Title: Canneji
Tags: canneji grade:8 grade:4 grade:3 grade:5 grade:6 grade:2 grade:1

kanji: 日
meaning: day
ja_on: ニチ、ジツ
ja_kun: ひ、-び、-か
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
examples: 今日[きょう] today; this day
日[にち] Sunday
昨日[きのう] yesterday
明日[あした] tomorrow
毎日[まいにち] every day; daily
日本[にっぽん] Japan
今日は[こんにちは] hello; good day; good afternoon
本日[ほんじつ] today; this day
日々[ひび] daily; everyday
一日[いちにち] one day
先日[せんじつ] the other day; a few days ago
３日[みっか] 3rd day of the month
１日[いちにち] one day
誕生日[たんじょうび] birthday
数日[すうじつ] few days
heisig_story: This kanji is intended to be a pictograph of the sun. Recalling what we said in the previous frame about round forms, it is easy to detect the circle and the big smile that characterize our simplest drawings of the sun - like those yellow badges with the words, "Have a nice day! "
koohii_story: Open the window, new day.

kanji: 一
meaning: one
ja_on: イチ、イツ
ja_kun: ひと-、ひと.つ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
examples: 一緒[いっしょ] (doing) together
一度[いちど] once; one time; on one occasion
一番[いちばん] number one; first; first place
一緒に[いっしょに] together (with)
一人[ひとり] one person
一[いち] one; 1
一体[いったい] (what) the heck; (why) in the world; (who) on earth; (where) the hell; (how) the
一つ[ひとつ] one
一応[いちおう] more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; after a fashion; pretty much; rou
一生[いっしょう] whole life; a lifetime; all through life
一瞬[いっしゅん] instant; moment; for an instant
一部[いちぶ] one part; one portion; one section
一切[いっさい] all; everything; entirety; the whole
第一[だいいち] first; foremost; number one
唯一[ゆいいつ] only; sole; unique
heisig_story: In Chinese characters, the number one is laid on its side, unlike the Roman numeral I which stands upright. As you would expect, it is written from left to right.
koohii_story: One down, 2041 to go. ,).

kanji: 人
meaning: person
ja_on: ジン、ニン
ja_kun: ひと、-り、-と
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 人[ひと] person
examples: 人[じん] -ian (e.g. Italian); -ite (e.g. Tokyoite)
人間[にんげん] human being; human; person; man; mankind; humankind
一人[ひとり] one person
あの人[あのひと] he; she; that person
人生[じんせい] (one's) life
１人[ひとり] one person
二人[ふたり] two persons; two people; pair; couple
人たち[ひとたち] people
本人[ほんにん] the person in question; the person themselves; said person
大人[おとな] adult; grown-up
他人[たにん] another person; other people; others
人物[じんぶつ] person; character; figure; personage; man; woman
恋人[こいびと] lover; sweetheart; boyfriend; girlfriend
人々[ひとびと] people; men and women
友人[ゆうじん] friend
heisig_story: The character for enter (Frame 842) showed someone walking inwards (in terms of the direction of writing), the one for person , shown here, represents someone walking outwards.
koohii_story: Behold Mister T (of "A-Team" fame)! I chose Mr.T because he's sure to make amusing stories. He is a very versatile character since he's both the big, tough guy and the “moralistic” person , telling kids not “to do drugs or alcohol”. He is easy to imagine, the heavy gold chains are probably the most prominent feature of the character. And last but not least you can always pepper your story with the famous line “I pity da foo!” * Fittingly, on the left side of the kanji, it looks like a “T”.

kanji: 年
meaning: year
ja_on: ネン
ja_kun: とし
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
干[かん] to dry
examples: 年[とし] year
今年[ことし] this year
何年[なんねん] how many years; how long
少年[しょうねん] boy
年間[ねんかん] (period of) a year
去年[きょねん] last year
半年[はんとし] half a year; six months
年齢[ねんれい] age; years
来年[らいねん] next year
毎年[まいとし] every year; yearly; annually
年上[としうえ] older; senior
一年[いちねん] one year; some time ago
長年[ながねん] many years; a long time
年頃[としごろ] approximate age; apparent age
数年[すうねん] several years; a few years
heisig_story: In an odd fashion, the kanji for year joins together the element for horse , on the top, and the right half of the element for sunglasses. Think of it as a horse wearing sunglasses with one of the lenses popped out. We will use this latter image again, so learn it now and save yourself the trouble later.
koohii_story: A horse wears a pair of sunglasses with one lens popped out after a particularly raucous celebration to ring in the New Year.

kanji: 大
meaning: large
ja_on: ダイ、タイ
ja_kun: おお-、おお.きい、-おお.いに
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 大[だい] large
examples: 大丈夫[だいじょうぶ] safe; secure; sound; problem-free; without fear; all right; alright; OK; okay
大変[たいへん] very; greatly; terribly; awfully
大事[だいじ] important; serious; crucial
大きい[おおきい] big; large; great
大きな[おおきな] big; large; great
大切[たいせつ] important; significant; serious; crucial
大好き[だいすき] liking very much; loving (something or someone); adoring; being very fond of
大[おお] large; big; great; major; important; serious; heavy; loud
大人[おとな] adult; grown-up
大した[たいした] considerable; great; important; significant; a big deal
大きくなる[おおきくなる] to grow up; to become an adult
大体[だいたい] generally; on the whole; mostly; almost; nearly; approximately; roughly; about
大学[だいがく] university; college
大量[たいりょう] large quantity; massive (quantity); mass (e.g. mass production, mass transit, ma
最大[さいだい] biggest; greatest; largest; maximum
heisig_story: Here we have a simple pictograph of a person, taking up the space of an entire character and giving it the sense of large. It should not be too hard to locate the two legs and outstretched arms.
koohii_story: A person stretching their arms and legs to look large and scare a bear away.

kanji: 十
meaning: ten
ja_on: ジュウ、ジッ、ジュッ
ja_kun: とお、と、そ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
examples: 十分[じゅうぶん] enough; sufficient; plenty; adequate; satisfactory
十[じゅう] ten; 10
何十[なんじゅう] (several) tens; dozens; scores (of)
数十[すうじゅう] dozens; scores of; decades
二十[にじゅう] twenty; 20
二十歳[はたち] 20 years old
三十[さんじゅう] thirty; 30
十五[じゅうご] fifteen; 15
十二[じゅうに] twelve; 12
五十[ごじゅう] fifty; 50
四十[よんじゅう] forty; 40
十三[じゅうさん] thirteen; 13
十六[じゅうろく] sixteen; 16
十四[じゅうし] fourteen; 14
十日[とおか] 10th day of the month
heisig_story: Turn this character 45 degrees either way and you have the x used for the Roman numeral ten.
koohii_story: Two needles crossing marks the spot, or you can use the Roman character for ten (rotated 45 degrees).

kanji: 二
meaning: two
ja_on: ニ、ジ
ja_kun: ふた、ふた.つ、ふたたび
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 二[に] two
examples: 二人[ふたり] two persons; two people; pair; couple
二度[にど] two times; twice
二[に] two; 2
二度と[にどと] never again
二つ[ふたつ] two
二人とも[ふたりとも] both (people); the two of them
第二[だいに] second
二日[ふつか] 2nd day of the month
二十[にじゅう] twenty; 20
二階[にかい] second floor; upstairs
二回[にかい] twice
二十歳[はたち] 20 years old
二重[にじゅう] double; two-fold; two layers; duplex
十二[じゅうに] twelve; 12
一石二鳥[いっせきにちょう] killing two birds with one stone
heisig_story: Like the Roman numeral II, which reduplicates the numeral I, the kanji for two is a simple reduplication of the horizontal stroke that means one. The order of writing goes from above to below, with the first stroke slightly shorter.
koohii_story: Two lines.

kanji: 本
meaning: book
ja_on: ホン
ja_kun: もと
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 本当[ほんとう] truth; reality; actuality; fact
本当に[ほんとうに] really; truly
本[ほん] book; volume; script
本気[ほんき] seriousness; earnestness; truth; sanctity
日本[にっぽん] Japan
本人[ほんにん] the person in question; the person themselves; said person
本物[ほんもの] genuine article; real thing; real deal
本日[ほんじつ] today; this day
本来[ほんらい] originally; primarily
基本[きほん] basics; fundamentals; basis; foundation
一本[いっぽん] one long cylindrical thing; one film, TV show, etc.; one goal, home run, etc.; o
本番[ほんばん] performance (as opposed to practice); going before an audience or on-air; take
本格的[ほんかくてき] genuine; real; authentic; standard; orthodox
本音[ほんね] real intention; motive; true opinion; what one really thinks
本心[ほんしん] true feelings; real intention; one's heart
heisig_story: Recalling that books are made of paper, and paper made of trees , one might think of a book as a slice of a tree. Can you seethe "cross-cut" in the trunk of the tree? Picture it as a chainsaw cutting you out a few books with which to start your own private library.
koohii_story: The origin of a book is paper made out of TREEs. ONE tree can make many book s.

kanji: 中
meaning: in
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: なか、うち、あた.る
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 中[じゅう] (all) through (e.g. the night); throughout (e.g. the year); all ... long
途中[とちゅう] on the way; en route
連中[れんちゅう] company; lot; people; bunch; gang; pack; guys; group; folks
背中[せなか] back (of the body)
世の中[よのなか] society; the world; the times
集中[しゅうちゅう] concentration (on a task); focusing one's attention
中身[なかみ] contents; interior; filling
中心[ちゅうしん] center; centre; middle; heart; core; focus; pivot; emphasis; balance
夢中[むちゅう] absorbed in; immersed in; crazy about; obsessed with; devoted to
最中[さいちゅう] (in) the middle of; (in) the midst of; (in) the course of; (at) the height of
世界中[せかいじゅう] around the world; throughout the world
中央[ちゅうおう] centre; center; middle; heart
真ん中[まんなか] middle; centre; center; midpoint; heart
夜中[よなか] middle of the night; dead of night
中学[ちゅうがく] junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school
heisig_story: The elements here are a walking stick and a mouth. Remember the trouble your mother had getting medicine in your mouth? Chances are it crossed her mind more than once to grab something handy, like your grandfather's walking stick , to pry open your jaws while she performed her duty. Keep the image of getting something in from the outside, and the otherwise abstract sense of this key word should be a lot easier than trying to spoon castor oil in to a baby's mouth.
koohii_story: Pocky goes in the mouth.

kanji: 出
meaning: exit
ja_on: シュツ、スイ
ja_kun: で.る、-で、だ.す、-だ.す、い.でる、い.だす
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 出る[でる] to leave; to exit; to go out; to come out; to get out
出す[だす] to take out; to get out
思い出す[おもいだす] to recall; to remember; to recollect
出会う[であう] to meet (by chance); to come across; to run across; to encounter; to happen upon
出来る[できる] to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do)
思い出[おもいで] memories; recollections; reminiscence
出かける[でかける] to go out (e.g. on an excursion or outing); to leave; to depart; to start; to se
呼び出す[よびだす] to call (someone) to (the door, phone, etc.); to tell (someone) to come; to call
飛び出す[とびだす] to jump out; to leap out; to fly out; to run out; to rush out; to bolt out
言い出す[いいだす] to begin to say; to start talking; to broach (a matter); to bring up; to come ou
逃げ出す[にげだす] to run away; to flee; to make off; to take to one's heels; to escape
出来事[できごと] occurrence; happening; incident; event
出会い[であい] meeting; rendezvous; encounter
出発[しゅっぱつ] departure; leaving; setting off
抜け出す[ぬけだす] to slip out; to sneak away; to break free; to get through (a difficult situation
heisig_story: The kanji for exit pictures a series of mountain peaks coming out of the earth. Learn it together with the following frame.
koohii_story: Suddenly, a cactus comes out of the ground with a sign that reads: exit. Now you can leave the desert! (Note: giving this primitive the meaning 'cactus' can be useful later).

kanji: 三
meaning: three
ja_on: サン、ゾウ
ja_kun: み、み.つ、みっ.つ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
examples: 三[さん] three; 3
三人[さんにん] three people
三つ[みっつ] three
三日[みっか] 3rd day of the month
第三者[だいさんしゃ] third party; third person; outsider; disinterested person
三年[さんねん] three years
三度[さんど] three times; thrice
三男[さんなん] three sons
三十[さんじゅう] thirty; 30
三回[さんかい] three times
十三[じゅうさん] thirteen; 13
三角[さんかく] triangle; triangular shape
三百[さんびゃく] 300; three hundred
三月[さんがつ] March
三流[さんりゅう] third-rate; third-class
heisig_story: And like the Roman numeral III, which triples the numeral I, the kanji for three simply triples the single horizontal stroke. In writing it, think of "1 + 2 = 3" (一 + 二 = 三) in order to keep the middle stroke shorter.
koohii_story: One + two = three.

kanji: 見
meaning: see
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: み.る、み.える、み.せる
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 目[め] eye
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 見る[みる] to see; to look; to watch; to view; to observe
見える[みえる] to be seen; to be visible; to be in sight
見せる[みせる] to show; to display
見つける[みつける] to find; to discover; to come across; to spot; to catch (someone doing)
見つかる[みつかる] to be found; to be discovered
発見[はっけん] discovery; detection; finding
意見[いけん] opinion; view; comment
見事[みごと] splendid; magnificent; excellent; fine; superb; beautiful; admirable
見かける[みかける] to (happen to) see; to notice; to catch sight of
見た目[みため] appearance; look
見守る[みまもる] to watch over; to keep watch over; to keep an eye on
見つめる[みつめる] to stare (at); to gaze (at); to look hard (at); to watch intently; to fix one's
見逃す[みのがす] to miss; to overlook; to fail to notice
様子を見る[ようすをみる] to wait and see; to see how things go; to survey the situation
見捨てる[みすてる] to abandon; to fail; to desert; to forsake
heisig_story: The elements that compose the character for see are the eye firmly fixed to a pair of human legs. Surely, somewhere in your experience, there is a vivid image just waiting to be dragged up to help you remember this character....
koohii_story: As a primitive, this is Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. (the giant eyeball with legs …) Makes for easy stories later on.

kanji: 月
meaning: month
ja_on: ゲツ、ガツ
ja_kun: つき
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 月[つき] moon
examples: 月[つき] Moon
今月[こんげつ] this month
来月[らいげつ] next month
先月[せんげつ] last month
４月[しがつ] April
１０月[じゅうがつ] October
３月[さんがつ] March
１２月[じゅうにがつ] December
９月[くがつ] September
８月[はちがつ] August
７月[しちがつ] July
毎月[まいげつ] every month; each month; monthly
６月[ろくがつ] June
１１月[じゅういちがつ] November
ヶ月[かげつ] counter for months
heisig_story: This character is actually a picture of the moon, with the two horizontal lines representing the left eye and mouth of the mythical "man in the moon." (Actually, the Japanese see a hare in the moon, but it is a little farfetched to find one in the kanji.) And one month , of course, is one cycle of the moon.
koohii_story: A month is longer than a day.

kanji: 生
meaning: life
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: い.きる、い.かす、い.ける、う.まれる、うま.れる、う.まれ、うまれ、う.む、お.う、は.える、は.やす、き、なま、なま-、な.る、な.す、む.す、-う
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 生[うまれる] birth
examples: 生きる[いきる] to live; to exist
先生[せんせい] teacher; instructor; master
生まれる[うまれる] to be born
人生[じんせい] (one's) life
生活[せいかつ] life; living
一生[いっしょう] whole life; a lifetime; all through life
生徒[せいと] pupil; student; schoolchild
発生[はっせい] occurrence; incidence; outbreak; birth (e.g. of civilization)
一生懸命[いっしょうけんめい] very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dea
学生[がくせい] student (esp. a university student)
生[なま] raw; uncooked; fresh
生き物[いきもの] living thing; living creature; animal; life
誕生日[たんじょうび] birthday
生かす[いかす] to make (the best) use of; to put to good use; to leverage (skills, attributes,
生き残る[いきのこる] to survive
heisig_story: A single drop added to the element for grow up gives us the character for life.
koohii_story: This is the first CELL of a human, the foundation of its entire LIFE , a small DROP that will GROW UP to form a complex organism.

kanji: 五
meaning: five
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: いつ、いつ.つ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 二[に] two
examples: 五[ご] five; 5
五分[ごぶ] half; 50%
十五[じゅうご] fifteen; 15
五十[ごじゅう] fifty; 50
五つ[いつつ] five
五感[ごかん] the five senses
五日[いつか] 5th day of the month
五月[ごがつ] May
五十音[ごじゅうおん] the Japanese syllabary
四捨五入[ししゃごにゅう] rounding (off; a number); rounding half away from zero
七五三[しちごさん] shichi-go-san; 7-5-3 day
五体[ごたい] the whole body
五十三次[ごじゅうさんつぎ] fifty-three stations on the Tōkaidō (Edo-Kyoto highway in Edo-period Japan)
五輪[ごりん] Olympic Games; Olympics
heisig_story: As with four , we shall postpone learning the primitive elements that make up this character. Note how the general principle we just learned in the preceding frame applies to the writing of the character for five.
koohii_story: 三 + two vertical lines = 5.

kanji: 上
meaning: above
ja_on: ジョウ、ショウ、シャン
ja_kun: うえ、-うえ、うわ-、かみ、あ.げる、-あ.げる、あ.がる、-あ.がる、あ.がり、-あ.がり、のぼ.る、のぼ.り、のぼ.せる、のぼ.す、たてまつ.る
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 卜[ぼく] oracle
一[いち] one
examples: 上[うえ] above; over; up
以上[いじょう] not less than ...; ... and over; ... and above; ... and upwards; ... or more
上がる[あがる] to rise; to go up; to come up; to ascend; to be raised
上げる[あげる] to raise; to elevate
上手[じょうず] skillful; skilled; proficient; good (at); adept; clever
盛り上がる[もりあがる] to swell; to rise; to bulge; to be piled up
立ち上がる[たちあがる] to stand up; to get up; to rise (to one's feet)
申し上げる[もうしあげる] to say; to tell; to state; to express; to offer; to extend (greetings, congratul
見上げる[みあげる] to look up at; to raise one's eyes
年上[としうえ] older; senior
地上[ちじょう] above ground; on the ground; earth's surface
持ち上げる[もちあげる] to elevate; to raise; to lift up
上手い[うまい] skillful; skilful; skilled; good; expert; clever (expression, trick, etc.); apt;
屋上[おくじょう] rooftop
上る[のぼる] to ascend; to go up; to climb
heisig_story: The two directions, above and below, are usually pointed at with the finger. But the characters do not follow that custom, so we have to choose something else, easily remembered. The primitives show a magic wand standing above a floor \- "magically," you might say. Anyway, go right on to the next frame, since the two belong together and are best remembered as a unit, just as the words above and below suggest each other.
koohii_story: A magic wand standing on above the floor.

kanji: 四
meaning: four
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: よ、よ.つ、よっ.つ、よん
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 四[し] four; 4
四人[よにん] four people
四つ[よっつ] four; 4
四方[しほう] the four cardinal directions; north, east, south and west; all directions
四十[よんじゅう] forty; 40
四角い[しかくい] square; rectangular
四肢[しし] the (four) limbs; arms and legs
十四[じゅうし] fourteen; 14
四日[よっか] 4th day of the month
四月[しがつ] April
四季[しき] the four seasons
四角[しかく] quadrilateral; square
四本[よんほん] four (long cylindrical things)
四国[しこく] Shikoku (smallest of the four main islands of Japan)
四百[よんひゃく] 400; four hundred
heisig_story: This character is composed of two primitive elements, mouth and human legs , both of which we will meet in the coming lessons. Assuming that you already knew how to write this kanji, we will pass over the "story" connected with it until later. Note how the second stroke is written left-to-right and then top- to-bottom. This is consistent with what we have already seen in the first three numbers and leads us to a general principle that will be helpful when we come to more complicated kanji later on: write north-to-south, west-to-east, northwest-to-southeast.
koohii_story: FOUR year-olds often put their FOOT (human legs) in their MOUTH - but they are too young to realize.

kanji: 金
meaning: gold
ja_on: キン、コン、ゴン
ja_kun: かね、かな-、-がね
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 金[かね] metal
examples: お金[おかね] money
金[かね] money
借金[しゃっきん] debt; loan; liabilities; borrowing money
金持ち[かねもち] rich person; wealthy person
資金[しきん] funds; capital
金額[きんがく] amount of money; sum
大金[たいきん] large amount of money; great cost
金属[きんぞく] metal
現金[げんきん] cash; ready money; money on hand; currency
金髪[きんぱつ] blond hair; blonde hair; golden hair
お金持ち[おかねもち] rich person; wealthy person
金色[きんいろ] gold (colour, color)
黄金[おうごん] gold (Au)
貯金[ちょきん] putting money aside; savings; deposit (e.g. in a bank)
料金[りょうきん] fee; charge; fare
heisig_story: If this were not one of the most common characters you will ever have to write, I would apologize for having to give the explanation that follows. Anyway, we want to depict bars of gold bullion with an umbrella overhead to shade them from the heat (and perhaps to hide them as well). The bullion is made by melting down all the scepters of the kingdom, drop by drop , and shaping them into bars.
koohii_story: The fat king taking up the whole space under the umbrella actually isn't fat - he just has two big gold bars hidden under his clothes.

kanji: 九
meaning: nine
ja_on: キュウ、ク
ja_kun: ここの、ここの.つ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 九[きゅう] nine; 9
九州[きゅうしゅう] Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
十九[じゅうきゅう] nineteen; 19
九十[きゅうじゅう] ninety; 90
九月[くがつ] September
九つ[ここのつ] nine
九九[くく] multiplication table; times table
九重[ここのえ] ninefold
北九州[きたきゅうしゅう] Kitakyushu (city)
千九百年代[せんきゅうひゃくねんだい] the 1900s
heisig_story: If you take care to remember the stroke order of this kanji, you will not have trouble later keeping it distinct from the kanji for power (Frame 922).
koohii_story: Warning - naughty reminder A woman in the doggie style position, waiting for my NINE inches.

kanji: 入
meaning: enter
ja_on: ニュウ、ジュ
ja_kun: い.る、-い.る、-い.り、い.れる、-い.れ、はい.る
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 入[いる] to enter
examples: 入る[いる] to enter; to go in; to get in; to come in
入れる[いれる] to put in; to let in; to take in; to bring in; to insert; to install (e.g. softw
気に入る[きにいる] to like; to be pleased with; to be delighted with; to take a liking to; to suit
手に入れる[てにいれる] to obtain; to get; to procure; to win; to secure
受け入れる[うけいれる] to accept; to receive; to agree
手に入る[てにはいる] to obtain; to come into possession of; to get hold of; to get one's hands on
入り口[いりぐち] entrance; entry; gate; approach; mouth
入り[いり] entering; entrance; entry
侵入[しんにゅう] invasion; incursion; raid; aggression; intrusion; trespass; penetration; hacking
出入り[でいり] going in and out; entering and exiting
入り込む[はいりこむ] to go into; to come into; to penetrate; to get in; to step in (a house)
入院[にゅういん] hospitalization; hospitalisation
お気に入り[おきにいり] favorite; favourite; pet (e.g. teacher's pet)
購入[こうにゅう] purchase; buying
突入[とつにゅう] rushing into; breaking into; storming
heisig_story: This character is meant to be a picture of someone walking leftwards, putting one leg forward in order to enter someplace. Since the "in" side of a character is the left, it should be easy to remember the writing of this character.
koohii_story: Pictograph, see book. * As a primitive, using the image of going through a door, even one that stands alone with the frame and no wall around, helps flesh out the primitive “enter”.

kanji: 立
meaning: stand up
ja_on: リツ、リュウ、リットル
ja_kun: た.つ、-た.つ、た.ち-、た.てる、-た.てる、た.て-、たて-、-た.て、-だ.て、-だ.てる
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
examples: 立つ[たつ] to stand (up); to rise; to get to one's feet; to stand on end (e.g. of hairs); t
立派[りっぱ] splendid; fine; handsome; elegant; imposing; prominent; impressive
立てる[たてる] to stand up; to put up; to set up; to erect; to raise
立場[たちば] position; situation
役に立つ[やくにたつ] to be helpful; to be useful
目立つ[めだつ] to be conspicuous; to stand out
立ち上がる[たちあがる] to stand up; to get up; to rise (to one's feet)
成立[せいりつ] formation; establishment; materialization; coming into existence
立ち止まる[たちどまる] to stop (in one's tracks); to come to a stop; to halt; to pause; to stand still
立ち去る[たちさる] to leave; to depart; to take one's leave
成り立つ[なりたつ] to consist of; to be made up of; to be composed of
立ち直る[たちなおる] to regain one's footing; to get back on one's feet
役立つ[やくだつ] to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose
立て直す[たてなおす] to put back up; to stand back up
旅立つ[たびだつ] to begin a trip; to depart; to embark
heisig_story: This picture of a vase standing up has its meaning extended to represent the general posture of anything standing up.
koohii_story: A vase that can't stand up won't be a vase for long.

kanji: 手
meaning: hand
ja_on: シュ、ズ
ja_kun: て、て-、-て、た-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 手[て] hand
examples: 仕手[して] doer; performer
手[て] hand; arm
相手[あいて] companion; partner; company
手伝う[てつだう] to help; to assist; to aid
勝手[かって] one's own convenience; one's way; selfishness
苦手[にがて] poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at)
手に入れる[てにいれる] to obtain; to get; to procure; to win; to secure
手紙[てがみ] letter; note
下手[したて] humble position; inferior
上手[じょうず] skillful; skilled; proficient; good (at); adept; clever
派手[はで] showy; loud; flashy; gaudy
手に入る[てにはいる] to obtain; to come into possession of; to get hold of; to get one's hands on
手段[しゅだん] means; way; measure
両手[りょうて] both hands; both arms
手伝い[てつだい] helper; assistant
heisig_story: Any way you count them, there are either too many or too few fingers to see a good pictograph of a hand in this character. But that it is, and so you must.
koohii_story: This pictograph actually really works if you look at it as a hand with fingers spread and middle finger pointing down. see the very top stroke as the edge of a shirt cuff, and it will all come together.

kanji: 力
meaning: power
ja_on: リョク、リキ、リイ
ja_kun: ちから
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 力[ちから] power
examples: 力[ちから] force; strength; might; vigour; vigor; energy
協力[きょうりょく] cooperation; collaboration; help; support
努力[どりょく] effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
能力[のうりょく] ability; faculty
全力[ぜんりょく] all one's power (strength, energy, efforts); one's utmost
体力[たいりょく] physical strength; power; stamina; endurance; vigor; resistance to disease
実力[じつりょく] (real) ability; true strength; merit; efficiency; competency
魅力[みりょく] charm; fascination; glamour; glamor; attraction; appeal
暴力[ぼうりょく] violence; mayhem
強力[きょうりょく] powerful; strong
魅力的[みりょくてき] charming; fascinating; attractive
力強い[ちからづよい] powerful; strong; forceful; vigorous
無力[むりょく] powerlessness; helplessness; incompetence; ineffectiveness
威力[いりょく] power; might; authority; influence
戦力[せんりょく] war potential; military strength; fighting power
heisig_story: With a little imagination, one can see a muscle in this simple, two-stroke character meaning power.
koohii_story: I always refer to the power of the KATAKANA "KA".

kanji: 学
meaning: study
ja_on: ガク
ja_kun: まな.ぶ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
子[こ] child
examples: 学校[がっこう] school
大学[だいがく] university; college
学ぶ[まなぶ] to learn; to study; to take lessons in
学生[がくせい] student (esp. a university student)
小学生[しょうがくせい] elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student
中学[ちゅうがく] junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school
小学校[しょうがっこう] primary school; elementary school; grade school
中学生[ちゅうがくせい] junior high school student; middle school pupil
学園[がくえん] educational institution; school; academy; campus
入学[にゅうがく] admission (to a school or university); entrance; enrolment; enrollment; matricul
見学[けんがく] inspection; study by observation; field trip; tour; review
大学生[だいがくせい] university student; college student
学年[がくねん] academic year; school year
科学[かがく] science
学[がく] learning; scholarship; study; erudition; knowledge; education
heisig_story: The child in the little red schoolhouse is there for one reason only: to study. Anyone who has gone through the schooling system knows well enough that study is one thing and learning quite another again. In the kanji, too, the character for learning (Frame 616) has nothing to do with the schoolhouse.
koohii_story: In the school house there are kids always studying. (BTW, atomiton, this is NOT 字 ).

kanji: 円
meaning: circle
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: まる.い、まる、まど、まど.か、まろ.やか
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
examples: 円[えん] yen (currency of Japan)
１０００円[せんえん] 1000 yen
円形[えんけい] round shape; circle; circular form
円滑[えんかつ] smooth; undisturbed; uninterrupted; harmonious
円満[えんまん] harmonious; peaceful; happy; amicable; smooth; free from trouble
円盤[えんばん] disk; discus; platter
円い[まるい] round; circular; spherical
円周[えんしゅう] circumference
楕円[だえん] ellipse; oval
一円[いちえん] one yen
円卓[えんたく] round table
円安[えんやす] depreciation of the yen; weak yen
円建て[えんだて] yen basis (for trade, exchange, etc.)
円弧[えんこ] arc
円柱[えんちゅう] column; shaft; cylinder
heisig_story: This kanji, also used for Yen, is one you are not likely to need to study formally, since you can hardly get around in Japan without it. The connection is that the yennies, like pennies, are circular in shape. In any case, the elements are: glass canopy . . . walking stick . . . one.
koohii_story: The shape of a Yen coin.

kanji: 子
meaning: child
ja_on: シ、ス、ツ
ja_kun: こ、-こ、ね
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 子[こ] child
examples: 子[こ] child; kid; teenager; youngster; young (non-adult) person
子供[こども] child; children
様子[ようす] state (of affairs); situation; circumstances
女の子[おんなのこ] girl; daughter; baby girl
調子[ちょうし] tune; tone; key; pitch; time; rhythm
息子[むすこ] son
女子[じょし] woman; girl
男の子[おとこのこ] boy; son; baby boy
男子[だんし] boy
親子[おやこ] parent and child
様子を見る[ようすをみる] to wait and see; to see how things go; to survey the situation
お菓子[おかし] confections; sweets; candy; cake
椅子[いす] chair; seat; stool; bench
子供たち[こどもたち] children; kids
子供の頃[こどものころ] (time of) one's childhood; when one was a child
heisig_story: This kanji is a pictograph of a child wrapped up in one of those handy cocoons that Japanese mothers fix to their backs to carry around young children who cannot get around by themselves. The first stroke is like a wee head popping out for air, the second shows the body and legs all wrapped up, and the final stroke shows the arms sticking out to cling to the mother's neck.
koohii_story: A child who is ten will still ask for his ma (top looks a bit like katakana ma).

kanji: 目
meaning: eye
ja_on: モク、ボク
ja_kun: め、-め、ま-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 目[め] eye
examples: 目[め] eye; eyeball
目的[もくてき] purpose; goal; aim; objective; intention; motive
目の前[めのまえ] before one's eyes; in front of one; under one's nose
目指す[めざす] to aim at (for, to do, to become); to try for; to have an eye on
真面目[まじめ] serious; earnest; sober; grave
目立つ[めだつ] to be conspicuous; to stand out
見た目[みため] appearance; look
目覚める[めざめる] to wake up; to awake
目標[もくひょう] goal; target; aim; objective
役目[やくめ] duty; role; function
駄目[だめ] no good; not serving its purpose; useless; broken
注目[ちゅうもく] notice; attention; observation
目が覚める[めがさめる] to wake up; to awake; to perk up; to snap out (of a day dream, etc.)
回目[かいめ] nth time
目撃[もくげき] witnessing; observing; sighting
heisig_story: Here again, if we round out the corners of this kanji and curve the middle strokes upwards and downwards respectively, we get something resembling an eye.
koohii_story: 目 _ 目 .

kanji: 田
meaning: rice field
ja_on: デン
ja_kun: た
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
examples: 田舎[いなか] rural area; countryside; the sticks
田[た] rice field
田んぼ[たんぼ] rice field; rice paddy; paddy field
水田[すいでん] (water-filled) paddy field
田園[でんえん] the country; countryside; rural districts
田植え[たうえ] rice planting
上田[じょうでん] high rice field; very fertile rice field
塩田[えんでん] saltpan; field for drying salt
新田[しんでん] new rice field; newly developed rice field
桑田[そうでん] mulberry plantation
油田[ゆでん] oil field
沼田[ぬまた] deep-mud paddy
炭田[たんでん] coalfield; coal field
田畑[たはた] fields (of rice and other crops)
票田[ひょうでん] (reliable) source of votes; area of strong electoral support; stronghold; (voter
heisig_story: Another pictograph, this kanji looks like a bird's-eye view of a rice field divided into four plots. Be careful when writing this character to get the order of the strokes correct. You will find that it follows perfectly the principle stated in frame 4.
koohii_story: A rice field divided into four parts.

kanji: 八
meaning: eight
ja_on: ハチ、ハツ
ja_kun: や、や.つ、やっ.つ、よう
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 八[はち] eight
examples: 八[はち] eight; 8
八つ当たり[やつあたり] venting one's anger (on someone or something); taking out one's anger on
十八[じゅうはち] eighteen; 18
八月[はちがつ] August
八つ[やっつ] eight
八十[はちじゅう] eighty; 80
八百屋[やおや] greengrocer; fruit and vegetable shop
八丁[はっちょう] skillfulness
八分音符[はちぶおんぷ] 8th note; eighth note; quaver
八千代[やちよ] very long period; forever
八幡[はちまん] Hachiman (god of war)
八方[はっぽう] all sides; the four cardinal directions and the four ordinal directions
八重[やえ] eightfold; octuple
八重桜[やえざくら] double-flowered cherry tree; double cherry blossoms
尺八[しゃくはち] shakuhachi; end-blown fippleless bamboo flute
heisig_story: Just as the Arabic numeral "8" is composed of a small circle followed by a larger one, so the kanji for eight is composed of a short line followed by a longer line, slanting towards it but not touching it. And just as the "lazy 8" is the mathematical symbol for "infinity," so the expanse opened up below these two strokes is associated by the Japanese with the sense of an infinite expanse or something "all-encompassing."
koohii_story: "Hachi" (eight) begins with the sound of the katakana "ha" , and it's approximately the same character.

kanji: 六
meaning: six
ja_on: ロク、リク
ja_kun: む、む.つ、むっ.つ、むい
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
八[はち] eight
examples: 六[ろく] six; 6
十六[じゅうろく] sixteen; 16
六十[ろくじゅう] sixty; 60
六つ[むっつ] six
六月[ろくがつ] June
六十四分音符[ろくじゅうしぶおんぷ] 64th note; hemidemisemiquaver; semidemisemiquaver
heisig_story: The primitives here are top hat and animal legs. Once again, we glide over them until later.
koohii_story: Indicating 6 parts of the human body: head, body, 2 arms, 2 legs.

kanji: 下
meaning: below
ja_on: カ、ゲ
ja_kun: した、しも、もと、さ.げる、さ.がる、くだ.る、くだ.り、くだ.す、-くだ.す、くだ.さる、お.ろす、お.りる
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
卜[ぼく] oracle
examples: 下[した] below; down; under; younger (e.g. daughter)
下がる[さがる] to come down; to go down; to fall; to drop; to sink; to get lower
下手[したて] humble position; inferior
下げる[さげる] to hang; to suspend; to wear (e.g. decoration)
廊下[ろうか] corridor; hallway; passageway
下りる[おりる] to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down
以下[いか] not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under; ... and below; ... or fewer
下ろす[おろす] to take down; to bring down; to lower (a hand, flag, shutter, etc.); to drop (an
部下[ぶか] subordinate person
地下[ちか] underground; below the ground
下さい[ください] please (give me)
下着[したぎ] underwear; undergarment; underclothes; lingerie
下る[くだる] to descend; to go down; to come down
上下[うえした] top and bottom; up and down; high and low; above and below; upper and lower ends
見下ろす[みおろす] to overlook; to command a view of; to look down on
heisig_story: Here we see our famous miraculous magic wand hanging, all on its own, below the ceiling , as you probably already guessed would happen. In addition to giving us two new kanji, the two shapes given in this and the preceding frame also serve to fix the use of the primitives for ceiling and floor , by drawing our attention successively to the line standing above and below the primitive element to which it is related.
koohii_story: Roots are below the ground.

kanji: 気
meaning: spirit
ja_on: キ、ケ
ja_kun: いき、き
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 气[きがまえ] steam
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 気持ち[きもち] feeling; sensation; mood; state of mind
気[き] spirit; mind; heart
元気[げんき] lively; full of spirit; energetic; vigorous; vital; spirited
本気[ほんき] seriousness; earnestness; truth; sanctity
気分[きぶん] feeling; mood
気に入る[きにいる] to like; to be pleased with; to be delighted with; to take a liking to; to suit
気づく[きづく] to notice; to realize; to realise; to become aware (of); to perceive; to sense;
気をつける[きをつける] to be careful; to pay attention; to take care
空気[くうき] air; atmosphere
平気[へいき] cool; calm; composed; unconcerned; nonchalant; unmoved; indifferent
気付く[きづく] to notice; to realize; to realise; to become aware (of); to perceive; to sense;
雰囲気[ふんいき] atmosphere; mood; ambience; ambiance; aura; feel
ような気がする[ようなきがする] I feel that ...; I feel as though ...; I have a feeling that ...; I have the imp
病気[びょうき] illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; sickness
人気[にんき] popularity; public favor
heisig_story: The spirit in this character refers to the changeable moods and airs of one's personality as well as to the more essential combination of vital forces that distinguish things and individuals one from the other. Its elements are: reclining . . . floor . . . fishhook . . . sheaf. Do not confuse with spirits (Frame 1930).
koohii_story: Captain Hook , his spirit crushed, is lying on the ground cursing Wolverine who has defeated him with his far superior claws.

kanji: 小
meaning: little
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: ちい.さい、こ-、お-、さ-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 小[しょう] small
examples: 小さい[ちいさい] small; little; tiny
小さな[ちいさな] small; little; tiny
小学生[しょうがくせい] elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student
小学校[しょうがっこう] primary school; elementary school; grade school
小説[しょうせつ] novel; story; (work of) fiction
小さい頃[ちいさいころ] as a child; when one was a child
小[こ] small; little; slight
小声[こごえ] low voice; whisper
小僧[こぞう] youngster; boy; kid; brat; lad
小柄[こがら] small build; small stature; petite
小屋[こや] hut; cabin; shed; (animal) pen
小刻み[こきざみ] mincing; chopping finely
小型[こがた] small-sized; small-scale; miniature
小鳥[ことり] small bird; little bird
お小遣い[おこづかい] pocket money; spending money; pin money; allowance
heisig_story: The sense of little that this character represents is not the same as "a little bit." That meaning comes in the next frame. Here little means "small" or "tiny." The image is one of three little drops , the first of which (the one in the middle) is written larger so that the kanji has some shape to it. The point of writing it three times is to rub the point in: little , little , nothing but little.
koohii_story: A little penguin with its wings at its side.

kanji: 七
meaning: seven
ja_on: シチ
ja_kun: なな、なな.つ、なの
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 七[しち] seven
十七[じゅうなな] seventeen; 17
七つ[ななつ] seven
七十[しちじゅう] seventy; 70
七月[しちがつ] July
七時[しちじ] seven o'clock
七日[なのか] 7th day of the month
七七日[しちしちにち] 49th day after death
七五三[しちごさん] shichi-go-san; 7-5-3 day
七夕[たなばた] Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata; Festival of the Weaver
七福神[しちふくじん] Seven Gods of Fortune; Seven Deities of Good Luck; Seven Lucky Gods
二七日[ふたなぬか] second week's memorial services
heisig_story: Note that the first stroke "cuts" through the second. This distinguishes seven from the character for spoon (Frame 476), in which the horizontal stroke stops short.
koohii_story: This kanji is our good old seven , turned upside down.

kanji: 山
meaning: mountain
ja_on: サン、セン
ja_kun: やま
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
examples: 山[やま] mountain; hill
沢山[たくさん] a lot; lots; plenty; many; a large number; much; a great deal; a good deal
山奥[やまおく] deep in the mountains; mountain recesses
山々[やまやま] (many) mountains
山道[やまみち] mountain road; mountain trail
火山[かざん] volcano
富士山[ふじさん] Mount Fuji; Mt. Fuji; Fujiyama; Fuji-san
山頂[さんちょう] summit (of a mountain)
山脈[さんみゃく] mountain range; mountain belt
登山[とざん] mountain climbing; mountaineering; ascent of a mountain
青山[せいざん] lush mountain; green mountain
鉱山[こうざん] mine (ore)
小山[こやま] hill; knoll
山賊[さんぞく] bandit; brigand
山菜[さんさい] edible wild plants
heisig_story: Note the clearer outline of a triangular mountain here.
koohii_story: YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY NEED A MNEMONIC FOR THIS!!!!

kanji: 正
meaning: correct
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: ただ.しい、ただ.す、まさ、まさ.に
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
止[とめる] to stop
examples: 正直[しょうじき] honest; frank; candid; straightforward
正しい[ただしい] right; correct
正解[せいかい] correct answer; right solution; correct interpretation
正体[しょうたい] true character; true form; true colors; identity; truth (of a mystery, phenomeno
正確[せいかく] accurate; correct; precise; exact
正式[せいしき] formal; official; regular; proper; legal; due (formalities)
正面[しょうめん] front; frontage; facade; main
正義[せいぎ] justice; right; righteousness
正常[せいじょう] normal; regular
修正[しゅうせい] amendment; correction; revision; modification; alteration; retouching; update; f
訂正[ていせい] correction; revision; amendment
正す[ただす] to correct; to rectify; to reform; to amend; to redress
正反対[せいはんたい] exactly the opposite (of); completely opposite; quite contrary
不正[ふせい] injustice; unfairness; wrongdoing; iniquity; impropriety; irregularity; dishones
正論[せいろん] sound argument; fair argument; just reasoning
heisig_story: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," says the Chinese proverb. Here we see one footprint , complementing that proverb with the sound advice that if the first step is not made correctly , the whole point of the journey will be forfeited. This is the ideal that teachers are supposed to have in correcting their students, and parents in correcting their children.
koohii_story: If you do it correct on the first attempt you can stop.

kanji: 女
meaning: woman
ja_on: ジョ、ニョ、ニョウ
ja_kun: おんな、め
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
examples: 女[おんな] woman; female
彼女[かのじょ] she; her
女の子[おんなのこ] girl; daughter; baby girl
女性[じょせい] woman; female
少女[しょうじょ] girl (usu. between 7 and 17); young lady
女子[じょし] woman; girl
男女[だんじょ] men and women; man and woman; both sexes; both genders
女の人[おんなのひと] woman
女神[めがみ] goddess
女王[じょおう] queen
魔女[まじょ] witch
女房[にょうぼう] wife (esp. one's own wife)
美女[びじょ] beautiful woman
女優[じょゆう] actress; female actor
女子高生[じょしこうせい] female high school student
heisig_story: You have probably seen somewhere the form of a squatting woman drawn behind this character, with two legs at the bottom, two arms (the horizontal line) and the head poking out the top. A little farfetched, until you draw the character and feel the grace and flow of the three simple strokes. Remembering the kanji is easy, being able to write it beautifully is another thing.
koohii_story: To remember the order of strokes, remember a female ninja is called a "kunoichi". That is, く(hiragana) ノ(katakana) 一 (kanji, ichi=one).

kanji: 百
meaning: hundred
ja_on: ヒャク、ビャク
ja_kun: もも
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
白[しろ] white
examples: 百[ひゃく] hundred; 100
何百[なんびゃく] hundreds
数百[すうひゃく] several hundred; hundreds (of)
二百[にひゃく] 200; two hundred
百万[ひゃくまん] 1,000,000; one million; million
三百[さんびゃく] 300; three hundred
百合[ゆり] lily (Lilium spp.)
四百[よんひゃく] 400; four hundred
八百屋[やおや] greengrocer; fruit and vegetable shop
百科事典[ひゃっかじてん] encyclopedia; encyclopaedia
百科辞典[ひゃっかじてん] encyclopedia; encyclopaedia
二百二十日[にひゃくはつか] 220th day; end of the storm period
二百十日[にひゃくとおか] 210th day (from the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar); the st
千九百年代[せんきゅうひゃくねんだい] the 1900s
百姓[ひゃくしょう] farmer; peasant; farm laborer; farmhand
heisig_story: The Japanese refer to a person's 99th birthday as a " white year " because white is the kanji you are left with if you subtract one from a hundred.
koohii_story: 100 turned sideways. sort of the same as what ashoksaraf said.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 百 白

kanji: 先
meaning: before
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: さき、ま.ず
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 先生[せんせい] teacher; instructor; master
先[さき] point; tip; end; nozzle
先に[さきに] previously; before; earlier; formerly; recently
先ず[まず] first (of all); firstly; to begin with; before anything else
先輩[せんぱい] senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder; older person; predecessor
先ほど[さきほど] a short while ago; a moment ago; just now; some time ago
先日[せんじつ] the other day; a few days ago
優先[ゆうせん] preference; priority; precedence; right of way
一先ず[ひとまず] for now; for the time being; for the present
指先[ゆびさき] fingertip; finger
行き先[いきさき] destination
先週[せんしゅう] last week; the week before
先端[せんたん] pointed end; tip; point; cusp (of a leaf, crescent moon, etc.); apex (of a curve
連絡先[れんらくさき] contact information (address, phone number, etc.)
先月[せんげつ] last month
heisig_story: Take this key word in its physical, not its temporal, sense (even though it refers to both). If you have a cow with human legs , as the elements show us here, it can only be because you have two people in a cow -suit. I always thought I'd prefer to be the one standing before , rather than the one that holds up the rear and becomes the "butt" of everyone's laughter.
koohii_story: I've never seen a cow with human legs before!

kanji: 名
meaning: name
ja_on: メイ、ミョウ
ja_kun: な、-な
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 夕[ゆうべ] evening
口[くち] mouth
examples: 名前[なまえ] name
名[な] name; given name
有名[ゆうめい] famous; well-known
名乗る[なのる] to give one's name (as); to introduce oneself (as)
お名前[おなまえ] name
名誉[めいよ] honor; honour; credit; glory; fame; distinction
指名[しめい] naming; nominating; designating
名付ける[なづける] to name; to call; to christen; to term
本名[ほんみょう] real name
有名人[ゆうめいじん] celebrity; famous person; public figure; big name
あだ名[あだな] nickname
名字[みょうじ] surname; family name; last name
名刺[めいし] business card
名残惜しい[なごりおしい] reluctant (to part)
名物[めいぶつ] famous product; special product; speciality; specialty
heisig_story: Perhaps you have heard of the custom, still preserved in certain African tribes, of a father creeping into the tent or hut of his newborn child on the night of the child's birth, to whisper into its ear the name he has chosen for it, before making his choice public. It is an impressive naming custom and fits in tidily with the way this character is constructed: evening . . . mouth. At evening time, a mouth pronounces the name that will accompany one throughout life.
koohii_story: In the evening, when it becomes dark, open your mouth to say your name so that people can recognise you.

kanji: 川
meaning: stream
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: かわ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 川[さんぼんがわ] river
examples: 川[かわ] river; stream
小川[おがわ] stream; brook; creek
川沿い[かわぞい] along the river; riverside
河川[かせん] rivers
堀川[ほりかわ] canal
天の川[あまのがわ] Milky Way
山川[さんせん] mountains and rivers
川上[かわかみ] upper reaches of a river; upstream
川下[かわしも] downstream
川岸[かわぎし] riverbank; riverside
川崎[かわさき] Kawasaki (city)
川柳[せんりゅう] senryū; comic haiku
川端[かわばた] riverside; riverbank
河川敷[かせんじき] flood plain; river terrace; riverside area; area between river and river bank
滝川[たきがわ] rapids
heisig_story: We have taken the image of a river stream over into English to describe things that fall down in straight lines, or ripple along in lines. All of this is more than evident in the kanji given here, a pictograph of a stream.
koohii_story: So as not to confuse this with [river](../v4/146.html) (#146 河) think of stream ers falling down.

kanji: 文
meaning: sentence
ja_on: ブン、モン
ja_kun: ふみ、あや
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 文句[もんく] complaint; grumbling; objection
文字[もじ] letter (of an alphabet); character
注文[ちゅうもん] order (for an item)
文化[ぶんか] culture; civilization; civilisation
文章[ぶんしょう] writing; composition; essay; article; passage; prose; (writing) style
文[ふみ] letter; note; mail
文字通り[もじどおり] literally; to the letter
文明[ぶんめい] civilization; civilisation; culture
文面[ぶんめん] contents of a document (esp. of a letter)
文庫[ぶんこ] library; book collection
論文[ろんぶん] thesis; essay; treatise; paper; article
文書[ぶんしょ] document; writing; letter; papers; notes; records; archives
一文[いちもん] tiny amount of money; a penny; a cent; a farthing
文献[ぶんけん] literature; books (reference); document
本文[ほんぶん] text (of a book, document, etc.); body (of a letter)
heisig_story: Under the familiar top hat we see a crisscross pattern or design, like that found on woodwork or garments. This should make an ugly enough image to help remember it. It can be associated with sentence by thinking of a sentence as a grammatical pattern.
koohii_story: A twist on greenapple: The teacher puts a tophat on all pupils with gramatically correct sentence s, while the rest are left with a big red X on their homework.

kanji: 千
meaning: thousand
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: ち
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 千[せん] thousand; 1,000
何千[なんぜん] many thousands
数千[すうせん] thousands; several thousand
千切れる[ちぎれる] to be torn off; to come off
千葉[ちば] Chiba (city, prefecture)
三千[さんぜん] 3000; three thousand
千切る[ちぎる] to tear to pieces; to tear to shreds; to tear up
八千代[やちよ] very long period; forever
千九百年代[せんきゅうひゃくねんだい] the 1900s
千代[ちよ] thousand years; thousand generations; thousand ages; eternity
千円札[せんえんさつ] 1,000 yen bill
千島[ちしま] Kurile Islands
千島列島[ちしまれっとう] Kurile Islands
千秋楽[せんしゅうらく] final day of a performance; closing date; final show
千里[せんり] 1000 ri; (a) long distance
heisig_story: This kanji is almost too simple to pull apart, but for the sake of practice, have a look at the drop above and the ten below. Now put the elements together by thinking of squeezing two more zeros out of an eyedropper alongside the number ten to make it a thousand.
koohii_story: It takes many drops of ten to get to a thousand.

kanji: 水
meaning: water
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: みず、みず-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 水[みず] water
examples: 水[みず] water (esp. cool or cold)
水着[みずぎ] bathing suit; swimsuit; swimmers
水面[すいめん] water's surface
水分[すいぶん] water; liquid; fluid; moisture; humidity; sap; juice
香水[こうすい] perfume; scent
水中[すいちゅう] underwater
水滴[すいてき] drop of water
噴水[ふんすい] water fountain
水道[すいどう] water supply; water service; waterworks; tap water
鼻水[はなみず] nasal mucus; dripping nose; snot
水色[みずいろ] light blue; pale blue; aqua
水泳[すいえい] swimming
海水[かいすい] seawater; saltwater
水族館[すいぞくかん] aquarium (building)
水槽[すいそう] water tank; cistern
heisig_story: This character, which looks a bit like a snowflake, is actually a pictograph of water \- not any particular body of water or movement of water, but simply the generic name for water. Should you have any difficulty remembering it, simply think of a walking stick being dropped vertically into the water , sending droplets out in all four directions. Then all you need to learn is how to write it in proper order.
koohii_story: The kanji for water is an abstract primitive itself, so unless one is willing to break down its etymological development, it should just simply be memorized by strokes, constructing a story is not necessarily useful unless it strongly denotes its shape (I find that Heisig's story doesn't do this).

kanji: 男
meaning: male
ja_on: ダン、ナン
ja_kun: おとこ、お
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
力[ちから] power
examples: 男[おとこ] man; male
男性[だんせい] man; male
男の子[おとこのこ] boy; son; baby boy
男子[だんし] boy
男の人[おとこのひと] man
男女[だんじょ] men and women; man and woman; both sexes; both genders
男たち[おとこたち] men; males
男らしい[おとこらしい] manly; masculine; like a man
長男[ちょうなん] eldest son (may be the only son); first-born son
三男[さんなん] three sons
男前[おとこまえ] handsome man; man's looks; good looks
大男[おおおとこ] big man; large man; tall man; giant
次男[じなん] second son
老若男女[ろうにゃくなんにょ] men and women of all ages
男爵[だんしゃく] baron
heisig_story: Rice fields . . . power. This character is the gender-specific man , not the generic human person of frame 951.
koohii_story: Male is seen here as muscles working in the field, in other words working in the rice fields is the work of the male who are usually stronger. This is more or less the meaning of the original Chinese character.
heisig_keyword: man

kanji: 村
meaning: village
ja_on: ソン
ja_kun: むら
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
寸[すん] inch
examples: 村[むら] village
村人[むらびと] villager
村長[そんちょう] village headman; village mayor
漁村[ぎょそん] fishing village
農村[のうそん] agricultural community; farm village
寒村[かんそん] poor village; desolate village; lonely village; remote village
山村[さんそん] mountain village
市町村[しちょうそん] cities, towns and villages; municipalities
村民[そんみん] villager
村議会[そんぎかい] village assembly
町村[ちょうそん] towns and villages
選手村[せんしゅむら] Olympic village; athlete's village
heisig_story: The character for village was associated with rice fields (Frame 96). That for town , a step up on the evolutionary path to cities, shows a circle of trees glued together to measure off the confines of a town.
koohii_story: If you've ever played an old 8 bit or 16 bit RPG, like Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy or Inindou, you'll remember that every town was all bordered off by a line of trees with no space in between to get out through. Imagine that the trees were glued together so you could only exit town through the main or side gates, (so you couldn't escape the important scripted scenes.).
heisig_keyword: town

kanji: 口
meaning: mouth
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: くち
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 口[くち] mouth
入り口[いりぐち] entrance; entry; gate; approach; mouth
出口[でぐち] exit; way out
口調[くちょう] tone (of voice); manner of talking
一口[ひとくち] mouthful; morsel; bite
悪口[あっこう] (verbal) abuse; name-calling; abusive language; insulting remarks
口実[こうじつ] excuse; pretext
傷口[きずぐち] (opening of a) wound; cut
口出し[くちだし] meddling (in); butting in; interference; poking one's nose into
入口[いりぐち] entrance; entry; gate; approach; mouth
口走る[くちばしる] to blurt out; to let slip; to say inadvertently; to come out with (e.g. nonsense
口ぶり[くちぶり] way of speaking
人口[じんこう] population
裏口[うらぐち] backdoor; rear entrance; rear exit
無口[むくち] taciturn; reticent; quiet; silent; untalkative
heisig_story: Like several of the first characters we shall learn, the kanji for mouth is a clear pictograph. Since there are no circular shapes in the kanji, the square must be used to depict the circle.
koohii_story: Looks like a huge open mouth.

kanji: 町
meaning: town
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: まち
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 町[まち] town; block; neighbourhood; neighborhood
町中[まちなか] downtown
町内[ちょうない] neighborhood; neighbourhood; street; block; town
町並み[まちなみ] townscape; street (of stores and houses); (look of) stores and houses on street
下町[したまち] low-lying part of a city (usu. containing shops, factories, etc.)
同町[どうちょう] the same town; that town
城下町[じょうかまち] castle town
室町[むろまち] Muromachi period (1336-1573)
市町村[しちょうそん] cities, towns and villages; municipalities
町人[ちょうにん] chōnin (Edo-period social class of town-dwelling commoners, esp. landowning merc
町外れ[まちはずれ] outskirts (of a town); edge (of a town); just outside the city limits
町役場[まちやくば] town hall
町村[ちょうそん] towns and villages
町民[ちょうみん] townsman; townswoman; resident of a town; townspeople; townsfolk
町議会[ちょうぎかい] town council
heisig_story: Street signs standing at the corner of the rice fields depict the village limits. (Remember what was said earlier: when used as a primitive, a kanji may either take its primitive meaning or revert to the original meaning of its key word.)
koohii_story: Actually this means town , like one that has lots of streets and is surrounded by all the rice fields.
heisig_keyword: village

kanji: 校
meaning: exam
ja_on: コウ、キョウ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
交[コウ] mingle
examples: 学校[がっこう] school
高校[こうこう] senior high school; high school
小学校[しょうがっこう] primary school; elementary school; grade school
高校生[こうこうせい] senior high school student
校舎[こうしゃ] school building; schoolhouse
登校[とうこう] attendance (at school); going to school
校内[こうない] within a school
校門[こうもん] school gate
中学校[ちゅうがっこう] junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school
校庭[こうてい] schoolyard; school playground; school grounds; campus
校長[こうちょう] principal; head teacher; headmaster; headmistress
校則[こうそく] school rules; school regulations
予備校[よびこう] preparatory school (for entrance examinations); cram school; cramming school
専門学校[せんもんがっこう] vocational school; technical school
母校[ぼこう] alma mater
heisig_story: Tree . . . mingle.
koohii_story: The schools that accepted them were posted on a TREE, the students MINGLED around trying to find their names. (コオ）.

kanji: 空
meaning: empty
ja_on: クウ
ja_kun: そら、あ.く、あ.き、あ.ける、から、す.く、す.かす、むな.しい
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
工[たくみ] work
examples: 空[から] emptiness; being empty
空気[くうき] air; atmosphere
空く[あく] to open (e.g. doors)
空間[くうかん] space; room; airspace
空ける[あける] to open (a door, etc.); to unwrap (e.g. parcel, package); to unlock
空っぽ[からっぽ] empty; vacant; hollow
空中[くうちゅう] (in) the air; midair; sky
夜空[よぞら] night sky
上空[じょうくう] sky; the skies; high-altitude sky; upper air
空腹[くうふく] empty stomach; hunger
青空[あおぞら] blue sky
星空[ほしぞら] starry sky
空港[くうこう] airport
空白[くうはく] blank space (in a document)
空想[くうそう] daydream; fantasy; fancy; vision
heisig_story: Hole . . . craft.
koohii_story: The craft of creating a black hole is in creating an emptiness which can attract things.

kanji: 土
meaning: soil
ja_on: ド、ト
ja_kun: つち
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 土[つち] earth
examples: 土地[とち] plot of land; lot; soil
土[つち] earth; soil; dirt; clay; mud
お土産[おみやげ] local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while traveling (travelling)
土曜日[どようび] Saturday
土産[みやげ] local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling
土曜[どよう] Saturday
土日[どにち] weekend; Saturday and Sunday
土台[どだい] foundation; base; basis
土壇場[どたんば] last moment; eleventh hour
領土[りょうど] territory; domain; dominion; possession
全土[ぜんど] whole nation; whole land; whole country
土手[どて] embankment; bank
土俵[どひょう] (wrestling) ring
粘土[ねんど] clay
国土[こくど] country; territory; domain; realm
heisig_story: I don't like it any more than you do, but this kanji is not the pictograph it is trumped up to be: a mound of soil piled on the ground. All I can recommend is that you memorize it as it is. Anyway, it will be occurring with such frequency that you have almost no chance of forgetting it, even if you try.
koohii_story: Remembering soil is easy. If soil is soft, you can take a walking stick and plunge it two* feet into the ground.

kanji: 木
meaning: tree
ja_on: ボク、モク
ja_kun: き、こ-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 木[き] tree; shrub; bush
木々[きぎ] (many) trees; every tree; all kinds of trees
木製[もくせい] wooden; made of wood
木陰[こかげ] shade of a tree; bower
草木[くさき] plants; vegetation
木材[もくざい] lumber; timber; wood
大木[たいぼく] large tree
木の葉[このは] leaf (of a tree); tree leaves; foliage
樹木[じゅもく] tree; trees and shrubs
木の実[きのみ] fruit of a tree; nut; berry
木曜日[もくようび] Thursday
木造[もくぞう] wooden; made of wood; wooden construction
並木[なみき] roadside trees; row of trees
土木[どぼく] engineering works; civil engineering; public works
木曜[もくよう] Thursday
heisig_story: Here we see a pictograph of a tree , showing the main trunk in the long vertical stroke and the boughs in the long horizontal stroke. The final two strokes sweep down in both directions to indicate the roots. Although it may look similar at first sight to the kanji for water (Frame 137), the order in which it is written is completely different and this affects its final appearance.
koohii_story: If you need a story for a tree , then you need to be hit by one.

kanji: 車
meaning: car
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: くるま
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 車[くるま] car; automobile; vehicle
電車[でんしゃ] train; electric train
救急車[きゅうきゅうしゃ] ambulance
自転車[じてんしゃ] bicycle; bike
駐車場[ちゅうしゃじょう] parking lot; car park; carpark; parking garage
車両[しゃりょう] (wheeled) vehicle; car; (railroad) car; (railway) carriage; rolling stock
車内[しゃない] inside a car (train, bus, etc.)
列車[れっしゃ] train; railway train
馬車[ばしゃ] coach (horse-drawn); carriage; wagon; cart
自動車[じどうしゃ] car; automobile; motorcar; motor vehicle; auto
歯車[はぐるま] gear; cogwheel
車輪[しゃりん] (vehicle) wheel
発車[はっしゃ] departure (of a train, car, etc.); starting; leaving
戦車[せんしゃ] tank (military vehicle)
停車[ていしゃ] stopping (of a train, car, etc.); stop
heisig_story: You may keep the whole range of connotations for this keyword, car , provided it does not interfere with the pictograph. Look for the front and back wheels (the first and last horizontal strokes) and the seat in the carriage in the middle. As an exercise, try to isolate the primitives on your own and make a story out of them.
koohii_story: My car is so fast it can go through ten rice fields in ten minutes.

kanji: 石
meaning: stone
ja_on: セキ、シャク、コク
ja_kun: いし
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 石[いし] stone; rock; pebble
宝石[ほうせき] gem; jewel; precious stone
流石[さすが] as one would expect; just as you'd expect (from); just like (someone)
一石二鳥[いっせきにちょう] killing two birds with one stone
小石[こいし] pebble; small stone
鉱石[こうせき] ore; mineral; crystal
石鹸[せっけん] soap
化石[かせき] fossil
磁石[じしゃく] magnet
布石[ふせき] strategic arrangement of go stones at the beginning of a game; opening moves
墓石[ぼせき] tombstone; gravestone
大理石[だいりせき] marble
石段[いしだん] (flight of) stone steps; stone stairway
岩石[がんせき] rock
石油[せきゆ] oil; petroleum
heisig_story: With a mouth under a cliff , what else could we have here but the entrance to a secret cavern, before which a great stone has been rolled so that none may enter. Perhaps it is the hiding place where Ali Baba and his band of thieves have stored their treasures, in which case that magic word known to every school child who ever delighted over the tales of the Arabian Nights should be enough to push the stone aside. But take care - the cliff is steep, and one slip will send you tumbling down into the ravine below. This is the one and only time that the second stroke in cliff will reach over to the middle of the horizontal stroke. If you think of the edge jutting outwards (in keeping with the story above), the problem should be taken care of.
koohii_story: Indiana Jones jumps up and grabs the lip of cliff just in time to evade the huge STONE rolling out of the mouth of the cave!

kanji: 足
meaning: leg
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: あし、た.りる、た.る、た.す
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
龰
examples: 足[あし] foot; paw; arm (of an octopus, squid, etc.)
足りる[たりる] to be sufficient; to be enough
満足[まんぞく] satisfaction; contentment; gratification
足音[あしおと] (sound of) footsteps
足元[あしもと] at one's feet; underfoot; one's step (as in "watch your step")
不足[ふそく] insufficiency; deficiency; shortage; lack; scarcity; deficit
手足[てあし] hands and feet; limbs
足る[たる] to be sufficient; to be enough
足取り[あしどり] gait; walk; stride; pace; step; manner of walking
足す[たす] to add (numbers)
寝不足[ねぶそく] lack of sleep; insufficient sleep
足跡[あしあと] footprints
足止め[あしどめ] preventing (someone) from leaving; confinement; keeping indoors; inducement to s
両足[りょうあし] both feet
物足りない[ものたりない] unsatisfied; unsatisfactory; insufficient in some way; lacking something
heisig_story: Mouth . . . mending. Note that the last stroke of mouth and the first of mending overlap.
koohii_story: Captain Ahab lost his leg to the great white whale's mouth and had to mend it with a peg leg.

kanji: 早
meaning: early
ja_on: ソウ、サッ
ja_kun: はや.い、はや、はや-、はや.まる、はや.める、さ-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 早い[はやい] fast; quick; rapid; swift; speedy; brisk; prompt
早速[さっそく] at once; immediately; without delay; promptly
早々[そうそう] as soon as ...; just after ...; immediately after ...
素早い[すばやい] quick; swift; nimble; agile
早く[はやく] early; soon
早朝[そうちょう] early morning
早まる[はやまる] to be brought forward (e.g. by three hours); to be moved up; to be advanced
早[はや] already; now; by this time
早急[そうきゅう] immediate; prompt; quick; rapid; urgent; pressing
早起き[はやおき] getting up early; early rising
手早い[てばやい] nimble; quick; agile
早める[はやめる] to bring forward (e.g. by 3 hours); to advance; to hasten (e.g. one's death); to
足早[あしばや] fast (walking); quick; brisk
早口[はやくち] fast-talking; rapid talking
いち早く[いちはやく] promptly; quickly; without delay
heisig_story: This kanji is actually a picture of the first flower of the day, which we shall, in defiance of botanical science, call the sun flower, since it begins with the element for sun and is held upon a stem with leaves (the pictographic representation of the final two strokes). This time, however, we shall ignore the pictograph and imagine sun flowers with needles for stems, which can be plucked and used to darn your socks. The sense of early is easily remembered if one thinks of the sun flower as the early riser in the garden, because the sun , showing favoritism towards its namesake, shines on it before all the others (see frame 10).
koohii_story: The sun up is early , well before ten.

kanji: 白
meaning: white
ja_on: ハク、ビャク
ja_kun: しろ、しら-、しろ.い
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
examples: 面白い[おもしろい] interesting; fascinating; intriguing; enthralling
白い[しろい] white
白[しろ] white
告白[こくはく] confession (to a crime, wrongdoing, etc.); admission
白状[はくじょう] confession
明白[めいはく] obvious; clear; plain; evident; apparent; explicit; overt
白黒[しろくろ] black and white; monochrome
空白[くうはく] blank space (in a document)
青白い[あおじろい] pale; pallid
真っ白[まっしろ] pure white
白紙[はくし] white paper; flyleaf
白衣[はくい] white clothes; white robe
白髪[しらが] white hair; grey hair; gray hair
自白[じはく] confession; admission
潔白[けっぱく] innocence; guiltlessness; purity; uprightness; integrity
heisig_story: The color white is a mixture of all the primary colors, both for pigments and for light, as we see when a prism breaks up the rays of the sun. Hence, a single drop of sun spells white.
koohii_story: A white ray is a drop of sun.

kanji: 字
meaning: character
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: あざ、あざな、-な
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
子[こ] child
examples: 文字[もじ] letter (of an alphabet); character
字[あざ] section of village
数字[すうじ] numeral; digit; numeric character
文字通り[もじどおり] literally; to the letter
漢字[かんじ] kanji; Chinese character
名字[みょうじ] surname; family name; last name
苗字[みょうじ] surname; family name; last name
赤字[あかじ] (being in) the red; deficit
十字[じゅうじ] cross; cross shape
十字架[じゅうじか] cross (for crucifixion); the Cross (of Christ)
ローマ字[ローマじ] Latin alphabet; Roman alphabet
十字路[じゅうじろ] crossroads; intersection
字体[じたい] form of a character (e.g. simplified, traditional)
字引[じびき] dictionary
活字[かつじ] (piece of) type; movable type; moveable type; printing type
heisig_story: Here is the character for character itself. Not just kanji, but any written character from hieroglyphs to Sanskrit to our own Roman alphabet. It shows us simply a child in a house. But let us take advantage of the double-meaning of the key word to note that just as a child born to a Japanese house is given characters for its name, so it is also stamped with the character of those who raise it from infancy on.
koohii_story: CHILDren learn Kanji character s underneath a HOUSE.

kanji: 音
meaning: sound
ja_on: オン、イン、-ノン
ja_kun: おと、ね
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
日[ひ] sun
examples: 音[おと] sound; noise
音楽[おんがく] music
足音[あしおと] (sound of) footsteps
本音[ほんね] real intention; motive; true opinion; what one really thinks
物音[ものおと] noise; sound
音声[おんせい] voice; speech; sound of a voice
録音[ろくおん] (audio) recording
音色[ねいろ] tone color; tone colour; tone quality; timbre
発音[はつおん] pronunciation
弱音[よわね] feeble complaint; whine
雑音[ざつおん] noise (usu. unpleasant)
騒音[そうおん] noise; din
音量[おんりょう] volume (sound)
爆音[ばくおん] (sound of an) explosion or detonation; roar (of a machine)
防音[ぼうおん] soundproofing
heisig_story: The kanji for sound depicts something standing in the air over a tongue wagging in a mouth , much the same as a sound does for the briefest of moments before disappearing.
koohii_story: If you were standing on the sun, believe me, you'd be making sound.

kanji: 天
meaning: heavens
ja_on: テン
ja_kun: あまつ、あめ、あま-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 一[いち] one
大[だい] large
examples: 天[てん] sky
天才[てんさい] genius; prodigy; natural gift
天井[てんじょう] ceiling
天気[てんき] weather
天使[てんし] angel
天国[てんごく] paradise; heaven; Kingdom of Heaven
天然[てんねん] nature; spontaneity
天下[てんか] the whole world
天辺[てっぺん] top; summit; apex; peak
お天気[おてんき] weather
天候[てんこう] weather
天地[てんち] heaven and earth; the universe; the world; nature
天気予報[てんきよほう] weather forecast; weather report
天ぷら[てんぷら] tempura
天性[てんせい] nature; natural constitution; innate disposition
heisig_story: This character is meant to be a pictograph of a great man, said to represent the Lord of the Heavens. (You may, of course, use the elements ceiling and St. Bernard instead.)
koohii_story: If you think of the sky as a ceiling above our heads, here you have the heavens as the largest ceiling you could ever imagine. As Heisig pointed out, nothing comes above the ceiling primitive thus the order of primitives is taken care of.

kanji: 火
meaning: fire
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: ひ、-び、ほ-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
examples: 火[ひ] fire; flame; blaze
花火[はなび] fireworks
火事[かじ] fire; conflagration
火傷[やけど] burn; scald
火花[ひばな] spark
火力[かりょく] heating power; thermal power
火薬[かやく] gunpowder; powder
火種[ひだね] live coals (for firelighting)
火災[かさい] conflagration; fire
火山[かざん] volcano
放火[ほうか] arson; setting fire
花火大会[はなびたいかい] fireworks display; display of fireworks
火曜日[かようび] Tuesday
消火[しょうか] extinguishing a fire; fire fighting
点火[てんか] ignition; lighting; firing; setting off
heisig_story: Just as sitting before a fire enlivens the imagination and lets you see almost anything you want to in the flames, this kanji is so simple it lets you see almost any sort of fire you want to see. It no longer makes a good pictograph, but I invite you to take a pencil and paper and play with the form - first writing it as shown below and then adding lines here and there - to see what you can come up with. Everything from matchbooks to cigarette lighters to volcanic eruptions to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah have been found here. No doubt you, too, will find something interesting to bend your memory around these four simple strokes.
koohii_story: For some reason, this kanji reminds me of a person running, her arms (the two drops) raised up, because she caught on fire!

kanji: 花
meaning: flower
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: はな
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
化[カ] change
examples: 花[はな] flower; blossom; bloom; petal
花火[はなび] fireworks
花びら[はなびら] petal
火花[ひばな] spark
花嫁[はなよめ] bride
花束[はなたば] bunch of flowers; bouquet
開花[かいか] flowering; blooming; blossoming; coming into bloom
花瓶[かびん] (flower) vase
花壇[かだん] flower bed
花見[はなみ] cherry blossom viewing; flower viewing
花屋[はなや] florist; flower shop
花弁[はなびら] petal
花火大会[はなびたいかい] fireworks display; display of fireworks
花園[はなぞの] flower garden
草花[くさばな] flower; flowering plant
heisig_story: Flower . . . change.
koohii_story: The flower s change with the seasons.

kanji: 赤
meaning: red
ja_on: セキ、シャク
ja_kun: あか、あか-、あか.い、あか.らむ、あか.らめる
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 土[つち] earth
examples: 赤い[あかい] red; crimson; scarlet; vermilion
赤[あか] red; crimson; scarlet
赤ちゃん[あかちゃん] baby; infant
赤ん坊[あかんぼう] baby; infant
真っ赤[まっか] bright red; deep red; flushed (of face)
赤面[せきめん] blushing; getting red in the face
赤色[あかいろ] red; red color
赤字[あかじ] (being in) the red; deficit
赤道[せきどう] equator
赤信号[あかしんごう] red light (traffic)
赤外線[せきがいせん] infrared rays; infrared radiation
赤旗[あかはた] red flag
赤松[あかまつ] Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine; tanyosho pine
赤痢[せきり] dysentery
赤軍[せきぐん] Red Army (Soviet Union, 1918-1946); Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
heisig_story: Ground . . . dagger . . . little. The two strokes of the dagger take the place of the middle stroke of little.
koohii_story: He was stabbed with a dagger , and little drops of red blood dropped onto the ground.

kanji: 青
meaning: blue
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: あお、あお-、あお.い
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 龶
月[つき] moon
examples: 青い[あおい] blue; azure
青[あお] blue; azure
青春[せいしゅん] youth; adolescence; springtime of life
青年[せいねん] youth; young man
青空[あおぞら] blue sky
青ざめる[あおざめる] to become pale; to turn pale
青白い[あおじろい] pale; pallid
青色[あおいろ] blue
青山[せいざん] lush mountain; green mountain
真っ青[まっさお] deep blue; bright blue
青少年[せいしょうねん] young people; youth; the younger generation
緑青[ろくしょう] verdigris; green rust; copper rust
青写真[あおじゃしん] blueprint; cyanotype
青年団[せいねんだん] young persons' association
青木[あおき] Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica); spotted laurel
heisig_story: Grow up . . . moon.
koohii_story: "Once in a blue moon " refers to a rare event. But originally "blue moon" refers to a full moon, in other words a fully grown-up moon. Whether once a month is rare or not depends on what we're talking about, but that happens to be the origin of the expression.

kanji: 竹
meaning: bamboo
ja_on: チク
ja_kun: たけ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
examples: 竹[たけ] bamboo (any grass of subfamily Bambusoideae)
爆竹[ばくちく] firecracker
竹刀[しない] bamboo sword (for kendo); bamboo fencing stick
竹林[ちくりん] bamboo thicket; bamboo grove
heisig_story: Bamboo grows upwards, like a straight nail , and at each stage of its growth (which legend associates with the arrival of the new moon) there is a jointed rootstock (the first stroke). Two such bamboo stalks are pictured here.
koohii_story: Pandas like to eat bamboo. I'm using panda as the primitive name when it fits the story. ^^.

kanji: 右
meaning: right
ja_on: ウ、ユウ
ja_kun: みぎ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 右[みぎ] right; right-hand side
左右[さゆう] left and right; right and left
右手[みぎて] right hand
右腕[みぎうで] right arm
右側[みぎがわ] right side; right-hand side
右足[みぎあし] right foot
右往左往[うおうさおう] moving about in confusion; going every which way; going this way and that
右派[うは] right wing
右上[みぎうえ] upper right
右クリック[みぎクリック] right-click
右下[みぎした] lower right
右中間[うちゅうかん] between right and center fielders (centre)
右折[うせつ] turning to the right; right turn
右方[うほう] right side
右翼[うよく] right wing
heisig_story: When thinking of the key word right , in order to avoid confusion with the previous frame, take advantage of the double meaning here, too. Imagine a little mouth hanging down by your side \- like a little voice of conscience - telling you the right thing to do. Here the second stroke should reach out to the right and be drawn slightly longer than the first.
koohii_story: The right hand is for putting food in your mouth. (The other hand is for ass-wiping!). 左右 (さゆう) : left and right , influence, control, domination, 右 (みぎ) : right hand side.

kanji: 森
meaning: forest
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: もり
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
林[リン] grove
examples: 森[もり] forest
森林[しんりん] forest; woods
heisig_story: A forest is a large expanse of trees , or " trees , trees everywhere, " to adopt the expression we used back in frames 22 and 23.
koohii_story: The higher you go up a mountain the less trees there are, that's so u dont mess up with their possition like i do.

kanji: 左
meaning: left
ja_on: サ、シャ
ja_kun: ひだり
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
examples: 左[ひだり] left; left-hand side
左右[さゆう] left and right; right and left
左手[ひだりて] left hand
左腕[ひだりうで] left arm
左側[ひだりがわ] left side; left-hand side
左足[ひだりあし] left foot
右往左往[うおうさおう] moving about in confusion; going every which way; going this way and that
左利き[ひだりきき] left-handedness; left-handed person; left-hander
向かって左[むかってひだり] on the left as one faces (it)
左上[ひだりうえ] upper left
左前[ひだりまえ] wearing a kimono with the right side over the left (normally used only for the d
左折[させつ] turning to the left; left turn
左派[さは] left wing
左翼[さよく] left wing
左記[さき] undermentioned (statement); the following; at left
heisig_story: By combining the primitive and the kanji of the last two frames and reading the results, we get: by one's side . . . craft. Conveniently, the left has traditionally been considered the "sinister" side , where dark and occult crafts are cultivated. Note how the second stroke droops over to the left and is longer than the first.
koohii_story: The LEFT side of my brain posesses the faculties needed for logical crafts , like engineering.

kanji: 休
meaning: rest
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: やす.む、やす.まる、やす.める
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
木[き] tree
examples: 休む[やすむ] to be absent; to take a day off
休み[やすみ] rest; recess; respite
休憩[きゅうけい] rest; break; recess; intermission
お休み[おやすみ] holiday; day off; absence
休める[やすめる] to rest; to suspend; to give relief
夏休み[なつやすみ] summer vacation; summer holiday
休日[きゅうじつ] holiday; day off
昼休み[ひるやすみ] lunch break; noon recess; noon rest period
休暇[きゅうか] holiday; vacation; day off; time off; leave; furlough
休息[きゅうそく] rest; relief; relaxation
休まる[やすまる] to be rested; to feel at ease; to repose; to be relieved
休憩時間[きゅうけいじかん] rest period; intermission; break time; recess
冬休み[ふゆやすみ] winter vacation; winter holidays
春休み[はるやすみ] spring break; spring vacation
一休み[ひとやすみ] (short) rest; breather; break
heisig_story: Person . . . tree. Be sure not to confuse with relax (Frame 202).
koohii_story: Mr T rest ing by a tree.

kanji: 林
meaning: grove
ja_on: リン
ja_kun: はやし
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 林[はやし] wood; woods; forest; grove; copse; thicket
森林[しんりん] forest; woods
林檎[りんご] apple (fruit)
山林[さんりん] mountain forest; forest on a mountain; forest land; woodland
林業[りんぎょう] forestry
密林[みつりん] close thicket; dense forest; jungle
松林[まつばやし] pine forest
林学[りんがく] forestry; silviculture
林立[りんりつ] standing close together; bristling (with)
林道[りんどう] path through forest; woodland path
林野[りんや] forests and fields
林野庁[りんやちょう] Forestry Agency
植林[しょくりん] afforestation
竹林[ちくりん] bamboo thicket; bamboo grove
農林[のうりん] agriculture and forestry
heisig_story: Learn this frame in connection with the next one. A grove is a small cluster of trees. Hence the simple reduplication of the kanji for tree gives us the grove.
koohii_story: A grove has at least two TREEs.

kanji: 王
meaning: king
ja_on: オウ、-ノウ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 王[オウ] king
examples: 王[おう] king; ruler; sovereign; monarch
女王[じょおう] queen
王子[おうじ] prince
王様[おうさま] king
王国[おうこく] kingdom; monarchy
王族[おうぞく] royalty; royal family
王女[おうじょ] princess
国王[こくおう] king; queen; monarch; sovereign
王者[おうじゃ] king; monarch; ruler
王宮[おうきゅう] royal palace
王妃[おうひ] queen (consort); empress (consort)
王冠[おうかん] crown; diadem
仁王[におう] two Deva kings
天王星[てんのうせい] Uranus (planet)
法王[ほうおう] Pope
heisig_story: See what you can do to come up with a pictograph of a king's scepter here that suits your own idea of what it should look like. You might even begin with the basic element for I beam and then try to fit the remaining third stroke in.
koohii_story: To be king you have to be a real crafty one !

kanji: 玉
meaning: jewel
ja_on: ギョク
ja_kun: たま、たま-、-だま
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 王[オウ] king
丶[てん] dot
examples: 玉[たま] ball; sphere; globe; orb
目玉[めだま] eyeball
玉砕[ぎょくさい] honorable death; death without surrender; honorable defeat
お年玉[おとしだま] New Year's gift (usu. money given to a child by relatives and visitors)
玉ねぎ[たまねぎ] onion (Allium cepa)
埼玉[さいたま] Saitama (city, prefecture)
シャボン玉[シャボンだま] soap bubble
ビー玉[ビーだま] marble; glass marble
替え玉[かえだま] stand-in; proxy; substitute; double; ringer
水玉[みずたま] drop of water
玉虫色[たまむしいろ] iridescent colour
珠玉[しゅぎょく] jewel; gem
目玉商品[めだましょうひん] bargain goods; loss leader
heisig_story: Note the drop here in the king's scepter , which is exactly what you would expect it to be: a precious jewel handed down from of old as a symbol of his wealth and power.
koohii_story: The king is said to have only one family jewel below the belt…

kanji: 夕
meaning: evening
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: ゆう
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 夕[ゆうべ] evening
examples: 夕方[ゆうがた] early evening (usu. from 3pm to 6pm); dusk
夕食[ゆうしょく] evening meal; dinner
夕飯[ゆうはん] evening meal; dinner; supper
夕日[ゆうひ] evening sun; setting sun
夕暮れ[ゆうぐれ] evening; dusk; twilight
夕焼け[ゆうやけ] evening glow; red sunset; afterglow (of sunset)
夕[ゆう] evening
夕刻[ゆうこく] evening; evening hour
夕刊[ゆうかん] evening edition (of a daily newspaper); evening paper
夕立[ゆうだち] (sudden, heavy) shower (on a summer afternoon or evening); evening shower
七夕[たなばた] Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata; Festival of the Weaver
夕霧[ゆうぎり] evening mist
朝夕[あさゆう] morning and evening
heisig_story: Just as the word evening adds a touch of formality or romanticism to the ordinary word "night," so the kanji for evening takes the ordinary looking moon in the night sky and has a cloud pass over it (as we saw in the last frame).
koohii_story: The evening is young, the moon is not full.

