in da box.
Originally uploaded by eisenberg
Inside

内(うち)気(キ) -shyness
uchiki

内(ナイ)臓(ゾウ) - internal organs
naizou

inside

冂 +  (enter) = 内

The inside part is written almost like , but it originally came from the kanji.

cf.

Antonym:
-----
Radical: 冂
Stroke Count: 4
音:ナイ・ダイ
訓:うち
-----


DSC_4898.JPG
Originally uploaded by autan
Base, book

本(もと) - the base of something
moto

本(ホン) - a book
hon

基(キ)本(ホン) - basis, foundation
kihon

本(ホン)当(トウ) - truth
hontou

本(ホン)質(しつ) - essence
honshitsu


The little horizontal line (-) in 本 indicates the base of (tree).
-----
Radical: 木
Stroke Count: 5
音:ホン
訓:もと
-----


tent view
Originally uploaded by ronk53.



Sharpener
Originally uploaded by Big-E-Mr-G
Enter, insert

入(はい)る - to enter
hairu

入(い)れる - to insert
ireru

入(い)り口(ぐち) - entrance
iriguchi

入(い)れ物(もの) - container
iremono

入(ニュウ)学(ガク) - enter (a) school
nyuugaku

enter

Note: 入 is different from !!
Imagine 入 as the head of an arrow-shaped object (↑) to insert.
-----
Radical: 入
Stroke Count: 2
音:ニュウ・ジュ
訓:い・はい
-----


Cloudy sky...
Originally uploaded by hoshizora
Cloudy, gloomy

曇(くも)る - to become cloudy
kumoru

曇(くも)り - being cloudy
kumori

kumori

+ = 曇
It gets cloudy when the clouds hide the sun.

-----
Radical: 雨
Stroke Count: 16
音:ドン
訓:くも
-----


Thunderstorm I
Originally uploaded by MontyPython
Thunder

雷(かみなり) - thunder
kaminari

雷(ライ)雨(ウ) - thunderstorm
raiu

kaminari
The kanji 雷 originally looked like kaminari2 .
The (+) marks indicate rolling thunders under (rain).
cf.

-----
Radical: 雨
Stroke Count: 13
音:ライ
訓:かみなり
-----


Lightning
Originally uploaded by feel_the_green
Electricity

電(デン)気(キ) - electricity
denki

電(デン)(シ) - an electron
denshi

電(デン)(シャ) - a train
densha

電(デン)話(ワ) - a telephone
denwa

den

The part looking like 甲 under (rain) represents lightning.
rain + lightning = electricity
cf.

-----
Radical: 雨
Stroke Count: 13
音:デン
訓:-
-----


Attractive Women Amuse Me
Originally uploaded by "CAVE CANEM".
Name

名(な) - name
na

名(な)前(まえ) - name
namae

名(ミョウ)字(じ) - family name, surname
myouji

名(メイ)人(ジン) - a master, an expert, a person whose name is well-known for his/her skill.
meijin



+  = 名
Do you think the girl in the picture would reveal her name? :)
名 indicates that you speak up in darkness to let others know where/who you are.

-----
Radical: 口
Stroke Count: 6
音:ミョウ・メイ
訓:な
-----


Total Lunar Eclipse
Originally uploaded by Minouchette.
Outside

外(そと) - outside
soto

外(ガイ)国(コク) - overseas, foreign country
gaikoku

外(ガイ)食(ショク) - eating out. dining out
gaishoku

soto

+ = 外
In ancient times, people tried to tell fortunes by looking at the moon phases. When the moon wanes, you see "the outside" of the darkened part.

See for more information on ト.

usage examples

Antonym: 
-----
Radical: 夕
Stroke Count: 3
音: ガイ・ゲ
訓: そと・はず・ほか
-----


Crescent Moon
Originally uploaded by markkilner
Evening

夕(ゆう)方(がた) - evening, nightfall
yuugata

夕(ゆう)食(ショク) - supper, dinner [eaten in the evening]
yuushoku

夕(ゆう)日(ひ) - the evening/setting sun
yuuhi



夕 represents the crescent moon. See .
cf.

-----
Radical: 夕
Stroke Count: 3
音: セキ
訓: ゆう
-----


Field Fires
Originally uploaded by preilley.
Field
  • polje (plural: polja)
畑(はたけ) - field
hatake

(た)畑(はた) - the fields
tahata



+ = 畑
Imagine a burnt field or the slash-and-burn method of cultivation.

usage examples

-----
Radical: 田
Stroke Count: 9
音: -
訓: はた・はたけ
-----


Spirals on pink
Originally uploaded by tanakawho.
Turn around, spin
  • okretati - (imperfective) to turn around once
  • okrenuti - (perfective) to turn around once
  • vrtiti - (imperfective) to spin, to turn around and around
  • zavrtiti - (perfective) to spin, to turn around and around

回る  - (vi.) to turn around, to spin
mawaru

回す - (vt.) to turn (something) around, to spin
mawasu

回想 - reminiscences, recollection, flashback
kaisou

三回 - three times
sankai



usage examples

-----
Radical: 口
Stroke Count: 6
音: カイ:エ
訓: まわ
-----


Carpet store
Originally uploaded by janraposa.



