（おさめる）＝ to obtain, to collect 収まる（おさまる）＝ to be settled 収支（しゅうし）＝ income and expenditure 撤収（てっしゅう）＝ withdrawl 吸収（きゅうしゅう）＝ absorption, suck |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 片 |
| Meaning | one-sided |
| おんよみ | へん |
| Build | A man on one knee, holding something out on his arm. It’s so heavy, that it makes him ONE-SIDED and fall over. |
| Memory | The very ONE-SIDED hunt pitted veteran hunters against a single farm hen. -imagine a hunt, where the hunter has a machine gun, grenade launcher, and any other big gun that would make the hunt really unfair or one-sided. Then imagine the poor hen, trying to hide and get away. |
| くんよみ | かた |
| Common Words |
片手（かたて）＝ one hand 片目（かため）＝ one eye 片仮名（かたかな）＝ カタカナ 片寄る（かたよる）＝ to be one-sided, impartial 片道（かたみち）＝ one way (trip) |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
From the next kanji on (until the end of the section), you’ll be learning “S-level” kanji. Some of these words do get a bit weird, but future kanji will build upon them. There won’t be as many vocabulary words to learn along with them, which is good, but just be warned that the meanings (not the actual writings) of the kanji are going to get more difficult, though they’re still considered to be part of the Joyo kanji list (the top 2000ish kanji you should learn). I have weeded out some of the really useless ones, so I bet you can imagine how ridiculous they were after going through the S-level kanji that follows.
| 漢字(Kanji) | 丹 |
| Meaning | cinnabar |
| おんよみ | たん |
| Build | This kanji is made up of four radicals, one for each stroke, which means it makes more sense to learn it another way. It looks a lot like the moon radical (月), but instead of having a middle line go through, it’s a drop of liquid. Cinnabar is a red-colored mineral (you aren’t expected to know this on your own!), so here’s how we’ll do it. “In the middle of the moon, there is a drop of liquid CINNABAR.” |
| Memory | CINNABAR-made tanks (tan) are the strongest in the world. -Imagine these red-colored cinnabar tanks driving around, smelling lovely, like cinnamon. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
none |
| Notes | This kanji is only being learned to act as a stepping stone for future kanji, so there are no common words. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 乏 |
| Meaning | scarce |
| おんよみ | ぼう |
| Build | (Bigger) Really Sweet Water Slide Radical + (Flatter) Slide Radical (ノ) This slide is (obviously) incredible. Two slides in one. Slides like this are definitely SCARCE |
| Memory | Materials were SCARCE, which means the bow (bou) couldn’t be made, making the Native Americans sad. - You have to imagine Native Americans sitting around with half-created bows, sobbing and crying because they don’t have the materials to finish them. Can you feel their sadness too? |
| くんよみ | とぼ.しい、とも.しい |
| Common Words |
欠乏（けつぼう）＝ want, shortage, famine 貧乏（びんぼう）＝ poverty, poor 乏しい（とぼしい）＝ meager, scarce 貧乏人（びんぼうにん）＝ poor person |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 互 |
| Meaning | mutually |
| おんよみ | ご |
| Build | Two Broken Box Radicals (ユ), the one on top if opposite the one on the bottom, and when you put them together like that they are a mutual fit (互) |
| Memory | They MUTUALLY decided that it was time for the goblin in their closet to go -Imagine a couple standing next to each other, looking at the closet, discussing and then coming to an agreement that the goblin had to go. When they told the goblin, they pointed and said “you have to go, I’m sorry, but you have to go.” |
| くんよみ | かたみ.に、たが.い |
| Common Words |
互い（たがい）＝ each other 交互（こうご）＝ reciprocal 互角（ごかく）＝ equality, fairness |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 井 |
| Meaning | well (like the one that has water) |
| おんよみ | じょう、しょう |
| Build | Community Radical (井) In every small community, there is a community well at the center of the four streets (see how the streets intersect? Imagine a well right in the middle, for easy access for all!) |
| Memory | The WELL was a perfect place to hide Joe (jou) the plumber. Oh the irony. |
| くんよみ | い |
| Common Words |
井戸（いど）＝ water well 天井（てんじょう）＝ ceiling |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 介 |
| Meaning | jammed in |
| おんよみ | かい |
| Build | Rice paddy hat Radical + Fish Legs Radical (ハ) - Just imagine the fish legs jammed into the rice paddy hat. A farmer is saving them for later to eat. Can you taste them or smell them, too? |
| Memory | The fish legs were JAMMED IN to the kite (kai), which made it fly very poorly - Try to see the kite in your mind – perhaps it is a 介 shaped kite, as well. |
| くんよみ | すけ、ゆき |
| Common Words |
厄介（やっかい）＝ trouble, burden 紹介（しょうかい）＝ introduction 自己紹介（じこしょうかい）＝ self introduction |
| Notes | If you find yourself in Japan, you’ll also find yourself doing a lot of “self introductions.” You’ll be hearing 自己紹介 quite a lot! |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 冗 |