kanji: 雨
meaning: rain
ja_on: ウ
ja_kun: あめ、あま-、-さめ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
examples: 雨[あめ] rain
雨が降る[あめがふる] to rain
大雨[おおあめ] heavy rain; torrential rainfall; downpour
風雨[ふうう] wind and rain
雨宿り[あまやどり] taking shelter from rain
梅雨[つゆ] (East Asian) rainy season (in Japan, usu. from early June to mid-July)
豪雨[ごうう] torrential rain; heavy rain; cloudburst; downpour
雨雲[あまぐも] rain cloud
雨具[あまぐ] rain gear
雨天[うてん] rainy weather
雨戸[あまど] sliding storm shutter
小雨[こさめ] light rain; drizzle
時雨[しぐれ] rain shower in late autumn (fall) or early winter
暴風雨[ぼうふうう] rainstorm; storm
梅雨入り[つゆいり] entering the rainy season; beginning of the rainy season
heisig_story: This kanji, also a primitive, is one of the clearest instances we have of a complex pictograph. The top line is the sky, the next 3 strokes a pair of clouds, and the final 4 dots the rain collected there and waiting to fall.
koohii_story: From the ceiling hangs a towel dripping four drops like RAIN.

kanji: 草
meaning: grass
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: くさ、くさ-、-ぐさ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
早[ソウ] early
examples: 草[くさ] grass; weed; herb; thatch
仕草[しぐさ] gesture; movement; action; behavior; behaviour; bearing; mannerism
雑草[ざっそう] weed
草原[そうげん] grassy field; grassland; meadow
草木[くさき] plants; vegetation
煙草[たばこ] tobacco; cigarette; cigar
草花[くさばな] flower; flowering plant
草履[ぞうり] zori
ほうれん草[ほうれんそう] spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
牧草[ぼくそう] pasture; grass
芝草[しばくさ] lawn; sod; turf
草の根[くさのね] roots of grass
草分け[くさわけ] pathfinder; trailblazer; early settler
草刈り[くさかり] mowing; mower
草書[そうしょ] highly cursive style (of writing Chinese characters); grass style
heisig_story: Perhaps you know the custom of seeding grass randomly or in some particular pattern with the flower called the crocus, which blooms for a few days each year in early spring. As the grass begins to turn green again after winter has passed, these tiny flowers dot up here and there. Now just look out your window at a patch of grass somewhere and think what a nice idea it would be to have your name spelled out in flowers once as a sort of early harbinger of spring.
koohii_story: Grass grows in earlier than flowers.

kanji: 犬
meaning: dog
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: いぬ、いぬ-
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 大[だい] large
丶[てん] dot
examples: 犬[いぬ] dog (Canis (lupus) familiaris); canine
子犬[こいぬ] puppy
負け犬[まけいぬ] loser; failure; underdog; unsuccessful person; non-achiever
飼い犬[かいいぬ] pet dog
番犬[ばんけん] watchdog; guard dog
愛犬[あいけん] pet dog; beloved dog
犬猿の仲[けんえんのなか] like cats and dogs; (on) very bad terms
猟犬[りょうけん] hound; hunting dog; gun dog
盲導犬[もうどうけん] guide dog; seeing-eye dog
野犬[やけん] stray dog; ownerless dog
heisig_story: We know that the character for large takes on the meaning of the St. Bernard dog when used as a primitive. In this frame we finally see why. The drop added as a fourth and final stroke means that we have to do with a normal-sized dog , which compared to the St. Bernard is no more than a drop in the kennel.
koohii_story: A large dog , dripping drool.

kanji: 耳
meaning: ear
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: みみ
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
examples: 耳[みみ] ear
耳元[みみもと] close to the ear
耳障り[みみざわり] hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping; rough; harsh; grating; jarr
耳鼻科[じびか] otolaryngology; ear, nose, and throat department
中耳[ちゅうじ] middle ear; tympanum
中耳炎[ちゅうじえん] otitis media; middle-ear infection
耳より[みみより] welcome (news); inviting; encouraging; tempting; hopeful
耳目[じもく] eyes and ears; seeing and hearing
heisig_story: The pictograph for the ear looks much like that for eye , but note how the stroke order gives it a different look.
koohii_story: Your ear is like the eye on the side of your head for seeing things, but there is hair around it that creates jagged lines.

kanji: 虫
meaning: insect
ja_on: チュウ、キ
ja_kun: むし
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 中[チュウ] in
examples: 虫[むし] insect; bug; cricket; moth
弱虫[よわむし] coward; weakling; scaredy cat; wimp; sissy
昆虫[こんちゅう] insect; bug
害虫[がいちゅう] harmful insect; noxious insect; pest; vermin
虫歯[むしば] tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity; dental caries
寄生虫[きせいちゅう] parasite
幼虫[ようちゅう] larva; grub; maggot
殺虫剤[さっちゅうざい] insecticide; pesticide
毛虫[けむし] hairy caterpillar; woolly bear
爬虫類[はちゅうるい] reptiles
玉虫色[たまむしいろ] iridescent colour
虫除け[むしよけ] insecticide; insect repellent
heisig_story: Work with the pictograph as you wish.
koohii_story: I see the bottom of this kanji as an arm, and the top is an insect biting into the arm, sucking some blood.

kanji: 糸
meaning: thread
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: いと
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
examples: 糸[いと] thread; yarn; string
糸口[いとぐち] beginning; start; first step
毛糸[けいと] knitting wool; woolen yarn; woollen yarn
生糸[きいと] raw silk thread
絹糸[きぬいと] silk thread; silk yarn
蚕糸[さんし] silk thread; silk yarn
heisig_story: Remember when your granny used to ask you to bend your arms at the elbows and hold them out so that she could use them like a rack to hold a skein of string or yarn (here thread ) while she rolled it up into a little ball? Now can you see the two elbows (with the second stroke doubling up) at the top, and the character for little below?
koohii_story: I also went with Spiderman. However, in the cases where this primitive appears under other primitives, as opposed to on the left (I think there are ~5 times in this chapter) I've opted to use a similar character: Venom. This helps keep the positioning clear, especially on such characters as [dainty](../v4/1363.html) (#1363 細) and [accumulate](../v4/1364.html) (#1364 累).

kanji: 貝
meaning: shellfish
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: かい
grade: Grade 1
radicals: 目[め] eye
八[はち] eight
examples: 貝[かい] shellfish
貝殻[かいがら] seashell; shell
heisig_story: To remember the primitive elements that make up this kanji, an eye and animal legs , you might be tempted to think of it as a pictograph of a shellfish with its ridged shell at the top and two little legs sticking out of the bottom. But that might not help you recall later just how many ridges to put on the shell. Better to imagine a freakish shellfish with a single, gigantic eye roaming the beaches on its slender little legs , scaring the wits out of the sunbathers.
koohii_story: Eye thought I saw a shellfish legging it down the beach!

kanji: 国
meaning: country
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: くに
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
玉[たま] jewelry
examples: 国[くに] country; state
全国[ぜんこく] the whole country
天国[てんごく] paradise; heaven; Kingdom of Heaven
外国[がいこく] foreign country
国内[こくない] within the country; inside the county; domestic; home; internal
国家[こっか] state; country; nation
国民[こくみん] people (of a country); nation; citizen; national
王国[おうこく] kingdom; monarchy
中国[ちゅうごく] China
帰国[きこく] return to one's country
外国人[がいこくじん] foreigner; foreign citizen; foreign national; alien; non-Japanese
帝国[ていこく] empire
異国[いこく] foreign country
我が国[わがくに] our country; our land; one's own country
国際[こくさい] international
heisig_story: Jewels . . . pent in.
koohii_story: In my country (England) the crown jewels are kept pent-in in the Tower of London. Which happens to be where enemies of the state were once also pent- in (probably for trying to steal those jewels ).

kanji: 会
meaning: meeting
ja_on: カイ、エ
ja_kun: あ.う、あ.わせる、あつ.まる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 人[ひと] person
云[ウン] say
examples: 会う[あう] to meet; to encounter; to see
出会う[であう] to meet (by chance); to come across; to run across; to encounter; to happen upon
機会[きかい] chance; opportunity; occasion
会社[かいしゃ] company; corporation; firm
会話[かいわ] conversation; talk; chat
会[かい] meeting; assembly; party; gathering; conference; athletic meet
出会い[であい] meeting; rendezvous; encounter
再会[さいかい] meeting again; reunion
社会[しゃかい] society; public; community; the world
会議[かいぎ] meeting; conference; session; assembly; council; convention; congress
会場[かいじょう] assembly hall; meeting place; venue; site; grounds
大会[たいかい] mass meeting; convention; rally; conference; assembly; gathering
会長[かいちょう] president (of a society); chairman
教会[きょうかい] church; congregation
都会[とかい] city
heisig_story: Meeting . . . wall. This is the full character for meeting , from which the abbreviated primitive that we met back in lesson 12 gets its name.
koohii_story: At the local company they have a very gory way of getting rid of incompetent personnel : they arrange a business meeting in a very special room where the walls are … meeting. Not surprisingly the boss is never present at these meeting s, he's the one who pushes the button that sets the walls in motion.

kanji: 長
meaning: long
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: なが.い、おさ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 長[ながい] long
examples: 長い[ながい] long (distance, length)
成長[せいちょう] growth; development; growing up; becoming an adult
長[ちょう] head; chief; leader; elder
社長[しゃちょう] company president; manager; director
長年[ながねん] many years; a long time
長い間[ながいあいだ] long time; long interval; for quite some time
部長[ぶちょう] head (chief, director) of a section or department
身長[しんちょう] height (of a person); stature
会長[かいちょう] president (of a society); chairman
店長[てんちょう] shop manager
長さ[ながさ] length
長引く[ながびく] to be prolonged; to drag on; to take a long time; to persist; to linger
隊長[たいちょう] commanding officer
長生き[ながいき] longevity; long life
長居[ながい] long visit; overstaying
heisig_story: In line with the story of the preceding frame, the hair that needs the hairpin is long.
koohii_story: The Geisha with long hair uses an ornate lacquered hairpin to bundle it all up.

kanji: 同
meaning: same
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: おな.じ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
一[いち] one
口[くち] mouth
examples: 同じ[おなじ] same; identical; equal; alike; equivalent
同士[どうし] fellow; mutual; companion; comrade
同時[どうじ] same time
同時に[どうじに] at the same time; at once; simultaneously; concurrently
同じく[おなじく] in the same way; like; likewise; similarly
同様[どうよう] same; similar; (just) like; equal
同情[どうじょう] sympathy; compassion; pity
一同[いちどう] all present; all concerned; all of us
同然[どうぜん] just like; (virtually) no different from; (almost) the same as; as good as (e.g.
同意[どうい] agreement; consent; approval; assent
同級生[どうきゅうせい] classmate
同行[どうこう] accompanying (someone); going with; travelling together
同僚[どうりょう] coworker; co-worker; colleague; associate
同感[どうかん] same feeling; same sentiment; same opinion; sympathy; agreement; concurrence
同[どう] the same; the said
heisig_story: The primitives in this kanji show us one and mouth under a hood. Let us take the key word to connote the sameness that characterizes the life in community of the monk. They all have the same habits, including the "habit" they wear on their backs. Here we see the monk's cowl , drawn down over the eyes so that all you can see when you look at him is a mouth. But since monks also speak their prayers in common, it is but a short step to think of one mouth under a hood as the kanji for the sameness of monastic life.
koohii_story: Muslim women wearing veils (HOOD) all look the same , you can just see ONE MOUTH and very little else.

kanji: 時
meaning: time
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: とき、-どき
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 時間[じかん] time
何時も[いつも] always; all the time; at all times
時[じ] hour; o'clock
時代[じだい] period; epoch; era; age
同時[どうじ] same time
時期[じき] time; season; period; phase; stage
当時[とうじ] at that time; in those days
時々[ときどき] sometimes; occasionally; at times; from time to time; now and then; once in a wh
時点[じてん] point in time; occasion
同時に[どうじに] at the same time; at once; simultaneously; concurrently
時には[ときには] at times; occasionally
一時[いちじ] one o'clock
時計[とけい] clock; watch; timepiece
一時的[いちじてき] temporary; transitory; short-lived
時刻[じこく] time; (the) hour
heisig_story: "What is time? " asked St. Augustine in his memoirs. "Ask me not, and I know. Ask me, and I cannot tell you." Here we have the kanji's answer to that perennial riddle. Time is a sun rising over a Buddhist temple. It sounds almost like a Zen kōan whose repetition might yield some deep secret to the initiated. At any rate, imagining a monk seated in meditation pondering it might help us remember the character.
koohii_story: When the SUN starts to shine on the TEMPLE, it's time to get up.

kanji: 自
meaning: oneself
ja_on: ジ、シ
ja_kun: みずか.ら、おの.ずから、おの.ずと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 目[め] eye
examples: 自分[じぶん] myself; yourself; oneself; himself; herself
自分で[じぶんで] by myself; in person; by oneself
自由[じゆう] freedom; liberty
自信[じしん] self-confidence; confidence (in oneself)
自身[じしん] (one's) self; oneself; yourself; himself; herself
自然[しぜん] nature
自ら[みずから] oneself
自慢[じまん] pride (in one's achievements, possessions, etc.); self-praise; boast
自体[じたい] itself
自覚[じかく] self-consciousness; self-awareness
自分自身[じぶんじしん] oneself; myself
自宅[じたく] one's home; one's house
不自然[ふしぜん] unnatural; artificial; affected; strained
自殺[じさつ] suicide
自己紹介[じこしょうかい] self-introduction
heisig_story: You can think of this kanji as a stylized pictograph of the nose, that little drop that Mother Nature set between your eyes. The Japanese refer to themselves by pointing a finger at their nose - giving us an easy way to remember the kanji for oneself.
koohii_story: To use an eyedropper by oneself , aim from above to put a drop into the eye.

kanji: 行
meaning: going
ja_on: コウ、ギョウ、アン
ja_kun: い.く、ゆ.く、-ゆ.き、-ゆき、-い.き、-いき、おこな.う、おこ.なう
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
examples: 行く[いく] to go; to move (towards); to head (towards); to leave (for)
行う[おこなう] to perform; to do; to conduct oneself; to carry out
行動[こうどう] action; conduct; behaviour; behavior; mobilization; mobilisation
行為[こうい] act; deed; conduct
旅行[りょこう] travel; trip; journey; excursion; tour
行ってきます[いってきます] I'm off (and will be back later); see you later
行[ぎょう] line (of text); row; verse
連れて行く[つれていく] to take (someone to a place); to take (someone) with one; to take along; to lead
実行[じっこう] execution (e.g. of a plan); carrying out; (putting into) practice; action; imple
行方[ゆくえ] (one's) whereabouts
行き[いき] the way there; outbound leg; outbound trip; departing leg
行方不明[ゆくえふめい] missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
進行[しんこう] moving forward (e.g. of a vehicle); onward movement
同行[どうこう] accompanying (someone); going with; travelling together
行き先[いきさき] destination
heisig_story: By joining the top four strokes, you should get a picture of the front current of a river, the stream trailing behind. Hence the character for going.
koohii_story: To me, this looks like a bridge going over a body of water, being supported by columns underneath it. Being that I live near the ocean, I see tourists and vacationers coming and going constantly on the bridge. Because the bridge is so long, it forms an arc to support the structural integrity. You can see that arc here.

kanji: 社
meaning: company
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: やしろ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
土[つち] earth
examples: 会社[かいしゃ] company; corporation; firm
社長[しゃちょう] company president; manager; director
社会[しゃかい] society; public; community; the world
社員[しゃいん] company employee
神社[じんじゃ] Shinto shrine
株式会社[かぶしきがいしゃ] stock company; corporation; kabushiki kaisha; KK
社会人[しゃかいじん] working adult; full-fledged member of society
社会的[しゃかいてき] social; societal; societary
本社[ほんしゃ] head office; main office; headquarters; parent company
出版社[しゅっぱんしゃ] publisher; publishing house; publishing company
社内[しゃない] within a company; in-house
入社[にゅうしゃ] joining a company; getting a job with a company; starting work at a company
会社員[かいしゃいん] company employee; office worker; white-collar worker
弊社[へいしゃ] our company; our firm
新聞社[しんぶんしゃ] newspaper company
heisig_story: Altar . . . soil. The company referred to here is that of the modern business world.
koohii_story: When you enter a Japanese company it's like you join a cult… your workdesk becomes your altar and you worship the very soil the office is built on.

kanji: 分
meaning: part
ja_on: ブン、フン、ブ
ja_kun: わ.ける、わ.け、わ.かれる、わ.かる、わ.かつ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 八[はち] eight
刀[かたな] knife
examples: 自分[じぶん] myself; yourself; oneself; himself; herself
分かる[わかる] to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to follow
分[ふん] minute (unit of time)
十分[じゅうぶん] enough; sufficient; plenty; adequate; satisfactory
自分で[じぶんで] by myself; in person; by oneself
気分[きぶん] feeling; mood
半分[はんぶん] half
部分[ぶぶん] portion; section; part
多分[たぶん] probably; likely; perhaps; maybe
随分[ずいぶん] very; extremely; surprisingly; fairly; quite; considerably; awfully; terribly
分ける[わける] to divide (into); to split (into); to part; to separate; to divide up; to classi
自分自身[じぶんじしん] oneself; myself
処分[しょぶん] disposal; throwing away; selling off
分かれる[わかれる] to branch; to fork; to diverge
分析[ぶんせき] analysis
heisig_story: Go in . . . dagger.
koohii_story: When something is entered by a dagger , it ends up being cut in several parts.

kanji: 後
meaning: behind
ja_on: ゴ、コウ
ja_kun: のち、うし.ろ、うしろ、あと、おく.れる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
幺[いとがしら] young
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 最後[さいご] end; conclusion
後[あと] behind; rear
後ろ[うしろ] back; behind; rear
後悔[こうかい] regret; repentance; remorse
今後[こんご] from now on; hereafter
午後[ごご] afternoon; p.m.
直後[ちょくご] immediately following
背後[はいご] back; rear
後輩[こうはい] junior (at work, school, etc.); younger people; younger student
前後[ぜんご] front and rear; front and back; before and behind; back and forth
放課後[ほうかご] after school (at the end of the day)
年後[ねんご] years later
後半[こうはん] second half; latter half
後方[こうほう] rear; back; behind
以後[いご] after this; from now on; hereafter
heisig_story: Line . . . cocoon . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: Column of walking legs (caterpillar) getting into a cocoon, about to leave its past self behind.

kanji: 前
meaning: in front
ja_on: ゼン
ja_kun: まえ、-まえ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 八[はち] eight
月[つき] moon
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 前[ぜん] last (i.e. immediately preceding); previous; ex-; former
お前[おまえ] you
名前[なまえ] name
当たり前[あたりまえ] natural; reasonable; obvious
目の前[めのまえ] before one's eyes; in front of one; under one's nose
以前[いぜん] before; prior to; ago
直前[ちょくぜん] just before; just prior to
手前[てまえ] before oneself; in front of one; nearby
前回[ぜんかい] previous time; last time; previous installment; previous instalment; previous se
事前[じぜん] prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante
お名前[おなまえ] name
前後[ぜんご] front and rear; front and back; before and behind; back and forth
寸前[すんぜん] just before; on the verge of; on the brink of
午前[ごぜん] morning; a.m.
前提[ぜんてい] condition; assumption; prerequisite; hypothesis
heisig_story: We waited to introduce this character until now, even though the pieces have been available for some time, because it helps to reinforce the odd kanji of the last frame. Picture the butcher hacking away with his knife at a slab of meat on his table with a pair of ram's horns placed in front of him (or on his head, if you prefer). There is no need to worry about confusing this kanji with that for before (Frame 263), since it will not appear as a primitive in any other character used in this book.
koohii_story: When I get horn y my flesh sword sticks out in front of me.

kanji: 間
meaning: interval
ja_on: カン、ケン
ja_kun: あいだ、ま、あい
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
日[ひ] sun
examples: 時間[じかん] time
人間[にんげん] human being; human; person; man; mankind; humankind
間[あいだ] space (between); gap; interval; distance; stretch
仲間[なかま] companion; fellow; friend; mate; comrade; partner; colleague; coworker; associat
瞬間[しゅんかん] moment; instant; second
間違う[まちがう] to be mistaken; to be incorrect; to be wrong
間違い[まちがい] mistake; error; blunder
間に合う[まにあう] to be in time (for)
間違いない[まちがいない] certain; sure; no doubt
間違える[まちがえる] to make a mistake (in); to commit an error; to get wrong; to do incorrectly
この間[このあいだ] the other day; lately; recently; during this period
いつの間にか[いつのまにか] before one knows; before one becomes aware of; unnoticed; unawares
年間[ねんかん] (period of) a year
世間[せけん] world; society; people; the public
昼間[ひるま] daytime; during the day; time from sunrise until sunset; diurnal period
heisig_story: Gates . . . sun/day. This interval applies to time and space alike, but the latter is better for creating an image.
koohii_story: The interval between star systems ( suns ) was too large, so the star gates were created to travel between them.

kanji: 東
meaning: east
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ひがし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 木[き] tree
日[ひ] sun
examples: 東京[とうきょう] Tokyo
東[ひがし] east
関東[かんとう] Kantō (region comprising Tokyo and surrounding prefectures)
東側[ひがしがわ] east side; east bank
東西[とうざい] east and west
東北[とうほく] north-east
東洋[とうよう] the East; the Orient; (East) Asia
北東[ほくとう] northeast
東方[とうほう] eastern direction
南東[なんとう] southeast
東部[とうぶ] eastern part; the east (of a region)
中東[ちゅうとう] Middle East
北北東[ほくほくとう] north-northeast; north-north-east
広東[カントン] Guangdong (China); Kwangtung
東亜[とうあ] East Asia; the Orient
heisig_story: As a "Western" language, English identifies the east with the rising sun. In more fanciful terms, we see the sun piercing through a tree as it rises in the east.
koohii_story: Traditionally seen as a pictograph of the sun rising behind a tree.

kanji: 地
meaning: ground
ja_on: チ、ジ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 土[つち] earth
也[ヤ] to be (classical)
examples: 地獄[じごく] hell realm; Naraka
地[ち] earth; ground; land; soil
地面[じめん] ground; earth's surface
土地[とち] plot of land; lot; soil
地下[ちか] underground; below the ground
地球[ちきゅう] Earth; the globe
地図[ちず] map; atlas; chart; plan
地元[じもと] home area; home town
地味[じみ] plain; simple; subdued; sober
地上[ちじょう] above ground; on the ground; earth's surface
地域[ちいき] area; region; district; locality
意地[いじ] stubbornness; obstinacy; willpower; pride
意地悪[いじわる] malicious; ill-tempered; unkind; mean; nasty
余地[よち] place; room; margin; scope
大地[だいち] earth; ground; the solid earth; the (vast) land
heisig_story: Soil and a scorpion (an "earth animal"). This is, of course, the full character from which the primitive for ground derives.
koohii_story: Picture the ground as an extent of soil where scorpions are buried like land mines. Imagine a sign post saying 'no trespassing, scorpion mines' if that helps, and how it is dangerous to walk there.

kanji: 合
meaning: fit
ja_on: ゴウ、ガッ、カッ
ja_kun: あ.う、-あ.う、あ.い、あい-、-あ.い、-あい、あ.わす、あ.わせる、-あ.わせる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 人[ひと] person
一[いち] one
口[くち] mouth
examples: 場合[ばあい] case; occasion; situation; circumstances
合う[あう] to come together; to merge; to unite; to meet
合わせる[あわせる] to match (rhythm, speed, etc.)
知り合い[しりあい] acquaintance
似合う[にあう] to suit; to match; to become; to be like
間に合う[まにあう] to be in time (for)
付き合う[つきあう] to associate with; to keep company with; to go out with; to go steady with; to g
具合[ぐあい] condition; state
都合[つごう] circumstances; condition; convenience
話し合う[はなしあう] to discuss; to talk together
知り合う[しりあう] to get to know each other; to make acquaintance
合流[ごうりゅう] confluence (of rivers); flowing together; joining
試合[しあい] match; game; bout; contest
合図[あいず] sign; signal; cue
合格[ごうかく] passing (an exam); pass; success; passing grade
heisig_story: The kanji for fit reads literally, top to bottom, as a meeting of mouths \- which is a rather descriptive way of speaking of a romantic kiss. We all know what happens when there is no meeting of minds and when people's ideas don't fit with one another. But this kanji invites us to imagine what would happened to the romance of a certain unfortunate couple whose mouths didn't fit.
koohii_story: I wouldn't mind a meeting of mouths with her, she's really fit !

kanji: 市
meaning: market
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: いち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 都市[とし] town; city; municipal; urban
市[いち] market; fair
市民[しみん] citizen (of a country); citizenry
市場[いちば] (town) market; (street) market; marketplace
市内[しない] in the city; within the city
市販[しはん] putting on the market; putting on sale; making commercially available
市街地[しがいち] town area; urban area; metropolitan area; built-up area
市長[しちょう] mayor
大都市[だいとし] metropolis; large city
市役所[しやくしょ] municipal office; council; city hall
市街[しがい] urban areas; the streets; town; city
卸売市場[おろしうりしじょう] wholesale market
同市[どうし] same city
市中[しちゅう] in the city
市会[しかい] city council
heisig_story: Dressed in nothing but a bath towel and top hat , one sets off to the market place in search of a bargain or two.
koohii_story: My recurring nightmare: Walking through the market , and suddenly realizing that I'm wearing only a top hat…and a towel.

kanji: 内
meaning: inside
ja_on: ナイ、ダイ
ja_kun: うち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
人[ひと] person
examples: 内容[ないよう] contents; content; substance; matter; detail; import
内[うち] inside; within
案内[あんない] guidance; leading (the way); showing around
内緒[ないしょ] secrecy; confidentiality; privacy; secret
内側[うちがわ] inside; interior; inner part
内部[ないぶ] interior; inside; internal
以内[いない] within; inside of; less than
身内[みうち] relatives; one's family
内心[ないしん] inner thoughts; real intention; inmost heart; one's mind
室内[しつない] indoor; inside the room
体内[たいない] interior of the body
店内[てんない] inside of a store (restaurant, café, etc.); store interior; on the premises
内科[ないか] internal medicine
国内[こくない] within the country; inside the county; domestic; home; internal
内臓[ないぞう] internal organs; viscera
heisig_story: Person . . . belt. Note that we cannot use the primitive meaning of hood here because the person runs THROUGH the element, not under it.
koohii_story: Mr. T 's new belt is huge! When he's inside it, his feet no longer touch the ground!

kanji: 方
meaning: direction
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: かた、-かた、-がた
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
examples: 方[かた] direction; way
方法[ほうほう] method; way; manner; process; procedure; means; measure
言い方[いいかた] way of saying (something); way of putting it; wording; phrasing; language; expre
味方[みかた] friend; ally; supporter
仕方ない[しかたない] there's no (other) way
やり方[やりかた] way (of doing); manner; method; means
方向[ほうこう] direction; orientation; bearing; way
方がいい[ほうがいい] had better ...
一方[いっぽう] one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one direction; the other d
夕方[ゆうがた] early evening (usu. from 3pm to 6pm); dusk
両方[りょうほう] both; both sides; both parties
何方[どなた] who
方々[かたがた] people; (all) persons; everyone; ladies and gentlemen
一方的[いっぽうてき] one-sided; unilateral; arbitrary
使い方[つかいかた] way of using (something); way to use; how to use; usage; use
heisig_story: Spinning a dagger about on its hilt on the top of a top hat \- waiting to see in which direction it points when it comes to rest - one leaves to fate where one is going next. Take care in writing this character.
koohii_story: Note: The primitives are top hat and bound up. Compare [ten thousand](../v4/64.html) (#64 万). Story: A rich man wearing a top hat and bound up from head to toe hobbles up to you and asks for directions to the nearest police station because he just escaped from his kidnappers.

kanji: 今
meaning: now
ja_on: コン、キン
ja_kun: いま
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 人[ひと] person
一[いち] one
examples: 今[いま] now; the present time; just now; soon; immediately
今日[きょう] today; this day
今度[こんど] this time; now
今まで[いままで] until now; till now; up to now; up to the present; so far
今回[こんかい] this time; now
今夜[こんや] this evening; tonight
今日は[こんにちは] hello; good day; good afternoon
今すぐ[いますぐ] at once; immediately; right now
今後[こんご] from now on; hereafter
今年[ことし] this year
今朝[けさ] this morning
今頃[いまごろ] about this time; about now
今更[いまさら] now (when it is already much too late); at this stage
今や[いまや] now (esp. in contrast to the past); now at last; at present; right now
今月[こんげつ] this month
heisig_story: The final stroke of this kanji is a rare shape, which we have not met before and will only meet in this character and others that include it as a primitive. We are more accustomed to seeing it straightened out as part of other shapes - for instance, as the second stroke of mouth. If you need any help at all with this character, you may picture it as two hands of a clock pointing to what time it is now. The element above it, meeting , should easily relate to that image.
koohii_story: My MEETING is at 7- but that's NOW!

kanji: 回
meaning: -times
ja_on: カイ、エ
ja_kun: まわ.る、-まわ.る、-まわ.り、まわ.す、-まわ.す、まわ.し-、-まわ.し、もとお.る、か.える
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
口[くち] mouth
examples: 今回[こんかい] this time; now
回る[まわる] to turn; to rotate; to revolve; to spin
回す[まわす] to turn; to rotate; to spin; to twist; to gyrate
回[かい] counter for occurrences
回復[かいふく] restoration; recovery; rehabilitation; return; improvement
一回[いっかい] once; one time; one round; one game; one bout; one heat; one inning
振り回す[ふりまわす] to wield; to brandish; to flourish; to wave (about); to swing
回収[かいしゅう] collection; recovery; withdrawal; retrieval
前回[ぜんかい] previous time; last time; previous installment; previous instalment; previous se
回目[かいめ] nth time
何回[なんかい] how many times
毎回[まいかい] every time; each round
回転[かいてん] rotation; revolution; turn; spin
回避[かいひ] evasion; avoidance
次回[じかい] next time (occasion)
heisig_story: The suffix " -times " refers to a number of repetitions. Its elements: a mouth . . . pent in. Hint: you may find it more helpful to forget the primitives and think of one circle revovling inside of another.
koohii_story: Write mouth two -times.

kanji: 新
meaning: new
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: あたら.しい、あら.た、あら-、にい-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
木[き] tree
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 新しい[あたらしい] new; novel; fresh; recent; latest; up-to-date; modern
新た[あらた] new; fresh; novel
新[しん] new; neo-
新鮮[しんせん] fresh
新聞[しんぶん] newspaper
新人[しんじん] newcomer; new figure; new member; recruit; rookie; new talent; new star
最新[さいしん] latest; newest; late-breaking (news)
新作[しんさく] new work; new production; new composition; new creation; new title
更新[こうしん] renewal; update; replacement; renovation; breaking (a record)
新品[しんぴん] brand-new article; new item
新規[しんき] new; fresh
新婚[しんこん] newly-wed; newly married
新手[あらて] fresh troops; fresh players
斬新[ざんしん] novel; original; new; innovative
新幹線[しんかんせん] Shinkansen; bullet train
heisig_story: Red pepper . . . ax.
koohii_story: (I don't like the 'red pepper plant' primative so I just go for standing atop a tree ). Here we have the woodcutter standing atop a tree waving his brand new axe. "Look what I got for christmas, yippee!".

kanji: 場
meaning: location
ja_on: ジョウ、チョウ
ja_kun: ば
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 土[つち] earth
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 場所[ばしょ] place; location; spot; position; area
場合[ばあい] case; occasion; situation; circumstances
場[ば] place; spot; space
立場[たちば] position; situation
現場[げんば] actual spot; scene (of a crime, accident, etc.)
居場所[いばしょ] whereabouts; place; location
登場[とうじょう] entrance (on the stage); appearance (in a book, film, etc.)
会場[かいじょう] assembly hall; meeting place; venue; site; grounds
場面[ばめん] scene; setting; place (where something happens); scenario; case
戦場[せんじょう] battlefield; battleground
職場[しょくば] one's post; place of work; workplace
工場[こうじょう] factory; plant; mill; workshop
広場[ひろば] public square; square; plaza; piazza; forum
出場[しゅつじょう] participation (in a tournament, match, race, etc.); entry; taking part (in); com
市場[いちば] (town) market; (street) market; marketplace
heisig_story: Soil . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: You're looking for a good location to bury your piggy bank savings. It has to be in some soft soil that's easy to dig up, well hidden, and easy to rememger like this kanji.

kanji: 米
meaning: rice
ja_on: ベイ、マイ、メエトル
ja_kun: こめ、よね
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
examples: 米[こめ] (husked grains of) rice
新米[しんまい] new rice; first rice crop of the year
白米[はくまい] polished rice; (uncooked) white rice
米国[べいこく] (United States of) America; USA; US
南米[なんべい] South America
欧米[おうべい] Europe and the United States; Europe and America; the West
中南米[ちゅうなんべい] Central and South America
全米[ぜんべい] all-America; pan-American; all of America
北米[ほくべい] North America
反米[はんべい] anti-American
在米[ざいべい] staying in the United States; residing in the United States; being situated in t
外米[がいまい] foreign rice
対米[たいべい] relating to the USA; toward America; with America
日米[にちべい] Japan and the United States; Japanese-American
無洗米[むせんまい] pre-washed rice; wash-free rice; musenmai
heisig_story: This kanji has a pictographic resemblance to a number of grains of rice lying on a plate in the shape of a star.
koohii_story: Stroke order: I like to think of the first two strokes as “chop sticks” with which one eats the rice. The rest then is the “tree” meaning “plant” in this contexct. also: USA.

kanji: 高
meaning: tall
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: たか.い、たか、-だか、たか.まる、たか.める
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
口[くち] mouth
冋[キョウ] desert
examples: 高い[たかい] high; tall
最高[さいこう] best; supreme; wonderful; finest
高校[こうこう] senior high school; high school
高さ[たかさ] height; altitude; elevation; level
高校生[こうこうせい] senior high school student
高まる[たかまる] to rise; to swell; to be promoted
可能性が高い[かのうせいがたかい] very likely; very probable
高[たか] quantity; amount; volume; number; amount of money
高める[たかめる] to raise; to lift; to boost; to enhance
高級[こうきゅう] high-class; high-grade; high-quality; high-end; luxury
高度[こうど] altitude; height; elevation
高速[こうそく] high-speed; rapid; express
高価[こうか] highly priced; expensive; valuable; costly
女子高生[じょしこうせい] female high school student
甲高い[かんだかい] high-pitched; shrill
heisig_story: Recalling an image from frame 195, first see the mouth under the extraterrestrial's glass hood , and then the mouth under the top hat of one of his mates who has tried on the strange earthling's headgear only to find that it makes him look much, much taller than everyone else.
koohii_story: Two little aliens in a trenchcoat and top hat , trying to look TALL. The bottom one, in the glass helmet, is under the coat. The top one has his top hat pulled down in disguise, so all you can see is his mouth.

kanji: 明
meaning: bright
ja_on: メイ、ミョウ、ミン
ja_kun: あ.かり、あか.るい、あか.るむ、あか.らむ、あき.らか、あ.ける、-あ.け、あ.く、あ.くる、あ.かす
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
月[つき] moon
examples: 明日[あした] tomorrow
説明[せつめい] explanation; exposition; description; account; caption; legend
明るい[あかるい] light; bright; well-lit; well-lighted
明らか[あきらか] clear; obvious; evident; plain; definite
証明[しょうめい] proof; testimony; demonstration; verification; certification
不明[ふめい] unclear; obscure; indistinct; uncertain; ambiguous
明かり[あかり] light; glow; gleam
行方不明[ゆくえふめい] missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
明確[めいかく] clear; precise; definite; distinct
明かす[あかす] to pass (the night); to spend
判明[はんめい] establishing; proving; ascertaining; identifying; confirming
打ち明ける[うちあける] to confide; to reveal; to disclose; to lay bare; to speak frankly; to open (one'
透明[とうめい] transparent; clear
明後日[あさって] day after tomorrow
照明[しょうめい] illumination; lighting
heisig_story: Among nature's bright lights, there are two that the biblical myth has God set in the sky: the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule the night. Each of them has come to represent one of the common connotations of this key word: the sun , the bright insight of the clear thinker, and the moon , the bright intuition of the poet and the seer (see frame 13).
koohii_story: The sun makes the moon bright.

kanji: 京
meaning: capital
ja_on: キョウ、ケイ、キン
ja_kun: みやこ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
口[くち] mouth
小[しょう] small
examples: 東京[とうきょう] Tokyo
京都[きょうと] Kyoto (city, prefecture)
京[きょう] imperial capital (esp. Kyoto)
上京[じょうきょう] going (up) to the capital; going to Tokyo
帰京[ききょう] returning (home) to Tokyo; returning to the capital
中京[ちゅうきょう] Nagoya (city)
京阪[けいはん] Kyoto and Osaka; Kyoto-Osaka area
北京[ペキン] Beijing (China); Peking
在京[ざいきょう] being in the capital (i.e. Tokyo, or formerly Kyoto)
東京証券取引所[とうきょうしょうけんとりひきじょ] Tokyo Stock Exchange; TSE
heisig_story: When we think of a capital city today we think of tall skyscrapers dwarfing the endless swarms of little folk scurrying here and there about their business.
koohii_story: Tokyo, capital of Japan: tall buildings, small people (compared to the buildings).

kanji: 通
meaning: traffic
ja_on: ツウ、ツ
ja_kun: とお.る、とお.り、-とお.り、-どお.り、とお.す、とお.し、-どお.し、かよ.う
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 甬[ヨウ] road with walls on both sides
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 普通[ふつう] normal; ordinary; regular; usual; common; average
通る[とおる] to go by; to go past; to go along; to travel along; to pass through; to use (a r
通す[とおす] to let pass; to allow through; to let through; to make way (for)
通う[かよう] to go to and from (a place); to go back and forth between; to run between (e.g.
通り[とおり] street; road; avenue; thoroughfare
通じる[つうじる] to be open (to traffic); to lead to; to communicate (with)
通常[つうじょう] usual; ordinary; normal; regular; general; common
通用[つうよう] (common) use (of a language, currency, etc.); current use; circulation; currency
通報[つうほう] report; notification; tip; bulletin
共通[きょうつう] common; shared; mutual
いつも通り[いつもどおり] as always; as usual
通路[つうろ] passage; pathway; roadway; avenue; aisle
通り過ぎる[とおりすぎる] to go past; to pass; to pass by
通過[つうか] passing through (a tunnel, station, town, etc.); passing by (e.g. of a typhoon);
通信[つうしん] correspondence; communication; transmission; news; signal; telecommunications
heisig_story: Chop-seal . . . utilize . . . road. By combining the first two primitives into a single image, you will be able to use that image in a few instances later, one of which comes immediately.
koohii_story: I bounce down the road on my pogo stick , easily getting through the dense traffic. (Note: New primitive: chop-seal + utilize = pogo stick. Because a chop-seal is long and thin with a rubbery bit at the end. If it were big enough, you could utilize it as a pogo stick ). [Edit: pogo stick also appears in 1409, 1690, 2530].

kanji: 外
meaning: outside
ja_on: ガイ、ゲ
ja_kun: そと、ほか、はず.す、はず.れる、と-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 夕[ゆうべ] evening
卜[ぼく] oracle
examples: 外[がい] outside ...; beyond ...; not included in ...
以外[いがい] excluding; except (for); apart from; other than; besides; in addition to
意外[いがい] unexpected; surprising
外す[はずす] to remove; to take off; to detach; to unfasten; to undo
外れる[はずれる] to be disconnected; to get out of place; to be off; to be out (e.g. of gear)
案外[あんがい] unexpectedly; surprisingly
海外[かいがい] foreign; abroad; overseas
予想外[よそうがい] unexpected; unforeseen; strange
外出[がいしゅつ] going out; outing; leaving (one's home, office, etc.)
例外[れいがい] exception
外見[がいけん] outward appearance; looks
外部[がいぶ] outside (e.g. of a building); exterior
外国[がいこく] foreign country
外側[そとがわ] exterior; outside; outer; external; lateral
心外[しんがい] regrettable; vexing; upsetting
heisig_story: On the left, the primitive for evening , and on the right, that for the magic wand. Now, as every magician worth his abracadabra knows, bringing your magic wand out into the evening air makes your magic much more powerful than if you were to stay indoors. Hence, evening and magic wand takes you naturally outside.
koohii_story: A young magician likes to practice outside in the evening with his magic wand (as opposed to the old magician who wakes early to practice with his wand in [eminent](../v4/51.html) (#51 卓)).

kanji: 言
meaning: say
ja_on: ゲン、ゴン
ja_kun: い.う、こと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 言う[いう] to say; to utter; to declare
言葉[ことば] language; dialect
言い方[いいかた] way of saying (something); way of putting it; wording; phrasing; language; expre
言い訳[いいわけ] excuse
言い出す[いいだす] to begin to say; to start talking; to broach (a matter); to bring up; to come ou
発言[はつげん] statement; remark; observation; utterance; speech; proposal
そう言う[そういう] such; like that; that sort of
一言[ひとこと] single word; a few words; brief comment
宣言[せんげん] declaration; proclamation; announcement
そう言った[そういった] like that; this type
言い切る[いいきる] to declare; to assert; to state definitively
無言[むごん] silence (not speaking); muteness
証言[しょうげん] testimony; (verbal) evidence
断言[だんげん] assertion; declaration; affirmation
と言う[という] called; named; that says; that
heisig_story: Of all the things we can do with our mouths , speech is the one that requires the greatest distinctness and clarity. Hence the kanji for say has four little sound-waves, indicating the complexity of the achievement.
koohii_story: A pictogram of someone saying a four letter word from their mouth after the censors have gotten a hold of it.

kanji: 理
meaning: logic
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: ことわり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 王[オウ] king
里[さと] village
examples: 無理[むり] unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable
理由[りゆう] reason; grounds; pretext; excuse; motive
理解[りかい] understanding; comprehension; appreciation
料理[りょうり] cooking; cookery; cuisine; food; dish
管理[かんり] control; management (e.g. of a business)
理想[りそう] ideal; ideals
整理[せいり] sorting; arrangement; organization; putting in order; adjustment; regulation
処理[しょり] processing; dealing with; treatment; disposition; disposal
無理やり[むりやり] forcibly; by force; against one's will
理屈[りくつ] theory; reason; logic
理不尽[りふじん] unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
義理[ぎり] duty; sense of duty; honor; honour; decency; courtesy; debt of gratitude; social
理性[りせい] reason; reasoning power; (one's) sense
修理[しゅうり] repair; mending; fixing; servicing
無理矢理[むりやり] forcibly; by force; against one's will
heisig_story: We first referred to this character back in frame 185, to which you might want to return to have a peek. The image of logic we are given is something like a central jewel in a computer , like the jewels in old clocks that keep them running smoothly. Try to picture yourself making your way through all the rams and roms and approaching this shining jewel , a chorus of voice sand a blast of trumpets in the background heralding the great seat of all- knowing logic.
koohii_story: The king of LOGIC is the computer.

kanji: 体
meaning: body
ja_on: タイ、テイ
ja_kun: からだ、かたち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
本[ホン] book
examples: 体[からだ] body
一体[いったい] (what) the heck; (why) in the world; (who) on earth; (where) the hell; (how) the
大体[だいたい] generally; on the whole; mostly; almost; nearly; approximately; roughly; about
正体[しょうたい] true character; true form; true colors; identity; truth (of a mystery, phenomeno
自体[じたい] itself
全体[ぜんたい] whole; entirety
体力[たいりょく] physical strength; power; stamina; endurance; vigor; resistance to disease
具体的[ぐたいてき] concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
体調[たいちょう] physical condition; state of health; shape
体験[たいけん] (practical) experience; personal experience; hands-on experience; first-hand exp
死体[したい] dead body; corpse; cadaver; carcass
身体[しんたい] body; physical system; (the) person
肉体[にくたい] the body; the flesh; the outer man; one's physique
体重[たいじゅう] (body) weight
体勢[たいせい] posture; position; stance
heisig_story: Person . . . book.
koohii_story: Mister T works out his body (body-building), using two piles of books (i.e. an exercise that can be done at home with two chairs, similar to push- ups but working mostly the shoulders, trapezius and triceps).

kanji: 当
meaning: hit
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: あ.たる、あ.たり、あ.てる、あ.て、まさ.に、まさ.にべし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 小[しょう] small
examples: 本当[ほんとう] truth; reality; actuality; fact
本当に[ほんとうに] really; truly
当然[とうぜん] natural; right; proper; just; reasonable; appropriate; deserved
当たる[あたる] to be hit; to strike
当たり前[あたりまえ] natural; reasonable; obvious
相当[そうとう] corresponding to (in meaning, function, etc.); being equivalent to
担当[たんとう] being in charge (of an area of responsibility); being responsible (for a work ro
適当[てきとう] suitable; proper; appropriate; adequate; fit; fair
当時[とうじ] at that time; in those days
当てる[あてる] to hit
当日[とうじつ] day in question; appointed day; that very day; the day (of issue, publication, e
心当たり[こころあたり] having in mind; happening to know (of); idea (of); inkling
お弁当[おべんとう] bento
目当て[めあて] mark; guide; landmark
見当たる[みあたる] to be found
heisig_story: Little . . . broom.
koohii_story: Some mothers use a small broom to hit their children when they misbehave.

kanji: 首
meaning: neck
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: くび
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 自[みずから] self
examples: 首[くび] neck
手首[てくび] wrist
乳首[ちくび] nipple; teat
足首[あしくび] ankle
自首[じしゅ] surrender (to the authorities); giving oneself up; turning oneself in
首都[しゅと] capital (city); metropolis
首尾[しゅび] beginning and end; from beginning to end
首領[しゅりょう] head; chief; boss; leader
首席[しゅせき] head; chief
元首[げんしゅ] sovereign; ruler; head of state
部首[ぶしゅ] radical (of a kanji character)
首相[しゅしょう] prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier
首脳[しゅのう] head; leader; top
首飾り[くびかざり] necklace; choker
一首[いっしゅ] one tanka; one poem
heisig_story: Reading this kanji from the top down, we have: horns . . . nose. Together they bring to mind the picture of a moose-head hanging on the den wall, with its great horns and long nose. Now while we would speak of cutting off a moose's "head" to hang on the wall, the Japanese speak of cutting off its neck. It's all a matter of how you look at it. Anyway, if you let the word neck conjure up the image of a moose with a very l-o-n-g neck hanging over the fireplace, whose horns you use for a coat-rack and whose nose has spigots left and right for scotch and water, you should have no trouble with the character. Here we get a good look at what we mentioned when we first introduced the element for horns : that they can never be left floating free and require an extra horizontal stroke to prevent that from happening, as is the case here.
koohii_story: The V shape is your neck on top of your collar bone, or the straight line. Yourself , or the rest of your body is below that!

kanji: 来
meaning: come
ja_on: ライ、タイ
ja_kun: く.る、きた.る、きた.す、き.たす、き.たる、き、こ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
examples: 来る[くる] to come (spatially or temporally); to approach; to arrive
未来[みらい] (distant) future
出来る[できる] to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do)
以来[いらい] since; henceforth
本来[ほんらい] originally; primarily
将来[しょうらい] future; (future) prospects
出来事[できごと] occurrence; happening; incident; event
やって来る[やってくる] to come along; to come around; to turn up
来週[らいしゅう] next week
来年[らいねん] next year
来[らい] next (year, spring, etc.); coming
出来[しゅったい] occurrence; happening; taking place
来月[らいげつ] next month
出来上がる[できあがる] to be completed; to be finished; to be ready (e.g. to serve or eat)
連れて来る[つれてくる] to bring someone along
heisig_story: This odd but common kanji is built up of the character for not yet into which a pair of animal horns has been inserted.
koohii_story: You horny bastard, don't come , at least not yet!

kanji: 作
meaning: make
ja_on: サク、サ
ja_kun: つく.る、つく.り、-づく.り
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
乍[サ] though
examples: 作る[つくる] to make; to produce; to manufacture; to build; to construct
作戦[さくせん] tactics; strategy
作業[さぎょう] work; operation; task
作品[さくひん] work (e.g. book, film, painting, composition); piece; production; opus
作り[つくり] making; producing; manufacturing; building; construction; make; structure
操作[そうさ] operation; management; handling
作り出す[つくりだす] to manufacture; to produce; to raise (crops)
手作り[てづくり] handmade; handcrafted; homemade; homegrown
動作[どうさ] movement (of the body); action; motion; gesture
作[さく] work (e.g. of art); piece; production
作り上げる[つくりあげる] to build up; to complete; to construct; to create; to put together
新作[しんさく] new work; new production; new composition; new creation; new title
制作[せいさく] work (film, book)
作家[さっか] author; writer; novelist; artist
作成[さくせい] making (a report, plan, contract, etc.); drawing up; writing out; preparing; cre
heisig_story: Person . . . saw.
koohii_story: Mr T. 's favorite magazine is Make. He loves to make things. But he's a purist: he only uses saws , no power tools.

kanji: 用
meaning: utilize
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: もち.いる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 用[もちいる] to use
examples: 用[よう] business; task; errand; engagement
用意[ようい] preparation; arrangements; provision; getting ready; laying out (e.g. a meal)
利用[りよう] use; utilization; utilisation; application
信用[しんよう] confidence; trust; faith; reputation
用事[ようじ] business; things to do; engagement; errand; affairs
使用[しよう] use; application; employment; utilization; utilisation
用件[ようけん] business; thing to be done; something that should be performed; information that
通用[つうよう] (common) use (of a language, currency, etc.); current use; circulation; currency
器用[きよう] skillful; skilful; adroit; dexterous; dextrous; deft; nimble; handy
専用[せんよう] (one's) exclusive use; private use; personal use
無用[むよう] useless; futile
不器用[ぶきよう] clumsy; awkward; unskillful
採用[さいよう] use; adoption; acceptance
用いる[もちいる] to use; to make use of; to utilize; to utilise
費用[ひよう] cost; expense
heisig_story: Meat . . . walking stick. Be sure to keep this key word distinct from that for use (Frame 1065). The stroke order is exactly as you would expect it from the order of the primitive elements as given.
koohii_story: To tenderize meat in an emergency wilderness situation, just utilize your walking stick!

kanji: 強
meaning: strong
ja_on: キョウ、ゴウ
ja_kun: つよ.い、つよ.まる、つよ.める、し.いる、こわ.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
厶[む] private
虫[むし] worm
examples: 強い[つよい] strong; potent; competent; domineering; tough
勉強[べんきょう] study
強さ[つよさ] strength; power
強引[ごういん] overbearing; coercive; pushy; forcible; high-handed
最強[さいきょう] strongest
強力[きょうりょく] powerful; strong
強烈[きょうれつ] strong; intense; severe
力強い[ちからづよい] powerful; strong; forceful; vigorous
強化[きょうか] strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement; enhancement; solidification
心強い[こころづよい] heartening; reassuring
強制[きょうせい] compulsion; coercion; forcing (to do); enforcement
強いる[しいる] to force; to compel; to coerce; to press; to impose
強制的[きょうせいてき] forced; compulsory
強気[つよき] confident; assured; self-assured; firm; strong; cocksure
強請る[ねだる] to beg; to pester; to plead; to coax; to hound; to importune
heisig_story: Vast . . . insect. Note how the elbow of vast is shrunken and elevated to make room for the insect beneath.
koohii_story: An insect who can fly vast distances is strong.

kanji: 公
meaning: public
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: おおやけ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 八[はち] eight
厶[む] private
examples: 公園[こうえん] (public) park
主人公[しゅじんこう] protagonist; main character; hero; heroine
公[おおやけ] official; governmental; formal
公開[こうかい] opening to the public; making available to the public; exhibiting; unveiling; re
公式[こうしき] official; formal
不公平[ふこうへい] unfairness; injustice; partiality
公表[こうひょう] official announcement; proclamation
公平[こうへい] fairness; impartiality; justice; objectivity
公衆[こうしゅう] the public; general public
公認[こうにん] official recognition; official approval; certification; authorization; authorisa
公演[こうえん] public performance
公務員[こうむいん] public employee; government employee; public-sector worker; public servant; civi
公言[こうげん] declaration; profession
公正[こうせい] justice; fairness; impartiality
公衆電話[こうしゅうでんわ] public telephone; pay phone
heisig_story: Come in . . . elbows. Use the key word in its adjectival sense, not as a noun.
koohii_story: I always open the doors to the public restrooms with my elbows because I don't want to touch the door with my hands.

kanji: 野
meaning: plains
ja_on: ヤ、ショ
ja_kun: の、の-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 里[さと] village
予[ヨ] beforehand
examples: 野郎[やろう] guy; fellow; chap; buddy
野菜[やさい] vegetable
野球[やきゅう] baseball
分野[ぶんや] field; sphere; realm; division; branch
野[の] field; plain
野望[やぼう] ambition; aspiration
野生[やせい] wild
視野[しや] field of vision; view
野暮[やぼ] boorish; unsophisticated; unrefined; uncouth; tasteless; insensitive; thoughtles
野蛮[やばん] savage; barbarous; barbaric; uncivilized; uncivilised
野放し[のばなし] pasturing (e.g. cattle); letting (an animal) run loose
荒野[あれの] wasteland; wilderness; deserted land; prairie; vast plain; wilds; desert; wild l
野心[やしん] ambition; aspiration
野獣[やじゅう] wild beast; wild animal; brute
野球部[やきゅうぶ] baseball club (at a university, corporation, etc.); baseball team
heisig_story: This character refers to rustic life and rustic fields primarily, and from there gets derived meanings. Its elements: computer. . beforehand.
koohii_story: These days we all work in front of computers. Beforehand we all worked out in the fields, in the plains.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 地理

kanji: 思
meaning: think
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: おも.う、おもえら.く、おぼ.す
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
心[こころ] heart
examples: 思う[おもう] to think; to consider; to believe; to reckon
思い出す[おもいだす] to recall; to remember; to recollect
思い[おもい] thought
不思議[ふしぎ] wonderful; marvelous; strange; incredible; amazing; curious; miraculous; mysteri
思われる[おもわれる] to seem; to appear
思い出[おもいで] memories; recollections; reminiscence
思いつく[おもいつく] to think of; to hit upon; to come into one's mind; to be struck with an idea
思わず[おもわず] unconsciously; involuntarily; instinctively; reflexively; spontaneously; uninten
意思[いし] intention; wish; purpose; mind (to do)
思考[しこう] thought; consideration; thinking
思いっきり[おもいっきり] to one's heart's content; as much as one wants; as hard as one can; with all one
思い込む[おもいこむ] to be convinced (that); to be under the impression (that); to feel sure (that);
思い切る[おもいきる] to give up (all thoughts of); to abandon; to despair of
思惑[おもわく] expectation; anticipation; prediction; forecast; calculations
思い当たる[おもいあたる] to suddenly understand (esp. on basis of experience or memory); to come to mind;
heisig_story: Brains . . . heart.
koohii_story: Think with your brain NOT your heart.

kanji: 家
meaning: house
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: いえ、や、うち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
豕[いのこ] pig
examples: 家[いえ] house; residence; dwelling; home
家族[かぞく] family
実家[じっか] (one's parents') home
家庭[かてい] home; household; family; hearth
一家[いっか] a family; a household; a home; one's family; whole family
お家[おうち] your home; your family; their home; their family
家事[かじ] housework; domestic chores
我が家[わがや] one's house; one's home; one's family
家出[いえで] running away from home; elopement
作家[さっか] author; writer; novelist; artist
国家[こっか] state; country; nation
家具[かぐ] furniture
専門家[せんもんか] specialist; expert; professional; authority; pundit
家賃[やちん] rent
政治家[せいじか] politician; statesman
heisig_story: This is the full character whose primitive form we learned already. To help a little, this kanji recalls the times when the "domestic" animals were, as the word itself suggests, really kept in the house. Hence: house . . . sow.
koohii_story: Think of "The Three Little Pigs". There was a house made of straw, another made of sticks, and a third made of bricks, each occupied by a pig. So, naturally, housetop over pig means house , the central element of that story.

kanji: 話
meaning: tale
ja_on: ワ
ja_kun: はな.す、はなし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 言[げん] words
舌[した] tongue
examples: 話[はなし] talk; speech; chat; conversation
話す[はなす] to talk; to speak; to converse; to chat
電話[でんわ] telephone call; phone call
お話[おはなし] story; tale
会話[かいわ] conversation; talk; chat
お世話になる[おせわになる] to receive favor; to receive assistance; to receive help; to be looked after; to
話しかける[はなしかける] to address (someone); to accost a person; to talk (to someone)
話題[わだい] topic; subject
話し合う[はなしあう] to discuss; to talk together
世話[せわ] care; looking after; help; assistance; aid
話し合い[はなしあい] discussion; talk; tête-à-tête; conference
お話し[おはなし] story; tale
携帯電話[けいたいでんわ] mobile phone; cell phone
通話[つうわ] telephone call; speaking over the telephone; (Internet) voice call; videoconfere
電話番号[でんわばんごう] telephone number; phone number
heisig_story: That the words of the tongue should come to mean a tale is clear from the etymology: a tale is something "talked," not something read from a book.
koohii_story: Tale s are always spoken, not written, and because of this, words fly out of your tongue , rather than your pen.

kanji: 多
meaning: many
ja_on: タ
ja_kun: おお.い、まさ.に、まさ.る
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 夕[ゆうべ] evening
examples: 多い[おおい] many; numerous; a lot
多く[おおく] many; much; plenty; a lot
多分[たぶん] probably; likely; perhaps; maybe
多少[たしょう] a little; some; somewhat; slightly; to some degree; to some extent
多数[たすう] large number (of); many
多め[おおめ] somewhat larger (amount); quite a lot; a little more (than usual); a little extr
数多く[かずおおく] in great numbers
多[た] multi-
滅多に[めったに] rarely; seldom
多大[ただい] great (quantity, amount, etc.); huge; enormous; serious
多忙[たぼう] being very busy; busyness
多額[たがく] large (amount of money); huge; hefty; expensive
滅多[めった] thoughtless; reckless; careless; rash
大多数[だいたすう] great majority
多発[たはつ] repeated occurrence; frequently occurring
heisig_story: " Many moons ago, " begins much of Amerindian folklore - a colorful way of saying "Once upon a time" and a great deal of help for remembering this kanji. Here we have two moons (three of them would take us back to the beginning of time, which is further than we want to go), lacking the final stroke because they are partially hidden behind the clouds of time.
koohii_story: Two evenings too many!

kanji: 数
meaning: number
ja_on: スウ、ス、サク、ソク、シュ
ja_kun: かず、かぞ.える、しばしば、せ.める、わずらわ.しい
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 娄[ル] surname
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 数[かず] number; amount
数日[すうじつ] few days
人数[にんずう] the number of people
数える[かぞえる] to count; to enumerate
数字[すうじ] numeral; digit; numeric character
複数[ふくすう] plural; multiple
数々[かずかず] many; numerous; various; large number of
数年[すうねん] several years; a few years
無数[むすう] innumerable; countless; numberless
多数[たすう] large number (of); many
数時間[すうじかん] a few hours; several hours; a couple of hours
回数[かいすう] number of times; frequency; count
数分[すうふん] several minutes; a few minutes
数十[すうじゅう] dozens; scores of; decades
数学[すうがく] mathematics
heisig_story: Rice . . . woman . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: Young taskmaster is learning numbers by watching women haul sacks of rice past him. "One… two… four! No, wrong! Go back, go back!".

kanji: 記
meaning: scribe
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: しる.す
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 言[げん] words
己[おのれ] self
examples: 記憶[きおく] memory; recollection; remembrance
記録[きろく] record; document; minutes; log; recording; putting on record; keeping a record (
記念[きねん] commemoration; celebration; remembrance; memory; honoring the memory of
記事[きじ] article; news story; report; account
記す[しるす] to write down; to note down; to jot down; to take a note of
日記[にっき] diary; journal
記者[きしゃ] reporter; journalist
記載[きさい] mention (in a document); record; entry; statement; listing
記入[きにゅう] entry (in a form, register, diary, etc.); filling in; filling out
記述[きじゅつ] description; account
暗記[あんき] memorization; memorisation; learning by heart
記念日[きねんび] memorial day; commemoration day; anniversary
記号[きごう] sign; symbol; mark
表記[ひょうき] expression in writing; written representation; notation; transcription; orthogra
記者会見[きしゃかいけん] press conference; news conference
heisig_story: Words . . . snake.
koohii_story: A scribe writes down the words spoken by a snake (i.e. a lawyer).

kanji: 北
meaning: north
ja_on: ホク
ja_kun: きた
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 北[きた] north
敗北[はいぼく] defeat; loss; reverse; setback
北海道[ほっかいどう] Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
北側[きたがわ] north side; north bank
北部[ほくぶ] northern part; the north (of a region)
東北[とうほく] north-east
北西[ほくせい] northwest
北東[ほくとう] northeast
北上[ほくじょう] going north
北方[ほっぽう] the north; northward; northern direction
北極[ほっきょく] North Pole
南北[なんぼく] north and south; north to south
北アイルランド[きたアイルランド] Northern Ireland
北九州[きたきゅうしゅう] Kitakyushu (city)
北京[ペキン] Beijing (China); Peking
heisig_story: The cold air from the north is so strong that we see two people sitting on the ground back to back, their arms interlocked so they don't blow away. (Pay special attention to the drawing of the first 3 strokes.)
koohii_story: Warning: The left part is NOT the primitive turtle! The stroke order is different. Sometimes it will look exactly the same but not always depending on the font / style used to draw this character. Be sure to study the difference!

kanji: 午
meaning: noon
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: うま
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
干[かん] to dry
examples: 午後[ごご] afternoon; p.m.
午前[ごぜん] morning; a.m.
午前中[ごぜんちゅう] in the morning; during the morning
正午[しょうご] noon; midday
午[うま] the Horse (seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac)
heisig_story: With a bit of stretching, you might see a horse's head pointing leftwards in this character. That gives the primary meaning of the Chinese zodiacal sign of the horse, which corresponds to the hour of noon. Note how this kanji primitive differs from that for cow (Frame 260).
koohii_story: Noon is a good time for a ten minute nap (using lie down as nap).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 午後 牛 千

kanji: 心
meaning: heart
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: こころ、-ごころ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 心[こころ] heart
examples: 心配[しんぱい] worry; concern; anxiety; uneasiness; fear
心[こころ] mind; heart; spirit
安心[あんしん] peace of mind; relief; (sense of) security; safety; assurance; confidence
心臓[しんぞう] heart
中心[ちゅうしん] center; centre; middle; heart; core; focus; pivot; emphasis; balance
肝心[かんじん] essential; important; crucial; vital; main
感心[かんしん] admiration; being impressed
心当たり[こころあたり] having in mind; happening to know (of); idea (of); inkling
本心[ほんしん] true feelings; real intention; one's heart
熱心[ねっしん] zealous; enthusiastic; ardent; fervent; keen; eager
心強い[こころづよい] heartening; reassuring
決心[けっしん] determination; resolution
内心[ないしん] inner thoughts; real intention; inmost heart; one's mind
好奇心[こうきしん] curiosity; inquisitiveness
心地よい[ここちよい] comfortable; pleasant
heisig_story: This character, a pictographic representation of the heart , is among the most widely used primitives we shall meet.
koohii_story: (mature content: violence) I hung the heart of my victim with a hook and three drops of blood spattered me.

kanji: 点
meaning: spot
ja_on: テン
ja_kun: つ.ける、つ.く、た.てる、さ.す、とぼ.す、とも.す、ぼち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 占[セン] fortune-telling
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 点[てん] dot; spot; point; speck; mark
時点[じてん] point in time; occasion
弱点[じゃくてん] weak point; weakness; shortcoming; defect; flaw; sore spot; tender spot
一点[いってん] point; dot; speck
頂点[ちょうてん] vertex; apex
地点[ちてん] spot; point; place; position
視点[してん] point of view; viewpoint; angle; perspective
拠点[きょてん] base (of operations); site; location; center; foothold; stronghold; (strategic)
欠点[けってん] fault; defect; flaw; weak point; weakness; shortcoming; drawback
現時点[げんじてん] present point (i.e. in history); at the present time
接点[せってん] point of tangency; point of contact
点数[てんすう] marks; points; score; grade; runs (baseball)
共通点[きょうつうてん] point in common; common feature
満点[まんてん] perfect score; full marks
焦点[しょうてん] focus; focal point
heisig_story: If you look into the flickering of a fire for a long time and then turn aside, you will see spots before your eyes. Although nobody ever thought of such a thing before - as least as far as know, they didn't - imagine using those spots as a technique for fortune-telling. The old witch sits before her cauldron and watches the spots that show up when she turns to look at you, and from that tells your fortune. Think of it as a kind of spot -check on your future.
koohii_story: The FORTUNE TELLER was burned by FLAMES on the spot because she was accused of being a witch.

kanji: 教
meaning: teach
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: おし.える、おそ.わる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 孝[コウ] filial piety
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 教える[おしえる] to teach; to instruct
教室[きょうしつ] classroom; lecture room
教わる[おそわる] to be taught; to learn; to take lessons in
教師[きょうし] teacher; instructor
教育[きょういく] education; schooling; training; instruction; teaching; upbringing
説教[せっきょう] sermon; preaching; homily
教科書[きょうかしょ] textbook; coursebook; schoolbook
教授[きょうじゅ] professor
教え[おしえ] teaching; instruction; teachings; precept; lesson; doctrine
教会[きょうかい] church; congregation
宗教[しゅうきょう] religion; religious affiliation; belief; faith; creed
教え子[おしえご] one's student (esp. a former one); one's pupil; one's disciple
教訓[きょうくん] lesson; precept; teachings; moral
家庭教師[かていきょうし] (home) tutor; private tutor; private teacher
教科[きょうか] subject; curriculum
heisig_story: Filial piety . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: In early Japan, filial piety was the cornerstone of education, and harsh taskmasters were employed to teach it.

kanji: 書
meaning: write
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: か.く、-が.き、-がき
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
日[ひ] sun
examples: 書く[かく] to write; to compose; to pen
書類[しょるい] document; papers
教科書[きょうかしょ] textbook; coursebook; schoolbook
図書館[としょかん] library
読書[どくしょ] reading (books)
書き込む[かきこむ] to fill in (field, entry, etc.); to fill out (form)
報告書[ほうこくしょ] (written) report
秘書[ひしょ] (private) secretary
落書き[らくがき] scrawl; scribble; graffiti; doodle
図書室[としょしつ] library (usu. single-room); small library
書き換える[かきかえる] to rewrite; to overwrite; to renew; to transfer
書店[しょてん] bookshop; bookstore
書物[しょもつ] book; volume
後書き[あとがき] afterword; postscript
本書[ほんしょ] main text
heisig_story: The sage talks rapidly with his tongue wagging in his mouth , while the brush of the scribe runs apace to write down the master 'swords.
koohii_story: Make sure you practice writing kanji with a brush every day before the sun goes down.

kanji: 活
meaning: lively
ja_on: カツ
ja_kun: い.きる、い.かす、い.ける
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
舌[した] tongue
examples: 生活[せいかつ] life; living
活動[かつどう] activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; operation
活躍[かつやく] activity (esp. energetic or successful); great efforts; active participation
復活[ふっかつ] revival (of an old system, custom, fashion, etc.); restoration; return; comeback
部活[ぶかつ] club activities; extracurricular activities
活用[かつよう] practical use; application; making good use of; putting to good use; capitalizin
活発[かっぱつ] lively; active; vigorous; animated; brisk
活気[かっき] energy; vigour; vigor; liveliness; spirit; life; animation
生活費[せいかつひ] living expenses
日常生活[にちじょうせいかつ] everyday life; daily life
活力[かつりょく] vitality; energy; dynamism
快活[かいかつ] cheerful; lively; lighthearted
私生活[しせいかつ] private life
食生活[しょくせいかつ] eating habits; diet; dietary pattern
就活[しゅうかつ] job hunting; job searching
heisig_story: When we speak of a lively personality or a lively party, we immediately think of a lot of chatter. This kanji depicts the idea of lively by having tongues babble and splash around like flowing water.
koohii_story: I'm sure I can get her pretty lively and wet using my tongue.

kanji: 原
meaning: meadow
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: はら
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
白[しろ] white
小[しょう] small
examples: 原因[げんいん] cause; origin; source
原稿[げんこう] manuscript; copy; draft; notes; contribution
原作[げんさく] original work
原理[げんり] principle; theory; fundamental truth
原[はら] field; plain; prairie; tundra; moor; wilderness
草原[そうげん] grassy field; grassland; meadow
原則[げんそく] principle; general rule
河原[かわら] dry riverbed; river beach
原点[げんてん] starting point; origin; beginning
原動力[げんどうりょく] motive power; driving force
原型[げんけい] model; prototype; archetype
原料[げんりょう] raw materials; ingredient
野原[のはら] field; plain; prairie; moor
原形[げんけい] original form; base form
高原[こうげん] tableland; plateau
heisig_story: Though the kanji is broad enough to embrace both meanings, the meadow you should imagine here is not a flatland plain but a mountain meadow in the Austrian Alps. (Perhaps the opening scene of "The Sound of Music" will help.) Simply think of little springs bubbling up across the meadow to form a sort of path that leads you right to the brink of a precipitous cliff. Now if you can see Schwester Maria skipping along merrily, dodging in and out of the springs , and then falling headlong over the cliff , you have a ridiculous story that should help fix this kanji in memory.
koohii_story: Follow the springs down the cliff and you will find a nice meadow.

kanji: 交
meaning: mingle
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: まじ.わる、まじ.える、ま.じる、まじ.る、ま.ざる、ま.ぜる、-か.う、か.わす、かわ.す、こもごも
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
父[ちち] father
examples: 交換[こうかん] exchange; interchange; switching; reciprocity; barter; substitution; replacement
交渉[こうしょう] negotiations; bargaining; discussions; talks
交わす[かわす] to exchange (messages, greetings, arguments, etc.)
交代[こうたい] change; alternation; rotation; replacement; substitution; shift; relief; taking
交流[こうりゅう] exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction; mingling; mixing; coming tog
交える[まじえる] to mix; to combine; to include
交際[こうさい] company; friendship; association; society; acquaintance
交わる[まじわる] to cross; to intersect; to join; to meet
飛び交う[とびかう] to fly about; to flutter about; to flit about; to fly past each other
交通事故[こうつうじこ] traffic accident
交互[こうご] alternate; alternating
交差[こうさ] crossing; intersection
交差点[こうさてん] crossing; intersection
交戦[こうせん] war; battle; hostilities
交じる[まじる] to be mixed; to be blended with; to be combined
heisig_story: Top hat . . . father.
koohii_story: Even though your FATHER is an old man, he can't give up his party lifestyle. Once a week he still dons his cool TOP HAT (well, it was cool 40 years ago) and goes out on the town to MINGLE with the ladies. This is a pretty common thing in Japan, where old motherfuckers still think they can pick up 19 year old girls.

kanji: 元
meaning: beginning
ja_on: ゲン、ガン
ja_kun: もと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 二[に] two
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 元気[げんき] lively; full of spirit; energetic; vigorous; vital; spirited
元[もと] origin; source; beginning
足元[あしもと] at one's feet; underfoot; one's step (as in "watch your step")
元々[もともと] originally; from the start; from the beginning; from the outset; by nature
地元[じもと] home area; home town
手元[てもと] at hand; on hand; nearby; close at hand
耳元[みみもと] close to the ear
次元[じげん] dimension
身元[みもと] (one's) identity; background; upbringing; birth (and parentage)
元凶[げんきょう] ringleader; main culprit
復元[ふくげん] restoration (to the original state or location); reconstruction; restitution
元より[もとより] from the beginning; from the first; all along; originally
元来[がんらい] originally; essentially; naturally; by nature; really; actually
襟元[えりもと] (around the) neck; nape
還元[かんげん] restoration; return
heisig_story: "In the beginning... " starts that marvelous shelf of books we call the Bible. It talks about how all things were made, and tells us that when the Creator came to humanity she made two of them, man and woman. While we presume she made two of every other animal as well, we are not told as much. Hence we need only two and a pair of human legs come to the kanji that means beginning.
koohii_story: In the beginning were just two who walked on human legs.

kanji: 近
meaning: near
ja_on: キン、コン
ja_kun: ちか.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 斤[おのづくり] axe
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 最近[さいきん] recently; lately; these days; nowadays; right now
近く[ちかく] near; neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity
近い[ちかい] near; close; short (distance)
近づく[ちかづく] to approach; to draw near; to get close
近所[きんじょ] neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity
近づける[ちかづける] to bring near; to bring close; to let go near
近寄る[ちかよる] to approach; to draw near
付近[ふきん] neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity; environs; surrounding area; district
間近[まぢか] near; close (to); nearby
接近[せっきん] getting closer; drawing nearer; approaching
身近[みぢか] near oneself; close to one; familiar
近頃[ちかごろ] lately; recently; nowadays
近々[ちかぢか] soon; before long; shortly; in the near future
近付く[ちかづく] to approach; to draw near; to get close
近道[ちかみち] shorter way; shortcut
heisig_story: Ax . . . road. Be careful not to confuse with draw near (Frame 204) or bystander (Frame 1090).
koohii_story: The end is near. The axe -murderer is waiting for you on the road …

kanji: 考
meaning: consider
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: かんが.える、かんが.え
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 耂[おいかんむり] old
丂[コウ] obstruction of breath (qi) as it seeks release
examples: 考える[かんがえる] to think (about, of); to think over; to ponder; to contemplate; to reflect (on);
考え[かんがえ] thinking; thought; view; opinion; concept
思考[しこう] thought; consideration; thinking
考え方[かんがえかた] way of thinking; point of view; opinion; approach (e.g. to a problem); attitude
考えてみれば[かんがえてみれば] if you think about it; come to think of it
考え直す[かんがえなおす] to reconsider; to rethink; to reassess
考慮[こうりょ] consideration; taking into account
参考[さんこう] reference; consultation
考察[こうさつ] consideration; inquiry; enquiry; investigation; study
考案[こうあん] plan; device; idea; design; contrivance; conception; invention
参考書[さんこうしょ] reference book; study-aid book; supplemental textbook; student handbook
考古学[こうこがく] archaeology; archeology
選考[せんこう] selection; choice; screening
備考[びこう] note (for reference); remarks; N.B.
再考[さいこう] reconsideration
heisig_story: Old man . . . slingshot. Remember: you already have kanji for discriminating (Frame 521), deliberation (Frame 692), and think (Frame 651).
koohii_story: Before shooting an old man with a slingshot , one shold carefully consider the possible consequences.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 考える 老師

kanji: 画
meaning: brush-stroke
ja_on: ガ、カク、エ、カイ
ja_kun: えが.く、かく.する、かぎ.る、はかりごと、はか.る
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 一[いち] one
由[ユ] wherefore
凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 計画[けいかく] plan; project; schedule; scheme; program; programme
映画[えいが] movie; film; motion picture
漫画[まんが] cartoon; comic; comic strip; manga
画面[がめん] screen (of a TV, computer, etc.)
企画[きかく] planning; plan; project; arrangements
動画[どうが] video (esp. digital); video clip; clip
画像[がぞう] image; picture; portrait
画[かく] stroke (of a kanji)
録画[ろくが] (video) recording
絵画[かいが] painting; picture
映画館[えいがかん] movie theatre; movie theater; cinema
区画[くかく] division; section; compartment; block; plot; lot; partition; boundary
画家[がか] painter; artist
漫画家[まんがか] cartoonist; comic book artist; manga artist; manga author; mangaka
計画的[けいかくてき] planned; scheduled; systematic
heisig_story: In forming an image for the key word, it is helpful to know that this kanji is used for artistic representations (like a completed painting), and as a counter for the number of brush-strokes in a character (as, for instance, in Indexes II and III at the end of this book). Its elements are: ceiling . . . sprout . . . shovel.
koohii_story: You decide one day to paint a kanji on your ceiling. Unfortunately, you don’t have a brush, so, being innovative, you use a sprout. Knowing it could be messy, you search for a drop-cloth, but can’t find one. Instead, you put a shovel down on the floor to catch any drips resulting from the BRUSH-STROKEs.

kanji: 海
meaning: sea
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: うみ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
毎[マイ] every
examples: 海[うみ] sea; ocean; waters
海外[かいがい] foreign; abroad; overseas
北海道[ほっかいどう] Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
海岸[かいがん] seashore; coast; seaside; waterfront; beach
海賊[かいぞく] pirate
海水[かいすい] seawater; saltwater
海辺[うみべ] beach; seashore; seaside; coast
海上[かいじょう] (on the) sea; surface of the sea
海底[かいてい] bottom of the ocean; seafloor; seabed
海面[かいめん] sea level; (surface of) sea
海水浴[かいすいよく] swimming in the ocean; sea bathing; seawater bath; going for a dip in the ocean
海中[かいちゅう] in the sea
深海[しんかい] deep sea; depths of the sea; ocean depths
航海[こうかい] (sea) voyage; navigation; sailing; passage; cruise
海外旅行[かいがいりょこう] trip abroad; overseas travel
heisig_story: Behind every drop of water , a sea from which it originated.
koohii_story: Every drop of water will eventually return to the sea.

kanji: 売
meaning: sell
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: う.る、う.れる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
冖[わかんむり] cover
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 売る[うる] to sell
売れる[うれる] to sell (well)
商売[しょうばい] trade; business; commerce
売り[うり] sale; selling
発売[はつばい] sale; offering for sale; putting on sale; putting on the market; release (for sa
販売[はんばい] sale; sales; selling; marketing
売り上げ[うりあげ] amount sold; sales; proceeds; takings; turnover
売店[ばいてん] stand; stall; booth; kiosk; store
売り場[うりば] selling area; counter; section; department; sales floor
売り物[うりもの] article for sale; goods for sale; offering
売買[ばいばい] trade; buying and selling; trafficking (e.g. of humans, arms, drugs); dealing
売り切れる[うりきれる] to be sold out
売り出す[うりだす] to put on the market; to put out for sale; to put on sale; to begin selling; to
売り切れ[うりきれ] sold-out
売り込む[うりこむ] to build a market for; to promote (a product); to sell; to become well known
heisig_story: A samurai , out of a job, is going door-to-door selling little windup crowns with human legs that run around on the floor looking like headless monarchs.
koohii_story: The samurai happened to find an extra large crown that he wore as a belt on his waist, just above his legs. I wonder if he will sell it to me?

kanji: 組
meaning: association
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: く.む、くみ、-ぐみ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 組む[くむ] to cross (legs or arms); to link (arms)
組[くみ] class (of students)
組織[そしき] organization; organisation; formation
番組[ばんぐみ] program (e.g. TV); programme
仕組み[しくみ] structure; construction; arrangement; contrivance; mechanism; workings
組み合わせ[くみあわせ] combination; assortment; set
取り組む[とりくむ] to grapple with; to wrestle with; to engage in a bout; to be matched against
組み合わせる[くみあわせる] to put together; to combine; to join together; to join up
組み込む[くみこむ] to insert; to include; to incorporate; to install; to embed
組み立てる[くみたてる] to assemble; to put together; to set up; to construct; to build; to compose (a s
組合[くみあい] association; union; guild
組み立て[くみたて] construction; framework; erection; assembly; organization; organisation
組長[くみちょう] boss (esp. yakuza); foreman
テレビ番組[テレビばんぐみ] television program; TV program
組み[くみ] class (of students)
heisig_story: Thread . . . shelf.
koohii_story: The leader of the Spiderman association has tons of Spiderman figurines lined up on his shelf.

kanji: 知
meaning: know
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: し.る、し.らせる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 矢[や] arrow
口[くち] mouth
examples: 知る[しる] to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of); to learn (of); to find out; to
知り合い[しりあい] acquaintance
承知[しょうち] knowledge; awareness
知れる[しれる] to become known; to come to light; to be discovered
知識[ちしき] knowledge; information
知らせる[しらせる] to notify; to advise; to inform
知り合う[しりあう] to get to know each other; to make acquaintance
知恵[ちえ] wisdom; wit; sagacity; sense; intelligence
未知[みち] not yet known; unknown; strange
見知らぬ[みしらぬ] strange; unfamiliar; unknown
知らせ[しらせ] news; word; tidings; notice; notification; information
察知[さっち] to sense; to infer; to gather; to pick up on; to get wind of; to perceive
ご存知[ごぞんじ] knowing; being aware (of)
知人[ちじん] friend; acquaintance
顔見知り[かおみしり] acquaintance
heisig_story: Dart . . . mouth.
koohii_story: I should know. After all, I did graduate from Dart mouth!

kanji: 道
meaning: road-way
ja_on: ドウ、トウ
ja_kun: みち、いう
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 首[くび] head
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 道[みち] road; path; street; lane; passage
道具[どうぐ] tool; implement; instrument; utensil; apparatus; device
帰り道[かえりみち] the way back; the way home; return trip
道路[どうろ] road; highway
寄り道[よりみち] dropping in on the way; stopping off at; making a side trip
道理[どうり] reason; logic; sense; truth; right
軌道[きどう] orbit; trajectory
道のり[みちのり] distance; journey; itinerary
報道[ほうどう] report (of news); reporting; news; information; (media) coverage
北海道[ほっかいどう] Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
地道[じみち] steady; honest; sober; straightforward; reliable
近道[ちかみち] shorter way; shortcut
使い道[つかいみち] purpose; utility; objective
逃げ道[にげみち] way out; means to escape; escape route
道端[みちばた] roadside; wayside
heisig_story: The key word carries both the sense of a road for transit and a way or method of doing something, but the former is better for forming an image. The primitives read: the neck of a road. Think of a crowded road-way where traffic has come to a standstill - what we commonly refer to as a "bottle neck. "
koohii_story: When we go out on the ROAD-WAY , we often risk our own necks (that's why I take the train! ).

kanji: 引
meaning: pull
ja_on: イン
ja_kun: ひ.く、ひ.ける
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 引く[ひく] to pull; to tug; to lead (e.g. a horse)
引き受ける[ひきうける] to take on; to undertake; to accept; to take charge of; to assume responsibility
強引[ごういん] overbearing; coercive; pushy; forcible; high-handed
引き取る[ひきとる] to take into one's possession; to receive; to accept; to collect; to claim
引っかかる[ひっかかる] to be caught in; to be stuck in
引き出す[ひきだす] to pull out; to take out; to draw out
引きずる[ひきずる] to drag; to trail; to pull along the ground; to lug
引き返す[ひきかえす] to turn back; to go back; to come back; to return; to retrace one's steps
引き継ぐ[ひきつぐ] to take over (someone's duties, business, etc.); to inherit; to succeed to; to c
取引[とりひき] transactions; dealings; business
引き抜く[ひきぬく] to extract; to pull out; to draw out; to uproot
引退[いんたい] retirement
引き上げる[ひきあげる] to pull up; to drag up; to lift up
引き起こす[ひきおこす] to cause; to induce; to bring about; to provoke
引き裂く[ひきさく] to tear up; to tear off; to rip up; to tear to pieces
heisig_story: Bow . . . walking stick.
koohii_story: Put a walking stick in the bow and pull it back, ready to fire at the geezer.