Edo Era corner store
Originally uploaded by chi-jin
Shop
  • trgovina, prodavnica
店(みせ) - shop, store
mise

店(テン)員(イン) - salesperson, store clerk, shop assistant
ten'in
  • trgovac (m.) , prodavač(m.) , prodavačica (f.)
店(テン)長(チョウ) - a store manager
tenchou

店(テン)主(シュ) - a shopkeeper, a shop owner
tenshu
  • vlasnik trgovine (m.), vlasnica trgovine (f.)


广 (house, roof) + = 店

店 indicates a house, built at a certain place as a result of fortune-telling, that runs a business.

usage examples

-----
Radical: 广
Stroke Count: 8
音: テン
訓: みせ・たな
-----


_MG_8217
Originally uploaded by ahmat.
Fortune-telling, to rule
  • proricanje - fortune telling
  • vladati - to rule
占(うらな)う - to tell fortunes
uranau
  • proricati
占(し)める - to occupy
shimeru
  • zauzumati, zauzeti
占(セン)領(リョウ) - to occupy
senryou
  • zauzimati, zauzeti

占(セン)星(セイ)術(ジュツ) - astrology
senseijutsu
  • astrologija


ト +  = 占

ト represents a burnt marking on tortoise/turtle shells or animal bones, which was performed to tell fortunes in ancient times.

(cf.

-----
Radical: ト
Stroke Count: 5
音: セン
訓: うらな・し
-----


Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Originally uploaded by Sunshine Hanan



Take off the lid
Originally uploaded by houze
Now

今(いま) - now
ima

(きょう)- today, this day
kyou

今(コン)(ニチ) - nowadays, these days, today
kon'nichi



今 represents (a lid) and - (an object) , and it indicates to quickly put a lid on an object like . Imagine you try to hold the passing time by putting a lid on it, for now.

-----
Radical: 人
Stroke Count: 4
音: コン・キン
訓: いま
-----


Rice Field Mirror
Originally uploaded by timtak.
Town

町 - town
machi

machi

+ = 町

町 originally represented a T-shaped path between rice fields (), but it came to mean streets in a town, and then the town itself as well.

- watashi no itoko wa hokkaidou asahikawa-shi no kamui-chou ni sunde imasu.
- 私のいとこは北海道旭川市の神居町に住んでいます。
- My cousin lives at Kamui-chou (the section called Kamui-chou) in Asahikawa, Hokkaido.

-----
Radical: 田
Stroke Count: 7
音: チョウ
訓: まち
-----


nails
Originally uploaded by Tomhee.
丁 has various meanings; for example, it is used when counting particular things such as tofu or towns/municipalities.

丁(チョウ)
chou

chou
  • 丁 represents a nail driven into a board, and it often indicates a T shape or a right angle. (See )


- o-tofu yon-chou kudasai.
- お豆腐四丁ください。
- Please give me four cakes of tofu. (= I'll take ... )

- Suzuki-san wa san-choume ni sunde imasu.
- 鈴木さんは三丁目に住んでいます。
- Mr. Suzuki lives in the 3rd section [of a town/city].

一丁(いっちょう) icchou
二丁(にちょう) ni-chou
三丁(さんちょう) san-chou
四丁(よんちょう) yon-chou
五丁(ごちょう) go-chou ...

-----
Radical: 一
Stroke Count: 7
音: チョウ・テイ
訓: ひのと
-----


Bamboo
Originally uploaded by hargtimothy
Bamboo

竹(たけ) - bamboo
take

竹(チク)林(リン) - bamboo forest
chikurin

bamboo2


bamboo

-----
Radical: 竹
Stroke Count: 6
音: チク
訓: たけ
-----


up close
Originally uploaded by piggley
Sand
  • pjesak
砂(すな) - sand
suna

砂(サ)漠(バク) - desert
sabaku
砂(サ)丘(キュウ) - sand hill
sakyuu
sand

+ = 砂

Sand is finely fragmented rocks.

