Remembering the Kanji 2, Third Edition

1. The Kana and Their Kanji

chapter 1 The Kana and Their Kanji The two japanese syllabaries known as the hiragana and the katakana (or collectively, the kana) originated as stylized versions of Chinese characters used to represent the sounds of Japanese without any reference to the original meaning of those characters. In modern Japanese not all of the kana retain the sound of their parent-kanji, but there are a number that do, whether as kun-yomi or on-yomi. This means that if you can recognize these kanji, learning at least one of their readings is almost automatic. Many of the calligraphic transformations will be immediately apparent; others require some knowledge of calligraphy. In these cases, a calligraphic drawing has been included for the sake of completeness.1 The letters h and k, set off in parentheses and inserted in the location of the internal cross-reference numbers, indicate whether the kanji in the frame is parent to hiragana or katakana or both. To make a representative listing, it has been necessary to include a number of rare exemplary compounds and compounds that mix on and kun readings. These deviations have been indicated in each case. Despite these difficulties, the frames presented in this brief initial chapter are worth studying carefully before moving on to the simpler material in the next chapter. As stated in the Introduction, on-yomi are listed in katakana and kun yomi in hiragana, a common convention in Japanese dictionaries. In the case of kun-yomi, the reading of the kanji is often accompanied by an inflection called okuri-gana (送 り 仮名), which modern Japanese writes with hiragana. 二 ニ (k) 233 2 1 二世 にせい second-generation (Japanese) 1. For a clearer idea of the connection between the kana and the kanji, see my Remembering the Kana (Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2006), where the original forms of both the hiragana and the katakana are included. 12 | remembering the kanji 2 三 み (k) 1086 3 2 三つ子 みつご three-year-old child; triplets 女 騫 め (h/k) 951, 2034, 2162 98 3 女神 めがみ goddess 千 ち (k) (972) 40 4 千島 ち し ま Kuril Islands, north of Japan 左 駲 さ (h) 896 77 5 左右 さゆ う right and left; on both sides 不 驂 フ (h/k) 2037 1217 6 不安 ふあん uneasiness The katakana form comes from the first 2 strokes only. 世 駿 セ (h/k) 1583 28 7 世界 せかい world 多 タ (k) 108 8 多少 た し ょ う more or less 知 騎 チ (h) 188 1223 9 知人 ち じん an acquaintance 利 リ (h/k) 236 906 10 利用 り よ う use The kana forms come from the right side of the kanji. the kana and their kanji | 13 以 駕 イ (h) 1028 11 以上 い じ ょ う above; more than 和 骨 ワ (h/k) 2236 897 12 平和 へいわ peace 部 驃 へ (h/k) 1080 1845 13 部屋 へや a room The kana forms come from the right side of the kanji. 由 驟 ユ (h/k) 1006, 1345, 2163 1105 14 由来 ゆ らい reason; origin 流 ル (k) 496 764 15 流転 るてん metempsychosis The katakana form comes from the last two strokes of the kanji only. The reading (here a Buddhist one) is rare. 保 驅 ホ (h/k) 997 16 保安 ほあん security; keeping the peace The hiragana form is based on the entire kanji; the katakana comes only from the last 4 strokes. 留 驩 ル (h) 1691 1423 17 留守 るす absence (from home or work) 波 騾 ハ (h) 1424 803 18 電波 でんぱ radio waves; electric waves 14 | remembering the kanji 2 太 騅 タ (h) 1150 120 19 丸太 ま るた log The example combines on and kun readings. 止 と (h/k) 1554 370 20 止ま る と ま る to stop; halt The katakana comes from the first 2 strokes. 比 驀 ヒ (h/k) 346 447 21 比較 ひか く comparison 武 驕 ム (h) 1144 377 22 武者 む し ゃ warrior 衣 駛 え (h) 1566 396 23 白衣 びゃ く え white robe 己 コ (h/k) 1227 525 24 自己 じこ oneself; the self The kana forms come from the first 2 strokes of the parent kanji. 加 駟 カ (h/k) 788 867 25 加入 かに ゅ う admission (as to a group) The katakana is based on the left side of the kanji only. 為 骭 イ[ゐ] (h) 1918 26 行為 こ う い conduct; actions; deeds the kana and their kanji | 15 与 驢 ヨ (h/k) 1246 27 与党 よ と う ruling political party The katakana comes from the bottom half of the kanji. 江 え (k) (117) 139 28 江戸 え ど Edo (old name for Tokyo) Only the right half of the kanji is used for the kana. 幾 駢 キ (h/k) 300 1381 29 幾何学 きかが く geometry 宇 駘 ウ (h/k) 1656 30 宇宙 う ち ゅ う cosmos; universe The katakana comes from the first 3 strokes of the kanji. 恵 骼 ゑ [エ] (h) 1559 612 31 知恵 ちえ wisdom The hiragana in question is, of course, the old form. 仁 ニ (h) 235, 2056 988 32 仁王門 にお う も ん Buddhist temple gate with fierce Deva Kings 伊 イ (k) 1161 33 伊太利 いた り Italy Only the left side of the kanji is used...