kanji: 半
meaning: half
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: なか.ば
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
二[に] two
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 半分[はんぶん] half
半年[はんとし] half a year; six months
半[はん] half; semi-; partial
半端[はんぱ] remnant; fragment; incomplete set; incompleteness
半ば[なかば] middle; halfway; midway
大半[たいはん] majority; more than half; most (of)
後半[こうはん] second half; latter half
時半[じはん] half past (the hour)
下半身[かはんしん] lower half of the body; nether parts
中途半端[ちゅうとはんぱ] halfway; half measures; unfinished; incomplete; by halves; half-baked; half-cock
上半身[じょうはんしん] upper half of the body; upper body
半日[はんにち] half day
前半[ぜんはん] first half
半月[はんげつ] half-moon
半身[はんしん] half the body; half length
heisig_story: Although the writing order is different, one can remember the appearance of this character by seeing it as a little needle \- the kind used for splitting hairs in half. (Again, according to rule, little takes a stroke beneath it in order to be placed over an element that has no horizontal line at the top.)
koohii_story: Imagine karate chopping the number three in half with a WALKING STICK and pausing the picture just as the first "board" breaks.

kanji: 計
meaning: plot
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: はか.る、はか.らう
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 言[げん] words
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 余計[よけい] extra; more; too much; too many; excessive; superfluous; spare; surplus
計画[けいかく] plan; project; schedule; scheme; program; programme
計算[けいさん] calculation; computation; reckoning; counting; adding up; working out; figures
時計[とけい] clock; watch; timepiece
計る[はかる] to measure; to weigh; to survey; to time (sound, gauge, estimate)
合計[ごうけい] sum total; total amount
設計[せっけい] plan; design; layout
計[けい] plan
会計[かいけい] accounting; finance; account; reckoning
腕時計[うでどけい] wristwatch; watch
計画的[けいかくてき] planned; scheduled; systematic
お会計[おかいけい] bill (at a restaurant); check
計測[けいそく] measuring; measurement
目覚まし時計[めざましどけい] alarm clock
家計[かけい] household economy; family finances
heisig_story: Words and a meter's needle combine to form the sense of plot : to talk over plans and to calculate a course of action.
koohii_story: A plot is a summary of a book that can be given in ten words.

kanji: 直
meaning: straightaway
ja_on: チョク、ジキ、ジカ
ja_kun: ただ.ちに、なお.す、-なお.す、なお.る、なお.き、す.ぐ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
目[め] eye
examples: 正直[しょうじき] honest; frank; candid; straightforward
直接[ちょくせつ] direct; immediate; personal; firsthand
素直[すなお] obedient; meek; docile; unaffected
直す[なおす] to repair; to mend; to fix; to correct (a mistake, bad habit, etc.); to put righ
直前[ちょくぜん] just before; just prior to
直後[ちょくご] immediately following
やり直す[やりなおす] to do over again; to redo; to start over; to remake; to resume; to recommence
仲直り[なかなおり] reconciliation; making up (with); making peace (with); being friends again; patc
見直す[みなおす] to look at again
直る[なおる] to get mended; to be repaired; to be fixed
立ち直る[たちなおる] to regain one's footing; to get back on one's feet
考え直す[かんがえなおす] to reconsider; to rethink; to reassess
立て直す[たてなおす] to put back up; to stand back up
直感[ちょっかん] intuition; instinct; hunch
直撃[ちょくげき] direct hit
heisig_story: Begin with the top two primitives, needle and eye. Together they represent the eye of a needle. Below them is a fishhook that has been straightened out and its barb removed so that it can pass through the eye of the needle.
koohii_story: If you get a needle in your eye that is hooked in there, get to a hospital straightaway.

kanji: 朝
meaning: morning
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: あさ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
日[ひ] sun
月[つき] moon
examples: 朝[あさ] morning
今朝[けさ] this morning
朝食[ちょうしょく] breakfast
毎朝[まいあさ] every morning
早朝[そうちょう] early morning
翌朝[よくあさ] next morning
朝日[あさひ] morning sun
朝ごはん[あさごはん] breakfast
朝ご飯[あさごはん] breakfast
朝飯[あさめし] breakfast
明朝[みょうちょう] tomorrow morning
朝一番[あさいちばん] first thing in the morning
朝方[あさがた] early morning; early hours; early in the morning
朝寝坊[あさねぼう] sleeping late in the morning; sleeping in; lie-in; oversleeping
北朝鮮[きたちょうせん] North Korea
heisig_story: On the right we see the moon fading off into the first light of morning , and to the left, the mist that falls to give nature a shower to prepare it for the coming heat. If you can think of the moon tilting over to spill mist on your garden, you should have no trouble remembering which of all the elements in this story are to serve as primitives for constructing the character.
koohii_story: There is mist as the moon fades away in the morning.

kanji: 西
meaning: west
ja_on: セイ、サイ、ス
ja_kun: にし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 西[セイ] west
examples: 西[にし] west
関西[かんさい] Kansai (region comprising Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and surrounding prefectures)
西洋[せいよう] the West; the Occident; Western countries
西側[にしがわ] west side; west bank
西南[せいなん] south-west
東西[とうざい] east and west
北西[ほくせい] northwest
南西[なんせい] southwest
西部[せいぶ] western part; the west (of a region)
西暦[せいれき] Common Era; CE; Christian Era; anno domini; AD
大西洋[たいせいよう] Atlantic Ocean
西ドイツ[にしドイツ] West Germany (1949-1990); Federal Republic of Germany
西口[にしぐち] west entrance; west exit
西方[せいほう] western direction
西日本[にしにほん] western Japan (usu. Chūbu region and westward)
heisig_story: To our way of counting directions, the west always comes fourth. So it is convenient to find the character for four in this kanji. But since we want only one of the four directions, the west adds the one at the top and sucks the human legs a bit out of their mouth in the process.
koohii_story: The old west represented by a completely empty whiskey bottle (compare [sign of the bird](../v4/1427.html) (#1427 酉) whiskey bottle about one third full).

kanji: 台
meaning: pedestal
ja_on: ダイ、タイ
ja_kun: うてな、われ、つかさ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 厶[む] private
口[くち] mouth
examples: 舞台[ぶたい] stage (of a theatre, concert hall, etc.)
台[だい] stand; rest; base; pedestal; platform; table; holder; support; rack
台所[だいどころ] kitchen
台無し[だいなし] spoiled; spoilt; ruined; wasted (chance, etc.); messed up; destroyed; (coming to
屋台[やたい] cart (esp. a food cart); stall; stand
台本[だいほん] script; libretto; scenario
台風[たいふう] typhoon; hurricane
一台[いちだい] one machine; one vehicle
土台[どだい] foundation; base; basis
荷台[にだい] (truck) load-carrying tray; (bicycle) luggage carrier; roof rack
高台[たかだい] high ground; elevation; hill; plateau
寝台[しんだい] bed; couch
仙台[せんだい] Sendai (city in Miyagi)
灯台[とうだい] lighthouse
初舞台[はつぶたい] debut; initial stage appearance
heisig_story: Elbow . . . mouth.
koohii_story: When someone's elbow is above your mouth he/she is probably standing on a pedestal.

kanji: 広
meaning: wide
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: ひろ.い、ひろ.まる、ひろ.める、ひろ.がる、ひろ.げる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
厶[む] private
examples: 広い[ひろい] spacious; vast; wide
広がる[ひろがる] to spread (out); to extend; to stretch; to reach to; to get around; to fill (e.g
広げる[ひろげる] to spread; to extend; to expand; to enlarge; to widen; to broaden
広まる[ひろまる] to spread; to be propagated
繰り広げる[くりひろげる] to unfold; to unroll; to open
広場[ひろば] public square; square; plaza; piazza; forum
広さ[ひろさ] area; extent; dimensions; size
広大[こうだい] vast; extensive; immense; huge; large; grand; magnificent
広める[ひろめる] to spread; to propagate; to popularize; to disseminate
広告[こうこく] advertisement; advertising
広範囲[こうはんい] extensive; vast range; wide scope
幅広い[はばひろい] extensive; wide; broad
広報[こうほう] public relations; PR; publicity; public information
広がり[ひろがり] spread; span; expanse; extent
広島[ひろしま] Hiroshima (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: Cave . . . elbow.
koohii_story: The Batcave is very wide and has a lot of elbow room for Batman to do his yoga.

kanji: 電
meaning: electricity
ja_on: デン
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
日[ひ] sun
examples: 電話[でんわ] telephone call; phone call
電車[でんしゃ] train; electric train
電気[でんき] electricity
携帯電話[けいたいでんわ] mobile phone; cell phone
電波[でんぱ] radio wave; reception; signal
電源[でんげん] source of electricity; electrical power
電話番号[でんわばんごう] telephone number; phone number
電子[でんし] electron
電流[でんりゅう] electric current
充電[じゅうでん] charging (electrically)
電撃[でんげき] electric shock
電池[でんち] battery; cell
停電[ていでん] power outage; power failure; power cut; blackout
懐中電灯[かいちゅうでんとう] (electric) torch; flashlight
終電[しゅうでん] last train (of the day)
heisig_story: Rain/weather . . . eel.
koohii_story: Think of a two natural sources of electricity : electrical storms (a form of weather ) and electrical eel s. 電話 でんわ phone, call, 電気 (でんき) : electricity , (electric) light.

kanji: 少
meaning: few
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: すく.ない、すこ.し
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 小[しょう] small
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 少し[すこし] a little; a bit; a small amount; a few; some; slightly; somewhat
少ない[すくない] few; little; small (amount); low; scarce; insufficient; seldom; rare
少女[しょうじょ] girl (usu. between 7 and 17); young lady
少なくとも[すくなくとも] at least
少年[しょうねん] boy
少々[しょうしょう] a little; a bit; a small amount; a few; a pinch; some
多少[たしょう] a little; some; somewhat; slightly; to some degree; to some extent
少しずつ[すこしずつ] little by little; bit by bit
数少ない[かずすくない] few in number
少なからず[すくなからず] considerably; not a little; in no small numbers
少数[しょうすう] small number; few; minority
ほんの少し[ほんのすこし] just a little
減少[げんしょう] decrease; reduction; decline
少量[しょうりょう] small quantity; small amount
少[しょう] small; little; few
heisig_story: First we need to look at the fourth stroke, the drop at the bottom that has been extended into a longer diagonal stroke leaning left. This happens because a single, isolated drop will NEVER appear beneath its relative primitive in its normal size, for fear it would drop off and get lost. As for the meaning, let the tiny drop indicate a further belittling of what is already little \- thus making it a few of something little.
koohii_story: Only a few people can make an ugly face like that.

kanji: 工
meaning: craft
ja_on: コウ、ク、グ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
examples: 工場[こうじょう] factory; plant; mill; workshop
工夫[くふう] devising (a way); contriving; inventing; thinking up; figuring out; coming up wi
工事[こうじ] construction work
細工[さいく] work; workmanship; craftsmanship; handiwork
加工[かこう] manufacturing; processing; treatment; machining
工作[こうさく] handicraft
人工[じんこう] artificial; man-made; human work; human skill; artificiality
工程[こうてい] process; operation; stage of a process; progress of work
工房[こうぼう] workshop; studio; atelier
人工的[じんこうてき] artificial; unnatural
大工[だいく] carpenter
工業[こうぎょう] (manufacturing) industry
工員[こういん] factory worker
工学[こうがく] engineering
工芸[こうげい] industrial arts; craft
heisig_story: The pictograph of an I beam, like the kind used in heavy construction work on buildings and bridges, gives us the character for craft in general.
koohii_story: I consider craft to be one of the harder primitives to use in stories so I've personified it as Bender the craft y robot from Futurama who was designed to bend I-beams.

kanji: 語
meaning: word
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: かた.る、かた.らう
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 言[げん] words
吾[ゴ] I
examples: 語る[かたる] to talk about; to speak of; to tell; to narrate
物語[ものがたり] story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
英語[えいご] English (language)
日本語[にほんご] Japanese (language)
単語[たんご] word; vocabulary
敬語[けいご] honorific; term of respect; polite expression; honorific language
語[ご] word; term
言語[げんご] language
物語る[ものがたる] to tell (a story); to give an account of (an event, experience, etc.); to relate
国語[こくご] national language
用語[ようご] term; terminology
フランス語[フランスご] French (language)
私語[しご] whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
語り[かたり] talk; recital
語らう[かたらう] to talk; to tell; to recite; to pledge; to conspire with
heisig_story: Whereas the character for say focused on the actual talking, that for words stresses the fact that although it is I who say them, the words of a language are not my own. You can see the clear distinction between I and words just by looking at the kanji.
koohii_story: The simplest word to say is I.

kanji: 止
meaning: stop
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: と.まる、-ど.まり、と.める、-と.める、-ど.め、とど.める、とど.め、とど.まる、や.める、や.む、-や.む、よ.す、-さ.す、-さ.し
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 卜[ぼく] oracle
examples: 止める[とめる] to stop; to turn off
止まる[とどまる] to remain; to abide; to stay (in the one place)
禁止[きんし] prohibition; inhibition; ban
受け止める[うけとめる] to catch; to stop the blow
止す[よす] to stop (doing); to cease; to desist; to drop; to lay off; to give up; to quit
中止[ちゅうし] interruption; discontinuance; suspension; stoppage
停止[ていし] stoppage; coming to a stop; halt; standstill
立ち止まる[たちどまる] to stop (in one's tracks); to come to a stop; to halt; to pause; to stand still
阻止[そし] obstruction; prevention; hindrance; check; blocking; stopping
止む[やむ] to cease; to stop; to be over
引き止める[ひきとめる] to detain; to check; to restrain; to stop
食い止める[くいとめる] to check; to hold back; to keep at bay; to stop; to prevent; to stem; to curb; t
足止め[あしどめ] preventing (someone) from leaving; confinement; keeping indoors; inducement to s
制止[せいし] control; check; restraint; inhibition
行き止まり[いきどまり] dead end; blind alley; no through road (i.e. on signage); cul-de-sac
heisig_story: The character for stop is easiest to learn as a pictograph, though you have to take a moment to see it. Take it as a rather crude drawing of a footprint: the first 3 strokes represent the front of the foot and the last the heel. The big toe (stroke 2 sticking out to the right) on the right indicates that this is a left foot.
koohii_story: If you find in the ground a walking stick with a magic wand , STOP! Maybe it's some kind of macumba/black magic/voodoo bad thing.

kanji: 聞
meaning: hear
ja_on: ブン、モン
ja_kun: き.く、き.こえる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
耳[みみ] ear
examples: 聞く[きく] to hear
聞こえる[きこえる] to be heard; to be audible; to reach one's ears
聞かす[きかす] to let (someone) hear; to tell (e.g. a story); to inform (of)
新聞[しんぶん] newspaper
聞き取る[ききとる] to catch (someone's words); to make out; to follow; to understand
前代未聞[ぜんだいみもん] unheard-of; unprecedented; unparalleled in history (unparallelled); record-break
新聞社[しんぶんしゃ] newspaper company
聞き取り[ききとり] listening comprehension; aural comprehension
スポーツ新聞[スポーツしんぶん] sports newspaper
新聞紙[しんぶんし] newsprint; newspaper used for wrapping, packing, etc.
新聞記事[しんぶんきじ] newspaper story (article, account)
聞き手[ききて] hearer; listener; audience
聞き書き[ききがき] writing down what one hears; account of what one hears
聴聞[ちょうもん] listening; hearing
見聞[けんぶん] information; experience; knowledge; observation
heisig_story: Gates . . . ear. Compare the story you invented for the kanji meaning listen (Frame 890).
koohii_story: Press your ear to the gates and see if you can hear what is going on inside.

kanji: 切
meaning: cut
ja_on: セツ、サイ
ja_kun: き.る、-き.る、き.り、-き.り、-ぎ.り、き.れる、-き.れる、き.れ、-き.れ、-ぎ.れ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 七[シチ] seven
刀[かたな] knife
examples: 大切[たいせつ] important; significant; serious; crucial
切る[きる] to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery)
切れる[きれる] to break; to snap; to be cut; to split; to crack
裏切る[うらぎる] to betray; to turn traitor (to); to double-cross; to go back on; to be unfaithfu
一切[いっさい] all; everything; entirety; the whole
言い切る[いいきる] to declare; to assert; to state definitively
親切[しんせつ] kind; gentle; considerate; generous; friendly; nice
張り切る[はりきる] to be in high spirits; to be full of vigor (vigour); to be enthusiastic; to be e
切ない[せつない] painful; heartrending; trying
切り替える[きりかえる] to change; to switch; to change over (to); to renew
途切れる[とぎれる] to break off; to come to an end; to be interrupted; to be cut short; to pause
思い切る[おもいきる] to give up (all thoughts of); to abandon; to despair of
裏切り者[うらぎりもの] betrayer; traitor; turncoat; informer
乗り切る[のりきる] to weather (a storm, rough seas); to ride across; to sail across
切れ[きれ] piece; slice; strip; scrap
heisig_story: To the right we see the dagger and next to it the number seven whose primitive meaning we decided would be diced (Frame 7). It is hard to think of cutting anything with a knife without imagining one of those skillful Japanese chefs. Only let us say that he has had too much to drink at a party, grabs a dagger lying on the mantelpiece and starts dicing up everything insight, starting with the hors d'oeuvres and going on to the furniture and the carpets....
koohii_story: The seven samurai used their swords to cut their opponents.

kanji: 食
meaning: eat
ja_on: ショク、ジキ
ja_kun: く.う、く.らう、た.べる、は.む
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 食[しょく] food
examples: 食べる[たべる] to eat
食う[くう] to eat
食事[しょくじ] meal (e.g. lunch, dinner)
食べ物[たべもの] food
食らう[くらう] to eat; to drink; to wolf; to knock back
夕食[ゆうしょく] evening meal; dinner
食[しょく] food; foodstuff
朝食[ちょうしょく] breakfast
食欲[しょくよく] appetite (for food)
食材[しょくざい] foodstuff; ingredient
食堂[しょくどう] dining room; dining hall; cafeteria; canteen; messroom
食料[しょくりょう] food
昼食[ちゅうしょく] lunch; midday meal
食器[しょっき] tableware
食い込む[くいこむ] to bite into (e.g. rope into skin); to cut into; to dig into (e.g. of fingernail
heisig_story: If halo and umbrella aren't enough, break the halo down into drop and silver \- or "silverware," an additional primitive.
koohii_story: That umbrella looks good enough to eat!

kanji: 何
meaning: what
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: なに、なん、なに-、なん-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
可[カ] can
examples: 何[なに] what
何か[なにか] something; some; any
何時も[いつも] always; all the time; at all times
何も[なにも] (not) anything; (nothing) at all; (not) any; nothing
何で[なんで] why?; what for?
何度[なんど] how many times
何とか[なんとか] something; something or other; so-and-so
何て[なんて] how ...!; what ...!
何年[なんねん] how many years; how long
何人[なにびと] anyone; any person; whoever
何者[なにもの] who; what kind of person
何と[なんと] what; how
何より[なにより] above anything else; above all; more than anything
何だか[なんだか] (a) little; somewhat; somehow
何となく[なんとなく] somehow; for some reason (or other); without knowing why
heisig_story: Person . . . can.
koohii_story: What can Mr T do? 'You mean: what can't MR T do, you fool'.

kanji: 南
meaning: south
ja_on: ナン、ナ
ja_kun: みなみ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
干[かん] to dry
examples: 南[みなみ] south
西南[せいなん] south-west
南部[なんぶ] southern part; the south (of a region)
南側[みなみがわ] south side
南西[なんせい] southwest
南方[なんぽう] the south; southward; southern direction
南東[なんとう] southeast
南北[なんぼく] north and south; north to south
南極[なんきょく] South Pole
南米[なんべい] South America
中南米[ちゅうなんべい] Central and South America
南アフリカ[みなみアフリカ] South Africa
南北問題[なんぼくもんだい] North-South problem
南口[みなみぐち] south entrance; south exit
南氷洋[なんひょうよう] Antarctic Ocean
heisig_story: Belt . . . happiness. Note how the belt runs through the middle of happiness.
koohii_story: South of my belt leads to happiness.

kanji: 番
meaning: turn
ja_on: バン
ja_kun: つが.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 釆[のごめ] to separate
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 一番[いちばん] number one; first; first place
番[ばん] number (in a series)
出番[でばん] one's turn; one's shift
本番[ほんばん] performance (as opposed to practice); going before an audience or on-air; take
番号[ばんごう] number; series of digits
順番[じゅんばん] order; turn
番組[ばんぐみ] program (e.g. TV); programme
番目[ばんめ] the nth ...
留守番[るすばん] care-taking; house-sitting; house-watching; staying at home
定番[ていばん] standard item; usual thing; (a) classic; go-to choice; staple; regular fixture;
電話番号[でんわばんごう] telephone number; phone number
当番[とうばん] being on duty; person on duty; one's turn
一番上[いちばんうえ] highest; uppermost; topmost; oldest; eldest
二番[にばん] second; number two; runner-up
交番[こうばん] police box; koban
heisig_story: This key word has been chosen for its overlay of several meanings similar to those of the kanji: a turn of duty, a round, a number, and so forth. Its composite elements: animal tracks . . . rice field.
koohii_story: The famers take it in turn s to watch out for any animal tracks on their rice field.

kanji: 算
meaning: calculate
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: そろ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
目[め] eye
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 計算[けいさん] calculation; computation; reckoning; counting; adding up; working out; figures
予算[よさん] estimate (of costs); budget
誤算[ごさん] miscalculation
清算[せいさん] (financial) settlement; squaring accounts; clearing debts
算数[さんすう] arithmetic
換算[かんさん] conversion (e.g. yen to dollars); change; exchange; translation (numerical)
割り算[わりざん] division
引き算[ひきざん] subtraction
掛け算[かけざん] multiplication
採算[さいさん] profit
決算[けっさん] settlement of accounts; closing accounts; financial results; reporting (of accou
算盤[そろばん] abacus; soroban
足し算[たしざん] addition
公算[こうさん] probability; likelihood
加算[かさん] addition; adding; supplement
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . eyes . . . two hands.
koohii_story: Before the time of digital calculators , people used old school calculators made of bamboo (abacus). It's not as easy as a calculator , but you don't need any batteries either. All you need are your eyes and your two hands.

kanji: 楽
meaning: music
ja_on: ガク、ラク、ゴウ
ja_kun: たの.しい、たの.しむ、この.む
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 白[しろ] white
冫[にすい] ice
木[き] tree
examples: 楽しい[たのしい] enjoyable; fun; pleasant; happy; delightful
楽しむ[たのしむ] to enjoy; to take pleasure in; to have a good time; to have fun; to amuse onesel
楽しみ[たのしみ] enjoyment; pleasure; amusement; delight; joy; fun; diversion; hobby
楽[らく] comfort; ease; relief; (at) peace; relaxation
音楽[おんがく] music
気楽[きらく] carefree; comfortable; at ease
倶楽部[クラブ] club; fraternity; sorority; clubhouse
快楽[かいらく] pleasure
楽器[がっき] musical instrument
娯楽[ごらく] amusement; entertainment; recreation; pleasure; pastime; hobby
楽園[らくえん] paradise; Eden
楽観的[らっかんてき] optimistic; hopeful
極楽[ごくらく] Sukhavati (Amitabha's Pure Land)
楽屋[がくや] dressing room; green room; backstage
楽観[らっかん] optimism; taking an optimistic view
heisig_story: Dove . . . sparkler . . . tree.
koohii_story: Zelda: Ocarina of Time - The white sparkly thing is Navi. She's hovering/dancing around a tree to the legendary Lost Woods music.

kanji: 万
meaning: ten thousand
ja_on: マン、バン
ja_kun: よろず
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 一[いち] one
examples: 万[まん] 10,000; ten thousand
万が一[まんがいち] (if) by some chance; by some possibility; in the unlikely event that
万全[ばんぜん] perfection; flawlessness
１００万[ひゃくまん] 1,000,000; one million; million
１万[いちまん] 10,000; ten thousand
１０万[じゅうまん] 100,000; hundred thousand
万能[ばんのう] all-purpose; utility; universal
万一[まんいち] (unlikely event of) emergency; the worst(-case scenario)
万歳[ばんざい] banzai; hurray; hurrah; hooray
万事[ばんじ] all; everything
百万[ひゃくまん] 1,000,000; one million; million
一万[いちまん] 10,000; ten thousand
万年[まんねん] ten thousand years; eternity
数万[すうまん] tens of thousands
十万[じゅうまん] 100,000; hundred thousand
heisig_story: Japanese counts higher numbers in units of ten thousand , unlike the West, which advances according to units of one thousand. (Thus, for instance, 40,000 would be read "four ten-thousands " by a Japanese.) Given that the comma is used in larger numbers to bind up a numerical unit of one thousand, the elements for one and bound up naturally come to form ten thousand. The order of strokes here needs special attention, both because it falls outside the general principles we have learned already, and because it involves writing the element for bound up in an order opposite to the one we learned. If it is any consolation, this exception is consistent every time these three strokes come together.
koohii_story: I bound ten thousand dollars together and hid it under the floor.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 方 万

kanji: 店
meaning: store
ja_on: テン
ja_kun: みせ、たな
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
占[セン] fortune-telling
examples: 店[てん] store; shop; restaurant
お店[おみせ] store; shop; establishment; restaurant
店員[てんいん] employee (of a store); shop assistant; clerk; salesperson
店長[てんちょう] shop manager
店内[てんない] inside of a store (restaurant, café, etc.); store interior; on the premises
喫茶店[きっさてん] coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe
商店街[しょうてんがい] shopping district; shopping street; downtown
店主[てんしゅ] shopkeeper; storekeeper; proprietor of a shop
店舗[てんぽ] shop; store; establishment; restaurant
開店[かいてん] opening a new shop
閉店[へいてん] closing up shop (for the day)
書店[しょてん] bookshop; bookstore
飲食店[いんしょくてん] restaurant
出店[しゅってん] opening a new store; opening a new branch
商店[しょうてん] shop; store; firm
heisig_story: Cave . . . fortune-telling.
koohii_story: Try to remember all those store s from Zelda that were inside caves and had fortune-teller like vendors.

kanji: 線
meaning: line
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: すじ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
泉[セン] spring
examples: 視線[しせん] one's line of sight; one's gaze; one's eyes (looking); glance; gaze; look
線[せん] line; stripe; stria
一直線[いっちょくせん] straight line
無線[むせん] radio (communication)
路線[ろせん] route (bus, train, air, etc.); line
前線[ぜんせん] (weather) front
直線[ちょくせん] straight line
新幹線[しんかんせん] Shinkansen; bullet train
一線[いっせん] one line; (a) single line
曲線[きょくせん] curve
最前線[さいぜんせん] front line; forefront
脱線[だっせん] derailment
回線[かいせん] circuit; line
光線[こうせん] ray (of light); beam; light
線路[せんろ] railway track; railway line; railroad; railway; track; line
heisig_story: Thread . . . spring.
koohii_story: This kanji is used for train lines. Spiderman does a hot spring tour of Japan using the train lines. You can see the Spidey costume hanging on the washing line as he enjoys the onsen.

kanji: 声
meaning: voice
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: こえ、こわ-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
examples: 声[こえ] voice
笑い声[わらいごえ] (sound of) laughter; laughing voice
大声[おおごえ] loud voice
鳴き声[なきごえ] cry (of an animal); call; chirp; song; caw; roar; bark; yelp; meow
歓声[かんせい] cheer; shout of joy
泣き声[なきごえ] cry (e.g. of a baby); sob; whine
叫び声[さけびごえ] shout; yell; scream; cry
小声[こごえ] low voice; whisper
音声[おんせい] voice; speech; sound of a voice
話し声[はなしごえ] speaking voice; talking voice
銃声[じゅうせい] sound of a gunshot; report of a gun
歌声[うたごえ] singing voice; (sound of) singing
声色[こわいろ] tone of voice
声援[せいえん] (shout of) encouragement; cheering; rooting; support
掛け声[かけごえ] shout (of encouragement, etc.); yell (used to time or encourage activity, e.g. "
heisig_story: The samurai at the top is familiar enough. The combination beneath, which looks like a flag with a line running through it, is not. Try to devise some way to take note of it, and pay attention to the writing.
koohii_story: When an enemy's flag is raised, a true samurai can split it in half with just his voice.

kanji: 親
meaning: parent
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: おや、おや-、した.しい、した.しむ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
木[き] tree
見[みる] to see
examples: 親[おや] parent; parents; mother and father
母親[ははおや] mother
父親[ちちおや] father
両親[りょうしん] parents; both parents
親父[おやじ] one's father; one's old man; dad; pops
親子[おやこ] parent and child
親友[しんゆう] close friend; bosom friend; buddy; crony; chum
親しい[したしい] close (e.g. friend); familiar; friendly; intimate
親戚[しんせき] relative; relation; kin
親切[しんせつ] kind; gentle; considerate; generous; friendly; nice
親指[おやゆび] thumb
親族[しんぞく] relative; relation; kin
親密[しんみつ] intimacy; friendship
親分[おやぶん] boss; leader; kingpin; chief; head (e.g. of a crime syndicate)
肉親[にくしん] blood relationship; blood relative
heisig_story: Red pepper . . . see.
koohii_story: I remember this one the way the Japanese do: a parent standing on top of a tree watching what his or her kid is doing.

kanji: 形
meaning: shape
ja_on: ケイ、ギョウ
ja_kun: かた、-がた、かたち、なり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 开 open
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 形[かたち] (physical) form; shape; figure
人形[にんぎょう] doll; puppet; marionette
形跡[けいせき] traces; evidence
形成[けいせい] formation; molding; making (up); taking form; giving form to
形式[けいしき] form (as opposed to substance)
形状[けいじょう] shape; form
変形[へんけい] transformation; variation; metamorphosis; modification; deformation; variety; de
形態[けいたい] form; shape; figure
形見[かたみ] memento (esp. of a deceased person); keepsake; heirloom; remembrance; souvenir
地形[ちけい] terrain; geographical features; topography
形容[けいよう] description; expression (in words); qualification (e.g. of a noun with an adject
髪形[かみがた] hair style; coiffure; hairdo
円形[えんけい] round shape; circle; circular form
造形[ぞうけい] molding; moulding; shaping; forming; modelling (i.e. plastic arts); modeling
三角形[さんかくけい] triangle
heisig_story: Two hands . . . shape.
koohii_story: Everyone in the kindergarten came up with fun and interesting shape s made out of Play-Doh , except for the kid with the amputated arm. Seems like you really need both hands.

kanji: 頭
meaning: head
ja_on: トウ、ズ、ト
ja_kun: あたま、かしら、-がしら、かぶり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 豆[まめ] bean
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頭[あたま] head
頭上[ずじょう] overhead; above one's head; high in the sky
先頭[せんとう] head (of a line, group, etc.); front; lead; forefront; vanguard
頭痛[ずつう] headache
頭部[とうぶ] head
頭脳[ずのう] head; brains
没頭[ぼっとう] immersing oneself in; being absorbed in; devoting oneself to; giving oneself up
筆頭[ひっとう] brush tip
冒頭[ぼうとう] beginning; opening; start; outset
出頭[しゅっとう] appearance; presence; attendance
教頭[きょうとう] deputy head teacher; vice principal
店頭[てんとう] shopfront; storefront; shopwindow; (near the) shop entrance
口頭[こうとう] oral; verbal; spoken; parol
街頭[がいとう] (on the) street
会頭[かいとう] society president
heisig_story: Here we meet at last the full kanji on which the primitive for head is based. The elements: table . . . head.
koohii_story: The head of the family sits at the head of the table.

kanji: 毎
meaning: every
ja_on: マイ
ja_kun: ごと、-ごと.に
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 毋[なかれ] not
examples: 毎日[まいにち] every day; daily
毎年[まいとし] every year; yearly; annually
毎回[まいかい] every time; each round
毎晩[まいばん] every night
毎朝[まいあさ] every morning
毎度[まいど] each time; every time; always; often
毎月[まいげつ] every month; each month; monthly
毎日のように[まいにちのように] almost every day; almost daily
毎週[まいしゅう] every week
毎[ごと] each; every
毎に[ごとに] one by one; each; every; at intervals of
毎時[まいじ] every hour; hourly
heisig_story: "Behind every successful person lies a woman..., " who usually turns out to be one's mama!
koohii_story: Freud believed every man wants to lie down with his mother.

kanji: 門
meaning: gate
ja_on: モン
ja_kun: かど、と
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
examples: 門[もん] gate
専門[せんもん] speciality; specialty; special subject of study; area of expertise; (one's) fiel
専門家[せんもんか] specialist; expert; professional; authority; pundit
校門[こうもん] school gate
部門[ぶもん] division (of a larger group); branch; field; class (subclass); group; category;
名門[めいもん] distinguished family; famous family; noble family
正門[せいもん] main gate; main entrance
専門的[せんもんてき] technical; specialist; professional; exclusive
専門店[せんもんてん] specialist shop; shop specializing in a particular type of product
関門[かんもん] barrier; checkpoint; gateway
門前払い[もんぜんばらい] turning someone away (at the front door); refusing a visitor; shutting the door
専門学校[せんもんがっこう] vocational school; technical school
入門[にゅうもん] becoming a pupil (of); becoming a disciple; entering an institution; beginning t
一門[いちもん] family; clan; kin
宗門[しゅうもん] (religious) denomination; sect
heisig_story: The pictograph of two swinging gates is so clear in this kanji that only its stroke order needs to be memorized. In case you should have any trouble, though, you might doodle with the shapes on a piece of paper, taking care to note the difference in the stroke order of the two facing doors. The gates usually serve as an enclosure, and are written BEFORE whatever it is they enclose.
koohii_story: Heisig's stroke order in the 4th edition (and earlier) is wrong, so be careful – first is the left-most vertical stroke, then draw the rest of the "sun" attachment as you would normally. In fact, if you just wrote it out as two suns with elongated sides, you'll get the stroke order exactly correct.
heisig_keyword: gates

kanji: 答
meaning: solution
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: こた.える、こた.え
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
合[ゴウ] fit
examples: 答える[こたえる] to answer; to reply
答え[こたえ] answer; reply; response
返答[へんとう] reply; answer
回答[かいとう] reply; answer
応答[おうとう] reply; answer; response
問答[もんどう] questions and answers; dialogue
口答え[くちごたえ] retort; back talk; backchat
解答[かいとう] answer; solution
答[こたえ] answer; reply; response
答案[とうあん] examination paper; examination script; answer sheet
押し問答[おしもんどう] arguing back and forth; bandying words; verbal tug-of-war
禅問答[ぜんもんどう] Zen dialogue; Zen questions and answers
答弁[とうべん] response; reply; answer; defence; defense
答申[とうしん] report; reply; findings
贈答[ぞうとう] exchange of presents
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . fit.
koohii_story: The solution to this puzzle is, like the match stick game, to make the bamboo pieces fit together.

kanji: 夜
meaning: night
ja_on: ヤ
ja_kun: よ、よる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
亻[にんべん] person
夕[ゆうべ] evening
examples: 夜[よる] night; evening
今夜[こんや] this evening; tonight
夜中[よなか] middle of the night; dead of night
昨夜[さくや] last night; yesterday evening
深夜[しんや] late at night
徹夜[てつや] staying up all night
夜空[よぞら] night sky
一夜[いちや] one night; all night; overnight; one evening
夜明け[よあけ] dawn; daybreak
真夜中[まよなか] dead of night; midnight
夜更かし[よふかし] staying up late; sitting up late at night; keeping late hours
夜間[やかん] night; nighttime
夜景[やけい] night view; night skyline; nightscape
前夜[ぜんや] last night; the previous night
夜更け[よふけ] late at night; small hours of the morning
heisig_story: First of all, be sure not to confuse the connotations of night with those of evening (Frame 114) and nightbreak (Frame 30). Its elements: top hat . . . person . . . walking legs . . . drop.
koohii_story: Actually, the lower-right primitive isn't quite "walking legs." It's a little more like "evening" with an extra stroke across it (look up the stroke order). So, it helps me to see this kanji for night as: evening plus an extra stroke representing the tuxedo tails to match the top hat which my special person is wearing out on the town…

kanji: 帰
meaning: homecoming
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: かえ.る、かえ.す、おく.る、とつ.ぐ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 刂[りっとう] knife
帚[ソウ] broom
examples: 帰る[かえる] to return; to come home; to go home; to go back
帰り[かえり] return; coming back
お帰り[おかえり] return
帰す[かえす] to send (someone) back; to send (someone) home
持ち帰る[もちかえる] to take home; to carry home; to bring back home; to take out (e.g. food)
帰り道[かえりみち] the way back; the way home; return trip
帰宅[きたく] returning home; going home; coming home; getting home
復帰[ふっき] return; reversion; comeback; reinstatement
帰還[きかん] return (home); repatriation
お帰りなさい[おかえりなさい] welcome home
帰国[きこく] return to one's country
帰省[きせい] homecoming; returning home
帰路[きろ] return journey; one's way home; one's way back
日帰り[ひがえり] day trip
里帰り[さとがえり] returning home to one's parents (orig. of a married person); visiting one's pare
heisig_story: Spear . . . broom . . . apron. The character for lady (Frame 1234) shares the same right side as this character, which does not bode for a very happy homecoming.
koohii_story: A female warrior returns home from battle. Her husband takes away her spear to symbolize the end of fighting and gives her a broom and an apron. “Boy, this is some kind of HOMECOMING ,” thinks the veteran. (Adapted from johnskb).

kanji: 谷
meaning: valley
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: たに、きわ.まる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 谷[たに] valley; ravine; gorge; canyon
谷間[たにま] valley; ravine; gorge; chasm
渋谷[しぶや] Shibuya City (special ward of Tokyo); Shibuya
峡谷[きょうこく] gorge; ravine; canyon; glen
渓谷[けいこく] valley (with a river running through it); gorge; ravine; canyon
谷川[たにがわ] mountain stream
谷底[たにぞこ] valley floor; bottom of a gorge; bottom of a ravine
heisig_story: Go in . . . an umbrella . . . a mouth. Because of space restrictions, the element for go in is shortened in this character. If you stand on your head and look at this kanji, the image of a valley stands out more clearly: the mouth of the river whose water flows down at the intersection of the two mountains, with the final two strokes adding the element of perspective. Now get back on your feet again and see if the image still remains clear. If not, then return to the primitives and make a story in the usual way.
koohii_story: This could be seen as a very accurate pictograph of another type of valley : a valley mouth open under the umbrella of inner labia, with the outer labia parted above. There are even more connections to be made among the primitive keywords and the visuals, but i will enter no further…

kanji: 古
meaning: old
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: ふる.い、ふる-、-ふる.す
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
口[くち] mouth
examples: 古い[ふるい] old; aged; ancient; antiquated; antique; timeworn
稽古[けいこ] practice; practising; training; study
古代[こだい] ancient times; distant past; antiquity
古[いにしえ] antiquity; ancient times; bygone days; former times
古来[こらい] from ancient times; from old times; from time immemorial
名古屋[なごや] Nagoya (city)
古風[こふう] old-fashioned; archaic; antique; antiquated
中古[ちゅうこ] used; second-hand; old
太古[たいこ] ancient times; prehistoric times
古里[ふるさと] hometown; birthplace; native place; one's old home
古典的[こてんてき] classical; classic
古典[こてん] classic (work, esp. book); the classics
古臭い[ふるくさい] stale; old fashioned; hackneyed; trite; antiquated; obsolete; musty; outdated
考古学[こうこがく] archaeology; archeology
中古車[ちゅうこしゃ] used car; secondhand car
heisig_story: The primitive elements that compose this character are ten and mouth , but you may find it easier to remember it as a pictograph of a tombstone with a cross on top. Just think back to one of those graveyards you have visited, or better still, used to play in as a child, with old inscriptions on the tombstones. This departure from the primitive elements in favor of a pictograph will take place now and again at these early stages, and almost never after that. So you need not worry about cluttering up your memory with too many character "drawings."
koohii_story: Tombstone and cross on an old man's grave.

kanji: 歌
meaning: song
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: うた、うた.う
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 哥[カ] big brother
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 歌う[うたう] to sing
歌[うた] song; singing
歌声[うたごえ] singing voice; (sound of) singing
歌詞[かし] song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
歌手[かしゅ] singer
子守歌[こもりうた] lullaby
歌謡[かよう] song; ballad
短歌[たんか] tanka
和歌[わか] waka
唱歌[しょうか] singing; song
国歌[こっか] national anthem
校歌[こうか] school song; college song; school anthem
歌人[かじん] poet (of tanka poems)
歌劇[かげき] opera
歌合[うたあわせ] poetry contest
heisig_story: The song in this kanji is being sung by a chorus line of can-can girls. Why it should be eliciting nothing but yawning from the audience, I leave to you to decide.
koohii_story: Can- Can -ers lack the ability to sing a song , so they just dance.

kanji: 買
meaning: buy
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: か.う
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
貝[かい] shell
examples: 買う[かう] to buy; to purchase
買い物[かいもの] shopping; purchased goods
買い[かい] buying; shopping
買い出し[かいだし] going out to shop; going shopping
買収[ばいしゅう] acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; purchase
売買[ばいばい] trade; buying and selling; trafficking (e.g. of humans, arms, drugs); dealing
購買[こうばい] procurement; purchase; buying
買い占める[かいしめる] to buy up
お買い得[おかいどく] bargain; good buy; budget
ドル買い[ドルかい] dollar purchase
仲買[なかがい] brokerage; broker
買い上げ[かいあげ] buying; purchasing; procurement
買い付け[かいつけ] buying (in large quantities); (wholesale) purchase; buying in
買い入れ[かいいれ] buying; purchasing; laying in
買い入れる[かいいれる] to purchase; to buy in
heisig_story: Eye . . . shellfish.
koohii_story: When something catches my eye, I take out a few clams and buy before anybody else does.

kanji: 光
meaning: ray
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: ひか.る、ひかり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 小[しょう] small
兀[コツ] high & level
examples: 光[ひかり] light
光る[ひかる] to shine; to glitter; to be bright
光景[こうけい] scene; spectacle; sight; view
光栄[こうえい] honour; honor; glory; privilege
観光[かんこう] sightseeing; tourism
栄光[えいこう] glory
観光客[かんこうきゃく] tourist
光り輝く[ひかりかがやく] to shine; to glitter
陽光[ようこう] sunshine; sunlight
月光[げっこう] moonlight; moonbeam
日光[にっこう] sunlight; sunshine; sunbeams
光線[こうせん] ray (of light); beam; light
発光[はっこう] emission (of light); radiation (of light); luminescence
光沢[こうたく] brilliance; polish; lustre; luster; glossy finish
蛍光灯[けいこうとう] fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light
heisig_story: There are really only 2 primitives here, little and human legs. The 4th stroke that separates them is added for reasons of aesthetics. (If that doesn't make sense, try writing the kanji without it and see how ugly the results look, even to your beginner's eye.) Now if you have wondered what those little particles of "dust" are that dance around in the light- rays that come through the window and fall on your desk, try imagining them as little and disembodied human legs , and you should have no trouble with this character.
koohii_story: A ray of light is not a wave but made of little photons with human legs.

kanji: 科
meaning: department
ja_on: カ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
斗[ますづくり] big dipper
examples: 教科書[きょうかしょ] textbook; coursebook; schoolbook
内科[ないか] internal medicine
科学[かがく] science
科[か] department (of a university or hospital)
科学者[かがくしゃ] scientist
教科[きょうか] subject; curriculum
科目[かもく] (school) subject; curriculum; course
科学的[かがくてき] scientific
理科[りか] science (natural sciences and related fields, incl. mathematics, engineering, me
学科[がっか] subject (of study); course of study
外科[げか] surgery (branch of medicine)
人文科学[じんぶんかがく] humanities; arts
小児科[しょうにか] pediatrics
歯科[しか] dentistry
産婦人科[さんふじんか] maternity and gynaecology department (gynecology); department of obstetrics and
heisig_story: Think here of the faculty or department you entered in university, using the elements: measuring cup . . . wheat.
koohii_story: University department s study things like wheat (agriculture) and the big dipper (physics/astronomy), and exact measuring cups (engineering).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 教科書 給料

kanji: 細
meaning: dainty
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: ほそ.い、ほそ.る、こま.か、こま.かい
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 細かい[こまかい] small
細い[ほそい] thin; slender; fine
詳細[しょうさい] details; particulars; specifics
繊細[せんさい] dainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine; slim
些細[ささい] trivial; trifling; slight; insignificant
心細い[こころぼそい] helpless; forlorn; hopeless; unpromising; lonely; discouraging; disheartening
細かいこと[こまかいこと] trifles; minor details
細工[さいく] work; workmanship; craftsmanship; handiwork
細胞[さいぼう] cell
細か[こまか] small; fine; detailed; stingy
細長い[ほそながい] long and narrow
細心[さいしん] meticulous; careful; discreet; scrupulous; prudent
細部[さいぶ] details; particulars
細やか[ささやか] small; little; tiny; insignificant; humble; modest; meagre; meager
細々[こまごま] minutely; in detail; with particular attention
heisig_story: Thread . . . brains.
koohii_story: Dainty women would always rather work with thread than in a field.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 細かい 畑

kanji: 図
meaning: map
ja_on: ズ、ト
ja_kun: え、はか.る
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
小[しょう] small
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 地図[ちず] map; atlas; chart; plan
合図[あいず] sign; signal; cue
意図[いと] intention; aim; design
図書館[としょかん] library
図る[はかる] to plan; to attempt; to devise
図[ず] drawing; picture; diagram; figure; illustration; chart; graph; map
意図的[いとてき] intentional; on purpose
指図[さしず] directions; instructions; orders; command
図書室[としょしつ] library (usu. single-room); small library
構図[こうず] composition (of painting); structural outline; compositional arrangement
図々しい[ずうずうしい] impudent; shameless; brazen; forward; audacious; cheeky
図鑑[ずかん] pictorial book; picture book; illustrated reference book; identification manual;
図面[ずめん] drawing; diagram; plans; blueprint
図書[としょ] books
図形[ずけい] figure; shape; graphic
heisig_story: Pent in . . . Big Dipper. Hint: among the songs dating from the days of slavery that have become part of American folklore is one called "Follow the Drinking Gourd." It referred to the nighttime travel of runaway slaves (those pent in ) who had no maps other than the stars to guide them, among them the bright and predominant Big Dipper , the "Drinking Gourd."
koohii_story: Can't see direct relation to [Big Dipper](../v4/1177.html) (#1177 斗) since its writing order is completely different. As raulir noted, it's written as overlapping at the last stroke of ツ and the first of メ. I take it as a pictograph or treasure map. Two dots represent big trees and the cross (marking the treasure) is placed relative to them.

kanji: 週
meaning: week
ja_on: シュウ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 周[シュウ] circumference
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 来週[らいしゅう] next week
週[しゅう] week
一週間[いっしゅうかん] one week
先週[せんしゅう] last week; the week before
今週[こんしゅう] this week
週末[しゅうまつ] weekend
週間[しゅうかん] week
毎週[まいしゅう] every week
週刊誌[しゅうかんし] weekly (publication); weekly magazine; weekly journal
週刊[しゅうかん] weekly publication
今週末[こんしゅうまつ] this weekend
週明け[しゅうあけ] beginning of next week (usu. Monday); early next week
再来週[さらいしゅう] week after next
隔週[かくしゅう] every other week; every two weeks
前週[ぜんしゅう] last week; the week before
heisig_story: Picture a circular road with 7 markers on it, one for each day of the week. When you have walked one complete lap on this road , you shall have completed one week.
koohii_story: Imagine a road built so well that it takes only a week to travel the circumference of the earth.

kanji: 丸
meaning: round
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: まる、まる.める、まる.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 九[キュウ] nine
丶[てん] dot
examples: 丸[まる] circle
丸い[まるい] round; circular; spherical
丸める[まるめる] to make round; to roll up; to curl up
丸ごと[まるごと] in its entirety; whole; wholly
弾丸[だんがん] bullet; shot; shell
丸まる[まるまる] to become rounded; to roll into a ball
丸々[まるまる] plump; rotund; chubby
丸太[まるた] log
丸め込む[まるめこむ] to coax; to cajole; to wheedle; to win over; to seduce
丸み[まるみ] roundness; rotundity
丸っきり[まるっきり] completely; absolutely; totally; (not) at all
日の丸[ひのまる] red or gold circle representing the Sun
一丸[いちがん] one lump; one body; one group
丸刈り[まるがり] buzz cut; close crop
真ん丸[まんまる] perfect circle
heisig_story: We speak of " round numbers, " or " rounding a number off, " meaning to add an insignificant amount to bring it to the nearest 10. For instance, if you add just a wee bit, the tiniest drop , to nine , you end up with a round number.
koohii_story: Nine plus a drop round s it off to ten!

kanji: 室
meaning: room
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: むろ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
至[いたる] to arrive
examples: 教室[きょうしつ] classroom; lecture room
室[しつ] room
室内[しつない] indoor; inside the room
寝室[しんしつ] bedroom
個室[こしつ] single (room); room for one; one's own room; private room; private compartment
病室[びょうしつ] sickroom; hospital room; ward
自室[じしつ] one's own room
一室[いっしつ] one room
研究室[けんきゅうしつ] laboratory
図書室[としょしつ] library (usu. single-room); small library
密室[みっしつ] locked room
会議室[かいぎしつ] conference room; council room
更衣室[こういしつ] locker room; changing room; dressing room
浴室[よくしつ] bathroom
地下室[ちかしつ] cellar; basement
heisig_story: House . . . climax.
koohii_story: You book a room in a love hotel called " Climax House ".

kanji: 太
meaning: plump
ja_on: タイ、タ
ja_kun: ふと.い、ふと.る
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 大[だい] large
丶[てん] dot
examples: 太陽[たいよう] Sun
太い[ふとい] fat; thick
太る[ふとる] to put on weight; to gain weight; to grow fat; to get stout
太もも[ふともも] thigh
太鼓[たいこ] drum
太古[たいこ] ancient times; prehistoric times
丸太[まるた] log
太刀[たち] long sword (as opposed to the shorter katana)
太平洋[たいへいよう] Pacific Ocean
太っ腹[ふとっぱら] generous; magnanimous; big-hearted; broad-minded
太り肉[ふとりじし] corpulent; fat; chubby
太子[たいし] crown prince
太字[ふとじ] boldface; bold-type; thick characters
太平洋戦争[たいへいようせんそう] Pacific War (1941-1945)
太陽系[たいようけい] solar system
heisig_story: " Plump " is one of those delightful English words that almost sound like their meaning. No sooner do you hear it than you think of a round and ample- bodied person falling into a sofa like a large drop of oil plopping into a fishbowl - kerrrr- plump!
koohii_story: A large person with a big drop of sweat dripping off of him because he is so plump.

kanji: 歩
meaning: walk
ja_on: ホ、ブ、フ
ja_kun: ある.く、あゆ.む
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 止[とめる] to stop
少[ショウ] few
examples: 歩く[あるく] to walk
一歩[いっぽ] (a) step; one step
散歩[さんぽ] walk; stroll
歩む[あゆむ] to walk; to go on foot
歩き回る[あるきまわる] to walk about; to walk around; to walk to and fro; to pace around; to wander
歩み寄る[あゆみよる] to compromise; to meet halfway
進歩[しんぽ] progress; advance; improvement; development
歩[ほ] step; stride
歩み[あゆみ] walking
徒歩[とほ] walking; going on foot
第一歩[だいいっぽ] first step
歩道[ほどう] footpath; walkway; sidewalk; pavement
譲歩[じょうほ] concession; conciliation; compromise
歩調[ほちょう] pace; step; cadence
歩行[ほこう] walking; walk
heisig_story: Footprints that follow one another a few at a time indicate walking.
koohii_story: When walk ing your pet, you must stop a few times along the way when nature calls.

kanji: 風
meaning: wind
ja_on: フウ、フ
ja_kun: かぜ、かざ-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 几[きにょう] table
虫[むし] worm
examples: 風[かぜ] wind; breeze; draught; draft
お風呂[おふろ] bath
風呂[ふろ] bath; bathing; bathtub; bathroom
風邪[かぜ] (common) cold; influenza; flu; ague; inflammatory respiratory system illness (in
風景[ふうけい] scenery; scene; landscape; view; sight
風情[ふぜい] taste; elegance; charm
風呂場[ふろば] bathroom
風船[ふうせん] balloon (toy or decoration)
台風[たいふう] typhoon; hurricane
風味[ふうみ] taste; flavor; flavour
風邪をひく[かぜをひく] to catch a cold
風習[ふうしゅう] custom
風紀[ふうき] public morals; discipline; rules governing social behavior
和風[わふう] Japanese style
風格[ふうかく] personality; style; appearance
heisig_story: Windy . . . drops of . . . insects. Hint: think of the last two primitives as representing a swarm of gnats , those tiny drops of pesky insects.
koohii_story: They say that when an INSECT flaps its wings even the single DROP of WIND that it creates is sometimes enough to create a hurricane on the other side of the Earth.

kanji: 紙
meaning: paper
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: かみ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
氏[うじ] family
examples: 手紙[てがみ] letter; note
紙[かみ] paper
表紙[ひょうし] cover (of a book, magazine, etc.); binding
紙袋[かみぶくろ] paper bag
白紙[はくし] white paper; flyleaf
用紙[ようし] blank form
張り紙[はりがみ] paper patch attached to something; paper backing; sticker; label
壁紙[かべがみ] wallpaper
ちり紙[ちりがみ] tissue paper; toilet paper
紙屑[かみくず] wastepaper; scrap of paper; paper scraps
紙幣[しへい] paper money; note; bill
包み紙[つつみがみ] wrapping paper
印紙[いんし] (revenue) stamp
厚紙[あつがみ] cardboard; thick paper
原稿用紙[げんこうようし] Japanese writing paper (lined with a square grid, one square per character); man
heisig_story: Thread . . . family name.
koohii_story: Spiderman doesn't have a single paper with his family name on it (because he doesn't want to reveal his identity).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 紙 低い

kanji: 母
meaning: mother
ja_on: ボ
ja_kun: はは、も
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 毋[なかれ] not
examples: お母さん[おかあさん] mother; mom; mum; ma
母[はは] mother
母親[ははおや] mother
保母[ほぼ] (female) childcare worker; nursery school teacher
母さん[かあさん] mother
祖母[そぼ] grandmother
叔母[おば] aunt
母性[ぼせい] motherhood; maternity
義母[ぎぼ] mother-in-law
母乳[ぼにゅう] mother's milk
父母[ふぼ] father and mother; parents
祖父母[そふぼ] grandparents
母体[ぼたい] mother's body (esp. when pregnant or after giving birth)
母校[ぼこう] alma mater
母子[ぼし] mother and child
heisig_story: Look closely at this kanji and you will find the outline of the kanji for woman in it, the second stroke of which has been expanded to make space for the two breasts that make her a mama. Likening this sound to a baby nursing at its mother's breast has afforded some scholars of comparative linguistics a way to explain the presence of the same word across a wide range of language groups.
koohii_story: The two breasts of a momma who breastfeeds.
heisig_keyword: mama

kanji: 黒
meaning: black
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: くろ、くろ.ずむ、くろ.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 里[さと] village
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 黒い[くろい] black
黒[くろ] black
白黒[しろくろ] black and white; monochrome
黒幕[くろまく] black curtain
漆黒[しっこく] jet-black; pitch-dark; raven-black; stygian
暗黒[あんこく] darkness
黒板[こくばん] blackboard
真っ黒[まっくろ] pitch black
黒色[くろいろ] black (colour, color)
黒字[くろじ] (being in) the black; surplus
大黒柱[だいこくばしら] central pillar (of a building)
浅黒い[あさぐろい] dark (skin, complexion, etc.); swarthy; tanned
目黒[めぐろ] Meguro City (special ward of Tokyo)
黒い霧[くろいきり] thick fog (of suspicion); black veil of secrecy; covered-up crime, unethical act
黒っぽい[くろっぽい] dark; blackish
heisig_story: Like most things electrical, a computer , too, can overheat. Just imagine flames pouring out of it and charring the keyboard, the monitor, and your desk a sooty black color.
koohii_story: If you burn the GROUND of a RICE FIELD with FIRE, eventually it will turn black.

kanji: 戸
meaning: door
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: と
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 戸[コ] door
examples: 戸惑う[とまどう] to be bewildered; to be perplexed
戸[と] door (esp. Japanese-style)
戸惑い[とまどい] being at sea; losing one's bearings; confusion; wonderment
井戸[いど] water well
江戸[えど] Edo (shogunate capital; former name of Tokyo); Yedo
戸籍[こせき] family register
江戸時代[えどじだい] Edo period (1603-1868)
戸締まり[とじまり] locking up (doors and windows); fastening the doors
戸棚[とだな] cupboard; locker; closet; wardrobe; cabinet
瀬戸際[せとぎわ] brink; verge; critical moment; crucial moment
神戸[こうべ] Kobe (city)
瀬戸物[せともの] earthenware; porcelain; china; pottery; crockery
雨戸[あまど] sliding storm shutter
ガラス戸[ガラスど] glass door
一戸建て[いっこだて] detached house; stand-alone house; single-family home
heisig_story: Ceiling . . . flag.
koohii_story: Traditional Japanese storefront door s have several flags , known as "noren," hanging down from a curtain rod in front of them. I see this as a pseudo-pictograph, and use the horizontal line across the top to represent the curtain rod, since noren don't usually hang from the ceiling.

kanji: 春
meaning: springtime
ja_on: シュン
ja_kun: はる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
examples: 春[はる] spring; springtime
青春[せいしゅん] youth; adolescence; springtime of life
思春期[ししゅんき] puberty; adolescence
春休み[はるやすみ] spring break; spring vacation
今春[こんしゅん] this spring; spring this year
売春[ばいしゅん] prostitution
売春婦[ばいしゅんふ] prostitute
新春[しんしゅん] New Year
早春[そうしゅん] early spring
春先[はるさき] beginning of spring
春分[しゅんぶん] vernal equinox; spring equinox
春場所[はるばしょ] Spring Tournament (held in Osaka in March)
春夏秋冬[しゅんかしゅうとう] spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
春季[しゅんき] spring season
春秋[しゅんじゅう] spring and autumn; spring and fall
heisig_story: Bonsai . . . sun.
koohii_story: In the springtime bonsai get plenty of sun.

kanji: 読
meaning: read
ja_on: ドク、トク、トウ
ja_kun: よ.む、-よ.み
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 言[げん] words
売[バイ] sell
examples: 読む[よむ] to read
読み[よみ] reading
読者[どくしゃ] reader
読書[どくしょ] reading (books)
読み上げる[よみあげる] to read out; to read aloud; to call out
解読[かいどく] deciphering; decoding
読み返す[よみかえす] to reread; to read again
朗読[ろうどく] reading aloud; recitation
読み方[よみかた] pronunciation; reading (e.g. of a kanji)
読み書き[よみかき] reading and writing
句読点[くとうてん] punctuation mark
購読[こうどく] buying and reading (book, magazine, etc.); subscribing (incl. free subscriptions
定期購読[ていきこうどく] subscription (e.g. to a magazine)
必読[ひつどく] must-read; required reading
愛読[あいどく] reading with pleasure
heisig_story: In the age of advertising, most words we read are out to sell some product or point of view.
koohii_story: People will say ( 言 ) almost anything to make a sale ( 売 ), don't believe everything you read ( 読 ).

kanji: 色
meaning: color
ja_on: ショク、シキ
ja_kun: いろ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 巴[ハ] comma-design
examples: 色[いろ] colour; color; hue; tint; tinge; shade
色々[いろいろ] various; a variety of; all sorts of; many (different)
景色[けしき] scenery; scene; landscape
顔色[かおいろ] complexion; one's colour; one's color
色んな[いろんな] various; a variety of; all sorts of; many (different)
黄色い[きいろい] yellow
色気[いろけ] colouring; coloring; shade of colour (color)
金色[きんいろ] gold (colour, color)
黄色[きいろ] yellow; amber
灰色[はいいろ] grey; gray; ashen
緑色[みどりいろ] green; green color
銀色[ぎんいろ] silver (color, colour)
音色[ねいろ] tone color; tone colour; tone quality; timbre
色々あって[いろいろあって] what with this and that; for a number of reasons
声色[こわいろ] tone of voice
heisig_story: Bound up . . . mosaic.
koohii_story: Bound up in the Rubik's cube are the 6 different colours.

kanji: 友
meaning: friend
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: とも
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 又[また] again
examples: 友達[ともだち] friend; companion
友人[ゆうじん] friend
親友[しんゆう] close friend; bosom friend; buddy; crony; chum
友[とも] friend; companion; comrade; pal
友情[ゆうじょう] friendship; fellowship; camaraderie
友だち[ともだち] friend; companion
戦友[せんゆう] comrade in arms; war buddy; fellow soldier
友好[ゆうこう] friendship
交友[こうゆう] friend; companion; acquaintance
僚友[りょうゆう] colleague; workmate; comrade; coworker
友愛[ゆうあい] fraternity; friendship
学友[がくゆう] school friend
盟友[めいゆう] sworn friend
血友病[けつゆうびょう] hemophilia; haemophilia
heisig_story: By one's side . . . crotch.
koohii_story: A good friend is always at your side. —- I teach at a Japanese High School, and I often see chummy male students grabbing each other's crotches in a joking manner. It's still weird to me, but apparently reaching to your side and grabbing you neighbor's crotch is a great way to express friend ship.

kanji: 走
meaning: run
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: はし.る
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 土[つち] earth
龰
examples: 走る[はしる] to run
暴走[ぼうそう] acting rashly; running wildly; behaving recklessly; rampaging
走り出す[はしりだす] to begin to run; to start running; to break into a run
走り回る[はしりまわる] to run around
逃走[とうそう] flight; desertion; escape
走り[はしり] running
口走る[くちばしる] to blurt out; to let slip; to say inadvertently; to come out with (e.g. nonsense
脱走[だっそう] escape; flight; breakout; fleeing; desertion
ご馳走[ごちそう] treat (esp. food and drink); entertainment; treating someone (to a meal); taking
疾走[しっそう] sprint; dash; scampering
奔走[ほんそう] running about; making every effort (to do); busying oneself (with); being busily
走行[そうこう] running (of a car, bus, etc.); traveling; travelling
ご馳走さま[ごちそうさま] thank you (for the meal); that was a delicious meal
ご馳走様[ごちそうさま] thank you (for the meal); that was a delicious meal
ご馳走様でした[ごちそうさまでした] thank you for the meal; that was a delicious meal; what a wonderful meal
heisig_story: Running , we are told here, mends the soil. Observe in the following frames how this kanji can embrace other elements from below, much the same way as the element for road does, and how, in order to do this, the final stroke needs to be lengthened.
koohii_story: Hint: This kanji is NOT soil on top of mend , as Heisig claims - that would duplicate one of the strokes. Instead, it is 10 on top of mend. So my story is: If you run 10 miles, you will need to mend your socks!

kanji: 園
meaning: park
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: その
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
袁[エン] long kimono
examples: 公園[こうえん] (public) park
学園[がくえん] educational institution; school; academy; campus
遊園地[ゆうえんち] amusement park
幼稚園[ようちえん] kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school
楽園[らくえん] paradise; Eden
動物園[どうぶつえん] zoo; zoological gardens
園[えん] garden; orchard; park; plantation
庭園[ていえん] garden; park
保育園[ほいくえん] nursery school; day nursery; day care center
花園[はなぞの] flower garden
甲子園[こうしえん] Koshien Stadium (baseball park in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture)
園芸[えんげい] horticulture; gardening
田園[でんえん] the country; countryside; rural districts
入園[にゅうえん] enrollment in kindergarten; enrollment in nursery school
園児[えんじ] kindergarten pupil; kindergartener; preschooler; child in daycare
heisig_story: Pent in . . . lidded crock . . . scarf.
koohii_story: A nice picnic pent up in the park , with your crock pot and scarf (picnic blanket).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 公園 遠い

kanji: 秋
meaning: autumn
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: あき、とき
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
火[ひ] fire
examples: 秋[あき] autumn; fall
今秋[こんしゅう] this autumn; this fall; autumn of this year
千秋楽[せんしゅうらく] final day of a performance; closing date; final show
春夏秋冬[しゅんかしゅうとう] spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
春秋[しゅんじゅう] spring and autumn; spring and fall
昨秋[さくしゅう] autumn of last year; fall of last year
秋分[しゅうぶん] autumnal equinox; autumn equinox; fall equinox
秋口[あきぐち] beginning of autumn; beginning of fall
秋季[しゅうき] fall season; autumn season
秋晴れ[あきばれ] clear autumnal weather
秋風[あきかぜ] autumn breeze; fall breeze
heisig_story: Wheat . . . fire.
koohii_story: In AUTUMN , the WHEAT looks the color of FIRE, meaning it's time to harvest it.

kanji: 馬
meaning: horse
ja_on: バ
ja_kun: うま、うま-、ま
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 灬[れっか] fire
examples: 馬[うま] horse
馬鹿[ばか] idiot; moron; fool
馬車[ばしゃ] coach (horse-drawn); carriage; wagon; cart
馬鹿らしい[ばからしい] absurd; foolish; stupid; silly; nonsense; ludicrous; preposterous; laughable; ri
白馬[はくば] white horse
競馬[けいば] horse racing
三冠馬[さんかんば] winner of Japan's three main horse races
乗馬[じょうば] horse riding; horseback riding; mounting a horse
出馬[しゅつば] running (for election); coming forward as a candidate
競走馬[きょうそうば] racehorse
競馬場[けいばじょう] racecourse; race track
馬主[うまぬし] owner of a horse (esp. racehorse)
馬券[ばけん] betting ticket; betting slip
馬力[ばりき] horsepower; hp
馬場[ばば] riding ground; racecourse; racetrack
heisig_story: Let the extra vertical stroke in the mane combine with the first vertical stroke to give an image of the horse's long neck. The only odd thing is the tail feathers at the end, but that should present a good image to remember the character by. The fact that the last stroke of mane and the first of tail feathers coincide should no longer surprise you.
koohii_story: Turkey with the drops at the top removed and tail feathers added (this matches stroke order and there are the tail feathers already, why not have the whole bird). If you take the two drops of 隹 as wings, then horse s are like turkeys, but have no wings and have more prominent tail "feathers". Both are actually supposed to be pictographs, though.

kanji: 父
meaning: father
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: ちち
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 父[ちち] father
examples: お父さん[おとうさん] father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy; dada
父[ちち] father
父親[ちちおや] father
親父[おやじ] one's father; one's old man; dad; pops
父さん[とうさん] father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy; dada
祖父[そふ] grandfather
叔父[おじ] uncle
神父[しんぷ] Catholic priest; abbe; reverend father; minister; padre
義父[ぎふ] father-in-law
父母[ふぼ] father and mother; parents
祖父母[そふぼ] grandparents
お祖父さん[おじいさん] grandfather
亡父[ぼうふ] deceased father; late father
父兄[ふけい] guardians; parents
父子[ふし] father and child; father and son; father and daughter
heisig_story: The kindness and hard work of the ideal father is seen in this abbreviation of the taskmaster that leaves off his rod or whip (the first stroke) and replaces it with the sweat of the father's brow (the two drops at the top).
koohii_story: Luke, I am your father. Darth Vader (really surprised nobody put this one up before: 2 laserswords).

kanji: 夏
meaning: summer
ja_on: カ、ガ、ゲ
ja_kun: なつ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 一[いち] one
自[みずから] self
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 夏[なつ] summer
夏休み[なつやすみ] summer vacation; summer holiday
真夏[まなつ] middle of summer; height of summer; midsummer
初夏[しょか] early summer
夏場[なつば] summertime; summer season
今夏[こんか] this summer; next summer; last summer
冷夏[れいか] cool summer; cold summer; cooler-than-normal summer
夏バテ[なつバテ] suffering from summer heat; summer heat fatigue
夏場所[なつばしょ] Summer Tournament (held in Tokyo in May)
夏季[かき] summer season; summer; summertime
夏時間[なつじかん] daylight saving time; daylight savings time; summer time
夏期[かき] summer term (e.g. school); summer period
夏物[なつもの] summer clothing; summer wear
夏至[げし] summer solstice
春夏秋冬[しゅんかしゅうとう] spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
heisig_story: In the summer , fatigued by the heat, your head hangs down nearly as far as your walking legs , or rather, your "dragging legs." Note how the walking legs (instead of "animal legs") are the only thing that distinguishes this character from that for page (Frame 64).
koohii_story: In SUMMER you are hot from the top of your head down to your walking legs.

kanji: 顔
meaning: face
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: かお
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 彦[ゲン] lad
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 顔[かお] face; visage; looks; (facial) features
笑顔[えがお] smiling face; smile
顔色[かおいろ] complexion; one's colour; one's color
顔を出す[かおをだす] to turn up; to make an appearance; to put in an appearance; to drop by
顔面[がんめん] face (of person)
横顔[よこがお] profile; face in profile; face seen from the side
寝顔[ねがお] sleeping face
顔つき[かおつき] (outward) looks; features; face; countenance; expression
真顔[まがお] serious look (on one's face); straight face
顔立ち[かおだち] looks; features
顔見知り[かおみしり] acquaintance
素顔[すがお] face with no make-up; unpainted face
泣き顔[なきがお] crying face; face of a person who is crying
顔合わせ[かおあわせ] (preliminary) meeting; face-to-face introduction
顔ぶれ[かおぶれ] personnel; members; lineup (of a team); roster; cast (of a play)
heisig_story: Lad . . . head.
koohii_story: The lad jumps off the cliff, breaks his head , and smashes his face.

kanji: 船
meaning: ship
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: ふね、ふな-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
㕣 a marsh at the foot of the hills
examples: 船[ふね] ship; boat; watercraft; vessel; seaplane
風船[ふうせん] balloon (toy or decoration)
船長[せんちょう] ship's captain; skipper
汽船[きせん] steamship; steamboat; steamer
漁船[ぎょせん] fishing boat
船便[ふなびん] surface mail (by ship); sea mail
船舶[せんぱく] vessel; ship; shipping; seacraft
造船[ぞうせん] shipbuilding
同船[どうせん] the same ship; taking the same ship
大船[おおぶね] large boat
客船[きゃくせん] passenger boat
帆船[はんせん] sailing ship; sailing boat; sailing vessel
渡し船[わたしぶね] ferry; ferryboat
船主[せんしゅ] shipowner
船体[せんたい] hull
heisig_story: Boat . . . gully.
koohii_story: A boy floats his toy boat in a gully and imagines it as an immense ship.

kanji: 羽
meaning: feathers
ja_on: ウ
ja_kun: は、わ、はね
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 羽[はね] feather
examples: 羽[はね] feather; plume; down
羽根[はね] feather; plume; down
羽目[はめ] panel; wainscoting; wainscotting
羽毛[うもう] feather; plume; plumage; down
白羽[しらは] white feather
羽織[はおり] haori (Japanese formal coat)
羽衣[はごろも] angel's raiment; robe of feathers
heisig_story: From the pictograph of two bird-wings, we get feathers.
koohii_story: Pictograph. Easy enough.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 羽 翼

kanji: 岩
meaning: boulder
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: いわ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
石[いし] stone
examples: 岩[いわ] rock; boulder
溶岩[ようがん] lava
岩石[がんせき] rock
一枚岩[いちまいいわ] monolith; large slab of rock
岩塩[がんえん] halite; rock salt
岩屋[いわや] cavern; grotto
岩山[いわやま] rocky mountain
岩盤[がんばん] bedrock
岩礁[がんしょう] reef
岩間[いわま] among rocks
heisig_story: Mountain . . . rock.
koohii_story: A mountain -sized stone is known as a boulder.

kanji: 角
meaning: angle
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: かど、つの
grade: Grade 2
examples: 角[かく] angle
角度[かくど] angle
方角[ほうがく] direction; way
一角[いっかく] corner; section; point; part
互角[ごかく] equal (in ability); even; evenly matched; well-matched; on par (with)
四角い[しかくい] square; rectangular
折角[せっかく] with trouble; at great pains
三角[さんかく] triangle; triangular shape
曲がり角[まがりかど] (street) corner; turn (in the road); bend
三角形[さんかくけい] triangle
四角[しかく] quadrilateral; square
街角[まちかど] street corner
兎角[とかく] (doing) various things; (doing) this and that
四つ角[よつかど] four corners
直角[ちょっかく] right angle
heisig_story: Bound up . . . glass canopy . . . walking stick . . . two. If you write the character once, you will see why we avoided using the element for soil , which would prompt you to write it in improper order.
koohii_story: A museum display of two walking sticks bound together under a glass canopy, showing the first device used to measure an angle.

kanji: 池
meaning: pond
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: いけ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
也[ヤ] to be (classical)
examples: 池[いけ] pond
電池[でんち] battery; cell
乾電池[かんでんち] dry cell battery
太陽電池[たいようでんち] solar cell
蓄電池[ちくでんち] storage battery
貯水池[ちょすいち] reservoir
電池切れ[でんちぎれ] running out of battery; battery depletion; going flat; going dead
heisig_story: Water . . . scorpion. It would be easy to slip into a "lazy image" in cases like this one, picturing, let us say, a scorpion near the water. But if you picture rather a scorpion letting its venom out drop by drop until it has made a whole pond of the stuff, the image is more likely to remain fixed.
koohii_story: Remember the story of the scorpion that begged the turtle for a ride across the pond? Halfway across the water , the scorpion stung the turtle on the neck and they both sank to the bottom.

kanji: 星
meaning: star
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: ほし、-ぼし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 星[ほし] star (usu. excluding the Sun); planet (usu. excluding Earth); heavenly body
星空[ほしぞら] starry sky
惑星[わくせい] planet
流れ星[ながれぼし] shooting star; falling star; meteor
星座[せいざ] constellation
衛星[えいせい] (natural) satellite; moon
火星[かせい] Mars (planet)
人工衛星[じんこうえいせい] artificial satellite; man-made satellite
勝ち星[かちぼし] (mark indicating) a win
土星[どせい] Saturn (planet)
天王星[てんのうせい] Uranus (planet)
小惑星[しょうわくせい] asteroid
巨星[きょせい] giant star
彗星[すいせい] comet
恒星[こうせい] star
heisig_story: Sun . . . cell.
koohii_story: The sun is the nearest star to the only planet with life \- Earth.

kanji: 寺
meaning: Buddhist temple
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: てら
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 土[つち] earth
寸[すん] inch
examples: 寺[てら] temple (Buddhist)
寺院[じいん] Buddhist temple
国分寺[こくぶんじ] state-supported provincial temple (Nara period)
山寺[やまでら] mountain temple
禅寺[ぜんでら] Zen temple
heisig_story: You have heard of people "attaching" themselves to a particular sect? Here is your chance to take that metaphor literally and imagine some fellow walking into a Buddhist temple with a fervent resolve to attach himself to the place. Since there is plenty of unused land around the precincts, he simply picks out a suitable patch, brushes the soles of his feet with glue , steps down firmly, and so joins the Buddhist temple as a "permanent member."
koohii_story: At the Buddhist temple the monks are seated on the ground , glued there in meditation.

kanji: 遠
meaning: distant
ja_on: エン、オン
ja_kun: とお.い
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 袁[エン] long kimono
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遠い[とおい] far; distant; far away; a long way off; in the distance
遠慮[えんりょ] reserve; constraint; restraint; modesty; diffidence; hesitation; holding back; d
遠く[とおく] far away; distant place; a (great) distance; a long way off; afar
永遠[えいえん] eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality
遠ざかる[とおざかる] to go away; to become more distant; to fade away; to die away
遠足[えんそく] school trip; field trip; excursion; outing
待ち遠しい[まちどおしい] longed-for; anxiously awaited
遠距離[えんきょり] long distance; tele-
遠征[えんせい] (military) expedition; campaign
遠方[えんぽう] distant place; faraway location; far away
疎遠[そえん] estrangement; alienation; neglecting to stay in contact
敬遠[けいえん] pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's
遠隔[えんかく] distant; remote; isolated
望遠鏡[ぼうえんきょう] telescope
ご遠慮ください[ごえんりょください] please refrain (from)
heisig_story: A distant figure on the road is such a blur it looks like a lidded crock wearing a silk scarf.
koohii_story: Keep distant from a lidded crock on the road wrapped in a scarf. It might be a bomb.

kanji: 絵
meaning: picture
ja_on: カイ、エ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
会[カイ] meeting
examples: 絵[え] picture; drawing; painting; sketch
絵を描く[えをかく] to paint a picture; to draw a picture
絵本[えほん] picture book
絵画[かいが] painting; picture
絵の具[えのぐ] paint; coloring materials; colors; colours
似顔絵[にがおえ] portrait; likeness; sketch (of a face)
挿絵[さしえ] illustration (in a book, newspaper, etc.); picture
油絵[あぶらえ] oil painting
墨絵[すみえ] ink painting
影絵[かげえ] shadow picture; silhouette; shadowgraph
浮世絵[うきよえ] ukiyo-e; ukiyoe
絵巻[えまき] picture scroll
絵巻物[えまきもの] picture scroll
絵文字[えもじ] emoji
絵葉書[えはがき] picture postcard
heisig_story: Thread . . . meeting.
koohii_story: There's never a picture of Spiderman meeting Peter Parker… I wonder why?

kanji: 曜
meaning: weekday
ja_on: ヨウ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
翟[ケキ] surname
examples: 日曜日[にちようび] Sunday
日曜[にちよう] Sunday
土曜日[どようび] Saturday
月曜日[げつようび] Monday
金曜日[きんようび] Friday
土曜[どよう] Saturday
月曜[げつよう] Monday
金曜[きんよう] Friday
水曜日[すいようび] Wednesday
火曜日[かようび] Tuesday
木曜日[もくようび] Thursday
曜日[ようび] day of the week
水曜[すいよう] Wednesday
木曜[もくよう] Thursday
火曜[かよう] Tuesday
heisig_story: Day . . . feathers . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Tip: feathers \+ turkey : This combination of primitives appears six times in Heisig, so it's worthwhile giving it a name. I suggest " futon " (your futon is made from turkey feathers ). REF: weekday (FRAME 576) , [laundry](../v4/577.html) (#577 濯), [leap](../v4/1285.html) (#1285 躍), [outstanding](../v4/2272.html) (#2272 擢), [twinkle](../v4/2534.html) (#2534 燿), [shimmering](../v4/2880.html) (#2880 耀). Story: On weekday s you hang your futon out in the sun.

kanji: 弱
meaning: weak
ja_on: ジャク
ja_kun: よわ.い、よわ.る、よわ.まる、よわ.める
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 弱い[よわい] weak; frail; delicate; tender; unskilled; weak (wine)
弱る[よわる] to weaken; to grow weak; to wane; to decline (of one's health)
弱点[じゃくてん] weak point; weakness; shortcoming; defect; flaw; sore spot; tender spot
弱気[よわき] timid; weak-kneed; fainthearted
弱[じゃく] a little less than; a little under; slightly fewer than
弱まる[よわまる] to abate; to weaken; to be emaciated; to be dejected; to be perplexed
弱み[よわみ] (a) weakness; shortcoming; failing; sore point
か弱い[かよわい] weak; feeble; delicate; frail; helpless
弱者[じゃくしゃ] weak person; the weak; vulnerable person; disadvantaged person
弱音[よわね] feeble complaint; whine
弱める[よわめる] to weaken
弱虫[よわむし] coward; weakling; scaredy cat; wimp; sissy
衰弱[すいじゃく] weakness; debility; breakdown; prostration
貧弱[ひんじゃく] poor; meagre; meager; feeble; scanty; shabby; insubstantial
軟弱[なんじゃく] soft and lacking firmness; weak; fragile
heisig_story: Two bows . . with ice on them.
koohii_story: Two weak archers agree on a duel to the death. They constantly shoot at each other but never manage to hit their target. But what they lack in skill they make up in determination, and they keep shooting for hours, and days, and months, until it's wintertime and their bows are coated in ice.

kanji: 肉
meaning: meat
ja_on: ニク
ja_kun: しし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 肉[にく] flesh
examples: 肉[にく] flesh
肉体[にくたい] the body; the flesh; the outer man; one's physique
筋肉[きんにく] muscle
皮肉[ひにく] irony; sarcasm; cynicism; satire
肉体的[にくたいてき] bodily; physical; corporeal
肉親[にくしん] blood relationship; blood relative
焼き肉[やきにく] yakiniku
鶏肉[とりにく] chicken meat
牛肉[ぎゅうにく] beef
豚肉[ぶたにく] pork
肉食[にくしょく] meat eating; eating of meat; meat diet
肉眼[にくがん] naked eye
焼肉[やきにく] yakiniku
太り肉[ふとりじし] corpulent; fat; chubby
羊肉[ようにく] mutton; lamb (meat)
heisig_story: Let this doubling of one of the elements for " inside " yield the sense of " insides " to approach the key word, meat. The abbreviated form of this character gave us the primitive meaning of flesh or part of the body for the kanji 月.
koohii_story: Here we are looking at an x-ray of a cannibal whose insides are full on people-meat.

kanji: 晴
meaning: clear up
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: は.れる、は.れ、は.れ-、-ば.れ、は.らす
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
青[あお] blue
examples: 素晴らしい[すばらしい] wonderful; splendid; magnificent
晴れる[はれる] to clear up; to clear away; to be sunny; to stop raining
晴らす[はらす] to dispel; to clear away; to refresh (oneself)
晴れ[はれ] clear weather; fine weather
気晴らし[きばらし] recreation; diversion; relaxation
快晴[かいせい] clear weather; cloudless weather; good weather
見晴らし[みはらし] (scenic) view; prospect; outlook
晴天[せいてん] fine weather (i.e. little or no clouds); fair weather; clear weather; clear sky;
秋晴れ[あきばれ] clear autumnal weather
見晴らす[みはらす] to command a view; to look out over (onto, across, etc.); to overlook
heisig_story: Take the key word in its associations with the weather (unless that tempts you to include the primitive for weather , which doesn't belong here). Its elements: sun . . . blue.
koohii_story: Sun and blue sky! Yep, the weather's cleared up!

kanji: 鳥
meaning: bird
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: とり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 灬[れっか] fire
examples: 鳥[とり] bird
小鳥[ことり] small bird; little bird
一石二鳥[いっせきにちょう] killing two birds with one stone
鳥居[とりい] torii (Shinto shrine archway)
焼き鳥[やきとり] yakitori
白鳥[はくちょう] swan (Cygnus spp.)
渡り鳥[わたりどり] migratory bird; bird of passage
千鳥[ちどり] plover
水鳥[みずとり] waterfowl; water bird; shorebird
花鳥[かちょう] flowers and birds
野鳥[やちょう] wild bird
鳥獣[ちょうじゅう] birds and wild animals; wildlife
鳥類[ちょうるい] birds
heisig_story: Dove . . . one . . . tail feathers. This is, of course, the character from which we derived the primitive meaning of dove. Note the lengthening of the second stroke.
koohii_story: There is only one bird with such beautiful white tail feathers: the albino peakcock.

