3-STROKE KANJI
The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery – Thomas Jefferson
Welcome to the second kanji level! In this kanji chapter, you’ll be learning all of the 常用 3-stroke kanji, which, surprisingly, isn’t all that many (only around 30)! You’ll be through these in no time. You’ll notice that a lot of these are radicals that you’ve already learned, so you won’t have to worry too much about relearning everything from scratch. Woohoo!
Similar to the previous kanji chapter, you’ll learn the おんよみ, くんよみ, and common words. This time, though, depending on the kanji there will be a mnemonic device for the actual build of the kanji as well as learning the kanji + reading itself. As the kanji gets more complicated, it will become necessary to use more mnemonic tricks to help you remember the build as well. Things are simple right now, but we’ll use this opportunity to practice so it’s easier when things get more complicated.
Let’s get started! The most appropriate kanji to start with, I think, is the kanji for “3,” since we’ll be looking at the 3-strokers. Makes sense.
| 漢字(Kanji) | 三 |
| Meaning | three |
| おんよみ | さん |
| Build | The kanji for one 一 three times = 3 |
| Memory | Son (san), I’m going to smack you with these three sticks after counting to three… |
| くんよみ | み、みっ.つ |
| Common Words |
三（さん）＝ three 三つ（みっつ）＝ three (things) 三日（みっか）＝ Third day of the month 三角（さんかく）＝ Triangle 三人（さんにん）＝ 3 people 三月（さんがつ）＝ March (month three) |
| Notes | This should be really easy, since it’s just “one” three times |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 上 |
| Meaning | Above, Raise up |
| おんよみ | じょう |
| Build | Shaman Stick (), Ground/one (一):
The Shaman Stick is standing UP in the ground. |
| Memory | Joe, it’s time to get up. |
| くんよみ | あが.※、うえ、のぼ.※ |
| Common Words |
上（うえ）＝ Up, above
上げる（あげる）＝ To raise (something)
上がる（あがる）＝ To rise
上手（じょうず）＝ Good at, skillful, skill
年上（としうえ）＝ Older, senior
|
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 下 |
| Meaning | Below, descend |
| おんよみ | か、げ |
| Build | Shaman Stick (卜), Ground (一)
The Shaman stick is buried below ground |
| Memory | Can’t (ka) Get (ge) there unless you go below ground. |
| くんよみ | した、さが※、くだ※ |
| Common Words |
下（した）＝ under, below 下手（へた）＝ bad at, unskillful 下着（したぎ）＝ underwear 部下（ぶか）＝ subordinate 下がる（さがる）＝ to come down 下げる（さげる）＝ to hang (something), to lower something ～ください ＝ please _______ |
| Notes | Opposite to 上 in almost every way – even the kanji itself is (nearly) a reflection. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 千 |
| Meaning | 1,000 |
| おんよみ | せん |
| Build | Slide (丿), Ten (十)
I went down the ten slides 1000 times (and my butt feels really raw now). |
| Memory | Imagine yourself standing in a room, and you are surrounded by 10 slides coming out of the wall, now all these pennies start flooding in and you nearly drown in a sea of 1000 cents (sen). |
| くんよみ | ち |
| Common Words |
千（せん）＝ 1,000 (num) 一千（いっせん）＝ One Thousand 何千（なんぜん）＝ Many Thousands 千円札（せんえんさつ）＝ 1,000 Yen Bill |
| Notes | Don’t confuse this one with 干, which looks very similar. Remember, the slide on top was so fun you went down it a thousand times. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 干 |
| Meaning | dry |
| おんよみ | かん |
| Build | ground + cross. Because it was raining so much, the cross was put underground to keep it dry. |
| Memory | (looks like an antennae) – Can (kan) you dry your clothes on the antennae? It helps with the reception so I can watch Curling on TV. |
| くんよみ | ひる、ほす |
| Common Words |
干す（ほす）＝ to air, to dry 梅干し（うめぼし）＝ pickled / dried plum |
| Notes | Don’t get this one confused with 千, as they are plenty similar |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 口 |
| Meaning | mouth |
| おんよみ | く、こう |
| Build | Mouth / Square radical (口) |
| Memory | Cool (ku) Korey (kou) could never shut his square mouth, which is why I ended up punching him right in the mouth |
| くんよみ | くち |
| Common Words |
口（くち）＝ mouth 出口（でぐち）＝ exit 入り口（いりぐち）＝ entrance 人口（じんこう）＝ population |
| Notes | With this one, くち (i.e. the kunyomi) is going to be more commonly used, even in combo-kanji-words. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 土 |
| Meaning | ground, soil |
| おんよみ | ど |
| Build | ground radical (土) |
| Memory | Don’t (do) touch that samurai or you’ll end up in the ground. |
| くんよみ | くん |
| Common Words |
土（つち）＝ earth, soil 土曜日（どようび）＝ saturday |
| Notes | As you know from radicals practice, this is very similar to 士 (samurai radical). Remember, Samurai get bigger crosses when buried. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 士 |