| Meaning | superfluous |
| おんよみ | じょう |
| Build | Top of the head Radical (冖) + Table Radical (几) - Just imagine walking in on your boss, and on top of his table is the top of his head (a wig!). Imagine your surprise at seeing something so SUPERFLUOUS there! |
| Memory | Viewtiful Joe (jou) is the definition of Superfluous! (image of Viewtiful Joe) |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
冗談（じょうだん）＝ joke |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 凶 |
| Meaning | villain |
| おんよみ | きょう |
| Build | Open Box Radical (凵) + Letter X (丶 and ノ radicals) X’s are usually associated with bad & negative things (in this case, it’s our villain), and VILLIAN‘s should be put in boxes -imagine the worst villain you can… depending on who you are, it’s going to be different. Imagine him or her sitting in a little box, looking up at you, with a big X on their head. |
| Memory | The VILLAIN’s plan was carried out today (きょう is today in Japanese), and thousands of people were killed. -Imagine the world’s most terrible plan carried about the the world’s most terrible villain today. Remember, imagining ridiculous things will help you remember better. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
凶悪（きょうあく）＝ atrocious |
| Notes | not a word that’s used a lot, though 凶 is often associated with bad things or bad luck |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 刈 |
| Meaning | reap (like reaping a farm) |
| おんよみ | n/a |
| くんよみ | か.る |
| Build | Katakana め (メ) / X-mark + Variety Stick Rack Radical |
| Memory | Built complete with sticks and eyes (め＝目=eye), a car (かる) was built to REAP the rice fields -be sure to imagine this ridiculous contraption, and associate it with the kanji’s pieces! |
| Common Words |
刈る（かる）＝ to cut / mow 刈り入り（かりいり）＝ harvest 刈り取る（かりとる）＝ to harvest, to reap |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 匹 |
| Meaning | counter for small animals |
| おんよみ | n/a |
| Build | Almost all of the four radical (四). Missing the right side. |
| くんよみ | ひき |
| Memory | Regular animals have four legs, but if you wanted to make them into smaller animals, then you’d cut off a little bit. He Killed the small animal! |
| Common Words |
匹（ひき）＝ counter for small animals 一匹（いっぴき）＝ one small animal 二匹（にひき）＝ two small animals 三匹（さんびき）＝ three small animals |
| Notes | This is mostly a counter, which means it’s added to the end of numbers to count the small animals it’s supposed to count. |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 厄 |
| Meaning | unlucky, misfortune |
| おんよみ | やく |
| Build | Cliff Radical (厂) + Seal Radical, with tail (卩) There was a seal stamped onto the cliff… (continued) |
| Memory | The seal said that this cliff was full of misfortune, and anyone who stepped upon it would probably fall off and die and make a splat. Yuck (yaku). |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
厄年（やくどし）＝ bad year, unlucky year 厄介（やっかい）＝ trouble, burden, bother |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 双 |
| Meaning | pair |
| おんよみ | そう |
| Build | Two stools that look almost the same (又). You’ll notice that the one on the left isn’t quite finished, though they’re quite the PAIR of stools. |
| Memory | These PAIR of stools look so (sou) similar, even though they’re not a perfect match. |
| くんよみ | ふた |
| Common Words |
双（そう）＝ pair 双子（ふたご）＝ twins |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 幻 |
| Meaning | illusion, apparition |
| おんよみ | げん |
| Build | Pile of my stuff radical (幺) + Katakana フ An APPARITION of the Fu-man (that’s Hard Gay… watch a video if you don’t know who he is, he’ll say フ soon enough) appeared next to a pile of my stuff, and started saying フ again (gen) and again (gen) and again (gen) |
| Memory | use build ↑ |
| くんよみ | まぼろし |
| Common Words |
幻（まぼろし）＝ phantom, vision 幻覚（げんかく）＝ hallucination 幻想（げんそう）＝ illusions |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Stroke Order |
This concludes all of the 4-stroke kanji you need to learn, which means 5-stroke kanji is next. They’ll be at least one stroke more difficult than the 4-stroke kanji, but you knew that already, didn’t you?
Before You Move On:
- Learn the above kanji along with the mnemonic memory helpers.
- Go through the vocab words on Smart.fm
- Use this blank kanji sheet to practice the above kanji. The most important thing when practicing kanji writing is to NOT think of it as writing individual strokes. Think of it as writing chunks (i.e. radicals) and putting them together. In many cases, the entire kanji will be made up of only one radical. Great! That makes it even easier, just make sure you don’t think of the radical as multiple strokes. A radical is a chunk, and it’s not made up of anything but the radical itself.
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