kanji: 冬
meaning: winter
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ふゆ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 夂[のまた] to follow
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 冬[ふゆ] winter
冬休み[ふゆやすみ] winter vacation; winter holidays
真冬[まふゆ] midwinter; dead of winter
冬眠[とうみん] hibernation; winter sleep; brumation; torpor
冬場[ふゆば] wintertime; winter season
冬季[とうき] winter season; winter
冬期[とうき] winter; wintertime; winter term
冬物[ふゆもの] winter clothing; winter wear
冬至[とうじ] winter solstice
春夏秋冬[しゅんかしゅうとう] spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter; the four seasons
暖冬[だんとう] mild winter; warm winter
越冬[えっとう] passing the winter; hibernation
heisig_story: Walking legs slipping on the ice are a sure sign of winter.
koohii_story: Don't slip off your legs in winter , strap two skis to your feet.

kanji: 里
meaning: ri
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: さと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
examples: 里[り] Japanese league; ri
古里[ふるさと] hometown; birthplace; native place; one's old home
里帰り[さとがえり] returning home to one's parents (orig. of a married person); visiting one's pare
郷里[きょうり] hometown; birthplace
一里塚[いちりづか] milestone (1 ri apart)
万里[ばんり] thousands of miles
千里[せんり] 1000 ri; (a) long distance
里子[さとご] foster child
里親[さとおや] foster parent; foster parents
heisig_story: That's right - a ri. Don't bother looking it up in your English dictionary, it's a Japanese word for measuring distances. One ri is about 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles. The kanji depicts how the measure came to be used. Atop we see the rice field , and below the element for land. Those four sections you see in the rice field (and which we made mention of when first we introduced the character in frame 14) are actually measurements of land , much the same as farm-sections in the United States have given us the notion of a "country mile." The land division based on the size of a rice field is called a ri.
koohii_story: The ri is a Japanese way of measuring the area of the GROUND underneath a RI CE FIELD.

kanji: 昼
meaning: daytime
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: ひる
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 尺[シャク] shaku
旦[タン] daybreak
examples: 昼間[ひるま] daytime; during the day; time from sunrise until sunset; diurnal period
昼[ひる] noon; midday
お昼[おひる] lunch
昼休み[ひるやすみ] lunch break; noon recess; noon rest period
昼食[ちゅうしょく] lunch; midday meal
昼寝[ひるね] (afternoon) nap; sleeping during the day; siesta
昼飯[ひるめし] lunch; midday meal
昼過ぎ[ひるすぎ] just past noon; afternoon
昼ご飯[ひるごはん] lunch; midday meal
昼前[ひるまえ] morning; forenoon
昼下がり[ひるさがり] early afternoon
昼夜[ちゅうや] day and night
昼ごはん[ひるごはん] lunch; midday meal
heisig_story: Shakuhachi . . . nightbreak.
koohii_story: Roosters in Japan are very civilised, they play the shakuhachi at nightbreak to signify the beginning of daytime.

kanji: 茶
meaning: tea
ja_on: チャ、サ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
人[ひと] person
木[き] tree
examples: お茶[おちゃ] tea (esp. green or barley)
無茶[むちゃ] absurd; unreasonable; ridiculous
紅茶[こうちゃ] black tea
茶[ちゃ] tea
喫茶店[きっさてん] coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe
無茶苦茶[むちゃくちゃ] nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd; unrealistic
茶色[ちゃいろ] brown; light brown; tawny
滅茶苦茶[めちゃくちゃ] absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous; incoherent
茶碗[ちゃわん] rice bowl; tea cup; teacup
麦茶[むぎちゃ] barley tea
喫茶[きっさ] tea drinking
抹茶[まっちゃ] matcha; powdered green tea
緑茶[りょくちゃ] green tea; Japanese tea
茶の湯[ちゃのゆ] tea ceremony; chanoyu
茶の間[ちゃのま] (Japanese-style) living room
heisig_story: As everyone knows, tea is made from tea leaves. But the tea plant itself has its own flowers , which can be quite beautiful and add a special flavor to the tea , as the Chinese found out already over 4,598 years ago. With the image of a terrace of flowering tea bushes in mind, picture a number of brightly painted and very l-o-n-g wooden poles (Frame 207) placed here and there in their midst, with a tiny umbrella at the top to shade the delicate-tasting tea flowers.
koohii_story: Some people think drinking tea is boring and quaint. That's why I spice mine up by adding a cocktail umbrella, which of course is made from a wood -en toothpick supporting a paper umbrella with flowers printed on top.

kanji: 雪
meaning: snow
ja_on: セツ
ja_kun: ゆき
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
examples: 雪[ゆき] snow; snowfall
吹雪[ふぶき] snow storm; blizzard
雪崩[なだれ] avalanche; snowslide
初雪[はつゆき] first snow (of the season); first snowfall
大雪[おおゆき] heavy snow; heavy snowfall
新雪[しんせつ] fresh snow; new snow
積雪[せきせつ] fallen snow; snow cover
降雪[こうせつ] snowfall; snow
雪国[ゆきぐに] snow country; snowy region
雪渓[せっけい] snowy valley
雪解け[ゆきどけ] thawing of snow; thaw
雪辱[せつじょく] vindication of honour; vindication of honor; making up for loss; revenge
heisig_story: Rain that undergoes a change so that it can be swept aside with a broom is snow.
koohii_story: SNOW isn't all that different from RAIN , except it can be removed with a BROOM because it only forms in freezing temperatures.

kanji: 弟
meaning: younger brother
ja_on: テイ、ダイ、デ
ja_kun: おとうと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 八[はち] eight
弔[チョウ] condolences
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 弟[おとうと] younger brother; little brother; kid brother
兄弟[きょうだい] brothers and sisters; siblings
弟子[でし] pupil; disciple; adherent; follower; apprentice; young person; teacher's student
従兄弟[いとこ] cousin (male)
弟子入り[でしいり] becoming a pupil (of); becoming an apprentice
子弟[してい] children; sons
実弟[じってい] biological younger brother
師弟[してい] teacher and student
弟妹[ていまい] younger brother and sister
義弟[ぎてい] brother-in-law (spouse's younger brother or younger sister's husband)
heisig_story: Horns . . . dollar sign.
koohii_story: Younger brothers are always more prone to mischief. Mine, you can almost see the little horns on him and the dollar signs on his eyes when he comes up with a money-making scheme.

kanji: 毛
meaning: fur
ja_on: モウ
ja_kun: け
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 毛[け] hair
examples: 髪の毛[かみのけ] hair (on the head); (a) hair
毛[け] hair
毛布[もうふ] blanket
不毛[ふもう] barren; sterile; infertile
毛皮[けがわ] fur; skin; pelt
眉毛[まゆげ] eyebrow
羽毛[うもう] feather; plume; plumage; down
毛糸[けいと] knitting wool; woolen yarn; woollen yarn
羊毛[ようもう] wool
毛筆[もうひつ] (writing, painting) brush
毛虫[けむし] hairy caterpillar; woolly bear
heisig_story: This character simply reverses the direction of the final stroke of hand to produce fur. If you reverse your hand and put its palm down, you will have the side on which fur grows.
koohii_story: I've heard of people having hair on the back of their hands, but this is ridiculous! That's not hair, that's fur!

kanji: 牛
meaning: cow
ja_on: ギュウ
ja_kun: うし
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
examples: 牛[うし] cattle (Bos taurus); cow; bull; ox; calf
牛乳[ぎゅうにゅう] (cow's) milk
牛肉[ぎゅうにく] beef
牛丼[ぎゅうどん] gyudon
和牛[わぎゅう] Wagyu (any of four breeds of Japanese cattle); Wagyu beef
子牛[こうし] calf
水牛[すいぎゅう] water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis); domestic Asian water buffalo
牛歩[ぎゅうほ] snail's pace; slow progress
牛舎[ぎゅうしゃ] cow shed; cattle barn
heisig_story: Can you the "doodle" of a cow that has just been run over by a steamroller? The small dot in the first stroke shows its head turned to one side, and the next two strokes, the four legs.
koohii_story: A cow tried to climb up a vermilion tree, but in doing so, it broke its two bottom branches off.

kanji: 魚
meaning: fish
ja_on: ギョ
ja_kun: うお、さかな、-ざかな
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 魚[さかな] fish
金魚[きんぎょ] goldfish (Carassius auratus)
熱帯魚[ねったいぎょ] tropical fish
稚魚[ちぎょ] fry; juvenile fish; fingerling
魚介[ぎょかい] marine products; seafood; fish and shellfish
魚介類[ぎょかいるい] marine products; seafood; fish and shellfish
魚屋[さかなや] fish market; fish dealer; fishmonger
魚市場[うおいちば] fish market
魚群[ぎょぐん] school of fish; shoal of fish
魚肉[ぎょにく] fish meat
魚雷[ぎょらい] torpedo
魚類[ぎょるい] fish; fishes
鮮魚[せんぎょ] fresh fish
heisig_story: The composition of this kanji shows three elements, which we list in the order of their writing: bound up . . . rice field . . . cooking fire. Not much to work with at first sight. But we can join them together by thinking of a three-part story: first a fish is caught and bound up on a line with its unfortunate school-mates, when the fisherman gets home, he cuts off the head and tosses it, with the entrails, out into the rice fields for fertilizer, and the rest he sets in a skillet over a cooking fire for his supper.
koohii_story: The elements of this kanji are bound up, rice field and cooking fire. When I think of bound up cooked rice, it makes me think of sushi, which in turn brings to mind fish.

kanji: 兄
meaning: elder brother
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ
ja_kun: あに
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 兄[あに] older brother; elder brother
お兄さん[おにいさん] older brother; elder brother
兄弟[きょうだい] brothers and sisters; siblings
兄貴[あにき] elder brother
兄さん[にいさん] older brother; elder brother
兄ちゃん[にいちゃん] (one's) older brother
従兄弟[いとこ] cousin (male)
義兄[ぎけい] brother-in-law (spouse's older brother or older sister's husband)
実兄[じっけい] biological older brother
父兄[ふけい] guardians; parents
heisig_story: By now kanji like this one should "look like" something to you even though it is more of an "ideogram" than a "pictograph." The large mouth on top and the human legs below almost jump off the page as a caricature of elder brother , the one with the big mouth (or if you prefer a kinder image, the one who "has the say" among all the children).
koohii_story: My elder brother was basically a mouth on legs when he was a teenager.

kanji: 黄
meaning: yellow
ja_on: コウ、オウ
ja_kun: き、こ-
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 龷
由[ユ] wherefore
八[はち] eight
examples: 黄色い[きいろい] yellow
黄色[きいろ] yellow; amber
黄金[おうごん] gold (Au)
黄昏[たそがれ] dusk; twilight
硫黄[いおう] sulfur (S); sulphur
黄身[きみ] egg yolk
黄金時代[おうごんじだい] golden age
heisig_story: Salad . . . sprout . . . animal legs.
koohii_story: The salad did not look very appetizing… The sprouts were yellow and there were animal legs sticking out of it.

kanji: 雲
meaning: cloud
ja_on: ウン
ja_kun: くも、-ぐも
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
云[ウン] say
examples: 雲[くも] cloud
雨雲[あまぐも] rain cloud
暗雲[あんうん] dark clouds
雲泥の差[うんでいのさ] wide difference; a world of difference
雲行き[くもゆき] weather; look of the sky
雲雀[ひばり] skylark (Alauda arvensis)
青雲[せいうん] blue sky
風雲[ふううん] winds and clouds; nature; the elements
heisig_story: Here is the full character for cloud from which the primitive for a rising cloud derives. Clouds begin with vapors rising up in small clouds from the surface of the earth, and then gathering to make clouds that eventually dump their rain back on the earth.
koohii_story: Every rising cloud is a potential rain cloud. (Thanks astridtops).

kanji: 鳴
meaning: chirp
ja_on: メイ
ja_kun: な.く、な.る、な.らす
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
鳥[とり] bird
examples: 鳴り[なり] ringing; sound
鳴る[なる] to sound; to ring; to resound; to echo; to roar; to rumble
悲鳴[ひめい] shriek; scream
鳴らす[ならす] to ring; to sound; to chime; to beat; to snort (nose); to snap (fingers); to cra
鳴き声[なきごえ] cry (of an animal); call; chirp; song; caw; roar; bark; yelp; meow
鳴く[なく] to make sound (of an animal); to call; to cry; to whine; to sing; to chirp
怒鳴る[どなる] to shout (in anger); to yell
雷鳴[らいめい] thunder; thunderclap; crash of thunder
共鳴[きょうめい] resonance
怒鳴り込む[どなりこむ] to storm in with a yell
鳴門[なると] strait with a roaring tidal ebb and flow; whirlpool; maelstrom
heisig_story: Mouth . . . bird.
koohii_story: A chirp is quite simply the sound that comes from the mouth of birds.

kanji: 矢
meaning: dart
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: や
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 天[テン] heavens
examples: 矢[や] arrow
無理矢理[むりやり] forcibly; by force; against one's will
矢先[やさき] arrowhead
弓矢[ゆみや] bow and arrow
矢印[やじるし] arrow (symbol)
heisig_story: When shot high into the heavens , the dart gets so small it looks like a mere drop. Although this character could as well mean "arrow," it has no connection with the primitive of that meaning. Hence the new key word.
koohii_story: Zeus ran out of lightning bolts and has to drop dart s from the heavens.

kanji: 妹
meaning: younger sister
ja_on: マイ
ja_kun: いもうと
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
未[ミ] un-
examples: 妹[いもうと] younger sister
姉妹[しまい] sisters
従姉妹[いとこ] cousin (female)
弟妹[ていまい] younger brother and sister
義妹[ぎまい] sister-in-law (spouse's younger sister or younger brother's wife)
heisig_story: The younger sister in the family is the woman in the family who, like the newest branch in a tree, is not yet old enough or mature enough to do everything the elder sister can do (See frame 442).
koohii_story: My younger sister is NOT YET a fully grown WOMAN.

kanji: 姉
meaning: elder sister
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: あね、はは
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
市[シ] market
examples: 姉[あね] older sister; elder sister
お姉さん[おねえさん] older sister; elder sister
姉さん[ねえさん] older sister; elder sister
姉妹[しまい] sisters
義姉[ぎし] sister-in-law (spouse's older sister or older brother's wife)
従姉妹[いとこ] cousin (female)
heisig_story: Of all the women of the family, it is the elder sister who has the duty to go to market to do the shopping.
koohii_story: Unlike the younger sister ( 妹 ), who is not yet old enough to date… the elder sister is on the market!

kanji: 才
meaning: genius
ja_on: サイ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
examples: 才能[さいのう] talent; ability
天才[てんさい] genius; prodigy; natural gift
才[さい] ability; gift; talent; aptitude; genius
漫才[まんざい] manzai; comic dialogue
秀才[しゅうさい] bright person; talented student; prodigy
多才[たさい] talented
鬼才[きさい] wizard; genius; remarkable talent; exceptional ability
heisig_story: Whatever one is particularly adept at - one's special " genius " \- one can do very easily, "with one finger" as the phrase goes. This kanji is a pictograph of that one finger. Note how its distinctive form is created by writing the final stroke of the element for fingers backwards.
koohii_story: Spinal tap: "Every other band's amps go to ten. But you see my extra stroke of genius \- these go to eleven.".

kanji: 麦
meaning: barley
ja_on: バク
ja_kun: むぎ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 龶
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 麦茶[むぎちゃ] barley tea
小麦粉[こむぎこ] wheat flour
麦[むぎ] wheat; barley; oat (oats)
小麦[こむぎ] wheat
蕎麦[そば] buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)
大麦[おおむぎ] barley (Hordeum vulgare)
蕎麦屋[そばや] soba restaurant
麦畑[むぎばたけ] wheat field; barley field; cornfield
麦芽[ばくが] malt
heisig_story: Grow up . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: If you eat lots of barley , you'll grow up to have strong walking legs.

kanji: 刀
meaning: sword
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: かたな、そり
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 刀[かたな] knife
examples: 刀[かたな] sword (esp. Japanese single-edged); katana
太刀[たち] long sword (as opposed to the shorter katana)
日本刀[にほんとう] Japanese sword (usu. single-edged and curved); Japanese bladed weapon
剃刀[かみそり] razor
刀剣[とうけん] sword; dagger; knife; bayonet
大刀[だいとう] (Japanese) long sword; large sword
小刀[こがたな] (small) knife
短刀[たんとう] short sword; knife; dagger; dirk; tantō
竹刀[しない] bamboo sword (for kendo); bamboo fencing stick
heisig_story: Although this character no longer looks very much like a sword , it does have some resemblance to the handle of the sword. This is to our advantage, in that it helps us keep make a distinction between two primitive elements based on this kanji.
koohii_story: This SWORD is so sharp, it can cut the top part of カ off in カタナ.

kanji: 弓
meaning: bow
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: ゆみ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
examples: 弓[ゆみ] bow (weapon)
弓矢[ゆみや] bow and arrow
弓道[きゅうどう] kyudo; Japanese archery
heisig_story: This character pictures the bent wooden bow. Later we will learn how to make the bowstring that goes with it (Frame 1490). If you stretch this character out and see the indentation on the left as its handle, the pictography should be clearer.
koohii_story: My personification for this primative is Legolas from the Lord of the Rings: a master at the bow. I suppose robin hood etc would work too.

kanji: 汽
meaning: vapor
ja_on: キ
grade: Grade 2
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
气[きがまえ] steam
examples: 汽車[きしゃ] steam locomotive; steam train
汽船[きせん] steamship; steamboat; steamer
汽笛[きてき] steam whistle
heisig_story: Think of this character as a sibling of that for spirit. Simply replace sheaves with drops of water on the left in order to get vapor.
koohii_story: Water vapor almost looks like a spirit but has no soul.

kanji: 事
meaning: matter
ja_on: ジ、ズ
ja_kun: こと、つか.う、つか.える
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
examples: 仕事[しごと] work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment
大事[だいじ] important; serious; crucial
無事[ぶじ] safety; security; peace; quiet
事[こと] thing; matter
事件[じけん] event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble; scandal
事実[じじつ] fact; truth; reality
返事[へんじ] reply; answer; response
食事[しょくじ] meal (e.g. lunch, dinner)
事情[じじょう] circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs
見事[みごと] splendid; magnificent; excellent; fine; superb; beautiful; admirable
事故[じこ] accident; incident; trouble
用事[ようじ] business; things to do; engagement; errand; affairs
事態[じたい] situation; (present) state of affairs; circumstances
出来事[できごと] occurrence; happening; incident; event
事前[じぜん] prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante
heisig_story: This key word here refers to abstract matters. The elements are: one . . . mouth . . . rake. Note how the rake handle reaches out the top and bottom of the character.
koohii_story: Just one word about this matter from your mouth and you will find this rake across it.

kanji: 発
meaning: departure
ja_on: ハツ、ホツ
ja_kun: た.つ、あば.く、おこ.る、つか.わす、はな.つ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 癶[はつがしら] outspread legs
二[に] two
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 発見[はっけん] discovery; detection; finding
発生[はっせい] occurrence; incidence; outbreak; birth (e.g. of civilization)
爆発[ばくはつ] explosion; detonation; blast; blowing up; eruption
発表[はっぴょう] announcement; publication; presenting; statement; communique; making known; brea
出発[しゅっぱつ] departure; leaving; setting off
発言[はつげん] statement; remark; observation; utterance; speech; proposal
一発[いっぱつ] one shot; one charge; one explosion
開発[かいはつ] development; cultivation; application
発する[はっする] to let out; to utter; to produce; to emit; to give forth; to discharge
発揮[はっき] show (of power, ability, etc.); exhibition; demonstration; display; manifestatio
発[はつ] departure; departing from ...; leaving at (e.g. 8:30)
発想[はっそう] idea; conception
発展[はってん] development; growth; expansion; extension; flourishing
発動[はつどう] putting into operation
挑発[ちょうはつ] provocation; stirring up; arousal; excitement; stimulation
heisig_story: This key word refers to the discharging of guns, trains, people, and even words. The elements: teepee . . . two . . . human legs. Contrast the writing with frame 63.
koohii_story: I spent some time in her TEEPEE…just the TWO of us…but I looked between her HUMAN LEGS and I saw a nasty DISCHARGE …so I made my 出発 rather hastily.
heisig_keyword: discharge

kanji: 対
meaning: vis-a-vis
ja_on: タイ、ツイ
ja_kun: あいて、こた.える、そろ.い、つれあ.い、なら.ぶ、むか.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 文[ぶん] literature
寸[すん] inch
examples: 絶対[ぜったい] absolutely; definitely; unconditionally
絶対に[ぜったいに] absolutely; definitely; unconditionally
対する[たいする] to face (each other); to be facing
反対[はんたい] opposition; resistance; antagonism; hostility; objection; dissent
対応[たいおう] correspondence (to); equivalence
対象[たいしょう] target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.); coverage
対策[たいさく] measure; step; countermeasure; counterplan; countermove; strategy; preparation (
対[たい] versus; against; vs.; v.
対処[たいしょ] dealing with; coping with
対抗[たいこう] opposition; rivalry; competition; antagonism
初対面[しょたいめん] first meeting; first interview with
対決[たいけつ] confrontation; showdown
反対側[はんたいがわ] opposite side; opposition
に対して[にたいして] towards; against; regarding; in contrast with
対面[たいめん] meeting face-to-face; seeing in person
heisig_story: Plaid . . . glue.
koohii_story: When sitting vis-a-vis , Scots will glue their kilt down to avoid embaressment.
heisig_keyword: vis-à-vis

kanji: 部
meaning: section
ja_on: ブ
ja_kun: -べ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 咅[トウ] to spit out
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 全部[ぜんぶ] all; entire; whole; altogether
部屋[へや] room; chamber
部[ぶ] department (in an organization, company, etc.); division; bureau; faculty
部分[ぶぶん] portion; section; part
一部[いちぶ] one part; one portion; one section
部下[ぶか] subordinate person
内部[ないぶ] interior; inside; internal
部長[ぶちょう] head (chief, director) of a section or department
部活[ぶかつ] club activities; extracurricular activities
部隊[ぶたい] force; unit; corps; squad; troops; party
外部[がいぶ] outside (e.g. of a building); exterior
本部[ほんぶ] headquarters; head office; main office
倶楽部[クラブ] club; fraternity; sorority; clubhouse
幹部[かんぶ] management; (executive) staff; leaders; leadership; top brass; upper echelons
頭部[とうぶ] head
heisig_story: Muzzle . . . city walls.
koohii_story: Within the city walls , this section of town was so noisy that we had to muzzle them up.

kanji: 者
meaning: someone
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: もの
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 耂[おいかんむり] old
日[ひ] sun
examples: 者[もの] person
何者[なにもの] who; what kind of person
医者[いしゃ] doctor; physician
被害者[ひがいしゃ] victim; injured party; sufferer
若者[わかもの] young person; youngster; young people; (the) youth
関係者[かんけいしゃ] person concerned; people involved (in an event); those concerned; staff
患者[かんじゃ] patient
犯罪者[はんざいしゃ] criminal; culprit
裏切り者[うらぎりもの] betrayer; traitor; turncoat; informer
保護者[ほごしゃ] guardian; protector; patron; parent
業者[ぎょうしゃ] trader; dealer; businessperson; company; vendor; supplier; manufacturer; maker;
死者[ししゃ] dead person; (the) deceased; (the) dead; casualties
第三者[だいさんしゃ] third party; third person; outsider; disinterested person
役者[やくしゃ] actor; actress
読者[どくしゃ] reader
heisig_story: Old man . . . sun. This key word looks to be difficult because of its proximity to somebody. In fact, it is a very common kanji that will cause you no difficulty at all. Its meaning should be seen as the human referent for the abstract noun "something."
koohii_story: I find the best way of memorizing this kanji is in conjunction with the Japanese compound for ninja : 忍者 – i.e. someone who endures (see FRAME 597 for the kanji 忍 ). A 忍者 is not just a 身 (somebody), it's 者 who can 忍 great 拷 !

kanji: 業
meaning: business
ja_on: ギョウ、ゴウ
ja_kun: わざ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 业
羊[ひつじ] sheep
木[き] tree
examples: 作業[さぎょう] work; operation; task
卒業[そつぎょう] graduation; completion (of a course)
授業[じゅぎょう] lesson; class; teaching; instruction; classwork; schoolwork
仕業[しわざ] deed (esp. negative); act; action; one's doing; one's work
営業[えいぎょう] business; trade; operations
職業[しょくぎょう] occupation; profession; job; vocation; trade; calling; business
企業[きぎょう] enterprise; business; company; corporation
業者[ぎょうしゃ] trader; dealer; businessperson; company; vendor; supplier; manufacturer; maker;
業務[ぎょうむ] business; work; operations; service; duties
業界[ぎょうかい] business world; business circles; (the) industry
授業中[じゅぎょうちゅう] while in class
事業[じぎょう] business; enterprise; venture; (commercial) activity; (business) operation; indu
従業員[じゅうぎょういん] employee; worker
業[ぎょう] work; business; company; agency
残業[ざんぎょう] overtime (work)
heisig_story: In a row upside down . . . not yet.
koohii_story: A truly gruesome profession : an abattoir worker. Where the carcasses are upside down in a row that have not yet been cut up into sausages and steaks.
heisig_keyword: profession

kanji: 相
meaning: inter-
ja_on: ソウ、ショウ
ja_kun: あい-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
目[め] eye
examples: 相手[あいて] companion; partner; company
相談[そうだん] consultation; discussion; discussing; asking (someone) for advice
相変わらず[あいかわらず] as usual; as always; as before; as ever; still
相当[そうとう] corresponding to (in meaning, function, etc.); being equivalent to
相性[あいしょう] affinity; compatibility; chemistry (between people)
真相[しんそう] truth; real situation
相棒[あいぼう] partner; pal; accomplice
相応しい[ふさわしい] appropriate; adequate; suitable; fitting; worthy
相応[そうおう] suitable; appropriate; befitting; becoming; adequate; reasonable; proper
相場[そうば] market price
相まって[あいまって] coupled with; together
結婚相手[けっこんあいて] marriage partner; spouse
相[しょう] minister (of a government department)
相違[そうい] difference; discrepancy; variation
相殺[そうさい] offset; offsetting each other; cancelling each other out; counterbalancing
heisig_story: The prefix inter- stirs up associations of cooperation among people. From there we read off the elements: tree . . . eye. With only a slight leap of the imagination, those two words call to mind the scriptural proverb about first taking the block of timber out of one's own eye before helping your neighbors with the splinter in theirs. What more useful rule for inter- human relationships, and what more useful tool for remembering this kanji!
koohii_story: The prime minister is having inter- course behind that tree! All you can see are his eyes poking out from the righthand-side of the tree.

kanji: 定
meaning: determine
ja_on: テイ、ジョウ
ja_kun: さだ.める、さだ.まる、さだ.か
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
examples: 予定[よてい] plans; arrangement; schedule; program; programme; expectation; estimate
否定[ひてい] denial; negation; repudiation; disavowal
決定[けってい] decision; determination
設定[せってい] establishment; creation; posing (a problem); setting (movie, novel, etc.); scene
特定[とくてい] specific; particular; designated; special
安定[あんてい] stability; steadiness; consistency; equilibrium; balance; composure
指定[してい] designation; specification; assignment; appointment; pointing at
想定[そうてい] hypothesis; supposition; assumption; expectation; anticipation
限定[げんてい] limit; restriction
確定[かくてい] decision; settlement; confirmation; establishment
固定[こてい] fixing (in place); being fixed (in place); securing; anchoring; fastening down
不安定[ふあんてい] instability; insecurity; crankiness
定める[さだめる] to decide; to determine
一定[いってい] to fix; to settle; to standardize; to regularize
決定的[けっていてき] definite; final; decisive; conclusive
heisig_story: Determination , in the sense of settling on a certain course of action, is likened here to mending one's house.
koohii_story: In The Karate Kid, the boy must prove his determination by MENDING his teacher's HOUSE in various ways.

kanji: 員
meaning: employee
ja_on: イン
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
貝[かい] shell
examples: 全員[ぜんいん] all members; all hands; everyone; everybody; whole crew
店員[てんいん] employee (of a store); shop assistant; clerk; salesperson
一員[いちいん] one person; one member
員[いん] member
社員[しゃいん] company employee
職員[しょくいん] staff member; employee; worker; personnel
従業員[じゅうぎょういん] employee; worker
部員[ぶいん] staff; member (club, society, etc.)
委員[いいん] committee member
委員長[いいんちょう] chairperson (of a committee); chair; chairman; chairwoman; president
委員会[いいんかい] committee; commission; board; panel; committee meeting
人員[じんいん] number of persons; personnel
役員[やくいん] director; executive
隊員[たいいん] troops; group members; team members; SDF officials
会員[かいいん] member; the membership
heisig_story: How do we get a mouth over a shellfish to mean an employee? Simple. Just remember the advice new employees get about keeping their mouths shut and doing their job, and then make that more graphic by picturing an office building full of white collar workers scurrying around with clams pinched to their mouths.
koohii_story: An employee ( member of the company) has to clam up his mouth if he wants keep the job!

kanji: 開
meaning: open
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: ひら.く、ひら.き、-びら.き、ひら.ける、あ.く、あ.ける
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
开 open
examples: 開ける[あける] to open (a door, etc.); to unwrap (e.g. parcel, package); to unlock
開く[あく] to open (e.g. doors)
開始[かいし] start; commencement; beginning; initiation
展開[てんかい] development; evolution; progression; unfolding; (plot) twist
開発[かいはつ] development; cultivation; application
再開[さいかい] reopening; resumption; restarting
開催[かいさい] holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
公開[こうかい] opening to the public; making available to the public; exhibiting; unveiling; re
開閉[かいへい] opening and shutting; opening and closing
開き直る[ひらきなおる] to become defiant; to fight back; to turn upon; to take the offensive
開放[かいほう] opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open
開店[かいてん] opening a new shop
開拓[かいたく] reclamation (e.g. of wasteland); cultivation; development
開幕[かいまく] raising the curtain
開花[かいか] flowering; blooming; blossoming; coming into bloom
heisig_story: Gates . . . two hands.
koohii_story: Sure you can squeeze through these gates by kicking them or pushing them with your body, but if you want to get them wide open , you need to do that with both your hands.

kanji: 問
meaning: question
ja_on: モン
ja_kun: と.う、と.い、とん
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
口[くち] mouth
examples: 問題[もんだい] question (e.g. on a test); problem
質問[しつもん] question; inquiry; enquiry
問題ない[もんだいない] no problem; all right; not an issue; unobjectionable
疑問[ぎもん] doubt; question; suspicion; dubiousness
問う[とう] to ask; to inquire
問い[とい] question; query
拷問[ごうもん] torture
訪問[ほうもん] call; visit
質問をする[しつもんをする] to ask a question; to ask questions
尋問[じんもん] questioning; interrogation; examination (of a witness)
顧問[こもん] adviser; advisor; consultant; counselor
問答[もんどう] questions and answers; dialogue
学問[がくもん] study; scholarship; learning; education; knowledge
問[もん] counter for questions
問い合わせる[といあわせる] to enquire; to inquire; to seek information
heisig_story: Gates . . . mouth.
koohii_story: A mouth on the Gates of Hell says "Answer me these question s three, or thru the gates ye soon will be".

kanji: 代
meaning: substitute
ja_on: ダイ、タイ
ja_kun: か.わる、かわ.る、かわ.り、か.わり、-がわ.り、-が.わり、か.える、よ、しろ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
弋[いぐるみ] javelin
examples: 時代[じだい] period; epoch; era; age
代わり[かわり] substitute; replacement; substituting; replacing
代わる[かわる] to succeed; to relieve; to replace
代表[だいひょう] representation; representative; delegate; delegation
交代[こうたい] change; alternation; rotation; replacement; substitution; shift; relief; taking
現代[げんだい] present age; present day; today
世代[せだい] generation
代償[だいしょう] compensation; reparation; indemnification
代理[だいり] representation; agency; proxy
代々[だいだい] for generations; from generation to generation; generation after generation; thr
学生時代[がくせいじだい] student days
古代[こだい] ancient times; distant past; antiquity
先代[せんだい] previous generation (of a family); previous head of the family; one's (late) fat
代金[だいきん] price; cost; charge; payment; bill; fee
年代[ねんだい] age; era; period; date
heisig_story: Person . . . arrow.
koohii_story: " Mister T substitute s an arrow for a toothpick" – The keyword meaning is to replace something with something else, to act for another, to represent. It's best to stick to the first meaning, because the last two are very close to "mediator" which will come in frame 1761. The idea here is that the arrow is not a toothpick, neither it is changed into one, but it can substitute for one.

kanji: 実
meaning: reality
ja_on: ジツ、シツ
ja_kun: み、みの.る、まこと、みの、みち.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
examples: 実は[じつは] as a matter of fact; by the way; to tell you the truth; to be honest; frankly; a
事実[じじつ] fact; truth; reality
実[じつ] truth; reality
実際[じっさい] reality; actuality; truth; fact; actual conditions
現実[げんじつ] reality; actuality; hard fact
確実[かくじつ] certain; sure; definite; reliable; sound; solid; safe; secure
真実[しんじつ] truth; reality
実家[じっか] (one's parents') home
実力[じつりょく] (real) ability; true strength; merit; efficiency; competency
実に[じつに] really; truly; indeed; very; extremely; terribly
実感[じっかん] real feeling; actual feeling
実行[じっこう] execution (e.g. of a plan); carrying out; (putting into) practice; action; imple
実験[じっけん] experiment; experimentation
実現[じつげん] implementation (e.g. of a system); materialization; materialisation; realization
充実[じゅうじつ] fullness; completeness; perfection; substantiality
heisig_story: House . . . bonsai.
koohii_story: Bonsais are grown in a house, away from the harsh reality of the real world where they wouldn't survive.

kanji: 決
meaning: decide
ja_on: ケツ
ja_kun: き.める、-ぎ.め、き.まる、さ.く
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
夬[カイ] decide
examples: 決める[きめる] to decide; to choose; to determine; to make up one's mind; to resolve; to set on
決まる[きまる] to be decided; to be settled; to be fixed; to be arranged
決して[けっして] (not) ever; (not) by any means; (not) in the least; (not) in any way; (not) at a
解決[かいけつ] settlement; solution; resolution
決定[けってい] decision; determination
決まり[きまり] rule; regulation
決意[けつい] decision; determination; resolution
決断[けつだん] decision; determination
決まって[きまって] always; without fail; invariably; usually; regularly
決心[けっしん] determination; resolution
決着[けっちゃく] conclusion; decision; end; settlement
決定的[けっていてき] definite; final; decisive; conclusive
対決[たいけつ] confrontation; showdown
決戦[けっせん] decisive battle; deciding match; play-off
決する[けっする] to decide; to determine; to resolve; to be decided
heisig_story: The etymology of decide (de-cidere = cut off) will help here, the elements are: water . . . guillotine.
koohii_story: " Decide!" " Decide?! Death by drowning in polluted water or death by guillotine. How can I decide?" I asked.

kanji: 動
meaning: move
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: うご.く、うご.かす
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 重[ジュウ] heavy
力[ちから] power
examples: 動く[うごく] to move; to stir; to shift; to shake; to swing
行動[こうどう] action; conduct; behaviour; behavior; mobilization; mobilisation
動き[うごき] movement; move; motion
動かす[うごかす] to move; to shift; to stir; to budge; to change position
移動[いどう] movement; transfer; migration; removal; travel
活動[かつどう] activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; operation
感動[かんどう] being deeply moved emotionally; excitement; passion; inspiration; deep emotion;
動物[どうぶつ] animal
動揺[どうよう] shaking; trembling; pitching; rolling; oscillation
運動[うんどう] exercise; physical training; workout; sports; athletics
動き出す[うごきだす] to start to move; to get going; to come alive
動画[どうが] video (esp. digital); video clip; clip
鼓動[こどう] beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing
動機[どうき] motive; incentive
発動[はつどう] putting into operation
heisig_story: Heavy . . . muscle.
koohii_story: Even though the furniture is heavy , it'll be easy to move with all the muscles that he has.

kanji: 全
meaning: whole
ja_on: ゼン
ja_kun: まった.く、すべ.て
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 人[ひと] person
王[オウ] king
examples: 全部[ぜんぶ] all; entire; whole; altogether
全然[ぜんぜん] (not) at all; (not) in the slightest
全員[ぜんいん] all members; all hands; everyone; everybody; whole crew
完全[かんぜん] perfect; complete
全て[すべて] everything; all; the whole
全く[まったく] really; truly; entirely; completely; wholly; perfectly
全[ぜん] all; whole; entire; complete; total; pan-
安全[あんぜん] safety; security
全力[ぜんりょく] all one's power (strength, energy, efforts); one's utmost
全身[ぜんしん] whole (body); full-length (e.g. portrait)
全体[ぜんたい] whole; entirety
全国[ぜんこく] the whole country
全滅[ぜんめつ] total destruction; complete destruction; annihilation; being wiped out
万全[ばんぜん] perfection; flawlessness
健全[けんぜん] healthy; sound; wholesome
heisig_story: Wholeness suggests physical and spiritual health, "having your act together." The kanji-image for wholeness depicts being " king under your own umbrella ," that is, giving order to your own life. I know it sounds terribly abstract, but what could be more abstract than the word whole?
koohii_story: The fat king hogs the whole space under his umbrella. (tweaked version of radical tyro's story. "fat" makes a more vivid image for me.).

kanji: 表
meaning: surface
ja_on: ヒョウ
ja_kun: おもて、-おもて、あらわ.す、あらわ.れる、あら.わす
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 二[に] two
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 表情[ひょうじょう] facial expression; countenance
発表[はっぴょう] announcement; publication; presenting; statement; communique; making known; brea
表[おもて] surface
表現[ひょうげん] expression; representation; description
代表[だいひょう] representation; representative; delegate; delegation
表す[あらわす] to represent; to signify; to stand for
表示[ひょうじ] indication; expression; showing; manifestation; demonstration
表面[ひょうめん] surface; face
表紙[ひょうし] cover (of a book, magazine, etc.); binding
表向き[おもてむき] outward appearance; ostensible; public; official
公表[こうひょう] official announcement; proclamation
表明[ひょうめい] declaration; indication; representation; manifestation; demonstration; expressio
表れる[あらわれる] to appear; to come in sight; to become visible; to come out; to embody; to mater
表れ[あらわれ] embodiment; manifestation; materialization; materialisation; expression; indicat
意思表示[いしひょうじ] expressing one's feelings; communicating one's intention
heisig_story: Grow up . . . rags. This character represents the "outside" of a garment, just as the kanji for back (Frame 426) depicted the "inside" or lining.
koohii_story: When I was GROWING UP, the SURFACE of my SCARF was always covered with snot from blowing my nose on it.

kanji: 調
meaning: tune
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: しら.べる、しら.べ、ととの.う、ととの.える
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 言[げん] words
周[シュウ] circumference
examples: 調べる[しらべる] to examine; to look up; to investigate; to check up; to sense; to study; to inqu
調子[ちょうし] tune; tone; key; pitch; time; rhythm
調査[ちょうさ] investigation; examination; inquiry; enquiry; survey
順調[じゅんちょう] favourable; favorable; doing well; OK; all right
体調[たいちょう] physical condition; state of health; shape
調整[ちょうせい] adjustment; regulation; coordination; reconciliation; tuning; fixing; tailoring
調べ[しらべ] investigation; inspection; examination
口調[くちょう] tone (of voice); manner of talking
調達[ちょうたつ] supply; provision; raising; procurement
強調[きょうちょう] emphasis; stress; highlighting; underlining; underscoring
調理[ちょうり] cooking; food preparation
同調[どうちょう] conformity; alignment; agreement; sympathy; following suit
絶好調[ぜっこうちょう] in perfect form; going swimmingly
取り調べ[とりしらべ] investigation (e.g. by police or prosecutors); examination; inquiry; enquiry
不調[ふちょう] bad condition; poor condition; disorder; slump; being out of form
heisig_story: A complete tune is composed not only of a succession of notes but also of one lap of the words that go with it.
koohii_story: To tune an old-fashioned radio, you turn the dial the full range of the circumference , until you can clearly hear what's being said.

kanji: 化
meaning: change
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: ば.ける、ば.かす、ふ.ける、け.する
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 変化[へんか] change; variation; alteration; mutation; transition; transformation
強化[きょうか] strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement; enhancement; solidification
化け物[ばけもの] goblin; apparition; monster; ghost; phantom; spectre; specter
文化[ぶんか] culture; civilization; civilisation
悪化[あっか] deterioration; getting worse; worsening; aggravation; degeneration; corruption
進化[しんか] evolution
化粧[けしょう] make-up; makeup; cosmetics
誤魔化す[ごまかす] to deceive; to cheat; to swindle
化ける[ばける] to take the form of (esp. in ref. to a spirit, fox, raccoon dog, etc.); to assum
消化[しょうか] digestion (of food)
お化け[おばけ] ghost; apparition
浄化[じょうか] purification
同化[どうか] assimilation; absorption
化学[かがく] chemistry
劣化[れっか] deterioration (in quality, performance, etc.); degradation; worsening
heisig_story: Person . . . spoon.
koohii_story: Referring to a scene in the movie "The Matrix" where a girl bends a spoon with the power of her mind alone, I imagine Mister T who change s a spoon into something else (maybe the waiter forgot to bring knives or forks). Note: as a primitive, it can help to use the image of "spare change ", this can help you keep it distinct from other similar kanji such as "shape" or "turn into".

kanji: 主
meaning: lord
ja_on: シュ、ス、シュウ
ja_kun: ぬし、おも、あるじ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
王[オウ] king
examples: 主[あるじ] head (of a household); proprietor (of a store); proprietress; landlord; landlady
主人[しゅじん] head (of a household); proprietor (of a store); proprietress; landlord; landlady
持ち主[もちぬし] owner; proprietor; possessor (e.g. of talent, beauty, etc.)
主張[しゅちょう] claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention; opinion; tenet
主人公[しゅじんこう] protagonist; main character; hero; heroine
主に[おもに] mainly; primarily; mostly; largely; chiefly
主役[しゅやく] leading part; leading actor; leading actress
ご主人[ごしゅじん] your husband; her husband
主義[しゅぎ] doctrine; rule; principle; -ism
店主[てんしゅ] shopkeeper; storekeeper; proprietor of a shop
坊主[ぼうず] Buddhist priest; bonze
飼い主[かいぬし] (pet) owner; keeper
主婦[しゅふ] housewife; mistress (of the house); homemaker
主催[しゅさい] sponsorship (i.e. conducting under one's auspices); promotion; organizing; organ
救世主[きゅうせいしゅ] saviour; savior; messiah
heisig_story: A man's home is his castle, goes the proverb from an age where it was the male who was lord of the household. Fundamentally, it means only that every one of us is a bit (or drop ) of a king in our own environment. As for the positioning of the elements, if you take care to "read off" the primitives in this way, you won't end up putting the drop down below, where it turns the kanji into a jewel.
koohii_story: A lord is a little drop down from King in hierarchy.

kanji: 題
meaning: topic
ja_on: ダイ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 是[ゼ] just so
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 問題[もんだい] question (e.g. on a test); problem
問題ない[もんだいない] no problem; all right; not an issue; unobjectionable
話題[わだい] topic; subject
課題[かだい] subject; theme; issue; matter
宿題[しゅくだい] homework; assignment
放題[ほうだい] (doing) as one pleases; to one's heart's content; letting (something) go uncheck
本題[ほんだい] main topic; main subject; main issue; main question
議題[ぎだい] topic of discussion; agenda
題材[だいざい] subject; theme
問題点[もんだいてん] the problem (at issue); the point at issue; problematic issue; problem
難題[なんだい] difficult problem; challenge
別問題[べつもんだい] different thing; another question; different case
題名[だいめい] title; caption; heading
題する[だいする] to be titled (e.g. a book); to be named
主題[しゅだい] subject; theme; motif
heisig_story: In many kinds of research, one can find information on a given topic only if the headings are prepared just so.
koohii_story: The "TOPIC" of the day's newspaper must be placed JUST SO at the top of the PAGE to attract attention.

kanji: 意
meaning: idea
ja_on: イ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 音[おと] sound
心[こころ] heart
examples: 意味[いみ] meaning; significance; sense
用意[ようい] preparation; arrangements; provision; getting ready; laying out (e.g. a meal)
意外[いがい] unexpected; surprising
意識[いしき] consciousness
得意[とくい] satisfaction; pride; triumph; elation
意見[いけん] opinion; view; comment
注意[ちゅうい] attention; notice; heed
意思[いし] intention; wish; purpose; mind (to do)
意志[いし] will; volition; intention; intent; determination
決意[けつい] decision; determination; resolution
生意気[なまいき] impertinent; saucy; cheeky; impudent; audacious; cocky; pert; brash
無意識[むいしき] unconsciousness
同意[どうい] agreement; consent; approval; assent
意図[いと] intention; aim; design
意地[いじ] stubbornness; obstinacy; willpower; pride
heisig_story: Sound . . . heart.
koohii_story: When you get a good IDEA you get excited and you can hear the SOUND of your HEART, it's pounding so hard.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 意 息

kanji: 度
meaning: degrees
ja_on: ド、ト、タク
ja_kun: たび、-た.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
廿[ジュウ] twenty
又[また] again
examples: 今度[こんど] this time; now
一度[いちど] once; one time; on one occasion
何度[なんど] how many times
程度[ていど] degree; amount; grade; standard; of the order of (following a number); about; ap
二度[にど] two times; twice
態度[たいど] attitude; manner; behaviour; demeanour; bearing
二度と[にどと] never again
度[たび] time (three times, each time, etc.); times
速度[そくど] speed; velocity; pace; rate
支度[したく] preparation; arrangements
角度[かくど] angle
度に[たびに] each time; every time; whenever (something happens); on the occasion of
温度[おんど] temperature
度胸[どきょう] courage; bravery; pluck; nerve; grit; guts
高度[こうど] altitude; height; elevation
heisig_story: This key word refers to a gradation of measurement, not to academic diplomas. Its primitives: caverns . . . crotch.
koohii_story: The cavern refugees are so poor that they can't afford thermometers. So, the menfolk expose their crotches inside the cavern, and approximate the temperature in degrees from how shrivelled everything looks downstairs…

kanji: 期
meaning: period
ja_on: キ、ゴ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 其[キ] that
月[つき] moon
examples: 期待[きたい] expectation; anticipation; hope
時期[じき] time; season; period; phase; stage
期間[きかん] period; term; interval
最期[さいご] one's last moment; one's death; one's end
定期的[ていきてき] periodic; regular; routine
同期[どうき] same period; corresponding period
期限[きげん] term; period; time frame
初期[しょき] early days; early years; early stages; initial stages; beginning
次期[じき] next term; next period
短期間[たんきかん] short term; short time
思春期[ししゅんき] puberty; adolescence
学期[がっき] school term; semester
一時期[いちじき] a period (of time)
長期[ちょうき] long-term
定期[ていき] fixed period; fixed term
heisig_story: Bushel basket . . . month. As the month indicates, this has to do with periods of time.
koohii_story: The slowest remote chess game ever: a one month period between every move.

kanji: 持
meaning: hold
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: も.つ、-も.ち、も.てる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 持つ[もつ] to hold (in one's hand); to take; to carry
気持ち[きもち] feeling; sensation; mood; state of mind
持ってくる[もってくる] to bring (something); to take along; to fetch; to get
気持ちいい[きもちいい] pleasant (of a sensation); comfortable; nice
持てる[もてる] to be able to possess (hold, get, etc.)
気持ち悪い[きもちわるい] unpleasant; revolting; repulsive; gross; disgusting; disturbing; creepy
持っていく[もっていく] to take (something) along; to bring with one; to carry (something) away; to bear
持ち主[もちぬし] owner; proprietor; possessor (e.g. of talent, beauty, etc.)
持ち込む[もちこむ] to bring in; to take in; to carry in
持ち出す[もちだす] to take out; to carry out; to bring out from where it belongs
持ち上げる[もちあげる] to elevate; to raise; to lift up
維持[いじ] maintenance; preservation; improvement
持ち帰る[もちかえる] to take home; to carry home; to bring back home; to take out (e.g. food)
金持ち[かねもち] rich person; wealthy person
持ち[もち] having; holding; possessing; owning; using; holder; owner; user
heisig_story: Fingers . . . Buddhist temple.
koohii_story: At the BUDDHIST TEMPLE you'll see wonderous things, such as the priest that can HOLD himself upside down with just a FINGER.

kanji: 取
meaning: take
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: と.る、と.り、と.り-、とり、-ど.り
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
又[また] again
examples: 取る[とる] to take; to pick up; to grab; to catch; to hold
取れる[とれる] to come off (of a button, handle, lid, etc.)
受け取る[うけとる] to receive; to get; to accept
取り戻す[とりもどす] to take back; to get back; to regain; to recover; to restore; to recoup
取り出す[とりだす] to take out; to produce; to pick out
引き取る[ひきとる] to take into one's possession; to receive; to accept; to collect; to claim
取り上げる[とりあげる] to pick up
取材[しゅざい] gathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; coveri
取り返す[とりかえす] to get back; to regain; to recover; to make up (for); to catch up on
取り込む[とりこむ] to take in; to bring in; to adopt (e.g. behaviour); to introduce
やり取り[やりとり] giving and taking; exchange (of letters); arguing back and forth; (conversationa
取引[とりひき] transactions; dealings; business
足取り[あしどり] gait; walk; stride; pace; step; manner of walking
感じ取る[かんじとる] to perceive; to sense; to take in; to grasp; to feel
気取る[きどる] to be affected; to put on airs
heisig_story: Ear . . . crotch.
koohii_story: You put your ear next to a womans crotch…and somehow, from it, you hear the words "Take me….".

kanji: 都
meaning: metropolis
ja_on: ト、ツ
ja_kun: みやこ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 者[シャ] someone
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 都合[つごう] circumstances; condition; convenience
都市[とし] town; city; municipal; urban
好都合[こうつごう] convenient; favorable; favourable; expedient; expedience
都会[とかい] city
都[みやこ] capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan's former capital); seat of government
京都[きょうと] Kyoto (city, prefecture)
都内[とない] within the (Tokyo) metropolitan area
不都合[ふつごう] inconvenient; inexpedient; unfavourable; troublesome; difficult
首都[しゅと] capital (city); metropolis
都度[つど] each (every) time; whenever
都心[としん] city centre (esp. of Tokyo); heart of a city; downtown area
大都市[だいとし] metropolis; large city
古都[こと] ancient city; former capital
州都[しゅうと] state capital; provincial capital; county town
東都[とうと] the Eastern Capital (now Tokyo); Yedo; Edo
heisig_story: Someone . . . city walls.
koohii_story: A vision of a futuristic METROPOLIS : standing at the window of your 400th floor apartment, hand in hand with your LOVE DOLL, gazing out at the gigantic CITY WALLS that you can never escape.

kanji: 和
meaning: harmony
ja_on: ワ、オ、カ
ja_kun: やわ.らぐ、やわ.らげる、なご.む、なご.やか、あ.える
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
口[くち] mouth
examples: 平和[へいわ] peace; harmony
違和感[いわかん] uncomfortable feeling; feeling out of place; sense of discomfort
不和[ふわ] discord; trouble; dissension; disagreement; friction; conflict; feud; bad terms
昭和[しょうわ] Shōwa era (1926.12.25-1989.1.7)
和[わ] sum
和らぐ[やわらぐ] to soften; to calm down; to be eased; to be mitigated; to subside; to abate
日和[ひより] weather; climatic conditions
和らげる[やわらげる] to soften; to moderate; to relieve
和む[なごむ] to be softened; to calm down
和解[わかい] reconciliation; amicable settlement; accommodation; compromise; mediation; rappr
和やか[なごやか] mild; calm; gentle; quiet; congenial; amicable; amiable; friendly; genial; harmo
調和[ちょうわ] harmony; accord; reconciliation; agreement
和風[わふう] Japanese style
緩和[かんわ] relief; mitigation; alleviation; relaxation (of restrictions, tensions, etc.); e
和食[わしょく] Japanese food; Japanese dish; Japanese cuisine
heisig_story: Wheat . . . mouth.
koohii_story: The first step to harmony is having enough wheat to feed every mouth in the world. Once we are all fed it is easier to get a long in harmony.

kanji: 平
meaning: even
ja_on: ヘイ、ビョウ、ヒョウ
ja_kun: たい.ら、たい.らげる、ひら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 干[かん] to dry
examples: 平気[へいき] cool; calm; composed; unconcerned; nonchalant; unmoved; indifferent
平和[へいわ] peace; harmony
平穏[へいおん] tranquil; calm; restful; peaceful; quiet
平凡[へいぼん] ordinary; common; commonplace; mediocre; unremarkable; undistinguished; uneventf
平等[びょうどう] equality; impartiality; evenness
平日[へいじつ] weekday; ordinary days (i.e. non-holiday)
不公平[ふこうへい] unfairness; injustice; partiality
公平[こうへい] fairness; impartiality; justice; objectivity
平均[へいきん] average; mean
平成[へいせい] Heisei era (1989.1.8-2019.4.30)
平静[へいせい] calm; peace; serenity; tranquility; tranquillity
平ら[たいら] flat; level; even; smooth
水平[すいへい] horizontal; level; even
平たい[ひらたい] flat; even; level
地平線[ちへいせん] horizon (related to land)
heisig_story: This character is easiest remembered as a pictograph of a water lily floating on the surface of the water, which gives it its meaning of even. The fourth stroke represents the calm, smooth surface of a pond, and the final stroke the long stem of the plant reaching underwater.
koohii_story: There's an even covering of water lilies on the pond at 金閣寺 （きんかくじ） the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.

kanji: 世
meaning: generation
ja_on: セイ、セ、ソウ
ja_kun: よ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 廿[ジュウ] twenty
examples: 世界[せかい] the world; society; the universe
世の中[よのなか] society; the world; the times
お世話になる[おせわになる] to receive favor; to receive assistance; to receive help; to be looked after; to
世間[せけん] world; society; people; the public
世界中[せかいじゅう] around the world; throughout the world
世[よ] world; society; public
世話[せわ] care; looking after; help; assistance; aid
世代[せだい] generation
世界一[せかいいち] best in the world
出世[しゅっせ] success in life; getting ahead; successful career; promotion; climbing the corpo
あの世[あのよ] the other world; the next world; the world beyond; world after death
世紀[せいき] century
お世辞[おせじ] flattery; compliment
世界的[せかいてき] worldwide; global; international; universal
全世界[ぜんせかい] the whole world
heisig_story: We generally consider one generation as a period of thirty (or ten plus ten plus ten ) years. If you look at this kanji in its completed form - not in its stroke order - you will see three tens. When writing it, think of the lower horizontal lines as "addition" lines written under numbers to add them up. Thus: ten "plus" ten "plus" ten = thirty. Actually, it's a lot easier doing it with a pencil than reading it in a book.
koohii_story: 3 tens = generation.

kanji: 受
meaning: accept
ja_on: ジュ
ja_kun: う.ける、-う.け、う.かる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 爫[つめかんむり] claw
冖[わかんむり] cover
又[また] again
examples: 受ける[うける] to receive; to get
受け取る[うけとる] to receive; to get; to accept
受け入れる[うけいれる] to accept; to receive; to agree
引き受ける[ひきうける] to take on; to undertake; to accept; to take charge of; to assume responsibility
受け止める[うけとめる] to catch; to stop the blow
受け継ぐ[うけつぐ] to inherit; to succeed; to take over
受験[じゅけん] taking an examination (esp. for entrance to a school or university)
受付[うけつけ] reception (desk); information desk; receptionist; information clerk
待ち受ける[まちうける] to await; to wait for; to expect
受かる[うかる] to pass (examination)
受け付ける[うけつける] to accept; to receive (an application); to take up
受け取り[うけとり] receiving; receipt
見受ける[みうける] to catch sight of; to see; to suppose; to assume from appearances
受賞[じゅしょう] winning a prize; receiving an award; being awarded
受信[じゅしん] receiving (a message, letter, email, etc.); reception (radio, TV, etc.)
heisig_story: Birdhouse . . . crotch.
koohii_story: The bird house is the brothel (someone else said so) and of course everyone is welcome - thay accept any crotch.

kanji: 区
meaning: ward
ja_on: ク、オウ、コウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 匸[かくしがまえ] to conceal
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 区別[くべつ] distinction; differentiation; discrimination; difference
地区[ちく] district; area; zone; quarter; section; region
区[く] ward; borough; city (in Tokyo)
区画[くかく] division; section; compartment; block; plot; lot; partition; boundary
区切る[くぎる] to divide; to separate; to partition; to demarcate; to delimit; to mark off
区切り[くぎり] pause (in speech, writing, etc.); punctuation
区域[くいき] area; zone; district; quarter; section; limits; boundary
区分[くぶん] division; section; demarcation; partition; segmentation; compartment; (traffic)
区間[くかん] section (of track, etc.); segment; dimension
区内[くない] in a ward; within the ward
区役所[くやくしょ] ward office; council (regional)
区民[くみん] ward residents
区立[くりつ] established by a ward; ward; municipal
区議[くぎ] ward assemblyman
区長[くちょう] head of a ward; mayor of a ward; chief administrator of a ward
heisig_story: The ward referred to here is a subdivision of a large city. Its elements: box . . . sheaves. When used as a primitive element, it may be helpful at times to break it up into these same composite elements.
koohii_story: That's the homeless ward of the city. Wolverine lives in a cardboard box there.

kanji: 県
meaning: prefecture
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: か.ける
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 目[め] eye
小[しょう] small
examples: 県[けん] prefecture (of Japan); county (of China, Taiwan, Norway, etc.); department (of F
県庁[けんちょう] prefectural office
同県[どうけん] the same prefecture
府県[ふけん] prefectures (of Japan, excl. Tokyo and Hokkaido)
県下[けんか] in the prefecture; prefectural
県会[けんかい] prefectural assembly
県内[けんない] within the prefecture
県営[けんえい] (under) prefectural management
県外[けんがい] outside the prefecture
県民[けんみん] resident of a prefecture; citizen of a prefecture
県知事[けんちじ] prefectural governor
県立[けんりつ] prefectural; managed by a prefectural government
県警[けんけい] prefectural police
県議[けんぎ] prefectural assembly member
県道[けんどう] prefectural road
heisig_story: Above, an eye and a fishhook , and below the primitive for little. Although apparently the simplest of these first six kanji, when you begin to work on its plot and story you will soon find out that the number of strokes and visual complexity of a kanji does not make it easier or harder to remember. It is the primitives you have to work that are the critical factor, as in this case where the meaning of the key word is so seemingly distant from the elements. Remember, you can always break larger elements down ( eye of a needle into eye and fishhook ) if you think it helps.
koohii_story: In Japanese this is KEN, as in Barbie's boyfriend. He has lovely blue eyes, a girlfriend who is as thin as a straightened out fish hook. But, down where it counts, he has very little to show…

kanji: 進
meaning: advance
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: すす.む、すす.める
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 進む[すすむ] to advance; to go forward
進める[すすめる] to advance; to move forward; to put (a clock, watch) forward
進行[しんこう] moving forward (e.g. of a vehicle); onward movement
進化[しんか] evolution
進路[しんろ] route; course; path
進展[しんてん] progress; development
前進[ぜんしん] advance; moving forward; progress
進歩[しんぽ] progress; advance; improvement; development
進学[しんがく] advancing to the next stage of education; going on to (high school, college, etc
突進[とっしん] rush; dash; charge
進出[しんしゅつ] advance (into a new market, industry, etc.); expansion (into); launch (into); en
精進[しょうじん] concentration; diligence; devotion
発進[はっしん] departure (from a base); takeoff; launch
昇進[しょうしん] promotion; advancement; rising in rank
推進[すいしん] propulsion; drive
heisig_story: Turkey . . . road.
koohii_story: Why did the turkey cross the road? To advance to the other side, of course.

kanji: 安
meaning: relax
ja_on: アン
ja_kun: やす.い、やす.まる、やす、やす.らか
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
女[おんな] woman
examples: 安心[あんしん] peace of mind; relief; (sense of) security; safety; assurance; confidence
不安[ふあん] anxiety; uneasiness; worry; apprehension; fear; insecurity; suspense
安全[あんぜん] safety; security
安い[やすい] cheap; inexpensive
安定[あんてい] stability; steadiness; consistency; equilibrium; balance; composure
不安定[ふあんてい] instability; insecurity; crankiness
安打[あんだ] safe hit
安らか[やすらか] peaceful; tranquil; calm; restful
安易[あんい] easy; simple
安心感[あんしんかん] sense of security
治安[ちあん] public order; public peace; public security; law and order
安らぐ[やすらぐ] to feel at ease
安泰[あんたい] security; stability; safety; peace
安らぎ[やすらぎ] peace (of mind); tranquility; tranquillity; serenity
安物[やすもの] cheap article; poor-quality article
heisig_story: To be told that the place of the woman is in the house may not sit well with modern thought, but like all cultural habits the Chinese characters bear the birthmarks of their age. So indulge yourself in a Norman Rockwell image of relaxing after a hard day's work: the scruffy and weary woman of the house slouched asleep in the living room chair, her hair in curlers and a duster lying in her lap.
koohii_story: It's funny, Hesig gives no Kanji in his book that means cheap/inexpensive… well… if you were wondering what Kanji would carry that meaning, look no further. Sometimes I wonder if Hesig just thinks our little brains would be too easily confused by multiple meanings. Regardless, think of that woman relax ing. Cheapest place to do that is in one's own home rather than at some fancy resort, eh? [家で休暇を取るは安いですね。](midori://search?text=家で休暇を取るは安いですね。) .

kanji: 院
meaning: Inst.
ja_on: イン
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
完[カン] perfect
examples: 病院[びょういん] hospital; clinic; doctor's office; doctor's surgery; infirmary
入院[にゅういん] hospitalization; hospitalisation
退院[たいいん] leaving hospital; discharge from hospital
院長[いんちょう] director (of a hospital, institution, academy, etc.); superintendent; rector
学院[がくいん] institute; academy
孤児院[こじいん] orphanage
美容院[びよういん] beauty parlour; beauty parlor; beauty salon; hairdressing salon
参議院[さんぎいん] House of Councillors (upper house of the National Diet of Japan)
大学院[だいがくいん] graduate school
寺院[じいん] Buddhist temple
衆議院[しゅうぎいん] House of Representatives (lower house of the National Diet of Japan)
上院[じょういん] upper house; upper legislative chamber; senate
下院[かいん] lower house; lower legislative chamber
両院[りょういん] both houses of parliament; both upper and lower house
二院[にいん] the two houses of legislature
heisig_story: This key word, the abbreviation for Institution , represents the use of that word as a suffix affixed to certain buildings and organizations. Its primitive elements: pinnacle . . . perfect.
koohii_story: The Institution of The Pinnacle is perfect in every way. It is the new House of God, his chosen city.

kanji: 指
meaning: finger
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: ゆび、さ.す、-さ.し
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
旨[シ] delicious
examples: 目指す[めざす] to aim at (for, to do, to become); to try for; to have an eye on
指[ゆび] finger; toe; digit
指示[しじ] indication; denotation; designation
指導[しどう] guidance; leadership; instruction; direction; coaching
指定[してい] designation; specification; assignment; appointment; pointing at
指先[ゆびさき] fingertip; finger
指摘[してき] pointing out; identification
指す[さす] to point
指名[しめい] naming; nominating; designating
指輪[ゆびわ] (finger) ring
親指[おやゆび] thumb
指揮[しき] command; direction; supervision
人差し指[ひとさしゆび] index finger; forefinger; first (occ. second) finger
指差す[ゆびさす] to point at
指図[さしず] directions; instructions; orders; command
heisig_story: Finger . . . delicious.
koohii_story: Finger lickin' delicious.

kanji: 界
meaning: world
ja_on: カイ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
介[カイ] jammed in
examples: 世界[せかい] the world; society; the universe
限界[げんかい] limit; bound
世界中[せかいじゅう] around the world; throughout the world
視界[しかい] field of vision; visibility; view; visual field; (one's) ken
世界一[せかいいち] best in the world
業界[ぎょうかい] business world; business circles; (the) industry
世界的[せかいてき] worldwide; global; international; universal
全世界[ぜんせかい] the whole world
境界[きょうかい] boundary; border; limit; bounds; frontier
世界観[せかいかん] worldview; outlook on the world; Weltanschauung
外界[がいかい] outside world; physical world
界隈[かいわい] neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity
世界各地[せかいかくち] every part of the world; all over the world; the four corners of the world
新世界[しんせかい] New World (esp. the Americas, but also Australasia)
下界[げかい] the earth below; the ground below
heisig_story: As the world gets jammed with more and more people, there is less and less space. Imagine yourself taking an air flight over a world so densely populated that every bit of it is sectioned off like a gigantic checkerboard (the rice fields ). If you look closely at the character, you should be able to see a kind of movement taking place as still more is being jammed into that already narrow space.
koohii_story: One Japanese farmer I know is so small minded that he thinks the entire world is JAMMED IN the borders of his little RICE FIELD.

kanji: 第
meaning: No.
ja_on: ダイ、テイ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
弔[チョウ] condolences
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 第一[だいいち] first; foremost; number one
次第[しだい] depending on
第二[だいに] second
第[だい] prefix for forming ordinal numbers
第三者[だいさんしゃ] third party; third person; outsider; disinterested person
次第に[しだいに] gradually; by degrees; little by little; bit by bit
第一歩[だいいっぽ] first step
手当たり次第[てあたりしだい] using anything one can lay one's hands on; haphazardly; on the rebound; at rando
第一声[だいいっせい] first words said (e.g. when meeting someone); first thing out of one's mouth
落第[らくだい] failure (in an examination); failing to advance (to the next year)
第一人者[だいいちにんしゃ] leading person; foremost figure
第一線[だいいっせん] the front (of a battlefield); forefront
第一義[だいいちぎ] primary significance; primary importance; first principle
第三国[だいさんごく] a third country
第二次世界大戦[だいにじせかいたいせん] Second World War (1939-1945); World War II; WWII; WW2
heisig_story: The key word No. is the abbreviation for "number." Its elements: bamboo . . . dollar sign.
koohii_story: The No. 1 currency in the world is the dollar. But, the Asian nations are fast catching up and may in reality have already surpassed it. So, let the bamboo represent the No. 2 currencies (the yen, etc.). The reverse order ( bamboo on top and the dollar on the bottom) is really a look at the future.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 次第 兄弟

kanji: 予
meaning: beforehand
ja_on: ヨ、シャ
ja_kun: あらかじ.め
grade: Grade 3
radicals: マ
了[リョウ] complete
examples: 予定[よてい] plans; arrangement; schedule; program; programme; expectation; estimate
予想[よそう] expectation; anticipation; prediction; forecast; conjecture
予感[よかん] presentiment; premonition; hunch
予約[よやく] reservation; appointment; booking; advance order
予想外[よそうがい] unexpected; unforeseen; strange
予測[よそく] prediction; estimation
予算[よさん] estimate (of costs); budget
予備[よび] reserve; spare
予想以上[よそういじょう] more than expected
予告[よこく] (advance) notice; preliminary announcement; warning
猶予[ゆうよ] postponement; deferment; extension (of time)
予言[よげん] prediction; prophecy; prognostication; foretelling; forecast
予習[よしゅう] preparation for a lesson
天気予報[てんきよほう] weather forecast; weather report
予選[よせん] preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial; heat
heisig_story: Think of this character as identical to the halberd (Frame 1311) except that the final stroke has been omitted. Return to that character and devise some image to take this difference into account.
koohii_story: Beforehand , this was a halberd but I cut it short so it could be for hand to hand combat.

kanji: 向
meaning: yonder
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: む.く、む.い、-む.き、む.ける、-む.け、む.かう、む.かい、む.こう、む.こう-、むこ、むか.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
口[くち] mouth
examples: 向かう[むかう] to face
向こう[むこう] opposite side; other side
向ける[むける] to turn (towards); to face; to point; to aim; to direct to
方向[ほうこう] direction; orientation; bearing; way
向く[むく] to turn toward; to look (up, down, etc.)
振り向く[ふりむく] to turn one's face; to turn around; to look over one's shoulder
前向き[まえむき] front-facing
向け[むけ] intended for ...; oriented towards ...; aimed at ...
向き[むき] direction; orientation; aspect; exposure
向こう側[むこうがわ] other side; opposite side; other party
傾向[けいこう] tendency; trend; inclination
出向く[でむく] to go to; to proceed to; to leave for
表向き[おもてむき] outward appearance; ostensible; public; official
に向けて[にむけて] towards (a destination); for the purpose of; with the goal of; targeting (a grou
向かい[むかい] facing; opposite; across the street; other side
heisig_story: Something referred to as "over yonder " is usually far off in the distance and barely within sight - like a wee drop in the distance - and is usually an expression used in giving directions or pointing something out. Hence this kanji begins with a drop. Then we find a sort of transparent helmet with no eyes or nose, but only a prominent mouth under it, obviously an extraterrestrial. And what is it jabbering on about with its mouth open like that? Why, about his spaceship way over yonder with its fuel tank on empty.
koohii_story: Look over yonder ! That tiny dot is robin hood at the mouth of his secret cave !

kanji: 勝
meaning: victory
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: か.つ、-が.ち、まさ.る、すぐ.れる、かつ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 月[つき] moon
劵[ケン] become fatigued
examples: 勝つ[かつ] to win; to gain victory
勝手[かって] one's own convenience; one's way; selfishness
勝負[しょうぶ] victory or defeat
勝ち[かち] win; victory
勝利[しょうり] victory; triumph; win; conquest; success
勝る[まさる] to excel; to surpass; to exceed; to have an edge; to be superior; to outrival
優勝[ゆうしょう] overall victory; championship; winning the title
勝者[しょうしゃ] winner; victor
勝敗[しょうはい] victory or defeat; outcome (of a game, battle, etc.)
勝ち負け[かちまけ] victory or defeat; victory and defeat
殊勝[しゅしょう] admirable; laudable
決勝[けっしょう] decision of a contest; finals (in sports)
圧勝[あっしょう] overwhelming victory; crushing victory; sweeping victory; landslide victory
決勝戦[けっしょうせん] championship game; finals (of a tournament); deciding round
連勝[れんしょう] consecutive victories; series of victories; winning streak
heisig_story: Moon . . . quarter . . . muscle.
koohii_story: After your VICTORY cut your enemy's FLESH into QUARTERs to show your POWER.

kanji: 面
meaning: mask
ja_on: メン、ベン
ja_kun: おも、おもて、つら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 面[めん] face
examples: 面白い[おもしろい] interesting; fascinating; intriguing; enthralling
面倒[めんどう] trouble; bother
真面目[まじめ] serious; earnest; sober; grave
面[おもて] face
地面[じめん] ground; earth's surface
正面[しょうめん] front; frontage; facade; main
画面[がめん] screen (of a TV, computer, etc.)
面倒くさい[めんどくさい] bothersome; tiresome; bother to do
一面[いちめん] one face; one surface
場面[ばめん] scene; setting; place (where something happens); scenario; case
初対面[しょたいめん] first meeting; first interview with
表面[ひょうめん] surface; face
方面[ほうめん] direction; district; area
顔面[がんめん] face (of person)
仮面[かめん] mask
heisig_story: Imagine a mask over your head with eyes peeping out from all over the head, a hundred in all (the element for eye displacing the fifth stroke of that for hundred ).
koohii_story: When Jim Carrey puts on The Mask , he can make it seem like he has 100 eyes popping out of his head.

kanji: 委
meaning: committee
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: ゆだ.ねる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
女[おんな] woman
examples: 委ねる[ゆだねる] to entrust (a matter) to; to leave to
委員[いいん] committee member
委員長[いいんちょう] chairperson (of a committee); chair; chairman; chairwoman; president
委員会[いいんかい] committee; commission; board; panel; committee meeting
委託[いたく] entrusting (something to a person); consignment (of goods); putting in someone's
公安委員会[こうあんいいんかい] public safety commission
執行委員[しっこういいん] executive committee
委任[いにん] entrusting; charge; delegation; authorization
委嘱[いしょく] commissioning; entrusting (with); request; appointment (to a position)
常任委員会[じょうにんいいんかい] standing committee
教育委員会[きょういくいいんかい] Board of Education
議院運営委員会[ぎいんうんえいいいんかい] Committee on Rules and Administration (Diet); House Steering Committee; Standing
heisig_story: Wheat . . . woman.
koohii_story: Female WHEAT farmers decide to create a COMMITTEE , which they fittingly name “The WHEAT WOMEN COMMITTEE.”.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 委ねる 案内 季節

kanji: 反
meaning: anti-
ja_on: ハン、ホン、タン、ホ
ja_kun: そ.る、そ.らす、かえ.す、かえ.る、-かえ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
又[また] again
examples: 反応[はんのう] reaction; response
反対[はんたい] opposition; resistance; antagonism; hostility; objection; dissent
反省[はんせい] reflection; reconsideration; introspection; meditation; contemplation
反撃[はんげき] counterattack; counteroffensive; counterblow
反論[はんろん] objection; refutation; rebuttal; counterargument
反する[はんする] to be contrary (to); to go against; to run counter (to); to contradict; to be op
違反[いはん] violation; offense; offence; breach; transgression; infringement; contravention
反射[はんしゃ] reflection; reverberation
反対側[はんたいがわ] opposite side; opposition
反動[はんどう] reaction; recoil; kick; backlash
反則[はんそく] foul; breaking the rules
反発[はんぱつ] opposition; rebellion; revolt; resistance; backlash; refusal
正反対[せいはんたい] exactly the opposite (of); completely opposite; quite contrary
反射的[はんしゃてき] reflexive; reflecting
反響[はんきょう] echo; reverberation
heisig_story: Cliff . . . crotch.
koohii_story: I think of an anti- hero (Dirty Harry etc.) for this primitive, whose trademark for disposing of villians is not an honorable fight, but a kick in the crotch and then a shove off a cliff (perhaps whilst the villain's back is turned).

kanji: 重
meaning: heavy
ja_on: ジュウ、チョウ
ja_kun: え、おも.い、おも.り、おも.なう、かさ.ねる、かさ.なる、おも
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 千[セン] thousand
里[さと] village
examples: 重い[おもい] heavy; weighty
重要[じゅうよう] important; essential; significant; major; key; principal
重ねる[かさねる] to pile up; to heap up; to stack up; to put on top of another
慎重[しんちょう] careful; cautious; prudent; discreet; deliberate
貴重[きちょう] precious; valuable
重なる[かさなる] to be piled up; to lie on top of one another
重大[じゅうだい] serious; important; significant; grave; weighty
重さ[おもさ] weight
体重[たいじゅう] (body) weight
重み[おもみ] weight
尊重[そんちょう] respect; esteem; regard
重たい[おもたい] heavy; weighty
厳重[げんじゅう] strict; severe; stringent; rigorous; rigid; firm; strong; secure
重力[じゅうりょく] gravity; gravitation; gravitational pull
重視[じゅうし] regarding as important; attaching importance to; taking a serious view of; putti
heisig_story: Thousand . . . ri. Note how the long vertical stroke doubles up to serve both elements.
koohii_story: The first computer in the world was as heavy as thousand computers are now.

kanji: 集
meaning: gather
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: あつ.まる、あつ.める、つど.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
木[き] tree
examples: 集まる[あつまる] to gather; to collect; to assemble
集める[あつめる] to collect; to assemble; to gather
集中[しゅうちゅう] concentration (on a task); focusing one's attention
集団[しゅうだん] group; mass
集合[しゅうごう] meeting up; gathering; assembly
編集[へんしゅう] editing; compilation
集まり[あつまり] gathering; meeting; assembly; collection; attendance
募集[ぼしゅう] recruitment; invitation; selection; advertisement; taking applications
集中力[しゅうちゅうりょく] (powers of) concentration; ability to concentrate
集う[つどう] to meet; to assemble; to congregate
集[しゅう] collection; compilation
収集[しゅうしゅう] collecting; accumulating; gathering
特集[とくしゅう] feature (e.g. newspaper); special edition; report
招集[しょうしゅう] call; summons; convening; convocation
集る[たかる] to gather; to crowd round; to swarm; to flock
heisig_story: Turkeys . . . atop a tree.
koohii_story: Hunter-gathers, searching all along the ground for food. They never look up and see the Turkeys that have gather ed on top of the trees to hide. Those were some smart turkeys!

kanji: 物
meaning: thing
ja_on: ブツ、モツ
ja_kun: もの、もの-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
勿[モチ] not
examples: 物[もの] thing; object; article; stuff; substance
本物[ほんもの] genuine article; real thing; real deal
荷物[にもつ] luggage; baggage; package
人物[じんぶつ] person; character; figure; personage; man; woman
買い物[かいもの] shopping; purchased goods
物語[ものがたり] story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
建物[たてもの] building
食べ物[たべもの] food
生き物[いきもの] living thing; living creature; animal; life
動物[どうぶつ] animal
飲み物[のみもの] drink; beverage
生物[せいぶつ] living thing; organism; creature; life
獲物[えもの] prey; catch; kill; game
忘れ物[わすれもの] lost article; thing left behind
物音[ものおと] noise; sound
heisig_story: Cow . . . knot.
koohii_story: The cow 's " thing " is tied in a knot! ouch.

kanji: 使
meaning: use
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: つか.う、つか.い、-つか.い、-づか.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
吏[リ] officer
examples: 使う[つかう] to use (a tool, method, etc.); to make use of; to put to use
使用[しよう] use; application; employment; utilization; utilisation
使い方[つかいかた] way of using (something); way to use; how to use; usage; use
天使[てんし] angel
使命[しめい] mission; errand
使い[つかい] errand; mission; going on an errand
駆使[くし] using freely; making full use of; having a good command of
使い道[つかいみち] purpose; utility; objective
行使[こうし] use; exercise (of one's right, authority, power, etc.)
使者[ししゃ] messenger; envoy; emissary
お使い[おつかい] errand; mission; going on an errand
使用人[しようにん] employee; servant
使い捨て[つかいすて] throwaway; disposable; single-use
酷使[こくし] exploitation; overuse; abuse
実力行使[じつりょくこうし] use of force
heisig_story: Person . . . officer.
koohii_story: Mr. T uses the officer as a punching bag.

kanji: 所
meaning: place
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: ところ、-ところ、どころ、とこ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 戸[コ] door
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 場所[ばしょ] place; location; spot; position; area
所[ところ] place; spot; scene; site
居場所[いばしょ] whereabouts; place; location
近所[きんじょ] neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity
所謂[いわゆる] what is called; what you call; what they call; so-called
所詮[しょせん] after all; in the end; anyway
所属[しょぞく] belonging to (a group, organization, etc.); affiliation (with); being attached t
事務所[じむしょ] office
住所[じゅうしょ] address (of a home, business, etc.); residence; domicile
台所[だいどころ] kitchen
箇所[かしょ] place; point; part; spot; area; passage; portion
所有[しょゆう] possession; ownership
研究所[けんきゅうじょ] research institute; (research) laboratory
所持[しょじ] possession; having (on one's person); carrying (with one)
刑務所[けいむしょ] prison; jail; gaol; penitentiary
heisig_story: Door . . . ax.
koohii_story: You outsiders better learn your place! An axe stuck in the door when you get home is a pretty good indicator that this might not be the best place for you.

kanji: 次
meaning: next
ja_on: ジ、シ
ja_kun: つ.ぐ、つぎ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 次[つぎ] next; following; subsequent
次第[しだい] depending on
次々[つぎつぎ] in succession; one by one
次回[じかい] next time (occasion)
次々に[つぎつぎに] one by one; one after another; successively
次元[じげん] dimension
次第に[しだいに] gradually; by degrees; little by little; bit by bit
次期[じき] next term; next period
次ぐ[つぐ] to follow; to come after; to come next (to); to rank next (to); to rank second (
手当たり次第[てあたりしだい] using anything one can lay one's hands on; haphazardly; on the rebound; at rando
次男[じなん] second son
二の次[にのつぎ] secondary; of secondary importance
次いで[ついで] next; secondly; subsequently
目次[もくじ] table of contents; contents
二次[にじ] second
heisig_story: This key word connotes the " next in line " of a succession of people or things. Let there be a lack of ice on the hottest day of summer, and you stand impatiently in line waiting for the distributor to call out " Next! "
koohii_story: Is this store lack ing ice? Let's try the next one, then.

kanji: 品
meaning: goods
ja_on: ヒン、ホン
ja_kun: しな
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 作品[さくひん] work (e.g. book, film, painting, composition); piece; production; opus
商品[しょうひん] commodity; article of commerce; goods; stock; merchandise
品[しな] article; item; thing; goods; stock
上品[じょうひん] elegant; refined; polished; stylish; sophisticated
下品[げひん] vulgar; indecent; coarse; crude
部品[ぶひん] parts; accessories; components
新品[しんぴん] brand-new article; new item
品物[しなもの] article; item; thing; goods; wares
手品[てじな] magic (illusion); conjuring; magic trick; conjuring trick; sleight of hand
一品[いっぴん] item; article
食品[しょくひん] food; food products; foodstuffs
製品[せいひん] manufactured goods; finished goods; product
薬品[やくひん] medicine; drug
景品[けいひん] gift; premium; freebie; giveaway; something additional; an extra
賞品[しょうひん] prize; trophy
heisig_story: As in the character for sparkle , the triplication of a single element in this character indicates "everywhere" or "heaps of." When we think of goods in modern industrial society, we think of what has been mass- produced - that is to say, produced for the "masses" of open mouths waiting like fledglings in a nest to "consume" whatever comes their way.
koohii_story: Three boxes of goods are devoured by the hungry mouths of waiting consumers.

kanji: 死
meaning: death
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: し.ぬ、し.に-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 死ぬ[しぬ] to die; to pass away
必死[ひっし] frantic; frenetic; desperate
死[し] death
死体[したい] dead body; corpse; cadaver; carcass
死亡[しぼう] death; dying; mortality
死者[ししゃ] dead person; (the) deceased; (the) dead; casualties
必死になって[ひっしになって] desperately; for one's dear life
死人[しにん] corpse; dead person
死後[しご] after death
生死[せいし] life and death; life or death
死因[しいん] cause of death
即死[そくし] instant death
死刑[しけい] death penalty; capital punishment
不死身[ふじみ] invulnerability; immortality; insensibility to pain
病死[びょうし] death from disease; death from illness
heisig_story: Bones . . . spoon. Note how the first stroke is extended to the right, forming a sort of "roof" overhead.
koohii_story: Ok, this is where knowing some Eastern culture comes in handy! In Japanese society, when someone dies they creamate the body and pick out the remaining bones with special chopsticks. In this case, they're out of chopsticks so they decide to use (gasp!) a spoon instead.