| Meaning | gentleman, samurai |
| おんよみ | し |
| Build | Samurai radical (士) |
| Memory | She (shi) got a bigger cross on her grave because she was from a Samurai family (even though she was a woman!). |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
武士（ぶし）＝ warrior, samurai 剣士（けんし）＝ swordsman 富士山（ふじさん）＝ Mt. Fuji 運転士（うんてんし）＝ driver |
| Notes | Not a super useful kanji, but since it was similar to 土 and used a lot as a part of other kanji, it’s important to learn (and easy to learn too!) |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 夕 |
| Meaning | evening |
| おんよみ | せき |
| Build | evening radical (夕) |
| Memory | Section (sekition) off the map by taverns we want to go to this evening. |
| くんよみ | ゆう |
| Common Words |
夕べ（ゆうべ）＝ evening 夕食（ゆうしょく）＝ evening meal 夕焼け（ゆうやけ）＝ sunset |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 大 |
| Meaning | big, large |
| おんよみ | だい、たい |
| Build | Large Radical (大) |
| Build | “DIE!” (Die) Yelled the large Thai Person. |
| くんよみ | おお、おお.きい |
| Common Words |
大きい（おおきい）＝ big 大学（だいがく）＝ college 大事（だいじ）＝ important 大変（たいへん）＝ aweful, severe, tough, hard 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）＝ Okay, No problem 大きさ（おおきさ）＝ Size 大した（たいした）＝ considerable, great 大切（たいせつ）＝ important 大好き（だいすき）＝ like a lot 大嫌い（だいきらい）＝ hate a lot 大人（おとな）＝ adult |
| Notes | Very common – as long as you know this kanji and a kanji it’s attached to, you can often figure out what something means… big ____, large ____, great ____, etc. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 女 |
| Meaning | Woman |
| おんよみ | じょ |
| Build | Woman Radical (女) |
| Memory | “Joe” (jo) is a strange name for a woman. Poor Joe. |
| くんよみ | おんな |
| Common Words |
女（おんな）＝ woman 美女（びじょ）＝ beautiful woman 彼女（かのじょ）＝ she, girlfriend 女の子（おんなのこ）＝ girl 女性（じょせい）＝ female |
| Notes | You don’t want to call a woman “女” on it’s own like that. It can come off as offensive.
Many kanji that have 女 in them, and many words that use 女, have to do with “women.” It’s a safe guess that anything with 女 in it has to do with women. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 丈 |
| Meaning | length |
| おんよみ | じょう |
| Memory | Part of a woman (女) – just remove the head and you have yourself 丈 (or something really close)
This kanji is also the opposite of 才. Just flip the “slide” radical in there and you’ll have yourself 丈 |
| Build | Joe (jou) couldn’t run the entire length of the woman’s full marathon. |
| くんよみ | たけ、だけ |
| Common Words |
丈（たけ）＝ height; stature 丈（だけ）＝ only, just 背丈（せたけ）＝ stature, height 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）＝ okay, no problem |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 子 |
| Meaning | child |
| おんよみ | し |
| Build | Child Radical (子) |
| Memory | She thought she was an adult, but in reality she was just a child. |
| くんよみ | こ |
| Common Words |
子（こ）＝ child, kid 子供（こども）＝ child 帽子（ぼうし）＝ hat 椅子（いす）＝ chair 息子（むすこ）＝ son 女子（じょし）＝ girl 子犬（こいぬ）＝ puppy 子猫（こねこ）＝ kitten |
| Notes | Be careful of lookalikes. For example, 了 is almost the same, but it is missing a one going through it (子). The kanji with a one going through it is child because “the child finished the first year of it’s life.” |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 小 |
| Meaning | small |
| おんよみ | しょう |
| Build | “Small” Radical (小) |
| Memory | Show (show) the circus man your small fish feet. |
| くんよみ | ちい.さい、こ |
| Common Words |
小さい（ちいさい）＝ small (in size) 小学校（しょうがっこう）＝ elementary school 小説（しょうせつ）＝ novel 小屋（こや）＝ hut 小島（こじま）＝ small island |
| Notes | You can bet that when 小 is used, it has to do with something “small” (usually) |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 山 |
| Meaning | mountain |
| おんよみ | さん |
| Build | Mountain Radical (山) |
| Memory | Sandals (san) are terrible for climbing mountains |
| くんよみ | やま |
| Common Words |
山（やま）＝ mountain 富士山（ふじさん）＝ Mt. Fuji 火山（かざん）＝ volcano 山小屋（やまごや）＝ mountain hut |
| Notes | If it has 山 in it, it probably has something to do with mountains, or hills, or big mountainish mounds of earth. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
Here’s a quick break from the brain hemorrhaging this kanji learning is probably causing you. After this video, go get a glass of water and maybe a little bit of fruit to help decompress the previous kanji, and then do a quick review before you continue. It’s good to take a break and then review, since it gives you brain time to process things (also leaving you a bit fresher for the second half). Anyways, my recommendation is that you take yourself a nice, healthy little break.
