士 samurai, gentleman 音読み：シ 例文：武士 (ぶし warrior）、同士（どうし companion）、弁護士（べんごし lawyer）、博士（はくし doctorate） 志 aspire, intent 訓読み：こころざし 音読み：シ 例文：志向 (しこう intention）、志を果たす（こころざしをはたす realise one’s aspiration）、志望（しぼう desire） 氏 family name, title (example: Mr oo) 訓読み：うじ 音読み：シ 例文：氏名 (しめい full name）、彼氏（かれし boyfriend）、氏神（うじがみ patron god） 凶 disaster 音読み：キョウ 例文：凶作 （きょうさく bad harvest）、凶暴（きょうぼう atrocious） 囚 arrest 訓読み：とらわれる 音読み：シュウ 例文：囚人 （しゅうじん prisoner）、捕囚（ほしゅう captured） 尺 scale, length […]
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JLPT N1 Kanji Lesson 8
丁 street 訓読み：ひのと 音読み：チン・テイ・チョウ・トウ・チ 例文：丁目 (ちょうめ ward/block）、丁寧（ていねい polite）、丁度（ちょうど exactly）、符丁（ふちょう code/cipher） 刀 sword 訓読み：かたな・そり 音読み：トウ 例文：刀剣 (とうけん sword）、木刀（ぼくとう wooden sword）、竹刀（しない bamboo/fencing sword）、薙刀（なぎなた long sword）、刀工（とうこう swordsmith） 及 to reach/as well as 訓読み：およぶ・および 音読み：キュウ 例文：普及 (ふきゅう spread）、及ばず（およばす exert） 己 self/serpant 訓読み：おのれ・つちのと・な 音読み：キ・コ 例文：自己 (じこ self）、利己（リコ self-interest） 弓 bow 訓読み：ゆみ 音読み：キュウ 例文：弓矢 (ゆみや bow and arrow）、弓形（ゆみなり arched shape）、弓道（きゅうどう archery） 矢 […]
JLPT N1 Kanji Lesson 7
護 safeguard 訓読み：まもる 音読み：ゴ 例文：護衛（ごえい guard）、防護（ぼうご protection）、看護（かんご nursing）、保護（ほご care, patronage）、弁護士（べんごし lawyer） 譲 to hand over 訓読み：ゆずる 音読み：ジョウ 例文：譲渡（じょうと transfer）、譲歩（じょうほ conciliation） 謙 to be modest 音読み：キョ 例文：謙虚（けんきょ modesty）、謙譲（けんじょう humility） 謹 respectfully 訓読み：つつしむ 音読み：キン 例文：謹賀（きんが wishes of happiness）、謹慎（きんしん penitence） 謀 to plot 訓読み：はかる 音読み：ム・ボウ 例文：共謀（きょうぼう conspiracy）、陰謀（いんぼう conspiracy）、参謀（さんぼう to participate in planning） 謝 to apologise 訓読み：あやまる 音読み：シャ 例文：感謝（かんしゃ […]
How did Hiragana and Katakana originate?
If you have started learning Japanese, you might have heard by now that there were no written scripts in Japan until Kanji were introduced from China. In early Japan, people only communicated verbally and once kanji were introduced in the 5th century, chronicles, stories and poems emerged in the written form. Soon Hiragana and Katakana scripts […]
Finding India in Japan
I am talking about that feeling you get when you are walking down the streets of a foreign land and then suddenly you spot something that is connected to your motherland. It could be a restaurant that serves your country’s cuisine or a handicraft store that sells items imported from your country or anything else […]
13 Japanese words that are used in English
Even if you do not speak Japanese, you might be using Japanese words in your daily life without even knowing. Have you heard of the term ‘loanwords’ or 外来語 (gairaigo)? According to the online Oxford Dictionary, a loanword is “a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification“. Japanese language has contributed many […]
Tenbu|天部 – Indian dēvatā who went all the way to Japan
Itsukushima shrine in Japan is popular among Japanese and foreign tourists. Its a place of devotion as well as sightseeing. The deity which is enshrined here is considered a manifestation of Benzaiten. Goddess Benzaiten is actually the Japanese counterpart of goddess Saraswati, an Indian (Hindu) deity. In Japan, there exist numerous such deities of Hindu […]
5 reasons to love Japan
Japan is unique in its own ways. Don’t you agree? A country with deep-rooted tradition and yet technologicaly advanced. Be it fashion or food, there is a touch of kawaiiness (cuteness) in everything that makes us all go ”aww kawaii desune!” You are going to hear the word “kawaii” so often in Japan that you […]
Bon to shōgatsu ga issho ni kita yo
盆と正月が一緒に来たよう – As busy as a bee
Koi wa shian no hoka
恋は思案の外 – Love is unreasonable