kanji: 係
meaning: person in charge
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: かか.る、かかり、-がかり、かか.わる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
系[ケイ] lineage
examples: 関係[かんけい] relation; relationship; connection
関係者[かんけいしゃ] person concerned; people involved (in an event); those concerned; staff
係[かかり] charge; duty; person in charge; official; clerk
無関係[むかんけい] unrelated
人間関係[にんげんかんけい] human relations; personal relationships
係員[かかりいん] person in charge; official; attendant
係わる[かかわる] to be involved (in); to get involved (in); to concern oneself (with); to take pa
係争[けいそう] dispute; contention; conflict; controversy
係官[かかりかん] official in charge
係長[かかりちょう] subsection head; assistant manager; chief clerk
利害関係[りがいかんけい] interests; stake
相関関係[そうかんかんけい] correlation; interrelation; intertwining
連係[れんけい] connection; linking; linkage; link; liaison; contact; coordination
連係プレー[れんけいプレー] (good) teamwork; team play
heisig_story: Person . . . yarn.
koohii_story: Mister T gets a DNA test, and discovers that he was meant to be the person in charge after all.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 係 孫

kanji: 感
meaning: emotion
ja_on: カン
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 咸[カン] all
心[こころ] heart
examples: 感じる[かんじる] to feel; to sense; to experience
感じ[かんじ] feeling; sense; impression
感謝[かんしゃ] thanks; gratitude; appreciation; thankfulness
感情[かんじょう] emotion; feeling; feelings; sentiment
感覚[かんかく] sense; sensation; feeling; intuition
感動[かんどう] being deeply moved emotionally; excitement; passion; inspiration; deep emotion;
予感[よかん] presentiment; premonition; hunch
感想[かんそう] impressions; thoughts; feelings; reactions
感心[かんしん] admiration; being impressed
違和感[いわかん] uncomfortable feeling; feeling out of place; sense of discomfort
実感[じっかん] real feeling; actual feeling
感触[かんしょく] feel (of something); touch; texture; sensation
敏感[びんかん] sensitive; alert; aware; susceptible
感じ取る[かんじとる] to perceive; to sense; to take in; to grasp; to feel
快感[かいかん] pleasant feeling; pleasant sensation; pleasure
heisig_story: Mouths . . . marching . . . heart.
koohii_story: Emotion is a march of mouths inside your heart telling you what to feel.

kanji: 投
meaning: throw
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: な.げる、-な.げ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 投げる[なげる] to throw; to hurl; to fling; to toss; to cast
投げ出す[なげだす] to throw down; to throw out; to stretch out (one's legs)
投入[とうにゅう] throwing in; inserting; depositing (e.g. a ballot)
投資[とうし] investment
投稿[とうこう] contribution (to a newspaper, magazine, etc.); submission; post (on a blog, soci
投票[とうひょう] voting; ballot; poll; vote
投げ[なげ] throw; throwing
投げ込む[なげこむ] to throw into
投じる[とうじる] to throw; to cast (e.g. vote, light, shadow)
投影[とうえい] projection (of a shadow); casting (a reflection); reflection; cast shadow
投降[とうこう] surrender
投与[とうよ] administration (of medicine); giving medication
投下[とうか] throwing down; dropping; airdrop
投書[とうしょ] letter (e.g. of complaint); letter to the editor; letter from a reader
上手投げ[うわてなげ] overhand throw
heisig_story: Fingers . . . missile.
koohii_story: Well, you usually use your fingers to throw objects used as missile weapons. Easy. By the way, for those of you looking for a less anachronistic image for the missile primitive as a modern rocket, try a slingshot. it's a crotch (originally a tree branch) that sends missile projectiles flying into/like the wind. And for this present kanji, it is something you naturally use with your fingers…
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 階段

kanji: 打
meaning: strike
ja_on: ダ、ダース
ja_kun: う.つ、う.ち-、ぶ.つ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 打つ[うつ] to hit; to strike; to knock; to beat; to punch; to slap; to tap; to bang; to cla
打ち合わせ[うちあわせ] (preparatory) meeting; briefing session; (making) advance arrangements
打ち明ける[うちあける] to confide; to reveal; to disclose; to lay bare; to speak frankly; to open (one'
打ち込む[うちこむ] to drive in (a nail, stake, etc.); to hammer in
安打[あんだ] safe hit
舌打ち[したうち] clicking one's tongue; tut-tut
打ち上げる[うちあげる] to launch; to shoot up; to hit (a ball) high
打ち切る[うちきる] to stop; to abort; to discontinue; to close
打撃[だげき] blow; shock; strike; damage
打ち消す[うちけす] to deny; to contradict
打倒[だとう] overthrow; defeat; bringing down; knockdown
打ち上げ[うちあげ] launch (of a rocket, satellite, etc.); lift-off; shooting off (fireworks); (fire
打開[だかい] break in the deadlock
打破[だは] breaking down; defeating; abolishing
打ち出す[うちだす] to emboss
heisig_story: Finger . . . spike.
koohii_story: You're using a hammer to drive a nail into a plank, but you miss and strike your fingers , ouch ! PS: the character does not mean "to go on strike ", it will be very helpful in the long run to create images that convey the proper sense of the character!

kanji: 始
meaning: commence
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: はじ.める、-はじ.める、はじ.まる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
台[ダイ] pedestal
examples: 始める[はじめる] to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate
始まる[はじまる] to begin; to start; to commence
開始[かいし] start; commencement; beginning; initiation
始まり[はじまり] origin; beginning; start
始末[しまつ] management; dealing with; settlement; cleaning up; disposal
始め[はじめ] beginning; start; outset; opening
後始末[あとしまつ] settlement (of a matter); sorting out; winding up (affairs); dealing with the af
終始[しゅうし] beginning and end
始動[しどう] starting (a machine, engine, etc.)
不始末[ふしまつ] omission; failure; incompleteness
原始[げんし] origin; beginning; genesis
始めに[はじめに] first; firstly; first of all; to begin with; in the beginning; at the beginning
始めまして[はじめまして] nice to meet you; I'm glad to make your acquaintance; how do you do?
始発[しはつ] first departure (of the day); first train; first bus
始終[しじゅう] continuously; from beginning to end; from first to last
heisig_story: Woman . . . pedestal.
koohii_story: Many men, before they commence their relationship with the woman of their desires, place her on something of a pedestal , which often leads to disappointment later on.

kanji: 島
meaning: island
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: しま
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 鳥[とり] bird
山[やま] mountain
examples: 島[しま] island
広島[ひろしま] Hiroshima (city, prefecture)
小島[こじま] small island; islet
列島[れっとう] archipelago; chain of islands
半島[はんとう] peninsula
中島[なかじま] island in a pond or river
千島[ちしま] Kurile Islands
千島列島[ちしまれっとう] Kurile Islands
孤島[ことう] solitary island; isolated island
島々[しまじま] islands
島内[とうない] on an island; on-island
島国[しまぐに] island country
島根[しまね] Shimane (prefecture)
朝鮮半島[ちょうせんはんとう] Korean peninsula
本島[ほんとう] main island
heisig_story: The bird's tail is tucked under here, because it has come to stop on a mountain to rest from its journey across the waters. Thus the kanji comes to mean an island.
koohii_story: This island is the home of the terrible mythical bird Roc. It sits mighty atop the mountain waiting for the next hapless ship to pass by.

kanji: 両
meaning: both
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: てる、ふたつ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 一[いち] one
冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
山[やま] mountain
examples: 両親[りょうしん] parents; both parents
両手[りょうて] both hands; both arms
両方[りょうほう] both; both sides; both parties
両[りょう] both (hands, parents, sides, etc.)
両腕[りょううで] both arms
両者[りょうしゃ] pair; the two; both persons; both things
両足[りょうあし] both feet
車両[しゃりょう] (wheeled) vehicle; car; (railroad) car; (railway) carriage; rolling stock
両立[りょうりつ] compatibility; coexistence; standing together
両側[りょうがわ] both sides
両端[りょうたん] both ends; either end; both edges
両面[りょうめん] both sides; two sides; double-sided
両国[りょうこく] both countries
両替[りょうがえ] change; money exchange
一両[いちりょう] one vehicle
heisig_story: Ceiling . . . belt . . . mountain. Note that the writing order follows the order in which the primitives are given here.
koohii_story: Primatives celing, belt, mountain as per Cumulative Errata. See volfy post for link. Both effective ways to commit suicide, hang your self from the celing with your belt or jump off a mountain.

kanji: 式
meaning: style
ja_on: シキ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 弋[いぐるみ] javelin
工[たくみ] work
examples: 式[しき] way; style; fashion; method; system; form; type
正式[せいしき] formal; official; regular; proper; legal; due (formalities)
儀式[ぎしき] ceremony; rite; ritual; service
結婚式[けっこんしき] marriage ceremony; wedding; nuptials
公式[こうしき] official; formal
株式会社[かぶしきがいしゃ] stock company; corporation; kabushiki kaisha; KK
形式[けいしき] form (as opposed to substance)
葬式[そうしき] funeral
卒業式[そつぎょうしき] graduation ceremony; commencement
一式[いっしき] (complete) set; outfit; kit; suite
方式[ほうしき] form; method; system; formula
お葬式[おそうしき] funeral
式典[しきてん] ceremony; rites
正式名称[せいしきめいしょう] official name; formal name
非公式[ひこうしき] informal; unofficial
heisig_story: Take style in its sense of some fashion design or model. Then let the element arrow and craft stand for the well-known style of shirts known as " Arrow shirts " because of the little arrow sewn on each one.
koohii_story: Each Indian tribe crafts their arrows in a certain style..

kanji: 運
meaning: carry
ja_on: ウン
ja_kun: はこ.ぶ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 軍[グン] army
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 運ぶ[はこぶ] to carry; to transport; to move; to convey
運命[うんめい] fate; destiny; lot
運動[うんどう] exercise; physical training; workout; sports; athletics
運転[うんてん] operation (of a machine); running; working
幸運[こううん] good luck; fortune
運[うん] fortune; luck; chance
運転手[うんてんしゅ] driver; chauffeur
運営[うんえい] management; administration; operation
運び[はこび] progress; pace; carriage; step; stage
不運[ふうん] misfortune; bad luck; ill luck; ill fortune
命運[めいうん] fate; destiny
運用[うんよう] making use of; application; practical use; effective management (e.g. of funds)
運動会[うんどうかい] athletic meet (esp. at a school); sports day; field day; sports festival
運搬[うんぱん] transport; transportation; conveyance; carriage
運良く[うんよく] luckily
heisig_story: A long string of "sweet" chariots "swinging low" to our roads is a sure sign that the Lord is "comin' for to carry " someone home.
koohii_story: Don’t confuse it with “take along” (287). In that one, there was a car so you could take along your friends once you found them on the road. In this one, there is an army chariot just to carry military supplies (sorry no room for you).

kanji: 終
meaning: end
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: お.わる、-お.わる、おわ.る、お.える、つい、つい.に
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
冬[トウ] winter
examples: 終わる[おわる] to end; to come to an end; to finish; to close; to be over
終わり[おわり] end; ending; close; conclusion
終える[おえる] to finish
終了[しゅうりょう] end; close; conclusion; termination
最終[さいしゅう] last; final; closing
最終的[さいしゅうてき] final; eventual; ultimate
終始[しゅうし] beginning and end
終盤[しゅうばん] endgame; final stage
終焉[しゅうえん] end (of life); death; demise
終結[しゅうけつ] end; close
終点[しゅうてん] terminus; last stop (e.g. train)
終了後[しゅうりょうご] after the end (of something)
終電[しゅうでん] last train (of the day)
終末[しゅうまつ] end; close; conclusion; termination
始終[しじゅう] continuously; from beginning to end; from first to last
heisig_story: Thread . . . winter.
koohii_story: This winter is so cold that spiderman 's web gets brittle! Could this be the end of spiderman?

kanji: 住
meaning: dwell
ja_on: ジュウ、ヂュウ、チュウ
ja_kun: す.む、す.まう、-ず.まい
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
主[シュ] lord
examples: 住む[すむ] to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
住所[じゅうしょ] address (of a home, business, etc.); residence; domicile
住人[じゅうにん] dweller; inhabitant; resident
住民[じゅうみん] inhabitant; resident; citizen; population
住まう[すまう] to live; to reside; to inhabit
住まい[すまい] dwelling; house; residence; address
住居[じゅうきょ] dwelling; house; residence; address
住宅街[じゅうたくがい] residential area
住宅[じゅうたく] residence; housing; residential building
移住[いじゅう] migration; move; emigration; immigration
在住[ざいじゅう] residing; living; dwelling
住[じゅう] dwelling; living
居住[きょじゅう] residence; living (at, in); abode
住宅地[じゅうたくち] housing district; residential district
衣食住[いしょくじゅう] food, clothing and shelter; necessities of life
heisig_story: Person . . . candlestick.
koohii_story: When Mr T shows people round his dwelling he takes a big candlestick (with a candle in it!) so that the light shows off his collection of bling bling jewellery.

kanji: 談
meaning: discuss
ja_on: ダン
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 言[げん] words
炎[エン] inflammation
examples: 冗談[じょうだん] joke; jest; funny story
相談[そうだん] consultation; discussion; discussing; asking (someone) for advice
雑談[ざつだん] chatting; idle talk
談笑[だんしょう] friendly chat; pleasant chat; lighthearted talk; friendly conversation
怪談[かいだん] ghost story; tale of the supernatural
面談[めんだん] interview
商談[しょうだん] business discussion; negotiation
縁談[えんだん] marriage proposal; marriage talks
会談[かいだん] talks (i.e. formal discussions); conference; meeting
歓談[かんだん] pleasant talk; chat
余談[よだん] digression
対談[たいだん] talk; dialogue; conversation
座談会[ざだんかい] symposium; round-table discussion
失敗談[しっぱいだん] failure story; horror story
懇談[こんだん] friendly chat; relaxed conversation; informal meeting
heisig_story: In almost every attempt to discuss an issue, the fervor of one's convictions comes to the surface and creates an inflammation of words (if you will, the "cuss" in discuss ).
koohii_story: Think of an online discuss ion group where misunderstanding someone's words leads to flaming. An angry discuss ion = inflamed words.

kanji: 真
meaning: true
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ま、ま-、まこと
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
具[グ] tool
examples: 写真[しゃしん] photograph; photo; picture; photography
真[しん] truth; reality; genuineness
真面目[まじめ] serious; earnest; sober; grave
真実[しんじつ] truth; reality
真剣[しんけん] serious; earnest
真ん中[まんなか] middle; centre; center; midpoint; heart
真似[まね] imitating; copying; mimicry
真の[しんの] true; real; genuine; proper; utter
真相[しんそう] truth; real situation
真意[しんい] real intention; true motive; true meaning
真顔[まがお] serious look (on one's face); straight face
真正面[ましょうめん] directly opposite; right in front
真っ赤[まっか] bright red; deep red; flushed (of face)
真摯[しんし] sincere; earnest; serious
真上[まうえ] right above; just above; directly above; directly overhead
heisig_story: Here again we meet the composite element, eye of the needle , which here combines with tool to give us a measure of what is true and what is not.
koohii_story: A compass is a tool with a needle on top that points to true north.

kanji: 流
meaning: current
ja_on: リュウ、ル
ja_kun: なが.れる、なが.れ、なが.す、-なが.す
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
㐬 a cup with pendants
examples: 流れる[ながれる] to stream; to flow (liquid, time, etc.); to run (ink)
流れ[ながれ] flow (of a fluid or gas); stream; current
流す[ながす] to drain; to pour; to run; to let flow; to flush; to shed (blood, tears); to spi
合流[ごうりゅう] confluence (of rivers); flowing together; joining
流[りゅう] way; manner; style; fashion; mode
交流[こうりゅう] exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction; mingling; mixing; coming tog
一流[いちりゅう] first-class; first-rate; top-flight; top-ranking; leading; eminent; top
流行る[はやる] to be popular; to come into fashion
流れ込む[ながれこむ] to flow into; to pour into; to stream into
流行[りゅうこう] fashion; trend; vogue; craze; fad; popularity
流し[ながし] sink (e.g. in a kitchen)
電流[でんりゅう] electric current
流石[さすが] as one would expect; just as you'd expect (from); just like (someone)
流出[りゅうしゅつ] outflow; effluence; efflux; spillage; spill; discharge; haemorrhage; hemorrhage;
流通[りゅうつう] circulation (of money, goods, etc.); distribution
heisig_story: Water . . . infant . . . flood. Be sure to distinguish the two water primitives from one another in making your story.
koohii_story: INFANT Moses placed in the WATER and sent down the current of the STREAM.

kanji: 有
meaning: possess
ja_on: ユウ、ウ
ja_kun: あ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 月[つき] moon
examples: 有名[ゆうめい] famous; well-known
共有[きょうゆう] joint ownership; co-ownership; sharing (e.g. a viewpoint)
有効[ゆうこう] valid; effective
有利[ゆうり] advantageous; favourable; better; stronger
有名人[ゆうめいじん] celebrity; famous person; public figure; big name
有る[ある] to be; to exist; to live
特有[とくゆう] characteristic (of); peculiar (to)
所有[しょゆう] possession; ownership
有無[うむ] existence or nonexistence; presence or absence
有能[ゆうのう] able; capable; competent; talented; efficient
有様[ありさま] state; condition; circumstances; sight; spectacle
有する[ゆうする] to have; to possess; to own; to be endowed with
有力[ゆうりょく] influential; prominent; leading
有意義[ゆういぎ] significant; useful; meaningful; worthwhile; valuable; of interest
有益[ゆうえき] beneficial; profitable; useful; helpful; instructive
heisig_story: The picture here is of someone with a slab of meat dangling by the side , perhaps from a belt or rope tied around the waist. Think of it as an evil spirit in possession of one's soul, who can be exorcized only by allowing fresh meat to hang by one's side until it begins to putrefy and stink so bad that the demon departs. Take careful note of the stroke order.
koohii_story: Possess ed by the Earth's gravity, the moon stays by its side.

kanji: 局
meaning: bureau
ja_on: キョク
ja_kun: つぼね
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
句[ク] phrase
examples: 結局[けっきょく] after all; in the end; ultimately; eventually
局[きょく] bureau; department
局面[きょくめん] position in a game; state of the game
テレビ局[テレビきょく] television station
局長[きょくちょう] bureau director; office chief
薬局[やっきょく] pharmacy; drugstore; chemist's (shop)
当局[とうきょく] authorities; relevant authorities; authorities concerned
郵便局[ゆうびんきょく] post office
一局[いっきょく] one game (of go, shogi, etc.)
主税局[しゅぜいきょく] (Japanese) Tax Bureau
主計局[しゅけいきょく] budget bureau
事務局[じむきょく] secretariat; executive office
事務当局[じむとうきょく] officials in charge
入国管理局[にゅうこくかんりきょく] Immigration Bureau; Immigration Office
内閣法制局[ないかくほうせいきょく] Cabinet Legislation Bureau
heisig_story: Flag . . . phrase. Note how the flag 's long stroke doubles up for the first stroke of phrase.
koohii_story: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has email scanners that flag certain phrases.

kanji: 放
meaning: set free
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: はな.す、-っぱな.し、はな.つ、はな.れる、こ.く、ほう.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 放つ[はなつ] to fire (gun, arrow, questions, etc.); to shoot; to hit (e.g. baseball); to brea
解放[かいほう] release; unleashing; liberation; emancipation; setting free
放す[はなす] to release; to let go; to free; to set free; to let loose; to turn loose
放る[ほうる] to throw; to fling; to hurl; to toss
放置[ほうち] leaving as is; leaving alone; leaving unattended; neglecting; abandoning
放課後[ほうかご] after school (at the end of the day)
放送[ほうそう] broadcasting; broadcast; program; announcement
放題[ほうだい] (doing) as one pleases; to one's heart's content; letting (something) go uncheck
放棄[ほうき] abandonment; renouncement; renunciation; resignation; abdication; surrender; rel
放出[ほうしゅつ] emission; release; radiation; discharge; gush
開放[かいほう] opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open
追放[ついほう] exile; banishment; eviction; deportation; purge; expulsion; ousting
野放し[のばなし] pasturing (e.g. cattle); letting (an animal) run loose
見放す[みはなす] to abandon; to give up on; to desert
釈放[しゃくほう] release; liberation; acquittal
heisig_story: The taskmaster sets an unruly servant free , giving him no more than a quick glance at the compass and a boot from behind.
koohii_story: Go in any direction away from your taskmaster when you are set free.

kanji: 球
meaning: ball
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: たま
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 王[オウ] king
求[キュウ] request
examples: 地球[ちきゅう] Earth; the globe
野球[やきゅう] baseball
球[きゅう] sphere; globe; ball; bulb
直球[ちょっきゅう] straight ball (pitch)
地球上[ちきゅうじょう] on Earth; on the earth
野球部[やきゅうぶ] baseball club (at a university, corporation, etc.); baseball team
電球[でんきゅう] light bulb
プロ野球[プロやきゅう] professional baseball
初球[しょきゅう] pitcher's first pitch (to batter, or in the game)
制球[せいきゅう] (pitcher's) control
卓球[たっきゅう] table tennis; ping-pong
四死球[ししきゅう] bases on balls and pitches striking the batsmen
四球[しきゅう] base on balls; walk; pass
地球儀[ちきゅうぎ] Earth globe (model); terrestrial globe
地球温暖化[ちきゅうおんだんか] global warming
heisig_story: Ball . . . request.
koohii_story: Someone files a request to see the family jewels and, to their surprise, you show them your ball s!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 求

kanji: 急
meaning: hurry
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: いそ.ぐ、いそ.ぎ、せ.く
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 心[こころ] heart
examples: 急に[きゅうに] swiftly; rapidly; quickly; immediately; hastily; hurriedly
急ぐ[いそぐ] to hurry; to rush; to hasten; to make something happen sooner
急いで[いそいで] hurriedly; in haste; in a rush; quickly
急[きゅう] sudden; abrupt; unexpected
緊急[きんきゅう] urgency; emergency
救急車[きゅうきゅうしゃ] ambulance
急ぎ[いそぎ] haste; hurry; expedition; speed; dispatch
急激[きゅうげき] sudden; abrupt; rapid; sharp; drastic; radical
急速[きゅうそく] rapid (e.g. progress)
至急[しきゅう] urgent; pressing; immediate; prompt; express
早急[そうきゅう] immediate; prompt; quick; rapid; urgent; pressing
急用[きゅうよう] urgent business
急かす[せかす] to hurry (up); to urge on; to press; to rush
急所[きゅうしょ] vital part (of the body); tender spot; weak point; vitals
急遽[きゅうきょ] hurriedly; in a hurry; hastily; in haste
heisig_story: Bound up . . . broom . . . heart.
koohii_story: She was always bound to a broom , her heart pounding in a hurry to finish before she was punished for being slow.

kanji: 送
meaning: escort
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: おく.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 关 frontier pass
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 送る[おくる] to send; to dispatch; to forward; to transmit; to ship; to remit
見送る[みおくる] to see (someone) off; to escort
放送[ほうそう] broadcasting; broadcast; program; announcement
送り込む[おくりこむ] to send in
送信[そうしん] transmission; sending
見送り[みおくり] seeing (someone) off; send-off
転送[てんそう] transfer (of a call, patient, etc.); forwarding (a letter, email, etc.); redirec
搬送[はんそう] transportation; conveyance; delivery
送り[おくり] seeing off; sending off
輸送[ゆそう] transport; transportation; transit; conveyance
送り返す[おくりかえす] to send back
仕送り[しおくり] allowance; remittance; sending (someone) an allowance
移送[いそう] transfer; transport; transportation
先送り[さきおくり] putting off (doing); postponement; delaying
回送[かいそう] forwarding; sending on; redirecting (e.g. mail)
heisig_story: Road . . . golden calf.
koohii_story: After worshipping the golden calf , God sent the Jews on a long road through the wilderness.
heisig_keyword: send off

kanji: 役
meaning: duty
ja_on: ヤク、エキ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 役[やく] role; assignment; responsibility; duty; function; job; service
役に立つ[やくにたつ] to be helpful; to be useful
役目[やくめ] duty; role; function
役割[やくわり] part; assigning (allotment of) parts; role; duties
主役[しゅやく] leading part; leading actor; leading actress
役立つ[やくだつ] to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose
役者[やくしゃ] actor; actress
現役[げんえき] active duty; active service
役に立たない[やくにたたない] of no avail; useless
役員[やくいん] director; executive
悪役[あくやく] villain; baddie; the villain's part
役所[やくしょ] government office; public office
役人[やくにん] government official
役職[やくしょく] post; official position
代役[だいやく] substitute (actor); stand-in; fill-in; understudy; double
heisig_story: Going . . . missile.
koohii_story: Japanese kamikaze pilots (and the American from Dr. Strangelove) are so devoted to their duty that they go with their missiles.

kanji: 身
meaning: somebody
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: み
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 身[み] body
examples: 身[み] one's body; one's person
自身[じしん] (one's) self; oneself; yourself; himself; herself
中身[なかみ] contents; interior; filling
全身[ぜんしん] whole (body); full-length (e.g. portrait)
自分自身[じぶんじしん] oneself; myself
身体[しんたい] body; physical system; (the) person
出身[しゅっしん] one's origin (e.g. city, country, parentage, school)
身内[みうち] relatives; one's family
身長[しんちょう] height (of a person); stature
身につける[みにつける] to learn; to acquire knowledge
身近[みぢか] near oneself; close to one; familiar
身分[みぶん] (social) standing; status; position; rank
私自身[わたしじしん] myself
変身[へんしん] metamorphosis; disguise; transformation; shapeshifting; morphing
下半身[かはんしん] lower half of the body; nether parts
heisig_story: The key word somebody was chosen to convey the double meaning of this kanji: body and person. Its composition is based on the nose (which, you will recall, is also the kanji for oneself ). The extension of the bottom and far right strokes of that element, together with the unusual diagonal stroke, forms the pictograph of somebody with a prominent paunch.
koohii_story: Somebody was just looking for you. He had a long nose that reaches down below his mouth, and a long jaw that sticks out past his nose, and a scar across his face. (greenapple,16-3-2006) The way to remember that this is some body rather than [someone](../v4/1256.html) (#1256 者) is that the story is full of body descriptions.

kanji: 由
meaning: wherefore
ja_on: ユ、ユウ、ユイ
ja_kun: よし、よ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 理由[りゆう] reason; grounds; pretext; excuse; motive
自由[じゆう] freedom; liberty
不自由[ふじゆう] discomfort; inconvenience
由来[ゆらい] origin; source; history; derivation
経由[けいゆ] going through; going via; going by way of
由[よし] reason; significance; cause
事由[じゆう] reason; cause; whys and wherefores; particulars
由緒[ゆいしょ] history; pedigree; lineage
自由主義[じゆうしゅぎ] liberalism
自由化[じゆうか] liberalization; liberalisation; freeing
自由形[じゆうがた] freestyle (e.g. swimming event)
自由経済[じゆうけいざい] free economy
heisig_story: The " wherefore " of this kanji explains the reason or origin of a thing. It does this graphically by depicting a seed in a rice field sending up a single sprout, which is the whole why and wherefore of the seed's falling in the earth and dying. (When the flower appears, you will recall from frame 249, we have a full seedling.)
koohii_story: " Wherefore art thou, Sprouteo?" (Juliet has fallen in love with a brussel sprout) (OR: A brussel sprout has fallen from Juliet's dinner plate and rolled off).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 理由 自由 油

kanji: 転
meaning: revolve
ja_on: テン
ja_kun: ころ.がる、ころ.げる、ころ.がす、ころ.ぶ、まろ.ぶ、うたた、うつ.る、くる.めく
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
云[ウン] say
examples: 転ぶ[ころぶ] to fall down; to fall over
転がる[ころがる] to roll; to tumble
運転[うんてん] operation (of a machine); running; working
回転[かいてん] rotation; revolution; turn; spin
自転車[じてんしゃ] bicycle; bike
逆転[ぎゃくてん] reversal (of a situation); turnaround; turnabout; turning the tables; sudden cha
運転手[うんてんしゅ] driver; chauffeur
転がす[ころがす] to roll; to wheel; to trundle; to drive (a car)
気分転換[きぶんてんかん] change of pace; change of mood; (mental) break (e.g. going for a walk); refreshm
反転[はんてん] rolling over; turning over
転職[てんしょく] change of job; change of occupation; career change
転送[てんそう] transfer (of a call, patient, etc.); forwarding (a letter, email, etc.); redirec
転換[てんかん] conversion; diversion; changeover; commutation; switchover
転落[てんらく] fall; tumble; spill; plunge; dive
転倒[てんとう] fall; falling down; tumbling; toppling (over)
heisig_story: As the wheels of the car revolve , they kick up small rising clouds of dust and debris behind them.
koohii_story: The REVOLVING wheels of the car (with REVOLVE R blaring on the stereo) kicked up RISING CLOUDS of dust.

kanji: 研
meaning: polish
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: と.ぐ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 石[いし] stone
开 open
examples: 研究[けんきゅう] research; study; investigation
研究所[けんきゅうじょ] research institute; (research) laboratory
研究室[けんきゅうしつ] laboratory
研究者[けんきゅうしゃ] researcher
研修[けんしゅう] training (esp. in-service); induction course
研ぐ[とぐ] to sharpen; to hone; to whet; to grind
研究員[けんきゅういん] researcher; lab worker
最新研究[さいしんけんきゅう] the newest research
研磨[けんま] grinding; polishing
研究官[けんきゅうかん] research officer
研究家[けんきゅうか] researcher; student (of)
研究結果[けんきゅうけっか] results of a scientific investigation; findings
経済研究所[けいざいけんきゅうじょ] economic research institute
heisig_story: Stone . . . two hands.
koohii_story: My stones are so huge that it takes two hands to polish them!

kanji: 消
meaning: extinguish
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: き.える、け.す
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
肖[ショウ] resemblance
examples: 消える[きえる] to disappear; to vanish; to go out of sight; to go away; to become lost
消す[けす] to erase; to rub out; to rub off; to cross out; to delete
消滅[しょうめつ] extinction; extinguishment; disappearance; vanishing; termination; lapse
解消[かいしょう] cancellation; liquidation; resolution; reduction (e.g. of stress)
消費[しょうひ] consumption; expenditure; spending
消耗[しょうもう] exhaustion; consumption; using up; dissipation; waste
消化[しょうか] digestion (of food)
取り消す[とりけす] to cancel; to withdraw; to retract; to take back (words, etc.); to revoke
打ち消す[うちけす] to deny; to contradict
消去[しょうきょ] erasure; deletion; elimination; clearing
消毒[しょうどく] disinfection; sterilization; sterilisation
消極的[しょうきょくてき] negative; passive; half-hearted; unmotivated
消息[しょうそく] news (from someone); letter; contact
抹消[まっしょう] erasure; striking off; crossing out; cancellation; deletion
帳消し[ちょうけし] writing off (a debt); cancellation; balancing the books
heisig_story: Among the many things water is useful for is extinguishing fires, and that is just what we have here. First of all, take the water at the left as the drops of water that are used to depict water in general. In the best of all possible worlds, the most efficient way to extinguish a fire would be to see that each drop of water hits one spark of the conflagration. An unthinkable bit of utopian fire fighting, you say to yourself, but helpful for assigning this key word its primitives.
koohii_story: To extinguish a SPARK, you need WATER.

kanji: 神
meaning: gods
ja_on: シン、ジン
ja_kun: かみ、かん-、こう-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
申[シン] have the honor to
examples: 神[かみ] god; deity; divinity; spirit; kami
神様[かみさま] God; god; deity; divinity; spirit; kami
精神[せいしん] mind; spirit; soul; heart; ethos
精神的[せいしんてき] mental; spiritual; emotional
神経[しんけい] nerve
女神[めがみ] goddess
神社[じんじゃ] Shinto shrine
神聖[しんせい] holiness; sacredness; sanctity; dignity
神妙[しんみょう] meek; quiet; docile; humble; faithful; obedient
神話[しんわ] myth; mythology
無神経[むしんけい] insensitive; inconsiderate; callous; thick-skinned
神秘[しんぴ] mystery; mysteriousness; secret
神経質[しんけいしつ] nervous; highly strung; sensitive
神秘的[しんぴてき] mysterious; mystical
失神[しっしん] fainting; losing consciousness; passing out
heisig_story: Altar . . . monkey.
koohii_story: The Gods are gathered around debating Zeus' latest purchase for Mount Olympus. A huge and extremely kitsch gilded altar in the shape of giant "speak no evil" monkey. Hera decides she will never let him go shopping alone again .

kanji: 配
meaning: distribute
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: くば.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
己[おのれ] self
examples: 心配[しんぱい] worry; concern; anxiety; uneasiness; fear
気配[けはい] indication; sign; hint; sensation; feeling
支配[しはい] rule; domination; control
配る[くばる] to distribute; to hand out; to deliver; to deal out; to serve out
手配[てはい] arrangement; preparations
配置[はいち] arrangement (of resources); deployment; stationing; posting; disposition; config
配慮[はいりょ] consideration; concern; attention; thoughtfulness; making arrangements; care; tr
配信[はいしん] distribution (of information, news, etc.); broadcast; delivery; transmission; st
配達[はいたつ] delivery
配属[はいぞく] assignment (of a person to somewhere); attachment (of a person to another unit,
配布[はいふ] distribution
気配り[きくばり] care; attentiveness; attention; consideration (for others); solicitude
配備[はいび] deployment; disposition; posting; stationing
年配[ねんぱい] (approximate) age; years
配分[はいぶん] distribution; allotment
heisig_story: Whisky bottle . . . snake.
koohii_story: To DISTRIBUTE WHISKY during Prohibition you had to be as sneaky as a SNAKE.

kanji: 宮
meaning: Shinto shrine
ja_on: キュウ、グウ、ク、クウ
ja_kun: みや
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
呂[ロ] spine
examples: 子宮[しきゅう] womb; uterus
迷宮[めいきゅう] labyrinth; maze
宮殿[きゅうでん] palace
王宮[おうきゅう] royal palace
宮廷[きゅうてい] imperial court; royal court
二宮[にぐう] the Two Ise Shrines
天満宮[てんまんぐう] Tenmangu shrine (shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane's spirit)
宮中[きゅうちゅう] imperial court
宮内庁[くないちょう] Imperial Household Agency
東宮[とうぐう] crown prince
神宮[じんぐう] high-status Shinto shrine with connection to imperial family; imperial Shinto sh
離宮[りきゅう] imperial villa; royal villa; detached palace
heisig_story: Way back in lesson 2 we learned the character for spine. The two other characters in which it is used we can now learn together in this and the following frame. Here a Shinto shrine is composed of house and spine.
koohii_story: A friend of mine made up a rhyme for this one: "house with a spine, Shinto shrine "!

kanji: 究
meaning: research
ja_on: キュウ、ク
ja_kun: きわ.める
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
九[キュウ] nine
examples: 研究[けんきゅう] research; study; investigation
究極[きゅうきょく] ultimate; final; last; eventual
研究所[けんきゅうじょ] research institute; (research) laboratory
研究室[けんきゅうしつ] laboratory
研究者[けんきゅうしゃ] researcher
研究員[けんきゅういん] researcher; lab worker
究明[きゅうめい] investigation (esp. in academic and scientific contexts); finding out the facts;
学究[がっきゅう] scholar; student
探究[たんきゅう] research; investigation; enquiry; inquiry; study
最新研究[さいしんけんきゅう] the newest research
研究官[けんきゅうかん] research officer
研究家[けんきゅうか] researcher; student (of)
研究結果[けんきゅうけっか] results of a scientific investigation; findings
経済研究所[けいざいけんきゅうじょ] economic research institute
追究[ついきゅう] thorough investigation; close inquiry; pursuit (e.g. of the truth)
heisig_story: Hole . . . baseball.
koohii_story: Most research scientists have 9 holes…..two nostrils, two ears, a mouth, and four eyes…… :-).

kanji: 育
meaning: bring up
ja_on: イク
ja_kun: そだ.つ、そだ.ち、そだ.てる、はぐく.む
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
厶[む] private
月[つき] moon
examples: 育てる[そだてる] to raise; to rear; to bring up
育つ[そだつ] to be raised (e.g. child); to be brought up; to grow (up)
教育[きょういく] education; schooling; training; instruction; teaching; upbringing
体育[たいいく] physical education; PE; gym (class)
育ち[そだち] growth; breeding
体育館[たいいくかん] gymnasium
育む[はぐくむ] to raise; to bring up; to rear
育成[いくせい] rearing; training; nurture; cultivation; promotion
子育て[こそだて] child rearing; child raising; raising children; parenting
生まれ育つ[うまれそだつ] to be born and raised (in); to be born and brought up; to be born and bred
飼育[しいく] breeding; raising; rearing; keeping
保育園[ほいくえん] nursery school; day nursery; day care center
育児[いくじ] childcare; child-rearing; nursing; upbringing
発育[はついく] (physical) growth; development
保育[ほいく] nurturing; rearing; childcare; day care
heisig_story: Since the key word has to do with raising children to be strong both in mind and body, it is easy to coordinate the primitive elements: infant . . . meat.
koohii_story: Bringing up your offspring means raising them from infant until they are meat ready to be harvested. What, cannibalism is in poor taste? Forget I ever brought it up. But bring up will forver be infant meat to me. I want my baby back baby back baby back ribs!

kanji: 起
meaning: rouse
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: お.きる、お.こる、お.こす、おこ.す、た.つ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 走[はしる] to run
己[おのれ] self
examples: 起きる[おきる] to get up; to rise; to blaze up (fire)
起こす[おこす] to raise; to raise up; to set up; to pick up
起こる[おこる] to occur; to happen
起き上がる[おきあがる] to rise; to get up; to stand up; to sit up
引き起こす[ひきおこす] to cause; to induce; to bring about; to provoke
起動[きどう] startup; booting up; activation; starting (e.g. engine, computer); launch
早起き[はやおき] getting up early; early rising
勃起[ぼっき] erection (of the penis); becoming erect; stiffening
突起[とっき] protuberance; projection; prominence; protrusion; bump; boss; process; apophysis
思い起こす[おもいおこす] to recall; to remember
躍起[やっき] desperate; frantic; excited; worked up; heated; eager
起立[きりつ] standing up
起床[きしょう] rising (from one's bed); getting up; getting out of bed
起伏[きふく] undulation
再起動[さいきどう] restart; reboot
heisig_story: Run . . . snake.
koohii_story: Be careful when you're RUNNING through the jungle, because you might step on and ROUSE a sleeping SNAKE. Then you'll have to RUN like hell before it bites you!

kanji: 着
meaning: don
ja_on: チャク、ジャク
ja_kun: き.る、き.せる、つ.く、つ.ける
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
目[め] eye
examples: 落ち着く[おちつく] to calm down; to compose oneself; to regain presence of mind; to relax
着る[きる] to wear (from the shoulders down); to put on
着く[つく] to arrive at; to reach
着替える[きかえる] to change (one's clothes)
到着[とうちゃく] arrival
下着[したぎ] underwear; undergarment; underclothes; lingerie
たどり着く[たどりつく] to (finally) arrive at; to reach (at last); to (manage to) get to; to find one's
落ち着いた[おちついた] calm; composed; cool
着ける[つける] to attach; to join; to connect; to add; to append; to affix; to stick; to glue;
着替え[きがえ] changing clothes; change of clothes
決着[けっちゃく] conclusion; decision; end; settlement
水着[みずぎ] bathing suit; swimsuit; swimmers
着せる[きせる] to put clothes on (someone); to dress; to clothe
上着[うわぎ] coat; jacket; outerwear
辿り着く[たどりつく] to (finally) arrive at; to reach (at last); to (manage to) get to; to find one's
heisig_story: I cannot resist doing this one for you, since it clearly describes donning (putting on) one's clothes as "pulling the wool over one's eyes. "
koohii_story: A pullover is don ned by pulling wool over your eyes.

kanji: 乗
meaning: ride
ja_on: ジョウ、ショウ
ja_kun: の.る、-の.り、の.せる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 千[セン] thousand
木[き] tree
examples: 乗る[のる] to get on (train, plane, bus, ship, etc.); to get in; to board; to take; to emba
乗せる[のせる] to place on (something)
名乗る[なのる] to give one's name (as); to introduce oneself (as)
乗り越える[のりこえる] to climb over; to get over; to cross (a mountain)
乗り込む[のりこむ] to board (a train, plane, etc.); to get into (a car); to get on (a bus); to go o
乗り[のり] riding; ride
乗り切る[のりきる] to weather (a storm, rough seas); to ride across; to sail across
乗り気[のりき] interest; eagerness; enthusiasm
乗り出す[のりだす] to set out; to set sail
乗り物[のりもの] vehicle; conveyance; (means of) transport
乗り換える[のりかえる] to transfer (trains); to change (bus, train)
乗じる[じょうじる] to take advantage of; to follow blindly
乗客[じょうきゃく] passenger
名乗り出る[なのりでる] to introduce oneself; to announce oneself (e.g. as the person sought); to come f
便乗[びんじょう] taking advantage of (an opportunity); jumping on the bandwagon
heisig_story: The simplest way to remember this character is to find the sprig of wheat in it, hidden because it doubles up with one stroke of silage.
koohii_story: It's a hay ride! You sit on piles of silage and everyone likes to imitate old-time farmers with a piece of wheat sticking out of their mouths.

kanji: 想
meaning: idea
ja_on: ソウ、ソ
ja_kun: おも.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 相[ソウ] inter-
心[こころ] heart
examples: 想像[そうぞう] imagination; supposition; guess
予想[よそう] expectation; anticipation; prediction; forecast; conjecture
理想[りそう] ideal; ideals
感想[かんそう] impressions; thoughts; feelings; reactions
妄想[もうそう] delusion; wild idea; (wild) fancy; (ridiculous) fantasy
発想[はっそう] idea; conception
想定[そうてい] hypothesis; supposition; assumption; expectation; anticipation
予想外[よそうがい] unexpected; unforeseen; strange
可哀想[かわいそう] poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful
予想以上[よそういじょう] more than expected
幻想[げんそう] fantasy; illusion; vision; dream
思想[しそう] thought; idea; ideology
愛想[あいそ] amiability; friendliness; affability; sociability
連想[れんそう] association (of ideas); being reminded (of something); suggestion
想像力[そうぞうりょく] (power of) imagination
heisig_story: To distinguish this kanji from that of the previous frame, focus on the sense of the "con-" in the word " concept. " Its elements are: inter- . . . heart.
koohii_story: The concept of love is basically two hearts inter -acting as one.
heisig_keyword: concept

kanji: 病
meaning: ill
ja_on: ビョウ、ヘイ
ja_kun: や.む、-や.み、やまい
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
丙[ヘイ] third class
examples: 病院[びょういん] hospital; clinic; doctor's office; doctor's surgery; infirmary
病気[びょうき] illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; sickness
病[やまい] illness; disease
臆病[おくびょう] cowardly; timid; easily frightened
看病[かんびょう] nursing (a patient)
病室[びょうしつ] sickroom; hospital room; ward
病人[びょうにん] sick person; patient; invalid
臆病者[おくびょうもの] coward; wimp
病む[やむ] to fall ill
病状[びょうじょう] condition of a patient; state of a disease; pathology
持病[じびょう] chronic disease; chronic illness; old complaint
病弱[びょうじゃく] weak (constitution); sickly; feeble; in poor health
病死[びょうし] death from disease; death from illness
病棟[びょうとう] (hospital) ward
疫病[えきびょう] epidemic; plague; pestilence
heisig_story: Sickness . . . third class.
koohii_story: Caveman got ill after flying third class. The cabin air and food got to him. (Primitive: these all got MUCH easier when using CAVEMAN instead. ).

kanji: 農
meaning: agriculture
ja_on: ノウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 曲[キョク] bend
辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
examples: 農家[のうか] farmer; farming family
農業[のうぎょう] agriculture; farming
農民[のうみん] farmer; peasant
農地[のうち] agricultural land; farmland
農場[のうじょう] farm (agriculture)
農村[のうそん] agricultural community; farm village
農産物[のうさんぶつ] agricultural produce
農耕[のうこう] farming; agriculture; cultivation
農薬[のうやく] agricultural chemical; agrochemical; agrichemical
酪農[らくのう] dairy farming
営農[えいのう] farming; agriculture
農[のう] farming; agriculture
農作業[のうさぎょう] farmwork
農作物[のうさくぶつ] crops; agricultural produce
農協[のうきょう] agricultural cooperative
heisig_story: Bend . . . sign of the dragon.
koohii_story: The most unlikely persons in the world to take up agriculture must be Bender and Bruce Lee. An awkwared moment as they stare on the various farming utensils, hoe, plow. Both with straw hats on and blue overalls, and drawn in Groenigs irrevent style.

kanji: 州
meaning: state
ja_on: シュウ、ス
ja_kun: す
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
川[さんぼんがわ] river
examples: 九州[きゅうしゅう] Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
州[しゅう] state (of the US, Australia, India, Germany, etc.); province (e.g. of Canada); c
北九州[きたきゅうしゅう] Kitakyushu (city)
州政府[しゅうせいふ] state government
州都[しゅうと] state capital; provincial capital; county town
広州[こうしゅう] Guangzhou (China); Canton
欧州[おうしゅう] Europe
沿海州[えんかいしゅう] Primorskaya Oblast (Russia)
heisig_story: Here we see drops of land (little islets) rising up out of a stream , creating a kind of sandbar or breakwater. Ever wonder how the state -line is drawn between states separated by a river? If there were little drops of land as in the kanji, there'd be nothing to it.
koohii_story: There were 3 little islands in the stream who all decided to set themselves up as independent states.

kanji: 待
meaning: wait
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: ま.つ、-ま.ち
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 待つ[まつ] to wait
期待[きたい] expectation; anticipation; hope
待たせる[またせる] to keep (a person) waiting
お待たせしました[おまたせしました] thank you for waiting; sorry to have kept you waiting
待ち[まち] waiting; waiting time
待機[たいき] standing by; awaiting an opportunity; being on alert
招待[しょうたい] invitation
待ち合わせ[まちあわせ] appointment
待ち受ける[まちうける] to await; to wait for; to expect
待ち構える[まちかまえる] to lie in wait (for); to be on the watch (for); to wait (for); to watch (for)
待ち伏せ[まちぶせ] ambush; lying in wait for an ambush
待ち合わせる[まちあわせる] to rendezvous; to meet at a prearranged place and time; to arrange to meet
待たす[またす] to keep (a person) waiting
待ち望む[まちのぞむ] to wait eagerly for; to look forward to
お待ちかね[おまちかね] long-awaited; long-waited-for
heisig_story: Line . . . Buddhist temple.
koohii_story: A line queued up outside the Buddhist temple , waiting to see the shrine on New Year's Day.

kanji: 族
meaning: tribe
ja_on: ゾク
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
矢[や] arrow
examples: 家族[かぞく] family
一族[いちぞく] family; relatives; dependents
貴族[きぞく] nobility; aristocracy; peerage
族[ぞく] tribe; race; people; family
種族[しゅぞく] race; tribe; ethnic group
親族[しんぞく] relative; relation; kin
王族[おうぞく] royalty; royal family
水族館[すいぞくかん] aquarium (building)
遺族[いぞく] bereaved family; surviving family; family of the deceased
民族[みんぞく] people; race; nation; ethnic group; ethnos
部族[ぶぞく] tribe
大家族[だいかぞく] large family
家族計画[かぞくけいかく] family planning
核家族[かくかぞく] nuclear family
氏族[しぞく] clan; family
heisig_story: Banner . . . dart.
koohii_story: With a banner declaring "Keep Out!" and blow darts to back it up, the Amazon tribe is not that friendly.

kanji: 銀
meaning: silver
ja_on: ギン
ja_kun: しろがね
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 金[かね] metal
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 銀[ぎん] silver (Ag)
銀行[ぎんこう] bank; banking institution
銀色[ぎんいろ] silver (color, colour)
銀座[ぎんざ] Ginza (district in Tokyo)
銀河[ぎんが] Milky Way
ゆうちょ銀行[ゆうちょぎんこう] JP Bank (former Postal Savings Bank, created when the Postal Services were priva
世界銀行[せかいぎんこう] World Bank
世銀[せぎん] World Bank
日本銀行[にっぽんぎんこう] Bank of Japan; BOJ
水銀[すいぎん] mercury (Hg)
相互銀行[そうごぎんこう] mutual savings bank
輸銀[ゆぎん] import-export bank
銀杯[ぎんぱい] silver cup
銀紙[ぎんがみ] aluminum foil; aluminium foil; tinfoil; silver paper
銀貨[ぎんか] silver coin
heisig_story: Metal . . . silver.
koohii_story: Like gold , silver is a metal.

kanji: 助
meaning: help
ja_on: ジョ
ja_kun: たす.ける、たす.かる、す.ける、すけ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 且[ショ] moreover
力[ちから] power
examples: 助ける[たすける] to save; to rescue; to spare
助かる[たすかる] to be saved; to be rescued; to survive
助け[たすけ] assistance; help; aid; support; reinforcement
手助け[てだすけ] a help; assistance
助言[じょげん] advice; counsel; suggestion; tip; hint
助手[じょしゅ] assistant; helper
助け合う[たすけあう] to help each other; to cooperate
援助[えんじょ] assistance; aid; support
補助[ほじょ] assistance; support; help; aid
救助[きゅうじょ] relief; aid; rescue
助力[じょりょく] assistance; support
助教授[じょきょうじゅ] assistant professor; associate professor
助詞[じょし] particle
一助[いちじょ] (some small) help; an aid; some assistance
互助[ごじょ] mutual aid; cooperation; benefit
heisig_story: Shelf . . . power. The reason why the shelf appears on the left here is that the right side is the normal position for power, the stronger primitive. Indeed, the only exception in all the kanji is the character for add (Frame 932).
koohii_story: HELP! Someone's pinned under this bookshelf and it's gonna take a lot of muscle to lift it off!

kanji: 追
meaning: chase
ja_on: ツイ
ja_kun: お.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 追う[おう] to chase; to run after; to pursue; to follow after
追いかける[おいかける] to chase; to run after; to pursue
追いつく[おいつく] to catch up (with); to draw level; to pull even; to reach
追い出す[おいだす] to expel; to drive out
追加[ついか] addition; supplement; appending; appendix
追い込む[おいこむ] to herd; to drive; to chase; to corral
追跡[ついせき] chase; pursuit; tracking; stalking
追及[ついきゅう] investigation (e.g. into someone's guilt); questioning; pressing; hounding; pinn
追求[ついきゅう] pursuit (of a goal, ideal, etc.); search; chase; seeking after
追っかける[おっかける] to chase; to run after; to pursue
追放[ついほう] exile; banishment; eviction; deportation; purge; expulsion; ousting
追撃[ついげき] pursuit (of a fleeing enemy); chase; follow-up attack
追い抜く[おいぬく] to pass (a car); to overtake
追い越す[おいこす] to pass (e.g. car); to overtake
追い付く[おいつく] to catch up (with); to draw level; to pull even; to reach
heisig_story: Maestro . . . road.
koohii_story: Maestro , coattails flapping wildly, is being chase d down the road by his fans.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 追う 迎える

kanji: 商
meaning: make a deal
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: あきな.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
冏[ケイ] light
examples: 商品[しょうひん] commodity; article of commerce; goods; stock; merchandise
商売[しょうばい] trade; business; commerce
商店街[しょうてんがい] shopping district; shopping street; downtown
商人[しょうにん] merchant; trader; tradesman; dealer; shopkeeper
商店[しょうてん] shop; store; firm
商[しょう] quotient
商業[しょうぎょう] commerce; trade; business
商談[しょうだん] business discussion; negotiation
新商品[しんしょうひん] new product
商会[しょうかい] firm; company
商い[あきない] trade; business; trading; dealing
商社[しょうしゃ] trading company
商事[しょうじ] commercial affairs
商務[しょうむ] commercial affairs
商品券[しょうひんけん] gift certificate
heisig_story: See the peddlar standing atop his motorcycle helmet as if it were a soapbox, hawking his wares to passersby. The legs and mouth represent the tools of the trade of making a deal any way you can.
koohii_story: I use what I think is the real etymology for this kanji which is so shocking it sticks. The STANDING member at the top is a certain part of the body that all men have and it is approaching the HOLE between TWO LEGS (the HOOD) with extra marks to show they are FLESHY - ie a womans legs. So this shows the oldest DEAL of all time - prostitution.

kanji: 葉
meaning: leaf
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: は
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
枼[ヨウ] table
examples: 言葉[ことば] language; dialect
葉[は] leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle; frond; foliage
言葉遣い[ことばづかい] speech; expression; wording; language
葉っぱ[はっぱ] leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle
紅葉[こうよう] leaves turning red (in autumn); red leaves; autumn colours; fall colors
千葉[ちば] Chiba (city, prefecture)
木の葉[このは] leaf (of a tree); tree leaves; foliage
落ち葉[おちば] fallen leaves; leaf litter; falling leaves
根掘り葉掘り[ねほりはほり] inquisitively; pryingly; nosily; thoroughly; persistently; through-and-through
合言葉[あいことば] password; watchword
葉書[はがき] postcard
双葉[ふたば] seed leaves (of a dicot); cotyledons; bud; sprout
広葉樹[こうようじゅ] broadleaf tree; broad-leaved tree
書き言葉[かきことば] written word; written language
枝葉[えだは] branches and leaves; foliage
heisig_story: Three elements are given here: flower . . . generation . . . tree. The first and last seem logical enough, since it is the leaf that feeds the flowers on a tree. The element for generation interposed between the two suggests that the movement of a tree from one generation to the next is like its "turning over a new leaf. "
koohii_story: On top of the leaves a flower appears, promising new generations for the old tree below.

kanji: 落
meaning: fall
ja_on: ラク
ja_kun: お.ちる、お.ち、お.とす
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
洛[ラク] Kyoto
examples: 落ちる[おちる] to fall; to drop; to come down; to crash; to collapse; to cave in; to give way
落ち着く[おちつく] to calm down; to compose oneself; to regain presence of mind; to relax
落とす[おとす] to drop; to lose; to let fall; to shed (light); to cast (one's gaze); to pour in
落ち込む[おちこむ] to feel down; to feel sad; to be depressed; to be in low spirits
落ち着いた[おちついた] calm; composed; cool
落下[らっか] fall; drop; descent; coming down
落ち着き[おちつき] calmness; composure; presence of mind
落胆[らくたん] discouragement; despondency; dejection; disappointment
見落とす[みおとす] to overlook; to fail to notice; to miss (seeing)
落書き[らくがき] scrawl; scribble; graffiti; doodle
一段落[いちだんらく] reaching a stopping place; settling down (before the next stage); getting to a p
転落[てんらく] fall; tumble; spill; plunge; dive
落ち合う[おちあう] to meet up (as arranged); to rendezvous; to get together
墜落[ついらく] fall; crash (of an aircraft)
落ち度[おちど] mistake; error; fault; slip; blunder; omission; oversight; lapse
heisig_story: When water falls , it splats and splashes, when flower petals fall , they float gently in the breeze. To each thing its own way of falling.
koohii_story: Water each flower or the petals will wither and fall.

kanji: 医
meaning: doctor
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: い.やす、い.する、くすし
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 匸[かくしがまえ] to conceal
矢[や] arrow
examples: 医者[いしゃ] doctor; physician
医師[いし] doctor; physician
お医者さん[おいしゃさん] doctor
医療[いりょう] medical treatment; medical care
医学[いがく] medicine; medical science
医[い] medicine; the healing art; healing; curing
主治医[しゅじい] doctor chiefly responsible for a patient's care; doctor in charge (of a patient)
歯医者[はいしゃ] dentist
医学部[いがくぶ] faculty of medicine; college of medicine; department of medicine; school of medi
侍医[じい] court physician
医大[いだい] medical university; medical college; medical school
医局[いきょく] medical office (esp. in a hospital); doctor's office
医師会[いしかい] medical association
医科[いか] medical science; medical department
医科学[いかがく] medical science
heisig_story: Box . . . dart.
koohii_story: The doctor puts the cardboard box on his head and throws a dart at a chart to determine his patients' illnesses.

kanji: 仕
meaning: attend
ja_on: シ、ジ
ja_kun: つか.える
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
士[さむらい] man
examples: 仕手[して] doer; performer
仕事[しごと] work; job; labor; labour; business; task; assignment; occupation; employment
仕方ない[しかたない] there's no (other) way
仕掛ける[しかける] to start; to begin; to commence
仕業[しわざ] deed (esp. negative); act; action; one's doing; one's work
仕方[しかた] way; method; means; resource; course
仕方がない[しかたがない] there's no (other) way
仕組み[しくみ] structure; construction; arrangement; contrivance; mechanism; workings
仕掛け[しかけ] device; contrivance; mechanism; gadget
仕事中[しごとちゅう] at work; in the midst of work; working
仕える[つかえる] to serve; to work for; to attend
仕草[しぐさ] gesture; movement; action; behavior; behaviour; bearing; mannerism
仕上げる[しあげる] to finish up; to complete; to finish off; to get through; to polish off
仕入れる[しいれる] to buy (stock, materials, etc.); to purchase; to lay in; to stock; to procure
仕上げ[しあげ] finish; finishing; finishing touches
heisig_story: Person . . . samurai. The key word means to wait on someone or serve them.
koohii_story: Back in the day, a person who stands beside a samurai is usually attend ing to them or work ing for them.

kanji: 去
meaning: gone
ja_on: キョ、コ
ja_kun: さ.る、-さ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 土[つち] earth
厶[む] private
examples: 過去[かこ] the past; bygone days
去る[さる] to leave; to go away
去年[きょねん] last year
立ち去る[たちさる] to leave; to depart; to take one's leave
連れ去る[つれさる] to take (someone) away; to carry off; to abduct; to kidnap
置き去り[おきざり] leaving behind; desertion; abandonment
消去[しょうきょ] erasure; deletion; elimination; clearing
撤去[てっきょ] removal; taking away; dismantling (a building, facilities, etc.); withdrawal (of
除去[じょきょ] removal; getting rid of
退去[たいきょ] departure; leaving; going away; evacuation
去就[きょしゅう] leaving or staying
去来[きょらい] coming and going; recurring (esp. thoughts)
死去[しきょ] death; decease; passing away
逝去[せいきょ] death; passing
heisig_story: Soil . . . elbow.
koohii_story: "Going, going, GONE!", said the gravedigger as he shoveled soil onto the body's protruding elbow (the last bit left to cover).

kanji: 味
meaning: flavor
ja_on: ミ
ja_kun: あじ、あじ.わう
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
未[ミ] un-
examples: 意味[いみ] meaning; significance; sense
興味[きょうみ] interest (in something); curiosity (about something); zest (for)
味[あじ] flavor; flavour; taste
味方[みかた] friend; ally; supporter
趣味[しゅみ] hobby; pastime
味わう[あじわう] to taste; to savor; to savour; to relish
美味しい[おいしい] good(-tasting); nice; delicious; tasty
地味[じみ] plain; simple; subdued; sober
不気味[ぶきみ] weird; eerie; ominous; creepy; uncanny; unearthly
無意味[むいみ] nonsense; no meaning; meaningless
気味[きみ] sensation; feeling
興味深い[きょうみぶかい] very interesting; of great interest
美味い[うまい] skillful; skilful; skilled; good; expert; clever (expression, trick, etc.); apt;
興味津々[きょうみしんしん] very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being imme
味付け[あじつけ] seasoning; flavour; flavor
heisig_story: When a tree has not yet finished growing, it produces fruit with a full flavor. When the official taster (the professional mouth to the left) determines that full flavor has been reached, the tree is pruned back so that it remains permanently not yet grown. A neat little agricultural trick and an easy to way see the sense of flavor hidden in this character.
koohii_story: My mouth has not yet swallowed the food because the flavor is so delicious that I keep chewing it.

kanji: 負
meaning: defeat
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: ま.ける、ま.かす、お.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
examples: 負ける[まける] to lose; to be defeated; to be beaten
勝負[しょうぶ] victory or defeat
背負う[せおう] to carry on one's back
負け[まけ] defeat; loss; losing (a game)
負う[おう] to carry on one's back; to bear; to shoulder
負担[ふたん] burden; load; responsibility
負傷[ふしょう] injury; wound
自負[じふ] pride; self-confidence; thinking highly of oneself; being proud of one's abiliti
請け負う[うけおう] to contract (to do); to undertake; to take on (work)
負荷[ふか] burdening; bearing; shouldering; imposing
負け犬[まけいぬ] loser; failure; underdog; unsuccessful person; non-achiever
負[ふ] negative; minus
勝ち負け[かちまけ] victory or defeat; victory and defeat
負い目[おいめ] (feeling of) indebtedness; feeling obliged
負かす[まかす] to defeat
heisig_story: Above we have the condensed form of bound up , and below the familiar shellfish. Now imagine two oysters engaged in shell -to- shell combat, the one who is defeated being bound and gagged with seaweed, the victor towering triumphantly over it. The bound shellfish thus becomes the symbol for defeat.
koohii_story: Tied up , the shellfish had to accept defeat!

kanji: 写
meaning: copy
ja_on: シャ、ジャ
ja_kun: うつ.す、うつ.る、うつ-、うつ.し
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 冖[わかんむり] cover
与[ヨ] bestow
examples: 写真[しゃしん] photograph; photo; picture; photography
写る[うつる] to be photographed; to be projected
写す[うつす] to copy; to duplicate; to reproduce; to trace; to transcribe
描写[びょうしゃ] depiction; description; portrayal
写し[うつし] copy; duplicate; facsimile; transcript
写真集[しゃしんしゅう] photo book (esp. one featuring photos of female celebrities, models); photobook
複写[ふくしゃ] copying; duplication; reproduction; copy
写生[しゃせい] sketching; drawing from nature; portrayal; description
写真家[しゃしんか] photographer
写真撮影[しゃしんさつえい] photography; taking photographs
被写体[ひしゃたい] (photographic) subject
試写[ししゃ] preview; private showing
青写真[あおじゃしん] blueprint; cyanotype
heisig_story: Crown . . . bestow.
koohii_story: A crown was bestowed to the British royalty museum, but it was only a copy.

kanji: 守
meaning: guard
ja_on: シュ、ス
ja_kun: まも.る、まも.り、もり、-もり、かみ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
寸[すん] inch
examples: 守る[まもる] to protect; to guard; to defend
見守る[みまもる] to watch over; to keep watch over; to keep an eye on
留守[るす] absence; being away from home
お守り[おまもり] charm; amulet; talisman
留守番[るすばん] care-taking; house-sitting; house-watching; staying at home
守り[まもり] protection; defense; defence
守備[しゅび] defense; defence
攻守[こうしゅ] offense and defense; offence and defence; batting and fielding
看守[かんしゅ] prison guard; warder; jailer; gaoler
子守歌[こもりうた] lullaby
保守[ほしゅ] maintenance
守衛[しゅえい] (security) guard; caretaker; janitor; doorkeeper; gatekeeper
保守党[ほしゅとう] Conservative Party
保守的[ほしゅてき] conservative
厳守[げんしゅ] strict observance; rigid adherence; scrupulous compliance
heisig_story: The notion of guarding something easily brings to mind the image of someone standing guard , like the royal soldiers in front of Buckingham Palace or the Pope's Swiss Guard. The whole idea of hiring guards is that they should stick like glue to your house to protect it from unwanted prowlers. So go ahead and glue a guard to your house in imagination.
koohii_story: A GUARD is usually "glued" to the house he watches.

kanji: 美
meaning: beauty
ja_on: ビ、ミ
ja_kun: うつく.しい
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 大[だい] large
examples: 美しい[うつくしい] beautiful; pretty; lovely; sweet; pure (heart, friendship, etc.)
美人[びじん] beautiful woman; (a) beauty; belle; good-looker
美味しい[おいしい] good(-tasting); nice; delicious; tasty
ご褒美[ごほうび] reward; prize
美[び] beauty
美味い[うまい] skillful; skilful; skilled; good; expert; clever (expression, trick, etc.); apt;
美女[びじょ] beautiful woman
美貌[びぼう] beautiful face; good looks; beauty
褒美[ほうび] reward; prize
美術[びじゅつ] art; fine arts
甘美[かんび] sweet (taste); luscious
美容[びよう] beauty; good figure; (beautiful) appearance; (beautiful) features
美術館[びじゅつかん] art museum; art gallery
美化[びか] beautification; glorification
優美[ゆうび] grace; refinement; elegance; daintiness
heisig_story: Try to think of what the Chinese were on to when they associated the idea of beauty with a large sheep.
koohii_story: I guess this kanji proves it's not just the Welsh whose idea of beauty is a large sheep.

kanji: 命
meaning: fate
ja_on: メイ、ミョウ
ja_kun: いのち
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 人[ひと] person
一[いち] one
口[くち] mouth
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 命[いのち] life; life force
運命[うんめい] fate; destiny; lot
命令[めいれい] order; command; decree; directive
一生懸命[いっしょうけんめい] very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dea
命じる[めいじる] to order; to command
懸命[けんめい] eager; earnest; strenuous; fervent; assiduous; with utmost effort
生命[せいめい] life; existence
使命[しめい] mission; errand
寿命[じゅみょう] lifespan; life; lifetime
致命的[ちめいてき] fatal; lethal
本命[ほんめい] favorite (to win); favourite; likely winner
宿命[しゅくめい] fate; destiny; predestination
命中[めいちゅう] (direct) hit; hitting the mark
致命傷[ちめいしょう] fatal wound
革命[かくめい] revolution
heisig_story: This character connotes life in general, but also the particular life that is fated one by virtue of the distinctive character with which one is born. Its elements are: fit . . . stamp. The bottom portion of fit is nudged to the left in order to make room for the stamp.
koohii_story: When you're born, your fate is measured, fitted , and stamped onto your soul. Good luck defying it.

kanji: 福
meaning: blessing
ja_on: フク
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
畐[フク] to fill
examples: 祝福[しゅくふく] celebration (of a joyous occasion); blessing; giving one's blessing; wishing (so
幸福[こうふく] happiness; well-being; joy; welfare; blessedness
裕福[ゆうふく] wealthy; rich; affluent; well-off
至福[しふく] beatitude; supreme bliss
福[ふく] good fortune; happiness; blessing; good luck
福岡[ふくおか] Fukuoka (city, prefecture)
福祉[ふくし] welfare; well-being; social welfare; social security; social service
七福神[しちふくじん] Seven Gods of Fortune; Seven Deities of Good Luck; Seven Lucky Gods
冥福[めいふく] happiness in the next world; heavenly bliss; repose of one's soul
社会福祉[しゃかいふくし] social welfare
福利厚生[ふくりこうせい] employee welfare; employee benefits; fringe benefits
福助[ふくすけ] large-headed dwarf statue, bringer of good luck
福音[ふくいん] good news; glad tidings
老人福祉[ろうじんふくし] welfare for the aged
heisig_story: Altar . . . wealth.
koohii_story: This recalls the selling of indulgences in the history of the Church (As an aside, Protestantism began as a protest of this practice). Basically, one gave wealth to the altar (i.e. priest) and received a blessing. If you prefer a Jewish version, think of the donation ( wealth ) that is expected when you're called to the ark ( altar in the kanji) to give a blessing over the torah.

kanji: 整
meaning: organize
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: ととの.える、ととの.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 敕[チョク] an imperial order or decree
正[セイ] correct
examples: 整理[せいり] sorting; arrangement; organization; putting in order; adjustment; regulation
整える[ととのえる] to put in order; to arrange; to tidy up; to fix; to straighten
整う[ととのう] to be ready; to be prepared; to be arranged
調整[ちょうせい] adjustment; regulation; coordination; reconciliation; tuning; fixing; tailoring
整備[せいび] maintenance; servicing
整った[ととのった] well-ordered; in good order; well-featured; well-regulated
整列[せいれつ] standing in a row; forming a line; alignment
整頓[せいとん] orderliness; put in order; tidying up; arranging neatly
整数[せいすう] integer
不整脈[ふせいみゃく] arrhythmia; abnormal heartbeat
均整[きんせい] symmetry; balance; proportion; uniformity
整合[せいごう] adjustment; coordination; integration; conformity
整形外科[せいけいげか] orthopedic surgery; orthopaedic surgery; orthopedics; orthopaedics
heisig_story: Bundle . . . taskmaster . . . correct.
koohii_story: Recycling in Japan, you have to make sure all your bundles are organize d correctly otherwise the taskmasters won't accept them.

kanji: 横
meaning: sideways
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: よこ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
黄[き] yellow
examples: 横[よこ] horizontal (as opposed to vertical)
横顔[よこがお] profile; face in profile; face seen from the side
横たわる[よこたわる] to lie down; to stretch out
横目[よこめ] sidelong glance
横取り[よこどり] snatching; stealing; seizure; usurpation
横切る[よこぎる] to cross (e.g. road); to traverse
横暴[おうぼう] violence; oppression; high-handedness; tyranny; despotism
横浜[よこはま] Yokohama (city)
横断[おうだん] crossing (a road, river, etc.); cutting through (e.g. of a river through a town)
横領[おうりょう] embezzlement; misappropriation; usurpation
横断歩道[おうだんほどう] pedestrian crossing; crosswalk
横柄[おうへい] arrogant; haughty; insolent
横綱[よこづな] yokozuna (highest rank in sumo); grand champion
専横[せんおう] arbitrariness; despotism; high-handedness; tyranny
横ばい[よこばい] sidewise crawl (e.g. of a crab); crawling sideways
heisig_story: Tree . . . yellow.
koohii_story: A tree went all yellow. It died and fell down, ending up sideways.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 横 構え

kanji: 深
meaning: deep
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ふか.い、-ぶか.い、ふか.まる、ふか.める、み-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
㓁[あみがしら] net
木[き] tree
examples: 深い[ふかい] deep
深刻[しんこく] serious; severe; grave; acute
深夜[しんや] late at night
興味深い[きょうみぶかい] very interesting; of great interest
深める[ふかめる] to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
深さ[ふかさ] depth; profundity
深まる[ふかまる] to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
深み[ふかみ] deep place; depths
用心深い[ようじんぶかい] careful; cautious; wary; watchful; vigilant; prudent
深海[しんかい] deep sea; depths of the sea; ocean depths
情け深い[なさけぶかい] tender-hearted; compassionate; charitable; good-hearted
水深[すいしん] depth of water
注意深い[ちゅういぶかい] attentive; cautious; careful; watchful
深刻化[しんこくか] becoming more serious or severe; aggravation; intensification
深層[しんそう] depths; deep level
heisig_story: Water . . . paper punch . . . tree.
koohii_story: If the groper's "tree" goes up the girl's miniskirt too deep , he'll ejaculate fluid. (Sorry it's kinda coarse but it works.).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 深い 探す

kanji: 申
meaning: have the honor to
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: もう.す、もう.し-、さる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 申す[もうす] to say; to be called
申し訳ない[もうしわけない] I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable; I feel regretful; I feel guilty
申し訳ありません[もうしわけありません] I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable
申し上げる[もうしあげる] to say; to tell; to state; to express; to offer; to extend (greetings, congratul
申し出[もうしで] proposal; offer; request; application
申し訳[もうしわけ] apology; excuse
申請[しんせい] application; request; petition
申し出る[もうしでる] to offer; to propose; to suggest; to put forward; to request; to ask (for); to a
申し込む[もうしこむ] to apply for; to make an application; to propose (marriage); to offer (mediation
申し分ない[もうしぶんない] perfect; ideal; completely satisfactory; leaving nothing to be desired; faultles
申し込み[もうしこみ] application; entry; request; subscription; offer; proposal; overture; challenge
申告[しんこく] report; return (e.g. tax); statement; declaration; notification; filing
申し入れる[もうしいれる] to propose; to suggest
上申[じょうしん] report to a superior
内申[ないしん] unofficial report; confidential report
heisig_story: The olde English is used here to indicate a humble form of the third person singular of the verb "to speak." It is written by a tongue wagging in the mouth with a walking stick rammed through it and coming out at both ends.
koohii_story: I imagine thomeone who can not pronounth the "s" and speaketh like thith becauth they have a cane in their mouth.
heisig_keyword: speaketh

kanji: 様
meaning: Esq.
ja_on: ヨウ、ショウ
ja_kun: さま、さん
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
羊[ひつじ] sheep
氺[したみず] water
examples: 様[さま] Mr; Mrs; Miss; Ms
様子[ようす] state (of affairs); situation; circumstances
お客様[おきゃくさま] guest; visitor
神様[かみさま] God; god; deity; divinity; spirit; kami
皆様[みなさま] everyone
同様[どうよう] same; similar; (just) like; equal
様子を見る[ようすをみる] to wait and see; to see how things go; to survey the situation
様々[さまざま] various; varied; diverse; all sorts of
様に[ように] like; as
模様[もよう] pattern; figure; design
異様[いよう] strange; odd; peculiar; weird; bizarre; unusual
お疲れ様[おつかれさま] thank you (for your hard work); good work
奥様[おくさま] wife; your wife; his wife; married lady; madam
王様[おうさま] king
仕様[しよう] way; method; means; resource; remedy
heisig_story: The abbreviation Esq. will help associate this character with the honorific form of address to which it belongs. Its elements are: tree . . . sheep . . . grains of rice. Note that the final vertical stroke in the element for sheep is extended to form the first stroke for grains of rice.
koohii_story: Here we have the requirements to be counted among the ranks of the noble Esq. You must posses a forested estate, herds of sheep , and granary full of grains of rice.

kanji: 港
meaning: harbor
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: みなと
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
巷[コウ] fork in road
examples: 港[みなと] harbour; harbor; port
空港[くうこう] airport
香港[ホンコン] Hong Kong
入港[にゅうこう] entry into port; arriving in harbor
出港[しゅっこう] departure from a port; leaving port; setting sail
寄港[きこう] calling at a port
港内[こうない] inside the harbour; inside the harbor
港湾[こうわん] harbour; harbor
漁港[ぎょこう] fishing harbour; fishing harbor
軍港[ぐんこう] naval port; naval station
開港[かいこう] opening a port (seaport, airport, etc.); starting operations at a port
heisig_story: Deluge . . . snakes.
koohii_story: During a deluge , all the poor snakes get washed into the harbour.

kanji: 注
meaning: pour
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: そそ.ぐ、さ.す、つ.ぐ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
主[シュ] lord
examples: 注意[ちゅうい] attention; notice; heed
注文[ちゅうもん] order (for an item)
注目[ちゅうもく] notice; attention; observation
注ぐ[そそぐ] to pour (into)
注ぎ込む[そそぎこむ] to pour in (liquids)
注射[ちゅうしゃ] injection; jab; shot
発注[はっちゅう] ordering (materials); placing an order; order
注入[ちゅうにゅう] pouring; injection
不注意[ふちゅうい] carelessness; inattention; thoughtlessness; negligence
要注意[ようちゅうい] need for caution; need for care; requiring special attention
注[ちゅう] annotation; explanatory note; comment
注す[さす] to pour; to add (liquid); to serve (drinks)
予約注文[よやくちゅうもん] pre-order; advance order
傾注[けいちゅう] devoting (oneself) to; concentrating (one's efforts) on
取扱注意[とりあつかいちゅうい] handling warning
heisig_story: Picture pouring water from a lighted candlestick. What could be more ridiculous, or simpler, as a way to recall this kanji?
koohii_story: Visualize an idiot trying to figure out how to extinguish a candle. He sees a glass of WATER and decides to pour it onto the CANDLESTICK to put it out. Water spills everywhere.

kanji: 階
meaning: storey
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: きざはし
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
皆[カイ] all
examples: 階段[かいだん] stairs; stairway; staircase
段階[だんかい] stage; step; phase
階[かい] storey; story; floor
二階[にかい] second floor; upstairs
一階[いっかい] first floor; ground floor
１階[いっかい] first floor; ground floor
階級[かいきゅう] (social) class
階層[かいそう] class; level; stratum; layer; hierarchy
現段階[げんだんかい] present stage; current phase
二階建て[にかいだて] two-storied building
中産階級[ちゅうさんかいきゅう] middle class; bourgeoisie
音階[おんかい] scale
heisig_story: The story of this character refers to floors in a building. The elements: pinnacle . . . all.
koohii_story: All buildings of The Pinnacle are multi- storey. They don't have much room, so they have to build up. It sucks when someone presses all the buttons on the elevator! You have to stop at each storey!
heisig_keyword: story

kanji: 路
meaning: path
ja_on: ロ、ル
ja_kun: -じ、みち
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 足[あし] foot
各[カク] each
examples: 通路[つうろ] passage; pathway; roadway; avenue; aisle
進路[しんろ] route; course; path
道路[どうろ] road; highway
路地[ろじ] alley; alleyway; lane
経路[けいろ] course; route; path; channel
路上[ろじょう] on the road; on the street; in the street
迷路[めいろ] maze; labyrinth
路線[ろせん] route (bus, train, air, etc.); line
回路[かいろ] circuit
線路[せんろ] railway track; railway line; railroad; railway; track; line
帰路[きろ] return journey; one's way home; one's way back
水路[すいろ] waterway; canal; channel; watercourse; aqueduct
高速道路[こうそくどうろ] highway; freeway; expressway; motorway
活路[かつろ] means of survival; means of escape; way out of a difficulty
袋小路[ふくろこうじ] blind alley; cul-de-sac; dead end street
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . each.
koohii_story: When pirates try to hide, it's always easy to find them. Their wooden legs leave distinctive prints, showing where each is hiding and the exact path he took.

kanji: 悪
meaning: bad
ja_on: アク、オ
ja_kun: わる.い、わる-、あ.し、にく.い、-にく.い、ああ、いずくに、いずくんぞ、にく.む
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亜[ア] Asia
心[こころ] heart
examples: 悪い[わるい] bad; poor; undesirable
最悪[さいあく] worst
気持ち悪い[きもちわるい] unpleasant; revolting; repulsive; gross; disgusting; disturbing; creepy
悪魔[あくま] devil; demon; fiend
悪[あく] evil; wickedness
意地悪[いじわる] malicious; ill-tempered; unkind; mean; nasty
悪化[あっか] deterioration; getting worse; worsening; aggravation; degeneration; corruption
悪意[あくい] ill will; spite; evil intention; malice
悪夢[あくむ] nightmare; bad dream
悪口[あっこう] (verbal) abuse; name-calling; abusive language; insulting remarks
凶悪[きょうあく] atrocious; heinous; fiendish; brutal; vicious
悪気[わるぎ] ill will; malice; evil intent
悪者[わるもの] bad guy; villain; evildoer; scoundrel
悪人[あくにん] bad person; villain; scoundrel; wrongdoer; wicked person
憎悪[ぞうお] hatred; abhorrence; loathing; detestation
heisig_story: Asia . . . heart.
koohii_story: Because Asian people started to eat Western food, their hearts became bad and they started having heart attacks.

kanji: 他
meaning: other
ja_on: タ
ja_kun: ほか
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
也[ヤ] to be (classical)
examples: 他[た] other (esp. people and abstract matters)
他人[たにん] another person; other people; others
他に[ほかに] else; in addition; besides
他にも[ほかにも] furthermore; even more
他人事[ひとごと] other people's affairs; someone else's problem
他者[たしゃ] another person; others
他国[たこく] foreign country; another country
他方[たほう] one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one direction; the other d
その他[そのほか] the rest; the others
他殺[たさつ] murder
他派[たは] the other group
他社[たしゃ] another company; other company
他薦[たせん] recommendation (by others)
他面[ためん] other side; another side; different angle
排他[はいた] exclusion
heisig_story: Person . . . scorpion.
koohii_story: It's one or the other : fight Mr. T , or be thrown into the scorpion pit.

kanji: 橋
meaning: bridge
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: はし
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
喬[キョウ] high
examples: 橋[はし] bridge
桟橋[さんばし] wharf; bridge; jetty; pier
橋渡し[はしわたし] mediation; good offices; go-between; intermediary; mediator; bridge (between)
鉄橋[てっきょう] railway bridge; iron bridge
新橋[しんばし] Shinbashi (Tokyo)
架橋[かきょう] bridge-building; bridge construction
橋脚[きょうきゃく] bridge pier; pontoon bridge
歩道橋[ほどうきょう] footbridge; pedestrian bridge; pedestrian overpass
石橋[いしばし] stone bridge
船橋[ふなばし] pontoon bridge; floating bridge
陸橋[りっきょう] bridge (over a road or railway); overpass; flyover; viaduct
heisig_story: The bridge shown here is made of trees in their natural form, except that the trunks have been carved into the forms of angels , a sort of "Ponte degli Angeli."
koohii_story: The nicest bridge is not in Holly wood or Los Angel es, but in San Francisco.

kanji: 岸
meaning: beach
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: きし
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
厂[がんだれ] cliff
干[かん] to dry
examples: 海岸[かいがん] seashore; coast; seaside; waterfront; beach
岸[きし] bank; coast; shore
対岸[たいがん] opposite shore
沿岸[えんがん] coast; shore
両岸[りょうがん] both banks (of a river)
岸壁[がんぺき] quay; wharf; jetty
岸辺[きしべ] shore; bank (of a body of water)
川岸[かわぎし] riverbank; riverside
彼岸[ひがん] equinoctial week (when Buddhist services are held)
海岸線[かいがんせん] coastline; shoreline
湾岸[わんがん] gulf coast; bay coast
護岸[ごがん] river dike
heisig_story: Mountain . . . cliff . . . dry.
koohii_story: At the base of mountain cliff s, there is usually a beach. You often can see people lying there, drying off after a swim.

kanji: 客
meaning: guest
ja_on: キャク、カク
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
各[カク] each
examples: 客[きゃく] guest; visitor
お客様[おきゃくさま] guest; visitor
観客[かんきゃく] spectator; audience
客観的[きゃっかんてき] objective
来客[らいきゃく] visitor; caller
お客さま[おきゃくさま] guest; visitor
観光客[かんこうきゃく] tourist
乗客[じょうきゃく] passenger
客席[きゃくせき] guest seating (e.g. theater, stadium); passenger seat (e.g. taxi)
顧客[こきゃく] customer; client; patron
客室[きゃくしつ] guest room (at a hotel); guest cabin (on a boat); passenger cabin (on a plane)
客間[きゃくま] drawing room; parlor; parlour; guest room
客足[きゃくあし] customer traffic; customers; custom
客観[きゃっかん] objectivity; objective; object (philosophical)
旅客[りょかく] passenger
heisig_story: When you are a guest in a courteous town, each house hold has its own way of welcoming you, and each house becomes your home.
koohii_story: Each person under my roof is treated as a guest.