-----
Radical: 石
Stroke Count: 9
音: サ・シャ
訓: すな
-----


chipping away
Originally uploaded by apormarkos
A few, a little
  • nekoliko, malo

少ない - a few, a little (adjective)
sukunai

少し - a few, a little, some (noun)
sukoshi



 + ノ (to chip away) = 少

-----
Radical: 小
Stroke Count: 4
音: ショウ
訓: すく・すこ
-----


Ruby - North Carolina
Originally uploaded by adamantine.
Small
  • mal, mala, malo
  • malen, malena, maleno
小(ちい)さい - small
chiisai

小(こ)型(がた) - small size
kogata

小(ショウ)学(ガッ)校(コウ) - elementary school
shougakkou

小(お)川(がわ)
ogawa - stream, brook, creek

small

antonym:

--> usage examples
-----
Radical: 小
Stroke Count: 3
音: ショウ
訓: こ・ちい・お
-----


Cliffs of Stone
Originally uploaded by Rexton


Cave woman
Originally uploaded by kasiahalka.


Stone
  • kamen

石(いし) - stone
ishi

石(セキ)炭(タン) - coal
sekitan
  • ugalj


石 shows a stone (口) under a cliff.
Make sure to distinguish between 石 and .

-----
Radical: 石
Stroke Count: 5
音: セキ・シャク・コク
訓: いし
-----


Cool beads!
Originally uploaded by charmednblum



飴 Ame
Originally uploaded by kamoda


Ball, Sphere, Jewel
  • lopta, kugla, sfera, dragulj

玉(たま) - ball, sphere, jewel
tama

玉(たま)子(ご) - egg (=卵)
tamago

玉(ギョク)座(ザ) - throne
gyokuza



It is said that 玉 represents three jewels connected with a string.

ball

-----
Radical: 玉
Stroke Count: 5
音: ギョク
訓: たま
-----

King
  • kralj

王(オウ) - king
ou (pronounced "oh")
  • kralj

(ジョ)王(オウ) - queen
jo'ou
  • kraljica

王(オウ)(ジ) - prince
ouji
  • princ

王(オウ)(ジョ) - princess
oujo
  • princeza


王 represents a person standing between the sky and the ground.

king
  • 一 (the top horizontal line, the sky) + + __ (the bottom horizontal line, the ground) = 王

  • cf.


    -----
    Radical: 玉
    Stroke Count: 4
    音: オウ
    訓: -
    -----


    More brollys
    Originally uploaded by Mobile Hamish.
    Umbrella
    • kišobran
    傘(かさ) - umbrella
    kasa



    -Svi hodaju pod kišobranima.
    -min'na kasa wo sashite aruite imasu.
    -みんな傘をさして歩いています。
    -They [all] are walking under umbrellas.

    (Photo loc.: Kyoto, Japan)

    -----
    Radical: 人
    Stroke Count: 12
    音: サン
    訓: かさ
    -----

    Add, include, give, put

    加(くわ)える - add
    kuwaeru

    加(カ)勢(セイ) - aid, support
    kasei



    (strength) + (mouth) = 加

    加 shows that you assist something by using not only your hands () but also your mouth ().

    -----
    Radical: 力
    Stroke Count: 5
    音: カ
    訓: くわ
    -----

    Young, childish

    幼(おさな)い - young, childish, immature
    osanai

    幼稚園 - kindergarten
    youchien



    (a weak thread) + (strength) = 幼

    幼 indicates a child without much strength.

    -----
    Radical: 幺
    Stroke Count: 5
    音: ヨウ
    訓: おさな
    -----


    Sea Treasures
    Originally uploaded by AnnieBodrum
    Buy

    買う - to buy
    kau
    • kupiti
    売買 - buying and selling, trade
    baibai



    The thing on top of represents a net (网). Imagine you scoop valuable things () with a net when you buy them.

    -----
    Radical: 貝
    Stroke Count: 12
    音: バイ
    訓: か
    -----


    Treasures of the sea
    Originally uploaded by Walmink
    Poor
    • siromašan (m.), siromašna (f.), siromašno (n.)
    貧(まず)しい - poor
    mazushii

    貧(ヒン)困(コン)- poverty
    hinkon
    • siromaštvo


    + =

    If you divide () your fortune () with many people, you become poor ().

    -----
    Radical: 貝
    Stroke Count: 11
    音: ヒン・ビン
    訓: まず
    -----

    Interesting Way to Pass the Time
    Give
    • dati, predati (to surrender something)
    授(さず)ける - give
    sazukeru

    授(さず)かる - be given, receive
    sazukaru

    授(ジュ)与(ヨ) - presentation
    juyo



    ( 授 = + )

    授 means "give and have it received". It's the side that gives. The receiving side is .

    -----
    Radical: 手
    Stroke Count: 11
    音: ジュ
    訓: さず
    -----