Now don’t you feel better? Go ahead and continue on after you feel refreshed.
| 漢字(Kanji) | 川 |
| Meaning | River |
| おんよみ | せん |
| Build | River radical (川) |
| Memory | Send (sen) the boat down the river… to it’s doom! |
| くんよみ | かわ |
| Common Words |
川（かわ）＝ river 川下（かわしも）＝ downstream 川口（かわぐち）＝ mouth of river 滝川（たきがわ）＝ rapids |
| Notes | Row row row your boat |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 万 |
| Meaning | 10,000 |
| おんよみ | まん |
| Build | Katana (刀) + Leaf |
| Memory | A Man makes at least 10,000 mistakes in his lifetime. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
万（まん）＝ 10,000 |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 丸 |
| Meaning | circle |
| おんよみ | がん |
| Build | nine (九) + drop of liquid (丶). Start with nine sides, and add just a small drop to complete the circle. |
| Memory | Gone (gan) With The Wind is all about the circle of life. |
| くんよみ | まる、まる.い |
| Common Words |
丸（まる）＝ circle 丸い（まるい）＝ round, circular |
| Notes | Really doesn’t look like a circle, though nobody said kanji made sense. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 刃 |
| Meaning | Blade |
| おんよみ | じん、にん |
| Build | Katana Particle (刀) + Drop of Liquid (丶)This katana has a sharp enough blade to cut a drop of liquid in half. |
| Memory | Gene (jin) was so angry about his DNA (Genes!) he took a blade to them one by one. |
| くんよみ | は |
| Common Words |
刃（は）＝ edge 刃先（はさき）＝ edge of blade 刃物（はもの）＝ edged tool |
| Notes | This kanji has to do with the actual blades of things. Knives, swords, etc.., and not the actual swords, knives., etc., themselves. Think blades. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 工 |
| Meaning | craft |
| おんよみ | こう、く |
| Build | Construction / Craft Radical. Looks like a big “I” (工)”I” love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese |
| Memory | Cordless (ko) vacuum cleaners are so important after Kublai (ku) Khan has his craft day. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
工場（こうじょう）＝ factory 完工（かんこう）＝ completion 工員（こういん）＝ factory worker 工学（こうがく）＝ engineering 工事（こうじ）＝ construction |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 弓 |
| Meaning | Bow (archery, violin) |
| おんよみ | きゅう |
| Build | Busted Stick Radical (弓) |
| Memory | Cuban (kyuu) weaponry consists of baseball bats and bows. |
| くんよみ | ゆみ |
| Common Words |
弓（ゆみ）＝ bow 弓道（きゅうどう）＝ Japanese archery 弓矢（ゆみや）＝ bow and arrow |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 己 |
| Meaning | self, myself |
| おんよみ | き、こ |
| Build | Broken snake skull (已) – the left side is broken. I can fix the broken snake skull by myself. You could also look at it as a full snake (and not just the broken skull). |
| Memory | Kill (ki) Bill’s main actress was played by myself. |
| くんよみ | おのれ |
| Common Words |
自己（じこ）＝ self 己（おのれ）＝ oneself (this word is archaic) 利己的（りこてき）＝ selfish 自己紹介（じこしょうかい）＝ self introduction |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 亡 |
| Meaning | deceased |
| おんよみ | ぼう |
| Build | Death Radical (亡) |
| Memory | Boring (Bo) movies will be the death of me |
| くんよみ | な.い、な.く |
| Common Words |
死亡（しぼう）＝ death, mortality 亡くなる（なくなる）＝ to die* 未亡人（みぼうじん）＝ widow |
| Notes | *A more polite way to say “to die.” It’s like saying “passed away” instead of “died” in English. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 久 |
| Meaning | long time |
| おんよみ | きゅう、く |
| Build | Reinforced Enclosure Radical (久) |
| Memory | Cute girls haven’t talked to me in a long time |
| くんよみ | ひさしい |
| Common Words |
久しい（ひさしい）＝ long (time) 久しぶり（ひさしぶり）＝ long time no see |
| Notes | 久しぶり is a very commonly used word that you use when you see someone you haven’t seen in a while. “Oohhh, 久しぶり！” |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 寸 |
| Meaning | measurement |