kanji: 登
meaning: ascend
ja_on: トウ、ト、ドウ、ショウ、チョウ
ja_kun: のぼ.る、あ.がる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 癶[はつがしら] outspread legs
豆[まめ] bean
examples: 登場[とうじょう] entrance (on the stage); appearance (in a book, film, etc.)
登る[のぼる] to ascend; to go up; to climb
登録[とうろく] registration; accession; register; entry; record; subscription
登校[とうこう] attendance (at school); going to school
登場人物[とうじょうじんぶつ] character (in a play, novel, film, etc.); dramatis personae
登山[とざん] mountain climbing; mountaineering; ascent of a mountain
山登り[やまのぼり] mountain climbing; mountaineering
登板[とうばん] taking the mound; pitching a game
登用[とうよう] appointment; assignment; promotion
登竜門[とうりゅうもん] gateway to success
登記[とうき] registry; registration
登載[とうさい] running (an article); carrying; printing; publication
登録商標[とうろくしょうひょう] registered trademark
登録番号[とうろくばんごう] registration number
登録者[とうろくしゃ] registrant; subscriber; enrollee
heisig_story: Teepee . . . table. Do not confuse with rise up (Frame 43).
koohii_story: When an American Indian warrior dies, his body is placed on a TABLE inside a TEEPEE, and a ritualistic ceremony is held to encourage his spirit to ASCEND to that big buffalo hunting ground in the sky.

kanji: 速
meaning: quick
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: はや.い、はや-、はや.める、すみ.やか
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 束[ソク] bundle
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 早速[さっそく] at once; immediately; without delay; promptly
速い[はやい] fast; quick; rapid; swift; speedy; brisk; prompt
速度[そくど] speed; velocity; pace; rate
加速[かそく] acceleration; speeding up
速さ[はやさ] speed; velocity; quickness; rapidity
高速[こうそく] high-speed; rapid; express
急速[きゅうそく] rapid (e.g. progress)
速やか[すみやか] quick; speedy; prompt; rapid; swift
迅速[じんそく] (very) quick; rapid; swift; speedy; prompt; expeditious
速攻[そっこう] swift attack; quick attack; fast break; breakaway
全速力[ぜんそくりょく] full speed
速める[はやめる] to bring forward (e.g. by 3 hours); to advance; to hasten (e.g. one's death); to
時速[じそく] speed (per hour)
減速[げんそく] deceleration
高速道路[こうそくどうろ] highway; freeway; expressway; motorway
heisig_story: Bundle . . . road.
koohii_story: If you find a bundle of money on the road, pick it up quick before anyone notices.

kanji: 央
meaning: center
ja_on: オウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
大[だい] large
examples: 中央[ちゅうおう] centre; center; middle; heart
中央集権[ちゅうおうしゅうけん] centralized authoritarian rule; centralised authoritarian rule
heisig_story: The elements depict a St. Bernard with its head and paws keeping their stick-like form, but with the middle or center of its body filled out in a box-like shape.
koohii_story: A person with a big mouth wants to be the center of attention.

kanji: 号
meaning: nickname
ja_on: ゴウ
ja_kun: さけ.ぶ、よびな
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
一[いち] one
examples: 号[ごう] number; edition; make; model; issue; part of that group
番号[ばんごう] number; series of digits
信号[しんごう] signal; signalling; signaling
電話番号[でんわばんごう] telephone number; phone number
称号[しょうごう] title; name; degree
暗号[あんごう] code; password; cipher
号令[ごうれい] order (esp. to a number of people); command
怒号[どごう] angry roar; bellow
記号[きごう] sign; symbol; mark
号泣[ごうきゅう] crying loudly; bawling; wailing; lamentation
年号[ねんごう] name of an imperial era (e.g. Heisei, Shōwa); Japanese era name
符号[ふごう] sign; mark; symbol; code
二号[にごう] number two
信号機[しんごうき] traffic light; traffic signal
元号[げんごう] name of an imperial era (e.g. Heisei, Shōwa); Japanese era name
heisig_story: Mouth . . . snare.
koohii_story: My nickname is "No Lips". Yep, I shouldn't have put my mouth on that bear trap …

kanji: 館
meaning: building
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: やかた、たて
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
官[カン] bureaucrat
examples: 図書館[としょかん] library
体育館[たいいくかん] gymnasium
旅館[りょかん] ryokan; traditional Japanese inn
映画館[えいがかん] movie theatre; movie theater; cinema
水族館[すいぞくかん] aquarium (building)
美術館[びじゅつかん] art museum; art gallery
博物館[はくぶつかん] museum
館内[かんない] inside a library, museum, cinema, etc.; on the premises
会館[かいかん] meeting hall; assembly hall
大使館[たいしかん] embassy
本館[ほんかん] main building (as opposed to an annex, outbuilding, etc.)
休館[きゅうかん] closure (of a library, museum, etc.)
入館料[にゅうかんりょう] admission fee (for a museum, etc.)
公民館[こうみんかん] public hall; community center; community centre
公館[こうかん] official residence
heisig_story: The abbreviation of Building suggests that this kanji is used in proper names, as indeed it often is. Keep your connotation distinct from Inst. (Frame 1401) when working with the elements: food . . . bureaucrat.
koohii_story: A building that eats bureaucrats!!!!!!!!
heisig_keyword: Bldg.

kanji: 屋
meaning: roof
ja_on: オク
ja_kun: や
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
至[いたる] to arrive
examples: 部屋[へや] room; chamber
屋敷[やしき] residence; estate; grounds; premises; mansion
屋上[おくじょう] rooftop
屋根[やね] roof
小屋[こや] hut; cabin; shed; (animal) pen
屋台[やたい] cart (esp. a food cart); stall; stand
本屋[ほんや] bookstore; bookshop
居酒屋[いざかや] izakaya
屋外[おくがい] outdoors; outside
屋内[おくない] indoors
名古屋[なごや] Nagoya (city)
花屋[はなや] florist; flower shop
パン屋[パンや] bakery; baker
家屋[かおく] house; building
宿屋[やどや] inn
heisig_story: Flag . . . climax. Note that this kanji has no relation to the drawing of a "roof" used in the primitive for house.
koohii_story: Flag at the climax (highest point) of a castle roof.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 部屋 教室

kanji: 根
meaning: root
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: ね、-ね
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 根拠[こんきょ] basis; grounds; foundation; reason; authority
根性[こんじょう] willpower; guts; determination; grit; spirit
屋根[やね] roof
根[ね] root (of a plant)
根本的[こんぽんてき] fundamental; basic
根本[こんぽん] root; source; origin
羽根[はね] feather; plume; down
大根[だいこん] daikon (variety of large white Oriental radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinna
根っこ[ねっこ] root (of a plant)
付け根[つけね] root; joint; base; crotch
根源[こんげん] root; source; origin; cause
根底[こんてい] root; basis; foundation
尾根[おね] (mountain) ridge
根回し[ねまわし] laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process
根幹[こんかん] foundation; root; basis; core; fundamentals
heisig_story: Tree . . . silver.
koohii_story: Since trees eat through their root s, one could imagine root s as tree silver ware.

kanji: 苦
meaning: suffering
ja_on: ク
ja_kun: くる.しい、-ぐる.しい、くる.しむ、くる.しめる、にが.い、にが.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
古[コ] old
examples: 苦しい[くるしい] painful; difficult; tough; hard
苦手[にがて] poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at)
苦労[くろう] trouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor; toil; pains
苦しむ[くるしむ] to suffer; to groan; to be worried
苦しみ[くるしみ] pain; anguish; distress; suffering; hardship
苦しめる[くるしめる] to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt
苦痛[くつう] pain; agony; suffering; distress; torment
ご苦労さま[ごくろうさま] thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts
苦い[にがい] bitter
苦笑[くしょう] bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
苦戦[くせん] hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
見苦しい[みぐるしい] unsightly; ugly; unseemly; indecent; deplorable; disgraceful; shameful
苦笑い[にがわらい] bitter smile; wry smile; forced smile; strained laugh
苦悩[くのう] (mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
苦情[くじょう] complaint; troubles; objection; grievance
heisig_story: The picture of suffering we are given here is that of a flower that has grown old. When a flower ages, it pales and dries up, and probably even suffers. If you think that plants are incapable of such feelings, then ask yourself why so many people believe that talking to their flowers helps them bloom better.
koohii_story: Flowers for the old man suffering in the hospital.

kanji: 具
meaning: tool
ja_on: グ
ja_kun: そな.える、つぶさ.に
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 目[め] eye
八[はち] eight
examples: 具合[ぐあい] condition; state
道具[どうぐ] tool; implement; instrument; utensil; apparatus; device
具体的[ぐたいてき] concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
具[ぐ] tool; means
家具[かぐ] furniture
玩具[おもちゃ] toy
器具[きぐ] utensil; implement; tool; instrument; appliance; apparatus
小道具[こどうぐ] small tool; gadget
絵の具[えのぐ] paint; coloring materials; colors; colours
用具[ようぐ] tool; implement; instrument; equipment
金具[かなぐ] metal fittings; metal fixtures
具体[ぐたい] concreteness; embodiment
夜具[やぐ] bedding; bedclothes
敬具[けいぐ] yours sincerely; sincerely yours; yours truly
文房具[ぶんぼうぐ] stationery
heisig_story: Here is the full kanji on which the last frame is based. If you can think of a table full of carpenter's tools of all sorts, each equipped with its own eye so that it can keep a watch over what you are doing with it, you won't have trouble later keeping the primitive and the kanji apart.
koohii_story: Keep an eye on your tool s while you work at the table.

kanji: 鉄
meaning: iron
ja_on: テツ
ja_kun: くろがね
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 金[かね] metal
失[シツ] lose
examples: 鉄[てつ] iron (Fe)
鉄板[てっぱん] iron plate; steel plate
鋼鉄[こうてつ] steel
鉄砲[てっぽう] gun; firearm
鉄道[てつどう] railroad; railway; rail transport
地下鉄[ちかてつ] subway; metro; underground (railway)
鉄製[てっせい] made of iron
私鉄[してつ] private railway
製鉄[せいてつ] iron manufacture
鉄棒[てつぼう] iron rod; iron bar; iron club
鉄橋[てっきょう] railway bridge; iron bridge
鉄鋼[てっこう] iron and steel
国鉄[こくてつ] national railway
市営地下鉄[しえいちかてつ] municipal subway
製鉄所[せいてつじょ] ironworks; steelworks
heisig_story: Metal . . . to drop.
koohii_story: Iron is a metal that gradually becomes lost due to oxidation and rust.

kanji: 返
meaning: return
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: かえ.す、-かえ.す、かえ.る、-かえ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 反[ハン] anti-
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 返す[かえす] to return (something); to restore; to put back
返事[へんじ] reply; answer; response
繰り返す[くりかえす] to repeat; to do over again
振り返る[ふりかえる] to turn one's head; to look over one's shoulder; to turn around; to look back
返る[かえる] to return; to come back; to go back
引き返す[ひきかえす] to turn back; to go back; to come back; to return; to retrace one's steps
取り返す[とりかえす] to get back; to regain; to recover; to make up (for); to catch up on
生き返る[いきかえる] to revive; to come to oneself; to be restored to life
返答[へんとう] reply; answer
繰り返し[くりかえし] repetition; repeat; reiteration; iteration; refrain; cycle
言い返す[いいかえす] to talk back; to answer back; to retort; to reply; to respond
お返し[おかえし] return gift; return favour
見返す[みかえす] to look (stare) back at (someone)
恩返し[おんがえし] paying back a favour; repayment (of an obligation, kindness, etc.)
返信[へんしん] reply (e.g. email, fax, letter); answer
heisig_story: Anti- . . . road.
koohii_story: Pretty obvious: to return is to turn back on the road you're on and go the opposite way.

kanji: 短
meaning: short
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: みじか.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 矢[や] arrow
豆[まめ] bean
examples: 短い[みじかい] short
短時間[たんじかん] short time
短期間[たんきかん] short term; short time
最短[さいたん] shortest
短縮[たんしゅく] shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
短気[たんき] short temper; quick temper; hot temper; impatience; irritability
短期[たんき] short-term
短め[みじかめ] shortish; rather short; somewhat short
短編[たんぺん] short story; short film; short poem
短大[たんだい] junior college
短所[たんしょ] defect; demerit; weak point; disadvantage
短歌[たんか] tanka
短波[たんぱ] short wave
長短[ちょうたん] (relative) length
短冊[たんざく] tanzaku; poem slip; poetry slip
heisig_story: Dart . . . table.
koohii_story: He's so short , he can't even throw over a table while playing darts.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 頭

kanji: 油
meaning: oil
ja_on: ユ、ユウ
ja_kun: あぶら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 油断[ゆだん] negligence; carelessness; inattention; unpreparedness
油[あぶら] oil
醤油[しょうゆ] soy sauce; soya sauce; shoyu
潤滑油[じゅんかつゆ] lubricating oil; lubricant; lube
原油[げんゆ] crude oil
油絵[あぶらえ] oil painting
灯油[とうゆ] kerosene; paraffin; lamp oil
石油[せきゆ] oil; petroleum
油井[ゆせい] oil well
油彩[ゆさい] oil painting
油田[ゆでん] oil field
油脂[ゆし] fats and oils
産油国[さんゆこく] oil-producing country
給油[きゅうゆ] refueling (a car, plane, etc.)
給油所[きゅうゆじょ] gas station; petrol station; filling station; service station; fuel depot
heisig_story: Water . . . sprout.
koohii_story: The liquid oil that sprouts from an oil field.

kanji: 昭
meaning: shining
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 昭和[しょうわ] Shōwa era (1926.12.25-1989.1.7)
heisig_story: Let the key word suggest shining one's shoes, the purpose of which is to seduce the sun down on them for all to see.
koohii_story: Shining is the sun's seduction.

kanji: 植
meaning: plant
ja_on: ショク
ja_kun: う.える、う.わる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
直[チョク] straightaway
examples: 植物[しょくぶつ] plant; vegetation
植える[うえる] to plant; to grow; to raise
移植[いしょく] transplanting (a plant); transplant; grafting
植木[うえき] garden plant; garden tree
植民地[しょくみんち] colony
田植え[たうえ] rice planting
入植[にゅうしょく] settlement; immigration
動植物[どうしょくぶつ] plants and animals; flora and fauna
植木鉢[うえきばち] flowerpot; plant pot
植林[しょくりん] afforestation
植樹[しょくじゅ] tree-planting
植物園[しょくぶつえん] botanical garden
誤植[ごしょく] misprint; typographical error; typo
鉢植え[はちうえ] potted plant
heisig_story: You have no doubt seen how people practicing the Japanese art of bonsai take those helpless little saplings and twist them into crippled dwarves before they have a chance to grow up as they should. The more proper way to plant a young tree and give it a fair shake in life is to set it into the earth in such a way that it can grow up straight.
koohii_story: Plant s don't become tree s straightaway.

kanji: 宿
meaning: inn
ja_on: シュク
ja_kun: やど、やど.る、やど.す
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
佰[ヒャク] hundred
examples: 宿る[やどる] to dwell (in); to exist (within); to form
宿題[しゅくだい] homework; assignment
宿[やど] lodging; inn; hotel
宿す[やどす] to house; to contain; to harbour (a feeling); to hold (e.g. dew on leaves)
宿命[しゅくめい] fate; destiny; predestination
合宿[がっしゅく] lodging together; training camp; boarding house
宿泊[しゅくはく] accommodation; lodging
宿敵[しゅくてき] old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy; traditional rival; longstanding foe
雨宿り[あまやどり] taking shelter from rain
宿屋[やどや] inn
宿舎[しゅくしゃ] lodging (house); accommodation; hotel
下宿[げしゅく] boarding; lodging; board and lodging; room and board
民宿[みんしゅく] guest house; private home providing lodging for travelers; bed and breakfast; pe
国民宿舎[こくみんしゅくしゃ] inexpensive hotel operated by a local government
宿駅[しゅくえき] relay station; post station; stage
heisig_story: House . . . person . . . hundred.
koohii_story: The Toyoko Inn can house 100 people or 1 Mr. T.

kanji: 薬
meaning: medicine
ja_on: ヤク
ja_kun: くすり
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
楽[ガク] music
examples: 薬[くすり] medicine; pharmaceuticals; (legal) drugs; pill; ointment; salve
麻薬[まやく] narcotic; drug; dope
火薬[かやく] gunpowder; powder
薬品[やくひん] medicine; drug
薬指[くすりゆび] ring finger; third finger; fourth finger (esp. in piano-playing)
薬物[やくぶつ] drug; medicine
爆薬[ばくやく] explosive; blasting powder
薬局[やっきょく] pharmacy; drugstore; chemist's (shop)
農薬[のうやく] agricultural chemical; agrochemical; agrichemical
劇薬[げきやく] powerful medicine; strong poison
医薬[いやく] medicine; (pharmaceutical) drug; medical treatment
医薬品[いやくひん] medical and pharmaceutical products; medicinal supplies; drugs; pharmaceuticals;
弾薬[だんやく] ammunition; ammo
投薬[とうやく] administration; medication; dosage
新薬[しんやく] new medicine; new drug
heisig_story: Flowers . . . music.
koohii_story: New- age medicine involves using things like music and flowers (aromatherapy) as treatment.

kanji: 習
meaning: learn
ja_on: シュウ、ジュ
ja_kun: なら.う、なら.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 羽[はね] feather
白[しろ] white
examples: 練習[れんしゅう] practice; training; drill; (an) exercise; workout
習う[ならう] to take lessons in; to be taught; to learn (from a teacher); to study (under a t
見習う[みならう] to follow (someone's) example; to imitate; to copy; to pattern oneself on
習慣[しゅうかん] habit
学習[がくしゅう] learning; study
習得[しゅうとく] learning; acquisition (of a skill, knowledge, etc.)
見習い[みならい] apprenticeship; probation; learning by observation
復習[ふくしゅう] review (of learned material); revision
予習[よしゅう] preparation for a lesson
習性[しゅうせい] habit
風習[ふうしゅう] custom
自習[じしゅう] self-study; teaching oneself
講習[こうしゅう] short course; training
実習[じっしゅう] practice (in the field); training (esp. practical and hands-on); practical exerc
演習[えんしゅう] practice; exercise; drill
heisig_story: Feathers . . . white bird.
koohii_story: Imagine a white bird loosing a couple feathers as it is learn ing to fly. You learn a lesson as you watch it doing so, maybe you learn that “nothing comes for free” or that “one has to be prepared to loose in order to gain”…
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 練習 学ぶ

kanji: 倍
meaning: double
ja_on: バイ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
咅[トウ] to spit out
examples: 倍[ばい] double; twice (as much)
人一倍[ひといちばい] (much) more than others; exceedingly; extremely; unusually
倍増[ばいぞう] doubling; double
倍率[ばいりつ] magnification; leverage; amplification; scaling factor; scale factor
一倍[いちばい] multiplying by one; original amount
倍加[ばいか] doubling
heisig_story: Person . . . muzzle. Do not confuse with the kanji for duplicate (Frame 504).
koohii_story: Mr. T keeps his double muzzled … he wants all the glory.

kanji: 駅
meaning: station
ja_on: エキ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
尺[シャク] shaku
examples: 駅[えき] railway station; train station
駅前[えきまえ] in front of a station
宿駅[しゅくえき] relay station; post station; stage
終着駅[しゅうちゃくえき] terminal station
駅伝[えきでん] long-distance relay race
駅員[えきいん] (train) station attendant; station employee; station staff
駅弁[えきべん] boxed lunch bought at a station (often a local specialty)
駅長[えきちょう] station master
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . shakuhachi.
koohii_story: Anyone living in Japan knows that train station s play little melodies when the train is about to arrive. In Ye Olden Days, when horses and carriages were used for transport, the carriage driver would play a little melody on his shakuhachi to let the passengers know the carriage was arriving at the next station.

kanji: 波
meaning: waves
ja_on: ハ
ja_kun: なみ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 波[なみ] wave; billow; ripple; breaker; swell
電波[でんぱ] radio wave; reception; signal
波乱[はらん] disturbance; trouble; commotion; uproar; turmoil
波紋[はもん] ripple; ring on the water
津波[つなみ] tsunami; tidal wave
余波[よは] waves that remain after the wind has subsided
荒波[あらなみ] raging waves; stormy seas
波長[はちょう] wavelength
脳波[のうは] brain waves
短波[たんぱ] short wave
周波数[しゅうはすう] frequency (esp. of waveforms)
寒波[かんぱ] cold wave
波乱万丈[はらんばんじょう] stormy and full of drama; full of ups and downs; with many vicissitudes
波及[はきゅう] spread; extension; influence; aftereffect; ripple
波止場[はとば] wharf; quay; landing-stage; jetty
heisig_story: Water's . . . pelt.
koohii_story: Waves are the ocean's pelt (skin).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 波 渡る

kanji: 洋
meaning: ocean
ja_on: ヨウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
羊[ひつじ] sheep
examples: 洋服[ようふく] Western-style clothes (cf. traditional Japanese clothes)
西洋[せいよう] the West; the Occident; Western countries
東洋[とうよう] the East; the Orient; (East) Asia
太平洋[たいへいよう] Pacific Ocean
洋風[ようふう] Western style
海洋[かいよう] ocean; sea
南氷洋[なんひょうよう] Antarctic Ocean
和洋折衷[わようせっちゅう] blending of Japanese and Western styles
外洋[がいよう] open sea; ocean
大洋[たいよう] ocean
大西洋[たいせいよう] Atlantic Ocean
太平洋戦争[たいへいようせんそう] Pacific War (1941-1945)
洋上[ようじょう] on the sea; on the ocean; offshore
洋室[ようしつ] Western-style room
洋式[ようしき] Western-style; foreign
heisig_story: Water . . . sheep. Be sure to keep the stories and key word of this kanji distinct from those for sea. (Frame 500).
koohii_story: This kanji refers to the water s of the Pa sheep hic ocean.

kanji: 旅
meaning: trip
ja_on: リョ
ja_kun: たび
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
亻[にんべん] person
examples: 旅[たび] travel; trip; journey
旅行[りょこう] travel; trip; journey; excursion; tour
旅立つ[たびだつ] to begin a trip; to depart; to embark
旅館[りょかん] ryokan; traditional Japanese inn
修学旅行[しゅうがくりょこう] excursion; field trip; school trip
旅人[たびびと] traveller; traveler; wayfarer; tourist
旅先[たびさき] destination; place one stays during a trip
海外旅行[かいがいりょこう] trip abroad; overseas travel
旅券[りょけん] passport
旅客[りょかく] passenger
一人旅[ひとりたび] travelling alone; solitary journey
国内旅行[こくないりょこう] domestic travel
旅団[りょだん] brigade
旅客機[りょかくき] passenger plane
旅行会社[りょこうがいしゃ] travel agent; travel agency
heisig_story: Let the last 4 strokes, which are also the concluding strokes to the character for garment , represent a rag as its primitive meaning. We shall meet this only on one other occasion. This gives us as our elements: banner . . . rag.
koohii_story: The boat starts to leave on it's trip across the Atlantic. Underneath a huge banner that spans the width of the ship and says "Bon Voyage", the people wave their rags signalling a safe journey for all on board the Titanic.

kanji: 級
meaning: class
ja_on: キュウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
及[キュウ] reach out
examples: 同級生[どうきゅうせい] classmate
高級[こうきゅう] high-class; high-grade; high-quality; high-end; luxury
級[きゅう] (school) grade; year; class
階級[かいきゅう] (social) class
上級[じょうきゅう] upper level; upper grade; high rank; advanced level; senior level; upper class
最高級[さいこうきゅう] highest grade; top class
下級[かきゅう] lower grade; low class; junior (officer)
進級[しんきゅう] promotion (school, military, etc.)
一級[いっきゅう] one grade; first-class; primary
初級[しょきゅう] elementary level; beginner level
同級[どうきゅう] the same grade; same class
学級[がっきゅう] (school) class
等級[とうきゅう] grade; class; degree; rank; rating; order; points
バンタム級[バンタムきゅう] bantam-weight (boxer)
フライ級[フライきゅう] flyweight
heisig_story: Threads . . . outstretched hands.
koohii_story: This Kanji is the same ones used in the Japanese Language proficiency tests, i.e. ikkyuu ( 一級 ) The Kanji doesnt describe class as in a "class of students" or "classroom," but rather a grade of quality or ability. ———- Spiderman is taking the JLPT Level 1. In desperation he REACHES OUT to grab his friend's answer sheet next to him, who seems to be doing well. The other test takers are obviously a class above him. Looks like this test is above his class of knowledge.

kanji: 幸
meaning: happiness
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: さいわ.い、さち、しあわ.せ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 土[つち] earth
examples: 幸せ[しあわせ] happiness; good fortune; luck; blessing
不幸[ふこう] unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; disaster; accident
幸い[さいわい] happiness; blessedness; luck; fortune; felicity
幸運[こううん] good luck; fortune
幸福[こうふく] happiness; well-being; joy; welfare; blessedness
幸[さち] good luck; fortune; happiness
不幸せ[ふしあわせ] unhappiness; misfortune; ill luck
heisig_story: Simply by turning the dot at the top of the primitive for spicy into a cross shape, we move from things bitter and spicy to things happy.
koohii_story: happiness is the ONE bite of SPICY curry.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 幸せ 辛い

kanji: 練
meaning: practice
ja_on: レン
ja_kun: ね.る、ね.り
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
東[トウ] east
examples: 練習[れんしゅう] practice; training; drill; (an) exercise; workout
訓練[くんれん] training; drill; practice; discipline
未練[みれん] lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret; reluctance; ruefulness
練る[ねる] to knead; to thicken into a paste (stirring over a flame)
試練[しれん] test; trial; ordeal; tribulation
熟練[じゅくれん] skill; expertise; experience; proficiency; mastery; dexterity
修練[しゅうれん] training; drill; practice; practising; discipline
洗練[せんれん] refinement; polish
練り[ねり] kneading; gloss; tempering
heisig_story: Thread . . . east.
koohii_story: Spidey stays on the east side of the city to practice. The West Side is too dangerous.

kanji: 軽
meaning: lightly
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ、キン
ja_kun: かる.い、かろ.やか、かろ.んじる
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
圣[コツ] holy
examples: 軽い[かるい] light (i.e. not heavy); feeling light (i.e. offering little resistance, moving e
気軽[きがる] carefree; buoyant; lighthearted; sprightly
軽蔑[けいべつ] contempt; scorn; disdain; despising; looking down on; slighting
軽やか[かろやか] light; easy; non-serious; minor
軽々[かるがる] lightly; easily; carelessly
軽率[けいそつ] rash; thoughtless; careless; hasty; imprudent
軽[けい] light (e.g. aircraft, truck)
軽快[けいかい] light (of movements); nimble; sprightly; springy
手軽[てがる] easy; simple; informal; offhand; cheap
身軽[みがる] agile; nimble; light (of foot)
軽減[けいげん] abatement; reduction
軽薄[けいはく] frivolous; flippant; superficial; shallow; trifling; insincere
軽食[けいしょく] light meal; snack; refreshments
軽傷[けいしょう] minor injury
軽視[けいし] making light of; thinking little of; slighting; belittling; dismissing; contempt
heisig_story: Car . . . spool.
koohii_story: Fact: this kanji is used to denote a certain class of vehicles in Japan whose engines are under a certain size (less than 750cc I think) and are called light vehicles here. Imagine a so-called light vehicle or a light -truck with a load of spools driving down a road ever so lightly , careful not to let any of the spools roll out onto the street.

kanji: 等
meaning: etc.
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ひと.しい、など、-ら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 等々[とうとう] etc.; et cetera; and so on
等[など] et cetera; etc.; and the like; and so forth
上等[じょうとう] superior; first-class; excellent; top quality
等しい[ひとしい] equal; identical; the same
平等[びょうどう] equality; impartiality; evenness
対等[たいとう] equality (esp. of status); equal footing; equal terms
優等生[ゆうとうせい] honor student; honours student; model student; prize pupil
同等[どうとう] equality; equal; same rights; same rank; equivalence
劣等感[れっとうかん] inferiority complex; sense of inferiority
高等[こうとう] high class; high grade
均等[きんとう] equal (distribution, treatment, level, etc.); even; uniform
一等[いっとう] first class; first rank; first grade; first place; first prize
等分[とうぶん] division into equal parts; equal parts
等級[とうきゅう] grade; class; degree; rank; rating; order; points
高等学校[こうとうがっこう] senior high school; high school
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . Buddhist temple.
koohii_story: The Bamboo Buddhist Temple has bamboo buddhas, bamboo buildings, bamboo benches, bamboo beds, bamboo bowls, etc. etc. etc.

kanji: 曲
meaning: bend
ja_on: キョク
ja_kun: ま.がる、ま.げる、くま
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 曲[きょく] composition; piece of music; song; track (on a record)
曲がる[まがる] to bend; to curve; to warp; to wind; to twist
曲げる[まげる] to bend; to crook; to bow; to curve; to curl
曲線[きょくせん] curve
曲がり角[まがりかど] (street) corner; turn (in the road); bend
新曲[しんきょく] new (musical) composition; new piece; new song
一曲[いっきょく] tune (melody, piece of music)
作曲[さっきょく] composition (of music); setting; writing music
婉曲[えんきょく] euphemistic; circumlocutory; periphrastic; roundabout; indirect
戯曲[ぎきょく] drama; play
交響曲[こうきょうきょく] symphony
作曲家[さっきょくか] composer
全曲[ぜんきょく] all compositions; the entire composition
協奏曲[きょうそうきょく] concerto
名曲[めいきょく] famous piece of music; excellent song; (musical) masterpiece
heisig_story: Picture yourself grabbing hold of the two strokes poking out the top of the kanji and wrenching them apart, thus giving the sense of bend. If you think of them as deriving from the element for brains beneath (of course, the middle stroke has been reduplicated and pulled out to where it can be grabbed hold of), you can associate the key word with bending someone's mind to your own point of view.
koohii_story: It looks like the mouth of Bender the robot , from Matt Groening's animated series "Futurama". Thus, I use the character Bender the robot as a primitive.

kanji: 庭
meaning: courtyard
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: にわ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
廷[テイ] courts
examples: 家庭[かてい] home; household; family; hearth
庭[にわ] garden; yard; courtyard
中庭[なかにわ] courtyard; quadrangle; middle court
校庭[こうてい] schoolyard; school playground; school grounds; campus
家庭教師[かていきょうし] (home) tutor; private tutor; private teacher
庭園[ていえん] garden; park
前庭[ぜんてい] front garden; front yard
家庭内[かていない] within the family; in the home; domestic
家庭科[かていか] home economics
庭木[にわき] garden tree
庭球[ていきゅう] tennis
heisig_story: Cave . . . courts.
koohii_story: When the courthouse caved in, trials had to be held in the courtyard.

kanji: 血
meaning: blood
ja_on: ケツ
ja_kun: ち
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 皿[さら] plate
examples: 血[ち] blood
血液[けつえき] blood
出血[しゅっけつ] bleeding; haemorrhage; hemorrhage
血管[けっかん] blood vessel; vein
鼻血[はなぢ] nosebleed
血圧[けつあつ] blood pressure
貧血[ひんけつ] anemia; anaemia
吸血鬼[きゅうけつき] vampire; bloodsucker
血痕[けっこん] bloodstain
血液型[けつえきがた] blood type; blood group
血縁[けつえん] blood relationship; consanguinity
流血[りゅうけつ] bloodshed
混血[こんけつ] mixed race; mixed parentage
輸血[ゆけつ] blood transfusion
内出血[ないしゅっけつ] internal bleeding; internal haemorrhage; internal hemorrhage
heisig_story: The drop in the dish is blood. It is similar to the drop we saw earlier on the dagger in the character for blade (Frame 88).
koohii_story: Vampire orders blood in one of those posh restaurants. Imagine his shock when all he gets is a giant white bowl and just a single drop of blood in the centre and a drizzling of balsamic around the edge. Disgusted he calls the manager over tells him its overpriced tosh and bites into his neck with a huge gush of blood spraying everywhere.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 血 皿

kanji: 温
meaning: warm
ja_on: オン
ja_kun: あたた.か、あたた.かい、あたた.まる、あたた.める、ぬく
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
昷[オン] to feed a prisoner
examples: 温かい[あたたかい] warm; mild; (pleasantly) hot
温泉[おんせん] hot spring
体温[たいおん] body temperature
温度[おんど] temperature
温める[あたためる] to warm (up); to heat (up)
気温[きおん] (air) temperature
温まる[あたたまる] to warm oneself; to sun oneself; to warm up; to get warm
温もり[ぬくもり] warmth
温存[おんぞん] preservation; retainment; keeping
温厚[おんこう] gentle; mild-mannered
高温[こうおん] high temperature
温い[ぬるい] lukewarm; tepid
保温[ほおん] retaining warmth; keeping heat in; heat insulation
温和[おんわ] mild (climate); temperate; clement; pleasant; agreeable
温室[おんしつ] greenhouse; hothouse; conservatory; glasshouse
heisig_story: Water . . . sun . . . dish.
koohii_story: If you leave water out in the sun in a dish , naturally it will get warm.

kanji: 庫
meaning: warehouse
ja_on: コ、ク
ja_kun: くら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 倉庫[そうこ] storehouse; warehouse; godown
冷蔵庫[れいぞうこ] refrigerator; fridge
金庫[きんこ] safe; strongbox; cashbox; vault; strongroom
在庫[ざいこ] stock; inventory
文庫[ぶんこ] library; book collection
冷凍庫[れいとうこ] freezer
国庫[こっこ] national treasury
車庫[しゃこ] garage; carport; depot (for trains, buses, etc.); shed; carbarn
信用金庫[しんようきんこ] credit union
公庫[こうこ] finance corporation
宝庫[ほうこ] treasury; treasure house; storehouse; repository
heisig_story: Cave . . . car.
koohii_story: I think of the Batcave. It's a big cave that Batman uses as a warehouse to store his car, the Batmobile, and all his cool big-boy toys.

kanji: 坂
meaning: slope
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: さか
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 土[つち] earth
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 坂[さか] slope; incline; hill
坂道[さかみち] hill road
上り坂[のぼりざか] ascent; uphill; upward slope
下り坂[くだりざか] downhill; downward slope; descent
heisig_story: Ground . . . anti-.
koohii_story: As the villain (pushed off by the anti-hero) is tumbling down the slope , he activates gadget skis to escape, spraying soil everywhere as he flies down the slope.

kanji: 服
meaning: clothing
ja_on: フク
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 月[つき] moon
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
又[また] again
examples: 服[ふく] clothes (esp. Western clothes); clothing; dress; costume; suit; outfit
制服[せいふく] uniform
服装[ふくそう] attire; dress; clothes; clothing; costume; garb
洋服[ようふく] Western-style clothes (cf. traditional Japanese clothes)
克服[こくふく] conquest (of a difficulty, illness, crisis, etc.); overcoming; surmounting; brin
衣服[いふく] clothes
私服[しふく] ordinary clothes (i.e. non-uniform); plain clothes; civilian clothes; casual wea
不服[ふふく] dissatisfaction; discontent; disapproval; objection; complaint; protest; disagre
征服[せいふく] conquest; subjugation
服従[ふくじゅう] obedience; submission; resignation
セーラー服[セーラーふく] sailor suit; middy uniform
和服[わふく] Japanese clothes
服用[ふくよう] taking medicine; dosing
軍服[ぐんぷく] military uniform
呉服[ごふく] cloth (for Japanese clothes); kimono fabrics; textile; drapery; dry goods; piece
heisig_story: Flesh . . . stamp . . . crotch. Note how the stamp is stretched out here.
koohii_story: It's customary to cover the flesh with clothing , but some designs are so outrageous they're not bigger than a stamp that just covers your crotch.

kanji: 息
meaning: breath
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: いき
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 自[みずから] self
心[こころ] heart
examples: 息子[むすこ] son
息[いき] breath; breathing
ため息[ためいき] sigh
一息[ひといき] one breath
寝息[ねいき] breathing of a sleeping person
休息[きゅうそく] rest; relief; relaxation
鼻息[はないき] nasal breathing; breathing through one's nose
窒息[ちっそく] suffocation; choking; asphyxia
子息[しそく] (another's) son
生息[せいそく] inhabiting; living
嘆息[たんそく] sigh (of grief, disappointment, etc.); grieving; lamenting; deploring
消息[しょうそく] news (from someone); letter; contact
息切れ[いきぎれ] shortness of breath; panting; puffing
息吹[いぶき] breath
一人息子[ひとりむすこ] only son
heisig_story: Nose . . . heart.
koohii_story: Your breath brings oxygen in through your nose which is then pumped around your body by your heart.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 息 意味 意見

kanji: 板
meaning: plank
ja_on: ハン、バン
ja_kun: いた
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 看板[かんばん] signboard; sign; billboard; hoarding; doorplate
板[いた] board; plank
掲示板[けいじばん] bulletin board; display board; notice board
黒板[こくばん] blackboard
鉄板[てっぱん] iron plate; steel plate
甲板[かんぱん] deck (of a ship)
まな板[まないた] chopping board; cutting board
ベニヤ板[ベニヤいた] plywood
合板[ごうはん] veneer board; plywood
板ガラス[いたガラス] plate glass; sheet glass
板門店[ぱんむんじょむ] Panmunjom (Korea); Panmunjeom; Joint Security Area (Korean Demilitarized Zone)
登板[とうばん] taking the mound; pitching a game
鋼板[こうはん] steel sheet; steel plate
降板[こうばん] leaving the mound; being knocked out
heisig_story: Tree . . . anti-.
koohii_story: Of course, trees are anti- plank. Wouldn't you be if you were a tree?

kanji: 列
meaning: file
ja_on: レツ、レ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 列[れつ] row; line; file; column; queue; rank; procession
行列[ぎょうれつ] line; queue; procession; parade
列車[れっしゃ] train; railway train
整列[せいれつ] standing in a row; forming a line; alignment
羅列[られつ] enumeration; citation; listing
最前列[さいぜんれつ] front row
同列[どうれつ] same row; same line; same file
系列[けいれつ] series; sequence; system; succession
序列[じょれつ] rank; ranking order; hierarchy
陳列[ちんれつ] exhibition; display; putting on show
並列[へいれつ] arranging in a line; standing in a row
列島[れっとう] archipelago; chain of islands
配列[はいれつ] arranging; ordering; sequencing; lining up; laying out
列国[れっこく] nations; states
列挙[れっきょ] enumeration; list
heisig_story: Bones . . . saber. The sense of the key word is of people or things lined up in a row.
koohii_story: A line of skeletal warriors, all armed with sabers.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 週刊

kanji: 遊
meaning: play
ja_on: ユウ、ユ
ja_kun: あそ.ぶ、あそ.ばす
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 斿[ヨウ] to swim
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遊ぶ[あそぶ] to play (games, sports); to enjoy oneself; to have a good time
遊び[あそび] play; playing; game
遊園地[ゆうえんち] amusement park
浮遊[ふゆう] floating; drifting; suspension
遊戯[ゆうぎ] play; playing; game
遊び場[あそびば] playground; play space
遊び相手[あそびあいて] playmate; playfellow
遊牧[ゆうぼく] nomadism
周遊[しゅうゆう] (circular) tour; round trip; excursion
外遊[がいゆう] foreign travel
遊休[ゆうきゅう] idle; unused; fallow
遊撃[ゆうげき] raid; military attack by a mobile unit; hit-and-run attack; search-and-kill miss
遊撃手[ゆうげきしゅ] shortstop; short
遊歩[ゆうほ] walk; promenade
遊覧[ゆうらん] sightseeing
heisig_story: Banners . . . children . . . road.
koohii_story: The BANNER warns that CHILDREN PLAY on the ROAD.

kanji: 君
meaning: mister
ja_on: クン
ja_kun: きみ、-ぎみ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 尹[イン] an official rank
口[くち] mouth
examples: 君[きみ] you; buddy; pal
君たち[きみたち] you (plural); all of you; you all
諸君[しょくん] you (people)
君臨[くんりん] reigning (over a country)
姫君[ひめぎみ] daughter of a person of high rank (esp. eldest daughter)
君主[くんしゅ] monarch; sovereign; ruler; liege (lord)
君が代[きみがよ] Imperial reign
君子[くんし] man of virtue; wise man; (true) gentleman
heisig_story: The somewhat highbrow British term of address is chosen hereto represent the kanji for a form of address used towards one's juniors. It is composed of: mop . . . mouth.
koohii_story: There's a tendency in Japan to make the younger members (kouhai) clean up after the older members (senpai) of a group, which results in a lot of grumbling and whining. "Well old boy ," a senpai might say, "If you did as much work with the mop as you do with your mouth, you would have been done an hour ago".
heisig_keyword: old boy

kanji: 飲
meaning: drink
ja_on: イン、オン
ja_kun: の.む、-の.み
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 飲む[のむ] to drink; to swallow; to take (medicine)
飲み込む[のみこむ] to swallow; to gulp down
飲み物[のみもの] drink; beverage
飲み会[のみかい] drinking party; get-together (usu. involving alcoholic drinks)
飲食店[いんしょくてん] restaurant
飲食[いんしょく] food and drink; eating and drinking
飲酒[いんしゅ] drinking alcohol
湯飲み[ゆのみ] teacup
飲み水[のみみず] drinking water; potable water
飲料[いんりょう] beverage; drink
飲料水[いんりょうすい] drinking water
飲酒運転[いんしゅうんてん] drunk driving; drink-driving; driving while intoxicated; drinking and driving; d
heisig_story: Food . . . yawn.
koohii_story: When you lack food , just drink something to fill you up.

kanji: 章
meaning: badge
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 音[おと] sound
早[ソウ] early
examples: 文章[ぶんしょう] writing; composition; essay; article; passage; prose; (writing) style
章[しょう] chapter; section
紋章[もんしょう] crest; coat of arms
勲章[くんしょう] decoration; order; medal
受章[じゅしょう] reception of a decoration; reception of an order
喪章[もしょう] mourning band; mourning ribbon
憲章[けんしょう] charter
文化勲章[ぶんかくんしょう] Order of Culture (Japan); Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea)
楽章[がくしょう] movement
記章[きしょう] medal; badge; insignia
heisig_story: Try to imagine a club badge pinned to your lapel in the form of a mammoth sunflower protruding from a wee little vase.
koohii_story: In the military, badge s are given out early in the day, with everyone standing at attention.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 文章 幸せ 辛い🌶️

kanji: 酒
meaning: sake
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: さけ、さか-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
examples: 酒[さけ] alcohol; sake
居酒屋[いざかや] izakaya
酒場[さかば] bar; pub; tavern
日本酒[にほんしゅ] sake (rice wine); saké
酒屋[さかや] liquor store; wine shop; bottle shop
飲酒[いんしゅ] drinking alcohol
梅酒[うめしゅ] ume liqueur; Japanese plum brandy
洋酒[ようしゅ] Western wine and spirits; Western liquor
清酒[せいしゅ] refined sake
禁酒[きんしゅ] abstinence from alcohol; temperance
酒店[さかだな] liquor store; off-licence; bottle shop
酒税[しゅぜい] liquor tax; tax on alcohol
酒造[しゅぞう] brewing (sake); distilling (e.g. whisky)
酒類[しゅるい] alcoholic drinks; liquor
飲酒運転[いんしゅうんてん] drunk driving; drink-driving; driving while intoxicated; drinking and driving; d
heisig_story: Water . . . whiskey bottle.
koohii_story: Sake is just watered down whisky.
heisig_keyword: saké

kanji: 悲
meaning: grieve
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: かな.しい、かな.しむ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 非[あらず] wrong
心[こころ] heart
examples: 悲しい[かなしい] sad; miserable; unhappy; sorrowful
悲鳴[ひめい] shriek; scream
悲しむ[かなしむ] to be sad; to mourn for; to regret
悲しみ[かなしみ] sadness; sorrow; grief
悲劇[ひげき] tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play
悲惨[ひさん] disastrous; tragic; miserable; wretched; pitiful; woeful; outrageous
慈悲[じひ] mercy; compassion; clemency; pity; charity; benevolence
悲痛[ひつう] grief; sorrow; extreme sadness; heartbreak
悲願[ひがん] one's dearest wish
悲観[ひかん] pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement; despondency; despair; disappo
悲観的[ひかんてき] pessimistic; gloomy
悲壮[ひそう] tragic but brave; heroic; grim
悲哀[ひあい] sorrow; grief; sadness
悲嘆[ひたん] grief; sorrow; anguish; lamentation
悲恋[ひれん] blighted love; disappointed love
heisig_story: Jail cell . . . heart.
koohii_story: Sad dness is like having your heart captured and jailed because of some sad or terrible event, etc. Here the sad heart waits for someone to come and un -lock their jail cell and set them free again.
heisig_keyword: sad

kanji: 秒
meaning: second (1/60 minute)
ja_on: ビョウ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
少[ショウ] few
examples: 秒[びょう] second (unit of time)
秒読み[びょうよみ] countdown
秒速[びょうそく] speed per second; velocity per second
heisig_story: The reference here is to a second of time. The elements: wheat . . . few.
koohii_story: An hourglass filled with wheat counts time. A few wheat seeds drop every second.
heisig_keyword: second

kanji: 暗
meaning: darkness
ja_on: アン
ja_kun: くら.い、くら.む、くれ.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
音[おと] sound
examples: 暗い[くらい] dark; gloomy; murky
暗闇[くらやみ] darkness; the dark
薄暗い[うすぐらい] dim; gloomy
暗殺[あんさつ] assassination
暗に[あんに] implicitly; indirectly; tacitly; by implication; obscurely
暗黒[あんこく] darkness
暗号[あんごう] code; password; cipher
真っ暗[まっくら] pitch-dark; pitch-black; completely dark
暗示[あんじ] hint; suggestion; clue; implication
暗記[あんき] memorization; memorisation; learning by heart
暗雲[あんうん] dark clouds
明暗[めいあん] light and darkness; light and shade
暗礁[あんしょう] reef; sunken rock
暗黙[あんもく] tacit; unspoken; implicit
heisig_story: When " darkness covered the earth " at the beginning of time, there was neither sun nor sound.
koohii_story: Picture the sun exploding - there would be a gigantic noise and then…nothing. Everything would plunge into darkness.

kanji: 勉
meaning: exertion
ja_on: ベン
ja_kun: つと.める
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 免[メン] excuse
力[ちから] power
examples: 勉強[べんきょう] study
勉学[べんがく] study; pursuit of knowledge
勤勉[きんべん] diligent; hard-working; industrious
勉強中[べんきょうちゅう] while studying; presently studying
heisig_story: Rabbit . . . muscle. Notice how the last stroke of rabbit is stretched out to underlie the element for muscle.
koohii_story: Notice how BUGS BUNNY's legs (hint about stroke extension) are starting to get big MUSCLES? It must be because he's always EXERTING himself on the run from Elmer Fudd (or from kicking the shit out of Elmer Fudd when he catches up!!).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 晩ごはん

kanji: 陽
meaning: sunshine
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: ひ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 太陽[たいよう] Sun
陽[よう] (the) positive
陽気[ようき] cheerful; jovial; merry; lively
陽光[ようこう] sunshine; sunlight
太陽系[たいようけい] solar system
太陽電池[たいようでんち] solar cell
山陽[さんよう] south side of a mountain; Sanyo district
斜陽[しゃよう] setting sun
紫陽花[あじさい] bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla); French hydrangea
陰陽[いんよう] cosmic dual forces; yin and yang; sun and moon, etc.
陽子[ようし] proton
陽性[ようせい] positive (result)
heisig_story: Different from the primitive for sun (which figures in the character) and the kanji for ray (Frame 125), the key word sunshine is meant to convey the meaning of the masculine principle in nature, or "Yang." (The dark is viewed mythically as the feminine principle, see frame 1718.) From there it comes to mean sun also. The elements are: pinnacle . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: A kid is perched on a pinnacle with his piggy bank. He uses the coins to catch the sunshine , and redirect it into people's eyes, far below.

kanji: 皮
meaning: pelt
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: かわ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 皮[かわ] skin; hide; pelt; fur
皮肉[ひにく] irony; sarcasm; cynicism; satire
皮膚[ひふ] skin
毛皮[けがわ] fur; skin; pelt
皮切り[かわきり] beginning; start
樹皮[じゅひ] bark (of a tree, etc.)
皮膚病[ひふびょう] skin disease
皮膚科[ひふか] dermatology
皮革[ひかく] leather; hide
脱皮[だっぴ] ecdysis; shedding (of skin); sloughing; molting; moulting; casting off
heisig_story: The simplest way to remember this character is to see it as built up from that for branch. The first stroke can then stand for something "hanging" down from the branch , namely its bark or pelt. The barb at the end of the second stroke is the only other change. Merely by concentrating on this as you write the following small cluster of characters should be enough to fix the form in your mind. By way of exception, you might doodle around with the kanji's form to see what you can come up with.
koohii_story: A pelt is hooked on a branch. A small tent is made with a pelt and a branch planted in the ground. The mnemonic hints at the first stroke (the hanging pelt ) and the hook at the end of the second stroke. This is chinese radical #107 meaning “skin”.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 難波 皮 反対

kanji: 歯
meaning: tooth
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: よわい、は、よわ.い、よわい.する
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 止[とめる] to stop
米[こめ] rice
凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 歯[は] tooth; teeth
歯車[はぐるま] gear; cogwheel
歯止め[はどめ] brake; drag; skid; pawl
歯がゆい[はがゆい] (feeling) impatient; irritated; irritating; frustrated; frustrating; vexed; vexi
歯ブラシ[はブラシ] toothbrush
歯磨き[はみがき] dental brushing; brushing one's teeth
歯ごたえ[はごたえ] chewiness; firmness; feel of food while being chewed
歯向かう[はむかう] to strike back at; to bite back; to turn on; to rise against; to oppose; to defy
歯医者[はいしゃ] dentist
虫歯[むしば] tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental cavity; dental caries
歯科[しか] dentistry
入れ歯[いれば] false tooth; denture
歯切れ[はぎれ] feel when biting
歯科医[しかい] dentist
歯科医師[しかいし] dentist
heisig_story: Footprint . . . rice . . . shovel.
koohii_story: Stop shoveling rice into your mouth, you'll hurt a tooth! Use chopsticks instead.

kanji: 柱
meaning: pillar
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: はしら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 木[き] tree
主[シュ] lord
examples: 柱[はしら] pillar; post
電柱[でんちゅう] utility pole; power pole; telephone pole; telegraph pole
支柱[しちゅう] prop; stay; support; brace; fulcrum
円柱[えんちゅう] column; shaft; cylinder
大黒柱[だいこくばしら] central pillar (of a building)
heisig_story: The pillar referred to here is the wooden beam that stands at the entrance to a traditional Japanese house. Carve it in imagination into the shape of a gigantic candlestick and your work is done.
koohii_story: The main pillar in a house should be made of the biggest and strongest tree - the lord of the trees.

kanji: 祭
meaning: ritual
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: まつ.る、まつ.り、まつり
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 月[つき] moon
示[しめす] altar
examples: 祭り[まつり] festival; feast; matsuri
祭[まつり] festival; feast; matsuri
祭壇[さいだん] altar
祭る[まつる] to deify; to enshrine
祭日[さいじつ] national holiday; festival day
ひな祭り[ひなまつり] Hinamatsuri (March 3); Hina Matsuri; Girls' Festival; Dolls' Festival
冠婚葬祭[かんこんそうさい] important ceremonial occasions in family relationships
前夜祭[ぜんやさい] event held the night before another event; eve (of a festival) (e.g. Christmas E
後の祭り[あとのまつり] a day after the fair; (at a) stage when it's too late
慰霊祭[いれいさい] memorial service
祭典[さいてん] festival
祭礼[さいれい] (religious) festival
芸術祭[げいじゅつさい] art festival
葬祭[そうさい] funerals and ceremonial occasions
heisig_story: Flesh . . . crotch . . . altar. Note how the second element is cut short, giving a tent-like effect to the character.
koohii_story: A ritual such as a circumcision: a small piece of flesh from the crotch is left on the altar.

kanji: 筆
meaning: writing brush
ja_on: ヒツ
ja_kun: ふで
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
examples: 筆[ふで] writing brush; paintbrush; pen
執筆[しっぴつ] writing; authoring
筆頭[ひっとう] brush tip
鉛筆[えんぴつ] (wooden) pencil
筆跡[ひっせき] handwriting
万年筆[まんねんひつ] fountain pen
筆者[ひっしゃ] writer; author
筆記[ひっき] (taking) notes; copying
随筆[ずいひつ] essays; miscellaneous writings; literary jottings
主筆[しゅひつ] editor-in-chief
文筆[ぶんぴつ] literary art; literary activity; writing
毛筆[もうひつ] (writing, painting) brush
特筆[とくひつ] special mention
筆名[ひつめい] alias; pseudonym; pen name; nom de plume
筆記用具[ひっきようぐ] writing implement; writing tool
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . brush.
koohii_story: Bamboo is the best material from which to make a brush if you want it to be a writing brush.

kanji: 童
meaning: juvenile
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: わらべ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
里[さと] village
examples: 童話[どうわ] children's story; fairy tale
児童[じどう] children; juvenile
童顔[どうがん] child's face
学童[がくどう] schoolchild; pupil
神童[しんどう] child prodigy; infant genius; wonder child
童心[どうしん] child's mind; childlike innocence; naivete
童謡[どうよう] children's song; nursery rhyme
heisig_story: This frame shows up the image of a juvenile hacker standing on top of a computer , or rather jumping up and down on it, because it refused to come up with the right answer.
koohii_story: The juvenile stood on top of his computer and broke it. Noob.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 児童 音量 文章

kanji: 畑
meaning: farm
ja_kun: はた、はたけ、-ばたけ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 畑[はたけ] field (for growing wheat, fruit, vegetables, etc.); cultivated land; vegetable p
桑畑[くわばたけ] mulberry field; mulberry plantation
田畑[たはた] fields (of rice and other crops)
麦畑[むぎばたけ] wheat field; barley field; cornfield
heisig_story: Looking at the primitives, a fireplace and a rice field , we find the essential ingredients for a farm : a warm hearth to sit by at night, and a well-plowed field to grow one's crops in by day.
koohii_story: Many farm s are created by first setting FIRE over the land to clear the land for the FIELDS.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 畑 細い

kanji: 緑
meaning: green
ja_on: リョク、ロク
ja_kun: みどり
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
彔[ロク] to carve wood
examples: 緑[みどり] green
緑色[みどりいろ] green; green color
緑茶[りょくちゃ] green tea; Japanese tea
新緑[しんりょく] fresh verdure; new green leaves
緑化[りょっか] greening (i.e. planting to increase greenery); tree planting; afforestation
緑地[りょくち] green tract of land; green space
緑青[ろくしょう] verdigris; green rust; copper rust
heisig_story: Thread . . . broom . . . rice grains.
koohii_story: Spiderman's nemesis the Green Goblin is in a slump, He's replaced his glider with a broom and is throwing grains of rice instead of bombs.

kanji: 礼
meaning: salute
ja_on: レイ、ライ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 失礼[しつれい] discourtesy; impoliteness
失礼します[しつれいします] excuse me; pardon me; I beg your pardon
お礼[おれい] thanks; gratitude
礼[れい] thanks; gratitude
失礼しました[しつれいしました] my apologies; I'm sorry; excuse me
無礼[ぶれい] rudeness; impoliteness; discourtesy; insolence
礼儀[れいぎ] manners; courtesy; etiquette
洗礼[せんれい] baptism; christening
非礼[ひれい] impoliteness
謝礼[しゃれい] reward; honorarium; remuneration
儀礼[ぎれい] courtesy; etiquette; formality; protocol
巡礼[じゅんれい] pilgrimage; pilgrim
朝礼[ちょうれい] morning assembly (at a company, school, etc.); morning gathering
礼拝[れいはい] worship (esp. Christian); (church) service
礼服[れいふく] formal dress; ceremonial dress; morning dress; evening dress; dress suit
heisig_story: This key word refers to the polite bows and ceremonious forms of salutation so important in Japanese culture. Its elements: altar . . . fishhook.
koohii_story: "Indy, my friend, you must be very careful! If you approach the altar and do not give the proper salutation a large fishhook will rip you away".
heisig_keyword: salutation
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 礼 札幌

kanji: 詩
meaning: poem
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: うた
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 言[げん] words
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 詩[し] poem; poetry; verse
詩人[しじん] poet
叙事詩[じょじし] epic (poem); epic poetry
漢詩[かんし] Chinese poem; Chinese poetry
詩情[しじょう] poetic sentiment
詩歌[しいか] Japanese and Chinese poetry
詩集[ししゅう] poetry anthology; collection of poems; collected poems
近代詩[きんだいし] modern poetry; modern-style poetry
風物詩[ふうぶつし] feature of the season; something characteristic of a particular season
heisig_story: Since silence is treasured so highly at a Buddhist temple the words spoken there must be well-chosen. Perhaps this is why the records of the monks often read to us like poems. Before going on, back up a frame and make sure you have kept poem and recitation distinct in your mind.
koohii_story: A poem is a temple of words.

kanji: 昔
meaning: once upon a time
ja_on: セキ、シャク
ja_kun: むかし
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
日[ひ] sun
examples: 昔[むかし] the old days; the past; former times; a long time ago
昔話[むかしばなし] old tale; folk tale; legend
大昔[おおむかし] ancient times; prehistoric times; the distant past; a very long time ago
昔のまま[むかしのまま] the way it was; the way it used be; as of old; in former times
一昔[ひとむかし] an age (ago); a long time (ago); a decade (ago)
今昔[こんじゃく] past and present
heisig_story: Salad . . . days. This is the character with which Japanese fairytales commonly begin.
koohii_story: Once upon a time , the children were forced to eat their salad every day.

kanji: 泳
meaning: swim
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: およ.ぐ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
永[エイ] eternity
examples: 泳ぐ[およぐ] to swim
水泳[すいえい] swimming
泳ぎ[およぎ] swimming
平泳ぎ[ひらおよぎ] breaststroke (swimming)
競泳[きょうえい] competitive swimming; swimming race
背泳ぎ[せおよぎ] backstroke (swimming)
遠泳[えんえい] long-distance swimming
heisig_story: The primitive to the left, you will recall from Frame 137, represents water. To the right, we see the kanji for eternity. Knowing how much children like swimming , what could be a better image of eternal bliss than an endless expanse of water to swim in without a care in the world?
koohii_story: If you don't know how to swim , you'll be in that water for eternity.

kanji: 荷
meaning: baggage
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: に
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
何[カ] what
examples: 荷物[にもつ] luggage; baggage; package
重荷[おもに] load; heavy burden; encumbrance; heavy freight; heavy responsibility
負荷[ふか] burdening; bearing; shouldering; imposing
荷[に] load; baggage; cargo; freight; goods
荷台[にだい] (truck) load-carrying tray; (bicycle) luggage carrier; roof rack
入荷[にゅうか] arrival of goods; goods received
荷造り[にづくり] packing; baling; crating
出荷[しゅっか] shipping; shipment; forwarding; sending (goods); delivery
手荷物[てにもつ] hand luggage; hand baggage
稲荷[いなり] Inari (god of harvests, Uka-no-Mitama)
荷揚げ[にあげ] unloading; landing
荷札[にふだ] label; tag
集荷[しゅうか] collection of cargo (esp. produce, etc.); cargo booking
heisig_story: Flowers . . . what.
koohii_story: TSA guard: What's in the baggage?! It's just flowers , I swear!

kanji: 炭
meaning: charcoal
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: すみ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
灰[カイ] ashes
examples: 炭[すみ] charcoal
炭酸[たんさん] carbonic acid
炭素[たんそ] carbon (C)
炭鉱[たんこう] coal mine; (coal) pit; colliery
石炭[せきたん] coal
一酸化炭素[いっさんかたんそ] carbon monoxide
二酸化炭素[にさんかたんそ] carbon dioxide; CO2
採炭[さいたん] coal mining; coal extraction
木炭[もくたん] charcoal
泥炭[でいたん] peat
炭田[たんでん] coalfield; coal field
薪炭[しんたん] wood and charcoal; fuel
heisig_story: Mountain . . . ashes.
koohii_story: Burn enough charcoal and you'll have a mountain of ash.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 炭 片付ける

kanji: 丁
meaning: street
ja_on: チョウ、テイ、チン、トウ、チ
ja_kun: ひのと
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 一[いち] one
亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
examples: 丁寧[ていねい] polite; courteous; civil
包丁[ほうちょう] kitchen knife
丁重[ていちょう] polite; courteous; hospitable
丁度[ちょうど] exactly; precisely; just; right; opportunely; fortunately
丁目[ちょうめ] district of a town; city block (of irregular size)
一丁[いっちょう] one leaf (of a book bound in Japanese style)
装丁[そうてい] binding (of a book)
八丁[はっちょう] skillfulness
heisig_story: The picture here is of a street sign on a long pole: Hollywood and Vine, if you please, or any street that immediately conjure sup the image of a street sign to you.
koohii_story: Today, the program "Sesame Street " is brought to you by the letter "T".

kanji: 湖
meaning: lake
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: みずうみ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
胡[ウ] barbarian
examples: 湖[みずうみ] lake
湖水[こすい] lake; lake water
湖沼[こしょう] lake; marsh; wetland; inland waters
湖畔[こはん] lakeside; lakeshore; lakefront
琵琶湖[びわこ] Lake Biwa; Biwako
heisig_story: Water . . . old . . . flesh. You have heard of legends of people being abandoned in the mountains when they had become too old to work. Well, here is a legend about people being set adrift in the waters of a stormy lake because their flesh had gotten too old to bear the burdens of life.
koohii_story: This is my favorite story. Simply associate the sad moment of an OLD person, standing near the WATER of the lake and looking at the MOON reflected in the lake. The created primitives themselves are put so beautifully, that you will not forget this kanji.

kanji: 湯
meaning: hot water
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ゆ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 湯[ゆ] hot water
湯気[ゆげ] steam; vapour; vapor
銭湯[せんとう] public bath; bathhouse
熱湯[ねっとう] boiling water
湯飲み[ゆのみ] teacup
湯のみ[ゆのみ] teacup
茶の湯[ちゃのゆ] tea ceremony; chanoyu
湯沸かし器[ゆわかしき] water heater; water boiler
湯治[とうじ] hot-spring cure; taking the baths
heisig_story: Water . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: Imagine a hot water kettle for your tea, except this one is a pink piggy bank that pours the water from its snout (and squeals when the water is piping hot). Make sure to use a potholder!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 湯 温泉 易しい

kanji: 箱
meaning: box
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: はこ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
相[ソウ] inter-
examples: 箱[はこ] box; case; chest; package; pack; crate
ゴミ箱[ゴミばこ] trash can; garbage can; rubbish bin; dustbin
投票箱[とうひょうばこ] ballot box
救急箱[きゅうきゅうばこ] first-aid kit
本箱[ほんばこ] bookcase
私書箱[ししょばこ] post office box
重箱[じゅうばこ] jūbako
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . inter-.
koohii_story: The best kind of BOX is made from BAMBOO sticks that are INTER-laced to make it air tight. Just picture such a box and you've mastered this kanji.

kanji: 豆
meaning: beans
ja_on: トウ、ズ
ja_kun: まめ、まめ-
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
examples: 豆[まめ] legume (esp. edible legumes or their seeds, e.g. beans, peas, pulses); bean; pea
豆腐[とうふ] tofu; bean curd; beancurd
納豆[なっとう] natto (fermented soybeans)
大豆[だいず] soya bean (Glycine max); soybean; soy
小豆[あずき] adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)
枝豆[えだまめ] edamame (green soybeans)
豆乳[とうにゅう] soy milk
豆知識[まめちしき] trivia; snippet of knowledge
heisig_story: This kanji depicts a pot of beans , although it looks more like a table on which the pot is resting.
koohii_story: If I eat BEANS , after ONE MOUTHful I fart like some kind of HORNED ANIMAL.

kanji: 暑
meaning: sultry
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: あつ.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
者[シャ] someone
examples: 暑い[あつい] hot; warm; sultry; heated
暑さ[あつさ] heat (of the weather); hotness
蒸し暑い[むしあつい] humid; sultry
暑中[しょちゅう] height of summer; high summer; hottest part of the summer
暑中見舞[しょちゅうみまい] summer greeting card; inquiry after someone's health in the hot season
残暑[ざんしょ] late summer heat; lingering summer heat
猛暑[もうしょ] heat wave; fierce heat
避暑[ひしょ] escaping the summer heat; going somewhere cooler during the summer; summering
酷暑[こくしょ] intense heat; severe heat
heisig_story: The key word refers to the heat of summer. Its elements: sun . . . puppet.
koohii_story: Ahh, a fine sultry day with my love doll under the hot sun. I think she's getting a tan!

kanji: 氷
meaning: icicle
ja_on: ヒョウ
ja_kun: こおり、ひ、こお.る
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 水[みず] water
丶[てん] dot
examples: 氷[こおり] ice
かき氷[かきごおり] shaved ice (usually served with flavored simple syrup); Italian ice; snow cone;
南氷洋[なんひょうよう] Antarctic Ocean
氷山[ひょうざん] iceberg
氷河[ひょうが] glacier
氷点下[ひょうてんか] below freezing
流氷[りゅうひょう] drift ice; ice floe
heisig_story: The appearance of the primitive for water in its full form tells us that we have something to do with water here. The extra drop to the left, added as a second stroke, changes the picture from a splash caused by a walking stick dropped into water to form an icicle. If it helps, when you hold an icicle up to the light, you can usually see little crystallizations of five-pointed stars inside of it, which is the shape we have in this kanji.
koohii_story: Icicle s start with 1 frozen drop of water.

kanji: 寒
meaning: cold
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: さむ.い
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
三[サン] three
八[はち] eight
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 寒い[さむい] cold (e.g. weather)
寒さ[さむさ] coldness
寒気[かんき] cold; coldness; cold air
悪寒[おかん] chill; shakes; ague
肌寒い[はださむい] chilly; unpleasantly cold
寒中[かんちゅう] mid-winter; cold season
寒冷[かんれい] cold; coldness; chilliness
寒暖計[かんだんけい] thermometer
寒村[かんそん] poor village; desolate village; lonely village; remote village
寒波[かんぱ] cold wave
極寒[ごっかん] extreme cold; intense cold; coldest season; midwinter
heisig_story: House . . . celery . . . animal legs . . . ice.
koohii_story: A cold lunch: in the house , celery , pre cooked animal legs (i.e. chicken drumsticks) and ice tea.

kanji: 帳
meaning: notebook
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: とばり
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
長[ながい] long
examples: 手帳[てちょう] notebook; memo pad; (pocket) diary
几帳面[きちょうめん] methodical; precise; meticulous; scrupulous; regular; punctual
帳消し[ちょうけし] writing off (a debt); cancellation; balancing the books
メモ帳[メモちょう] memo book; memo pad; notebook; notepad; scratchpad; scratch pad; writing pad; jo
帳簿[ちょうぼ] account book; register; ledger
通帳[つうちょう] passbook; bankbook
台帳[だいちょう] account book; ledger; register
蚊帳[かや] mosquito net
記帳[きちょう] registry; entry; book-keeping; signature
電話帳[でんわちょう] telephone directory; telephone book; phone book
heisig_story: Towel . . . long.
koohii_story: In ancient China books were rolled-up scrolls of paper. So notebook s were nothing more than long towels.

kanji: 拾
meaning: pick up
ja_on: シュウ、ジュウ
ja_kun: ひろ.う
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
合[ゴウ] fit
examples: 拾う[ひろう] to pick up; to gather
収拾[しゅうしゅう] control; bringing under control; settling (a matter); putting in order
拾い物[ひろいもの] found article; thing picked up (e.g. in the street)
拾得[しゅうとく] finding (lost property); picking up
heisig_story: Fingers . . . fit together. Compare frame 698.
koohii_story: I tried to PICK UP the bowling ball…but my FINGERS didn't FIT in the holes.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 捨てる 拾う

kanji: 漢
meaning: Sino-
ja_on: カン
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
艹[くさかんむり] grass
口[くち] mouth
夫[フ] husband
examples: 漢字[かんじ] kanji; Chinese character
痴漢[ちかん] molester; groper; masher; pervert
漢和[かんわ] China and Japan
漢語[かんご] Japanese word of Chinese origin; Sino-Japanese word
巨漢[きょかん] giant
常用漢字[じょうようかんじ] jōyō kanji; kanji for common use
漢文[かんぶん] Chinese classical writing; Chinese classics
漢方[かんぽう] traditional Chinese medicine
漢方薬[かんぽうやく] Chinese herbal medicine
漢詩[かんし] Chinese poem; Chinese poetry
門外漢[もんがいかん] outsider; layman; amateur
heisig_story: Water . . . scarecrow. The key word has come to refer to things Chinese in general, including the kanji themselves (for which this character is used).
koohii_story: In the water between Japan and China, the Sino- side has put scarecrows in the water to try and keep the Japanese away.

kanji: 鼻
meaning: nose
ja_on: ビ
ja_kun: はな
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 自[みずから] self
畀[ヒ] to give
examples: 鼻[はな] nose
鼻先[はなさき] tip of nose
鼻息[はないき] nasal breathing; breathing through one's nose
鼻血[はなぢ] nosebleed
鼻水[はなみず] nasal mucus; dripping nose; snot
耳鼻科[じびか] otolaryngology; ear, nose, and throat department
鼻紙[はながみ] tissue paper; facial tissue; paper handkerchief
heisig_story: Let me share a rather grotesque image to help with this kanji. Imagine taking your two hands and reaching up into someone's nostrils. Once inside you grab hold of the brain and yank it out. At the end, you would have a picture something like that of this character, the full kanji for nose.
koohii_story: An Egyptian embalmer reaching both hands into the dead pharaoh's nose and yanking out handfuls of brain.

kanji: 皿
meaning: dish
ja_on: ベイ
ja_kun: さら
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 皿[さら] plate
examples: 皿[さら] plate; dish; platter; disc
灰皿[はいざら] ashtray
小皿[こざら] small plate; small dish
皿洗い[さらあらい] washing-up; dish-washing
受け皿[うけざら] saucer
heisig_story: The kanji for a dish is, clearly, the pictograph of a painted or carved bowl, seen from the side.
koohii_story: Three dish es stacked side-by-side in a dish washer.

kanji: 羊
meaning: sheep
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: ひつじ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 䒑 grass
examples: 羊[ひつじ] sheep (Ovis aries)
羊毛[ようもう] wool
子羊[こひつじ] lamb
羊肉[ようにく] mutton; lamb (meat)
heisig_story: This pictograph shows the animal horns at the top attached to the head (3rd stroke), the front and back legs (strokes 4 and 5) and body (final stroke).
koohii_story: Picture of a sheep run over by a steam roller. Must have been a ram, note the horns.

kanji: 笛
meaning: flute
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: ふえ
grade: Grade 3
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 笛[ふえ] flute; fife; pipe; recorder; flageolet; shakuhachi; clarinet
口笛[くちぶえ] whistle (sound made with the lips)
汽笛[きてき] steam whistle
警笛[けいてき] horn; alarm; whistle; foghorn
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . sprout.
koohii_story: Flute is made of bamboo sprout.

kanji: 議
meaning: deliberation
ja_on: ギ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 言[げん] words
義[ギ] righteousness
examples: 不思議[ふしぎ] wonderful; marvelous; strange; incredible; amazing; curious; miraculous; mysteri
会議[かいぎ] meeting; conference; session; assembly; council; convention; congress
抗議[こうぎ] protest; objection
議論[ぎろん] argument; discussion; dispute; controversy
異議[いぎ] objection; dissent; protest
会議室[かいぎしつ] conference room; council room
議員[ぎいん] member of an assembly; member of the Diet; member of parliament; member of Congr
議題[ぎだい] topic of discussion; agenda
協議[きょうぎ] conference; consultation; discussion; negotiation
議会[ぎかい] congress; parliament; diet; legislative assembly
議長[ぎちょう] chair; chairman; chairperson; speaker (of an assembly); president (of a council,
参議院[さんぎいん] House of Councillors (upper house of the National Diet of Japan)
合議[ごうぎ] consultation; conference; discussion; counsel
審議[しんぎ] deliberation; discussion; consideration
決議[けつぎ] resolution; vote; decision
heisig_story: Words . . . righteousness.
koohii_story: Careful deliberation produces words of righteousness.

kanji: 民
meaning: people
ja_on: ミン
ja_kun: たみ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氏[うじ] family
examples: 住民[じゅうみん] inhabitant; resident; citizen; population
市民[しみん] citizen (of a country); citizenry
国民[こくみん] people (of a country); nation; citizen; national
民[たみ] people; citizens; subjects; folk
庶民[しょみん] common people; ordinary people; masses
民衆[みんしゅう] people; populace; masses
民家[みんか] private house
民間[みんかん] private; non-governmental; non-official; civilian; civil
民族[みんぞく] people; race; nation; ethnic group; ethnos
農民[のうみん] farmer; peasant
人民[じんみん] the people; citizens; the populace
植民地[しょくみんち] colony
民主[みんしゅ] democracy; popular sovereignty
民俗[みんぞく] folk customs; folkways; ethnic customs
民宿[みんしゅく] guest house; private home providing lodging for travelers; bed and breakfast; pe
heisig_story: In place of the drop at the start of the character for family name , we have a mouth , which makes you think of the "vox populi."
koohii_story: How many of you know what "vox populi" means?

kanji: 連
meaning: take along
ja_on: レン
ja_kun: つら.なる、つら.ねる、つ.れる、-づ.れ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 連れる[つれる] to take (someone) with one; to bring along; to go with; to be accompanied by
連絡[れんらく] contacting; (making) contact; getting in touch; communication; correspondence; c
連中[れんちゅう] company; lot; people; bunch; gang; pack; guys; group; folks
連続[れんぞく] continuation; succession; series; sequence
連れて行く[つれていく] to take (someone to a place); to take (someone) with one; to take along; to lead
連れてくる[つれてくる] to bring someone along
関連[かんれん] relation; connection; relevance
連絡先[れんらくさき] contact information (address, phone number, etc.)
一連[いちれん] series; chain; sequence
連れて来る[つれてくる] to bring someone along
連れ去る[つれさる] to take (someone) away; to carry off; to abduct; to kidnap
連携[れんけい] cooperation; coordination; collaboration; alignment
常連[じょうれん] regular customer; regular patron; regular visitor; frequenter
連行[れんこう] taking (a suspect to the police); dragging (someone) away
ご連絡[ごれんらく] contacting; getting in touch; communication; call; message
heisig_story: What you are meant to take along in this kanji are not things but people. The image of the car on the road should ground your image for picking up your friends to take them along to wherever you are going.
koohii_story: When you put your car on the road you should always take along a few friends. Don't confuse with [carry](../v4/303.html) (#303 運).

kanji: 選
meaning: elect
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: えら.ぶ、え.る、よ.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 巽[ソン] southeast
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 選ぶ[えらぶ] to choose; to select; to pick (out)
選択[せんたく] choice; selection; option
選択肢[せんたくし] choices; alternatives; options
選手[せんしゅ] player (of a sport); athlete; team member
選挙[せんきょ] election
選[せん] selection; choice; choosing; picking; election
予選[よせん] preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial; heat
選抜[せんばつ] selection; choice; picking out
選別[せんべつ] selection; sorting; culling; screening; triage
選定[せんてい] selection
抽選[ちゅうせん] lottery; raffle; drawing (of lots); balloting
選出[せんしゅつ] election; selection; choice
人選[じんせん] selecting a suitable person; personnel selection
当選[とうせん] being elected
選考[せんこう] selection; choice; screening
heisig_story: Two snakes . . . strung together . . . road.
koohii_story: There were so many snakes on the road to Noah's ark so they had to elect which two would represent the snake species.

kanji: 関
meaning: connection
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: せき、-ぜき、かか.わる、からくり、かんぬき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
关 frontier pass
examples: 関係[かんけい] relation; relationship; connection
関わる[かかわる] to be involved (in); to get involved (in); to concern oneself (with); to take pa
関する[かんする] to concern; to be related
玄関[げんかん] entrance; front door; entryway; entranceway; entry hall; vestibule; porch; foyer
関係者[かんけいしゃ] person concerned; people involved (in an event); those concerned; staff
に関して[にかんして] regarding ...; concerning ...; about ...; on ...; with respect to ...; in regard
無関係[むかんけい] unrelated
関連[かんれん] relation; connection; relevance
関心[かんしん] concern; interest
人間関係[にんげんかんけい] human relations; personal relationships
機関[きかん] engine
関与[かんよ] participation; taking part in; participating in; being concerned in
関節[かんせつ] joint
関東[かんとう] Kantō (region comprising Tokyo and surrounding prefectures)
無関心[むかんしん] apathetic; indifferent; nonchalant; callous
heisig_story: Gates . . . golden calf.
koohii_story: The golden calf is sent to the gates of Hell for it's connection to false idols.

kanji: 戦
meaning: war
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: いくさ、たたか.う、おのの.く、そよ.ぐ、わなな.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 単[タン] simple
戈[ほこ] spear
examples: 戦う[たたかう] to make war (on); to wage war (against); to go to war (with); to fight (with); t
戦い[たたかい] battle; war; fight; conflict
作戦[さくせん] tactics; strategy
戦争[せんそう] war
挑戦[ちょうせん] challenge; defiance; dare; attempt; try
戦闘[せんとう] battle; fight; combat
戦場[せんじょう] battlefield; battleground
戦[いくさ] war; battle; campaign; fight
戦力[せんりょく] war potential; military strength; fighting power
戦士[せんし] soldier; combatant; warrior
戦略[せんりゃく] strategy; tactics
苦戦[くせん] hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
決戦[けっせん] decisive battle; deciding match; play-off
実戦[じっせん] combat; battle; action; active service; actual fighting
対戦[たいせん] fighting (against); taking on (an opponent); facing; confronting; competing (wit
heisig_story: Simple . . . fiesta.
koohii_story: George W. Bush's plans for war were so SIMPLE. To him, its all just a big FIESTA.

kanji: 最
meaning: utmost
ja_on: サイ、シュ
ja_kun: もっと.も、つま
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
取[シュ] take
examples: 最後[さいご] end; conclusion
最初[さいしょ] beginning; outset; first; onset
最近[さいきん] recently; lately; these days; nowadays; right now
最高[さいこう] best; supreme; wonderful; finest
最悪[さいあく] worst
最低[さいてい] least; lowest; minimum
最も[もっとも] most; extremely
最大[さいだい] biggest; greatest; largest; maximum
最中[さいちゅう] (in) the middle of; (in) the midst of; (in) the course of; (at) the height of
最強[さいきょう] strongest
最終[さいしゅう] last; final; closing
最終的[さいしゅうてき] final; eventual; ultimate
最新[さいしん] latest; newest; late-breaking (news)
最期[さいご] one's last moment; one's death; one's end
最低限[さいていげん] minimum
heisig_story: Sun . . . take.
koohii_story: TAKE the UTMOST care when you SUN bath all DAY, or you'll get burned from your EARS to your CROTCH.

kanji: 氏
meaning: family name
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: うじ、-うじ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氏[うじ] family
examples: 彼氏[かれし] boyfriend
氏[し] Mr; Mrs; Ms; Miss
氏名[しめい] (full) name; identity
セ氏[セし] Celsius; centigrade
両氏[りょうし] both persons
同氏[どうし] the said person; he; she
摂氏[せっし] Celsius; centigrade
氏族[しぞく] clan; family
氏神[うじがみ] patron god; tutelar deity; guardian deity; local deity
源氏[げんじ] Genji (the character in the Genji Monogatari)
heisig_story: Pay close attention to the stroke order of the elements when learning to write this character. The elements: a long drop . . . fishhook . . . a one . . . fishhook.
koohii_story: Looks a bit like Ft => F amily t itle => Family name.

kanji: 約
meaning: promise
ja_on: ヤク
ja_kun: つづ.まる、つづ.める、つづま.やか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
勺[シャク] ladle
examples: 約束[やくそく] promise; agreement; arrangement; one's word; contract; pact
契約[けいやく] contract; compact; agreement
約[やく] approximately; about
予約[よやく] reservation; appointment; booking; advance order
婚約者[こんやくしゃ] fiance; fiancee
婚約[こんやく] engagement; betrothal
約束通り[やくそくどおり] as promised
節約[せつやく] economising; saving
契約書[けいやくしょ] (written) contract; agreement
制約[せいやく] limitation; restriction; condition; constraints
要約[ようやく] summary; digest
集約[しゅうやく] putting together (e.g. opinions); gathering; collecting; aggregating; summarizin
規約[きやく] agreement; rules; code; protocol; convention; bylaw
確約[かくやく] firm promise; definite promise
条約[じょうやく] treaty; pact; convention; agreement
heisig_story: Consider for a moment the etymology of the word " promise " in order to notice its roots in the activity of putting one thing (e.g., one's word of honor) in place of another (e.g., the fulfillment of a task). For as it turns out, this character also means "to abridge, economize, and abbreviate" \- all activities that involve putting one thing in place of another. With that in mind, we may now work with the elements: thread . . . ladle.
koohii_story: Anytime Spiderman breaks a promise , Aunt Mae hits him one over with her ladle.

kanji: 法
meaning: method
ja_on: ホウ、ハッ、ホッ、フラン
ja_kun: のり
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
去[キョ] gone
examples: 方法[ほうほう] method; way; manner; process; procedure; means; measure
魔法[まほう] magic; witchcraft; sorcery; spell
法[ほう] law; act; principle
法律[ほうりつ] law; legislation; act
法則[ほうそく] law; rule
違法[いほう] illegal; illicit; unlawful
作法[さほう] manners; etiquette; propriety
手法[しゅほう] technique; method
寸法[すんぽう] measurement; size; extent; dimension
戦法[せんぽう] tactics; strategy
法的[ほうてき] legal
治療法[ちりょうほう] method of treatment; cure; remedy
法廷[ほうてい] court (of law); courtroom
合法的[ごうほうてき] legal; lawful; legitimate; law-abiding; in order
司法[しほう] administration of justice; judicature
heisig_story: Water . . . gone.
koohii_story: This kanji shows up in a lot of words related to the legal process. Try this image: using a very outdated judicial method , the people of Salem dunked accused witches in the water until they were all gone.

kanji: 不
meaning: negative
ja_on: フ、ブ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 一[いち] one
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 不思議[ふしぎ] wonderful; marvelous; strange; incredible; amazing; curious; miraculous; mysteri
不安[ふあん] anxiety; uneasiness; worry; apprehension; fear; insecurity; suspense
不可能[ふかのう] impossible
不満[ふまん] dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure; complaint; unhappiness
不幸[ふこう] unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; disaster; accident
不明[ふめい] unclear; obscure; indistinct; uncertain; ambiguous
不足[ふそく] insufficiency; deficiency; shortage; lack; scarcity; deficit
不自然[ふしぜん] unnatural; artificial; affected; strained
不気味[ぶきみ] weird; eerie; ominous; creepy; uncanny; unearthly
行方不明[ゆくえふめい] missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
理不尽[りふじん] unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
不審[ふしん] doubt; suspicion; question; strangeness
不器用[ぶきよう] clumsy; awkward; unskillful
不安定[ふあんてい] instability; insecurity; crankiness
不要[ふよう] unnecessary; unneeded
heisig_story: You may play with the primitives of this kanji as you wish ( ceiling . . . person . . . a drop of ), but you will probably find that its simplicity, and its frequency, make it easy to remember just as it is.
koohii_story: [Smithsonian] Scene: Mr. T hanging from the ceiling being tortured. He is asked if he is going to talk. Spitting (a drop of saliva) in the torturer's face, he says "Negative".

kanji: 的
meaning: bull's eye
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: まと
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 白[しろ] white
勺[シャク] ladle
examples: 目的[もくてき] purpose; goal; aim; objective; intention; motive
的[てき] -ical; -ive; -al; -ic; -y
具体的[ぐたいてき] concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
圧倒的[あっとうてき] overwhelming
個人的[こじんてき] personal; individual; private
一方的[いっぽうてき] one-sided; unilateral; arbitrary
本格的[ほんかくてき] genuine; real; authentic; standard; orthodox
徹底的[てっていてき] thorough; exhaustive; complete
積極的[せっきょくてき] positive; assertive; active; proactive; aggressive
最終的[さいしゅうてき] final; eventual; ultimate
魅力的[みりょくてき] charming; fascinating; attractive
精神的[せいしんてき] mental; spiritual; emotional
一時的[いちじてき] temporary; transitory; short-lived
一般的[いっぱんてき] general; popular; common; typical
目的地[もくてきち] destination (one is heading towards); goal
heisig_story: The elements white bird and ladle easily suggest the image of a bull's eye if you imagine a rusty old ladle with a bull's eye painted on it in the form of a tiny white bird , who lets out a little "peep" every time you hit the target.
koohii_story: I managed to hit the bull's eye by throwing my white ladle.
heisig_keyword: bull´s eye

kanji: 要
meaning: need
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: い.る、かなめ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 覀[にし] cover
女[おんな] woman
examples: 必要[ひつよう] necessary; needed; essential; indispensable
重要[じゅうよう] important; essential; significant; major; key; principal
要求[ようきゅう] demand; firm request; requisition; requirement; desire
要る[いる] to be needed; to be necessary; to be required; to be wanted; to need; to want
要素[ようそ] component; factor; item (e.g. in list)
要するに[ようするに] in short; in a word; to sum up; to put it simply; to make a long story short; af
不要[ふよう] unnecessary; unneeded
要は[ようは] in short; the point is; the important thing is; in a word; basically
要請[ようせい] appeal; call for something; request; claim; demand
要望[ようぼう] demand for; request
要する[ようする] to need; to demand; to take; to require
要[かなめ] pivot
強要[きょうよう] coercion; extortion; compulsion; force
要因[よういん] main cause; primary factor
要領[ようりょう] point; gist; essentials; tenets; outline
heisig_story: Old West . . . woman.
koohii_story: (ヨウ) When Clint need s a woman, he likes to be on top.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 要る 悪い

kanji: 治
meaning: reign
ja_on: ジ、チ
ja_kun: おさ.める、おさ.まる、なお.る、なお.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
台[ダイ] pedestal
examples: 治る[なおる] to get better; to get well; to recover (from an illness); to be cured; to be res
治療[ちりょう] (medical) treatment; care; therapy; cure; remedy
治す[なおす] to cure; to heal
退治[たいじ] extermination; elimination; eradication; destruction; suppression; subjugation;
政治[せいじ] politics; government
政治家[せいじか] politician; statesman
治まる[おさまる] to die down (storm, anger, conflict, etc.); to calm down; to cool off; to abate;
治安[ちあん] public order; public peace; public security; law and order
治める[おさめる] to rule; to govern; to reign over; to administer; to manage (e.g. a household)
完治[かんち] complete recovery
治癒[ちゆ] healing; cure; recovery
政治的[せいじてき] political
統治[とうち] rule; reign; government; governing
明治[めいじ] Meiji era (1868.9.8-1912.7.30)
治療法[ちりょうほう] method of treatment; cure; remedy
heisig_story: Water . . . pedestal.
koohii_story: From his water pedestal Neptune reign s over his Sea Empire.

kanji: 成
meaning: turn into
ja_on: セイ、ジョウ
ja_kun: な.る、な.す、-な.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 戈[ほこ] spear
examples: 成功[せいこう] success; achievement
成長[せいちょう] growth; development; growing up; becoming an adult
完成[かんせい] completion; perfection; accomplishment
成果[せいか] (good) result; outcome; fruits (of one's labors); product; accomplishment
賛成[さんせい] approval; agreement; support; favour; favor
成立[せいりつ] formation; establishment; materialization; coming into existence
成績[せいせき] results; record; grades; marks
成る[なる] to become; to get; to grow; to turn; to reach; to attain
達成[たっせい] achievement; attainment; accomplishment; realization
構成[こうせい] composition; construction; formation; makeup; structure; organization; organisat
成り立つ[なりたつ] to consist of; to be made up of; to be composed of
作成[さくせい] making (a report, plan, contract, etc.); drawing up; writing out; preparing; cre
成し遂げる[なしとげる] to accomplish; to achieve; to complete; to carry out; to carry through
成す[なす] to form; to make; to constitute
大成功[だいせいこう] great success; huge success
heisig_story: Let the phrase " turn into " suggest some sort of a magical change. What happens here is that the parade marching down main street turns into a dagger -throwing bout between competing bands. Note how only one stroke has to be added to make the change.
koohii_story: It only takes a single stroke of a dagger for a parade to TURN INTO a bloodbath.

kanji: 協
meaning: co-
ja_on: キョウ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
劦
examples: 協力[きょうりょく] cooperation; collaboration; help; support
ご協力[ごきょうりょく] cooperation; collaboration; help; support
妥協[だきょう] compromise; giving in
協会[きょうかい] association; society; organization; organisation
協議[きょうぎ] conference; consultation; discussion; negotiation
協定[きょうてい] arrangement; pact; agreement
協調[きょうちょう] cooperation; conciliation; harmony; coordination
不協和音[ふきょうわおん] discord; dissonance; cacophony
協同組合[きょうどうくみあい] cooperative; association; partnership
協和[きょうわ] concord; harmony; concert
協奏曲[きょうそうきょく] concerto
協賛[きょうさん] support; mutual aid; cooperation; approval; authorization; authorisation
国際協力事業団[こくさいきょうりょくじぎょうだん] Japan International Cooperation Agency (1974); JICA
生協[せいきょう] co-op; (consumers') cooperative
紳士協定[しんしきょうてい] gentlemen's agreement
heisig_story: This prefix should be kept distinct from inter (Frame 222) and mutual (Frame 819). Its elements: needle . . . triceps.
koohii_story: The nurse says : “If you co- operate, that needle (syringe) in your triceps won't hurt”. Note: both co- and cooperate are meanings for this kanji.

kanji: 以
meaning: by means of
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: もっ.て
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
人[ひと] person
examples: 以上[いじょう] not less than ...; ... and over; ... and above; ... and upwards; ... or more
以外[いがい] excluding; except (for); apart from; other than; besides; in addition to
以前[いぜん] before; prior to; ago
以来[いらい] since; henceforth
以下[いか] not exceeding ...; not more than ...; ... and under; ... and below; ... or fewer
以降[いこう] on and after; from ... onward; since
以内[いない] within; inside of; less than
以後[いご] after this; from now on; hereafter
予想以上[よそういじょう] more than expected
以て[もって] with; by; by means of
heisig_story: Picture a person dragging a plow behind, and the drop of sweat which falls from his brow as he does his work. Think of him (or her, for that matter) making a living " by means of the sweat of their brows. "
koohii_story: A man earns his living by means of the plow. I imagine a sweating man dragging a bronze-age "ard" behind him as he plows his field himself, too poor to afford an ox.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 以上 似ている

kanji: 機
meaning: loom
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: はた
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
幾[キ] how many
examples: 機会[きかい] chance; opportunity; occasion
機能[きのう] function; facility; faculty; feature
機[き] chance; opportunity
機械[きかい] machine; mechanism
危機[きき] crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
待機[たいき] standing by; awaiting an opportunity; being on alert
機嫌[きげん] humour; humor; temper; mood; spirits
動機[どうき] motive; incentive
不機嫌[ふきげん] pout; displeasure; ill humor; ill humour; sullenness
飛行機[ひこうき] airplane; aeroplane; plane; aircraft
機関[きかん] engine
上機嫌[じょうきげん] good humour (humor); good mood
機材[きざい] machinery and materials; equipment
好機[こうき] good opportunity; chance
自販機[じはんき] vending machine
heisig_story: Tree . . . abacus.
koohii_story: An abacus is a mechanism made of wood used to calculate how many 'anythings'.
heisig_keyword: mechanism

kanji: 加
meaning: add
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: くわ.える、くわ.わる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 力[ちから] power
口[くち] mouth
examples: 参加[さんか] participation; joining; entry
加える[くわえる] to add; to add up; to sum up; to append; to annex
追加[ついか] addition; supplement; appending; appendix
いい加減[いいかげん] irresponsible; perfunctory; careless
加わる[くわわる] to be added to; to be appended
加減[かげん] degree; extent; amount; balance; state; condition
加速[かそく] acceleration; speeding up
いい加減にしろ[いいかげんにしろ] that's enough!; cut it out!; get a life!
参加者[さんかしゃ] participant; entrant; player; competitor
加工[かこう] manufacturing; processing; treatment; machining
付け加える[つけくわえる] to add (one thing to another); to add (a few more words, an explanation, etc.)
増加[ぞうか] increase; rise; growth; addition; increment
加担[かたん] support; participation; assistance; complicity; conspiracy
に加えて[にくわえて] in addition
加害者[かがいしゃ] perpetrator; wrong-doer; aggressor; assailant; offender; at-fault party (e.g. in
heisig_story: Muscles . . . mouth. This is the only case in which the primitive for muscle appears on the left, note should be taken of the fact in composing one's story.
koohii_story: If you eat anymore, you will be add ing more カロries. (katakana karo).

kanji: 続
meaning: continue
ja_on: ゾク、ショク、コウ、キョウ
ja_kun: つづ.く、つづ.ける、つぐ.ない
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
売[バイ] sell
examples: 続ける[つづける] to continue; to keep up; to keep on
続く[つづく] to continue; to last; to go on
続き[つづき] continuation; rest (of the story, work, etc.); next installment; sequel
連続[れんぞく] continuation; succession; series; sequence
手続き[てつづき] procedure; process; proceedings; formalities
し続ける[しつづける] to continue to do; to persist in doing
継続[けいぞく] continuation; continuance; maintenance; persistence; going on
接続[せつぞく] connection; attachment; union; join; joint; link
続行[ぞっこう] continuation; continuance; going on; resuming
立て続け[たてつづけ] succession; continuation; series; sequence
存続[そんぞく] continuance; survival; persistence; retention; duration
続々[ぞくぞく] successively; one after another
長続き[ながつづき] lasting long; continuation; keeping at (something); sticking to (something)
持続[じぞく] continuation; persisting; lasting; sustaining; enduring
相続[そうぞく] succession
heisig_story: Thread . . . sell.
koohii_story: Even though Peter Parker has become Spiderman , he continue s to sell pictures that he takes as a photographer.

kanji: 改
meaning: reformation
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: あらた.める、あらた.まる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 己[おのれ] self
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 改めて[あらためて] another time; again; over again; once again; anew
改める[あらためる] to change; to alter; to revise; to replace
改善[かいぜん] betterment; improvement
改造[かいぞう] remodeling; remodelling; reconstruction; conversion; alteration; renovation; mod
改まる[あらたまる] to be renewed; to change
改良[かいりょう] improvement; reform
改装[かいそう] remodelling; remodeling; reorganization; reorganisation
改革[かいかく] reform; reformation; reorganization
改ざん[かいざん] alteration; falsification; faking
改札[かいさつ] examination of tickets
改修[かいしゅう] repair; improvement
改定[かいてい] revision (of a rule, price, etc.); alteration; change
改正[かいせい] revision; amendment; alteration
改訂[かいてい] revision (of text); alteration; change
改名[かいめい] name change
heisig_story: Pluralizing the snake and focusing on a single taskmaster may help recommend the image of Ireland's most famous reformer , St. Patrick, who, legend has it, drove away the snakes from the land.
koohii_story: The taskmaster of Slytherin ( wizardry house symbolized by a snake ) plans a reformation of Hogwarts, disallowing the study of magic to all muggle- born. こわいですね！.

kanji: 初
meaning: first time
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: はじ.め、はじ.めて、はつ、はつ-、うい-、-そ.める、-ぞ.め
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
刀[かたな] knife
examples: 初めて[はじめて] for the first time
最初[さいしょ] beginning; outset; first; onset
初[はつ] first; new
初め[はじめ] beginning; start; outset; opening
初日[しょにち] first day; opening day
当初[とうしょ] beginning; start; outset
初対面[しょたいめん] first meeting; first interview with
初めまして[はじめまして] nice to meet you; I'm glad to make your acquaintance; how do you do?
初恋[はつこい] first love; puppy love
初心者[しょしんしゃ] beginner
初期[しょき] early days; early years; early stages; initial stages; beginning
初代[しょだい] first generation; founder
初版[しょはん] first edition
初回[しょかい] first time; first innings; initial attempt
初心[しょしん] one's original intention; one's initial enthusiasm
heisig_story: The primitives here take care of themselves: cloak and dagger .What I leave to you is to decide on an appropriate connotation for " first time " to take advantage of them.
koohii_story: "This is the first time we've been out of the Shire, Mr. Frodo!" Says Sam, covering himself with his cloak and clutching his dagger.

kanji: 産
meaning: products
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: う.む、う.まれる、うぶ-、む.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
厂[がんだれ] cliff
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 産む[うむ] to give birth; to bear (child); to lay (eggs)
お土産[おみやげ] local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while traveling (travelling)
財産[ざいさん] property; fortune; assets
土産[みやげ] local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling
出産[しゅっさん] childbirth; (giving) birth; delivery; parturition
生産[せいさん] production; manufacture
遺産[いさん] inheritance; bequest; legacy; heritage
資産[しさん] property; fortune; means; assets
量産[りょうさん] mass production
産物[さんぶつ] product; produce
不動産[ふどうさん] real estate
産業[さんぎょう] industry
倒産[とうさん] (corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business
産地[さんち] producing area; place of origin; growing district
破産[はさん] bankruptcy; insolvency
heisig_story: Vase . . . cliff . . . cell.
koohii_story: If you were to stand up all the products you have accumulated over the course of your entire life on top of one another, the result would probably be as tall as a cliff.

kanji: 結
meaning: tie
ja_on: ケツ、ケチ
ja_kun: むす.ぶ、ゆ.う、ゆ.わえる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
吉[キチ] good luck
examples: 結構[けっこう] splendid; nice; wonderful; delightful; lovely; excellent; fine
結局[けっきょく] after all; in the end; ultimately; eventually
結果[けっか] result; consequence; outcome; effect
結婚[けっこん] marriage
結ぶ[むすぶ] to tie; to bind; to link
結論[けつろん] conclusion (of an argument, discussion, study, etc.)
結婚式[けっこんしき] marriage ceremony; wedding; nuptials
結末[けつまつ] end; conclusion
結晶[けっしょう] crystal; crystallization; crystallisation
結びつく[むすびつく] to be related; to be connected; to be joined together
結成[けっせい] formation; combination
結合[けつごう] combination; union; joining; linking; coupling
完結[かんけつ] conclusion; completion
結束[けっそく] union; unity; solidarity
結婚相手[けっこんあいて] marriage partner; spouse
heisig_story: Thread . . . aerosol can.
koohii_story: Ok, here, you have to think of the phrase "TIE the knot" , which means a wedding (this kanji is used in the marriage compound 結婚 けっこん ). Now, at US weddings, it ends with the couple driving away with cans being dragged behind the car. So here, think of SPIDERMAN, who will TIE the knot with Mary Jane. At his wedding, Spider THREAD attached (or TIE D) to SPRAYCANS are being drug behind the limo as they drive off.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 結ぶ 給料

kanji: 府
meaning: borough
ja_on: フ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
付[フ] adhere
examples: 政府[せいふ] government; administration; ministry
幕府[ばくふ] shogunate; bakufu
内閣府[ないかくふ] Cabinet Office
州政府[しゅうせいふ] state government
府庁[ふちょう] prefectural office (of Osaka or Kyoto)
府県[ふけん] prefectures (of Japan, excl. Tokyo and Hokkaido)
府知事[ふちじ] prefectural governor (of Osaka or Kyoto)
府立[ふりつ] prefectural; managed by an urban prefecture (Osaka or Kyoto)
府警[ふけい] prefectural police (Osaka or Kyoto)
日本政府[にほんせいふ] Japanese government
無政府[むせいふ] anarchy
立法府[りっぽうふ] assize; court
総理府[そうりふ] Prime Minister's office; PMO
都道府県[とどうふけん] prefectures (of Japan); largest administrative divisions of Japan: Tokyo-to, Osa
heisig_story: Cave . . . adhere.
koohii_story: A municipality , like any type of government, adheres to having caves for offices (see [government office](../v4/591.html) (#591 庁)).
heisig_keyword: municipality
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 政府 受付

kanji: 共
meaning: together
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: とも、とも.に、-ども
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 八[はち] eight
examples: 共[とも] together with
共に[ともに] together; jointly
共有[きょうゆう] joint ownership; co-ownership; sharing (e.g. a viewpoint)
共通[きょうつう] common; shared; mutual
共感[きょうかん] sympathy; empathy; response; identification (with someone)
共同[きょうどう] cooperation; collaboration; association; partnership; (acting in) unison
共通点[きょうつうてん] point in common; common feature
共存[きょうぞん] coexistence
共犯[きょうはん] complicity
共鳴[きょうめい] resonance
共闘[きょうとう] joint struggle; common (united) front
共々[ともども] together; in company
公共[こうきょう] public (facilities, service, etc.); communal
共演[きょうえん] appearing together (in a film, play, etc.); performing together (at a concert, e
共謀[きょうぼう] conspiracy; collusion; complicity
heisig_story: Salad . . . animal legs.
koohii_story: The character for [deluge](../v4/1799.html) (#1799 洪) gave me the idea to use together as a primitive for Noah's Ark. Noah kept plenty of salad on board to entice the animals with their animal legs to scurry on board together , two by two.

kanji: 軍
meaning: army
ja_on: グン
ja_kun: いくさ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 冖[わかんむり] cover
車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 軍[ぐん] army; armed forces; troops
軍隊[ぐんたい] armed forces; military; troops
将軍[しょうぐん] general
軍団[ぐんだん] army corps; corps
軍人[ぐんじん] serviceman; servicewoman; soldier; member of the armed forces; military personne
援軍[えんぐん] reinforcement
軍事[ぐんじ] military affairs
海軍[かいぐん] navy; naval force
軍服[ぐんぷく] military uniform
軍用[ぐんよう] for military use
陸軍[りくぐん] army
軍備[ぐんび] armaments; military preparations
軍艦[ぐんかん] warship; battleship
一軍[いちぐん] an army
両軍[りょうぐん] both armies
heisig_story: The crowned vehicle depicted here is a " chariot ," symbol of an army.
koohii_story: British army cars are at the service of the crown.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 軍隊 運命

kanji: 参
meaning: nonplussed
ja_on: サン、シン
ja_kun: まい.る、まい-、まじわる、みつ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 厶[む] private
大[だい] large
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 参加[さんか] participation; joining; entry
参る[まいる] to go; to come; to call
参考[さんこう] reference; consultation
降参[こうさん] surrender; submission; capitulation
参加者[さんかしゃ] participant; entrant; player; competitor
持参[じさん] bringing; taking; carrying
参戦[さんせん] participation in a war; going to war
墓参り[はかまいり] visit to a grave
お参り[おまいり] visit (to a shrine, grave, etc.); worship
参考書[さんこうしょ] reference book; study-aid book; supplemental textbook; student handbook
参与[さんよ] participation; taking part
参照[さんしょう] reference (e.g. to a dictionary, passage, footnotes); consultation; comparison
参謀[さんぼう] staff officer; military staff
人参[にんじん] carrot (Daucus carota)
参議院[さんぎいん] House of Councillors (upper house of the National Diet of Japan)
heisig_story: Elbow . . . St. Bernard dog . . . shape.
koohii_story: I'm going to visit my grandpa in the hospital. He broke his elbow , and it became really big and contorted into a weird shape. I hope he will be all right!
heisig_keyword: visit

kanji: 利
meaning: profit
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: き.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 利用[りよう] use; utilization; utilisation; application
権利[けんり] right; privilege
勝利[しょうり] victory; triumph; win; conquest; success
便利[べんり] convenient; handy; useful
利く[きく] to be effective; to take effect; to be good (for)
不利[ふり] disadvantage; handicap; unfavorable position
有利[ゆうり] advantageous; favourable; better; stronger
利益[りえき] profit; gains
利[り] advantage; benefit; profit; interest
鋭利[えいり] sharp; keen; acute
利害[りがい] advantages and disadvantages; interests (of parties)
利点[りてん] advantage; point in favor; point in favour
利かせる[きかせる] to bring out (the effect of); to put to good use; to make use of (e.g. threats);
利用者[りようしゃ] user; end-user; consumer; patron; customer; client
利口[りこう] clever; intelligent; bright; smart; wise; sensible; shrewd
heisig_story: Wheat . . . saber. Be careful not to confuse with gain (Frame 941) or earnings (Frame 959).
koohii_story: 1. Steal a bunch of wheat from a wheat field by cutting it down with your saber. 2. ????? 3. Profit!

kanji: 案
meaning: plan
ja_on: アン
ja_kun: つくえ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 安[アン] relax
木[き] tree
examples: 案内[あんない] guidance; leading (the way); showing around
提案[ていあん] proposal; proposition; suggestion
案外[あんがい] unexpectedly; surprisingly
案[あん] idea; plan; proposal; suggestion; (government) bill
案の定[あんのじょう] as expected; just as one thought; as feared; sure enough
案件[あんけん] matter (to discuss); item (on the agenda); issue; topic; case
思案[しあん] careful thought; consideration; deliberation; reflection; rumination; pondering
名案[めいあん] good idea
考案[こうあん] plan; device; idea; design; contrivance; conception; invention
発案[はつあん] suggestion; proposition; proposal; idea
妙案[みょうあん] ingenious idea; excellent plan; bright idea
立案[りつあん] planning; devising (a plan)
法案[ほうあん] bill (law); measure
答案[とうあん] examination paper; examination script; answer sheet
議案[ぎあん] legislative bill; measure
heisig_story: Without much effort, the elements relax . . . tree suggest a hammock strung between two trees in your backyard, and you stretched out in it, hands folded behind your head, planning something or other. After all, it's something we all do from time to time: kick up our legs on the nearest piece of furniture and daydream about the best plan of action to take. Be sure to relate the relaxation to the tree , so that you don't end up with something else in its place (like "legs" or "desk" or "table").
koohii_story: I plan to RELAX on top of that TREE.

kanji: 信
meaning: faith
ja_on: シン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
言[げん] words
examples: 信じる[しんじる] to believe; to believe in; to place trust in; to confide in; to have faith in
自信[じしん] self-confidence; confidence (in oneself)
信用[しんよう] confidence; trust; faith; reputation
信頼[しんらい] trust (in); confidence; faith; reliance
確信[かくしん] conviction; belief; confidence
通信[つうしん] correspondence; communication; transmission; news; signal; telecommunications
送信[そうしん] transmission; sending
信号[しんごう] signal; signalling; signaling
信念[しんねん] belief; faith; conviction
信ずる[しんずる] to believe; to believe in; to place trust in; to confide in; to have faith in
配信[はいしん] distribution (of information, news, etc.); broadcast; delivery; transmission; st
返信[へんしん] reply (e.g. email, fax, letter); answer
信仰[しんこう] (religious) faith; belief; creed
発信[はっしん] dispatch; despatch; transmission; submission
信者[しんじゃ] believer; adherent; devotee; follower
heisig_story: Person . . . words.
koohii_story: Mr. T has faith in the Word of God. (Image: Mr. T kneeling and prayering in front of a bible. "Pity me, fool.").

kanji: 別
meaning: separate
ja_on: ベツ
ja_kun: わか.れる、わ.ける
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 別に[べつに] (not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially
別[べつ] distinction; difference; discrimination
特別[とくべつ] special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional; especial
別れる[わかれる] to part (usu. of people); to part from; to part with; to be apart from
別人[べつじん] different person; another person; someone else; changed man
別れ[わかれ] parting (of people); separation; farewell
別々[べつべつ] separate; respective; different
区別[くべつ] distinction; differentiation; discrimination; difference
性別[せいべつ] (distinction of) sex; gender
差別[さべつ] distinction; differentiation; discrimination
格別[かくべつ] particular; special; exceptional; especial
別荘[べっそう] holiday house; vacation home; villa
分別[ふんべつ] discretion; prudence; good sense; judgement; judgment; wisdom; discernment
個別[こべつ] individual; separate; personal; case-by-case
別名[べつめい] another name; different name; synonym
heisig_story: In the Old East, the samurai and his saber were never separated. They were constant companions, like the cowboy of the Old West and his six-shooter. This character depicts what must have been the height of separation -anxiety for a samurai: to be bound up with a rope and unable to get at his saber leaning only a few feet away from him. Look at that mouth bellowing out for shame and sorrow! Note the order in which the element for tied up is written - just as it had been with the character for ten thousand.
koohii_story: I don't know about you but to me this seems like someone's head is about to be separate d from his body. You can see he's kneeling and his mouth is wide open gasping for the last breath he will ever take.

kanji: 側
meaning: side
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: かわ、がわ、そば
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
則[ソク] rule
examples: 側[がわ] side (of something, or taking someone's side); part
内側[うちがわ] inside; interior; inner part
向こう側[むこうがわ] other side; opposite side; other party
裏側[うらがわ] the reverse (side); back (side); other side; hidden side; behind the scenes
反対側[はんたいがわ] opposite side; opposition
外側[そとがわ] exterior; outside; outer; external; lateral
側面[そくめん] side; flank; profile; sidelight; lateral
右側[みぎがわ] right side; right-hand side
左側[ひだりがわ] left side; left-hand side
両側[りょうがわ] both sides
側近[そっきん] close aide (of a powerful person); close associate; entourage; attendant; retain
西側[にしがわ] west side; west bank
東側[ひがしがわ] east side; east bank
北側[きたがわ] north side; north bank
縁側[えんがわ] engawa
heisig_story: Person . . . rule. See frame 92 for help.
koohii_story: Mr. T rulezzz! I am on his side!

kanji: 求
meaning: request
ja_on: キュウ、グ
ja_kun: もと.める
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氺[したみず] water
丶[てん] dot
examples: 求める[もとめる] to want; to wish for
要求[ようきゅう] demand; firm request; requisition; requirement; desire
欲求[よっきゅう] desire; want; will; wish; urge; craving
追求[ついきゅう] pursuit (of a goal, ideal, etc.); search; chase; seeking after
請求[せいきゅう] claim; demand; charge; application; request; billing (for a service)
請求書[せいきゅうしょ] bill; account; invoice
探求[たんきゅう] search; quest; pursuit
求人[きゅうじん] recruiting; job offer; job vacancy
求刑[きゅうけい] recommended sentence; prosecution's demand for punishment
求心力[きゅうしんりょく] centripetal force
求職[きゅうしょく] job hunting; seeking employment
請求権[せいきゅうけん] claim rights
身代金要求[みのしろきんようきゅう] ransom demand
heisig_story: Let the drop in the upper right-hand corner of this character close the right angle off to make an arrowhead. Whenever we find the needle with that drop in an element that has no other special meaning, we will take advantage of this primitive meaning. At the bottom, we see the grains of rice , the vertical line doubling up for the two elements. Do not confuse with petition (Frame 143).
koohii_story: Enemy: "Any final request s?" // MacGyver: "Just an arrowhead and some grains of rice." (MacGyver then throws the grains of rice at the enemy and uses the arrowhead to cut his hands free from the rope.).

kanji: 昨
meaning: yesterday
ja_on: サク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
乍[サ] though
examples: 昨日[きのう] yesterday
昨夜[さくや] last night; yesterday evening
昨晩[さくばん] last night
一昨日[おととい] day before yesterday
昨年[さくねん] last year
昨今[さっこん] these days; nowadays; recently; lately
一昨年[いっさくねん] year before last
昨年度[さくねんど] previous year (fiscal, academic, etc.)
昨年来[さくねんらい] since last year
昨春[さくしゅん] last spring; the spring of last year
昨秋[さくしゅう] autumn of last year; fall of last year
heisig_story: Day . . . saw.
koohii_story: One can use a simple word play to remember this character - the day that I saw before today was yesterday.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 昨年 作戦

kanji: 官
meaning: bureaucrat
ja_on: カン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
口[くち] mouth
examples: 警官[けいかん] police officer; policeman; constable
警察官[けいさつかん] police officer; policeman; policewoman
器官[きかん] organ
教官[きょうかん] teacher; instructor; professor
官僚[かんりょう] bureaucrat; government official; bureaucracy
司令官[しれいかん] commandant; commanding officer; general
長官[ちょうかん] secretary (government); director; chief
神官[しんかん] (Shinto) priest
捜査官[そうさかん] (police) investigator
官庁[かんちょう] government office; government agency; authorities
事務官[じむかん] administrative official; secretary; commissioner
事務次官[じむじかん] permanent vice-president; undersecretary; vice-minister
代官[だいかん] local governor (Edo period); local magistrate; bailiff
係官[かかりかん] official in charge
内閣官房[ないかくかんぼう] Cabinet Secretariat
heisig_story: By replacing the maestro 's baton (the drop ) with the roof of a house , we have his equivalent in the institutional world of big government: the bureaucrat.
koohii_story: No one likes classical music anymore. Our Maestro is here at home without his baton sighing sadly before he heads off for another day as his new job as a bureaucrat.

kanji: 特
meaning: special
ja_on: トク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 特に[とくに] particularly; especially; in particular; expressly
特別[とくべつ] special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional; especial
特殊[とくしゅ] special; particular; peculiar; unique
特定[とくてい] specific; particular; designated; special
特徴[とくちょう] feature; trait; characteristic; peculiarity; distinction
独特[どくとく] peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic
特有[とくゆう] characteristic (of); peculiar (to)
特製[とくせい] special make; deluxe
特訓[とっくん] special training; intensive training; crash course
特権[とっけん] privilege; special right
特技[とくぎ] special skill
特性[とくせい] special characteristic; special quality; trait; idiosyncrasy; peculiarity
特集[とくしゅう] feature (e.g. newspaper); special edition; report
特典[とくてん] privilege; special favor; special favour; benefit; prerogative; perk; amenity
特大[とくだい] extra-large; king-size
heisig_story: Despite the strong phonetic similarity, there will be no problem keeping the key word special distinct from the character we met earlier for specialty (Frame 47), since the latter has immediate connotations lacking in this kanji. Anyway, we shall let the key word of this frame refer to something in a special class all its own - like the sacred cows of India that wander freely without fear of being butchered and ground into hamburger. Even though the practice is originally a Hindu one, and in any case no longer followed among the majority of Japanese Buddhist monks, the Buddha's refusal to take the life of any sentient being makes it only fitting that the cows should be placed on the sacred grounds of a Buddhist temple in this kanji.
koohii_story: Think of not special people, but special animals. The sacred Hindu cows are special \- they can wander around the temple without fear of becoming roast beef.

kanji: 変
meaning: unusual
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: か.わる、か.わり、か.える
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亦[エキ] also
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 大変[たいへん] very; greatly; terribly; awfully
変わる[かわる] to change; to be transformed; to be altered; to vary
変[へん] strange; odd; peculiar; weird; curious; eccentric; funny; suspicious; fishy
変える[かえる] to change; to alter; to transform; to convert; to turn; to vary
変わった[かわった] unusual; abnormal; strange; odd; peculiar; weird; different
相変わらず[あいかわらず] as usual; as always; as before; as ever; still
変化[へんか] change; variation; alteration; mutation; transition; transformation
変わらない[かわらない] constant; invariant
変更[へんこう] change; modification; alteration; revision; amendment
変わり[かわり] change; alteration
変態[へんたい] transformation
異変[いへん] unusual event; strange occurrence; strange phenomenon; something abnormal; chang
変身[へんしん] metamorphosis; disguise; transformation; shapeshifting; morphing
一変[いっぺん] complete change; about-face
変換[へんかん] change; conversion; transformation
heisig_story: Apple . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: It's quite unusual and abnormal to see an apple with walking legs running away from the person who wants to eat it!

kanji: 各
meaning: each
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: おのおの
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 夂[のまた] to follow
口[くち] mouth
examples: 各[かく] each; every; all
各地[かくち] each place; every place; various places; all parts (of the country, world, etc.)
各自[かくじ] each (person); everyone; individual; respective
各々[おのおの] each
各種[かくしゅ] every kind; all sorts
各国[かっこく] each country; every country; various countries; all countries
世界各地[せかいかくち] every part of the world; all over the world; the four corners of the world
世界各国[せかいかっこく] countries all over the world; all the countries of the world
各位[かくい] everyone; each and every one (of you); ladies and gentlemen
heisig_story: "Suum cuique" goes the popular Latin proverb. A certain disease of the English language makes it almost impossible to translate the phrase without gender bias. In any event, here we see someone walking with his/her mouth between his/her walking legs , giving us an image of "To each his/her own. "
koohii_story: Son, I've never told you this but each woman has a second mouth between their fiiiiiine walking legs.

kanji: 挙
meaning: raise
ja_on: キョ
ja_kun: あ.げる、あ.がる、こぞ.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
八[はち] eight
手[て] hand
examples: 選挙[せんきょ] election
挙句[あげく] after (a long process); at the end of
暴挙[ぼうきょ] violence; reckless action; (an) outrage
一挙[いっきょ] one effort; one action
一挙に[いっきょに] at a stroke; with a single swoop
列挙[れっきょ] enumeration; list
小選挙区[しょうせんきょく] small electoral district; single-member constituency
快挙[かいきょ] brilliant achievement; spectacular feat; splendid accomplishment; remarkable dee
挙党[きょとう] whole party; party as a whole
挙式[きょしき] holding a ceremony; wedding ceremony
普通選挙[ふつうせんきょ] universal suffrage
枚挙[まいきょ] enumeration
検挙[けんきょ] arrest; roundup
直接選挙[ちょくせつせんきょ] direct election
総選挙[そうせんきょ] general election (of the lower house)
heisig_story: Owl . . . tool . . . hand.
koohii_story: This is a special owl -luring tool. All you need is to raise it in your hand. Owl will come flying and perch on it right away.

kanji: 果
meaning: fruit
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: は.たす、はた.す、-は.たす、は.てる、-は.てる、は.て
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
木[き] tree
examples: 結果[けっか] result; consequence; outcome; effect
効果[こうか] effect; effectiveness; efficacy; result
果たす[はたす] to accomplish; to achieve; to carry out; to fulfill; to fulfil; to realize; to e
果たして[はたして] as was expected; just as one thought; sure enough
成果[せいか] (good) result; outcome; fruits (of one's labors); product; accomplishment
果て[はて] end; extremity; limit
果てる[はてる] to end; to be finished; to be exhausted
効果的[こうかてき] effective; successful
果物[くだもの] fruit
逆効果[ぎゃくこうか] opposite effect; adverse effect; backfiring
果実[かじつ] fruit; nut; berry
因果[いんが] cause and effect; causality
果敢[かかん] resolute; determined; bold
果てしない[はてしない] endless; boundless; everlasting
困り果てる[こまりはてる] to be at a complete loss; to be without recourse; to be completely stymied; to h
heisig_story: The final stage of the seed is reached when the plant has reached its full growth (the tree ) and comes to fruition, producing fruit full of new seeds that can return to the earth and start the process all over again. The main thing to notice here is the element for brains at the top, which might prove more helpful than rice field for creating an image. The writing, however, follows the order of a sun with a tree whose trunk runs through the sun.
koohii_story: If only Eve had used her brains and not taken the forbidden fruit from the tree.

kanji: 必
meaning: invariably
ja_on: ヒツ
ja_kun: かなら.ず
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 心[こころ] heart
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 必要[ひつよう] necessary; needed; essential; indispensable
必ず[かならず] always; without exception; necessarily; certainly; without fail; positively; inv
必死[ひっし] frantic; frenetic; desperate
必死になって[ひっしになって] desperately; for one's dear life
必須[ひっす] indispensable; essential; requisite; required; compulsory; necessary
必然[ひつぜん] inevitable; necessary; certain; sure
必ずしも[かならずしも] (not) always; (not) necessarily; (not) entirely; (not) all
必然的[ひつぜんてき] inevitable; necessary
必要性[ひつようせい] necessity; need
必至[ひっし] inevitable; necessary; foregone
不必要[ふひつよう] unnecessary; needless
必勝[ひっしょう] certain victory
必修[ひっしゅう] required (subject)
必需品[ひつじゅひん] necessities; necessary article; requisite; essentials
必携[ひっけい] indispensable; essential; must-have
heisig_story: First note the stroke order of this character, which did not really evolve from the heart , even though we take it that way. If one takes it as a pictograph "dividing" the heart in half, then one has one of those invariably true bits of human anatomy: the fact that each heart is divided into two halves.
koohii_story: You swear you'll be in love forever, but invariably there comes a time when your heart is divided.

kanji: 争
meaning: contend
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: あらそ.う、いか.でか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
examples: 戦争[せんそう] war
争う[あらそう] to compete; to contest; to contend
争い[あらそい] fight; dispute; feud; conflict; struggle; strife; discord; argument; quarrel; co
競争[きょうそう] competition; contest; rivalry; race
抗争[こうそう] rivalry; feud; conflict; dispute; struggle; strife; contention; resistance
闘争[とうそう] fight; battle; combat; conflict
紛争[ふんそう] dispute; conflict; trouble; unrest; strife
論争[ろんそう] dispute; controversy; debate; argument; taking issue
争奪[そうだつ] struggle (for); scramble; contest
争点[そうてん] point at issue
争議[そうぎ] dispute; quarrel; strike
係争[けいそう] dispute; contention; conflict; controversy
太平洋戦争[たいへいようせんそう] Pacific War (1941-1945)
政争[せいそう] political strife
競争入札[きょうそうにゅうさつ] competitive bidding (esp. for government contracts)
heisig_story: Bound up . . . rake.
koohii_story: This can be seen as a Retarius, a roman gladiator. The Retiarius always fought with a net to bound up his opponents, and with a trident , which was able to pierce enemies after tying them. They were terrific contenders , so they were only paired with gladiators specially equipped to fight them.

kanji: 無
meaning: nothingness
ja_on: ム、ブ
ja_kun: な.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
一[いち] one
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 無理[むり] unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable
無事[ぶじ] safety; security; peace; quiet
無駄[むだ] futility; waste; uselessness; pointlessness; idleness
無視[むし] disregarding; ignoring
無い[ない] nonexistent; not being (there)
無理やり[むりやり] forcibly; by force; against one's will
無茶[むちゃ] absurd; unreasonable; ridiculous
無意識[むいしき] unconsciousness
無[む] nothing; naught; nought; nil; zero
無言[むごん] silence (not speaking); muteness
無意味[むいみ] nonsense; no meaning; meaningless
無限[むげん] infinity; infinitude; eternity
無用[むよう] useless; futile
無関係[むかんけい] unrelated
無力[むりょく] powerlessness; helplessness; incompetence; ineffectiveness
heisig_story: This character is the Japanese character for the supreme philosophical principle of much Oriental thought: nothingness. Make use of the oaken tub from the previous frame, and add to that the oven fire at the bottom.
koohii_story: When I enter the wooden tub heated by flames in the onsen, I can let all my worries slip away and be submerged into nothingness.

kanji: 位
meaning: rank
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: くらい、ぐらい
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
立[たつ] to stand
examples: 位置[いち] place; position; location
地位[ちい] (social) position; status; standing
位[い] rank; place (e.g. first place)
単位[たんい] unit (e.g. meters, grams, etc.); denomination
上位[じょうい] superior (in rank); top; ranking
部位[ぶい] part (esp. of the body); region; site; cut (of meat)
順位[じゅんい] order; rank; position (e.g. in a race); precedence
優位[ゆうい] predominance; superiority; ascendancy; advantage; supremacy
一位[いちい] first place; first rank
高位[こうい] dignity; eminent; high ranking
下位[かい] low rank; lower position; subordinate position; lower order (e.g. byte)
どの位[どのくらい] how long; how far; how much
どれ位[どれくらい] how long; how far; how much
位置付け[いちづけ] placement; fixed position; mapping out; location
位置付ける[いちづける] to place (in relation to the whole); to rank; to position; to locate
heisig_story: Person . . . vase.
koohii_story: Mr T rank s first position in the stand-up competition (doing knee flexions). Just picture him doing hundreds of these while the rest of the participants are already completely exhausted after a mere hundred.

kanji: 置
meaning: placement
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: お.く、-お.き
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
直[チョク] straightaway
examples: 置く[おく] to put; to place
位置[いち] place; position; location
放置[ほうち] leaving as is; leaving alone; leaving unattended; neglecting; abandoning
設置[せっち] establishment; institution
配置[はいち] arrangement (of resources); deployment; stationing; posting; disposition; config
装置[そうち] equipment; device; installation; apparatus
処置[しょち] measure; step; dealing with
置き去り[おきざり] leaving behind; desertion; abandonment
前置き[まえおき] preface; introduction; preamble
物置[ものおき] storage room; storeroom; lumber room
措置[そち] measure; step; action
置き換える[おきかえる] to move (something) to another location; to change the position of; to rearrange
置物[おきもの] ornament; decorative object
置き場[おきば] place to put something; storage space; storehouse; depository; repository; shed;
位置付け[いちづけ] placement; fixed position; mapping out; location
heisig_story: Eye . . . straightaway.
koohii_story: Working in retail you learn the placement of any item should be at eye level so it's seen straightaway.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 置く 直る

kanji: 料
meaning: fee
ja_on: リョウ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
斗[ますづくり] big dipper
examples: 料理[りょうり] cooking; cookery; cuisine; food; dish
資料[しりょう] material; materials; data; information; documents
材料[ざいりょう] materials; ingredients
給料[きゅうりょう] salary; wages; pay
食料[しょくりょう] food
無料[むりょう] free (of charge); gratuitous
料[りょう] fee; charge; rate
料金[りょうきん] fee; charge; fare
燃料[ねんりょう] fuel
料理人[りょうりにん] cook; chef
調味料[ちょうみりょう] seasoning; flavoring; flavouring; condiment
原料[げんりょう] raw materials; ingredient
肥料[ひりょう] manure; fertilizer; fertiliser; compost
料亭[りょうてい] ryotei
授業料[じゅぎょうりょう] tuition fee; course fee
heisig_story: Measuring cup . . . rice.
koohii_story: When buying rice , the fee is calculated by the cup. Naturally we don't just use any cup, it has to be a proper measuring cup.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 料理 教科書

kanji: 建
meaning: build
ja_on: ケン、コン
ja_kun: た.てる、た.て、-だ.て、た.つ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
廴[えんにょう] to move
examples: 建物[たてもの] building
建てる[たてる] to build; to construct
建設[けんせつ] construction; establishment
建つ[たつ] to be erected; to be built
建前[たてまえ] face; official stance; public position or attitude (as opposed to private though
建築[けんちく] construction; architecture (of buildings)
再建[さいけん] rebuilding; reconstruction; rehabilitation
建造物[けんぞうぶつ] structure; building
建造[けんぞう] building; construction
建設的[けんせつてき] constructive
建築物[けんちくぶつ] building; structure
二階建て[にかいだて] two-storied building
一戸建て[いっこだて] detached house; stand-alone house; single-family home
円建て[えんだて] yen basis (for trade, exchange, etc.)
土建屋[どけんや] general (civil engineering and construction) contractor
heisig_story: To construct a building , you first draw a set of plans (the writing brush ) and then s-t-r-e-t-c-h your drawing out to scale in reality.
koohii_story: Build is easy to remember if you can remember that archtiechts have two steps in build ing. 1. Take a brush and brush out the blueprints. 2. Get a visual image of the blueprints all rolled up like they usually are. The second step is easy, it's just the architecht stretching out the blueprints and showing it to his clients.

kanji: 付
meaning: adhere
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: つ.ける、-つ.ける、-づ.ける、つ.け、つ.け-、-つ.け、-づ.け、-づけ、つ.く、-づ.く、つ.き、-つ.き、-つき、-づ.き、-づき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
寸[すん] inch
examples: 気付く[きづく] to notice; to realize; to realise; to become aware (of); to perceive; to sense;
付き合う[つきあう] to associate with; to keep company with; to go out with; to go steady with; to g
付ける[つける] to attach; to join; to connect; to add; to append; to affix; to stick; to glue;
片付ける[かたづける] to put in order; to tidy up; to clean up; to put away; to clear away
付く[つく] to be attached; to be connected with; to adhere; to stick; to cling
くっ付く[くっつく] to adhere to; to stick to; to cling to
付近[ふきん] neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity; environs; surrounding area; district
付き[つき] furnished with; including
気が付く[きがつく] to notice; to realize; to realise; to become aware (of); to perceive; to sense;
付き合い[つきあい] association; socializing; socialising; fellowship
気を付ける[きをつける] to be careful; to pay attention; to take care
押し付ける[おしつける] to press against; to push against; to force against
付いてる[ついてる] to be lucky; to be in luck
名付ける[なづける] to name; to call; to christen; to term
受付[うけつけ] reception (desk); information desk; receptionist; information clerk
heisig_story: Person . . . glue. The few cases in which this character serves as a primitive should include some connotation of " adhering to " that distinguishes it from " glued to. " Two examples follow.
koohii_story: 賀 TO EVERYONE WHO MADE IT TO 千 kanji!! Remember, after this, you'll be 読 ing japanese novels, the news, and the internet like a native. 吉 to ALL of you in your amazing japanese 往 . :).

kanji: 説
meaning: opinion
ja_on: セツ、ゼイ
ja_kun: と.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 言[げん] words
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 説明[せつめい] explanation; exposition; description; account; caption; legend
説得[せっとく] persuasion
伝説[でんせつ] legend; folklore; tradition
説教[せっきょう] sermon; preaching; homily
小説[しょうせつ] novel; story; (work of) fiction
説得力[せっとくりょく] persuasiveness; powers of persuasion; cogency
説[せつ] theory; doctrine
解説[かいせつ] explanation; commentary; exposition; elucidation
仮説[かせつ] hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
演説[えんぜつ] speech; address
説く[とく] to explain; to preach; to advocate
小説家[しょうせつか] novelist; fiction writer
力説[りきせつ] emphasizing (a point, argument, etc.); stressing; insistence; arguing strongly (
説明書[せつめいしょ] (printed) instructions; manual; explanatory leaflet (pamphlet, note); descriptio
学説[がくせつ] theory
heisig_story: Not inappropriately, this character likens an explanation to the devil's own words.
koohii_story: The words of a horny teenager typically fall into one of two categories: either rumors or explanation s.
heisig_keyword: explanation

kanji: 夫
meaning: husband
ja_on: フ、フウ、ブ
ja_kun: おっと、それ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 大[だい] large
examples: 大丈夫[だいじょうぶ] safe; secure; sound; problem-free; without fear; all right; alright; OK; okay
夫[おっと] husband
夫婦[ふうふ] married couple; husband and wife; man and wife
丈夫[じょうぶ] healthy; robust; strong; solid; durable
工夫[くふう] devising (a way); contriving; inventing; thinking up; figuring out; coming up wi
夫人[ふじん] wife; Mrs; Madam
夫妻[ふさい] husband and wife; married couple
亡夫[ぼうふ] deceased husband; late husband
義太夫[ぎだゆう] gidayū (type of reciting used in the puppet theater)
老夫婦[ろうふうふ] old couple; elderly couple
heisig_story: The kanji for a husband or "head of the family" is based on the kanji for large and an extra line near the top for the "head." Recall the kanji for heavens already learned back in frame 457, and be sure to keep your story for this kanji different.
koohii_story: Even though it is argued size is not important, I'm sure most women would like their husband to have a big one.

kanji: 井
meaning: well
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 二[に] two
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 天井[てんじょう] ceiling
井戸[いど] water well
油井[ゆせい] oil well
筒井[つつい] round well
heisig_story: Recalling that there are no circular strokes, and that the shape of the square and the square within a square (Frame 630) have already been used, it should be relatively easy to see how this character can be consider a pictograph of a well.
koohii_story: I nearly died by falling in a well. Actually, on two separate occasions. I'm glad to see they've added these fence posts. Now the well will be much safer.

kanji: 害
meaning: harm
ja_on: ガイ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
龶
口[くち] mouth
examples: 被害[ひがい] (suffering) damage; injury; harm
被害者[ひがいしゃ] victim; injured party; sufferer
殺害[さつがい] killing; murder
障害[しょうがい] obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier; difficulty
妨害[ぼうがい] obstruction; hindrance; blocking; disturbance; interference; interruption; sabot
害[がい] injury; harm; evil influence; damage
害する[がいする] to injure; to damage; to harm; to hurt
災害[さいがい] calamity; disaster; misfortune
損害[そんがい] damage; injury; loss
危害[きがい] injury; harm; danger
利害[りがい] advantages and disadvantages; interests (of parties)
無害[むがい] harmless
加害者[かがいしゃ] perpetrator; wrong-doer; aggressor; assailant; offender; at-fault party (e.g. in
阻害[そがい] obstruction; impediment; hindrance; inhibition; blocking; check
侵害[しんがい] infringement; violation; invasion; encroachment; trespass
heisig_story: House . . . grow up . . . mouth.
koohii_story: With kids growing up in your house , you have to keep them from harm of putting anything in their mouth , paint chips, bleach, knvies, etc.

kanji: 副
meaning: vice-
ja_on: フク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 畐[フク] to fill
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 副[ふく] assistant; associate; vice-; sub-; deputy; substitute; auxiliary; supplementary;
副作用[ふくさよう] side effect; adverse reaction
副業[ふくぎょう] side job; sideline; subsidiary business
副詞[ふくし] adverb
副反応[ふくはんのう] side effect (of a vaccine)
副産物[ふくさんぶつ] by-product
副知事[ふくちじ] vice-governor; deputy governor; lieutenant governor
副社長[ふくしゃちょう] executive vice-president
副葬品[ふくそうひん] grave goods; burial accessories
副賞[ふくしょう] supplementary prize; additional prize; auxiliary prize; bonus prize
副題[ふくだい] subtitle; subheading
heisig_story: The key word vice has the sense of someone second-in-command. The great and flashing saber to the right (its usual location, so you need not worry about where to put it from now on) and the wealth on the left combine to create an image of dividing one's property to give a share to one's vice - wealth holder.
koohii_story: The wealthy guy with the sword standing next to the king, that's the vice- roy who does all the dirty work.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 福田 fukuda

kanji: 席
meaning: seat
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: むしろ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
廿[ジュウ] twenty
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 席[せき] seat
出席[しゅっせき] attendance; presence; appearance
欠席[けっせき] absence; non-attendance
同席[どうせき] being present (at the same meeting, occasion, etc.); attendance (with); sitting
座席[ざせき] seat (esp. in public places or places with assigned seating); seating
客席[きゃくせき] guest seating (e.g. theater, stadium); passenger seat (e.g. taxi)
着席[ちゃくせき] taking a seat; sitting down (in one's seat)
即席[そくせき] impromptu; improvised; extempore; ad-lib; off-the-cuff
空席[くうせき] empty seat; unoccupied seat
満席[まんせき] full house; all seats occupied; fully occupied
首席[しゅせき] head; chief
主席[しゅせき] head; chief
出席者[しゅっせきしゃ] attendee; participant; person present
宴席[えんせき] banquet; dinner party
寄席[よせ] entertainment hall (for rakugo, manzai, magic, music, etc.); vaudeville theater
heisig_story: Caverns . . . towel.
koohii_story: Remember those poor commoners huddled in groups of 20 in a cave? The only thing they had for a seat was some old toweling (while their lords could recline on luxurious couches).

kanji: 残
meaning: remainder
ja_on: ザン、サン
ja_kun: のこ.る、のこ.す、そこな.う、のこ.り
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
戋
examples: 残る[のこる] to remain; to be left
残す[のこす] to leave (behind)
残念[ざんねん] regrettable; unfortunate; disappointing; vexing
残り[のこり] remainder; remnant; the rest; what is left; balance; leftovers
生き残る[いきのこる] to survive
残酷[ざんこく] cruel; brutal; ruthless; merciless; inhuman
取り残す[とりのこす] to leave behind
残らず[のこらず] all; entirely; completely; without exception
名残惜しい[なごりおしい] reluctant (to part)
残業[ざんぎょう] overtime (work)
生き残り[いきのこり] survival
無残[むざん] cruel; merciless; atrocious; ruthless; cold-blooded
名残[なごり] remains; traces; vestiges; relics
残虐[ざんぎゃく] cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous
残忍[ざんにん] brutal; cruel; merciless; ruthless; cold-blooded
heisig_story: Bones . . . (parade) float.
koohii_story: The remainder of the bones have been thrown from the float (for the dogs maybe, at the end of the parade).

kanji: 念
meaning: wish
ja_on: ネン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 今[コン] now
心[こころ] heart
examples: 残念[ざんねん] regrettable; unfortunate; disappointing; vexing
念のため[ねんのため] just to make sure; just to be sure; for confirmation
記念[きねん] commemoration; celebration; remembrance; memory; honoring the memory of
観念[かんねん] idea; notion; concept; conception
念[ねん] sense; idea; thought; feeling
専念[せんねん] absorption; giving undivided attention; devoting oneself (to)
信念[しんねん] belief; faith; conviction
概念[がいねん] general idea; concept; notion
無念[むねん] regret; chagrin; mortification
懸念[けねん] worry; fear; anxiety; concern
念入り[ねんいり] careful; scrupulous; thorough; conscientious; elaborate; deliberate; attentive
執念[しゅうねん] tenacity; persistence; obsession; implacability
念願[ねんがん] one's heart's desire; one's dearest wish
疑念[ぎねん] doubt; suspicion; misgivings; scruples
丹念[たんねん] painstaking; careful; meticulous; scrupulous; detailed; elaborate
heisig_story: Clock . . . heart.
koohii_story: Someone wish ing from the bottom of their heart that the clock would stop. A mid- life crisis perhaps.

kanji: 試
meaning: test
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: こころ.みる、ため.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 言[げん] words
式[シキ] style
examples: 試す[ためす] to try (out); to have a try (at); to test; to put to the test
試合[しあい] match; game; bout; contest
試験[しけん] examination; exam; test
試みる[こころみる] to try; to attempt; to have a go (at)
試練[しれん] test; trial; ordeal; tribulation
試し[ためし] trial; test; try
試行錯誤[しこうさくご] trial and error
試み[こころみ] attempt; trial; experiment
試食[ししょく] sampling food; tasting; trying
試着[しちゃく] trying on clothes
試作[しさく] trial manufacture; experiment; test piece; prototype
入試[にゅうし] entrance examination
お試しあれ[おためしあれ] give it a try!
入学試験[にゅうがくしけん] entrance examination
力試し[ちからだめし] test of one's strength; test of one's ability
heisig_story: When a manufacturer produces a new style for the market, the first thing that is done is to run a test on consumers, asking them to speak their opinions frankly about the product. Never mind the anachronism (the kanji was there well before our capitalistic market system) if it helps you remember.
koohii_story: In an essay test , you are judged on both your choice of words and your writing style.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 試す 確かめる

kanji: 労
meaning: labor
ja_on: ロウ
ja_kun: ろう.する、いたわ.る、いた.ずき、ねぎら、つか.れる、ねぎら.う
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
力[ちから] power
examples: 苦労[くろう] trouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor; toil; pains
ご苦労さま[ごくろうさま] thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts
疲労[ひろう] fatigue; weariness; exhaustion; tiredness
労働[ろうどう] labor; labour; work
ご苦労様[ごくろうさま] thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts
労力[ろうりょく] labour; labor; effort; toil; trouble
心労[しんろう] anxiety; worry; fear
過労[かろう] overwork; strain
労働者[ろうどうしゃ] worker
労[ろう] labor; labour; toil; trouble; pains; work; effort; striving
労る[いたわる] to pity; to sympathize with; to sympathise with; to treat with sympathy; to cons
勤労[きんろう] labor; labour; exertion; diligent service
功労[こうろう] meritorious deed; services
労作[ろうさく] toil; labor; labour; laborious task
労使[ろうし] labour and management; labor and management
heisig_story: Schoolhouse . . . power.
koohii_story: Those jocks who always tried to show their muscles in the schoolhouse are now the ones out there doing manual labor jobs while we sit here and learn Japanese. Ha!

kanji: 例
meaning: example
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: たと.える
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
列[レツ] file
examples: 例えば[たとえば] for example; for instance; e.g.
例[れい] example; instance; illustration; case
例外[れいがい] exception
例え[たとえ] example
例える[たとえる] to compare (something) to; to liken; to speak figuratively; to use a simile; to
恒例[こうれい] established practice; custom
前例[ぜんれい] precedent
比例[ひれい] proportion
事例[じれい] example; precedent; case
例年[れいねん] average (normal, ordinary) year
異例[いれい] exceptional; unusual; extraordinary; unprecedented; singular
特例[とくれい] special case; exception
実例[じつれい] example; illustration; precedent
慣例[かんれい] custom; practice; convention; precedent
一例[いちれい] example; an instance
heisig_story: Person . . . file.
koohii_story: Mr T shows the example to the kids, and stays in the file (at supermarket, …). “I pity da foo who does not follow my example !”.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 例 列

kanji: 然
meaning: sort of thing
ja_on: ゼン、ネン
ja_kun: しか、しか.り、しか.し、さ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 月[つき] moon
犬[いぬ] dog
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 全然[ぜんぜん] (not) at all; (not) in the slightest
当然[とうぜん] natural; right; proper; just; reasonable; appropriate; deserved
突然[とつぜん] abrupt; sudden; unexpected
偶然[ぐうぜん] coincidence; chance; accident; fortuity
自然[しぜん] nature
不自然[ふしぜん] unnatural; artificial; affected; strained
同然[どうぜん] just like; (virtually) no different from; (almost) the same as; as good as (e.g.
天然[てんねん] nature; spontaneity
漠然[ばくぜん] vague; obscure; indistinct; hazy; ambiguous
必然[ひつぜん] inevitable; necessary; certain; sure
断然[だんぜん] firmly; flatly; resolutely; decisively; absolutely; definitely
必然的[ひつぜんてき] inevitable; necessary
依然[いぜん] still; as yet; as it has been
依然として[いぜんとして] still; as yet; as of old
騒然[そうぜん] noisy; confused; uproarious
heisig_story: The key word in this frame refers to a suffix that gives the word before it an adjectival quality, hence we refer to it as " sort of thing. " Reverting to the time when dog was more widely eaten than it is today (See frame 127), we see here a large cauldron boiling over an oven flame with the flesh of a chihuahua being thrown into the whole concoction to make it into a "hot- diggity, dog-diggity" sort of thing.
koohii_story: Flesh of a dog over a cooking fire = "hotdog". There are all sorts of things in hot dogs. Believe me, you don't want to know what sort of things . Visualize the hotdog curling as it cooks, to remember the unusual way the flesh primitive curves in this kanji. (tweaked version of ziggr's. Thanks!).

kanji: 験
meaning: verification
ja_on: ケン、ゲン
ja_kun: あかし、しるし、ため.す、ためし
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
㑒
examples: 経験[けいけん] experience
体験[たいけん] (practical) experience; personal experience; hands-on experience; first-hand exp
実験[じっけん] experiment; experimentation
試験[しけん] examination; exam; test
受験[じゅけん] taking an examination (esp. for entrance to a school or university)
経験者[けいけんしゃ] experienced person; person who has had a particular experience
経験値[けいけんち] amount of experience; experience level
入学試験[にゅうがくしけん] entrance examination
国家試験[こっかしけん] state examination; national examination
実験室[じっけんしつ] laboratory
核実験[かくじっけん] nuclear (bomb) test
模擬試験[もぎしけん] mock exam; practice exam; practice test
治験[ちけん] clinical trial
筆記試験[ひっきしけん] written examination
経験豊富[けいけんほうふ] experienced; well-versed
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . awl.
koohii_story: We just verification that there are indeed no soldiers in the belly of this trojan horse. We're just gonna stab it in the belly with this awl to check.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 駐車所

kanji: 伝
meaning: transmit
ja_on: デン、テン
ja_kun: つた.わる、つた.える、つた.う、つだ.う、-づた.い、つて
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
云[ウン] say
examples: 伝える[つたえる] to convey; to report; to transmit; to communicate; to tell; to impart; to propag
手伝う[てつだう] to help; to assist; to aid
伝わる[つたわる] to spread (of a rumour, news, etc.); to travel; to circulate; to go around; to b
手伝い[てつだい] helper; assistant
伝説[でんせつ] legend; folklore; tradition
お手伝い[おてつだい] maid; helper
伝言[でんごん] (verbal) message; word (from someone)
宣伝[せんでん] publicity; advertisement; advertising; propaganda
伝う[つたう] to go along; to walk along; to follow
伝統[でんとう] tradition; convention
遺伝子[いでんし] gene
伝承[でんしょう] handing down (information); legend; tradition; folklore; transmission
伝達[でんたつ] transmission (e.g. news, chemical signals, electricity); communication; delivery
遺伝[いでん] heredity; (genetic) inheritance
伝染[でんせん] contagion; infection
heisig_story: Person . . . rising cloud. Hint: the Amerindians' smoke signal scan help provide a good image for this kanji, whose key word is meant to include transmissions of all sorts.
koohii_story: Mister T transmit s a message with rising clouds (smoke) signals, to a nearby American Indian tribe. The smoke signals spell : "I p-i-t-y y-o-u f-o-o !".

kanji: 働
meaning: work
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: はたら.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
動[ドウ] move
examples: 働く[はたらく] to work; to labor; to labour
働き[はたらき] work; labor; labour
働かせる[はたらかせる] to put someone to work; to make someone work
労働[ろうどう] labor; labour; work
稼働[かどう] operation (of a machine); running
働きかける[はたらきかける] to work on (someone); to appeal to; to make approaches to; to pressure; to exert
働き者[はたらきもの] hard worker; hardworking person
労働者[ろうどうしゃ] worker
共働き[ともばたらき] (husband and wife) both working; dual income
働き口[はたらきぐち] position; job; employment; opening
働き手[はたらきて] worker; breadwinner; supporter
働き盛り[はたらきざかり] prime of one's working life
労働党[ろうどうとう] Labour Party; Labor Party
労働力[ろうどうりょく] labor; labour; manpower; working force
労働基準法[ろうどうきじゅんほう] Labor Standards Act
heisig_story: Person . . . move. Do not confuse with labor (Frame 924).
koohii_story: Mr. T 's real line of work is for a moving company.

kanji: 景
meaning: scenery
ja_on: ケイ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
京[キョウ] capital
examples: 景色[けしき] scenery; scene; landscape
光景[こうけい] scene; spectacle; sight; view
風景[ふうけい] scenery; scene; landscape; view; sight
背景[はいけい] background; scenery; backdrop; setting
景気[けいき] business conditions; the market; economic activity; economic climate
夜景[やけい] night view; night skyline; nightscape
景品[けいひん] gift; premium; freebie; giveaway; something additional; an extra
情景[じょうけい] spectacle; sight; scene
不景気[ふけいき] economic slump; hard times; depression; recession
景観[けいかん] scenery
好景気[こうけいき] good times; boom; (wave of) prosperity
景勝[けいしょう] picturesque scenery; place of scenic beauty
heisig_story: Scenery is depicted as a sun rising over a capital city, which is a bit of natural scenery the city dwellers themselves rarely get to see!
koohii_story: Imaging the sun rising over the capital–classic postcard scenery.

kanji: 好
meaning: fond
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: この.む、す.く、よ.い、い.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
子[こ] child
examples: 好き[すき] liking; being fond of; to one's liking; to one's taste; preferred; favourite
大好き[だいすき] liking very much; loving (something or someone); adoring; being very fond of
格好[かっこう] shape; form; figure; posture; pose
好み[このみ] liking; taste; fancy; fondness
好む[このむ] to like; to prefer
好意[こうい] kindness; favor; favour; friendliness
好奇心[こうきしん] curiosity; inquisitiveness
絶好[ぜっこう] best; ideal; perfect
好都合[こうつごう] convenient; favorable; favourable; expedient; expedience
好物[こうぶつ] favourite dish (favorite); favourite food
好き嫌い[すききらい] likes and dislikes; tastes; preferences; pickiness (esp. about food); choosiness
良好[りょうこう] good; fine; excellent; favorable; favourable; satisfactory
好評[こうひょう] favorable reception; good reputation; popularity
絶好調[ぜっこうちょう] in perfect form; going swimmingly
好ましい[このましい] nice; likeable; desirable
heisig_story: The phrase "to be fond of someone " has a natural gentleness about it, and lends a tenderness to the sense of touching by giving us the related term "to fondle. " The character likens it to a woman fondling her child.
koohii_story: A woman is fond of her child.

kanji: 辺
meaning: environs
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: あた.り、ほと.り、-べ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 刀[かたな] knife
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 辺り[あたり] (in the) neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity; nearby; surroundings
この辺[このへん] this area; around here
周辺[しゅうへん] circumference; outskirts; environs; around; in the area of; in the vicinity of
その辺[そのへん] around there; near there
辺[へん] area; vicinity; region
天辺[てっぺん] top; summit; apex; peak
近辺[きんぺん] neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity
どの辺[どのへん] whereabouts; what part
そこら辺[そこらへん] hereabouts; around there; that area
海辺[うみべ] beach; seashore; seaside; coast
浜辺[はまべ] beach; foreshore
辺境[へんきょう] remote region; outlying district; border district; frontier
底辺[ていへん] base (of a polygon)
身辺[しんぺん] one's person; around one's person
水辺[みずべ] water's edge; waterside; shore
heisig_story: To keep the environs clean and safe, you could cement daggers in the road , blades pointed upwards, so that no polluting traffic could pass by. You could, if you were an ecologically-minded terrorist.
koohii_story: Caution: this kanji doesn't mean environment, it means "environs, boundary, border, vicinity". To separate the environs , create the border by placing daggers on the road.

kanji: 英
meaning: England
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: はなぶさ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
央[オウ] center
examples: 英語[えいご] English (language)
英雄[えいゆう] hero; heroine; great person
英[えい] United Kingdom; Britain
英国[えいこく] United Kingdom; Britain; Great Britain
和英[わえい] Japanese-English
英和[えいわ] English-Japanese
英字[えいじ] English letter; alphabetic character
英文[えいぶん] English writing; English sentence; English text
俊英[しゅんえい] excellence; genius
石英[せきえい] quartz
育英[いくえい] education of gifted young people; providing financial support to gifted students
英会話[えいかいわ] English conversation
英単語[えいたんご] English word
英数字[えいすうじ] alphanumeric character; letters (of the English alphabet) and numbers
英文学[えいぶんがく] English(-language) literature
heisig_story: Flowers . . . center. This is another abbreviation used to identify a country by the pronunciation of the kanji.
koohii_story: The original great seal of the king of England had a very ornate flower in the center.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 英語 映画 漢字

kanji: 低
meaning: lower
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: ひく.い、ひく.める、ひく.まる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
氏[うじ] family
一[いち] one
examples: 低い[ひくい] low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.)
最低[さいてい] least; lowest; minimum
最低限[さいていげん] minimum
低下[ていか] fall; decline; lowering; deterioration; degradation
低める[ひくめる] to lower; to be lowered
低価格[ていかかく] low price
低利[ていり] low interest rate
低地[ていち] depression; lowlands; low ground; bottom land; plain
低学年[ていがくねん] lower grades of primary school (first, second, and sometimes third grades)
低料金[ていりょうきん] low rates
低気圧[ていきあつ] low (atmospheric) pressure; low-pressure system; depression; cyclone
低水準[ていすいじゅん] substandard; low-level
低減[ていげん] decrease; reduction; fall; depreciation; mitigation
低温[ていおん] low temperature
低落[ていらく] fall; decline; slump
heisig_story: Person . . . calling card.
koohii_story: Mr. T travels to Japan and knows he must bow lower when presenting his business card.

kanji: 失
meaning: lose
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: うしな.う、う.せる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
夫[フ] husband
examples: 失礼[しつれい] discourtesy; impoliteness
失う[うしなう] to lose
失敗[しっぱい] failure; mistake; blunder
失礼します[しつれいします] excuse me; pardon me; I beg your pardon
失礼しました[しつれいしました] my apologies; I'm sorry; excuse me
見失う[みうしなう] to lose sight of; to miss
失格[しっかく] disqualification; elimination; incapacity
失望[しつぼう] disappointment; despair
失態[しったい] blunder; fault; error; mistake; failure; disgrace
失踪[しっそう] disappearance; running away; going missing; absconding
失敬[しっけい] rudeness; impoliteness; disrespect; impertinence
失恋[しつれん] disappointed love; broken heart; unrequited love; being lovelorn
喪失[そうしつ] loss; forfeit
損失[そんしつ] loss (of assets, profit, etc.)
失神[しっしん] fainting; losing consciousness; passing out
heisig_story: "To lose " here takes the sense of "misplace," not the sense of defeat , whose kanji we learned in frame 67. It pictures a husband with something falling from his side as he is walking along, something he loses.
koohii_story: The drop falling here is the husband's toupee… he's already lost his hair once, now he's losing it again. Such is life, I suppose.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 失う 星矢

kanji: 差
meaning: distinction
ja_on: サ
ja_kun: さ.す、さ.し
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
工[たくみ] work
examples: 差[さ] difference; variation
差し出す[さしだす] to hold out; to extend (e.g. a hand)
差す[さす] to shine
差し込む[さしこむ] to insert; to put in; to thrust in; to plug in
差し上げる[さしあげる] to lift up; to hold up; to raise
眼差し[まなざし] (a) look; gaze
人差し指[ひとさしゆび] index finger; forefinger; first (occ. second) finger
指差す[ゆびさす] to point at
日差し[ひざし] sunlight; rays of the Sun
差別[さべつ] distinction; differentiation; discrimination
大差[たいさ] great difference; big difference; wide margin
交差[こうさ] crossing; intersection
差し伸べる[さしのべる] to hold out; to extend (e.g. one's hands); to stretch; to reach out for
差出人[さしだしにん] sender (e.g. of mail)
交差点[こうさてん] crossing; intersection
heisig_story: Wool . . . craft.
koohii_story: This New-Zealand pro-gamer has won many distinctions playing WoolCraft (a massively multi-user game in which the goal is to shear sheep).

kanji: 課
meaning: chapter
ja_on: カ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 言[げん] words
果[カ] fruit
examples: 放課後[ほうかご] after school (at the end of the day)
課題[かだい] subject; theme; issue; matter
課[か] lesson
課長[かちょう] section manager; section chief
日課[にっか] daily routine; daily work; daily lesson
課する[かする] to impose (a tax, fine, etc.); to levy; to assign (a task, duty, etc.); to give;
課程[かてい] course; curriculum
課税[かぜい] taxation
修士課程[しゅうしかてい] master's course
課員[かいん] section staff
課徴金[かちょうきん] charges (i.e. fees)
賦課[ふか] levy; imposition
heisig_story: Words . . . fruit.
koohii_story: After I finish each chapter of RTK, I eat a piece of fruit to celebrate all the new words I've learned. (Thanks Misha!).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 課題 果たして 結果

kanji: 末
meaning: end
ja_on: マツ、バツ
ja_kun: すえ、うら、うれ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 始末[しまつ] management; dealing with; settlement; cleaning up; disposal
末[すえ] end; tip; top
結末[けつまつ] end; conclusion
週末[しゅうまつ] weekend
末に[すえに] finally; after; following
後始末[あとしまつ] settlement (of a matter); sorting out; winding up (affairs); dealing with the af
端末[たんまつ] terminal; computer terminal
年末[ねんまつ] end-of-year; year-end
粗末[そまつ] crude; rough; plain; humble; shabby; poor-quality; low-quality
末期[まっき] last years; closing years; last days; closing days; end; last stage; final stage
末端[まったん] end; tip; extremities; terminal
今週末[こんしゅうまつ] this weekend
不始末[ふしまつ] omission; failure; incompleteness
月末[げつまつ] end of the month
終末[しゅうまつ] end; close; conclusion; termination
heisig_story: This character is best learned in connection with that of the previous frame. The first stroke shows a branch that is longer than the main branch, indicating that the tree has reached the extremity of its growth, so that its branches stop spreading and start drooping downwards. Be sure to keep this imagery in mind, to avoid confusing this key word with synonyms that will appear later.
koohii_story: The tree has reached the extremity of its growth and no longer produces small, new branches at the top. Instead the existing top branch just grows longer and longer.
heisig_keyword: extremity

kanji: 極
meaning: extreme
ja_on: キョク、ゴク
ja_kun: きわ.める、きわ.まる、きわ.まり、きわ.み、き.める、-ぎ.め、き.まる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
亟[キョク] fast
examples: 積極的[せっきょくてき] positive; assertive; active; proactive; aggressive
極めて[きわめて] exceedingly; extremely; decisively
見極める[みきわめる] to watch to the end
極端[きょくたん] extreme; extremity
究極[きゅうきょく] ultimate; final; last; eventual
極める[きわめる] to carry to extremes; to go to the end of something; to reach the limits of some
極力[きょくりょく] to the utmost; to the best of one's ability
極限[きょくげん] utmost limits; extremity
極上[ごくじょう] first-rate; finest quality; the best
極秘[ごくひ] absolute secrecy
極み[きわみ] height; acme; extremity; peak
極度[きょくど] maximum; extreme; utmost
極まる[きわまる] to reach an extreme; to reach a limit; to terminate; to come to an end
消極的[しょうきょくてき] negative; passive; half-hearted; unmotivated
極[ごく] quite; very
heisig_story: The poles this key word refers to are the extremities of the earth or the terminals of an electric field. The elements are: tree . . . snare . . . mouth . . . crotch . . . floor.
koohii_story: Can simplify this using [decay](../v4/1243.html) (#1243 朽). Then: The expedition to the poles is bad for your health, and the decay that started in your mouth spreads to your crotch – at which point you fall to the floor.
heisig_keyword: poles

kanji: 種
meaning: species
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: たね、-ぐさ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
重[ジュウ] heavy
examples: 種類[しゅるい] variety; kind; type; category
種[たね] seed (e.g. of a plant); pip; kernel; stone (e.g. of a peach)
一種[いっしゅ] a kind; a sort; a variety; a species
種族[しゅぞく] race; tribe; ethnic group
人種[じんしゅ] race (of people)
各種[かくしゅ] every kind; all sorts
火種[ひだね] live coals (for firelighting)
機種[きしゅ] model (of machine, device)
種目[しゅもく] item; event
品種[ひんしゅ] type (of goods); sort
種々[しゅじゅ] various; a variety of; all kinds of; many; diverse
三種[さんしゅ] three kinds; three varieties
予防接種[よぼうせっしゅ] vaccination; inoculation; immunization; immunisation
同種[どうしゅ] same kind; same sort; same species; same race; homogeneity
接種[せっしゅ] inoculation; vaccination
heisig_story: Wheat . . . heavy.
koohii_story: After the whole low-carb craze, scientists developed a new low-carb species of wheat , so that dieters could eat it without getting heavier.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 種 積もる

kanji: 岡
meaning: mount
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: おか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
山[やま] mountain
examples: 福岡[ふくおか] Fukuoka (city, prefecture)
静岡[しずおか] Shizuoka (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: Here we see a mountain goat " mounted " under a glass canopy. In this and the following frames, think of a particular Mount you know.
koohii_story: White mount , Fuji mount , olympus mount whatever ….The choice is yours but wherever you go they sell those snowglobe souvenir : under a GLASS HOOD you can see the mount with a MOUTAIN GOAT standing on top of it …. So kitsch you just can't forget it .
heisig_keyword: Mount

kanji: 量
meaning: quantity
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: はか.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 旦[タン] daybreak
里[さと] village
examples: 量[りょう] quantity; amount; volume; capacity; portion (of food)
大量[たいりょう] large quantity; massive (quantity); mass (e.g. mass production, mass transit, ma
重量[じゅうりょう] weight
質量[しつりょう] mass
量産[りょうさん] mass production
力量[りきりょう] ability; capacity; capability; talent
音量[おんりょう] volume (sound)
少量[しょうりょう] small quantity; small amount
容量[ようりょう] capacity; volume
分量[ぶんりょう] amount; quantity
量る[はかる] to measure; to weigh; to survey; to time (sound, gauge, estimate)
多量[たりょう] large quantity; large amount
微量[びりょう] minuscule amount; extremely small quantity
測量[そくりょう] measurement; surveying
全量[ぜんりょう] the whole amount; entire amount; total amount; total quantity
heisig_story: Think of quantity as having to do with measuring time and distance, and the rest is simple: you have a quantity of time in the new day that begins with nightbreak , and a quantity of distance in the rural ri.
koohii_story: I did such a quantity of work that when NIGHT BREAK came, I was asleep on the COMPUTER.

kanji: 望
meaning: ambition
ja_on: ボウ、モウ
ja_kun: のぞ.む、もち
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亡[ボウ] deceased
月[つき] moon
王[オウ] king
examples: 望む[のぞむ] to desire; to want; to wish for; to hope for
希望[きぼう] hope; wish; aspiration
望み[のぞみ] wish; desire; hope
絶望[ぜつぼう] despair; hopelessness
欲望[よくぼう] desire; appetite; lust
失望[しつぼう] disappointment; despair
要望[ようぼう] demand for; request
願望[がんぼう] desire; wish; aspiration
野望[やぼう] ambition; aspiration
志望[しぼう] wish; desire; ambition; choice
待ち望む[まちのぞむ] to wait eagerly for; to look forward to
望ましい[のぞましい] desirable; hoped for; preferable; advisable
有望[ゆうぼう] promising; hopeful; full of promise
渇望[かつぼう] craving; longing; thirsting
展望[てんぼう] view; outlook; prospect
heisig_story: The story of ambition talks of a king walking under the perishing (or "waning") moon dreaming great dreams about his kingdom. (The roots of ambition are from the same word as "ambulate," meaning to walk about.)
koohii_story: You're dead meat , buddy, my ambition is to be king.

kanji: 松
meaning: pine tree
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: まつ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
公[コウ] public
examples: 松[まつ] pine tree (Pinus spp.)
松林[まつばやし] pine forest
浜松[はままつ] Hamamatsu (city)
赤松[あかまつ] Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine; tanyosho pine
門松[かどまつ] New Year's pine decoration
heisig_story: Tree . . . public.
koohii_story: Following up with the "entering public restrooms" story for the right-hand primitive: public restrooms always reek of pine tree scented disinfectant.

kanji: 佐
meaning: assistant
ja_on: サ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
左[サ] left
examples: 補佐[ほさ] aid; help; assistance; assistant; counselor; counsellor; adviser; advisor
大佐[たいさ] colonel; (navy) captain
中佐[ちゅうさ] lieutenant colonel; commander (navy)
少佐[しょうさ] major; lieutenant commander; wing commander
heisig_story: Person . . . left.
koohii_story: Mr T's assistant is on his left. Why? Because Mr T has this bad habit of suddenly extending his right arm (what with all the boxing that he did), and his assistant got inadvertently punched in the face more than once (ouch). So now his assistant is always to his left side, much safer - "Stay on my left , foo!".

kanji: 観
meaning: outlook
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: み.る、しめ.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
見[みる] to see
examples: 観察[かんさつ] observation; survey; watching
観念[かんねん] idea; notion; concept; conception
観客[かんきゃく] spectator; audience
観る[みる] to see; to look; to watch; to view; to observe
価値観[かちかん] sense of values; values; value system
観光[かんこう] sightseeing; tourism
客観的[きゃっかんてき] objective
観測[かんそく] observation; survey; measurement
観光客[かんこうきゃく] tourist
外観[がいかん] outward appearance; exterior appearance; outward show; looks
観点[かんてん] point of view; viewpoint; standpoint; perspective; angle
世界観[せかいかん] worldview; outlook on the world; Weltanschauung
観戦[かんせん] watching a (sports) game; spectating; observing (military operations)
先入観[せんにゅうかん] preconception; preconceived notion; prejudice
楽観的[らっかんてき] optimistic; hopeful
heisig_story: Pegasus . . . see.
koohii_story: Microsoft Outlook works about as well as a pegasus that can't see: they both crash all the time.

kanji: 察
meaning: guess
ja_on: サツ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
祭[サイ] ritual
examples: 警察[けいさつ] police
観察[かんさつ] observation; survey; watching
察する[さっする] to guess; to sense; to presume; to judge
察知[さっち] to sense; to infer; to gather; to pick up on; to get wind of; to perceive
警察官[けいさつかん] police officer; policeman; policewoman
偵察[ていさつ] scouting; reconnaissance
診察[しんさつ] medical examination; checkup; consultation
視察[しさつ] inspection; observation
考察[こうさつ] consideration; inquiry; enquiry; investigation; study
警察署[けいさつしょ] police station
検察[けんさつ] criminal investigation; prosecution
査察[ささつ] inspection (for compliance); investigation (tax, etc.)
検察官[けんさつかん] public prosecutor
検察庁[けんさつちょう] Public Prosecutors Office
洞察[どうさつ] discernment; insight
heisig_story: " Guess " here has the sense of a measured conjecture. Its elements: house . . . ritual.
koohii_story: I have an informed guess about whose house the dark rituals are performet at.

kanji: 票
meaning: ballot
ja_on: ヒョウ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 覀[にし] cover
示[しめす] altar
examples: 投票[とうひょう] voting; ballot; poll; vote
票[ひょう] vote; ballot
伝票[でんぴょう] chit; slip; ticket; voucher
一票[いっぴょう] one vote; one ballot
不在者投票[ふざいしゃとうひょう] absentee ballot; absentee voting
住民票[じゅうみんひょう] certificate of residence
国民投票[こくみんとうひょう] national referendum
得票[とくひょう] number of votes polled; poll votes
投票所[とうひょうしょ] polling place; polling station
投票箱[とうひょうばこ] ballot box
決選投票[けっせんとうひょう] final vote; run-off ballot
浮動票[ふどうひょう] swing vote
無投票[むとうひょう] without a vote
票田[ひょうでん] (reliable) source of votes; area of strong electoral support; stronghold; (voter
開票[かいひょう] counting ballots; tally (of votes)
heisig_story: Old West . . . altar.
koohii_story: In the Old West there were no ballot boxes. Afraid of fraud and fighting among the gunslingers, the ballot s were posted into a slot in the top of the local church altar instead. They may have been rough, but the cowboys wouldn't fight in the church.