| おんよみ | すん |
| Build | measurement radical (寸) |
| Memory | Soon (sun) you will be ten feet tall the next time I measure you. |
| くんよみ | す、すき |
| Common Words |
寸暇（すんか）＝ moment’s leisure 寸前（すんぜん）＝ on the verge 寸法（すんぽう）＝ measurement |
| Notes | You’ll see this kanji incorporated into more complicated kanji a lot. For that purpose alone, this is a great one to learn. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 才 |
| Meaning | genius |
| おんよみ | さい |
| Build | Ten (十) + Slide (丿) RadicalsIf you go down the slide ten slides of knowledge, you will come out the other end a genius. |
| Memory | *Sigh*… (sai)… I wish I was a kanji genius. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
〜才（〜さい）＝ ~years old 才能（さいのう）＝ talent, ability 天才（てんさい）＝ genius 漫才（まんざい）＝ comedian, comic dialogue |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 凡 |
| Meaning | mediocre |
| おんよみ | ぼん、はん |
| Build | Table (几)、Drop of Liquid (丶)When it comes to mediocre tables, even a drop of liquid will ruin them. |
| Memory | Bone (bon) tables are mediocre at best. |
| くんよみ | none (that you need to learn) |
| Common Words |
凡才（ぼんさい）＝ mediocrity 凡人（ぼんじん）＝ an ordinary / mediocre person 平凡（へいぼん）＝ common, commonplace |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 勺 |
| Meaning | ladle |
| おんよみ | しゃく |
| Build | enclosure (勹), drop of liquid (丶)
A ladle encloses drops of liquids |
| Memory | Shucks (shaku), there’s no ladle for the soup. |
| くんよみ | n/a |
| Common Words |
勺（しゃく）＝ Ladle, dip |
| Notes | Not commonly used on it’s own, but we’ll be incorporating this kanji into other kanji soon enough. |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 与 |
| Meaning | give |
| おんよみ | よ |
| Build | one (一), enclosure (勹), shaman stick (卜)
The one enclosure with the shaman stick on it is what I want to give to you, young shaman. |
| Memory | YO mama give me this shaman stick. |
| くんよみ | あた.える |
| Common Words |
与える（あたえる）＝ to give, to grant 関与（かんよ）＝ participation 与論（よろん）＝ public opinion |
| Notes | none |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
| 漢字(Kanji) | 及 |
| Meaning | To cause (something) |
| おんよみ | きゅう |
| Build | Reinforced stairs radical (及)
Don’t remove the reinforcement on the stairs, or you’ll cause it to fall down. |
| Memory | Cute people wear high heels, which causes them to fall down the reinforced stairs. |
| くんよみ | およ.び、およ.ぼす |
| Common Words |
及び（および）＝ and, as well as 及ぶ（およぶ）＝ to reach, to amount to 及ぼす（およぼす）＝ to exert, to cause |
| Notes | |
| Practice | Smart.fm, Stroke Order |
After going through these, make sure you study these via the flashcards. Try to use the mnemonic associations with each kanji as well, it will help you learn the kanji. Also, be sure to learn the builds as written in each section. By making more memory associations, your brain will have more options for remembering the kanji (thus giving sticking it into your long term memory, instead of short). When you’re finished learning these kanji and words, you can go back to the lesson you were last working on. You’re almost there (in terms of kanji learning becoming second nature to you). This chapter may have been a bit difficult for you, but don’t worry, you’re moving your way up the hump. By the time you get through the next kanji chapter, you’ll notice that things are going to start getting easier. Just like anything, practice will make things easier, as you learn how to learn kanji. It just takes experience, and you’re getting it. The tough part is just perservering! 頑張れ!
Before You Move On:
- Learn the above kanji.
- 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. It won’t be as necessary in this chapter, but in future chapters, as kanji gets more complicated, it will be really important for you to have practiced in this way.