kanji: 達
meaning: accomplished
ja_on: タツ、ダ
ja_kun: -たち
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 土[つち] earth
羊[ひつじ] sheep
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 友達[ともだち] friend; companion
達[たち] pluralizing suffix (esp. for people and animals; formerly honorific)
達する[たっする] to reach; to get to; to arrive at
達成[たっせい] achievement; attainment; accomplishment; realization
私達[わたしたち] we; us
到達[とうたつ] reaching; attaining; arrival
人達[ひとたち] people
調達[ちょうたつ] supply; provision; raising; procurement
上達[じょうたつ] improvement (e.g. in skill, ability); advance; progress
達者[たっしゃ] in good health; healthy; well; fit; robust; strong
達人[たつじん] master; expert
配達[はいたつ] delivery
発達[はったつ] development; growth
伊達[だて] elegance; dandyism; sophistication; having style
子供達[こどもたち] children; kids
heisig_story: The key word is meant to connote someone "skilled" at something. On the road we find soil OVER a sheep. You may have to work with this one a while longer.
koohii_story: Dolly (the first cloned sheep ever) grow tired of being a celebrity and escaped from the labs by digging a tunnel. She turned out to be an ACCOMPLISHED escapist, as she managed to dig a road under the soil. / Imagine Dolly performing a escape, like those movies where the main character has to escape from jail.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 違います 遅い

kanji: 良
meaning: good
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: よ.い、-よ.い、い.い、-い.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艮[こん] boundary
examples: 奈良[なら] Nara (city, prefecture)
良い[よい] good; excellent; fine; nice; pleasant; agreeable
仲良く[なかよく] on good terms (with); on friendly terms (with); (getting along) well; in harmony
仲良し[なかよし] close friendship; close friend; good friend; bosom buddy; chum; pal
不良[ふりょう] bad; poor; inferior; defective
良く[よく] nicely; properly; well; skillfully; skilfully
方が良い[ほうがいい] had better ...
良好[りょうこう] good; fine; excellent; favorable; favourable; satisfactory
良かったら[よかったら] if you like
改良[かいりょう] improvement; reform
良心[りょうしん] conscience
気持ち良い[きもちいい] pleasant (of a sensation); comfortable; nice
良[りょう] good (quality, condition, etc.)
善良[ぜんりょう] good (person, nature, etc.); good-natured; virtuous; honest
最良[さいりょう] the best; ideal
heisig_story: Drop of . . . silver.
koohii_story: With a drop of silver , the forces of good can vanquish the werewolves.

kanji: 阪
meaning: heights
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: さか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 大阪[おおさか] Osaka (city, prefecture)
京阪[けいはん] Kyoto and Osaka; Kyoto-Osaka area
阪神[はんしん] Osaka-Kobe
heisig_story: This character is used for proper names, much as the English word " Heights " is. Its primitives: pinnacle . . . anti-.
koohii_story: If you're scared of Heights , you don't want to stay at The Pinnacle , you are anti- The Pinnacle. Primitive: The Pinnacle is a dream-like gated community at the top of a mount. This allows for innumerable stories for all the kanji with this primitive since you have a whole city to work with. Also prevents confusion with "mountain".
heisig_keyword: Heights

kanji: 候
meaning: climate
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: そうろう
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
矢[や] arrow
examples: 候補[こうほ] candidate; contender; prospect; pick; choice; list
立候補[りっこうほ] candidacy; standing as a candidate; bidding (to host an event, e.g. the Olympics
居候[いそうろう] lodger who pays nothing for room and board; freeloader; sponger
兆候[ちょうこう] sign; indication; omen; symptom
天候[てんこう] weather
気候[きこう] climate
候補者[こうほしゃ] candidate; applicant
悪天候[あくてんこう] bad weather
測候所[そっこうじょ] weather measurement station
症候[しょうこう] symptom
症候群[しょうこうぐん] syndrome
heisig_story: Marquis . . . walking stick. Note where the walking stick is positioned in this kanji.
koohii_story: The marquis has absolutely no interest in issuses of climate change. He's old and near death. [Don't forget the walking stick to symbolize his old age.].

kanji: 満
meaning: full
ja_on: マン、バン
ja_kun: み.ちる、み.つ、み.たす
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
艹[くさかんむり] grass
両[リョウ] both
examples: 満足[まんぞく] satisfaction; contentment; gratification
不満[ふまん] dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure; complaint; unhappiness
満たす[みたす] to satisfy (conditions, one's appetite, etc.); to meet (e.g. demands); to fulfil
満ちる[みちる] to fill; to become full (of); to be filled (with); to brim (with)
満喫[まんきつ] having one's fill (of food or drink); eating (drinking) to one's heart's content
充満[じゅうまん] being filled with; being full of; permeation
満点[まんてん] perfect score; full marks
満々[まんまん] full of; brimming with
満月[まんげつ] full moon
満載[まんさい] full load; being fully loaded (with); being loaded to capacity (with); carrying
満足感[まんぞくかん] feeling of satisfaction
豊満[ほうまん] stout; corpulent; plump; voluptuous
未満[みまん] less than; under; below
満腹[まんぷく] full stomach; filling one's stomach; eating one's fill
満面[まんめん] the whole face
heisig_story: Water . . . flowers . . . both. Given the abstract nature of this last primitive, you may want to borrow the image from the previous frame.
koohii_story: Add water THEN the flowers. With both the vase will be full.

kanji: 敗
meaning: failure
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: やぶ.れる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 失敗[しっぱい] failure; mistake; blunder
敗北[はいぼく] defeat; loss; reverse; setback
敗れる[やぶれる] to be defeated; to be beaten; to be unsuccessful; to lose
勝敗[しょうはい] victory or defeat; outcome (of a game, battle, etc.)
完敗[かんぱい] (suffering a) complete defeat; utter defeat; annihilation
敗者[はいしゃ] loser; defeated person; the defeated
腐敗[ふはい] decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; spoilage
敗因[はいいん] cause of defeat
惨敗[ざんぱい] ignominious defeat; crushing failure; utterly beaten; overwhelming defeat
敗退[はいたい] being defeated; being eliminated (from competition)
敗戦[はいせん] defeat; lost battle; losing a war
一敗[いっぱい] one defeat
大敗[たいはい] crushing defeat
失敗談[しっぱいだん] failure story; horror story
惜敗[せきはい] regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
heisig_story: The taskmaster is acknowledging the failure of a clam to make the grade in some marine school or other.
koohii_story: If you end up in failure , you give money to the taskmaster to train you.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 敗ぶれる 散歩 放す

kanji: 管
meaning: pipe
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: くだ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
官[カン] bureaucrat
examples: 管理[かんり] control; management (e.g. of a business)
保管[ほかん] charge; custody; safekeeping; deposit; storage
血管[けっかん] blood vessel; vein
管理人[かんりにん] administrator; janitor; manager; concierge; caretaker; superintendent; superviso
管轄[かんかつ] jurisdiction; control
管[かん] pipe; tube
管理者[かんりしゃ] manager; administrator; landlord; warden; superintendent; supervisor; custodian
ブラウン管[ブラウンかん] cathode-ray tube; CRT; Braun tube
主管[しゅかん] supervision; management; supervisor; manager
入国管理局[にゅうこくかんりきょく] Immigration Bureau; Immigration Office
卵管[らんかん] fallopian tube; oviduct
所管[しょかん] jurisdiction
気管[きかん] trachea; windpipe
気管支[きかんし] bronchus; bronchial tube
移管[いかん] transfer of control
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . bureaucrat.
koohii_story: Japanese bureaucrats send all their messages through an inter-office bamboo pipe system.

kanji: 兵
meaning: soldier
ja_on: ヘイ、ヒョウ
ja_kun: つわもの
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丘[キュウ] hill
八[はち] eight
examples: 兵[へい] (common) soldier; rank and file
兵士[へいし] soldier
兵器[へいき] arms; weapon; ordnance
兵隊[へいたい] armed forces; military; troops
兵力[へいりょく] military force; force of arms; strength of an army
伏兵[ふくへい] ambush; troops in ambush
歩兵[ほへい] infantry; infantryman; foot soldier
兵員[へいいん] military strength; military personnel
兵役[へいえき] military service; conscription
兵糧[ひょうろう] (army) provisions; food
兵舎[へいしゃ] barracks
化学兵器[かがくへいき] chemical weapon
将兵[しょうへい] officers and men
工兵[こうへい] combat engineer; military engineer; combat engineering; military engineering
徴兵[ちょうへい] conscription; (military) draft; (compulsory) enlistment
heisig_story: Hill . . . animal legs.
koohii_story: Listen up soldier s! We're going to take that hill. You are no longer men with human legs. You are voracious animals, with animal legs! Got it? Animal legs! Now take that hill!

kanji: 器
meaning: utensil
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: うつわ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
大[だい] large
examples: 武器[ぶき] weapon; arms; ordnance
器[うつわ] bowl; vessel; container
器用[きよう] skillful; skilful; adroit; dexterous; dextrous; deft; nimble; handy
不器用[ぶきよう] clumsy; awkward; unskillful
兵器[へいき] arms; weapon; ordnance
食器[しょっき] tableware
凶器[きょうき] dangerous weapon; lethal weapon; deadly weapon; murder weapon
楽器[がっき] musical instrument
容器[ようき] container; receptacle; vessel; packaging
器具[きぐ] utensil; implement; tool; instrument; appliance; apparatus
受話器[じゅわき] (telephone) receiver
機器[きき] device; equipment; machinery; apparatus
器官[きかん] organ
臓器[ぞうき] internal organs; viscera
陶器[とうき] pottery; earthenware; ceramics; (soft-paste) porcelain; china
heisig_story: The picture in this kanji is not a pleasant one. It shows a large and fluffy St. Bernard dog stretched out on a table all stuffed and stewed and garnished with vegetables, its paws in the air and an apple in its mouth. At each corner of the table sits an eager but empty mouth , waiting for the utensils to arrive so the feast can begin.
koohii_story: Imagine four hungry mouths all sitting around the table. They are all banging their utensils on the table waiting for a big meal to be placed in the centre.

kanji: 崎
meaning: promontory
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: さき、さい、みさき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
奇[キ] strange
examples: 長崎[ながさき] Nagasaki (city, prefecture)
崎[さき] small peninsula; cape; promontory; headland
川崎[かわさき] Kawasaki (city)
heisig_story: Mountain . . . strange. Hint: you might save yourself the trouble of a story here simply by recalling the kanji for cape (Frame 164) and toying around with the differing images suggested by the key words promontory and cape.
koohii_story: This is “Cape Strange” from FRAME 153, only with mountain in place of soil. Interestingly, there is also 碕 which is made of the primitives stone and strange. The three kanjis 碕, 埼 and 崎 all have the same meanings and pronunciations. They have very little uses other than names, for which promontory is the clear winner with over 2300 uses in place and people names, while the other two kanjis account for less than 200 names.

kanji: 積
meaning: volume
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: つ.む、-づ.み、つ.もる、つ.もり
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
責[セキ] blame
examples: 積む[つむ] to pile up; to stack
積極的[せっきょくてき] positive; assertive; active; proactive; aggressive
積もる[つもる] to pile up; to accumulate
積み重ねる[つみかさねる] to pile up; to accumulate
蓄積[ちくせき] accumulation; accumulate; store
面積[めんせき] area (measurement); square measure; size (of land); floor space
積み重ね[つみかさね] pile; accumulation
積み込む[つみこむ] to load (with goods, cargo); to put on board; to stow aboard
体積[たいせき] capacity; volume
容積[ようせき] capacity; volume
見積り[みつもり] estimate; estimation; valuation; quotation
お見積もり[おみつもり] (price) quotation; quote
上積み[うわづみ] loading on top; piling on top; upper load; goods loaded on top; deck cargo
作付面積[さくづけめんせき] planted area
堆積[たいせき] accumulation; pile; heap
heisig_story: Wheat . . . blame. This key word has to do with measurement, and should be kept distinct from the kanji for quantity (Frame 189) - even though the meanings are similar.
koohii_story: On many wheat cereal boxes, there is a disclaimer stating that "This package is sold by weight, not by volume. Some settling of contents may have occurred." well they only say that because they don't want to be blame d by people getting really disappointed after they see what a small volume of cereal the box really contains.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 種 積

kanji: 録
meaning: record
ja_on: ロク
ja_kun: しる.す、と.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 金[かね] metal
彔[ロク] to carve wood
examples: 記録[きろく] record; document; minutes; log; recording; putting on record; keeping a record (
登録[とうろく] registration; accession; register; entry; record; subscription
録音[ろくおん] (audio) recording
収録[しゅうろく] recording (in a book, the minutes, etc.); printing; including
録画[ろくが] (video) recording
付録[ふろく] appendix; supplement; annex; extra (of a newspaper or magazine)
目録[もくろく] catalogue; catalog; inventory
回顧録[かいころく] memoirs; reminiscences
抄録[しょうろく] quotation; abstract; selection; summary
採録[さいろく] recording; transcription
登録商標[とうろくしょうひょう] registered trademark
登録番号[とうろくばんごう] registration number
登録者[とうろくしゃ] registrant; subscriber; enrollee
記録的[きろくてき] record; record-setting; record-breaking
議事録[ぎじろく] record of proceedings; minutes
heisig_story: Metal . . . broom . . . rice. Note how the final stroke of the broom is extended slightly when an element below is attached directly to it.
koohii_story: A monk won a gold metal for breaking the current record for most swept rice in one minute.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 記録 緑

kanji: 省
meaning: government ministry
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: かえり.みる、はぶ.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 少[ショウ] few
目[め] eye
examples: 反省[はんせい] reflection; reconsideration; introspection; meditation; contemplation
省く[はぶく] to omit; to leave out; to exclude; to eliminate
省略[しょうりゃく] omission; leaving out
帰省[きせい] homecoming; returning home
省みる[かえりみる] to reflect on (oneself, past conduct, etc.); to contemplate; to examine; to thin
三省[さんせい] frequent reflection; frequent meditation
内省[ないせい] introspection; reflection on one's self
労働省[ろうどうしょう] Ministry of Labour (now Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
厚生省[こうせいしょう] (former) Ministry of Health and Welfare
同省[どうしょう] the said ministry; the same ministry
国務省[こくむしょう] Department of State (US); State Department
外務省[がいむしょう] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
大蔵省[おおくらしょう] Ministry of Finance (1869-2001)
建設省[けんせつしょう] Ministry of Construction
文部省[もんぶしょう] Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (1871-2001)
heisig_story: When we think of focusing on something, we usually take it in a metaphorical sense, though the literal sense is not far behind. It means to block out what is nonessential in order to fix our eye on a few important matters. The kanji suggests picking up a few things and holding them before one's eye in order to focus on them better.
koohii_story: You focus by concentrating your eye on few er objects.
heisig_keyword: focus

kanji: 周
meaning: circumference
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: まわ.り
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
吉[キチ] good luck
examples: 周り[まわり] circumference; girth
周囲[しゅうい] surroundings; environs
周辺[しゅうへん] circumference; outskirts; environs; around; in the area of; in the vicinity of
一周[いっしゅう] one round; one circuit; one revolution; one lap; one turn
周到[しゅうとう] careful; thorough; meticulous; scrupulous
周年[しゅうねん] whole year; entire year
周知[しゅうち] common knowledge; being well-known; making (something) well-known
周期[しゅうき] cycle; period
円周[えんしゅう] circumference
一周年[いっしゅうねん] one full year
半周[はんしゅう] semicircle; hemicycle; half globe
周波数[しゅうはすう] frequency (esp. of waveforms)
周遊[しゅうゆう] (circular) tour; round trip; excursion
heisig_story: Look more closely at your lidded crock and you will see little ruler marks along its bottom edge. This is so you can use it to calculate the circumference of your motorcycle helmet : just begin at a fixed point and turn the lidded crock around and around, keeping it flush against the side of the helmet , until you come back to your starting point. If you kept track of how many turns and part-turns your lidded crock made, you now know the circumference.
koohii_story: If my LIDDED CROCK has the same CIRCUMFERENCE as my head, I like to use it as a HELMET.

kanji: 材
meaning: lumber
ja_on: ザイ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
才[サイ] genius
examples: 材料[ざいりょう] materials; ingredients
取材[しゅざい] gathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; coveri
素材[そざい] ingredient; (raw) material; resource
食材[しょくざい] foodstuff; ingredient
人材[じんざい] capable person; talented person
機材[きざい] machinery and materials; equipment
木材[もくざい] lumber; timber; wood
題材[だいざい] subject; theme
資材[しざい] (raw) material
教材[きょうざい] teaching materials
材質[ざいしつ] material
材木[ざいもく] wood (for building); lumber; timber
原材料[げんざいりょう] raw materials; ingredients
器材[きざい] tools and materials; equipment and materials
廃材[はいざい] scrap wood; waste wood
heisig_story: Tree . . . genie.
koohii_story: A TREE GENIUS is a LUMBER jack. Duh.

kanji: 健
meaning: healthy
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: すこ.やか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
建[ケン] build
examples: 健康[けんこう] health
健全[けんぜん] healthy; sound; wholesome
健気[けなげ] admirable; commendable; praiseworthy; laudable; brave; heroic; noble; courageous
健在[けんざい] in good health; alive and well; going strong
健康的[けんこうてき] hygienic; healthy; healthful; sanitary
健やか[すこやか] vigorous; healthy; sound
健闘[けんとう] fighting bravely; strenuous efforts
保健[ほけん] preservation of health; hygiene; sanitation
不健康[ふけんこう] poor health; ill health; unhealthy
健康診断[けんこうしんだん] health checkup; (general) medical examination; physical examination
保健婦[ほけんふ] (female) public health nurse
保健所[ほけんじょ] health care center; health care centre
健保[けんぽ] health insurance
健常者[けんじょうしゃ] person with no physical or mental disability; able-bodied person; non-disabled p
健康保険[けんこうほけん] health insurance
heisig_story: Person . . . build.
koohii_story: Mr. T in a public service announcement yells, "I'm healthy because every day I build a food pyramid, foo!".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 鍵 健康

kanji: 飛
meaning: fly
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: と.ぶ、と.ばす、-と.ばす
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 升[ショウ] measuring box
examples: 飛ぶ[とぶ] to fly; to soar
飛ばす[とばす] to let fly; to make fly; to send flying; to blow off (e.g. in the wind); to laun
飛び出す[とびだす] to jump out; to leap out; to fly out; to run out; to rush out; to bolt out
飛び込む[とびこむ] to jump in; to leap in; to plunge into; to dive
飛行機[ひこうき] airplane; aeroplane; plane; aircraft
飛び降りる[とびおりる] to jump down; to leap down; to jump off; to leap off
吹き飛ぶ[ふきとぶ] to be blown off; to blow off; to blow away
飛行[ひこう] flight; flying; aviation
飛び交う[とびかう] to fly about; to flutter about; to flit about; to fly past each other
飛び上がる[とびあがる] to jump up; to leap up; to spring up
飛び切り[とびきり] best; extra-fine; superfine; unequalled
飛躍[ひやく] leap; jump
飛び込み[とびこみ] jump; plunge; dive
飛行場[ひこうじょう] airfield; airport; aerodrome
宇宙飛行士[うちゅうひこうし] astronaut
heisig_story: The two large hooks have little propellers (the two drops on each hook ) attached to them for flying. Beneath is the measuring box , which serves as the body of this flying contraption. The stroke order will cause some problems, so take care with it.
koohii_story: Hooks with small wings attached look like hummingbirds with a long beak. Two hummingbirds are trying to fly away with our little measuring box. What do they want it for?

kanji: 単
meaning: simple
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: ひとえ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
甲[コウ] armor
examples: 簡単[かんたん] simple; easy; uncomplicated
単純[たんじゅん] simple; plain; uncomplicated; straightforward; simple-minded; naive
単なる[たんなる] mere; simple; sheer
単に[たんに] simply; merely; only; solely
単語[たんご] word; vocabulary
単位[たんい] unit (e.g. meters, grams, etc.); denomination
単独[たんどく] sole; single; solo
単調[たんちょう] monotony; monotone; dullness
単行本[たんこうぼん] standalone book (i.e. not part of an anthology, series, etc.); (book published a
単身[たんしん] alone; by oneself; unaccompanied; unaided; single-handed; without one's family
単[たん] single; simple
単一[たんいつ] single; simple; sole; individual; unitary
単数[たんすう] single; one
単価[たんか] unit price; unit cost
単産[たんさん] (single-industry) industrial union
heisig_story: Owl . . . brain . . . needle. The sense is "not complex."
koohii_story: Owls are smart…for this owl everything is simple coz his brain is ten times more powerful than mine.

kanji: 完
meaning: perfect
ja_on: カン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
元[ゲン] beginning
examples: 完全[かんぜん] perfect; complete
完璧[かんぺき] perfect; complete; flawless
完成[かんせい] completion; perfection; accomplishment
完了[かんりょう] completion; conclusion
不完全[ふかんぜん] imperfect; incomplete; faulty; defective
完結[かんけつ] conclusion; completion
完治[かんち] complete recovery
完敗[かんぱい] (suffering a) complete defeat; utter defeat; annihilation
未完成[みかんせい] incomplete; unfinished; imperfect
完遂[かんすい] successful execution; accomplishment; completion; fulfillment; carrying through
完売[かんばい] selling out; being sold out
補完[ほかん] complementation; supplementation; completion
完全試合[かんぜんじあい] perfect game
完封[かんぷう] total blockage; complete shutdown; stopping completely
完工[かんこう] completion of construction work; completion of a building
heisig_story: In order not to confuse the key word perfect with others nearly synonymous in meaning, pull it apart to have a look at its native Latin roots. Per- factum suggests something so "thoroughly made or done" that nothing more needs to be added to it. Now look at the kanji, which does something similar. We see a house that has been made perfectly from its beginnings in the foundation to the roof on the top. Now return to frame 101 and make sure not to confuse this key word with the kanji for complete.
koohii_story: Make the perfect impression in the beginning by removing your shoes upon entering a Japanese home.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 売る

kanji: 隊
meaning: regiment
ja_on: タイ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
豕[いのこ] pig
examples: 部隊[ぶたい] force; unit; corps; squad; troops; party
隊長[たいちょう] commanding officer
軍隊[ぐんたい] armed forces; military; troops
兵隊[へいたい] armed forces; military; troops
隊員[たいいん] troops; group members; team members; SDF officials
艦隊[かんたい] (naval) fleet; armada
本隊[ほんたい] main body (of troops); main force
自衛隊[じえいたい] Japan Self-Defense Forces; JSDF
デモ隊[デモたい] demonstrators
中隊[ちゅうたい] company; battery; troop
大隊[だいたい] battalion
愚連隊[ぐれんたい] gang of young toughs; hooligans; hoodlums; hoods; yobbos
探検隊[たんけんたい] exploration party; expedition team
楽隊[がくたい] band; orchestra
機動隊[きどうたい] riot police; riot squad
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . animal horns . . . sow.
koohii_story: Every regiment of The Pinnacle 's army is lead by a Miss Piggy with a viking helmet on.

kanji: 競
meaning: emulate
ja_on: キョウ、ケイ
ja_kun: きそ.う、せ.る、くら.べる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: 競争[きょうそう] competition; contest; rivalry; race
競う[きそう] to compete; to contend; to vie; to contest
競技[きょうぎ] game; match; contest; competition; sport; (sporting) event
競る[せる] to compete
競馬[けいば] horse racing
競り合い[せりあい] competition
競り合う[せりあう] to struggle for; to compete with; to vie with
競争入札[きょうそうにゅうさつ] competitive bidding (esp. for government contracts)
競争力[きょうそうりょく] competitiveness; competitive edge; competitive power
競合[きょうごう] contention; competition; rivalry; quarrel
競合他社[きょうごうたしゃ] competing companies; rival companies
競売[きょうばい] auction
競技場[きょうぎじょう] stadium; (sports) ground; (playing) field; arena
競歩[きょうほ] racewalking; race walking; walking race
競泳[きょうえい] competitive swimming; swimming race
heisig_story: Two teenagers are seen here standing up to one another, vying for the attention of their peers.
koohii_story: TWO twin BROTHERS are competing (VYING) for the title of who is the older BROTHER. The game is that they must balance a VASE on their head and the one who drops his looses and becomes the younger BROTHER!
heisig_keyword: vie

kanji: 給
meaning: salary
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: たま.う、たも.う、-たま.え
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
合[ゴウ] fit
examples: 給料[きゅうりょう] salary; wages; pay
補給[ほきゅう] supply; supplying; replenishment
供給[きょうきゅう] supply; provision
支給[しきゅう] provision; supply; payment; allowance; grant
時給[じきゅう] hourly pay; hourly wage
給食[きゅうしょく] provision of lunch (e.g. at office, school, etc.); providing a meal; lunch servi
月給[げっきゅう] monthly salary
給与[きゅうよ] pay; salary; wages
配給[はいきゅう] distribution (e.g. films, rice)
俸給[ほうきゅう] salary (esp. public employees); wages; pay
初任給[しょにんきゅう] initial salary; starting salary; entry-level salary
受給[じゅきゅう] receiving payments (pension, ration)
恩給[おんきゅう] pension (esp. public servant's)
日給[にっきゅう] daily wages
昇給[しょうきゅう] salary raise
heisig_story: Thread . . . fit.
koohii_story: Spiderman wanted to be a salary man, but the suit just didn't fit him.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 給料 結論 結合

kanji: 辞
meaning: resign
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: や.める、いな.む
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 舌[した] tongue
辛[からい] bitter
examples: 辞める[やめる] to resign; to retire; to quit; to leave (one's job, etc.)
お世辞[おせじ] flattery; compliment
辞退[じたい] declining; refusal; nonacceptance; turning down; withdrawal (e.g. of candidacy);
お辞儀[おじぎ] bow; bowing
辞書[じしょ] dictionary; lexicon
賛辞[さんじ] eulogy; compliment
辞す[じす] to take one's leave; to excuse oneself; to leave; to depart
辞表[じひょう] letter of resignation
百科辞典[ひゃっかじてん] encyclopedia; encyclopaedia
辞典[じてん] dictionary; lexicon
辞職[じしょく] resignation
国語辞典[こくごじてん] Japanese-language dictionary
式辞[しきじ] ceremonial address
弔辞[ちょうじ] memorial address; words of condolence; funeral oration; eulogy
祝辞[しゅくじ] congratulatory address
heisig_story: Tongue . . . spicy.
koohii_story: This guy's job is tasting the spicy curry at the local Indian Food Factory. He has to resign from his job before his tongue is rendered completely useless after all the spicy food that he has to try all day long…

kanji: 愛
meaning: love
ja_on: アイ
ja_kun: いと.しい、かな.しい、め.でる、お.しむ、まな
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 爫[つめかんむり] claw
冖[わかんむり] cover
心[こころ] heart
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 愛する[あいする] to love
愛[あい] love; affection; care
可愛い[かわいい] cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty
恋愛[れんあい] love; romance; tender passion; emotion; affections
愛情[あいじょう] love; affection
可愛らしい[かわいらしい] lovely; sweet; pretty; cute; adorable
愛しい[いとしい] lovely; dear; beloved; darling; dearest
愛想[あいそ] amiability; friendliness; affability; sociability
愛人[あいじん] lover; mistress
最愛[さいあい] beloved; dearest
愛用[あいよう] favorite; favourite; habitually used
親愛[しんあい] deep affection
慈愛[じあい] affection (esp. parental); love; fondness
愛着[あいちゃく] attachment (esp. to things); love; affection; fondness
愛嬌[あいきょう] charm; attractiveness; amiability; winsomeness
heisig_story: Birdhouse . . . heart . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: If you really love someone, you won't keep them in a cage-like bird house relationship, but rather open the door and let their heart walk around freely. Think less about "I" (あい) and more about "we".

kanji: 富
meaning: wealth
ja_on: フ、フウ
ja_kun: と.む、とみ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
畐[フク] to fill
examples: 豊富[ほうふ] abundant; plentiful; rich; ample
富[とみ] riches; wealth; fortune
富む[とむ] to be rich (in); to abound (in); to be abundant (in); to be full (of)
富士山[ふじさん] Mount Fuji; Mt. Fuji; Fujiyama; Fuji-san
富豪[ふごう] wealthy person; millionaire
国富[こくふ] national wealth
富者[ふしゃ] rich person; millionaire; the wealthy
富裕[ふゆう] wealthy; rich; affluent
富貴[ふうき] riches and honours (honors); wealth and rank
種類豊富[しゅるいほうふ] rich in variety; diverse; wide-ranging; multifarious
経験豊富[けいけんほうふ] experienced; well-versed
貧富[ひんぷ] wealth and poverty; rich and poor
heisig_story: Here we have the original character on which the primitive element for wealth is based. In keeping with the story introduced back then, note how all the wealth is kept under the roof of the same house.
koohii_story: Remember Ducktales? That rich duck had that room in his house where he kept all the wealth! He had so much in that house you could even swim in it!

kanji: 未
meaning: un-
ja_on: ミ、ビ
ja_kun: いま.だ、ま.だ、ひつじ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 未来[みらい] (distant) future
未知[みち] not yet known; unknown; strange
未熟[みじゅく] unripe; green; immature
未練[みれん] lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret; reluctance; ruefulness
未だ[まだ] still; as yet; only
未[ひつじ] the Sheep (eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Ram; the Goat
未成年[みせいねん] minority (i.e. being under age); minor; underage person
前代未聞[ぜんだいみもん] unheard-of; unprecedented; unparalleled in history (unparallelled); record-break
未遂[みすい] failed attempt (at a crime, suicide, etc.)
未満[みまん] less than; under; below
未完成[みかんせい] incomplete; unfinished; imperfect
未定[みてい] not yet fixed; undecided; pending; TBD
未知数[みちすう] (an) unknown; unknown number; variable
未明[みめい] early dawn; grey of morning; gray of morning
未婚[みこん] unmarried; not yet married
heisig_story: As the key word suggests, this kanji has to do with something not quite over and done with. More concretely, it shows us a tree that is not yet fully grown. The extra short stroke in the upper branches shows new branches spreading out, leaving one with the feeling that the tree has a ways to go yet before it reaches maturity. In other words, the kanji conveys its meaning pictographically, playing on the earlier pictograph of the tree.
koohii_story: I believe a better version of that by mameha1977: [Cheat] Remember these as a set: The tree ( 木 ) does not yet ( 未 ) have exremities ( 末 ) of vermilion ( 朱 ).
heisig_keyword: not yet
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 未来 週末 夫 天才

kanji: 冷
meaning: cool
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: つめ.たい、ひ.える、ひ.や、ひ.ややか、ひ.やす、ひ.やかす、さ.める、さ.ます
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
令[レイ] orders
examples: 冷たい[つめたい] cold (to the touch); chilly; icy; freezing
冷静[れいせい] calmness; composure; coolness; serenity; presence of mind
冷える[ひえる] to grow cold; to get chilly; to cool down
冷める[さめる] to cool down; to get cold
冷蔵庫[れいぞうこ] refrigerator; fridge
冷やす[ひやす] to cool; to chill; to refrigerate
冷や汗[ひやあせ] cold sweat
冷酷[れいこく] cruelty; coldheartedness; relentless; ruthless
冷ます[さます] to cool (e.g. from a high temperature to room temperature); to let cool
冷凍[れいとう] freezing; cold storage; refrigeration
冷ややか[ひややか] cold; chilly; cool
冷徹[れいてつ] cool-headed; level-headed; hard-headed
冷やかす[ひやかす] to banter; to make fun of; to jeer at
冷水[れいすい] cold water
冷房[れいぼう] air conditioning; air cooling
heisig_story: Ice . . . orders.
koohii_story: To keep your water cool , just order some ice.

kanji: 類
meaning: sort
ja_on: ルイ
ja_kun: たぐ.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
大[だい] large
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 種類[しゅるい] variety; kind; type; category
人類[じんるい] mankind; humanity
書類[しょるい] document; papers
類[るい] kind; sort; type; class; genus; order; family
分類[ぶんるい] classification; categorization; sorting
同類[どうるい] the same kind; accomplice; partner
衣類[いるい] clothes; clothing; garments
類似[るいじ] resemblance; similarity; likeness; analogy
親類[しんるい] relative; relation; kin
類推[るいすい] analogy
人類学[じんるいがく] anthropology
爬虫類[はちゅうるい] reptiles
種類豊富[しゅるいほうふ] rich in variety; diverse; wide-ranging; multifarious
穀類[こくるい] grains
藻類[そうるい] seaweeds; algae; waterweeds
heisig_story: Rice . . . St. Bernard dog . . . head.
koohii_story: Note this character means sort in the sense of what kind, I believe a better keyword would be "variety" and this character does appear in some dictionaries with the primary meaning as variety, my story: I'm in a Chinese restaurant and the waiter says "What sort of rice would you like with your dog head?".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 種類 依頼 金額

kanji: 児
meaning: newborn babe
ja_on: ジ、ニ、ゲイ
ja_kun: こ、-こ、-っこ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 旧[キュウ] old times
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 幼児[ようじ] young child; toddler
孤児[こじ] orphan
児童[じどう] children; juvenile
育児[いくじ] childcare; child-rearing; nursing; upbringing
孤児院[こじいん] orphanage
胎児[たいじ] fetus; foetus; embryo; baby in the womb; unborn baby
小児科[しょうにか] pediatrics
乳児[にゅうじ] infant (below 1 year old); suckling baby
乳幼児[にゅうようじ] babies and preschool children
双生児[そうせいじ] twins
園児[えんじ] kindergarten pupil; kindergartener; preschooler; child in daycare
女児[じょじ] girl; baby girl
小児[しょうに] young child; infant
小児病[しょうにびょう] childhood diseases
新生児[しんせいじ] newborn baby
heisig_story: The top part of the kanji in this frame, you will remember, is the character for olden times , those days so old they needed a walking stick to get around. Western mythical imagination has old "Father Time" leaning on his sickle with a newborn babe crawling around his legs , the idea being that the circle of birth and-death goes on. This is the first of three times that the kanji for olden times will appear as a primitive element in another kanji, so try to make the most of it.
koohii_story: In the olden times , a newborn babe came out leg s first.

kanji: 印
meaning: stamp
ja_on: イン
ja_kun: しるし、-じるし、しる.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 印象[いんしょう] impression
印[いん] stamp; seal; chop
印刷[いんさつ] printing
目印[めじるし] mark (for quick identification or recognition); sign
印象的[いんしょうてき] impressive; striking; memorable; impactful
矢印[やじるし] arrow (symbol)
印鑑[いんかん] stamp; seal
調印[ちょういん] signature; signing; sealing
凸版印刷[とっぱんいんさつ] letterpress; relief printing
印税[いんぜい] royalty (on book)
印紙[いんし] (revenue) stamp
印象付ける[いんしょうづける] to impress (someone)
旗印[はたじるし] design (on a banner); emblem (on a flag); insignia
朱印[しゅいん] red seal
消印[けしいん] postmark; (postal) cancellation mark
heisig_story: At last we come to the general character meaning stamp. Its elements: staples . . . stamp.
koohii_story: Before sticky backs, they had to staple stamp s to letters.

kanji: 標
meaning: signpost
ja_on: ヒョウ
ja_kun: しるべ、しるし
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
票[ヒョウ] ballot
examples: 目標[もくひょう] goal; target; aim; objective
標的[ひょうてき] target
標準[ひょうじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; model; mark
標本[ひょうほん] specimen; sample
標語[ひょうご] motto; slogan; catchword
標識[ひょうしき] sign; mark; marker; beacon
商標[しょうひょう] trademark
指標[しひょう] index; indices; indicator
標準的[ひょうじゅんてき] standard
標準語[ひょうじゅんご] standard language (used in government, education, etc.)
標高[ひょうこう] elevation; height above sea level
登録商標[とうろくしょうひょう] registered trademark
heisig_story: Tree . . . ballot.
koohii_story: Trees were frequenly used as signposts in those days, indicating where one had to go to cast their ballots.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 目標 煙

kanji: 輪
meaning: wheel
ja_on: リン
ja_kun: わ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
侖[リン] think
examples: 輪[わ] ring; circle; loop
指輪[ゆびわ] (finger) ring
輪郭[りんかく] contour; outline; silhouette
車輪[しゃりん] (vehicle) wheel
年輪[ねんりん] annual tree ring; growth ring
三輪[さんりん] three wheels
両輪[りょうりん] two wheels
二輪車[にりんしゃ] two-wheeled vehicle
五輪[ごりん] Olympic Games; Olympics
内輪[うちわ] family circle; one's circle (of friends, co-workers, etc.); one's fellows; in-gr
四輪車[よんりんしゃ] automobile; car
競輪[けいりん] keirin
花輪[はなわ] wreath; garland
輪ゴム[わゴム] rubber band; elastic band
輪切り[わぎり] cutting in round slices; round slice
heisig_story: Car . . . meeting . . . scrapbook.
koohii_story: Someone stole all the wheel s off the ladies' cars at the scrapbook convention.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 指輪 結論

kanji: 熱
meaning: heat
ja_on: ネツ
ja_kun: あつ.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 埶[ゲイ] art
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 熱い[あつい] hot (to the touch)
熱[ねつ] heat
熱心[ねっしん] zealous; enthusiastic; ardent; fervent; keen; eager
情熱[じょうねつ] passion; enthusiasm; zeal
熱気[ねっき] heat; hot air
熱意[ねつい] zeal; enthusiasm; ardor; ardour
熱中[ねっちゅう] being enthusiastic about; being wild about; being absorbed in; being engrossed i
高熱[こうねつ] high fever
熱烈[ねつれつ] ardent; passionate; vehement
熱する[ねっする] to heat; to heat up
熱々[あつあつ] piping hot; scalding
白熱[はくねつ] white heat; incandescence; (emitting) white light; white glow
熱狂[ねっきょう] wild enthusiasm; being crazy about
発熱[はつねつ] generation of heat
熱湯[ねっとう] boiling water
heisig_story: Rice seedlings . . . ground . . . fat man . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: [land](../v4/1513.html) (#1513 陸) The rice-seedlings (newly freed from the ground but with soil still clinging to their roots) gather in a circle around an oven fire. They need to heat up prior to their journey (presumably plants can't walk if they're too cold?).

kanji: 清
meaning: pure
ja_on: セイ、ショウ、シン
ja_kun: きよ.い、きよ.まる、きよ.める
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
青[あお] blue
examples: 清潔[せいけつ] clean; hygienic; sanitary
清々しい[すがすがしい] refreshing (e.g. feeling, scene, wind, morning air); brisk; bracing; fresh; refr
清掃[せいそう] cleaning; clean-up; garbage collection; scavenging
清らか[きよらか] clean; clear
清い[きよい] clean; clear
清算[せいさん] (financial) settlement; squaring accounts; clearing debts
粛清[しゅくせい] (political) purge
清廉[せいれん] honest; upright; cleanhanded; unselfish
清書[せいしょ] fair copy; clean copy
清新[せいしん] fresh; new
清流[せいりゅう] clear stream
清浄[せいじょう] pure; clean; purity
清涼[せいりょう] cool; refreshing
清澄[せいちょう] clear; serene
清貧[せいひん] poverty without selfish desire; honourable poverty (honorable); being poor yet h
heisig_story: Water . . . blue.
koohii_story: Pure sea water is always a radiant blue.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 清潔 青春

kanji: 覚
meaning: memorize
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: おぼ.える、さ.ます、さ.める、さと.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
見[みる] to see
examples: 覚える[おぼえる] to memorize; to memorise; to commit to memory; to learn by heart; to bear in min
覚悟[かくご] readiness; (mental) preparedness
感覚[かんかく] sense; sensation; feeling; intuition
目覚める[めざめる] to wake up; to awake
自覚[じかく] self-consciousness; self-awareness
覚え[おぼえ] memory; sense; experience
目が覚める[めがさめる] to wake up; to awake; to perk up; to snap out (of a day dream, etc.)
錯覚[さっかく] illusion; hallucination
覚める[さめる] to wake; to wake up
覚醒[かくせい] waking up; awakening; arousal; revival
覚ます[さます] to awaken; to arouse from sleep
幻覚[げんかく] hallucination; illusion
発覚[はっかく] detection (of a plot, fraud, etc.); discovery; coming to light; being uncovered
見覚え[みおぼえ] memory (of having seen something or someone before); remembrance; recollection;
視覚[しかく] (sense of) sight; eyesight; vision
heisig_story: The idea of memorizing things is easily related to the schoolhouse , and since we have been at it for more than a hundred pages in this book, the idea that memorizing involves seeing things that are not really there should make it easy to put the two elements together.
koohii_story: In a schoolhouse in class: 1) you see something on the blackboard, then 2) you memorize it.

kanji: 億
meaning: hundred million
ja_on: オク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
意[イ] idea
examples: 億[おく] hundred million; 100,000,000; 10^8
一億[いちおく] 100,000,000; one hundred million
十億[じゅうおく] 1,000,000,000; billion
数億年[すうおくねん] several hundred million years
１００億[ひゃくおく] 10,000,000,000; ten billion
heisig_story: Person . . . idea.
koohii_story: Mr. T has an clear idea of what he would do if he ever got hundred million dollar. (I guess it would be a enormous gold chain !).

kanji: 芸
meaning: technique
ja_on: ゲイ、ウン
ja_kun: う.える、のり、わざ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
云[ウン] say
examples: 芸術[げいじゅつ] art; the arts
芸[げい] art; craft; accomplishment; artistic skill; technique; performance
芸能人[げいのうじん] entertainer; performer; celebrity; entertainment personality
芸人[げいにん] (TV) comedian
芸術家[げいじゅつか] artist
芸能[げいのう] public entertainment; performing arts
園芸[えんげい] horticulture; gardening
学芸[がくげい] arts and sciences; liberal arts
工芸[こうげい] industrial arts; craft
文芸[ぶんげい] literature
安芸[あき] Aki (former province located in the west of present-day Hiroshima Prefecture)
民芸[みんげい] folk craft; folk art
演芸[えんげい] entertainment; performance
芸名[げいめい] stage name
芸者[げいしゃ] geisha
heisig_story: The secret technique of making a rising cloud of smoke turn into a bouquet of flowers is shown here.
koohii_story: Imagine an old Kung-fu movie: "Try my rising cloud flower technique!!!" smash pow crack!!.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 芸術 伝える

kanji: 便
meaning: convenience
ja_on: ベン、ビン
ja_kun: たよ.り
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
更[コウ] grow late
examples: 便利[べんり] convenient; handy; useful
不便[ふべん] inconvenience; inexpediency; unhandiness
便[びん] flight (e.g. airline flight); trip (e.g. train trip); sailing (e.g. ferry voyage
穏便[おんびん] gentle; peaceable; amicable; quiet
便所[べんじょ] toilet; lavatory; water closet; restroom; bathroom
郵便[ゆうびん] mail service; postal service; mail; post
便乗[びんじょう] taking advantage of (an opportunity); jumping on the bandwagon
小便[しょうべん] urine; piss; pee; urination
便り[たより] news; tidings; information; correspondence; letter
宅配便[たくはいびん] express home delivery service
便宜[べんぎ] convenience; accommodation; advantage; benefit; expediency
便箋[びんせん] writing paper; stationery; notepaper
大便[だいべん] feces; faeces; excrement; stool
船便[ふなびん] surface mail (by ship); sea mail
郵便局[ゆうびんきょく] post office
heisig_story: Person . . . grow late. Hint: this kanji also means that unmentionable material that one disposes of when one goes to the " conveniences. "
koohii_story: Mr. T loves the convenience of the new konbini. Not only does it stay open even if it grows late , they have brand new toilets , and a Post Office!

kanji: 陸
meaning: land
ja_on: リク、ロク
ja_kun: おか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
坴[リク] clod of earth
examples: 陸[りく] land; shore
大陸[たいりく] continent
上陸[じょうりく] landing; going ashore; disembarkation
着陸[ちゃくりく] landing; alighting; touch down
陸上[りくじょう] (on) land; ground; shore
陸軍[りくぐん] army
内陸[ないりく] inland
北陸[ほくりく] Hokuriku region (of Honshu; incl. Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefecture
大陸棚[たいりくだな] continental shelf
軟着陸[なんちゃくりく] soft landing
陸上競技[りくじょうきょうぎ] track and field; athletics
陸上自衛隊[りくじょうじえいたい] Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; JGSDF
陸橋[りっきょう] bridge (over a road or railway); overpass; flyover; viaduct
陸海[りくかい] land and sea
陸路[りくろ] land route; overland route
heisig_story: The sense of land carried by this kanji is distinct from soil (Frame 161) and ground (Frame 554) in that it is meant to represent land seen from a distance, that is, land as opposed to "water." Its elements: pinnacle . . . rice seedlings . . . ground.
koohii_story: My rice-seedlings have become sentient and will go on a mission. I can only apologise for the next 6 frames. In the distance, there is a pinnacle , which the newly-awakened rice-seedlings who are still stuck in the ground can see. Could it be the Promised Land?

kanji: 帯
meaning: sash
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: お.びる、おび
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 丗[セイ] thirty
冖[わかんむり] cover
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 携帯[けいたい] carrying (on one's person or in the hand)
帯びる[おびる] to wear (a sword, decoration, etc.); to carry; to bear
携帯電話[けいたいでんわ] mobile phone; cell phone
時間帯[じかんたい] period of time; time slot
一帯[いったい] whole area; whole region
包帯[ほうたい] bandage; dressing
帯[おび] obi (kimono sash)
地帯[ちたい] zone; area; belt; region
性感帯[せいかんたい] erogenous zone
世帯[せたい] household; family
温帯[おんたい] temperate zone
熱帯[ねったい] tropics
連帯[れんたい] solidarity
亜熱帯[あねったい] subtropics
付帯[ふたい] incidental; ancillary; accessory; secondary; collateral
heisig_story: The part of the apron where one finds the buckle (represented pictorially by the first 5 strokes) is on the sash.
koohii_story: First, note that the top half of the kanji consists of one and mountain. Of course, the " number 1 " mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji. The bottom half, under Mt. Fuji, consists of crown and towel. Now for the story. Archaeologists digging under Mt. Fuji (Japan's #1 mountain ) in an ancient royal tomb (they know it's royal because of the crown ) discover what looks like a towel , but after they clean it up, they see it is actually a splendid royal sash for the king's kimono.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 帯びる 席

kanji: 努
meaning: toil
ja_on: ド
ja_kun: つと.める
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 奴[ド] guy
力[ちから] power
examples: 努力[どりょく] effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
努める[つとめる] to endeavor (to do); to endeavour; to try hard; to work hard; to strive; to make
努めて[つとめて] as much as possible; as far as possible; to the best of one's ability; diligentl
heisig_story: Guy . . . muscle.
koohii_story: Guy + Power: To reach a position of power in the company, the average guy has to toil very hard for many years.

kanji: 固
meaning: harden
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: かた.める、かた.まる、かた.まり、かた.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
古[コ] old
examples: 固い[かたい] hard; solid; tough
固まる[かたまる] to harden; to solidify
固める[かためる] to harden; to freeze; to strengthen; to solidify; to make (a fist); to tramp dow
固定[こてい] fixing (in place); being fixed (in place); securing; anchoring; fastening down
頑固[がんこ] stubborn; obstinate; pigheaded
強固[きょうこ] firm; strong; solid; stable
断固[だんこ] firm; determined; resolute; conclusive
固執[こしつ] sticking to (an opinion, theory, belief, etc.); clinging to; adherence; persiste
確固[かっこ] firm; unshakeable; resolute
固有[こゆう] characteristic (of); peculiar (to); inherent (in); endemic; unique (to); native
固体[こたい] solid (body); solid matter; solid-state
凝固[ぎょうこ] coagulation; freezing; solidification
固め[かため] hardening; fortifying
固定費[こていひ] fixed cost; fixed expense
固定資産[こていしさん] fixed assets
heisig_story: Old . . . pent in. Leave the people out of your story to avoid complications later when we add the element for person to form a new kanji (Frame 1047).
koohii_story: Fossils are old things pent in that have harden ed.

kanji: 散
meaning: scatter
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: ち.る、ち.らす、-ち.らす、ち.らかす、ち.らかる、ち.らばる、ばら、ばら.ける
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 月[つき] moon
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 散歩[さんぽ] walk; stroll
散る[ちる] to fall (e.g. blossoms, leaves)
解散[かいさん] breaking up (a meeting, gathering, etc.); dispersal (e.g. of a crowd)
散々[さんざん] thoroughly; completely; utterly
散らばる[ちらばる] to be scattered about; to disperse; to be littered (with)
散らかる[ちらかる] to be in disorder; to lie scattered around
拡散[かくさん] spreading; disseminating; scattering
散らす[ちらす] to scatter; to cause a shower of
散らかす[ちらかす] to scatter around; to leave untidy; to make a mess
発散[はっさん] emission; emanation; radiation; diffusion; dispersion
分散[ぶんさん] dispersion; breakup; scattering; decentralization; decentralisation; distributio
散策[さんさく] walking; strolling; roaming; wandering; exploring
閑散[かんさん] deserted (esp. store, market, town, streets); quiet; still; hushed; empty
散らし[ちらし] leaflet; flyer; handbill
散会[さんかい] adjournment
heisig_story: Salad . . . flesh . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: The taskmaster is dissatisfied with the meal she's served, and scatter s the salad & meat across the floor for the servants to clean up.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 敗れる

kanji: 司
meaning: director
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: つかさど.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 一[いち] one
口[くち] mouth
examples: 上司[じょうし] (one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups
寿司[すし] sushi
司会[しかい] leading a meeting; presiding over a meeting; officiating at a ceremony; chairman
司る[つかさどる] to be in charge of; to manage; to direct; to administer; to preside over
司令官[しれいかん] commandant; commanding officer; general
司会者[しかいしゃ] chairman; moderator; toastmaster; master of ceremonies; chairperson; host (of a
司令[しれい] command; commander; commandant
司法[しほう] administration of justice; judicature
にぎり寿司[にぎりずし] nigirizushi
公司[コンス] company (in China); firm
司令部[しれいぶ] headquarters
司書[ししょ] librarian
司法裁判[しほうさいばん] judicial trial
行司[ぎょうじ] referee
heisig_story: Clothes hanger . . . one . . . mouth.
koohii_story: The porn director has one big mouth. "Don't bother putting your clothes on a hanger , just get started.".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 寿司 同時

kanji: 康
meaning: ease
ja_on: コウ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
隶[れいづくり] to capture
examples: 健康[けんこう] health
健康的[けんこうてき] hygienic; healthy; healthful; sanitary
不健康[ふけんこう] poor health; ill health; unhealthy
健康診断[けんこうしんだん] health checkup; (general) medical examination; physical examination
健康保険[けんこうほけん] health insurance
健康食品[けんこうしょくひん] health foods
国民健康保険[こくみんけんこうほけん] national health insurance
小康[しょうこう] lull; breathing spell; respite
heisig_story: Cave . . . sieve.
koohii_story: A psychiatric hospital is located in a CAVE. To determine, which patients are sane and can be released, they are given a SIEVE and asked to empty a bathtub (the sane ones take out the plug and get the water out with ease ).
heisig_keyword: sane

kanji: 静
meaning: quiet
ja_on: セイ、ジョウ
ja_kun: しず-、しず.か、しず.まる、しず.める
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 青[あお] blue
争[ソウ] contend
examples: 静か[しずか] quiet; silent
冷静[れいせい] calmness; composure; coolness; serenity; presence of mind
静寂[せいじゃく] silence; stillness; quietness
静まる[しずまる] to become quiet; to quiet down; to quieten down
静けさ[しずけさ] stillness; silence; quiet; hush; calm; serenity
平静[へいせい] calm; peace; serenity; tranquility; tranquillity
静止[せいし] stillness; rest; being stationary; standing still; coming to a standstill
安静[あんせい] rest; quiet; repose
静粛[せいしゅく] silent
静める[しずめる] to quiet (a child, crowd, etc.); to quieten; to make quiet
静観[せいかん] watchful waiting; careful supervision
動静[どうせい] state (of affairs); condition; developments; movements
沈静[ちんせい] settling down; quieting down; cooling down; cooling off
閑静[かんせい] quiet (e.g. neighbourhood); peaceful; tranquil
静岡[しずおか] Shizuoka (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: Blue . . . contend. Do not confuse with calm (Frame 1230).
koohii_story: When someone you know who is normally talkative goes quiet , it's usually a sign that they are contending with the blues.

kanji: 卒
meaning: graduate
ja_on: ソツ、シュツ
ja_kun: そっ.する、お.える、お.わる、ついに、にわか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
从[ショウ] two people
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 卒業[そつぎょう] graduation; completion (of a course)
卒業式[そつぎょうしき] graduation ceremony; commencement
卒業後[そつぎょうご] after graduation
卒業生[そつぎょうせい] graduate; alumnus; alumna
何卒[なにとぞ] please; kindly; I beg of you; if it pleases you
中卒[ちゅうそつ] having graduated from junior high school (as one's highest completed level of ed
大卒[だいそつ] university graduate; having graduated from university
学卒[がくそつ] college graduate
新卒[しんそつ] new graduate; recent graduate
脳卒中[のうそっちゅう] stroke; cerebral haemorrhage; cerebral hemorrhage
高卒[こうそつ] having graduated from high school (as one's highest completed level of education
heisig_story: Top hat . . . assembly line . . . needle.
koohii_story: Ph.D graduation for assembly line of doctors( needles ) with the cap and tassel( top hat ). It took them 10 years (Bachelor's, Masters, PhD) to get there…. :-p.

kanji: 順
meaning: obey
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 川[さんぼんがわ] river
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 順調[じゅんちょう] favourable; favorable; doing well; OK; all right
順番[じゅんばん] order; turn
順[じゅん] order; turn; sorting
手順[てじゅん] process; procedure; sequence; protocol; instruction
順に[じゅんに] in order; in turn; one by one
順序[じゅんじょ] order; sequence
順位[じゅんい] order; rank; position (e.g. in a race); precedence
順当[じゅんとう] proper; right; reasonable
順応[じゅんのう] adaptation; accommodation; conforming; adjustment
順次[じゅんじ] in order; sequential; seriatim
不順[ふじゅん] irregular; unseasonable; changeable; unsettled; abnormal
道順[みちじゅん] route; way; course; directions
アルファベット順[アルファベットじゅん] alphabetical order
打順[だじゅん] batting order; batting line-up
筆順[ひつじゅん] stroke order (esp. of a Chinese character)
heisig_story: In primitive language, this character would read stream . . . head. And that turns out to be convenient for remembering its meaning of obey. Either one obeys the person who is head of an organization or else obeys by following the stream of opinion ( "current" practice, we call it). Both these senses come together in this kanji.
koohii_story: "Obey, Obey!" says the brain-washing scientist as he sends a stream of orders to fill your head.

kanji: 博
meaning: Dr.
ja_on: ハク、バク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
尃[フ] to state to
examples: 博士[はかせ] expert; learned person
博物館[はくぶつかん] museum
博[はく] doctor; PhD
博多[はかた] Hakata (old but still commonly used name for Fukuoka)
博学[はくがく] erudition; extensive learning
博愛[はくあい] charity; benevolence; philanthropy; (love for) humanity; fraternity; brotherhood
博物[はくぶつ] natural history
博覧会[はくらんかい] exhibition; exposition; expo; fair
国立博物館[こくりつはくぶつかん] national museum
heisig_story: At the left we have the needle , at the right, the kanji for specialty , plus an extra drop at the top. Think of a Dr. who is a specialist with a needle (an acupuncturist) and let the drop at the top represent the period at the end of Dr. In principle we are trying to avoid this kind of device, which plays on abstract grammatical conventions, but I think you will agree, after you have had occasion to use the right side of this kanji in forming other kanji, that the exception is merited in this case.
koohii_story: Ten specialties grants you the title of Dr. with a dot.

kanji: 城
meaning: castle
ja_on: ジョウ、セイ
ja_kun: しろ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 土[つち] earth
成[セイ] turn into
examples: 城[しろ] castle
城内[じょうない] inside of a castle
古城[こじょう] old castle; old fortress
城下町[じょうかまち] castle town
城主[じょうしゅ] lord of a castle
城郭[じょうかく] castle; citadel; fortress
開城[かいじょう] surrender of a castle; surrender of a fortress; capitulation of a stronghold
heisig_story: In this frame, we see a mound of dirt that is being turned into a castle (the way you may have done as a child playing on the beach).
koohii_story: The sand castle is just the [soil](../v4/150.html) (#150 土) that turns into a castle.

kanji: 老
meaning: old man
ja_on: ロウ
ja_kun: お.いる、ふ.ける
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 耂[おいかんむり] old
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 老人[ろうじん] old person; senior citizen; the aged; the elderly
老いる[おいる] to age; to grow old
老ける[ふける] to age; to grow old (esp. in appearance); to show marks of age
老婆[ろうば] old woman
長老[ちょうろう] elder; senior
老舗[しにせ] long-established shop; shop of long standing; old shop
老後[ろうご] old age
初老[しょろう] past middle age; nearing old age; near-elderly
老若男女[ろうにゃくなんにょ] men and women of all ages
老い[おい] old age; ageing; aging
老衰[ろうすい] senility; senile decay; infirmity (through age)
元老[げんろう] elder statesman; doyen; old-timer; authority
敬老[けいろう] respect for the aged
海老[えび] prawn; shrimp; lobster
老人ホーム[ろうじんホーム] retirement home; old people's home; senior citizens' home
heisig_story: First, do not confuse this character with venerable old man (Frame 849), which is far more rarely used. The character for an old man begins with an abbreviation of the character for somebody , the nose having been shortened into a simple crisscross of lines. But there is another, simpler way to remember it all: the soil drawn first indicates that one has come close to the age when "dust to dust" begins to take on a personal meaning, the diagonal walking stick for getting around, and the spoon for being spoon- fed.
koohii_story: An old man , wondering what it's like in a grave, sits in a freshly dug plot. When a gravekeeper mistakes him for dead and begins burying him with soil , the old man saves himself by flailing his walking stick in the air.

kanji: 令
meaning: orders
ja_on: レイ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 人[ひと] person
一[いち] one
マ
examples: 命令[めいれい] order; command; decree; directive
指令[しれい] order; directive; instructions; command
号令[ごうれい] order (esp. to a number of people); command
令嬢[れいじょう] (your) daughter; young woman
令[れい] command; order; dictation
発令[はつれい] official announcement; proclamation; issuance (of an order, ordinance, or warnin
司令官[しれいかん] commandant; commanding officer; general
司令[しれい] command; commander; commandant
仮令[たとえ] even if; no matter (what); if; though; although; supposing; supposing that; -eve
令和[れいわ] Reiwa era (May 1, 2019-)
令状[れいじょう] warrant; summons; written order
司令部[しれいぶ] headquarters
戒厳令[かいげんれい] martial law
政令[せいれい] government ordinance; cabinet order
法令[ほうれい] statute; law; act; ordinance; regulation
heisig_story: Meeting . . . chop-seal.
koohii_story: (re: dingomick) "These are your orders ," declares the general while passing out documents at the meeting. As everyone started to leave, the general exclaims "Oh wait! I need to certify these orders!" and went around stamping each paper with his personal chop-seal.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 命　めい 令　れい

kanji: 徒
meaning: on foot
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: いたずら、あだ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
走[はしる] to run
examples: 生徒[せいと] pupil; student; schoolchild
徒歩[とほ] walking; going on foot
信徒[しんと] layman; believer; adherent; follower; laity
使徒[しと] apostle; disciple
学徒[がくと] student; follower; students and pupils
徒労[とろう] fruitless effort; wasted effort; abortive scheme; futility
教徒[きょうと] believer; adherent
暴徒[ぼうと] rioters; mob; insurgents
heisig_story: Line . . . run.
koohii_story: The junior employee is always RUNNING around GOING here and there for his superiors.
heisig_keyword: junior
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 生徒 走る

kanji: 貨
meaning: freight
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: たから
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 化[カ] change
貝[かい] shell
examples: 金貨[きんか] gold coin
硬貨[こうか] coin
雑貨[ざっか] miscellaneous goods; general goods; sundries
外貨[がいか] foreign currency; foreign money; foreign exchange
貨幣[かへい] money; currency; coin
貨物[かもつ] cargo; freight
通貨[つうか] currency
銅貨[どうか] copper coin
百貨店[ひゃっかてん] department store
貨幣価値[かへいかち] currency value
貨車[かしゃ] freight car; van
銀貨[ぎんか] silver coin
heisig_story: Change . . . shells.
koohii_story: Freight is the shells (money) paid to change the location of something big. Don't confuse with the similar 賃 [fare](../v4/1004.html) (#1004 賃).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 貨物 貸す

kanji: 奈
meaning: Nara
ja_on: ナ、ナイ、ダイ
ja_kun: いかん、からなし
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 大[だい] large
示[しめす] altar
examples: 奈良[なら] Nara (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: We choose the city of Nara as the key word in this case because this kanji, frequently used in proper names, appears in Nara , and also because of Nara's famed religious monuments, which help us with the primitives: St. Bernard dog . . . altar.
koohii_story: It's beautiful place, but the dark side of Nara is that they sacrifice St. Bernards on evil altars every night after the tourists leave!

kanji: 季
meaning: seasons
ja_on: キ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
子[こ] child
examples: 季節[きせつ] season; time of year
四季[しき] the four seasons
季刊[きかん] quarterly publication
乾季[かんき] dry season
今季[こんき] this season
冬季[とうき] winter season; winter
夏季[かき] summer season; summer; summertime
季節風[きせつふう] seasonal winds
季語[きご] seasonal word (in haiku)
春季[しゅんき] spring season
秋季[しゅうき] fall season; autumn season
雨季[うき] rainy season
heisig_story: Wheat . . . child.
koohii_story: There's a season for planting wheat and there's mating season for having children.

kanji: 功
meaning: achievement
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: いさお
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
力[ちから] power
examples: 成功[せいこう] success; achievement
大成功[だいせいこう] great success; huge success
功績[こうせき] achievement; meritorious deed; distinguished service; contribution
功労[こうろう] meritorious deed; services
功名[こうみょう] great achievement; glorious deed; (gaining) fame; (earning) distinction
奏功[そうこう] success; achievement; fruition
年功[ねんこう] long service
年功序列[ねんこうじょれつ] seniority by length of service
heisig_story: Craft . . . power.
koohii_story: The great achievement s of humankind, were crafts completed by muscle power : the pyramids, the Eiffel tower, etc.

kanji: 香
meaning: incense
ja_on: コウ、キョウ
ja_kun: か、かお.り、かお.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
日[ひ] sun
examples: 香り[かおり] aroma; fragrance; scent; smell
香水[こうすい] perfume; scent
香ばしい[こうばしい] aromatic (roasted beans, roasted tea, etc.); fragrant (e.g. burning wood); pleas
香る[かおる] to smell sweet; to be fragrant
線香[せんこう] incense stick
香港[ホンコン] Hong Kong
香辛料[こうしんりょう] spice; spices; condiment
芳香[ほうこう] perfume; fragrance; aroma; balm; sweet scent
香料[こうりょう] flavoring; flavouring; spices
香気[こうき] fragrance
heisig_story: Wheat . . . sun.
koohii_story: If you focus the suns though a magnifying glass on to the bottom of a stalk of wheat it will start to smoulder and burn like a stick of incense. The weird thing is that it burns from the bottom upwards, hanging in the air as if my magic. Try it and see!

kanji: 欠
meaning: lack
ja_on: ケツ、ケン
ja_kun: か.ける、か.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 欠ける[かける] to chip; to be chipped; to break (off); to be damaged
欠片[かけら] fragment; broken piece; chip; splinter; shard
欠かす[かかす] to miss (doing); to fail (to do)
欠点[けってん] fault; defect; flaw; weak point; weakness; shortcoming; drawback
不可欠[ふかけつ] indispensable; essential
欠席[けっせき] absence; non-attendance
欠く[かく] to chip; to nick; to break; to crack
欠陥[けっかん] defect; fault; flaw; deformity; deficiency; shortage; gap
欠伸[あくび] yawn; yawning
欠如[けつじょ] lack; absence; shortage; deficiency; privation
欠損[けっそん] deficit; shortage; loss
欠乏[けつぼう] deficiency; insufficiency; shortage; lack; want; dearth; scarcity
出欠[しゅっけつ] attendance or absence
欠員[けついん] vacant position; vacancy; opening; unfilled position
欠場[けつじょう] absence; not taking part
heisig_story: The pictograph hidden in this character is of someone yawning. The first stroke shows the head thrown back, the second, the arm bent at the elbow as the hand reaches up to cover the mouth, and the last two, the legs. Since yawning shows a lack of something (psychologically, interest, physiologically, sleep), the connection is plain to see.
koohii_story: To me, this kanji looks like a person with two arms and two legs, but who lack s a head.

kanji: 底
meaning: bottom
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: そこ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
氐[テイ] name of an ancient tribe
examples: 底[そこ] bottom; sole
徹底的[てっていてき] thorough; exhaustive; complete
到底[とうてい] (cannot) possibly; (not) by any means; (not) at all; utterly; absolutely
徹底[てってい] thoroughness; completeness; consistency
根底[こんてい] root; basis; foundation
海底[かいてい] bottom of the ocean; seafloor; seabed
底辺[ていへん] base (of a polygon)
底力[そこぢから] hidden reserves of strength; latent energy; potentiality; real strength
底値[そこね] bottom price
底入れ[そこいれ] bottoming out (of prices)
底打ち[そこうち] bottoming out
底流[ていりゅう] undercurrent
谷底[たにぞこ] valley floor; bottom of a gorge; bottom of a ravine
heisig_story: Cave . . . calling card.
koohii_story: I put all those useless business cards at the bottom of a cave.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 底 低い 紙📜

kanji: 養
meaning: foster
ja_on: ヨウ、リョウ
ja_kun: やしな.う
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
食[しょく] food
examples: 栄養[えいよう] nutrition; nourishment
養う[やしなう] to support; to maintain; to provide for
養子[ようし] adopted child (usu. male); son-in-law
教養[きょうよう] (understanding or appreciation of) culture; (one's) education; cultivation; soph
療養[りょうよう] recuperation; medical treatment
休養[きゅうよう] rest; relaxation; recreation; recuperation; convalescence
供養[くよう] memorial service for the dead; holding a service
保養[ほよう] health preservation; recuperation; recreation
扶養[ふよう] support (e.g. of one's dependents); maintenance
養成[ようせい] training; education; development; cultivation
養護[ようご] nursing; (protective) care
保養所[ほようじょ] recreation facility (usu. corporate-owned and for the exclusive use of the corpo
培養[ばいよう] culture; cultivation
栄養士[えいようし] dietitian; (licensed) nutritionist
栄養失調[えいようしっちょう] malnutrition
heisig_story: Sheep . . . food. The key word has the sense of promoting the development of something, especially in a psychological or spiritual sense.
koohii_story: A sheep became the foster parent for a wolf pup, feeding it with milk. This story cannot end well…

kanji: 街
meaning: boulevard
ja_on: ガイ、カイ
ja_kun: まち
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
圭[ケイ] square jewel
examples: 街[がい] street; quarter; district; area
商店街[しょうてんがい] shopping district; shopping street; downtown
街道[かいどう] highway (esp. one existing from the Edo period); main road
街灯[がいとう] street light; streetlamp
住宅街[じゅうたくがい] residential area
繁華街[はんかがい] business district; shopping district; bustling street; shopping centre; shopping
市街地[しがいち] town area; urban area; metropolitan area; built-up area
街角[まちかど] street corner
市街[しがい] urban areas; the streets; town; city
街頭[がいとう] (on the) street
ウォール街[ウォールがい] Wall Street
中華街[ちゅうかがい] Chinatown
歓楽街[かんらくがい] entertainment district; amusement area; pleasure quarter; red-light district
街づくり[まちづくり] town planning; urban development; community development; creating a community
街宣車[がいせんしゃ] sound truck (used for campaigning, advertising or propaganda); loudspeaker van;
heisig_story: This is the character from which the sense of boulevard mentioned in frame 938 derives. Its elements: boulevard . . . ivy.
koohii_story: The boulevard of boulevard s, the Champs Elysées , with the Arc de Triomphe covered in ivy to give the champions a heroes' welcome.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 街 術

kanji: 願
meaning: petition
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: ねが.う、-ねがい
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 原[ゲン] meadow
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 願う[ねがう] to desire; to wish; to hope
お願いします[おねがいします] please
お願い[おねがい] request; favour (to ask); wish
よろしくお願いします[よろしくおねがいします] please remember me; please help me; please treat me well; I look forward to work
願い[ねがい] desire; wish; hope
よろしくお願いいたします[よろしくおねがいいたします] please remember me; please help me; please treat me well; I look forward to work
願望[がんぼう] desire; wish; aspiration
お願いいたします[おねがいいたします] please
懇願[こんがん] pleading; entreaty; supplication; petition
念願[ねんがん] one's heart's desire; one's dearest wish
志願[しがん] aspiration; volunteering; desire; application
悲願[ひがん] one's dearest wish
お願い致します[おねがいいたします] please
願[がん] prayer; wish; vow
祈願[きがん] prayer (for something); supplication
heisig_story: A meadow and a head are all we are given to work with in the kanji for petition. Since the key word already suggests something like a formal request made of some higher power, let us imagine a gigantic Wizard-of-Oz head located in the middle of the flowery meadow we used in the last frame. Then just picture people kneeling hopefully before it, petitioning for whatever it is they want. (The scarecrow wanted brains, the lion, courage, and the tin man a heart. What about you?)
koohii_story: Let's petition to save that beautiful MEADOW from overdevelopment by signing on this PAGE.

kanji: 希
meaning: hope
ja_on: キ、ケ
ja_kun: まれ、こいねが.う
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 乂[ガイ] mow
布[フ] linen
examples: 希望[きぼう] hope; wish; aspiration
希少[きしょう] scarce; rare
希薄[きはく] thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute; sparse (population); rarefied
heisig_story: Sheaf . . . linen.
koohii_story: Wolverine (sheaf, see [reap](../v4/1488.html) (#1488 刈)) hope s they invent linen sheets that he won't keep shredding in his sleep.

kanji: 笑
meaning: laugh
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: わら.う、え.む
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
夭[ヨウ] early death
examples: 笑う[わらう] to laugh
笑顔[えがお] smiling face; smile
笑い[わらい] laugh; laughter
笑い声[わらいごえ] (sound of) laughter; laughing voice
微笑む[ほほえむ] to smile
笑み[えみ] smile
苦笑[くしょう] bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
苦笑い[にがわらい] bitter smile; wry smile; forced smile; strained laugh
微笑[びしょう] smile
談笑[だんしょう] friendly chat; pleasant chat; lighthearted talk; friendly conversation
大笑い[おおわらい] great laughter; burst of laughter
爆笑[ばくしょう] roar of laughter (from multiple people); burst of laughter; uproarious laughter
作り笑い[つくりわらい] forced laugh; forced smile
冷笑[れいしょう] sneer; derision; scornful laugh; cold smile
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . heavens.
koohii_story: When the people tried to build a tower of bamboo to reach the heavens , the gods just laughed and laughed.

kanji: 束
meaning: bundle
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: たば、たば.ねる、つか、つか.ねる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
口[くち] mouth
examples: 約束[やくそく] promise; agreement; arrangement; one's word; contract; pact
拘束[こうそく] restriction; restraint; binding; constraint
束[たば] bundle; bunch; sheaf
束ねる[たばねる] to tie up in a bundle (e.g. straw, hair, bills, letters); to bundle; to sheathe
約束通り[やくそくどおり] as promised
花束[はなたば] bunch of flowers; bouquet
束縛[そくばく] restraint; restriction; fetters; yoke; shackles
束の間[つかのま] moment; brief space of time
結束[けっそく] union; unity; solidarity
札束[さつたば] bundle of banknotes; stack of bills
heisig_story: In the same way that we were able to see the sun in the tree within the kanji for east , here we see a square container in the shape of a mouth.
koohii_story: Mnemonic: Bundle of joy. Here I see the proverbial stork with a baby hanging from its mouth fly straight into a tree. Painful, but he doesn't drop the bundle.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 約束 練習 東京

kanji: 仲
meaning: go-between
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: なか
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
中[チュウ] in
examples: 仲間[なかま] companion; fellow; friend; mate; comrade; partner; colleague; coworker; associat
仲良く[なかよく] on good terms (with); on friendly terms (with); (getting along) well; in harmony
仲[なか] relation; relationship
仲直り[なかなおり] reconciliation; making up (with); making peace (with); being friends again; patc
仲良し[なかよし] close friendship; close friend; good friend; bosom buddy; chum; pal
仲間たち[なかまたち] companions; friends; comrades; mates; partners
仲間入り[なかまいり] joining (a group); becoming a member (of); joining the ranks (of)
仲裁[ちゅうさい] arbitration; intercession; mediation
仲介[ちゅうかい] agency; intermediation
仲人[なこうど] matchmaker
不仲[ふなか] discord; (on) bad terms (with)
仲買[なかがい] brokerage; broker
伯仲[はくちゅう] being evenly matched; being equal with; being on a par with; being well conteste
犬猿の仲[けんえんのなか] like cats and dogs; (on) very bad terms
heisig_story: Person . . . in.
koohii_story: When negotiating a hostage situation, Mr. T acted as the go-between , or person in the middle , for law enforcement and the terrorist.

kanji: 栄
meaning: flourish
ja_on: エイ、ヨウ
ja_kun: さか.える、は.え、-ば.え、は.える、え
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
木[き] tree
examples: 光栄[こうえい] honour; honor; glory; privilege
栄養[えいよう] nutrition; nourishment
栄光[えいこう] glory
繁栄[はんえい] prosperity; thriving; flourishing
栄える[さかえる] to prosper; to flourish; to thrive
見栄え[みばえ] good outward appearance; looking nice; being attractive; making a fine show
見栄[みえ] show; display; pretensions; appearances; ostentation; vanity
栄誉[えいよ] honour; honor
共栄[きょうえい] mutual prosperity
栄え[はえ] glory; splendour; honour
栄冠[えいかん] laurels; garland
栄枯[えいこ] vicissitudes; ups and downs
栄養士[えいようし] dietitian; (licensed) nutritionist
栄養失調[えいようしっちょう] malnutrition
栄養学[えいようがく] dietetics; nutritional science
heisig_story: The botanical connotations of the word flourish (to bud and burst into bloom, much as a tree does) are part of the ideal of the schoolhouse as well.
koohii_story: The TREES FLOURISH in the CLASSROOM, a little too much perhaps, there's no room for the students any more.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 栄える 苦労

kanji: 札
meaning: tag
ja_on: サツ
ja_kun: ふだ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 切り札[きりふだ] trump; trump card
札[さつ] banknote; bill; note; paper money
改札[かいさつ] examination of tickets
札束[さつたば] bundle of banknotes; stack of bills
表札[ひょうさつ] nameplate; doorplate
名札[なふだ] name plate; name tag; label
入札[にゅうさつ] bid; tender; bidding
千円札[せんえんさつ] 1,000 yen bill
応札[おうさつ] making a bid; tendering a bid
改札口[かいさつぐち] ticket barrier; ticket gate; wicket
札幌[さっぽろ] Sapporo (city in Hokkaido)
立て札[たてふだ] sign on a post (usu. wooden and with a small roof, containing information about
競争入札[きょうそうにゅうさつ] competitive bidding (esp. for government contracts)
荷札[にふだ] label; tag
落札[らくさつ] successful bid; winning a tender
heisig_story: The tags you see hanging on trees in public places in Japan are helpful to identify what sort of trees they are. Next time you see one, imagine the bit of wire that fixes the tag to the branch as a large fishhook. REALLY imagine it, illogical as it is, and you will never have trouble with this kanji again.
koohii_story: Botanists like to identify TREEs by HOOKing tag s on them.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 札幌 机

kanji: 沖
meaning: open sea
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: おき、おきつ、ちゅう.する、わく
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
中[チュウ] in
examples: 沖[おき] open sea
沖縄[おきなわ] Okinawa (city, prefecture)
沖合[おきあい] off the coast; offshore; out at sea
heisig_story: This kanji could hardly be simpler. The key word open sea readily suggests being out in the middle of a great body of water .Thinking of it in this way should avoid confusion with the kanji for "open," which we will meet later on.
koohii_story: Open sea is a lot of water in the middle of nowhere.

kanji: 借
meaning: borrow
ja_on: シャク
ja_kun: か.りる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
昔[セキ] once upon a time
examples: 借りる[かりる] to borrow
借金[しゃっきん] debt; loan; liabilities; borrowing money
借り[かり] borrowing; debt; loan
拝借[はいしゃく] borrowing
借り入れ[かりいれ] borrowing (money)
借入金[かりいれきん] loan; loan payable; debt
借地[しゃくち] leased land
借家[しゃくや] rented house; house for rent
借款[しゃっかん] loan (esp. between governments)
前借り[まえがり] getting an advance (on one's salary)
貸借[たいしゃく] loan; debit and credit; lending and borrowing
賃借[ちんしゃく] renting; rental; hiring; leasing (from)
間借り[まがり] renting a room
heisig_story: Person . . . once upon a time.
koohii_story: Once upon a time I let Mr T borrow my salad bowl, but he won't give it back. "This be mine now, foo!".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 昔

kanji: 節
meaning: node
ja_on: セツ、セチ
ja_kun: ふし、-ぶし、のっと
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
即[ソク] instant
examples: 季節[きせつ] season; time of year
節[せつ] occasion; time
関節[かんせつ] joint
節約[せつやく] economising; saving
お節介[おせっかい] meddling; meddlesomeness; nosiness; interference; officiousness
調節[ちょうせつ] regulation; adjustment; control
節度[せつど] moderation; standard
節操[せっそう] integrity; fidelity; constancy; principle; faithfulness; honor; honour
一節[いっせつ] one passage; one paragraph; one stanza; one verse; one section (of a piece of mu
お節[おせち] osechi
使節[しせつ] envoy; ambassador; delegate; emissary; mission
削り節[けずりぶし] flaked bonito
国慶節[こっけいせつ] anniversary of founding (of PRC); national celebration time
季節風[きせつふう] seasonal winds
時節[じせつ] season
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . instant.
koohii_story: Counting the node s on bamboo is an instant way to tell its age.

kanji: 包
meaning: wrap
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: つつ.む、くる.む
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
己[おのれ] self
examples: 包む[つつむ] to wrap up; to pack; to bundle; to do up
包み込む[つつみこむ] to wrap up
包丁[ほうちょう] kitchen knife
包帯[ほうたい] bandage; dressing
包囲[ほうい] siege; encirclement; envelopment; surrounding; besiegement
包み[つつみ] bundle; package; parcel
包容力[ほうようりょく] tolerance; broad-mindedness
包装[ほうそう] packing; wrapping
内包[ないほう] connotation; comprehension; intension
小包[こづつみ] parcel; package
包み紙[つつみがみ] wrapping paper
包含[ほうがん] inclusion; comprehension; implication; containing; covering
包括[ほうかつ] inclusion; complete coverage; comprehensiveness
梱包[こんぽう] packing; crating; packaging
heisig_story: Bind up . . . snake.
koohii_story: The snake bound up its prey by wrapping his body around it.

kanji: 鹿
meaning: deer
ja_on: ロク
ja_kun: しか、か
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
比[くらべる] to compare
examples: 馬鹿[ばか] idiot; moron; fool
鹿[しか] deer (esp. the sika deer, Cervus nippon); cervid
馬鹿らしい[ばからしい] absurd; foolish; stupid; silly; nonsense; ludicrous; preposterous; laughable; ri
heisig_story: Drawn on the walls of a complex of caves near Niaux in southern France are a number of animal likenesses dating from the Upper Paleolithic period. Among them we find pictures of deer , some of them showing men in deer masks. By comparing their drawings to real deer , Stone Age people hoped to acquire power over the animal in the hunt, and by comparing themselves to the deer , to take on that animal's characteristics. But time has locked with a "double- key " (the extra stroke through the element for key ) the real secret of this art form from us, and we can only surmise such meanings. But more important than the enigmas of the troglodytic mind is the way in which caves , a double- key , and comparing gives us the kanji for deer.
koohii_story: Bambi wanders into a cave and sees a side order of salad and 2 spoons …but what's the main course?

kanji: 折
meaning: fold
ja_on: セツ、シャク
ja_kun: お.る、おり、お.り、-お.り、お.れる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 折れる[おれる] to break; to be broken; to snap; to fracture
折る[おる] to break; to fracture; to break off; to snap off; to pick (e.g. flowers)
時折[ときおり] sometimes; at intervals; occasionally; on occasion; from time to time
折[おり] opportunity; chance; occasion; time
骨折[こっせつ] bone fracture
挫折[ざせつ] setback; failure (e.g. plans, business); frustration; discouragement
折角[せっかく] with trouble; at great pains
折り合い[おりあい] agreement (e.g. business, dispute); understanding; compromise; settlement
折り返す[おりかえす] to turn up (hem, sleeves, etc.); to fold back (e.g. page)
折り返し[おりかえし] by return; (call or write back) without delay
屈折[くっせつ] bending; curving; twisting; turning; winding
折衷[せっちゅう] compromise; cross; blending; eclecticism
右折[うせつ] turning to the right; right turn
和洋折衷[わようせっちゅう] blending of Japanese and Western styles
左折[させつ] turning to the left; left turn
heisig_story: Fingers . . . ax. Hint: make an image out of the Japanese art of "origami" (paper- folding ).
koohii_story: It's the latest Japanese game show: Forudo! Contestants are given a sheet of paper and are told to fold it into a complex origami shape. If they're not done in 60 seconds, a huge axe descends from the ceiling and chops their work in half. Contestants know to recoil their hands from the falling axe, but some have been so absorbed in fold ing, they ignore the buzzer and get their fingers chopped off.

kanji: 郡
meaning: county
ja_on: グン
ja_kun: こおり
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 君[クン] mister
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 郡[ぐん] district; county
郡部[ぐんぶ] rural districts; counties
heisig_story: Old boy . . . city walls.
koohii_story: County cricket. "I say old boy , you've hit that ball clear over the city walls. That's six and out!".

kanji: 埼
meaning: cape
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: さき、さい、みさき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 土[つち] earth
奇[キ] strange
examples: 埼玉[さいたま] Saitama (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: The cape pictured here is a jut of land like Cape Cod. The soil on the left tells us we have to do with land , and the strange on the right tells us it is a cape where unusual things go on. Put a haunted house on it, an eerie sky overhead, and a howling wind rustling through the trees, and you have yourself a picture of Cape Strange (or, if you prefer, Cape Odd ).
koohii_story: This refers to LAND, not the STRANGE gear superheroes wear.

kanji: 焼
meaning: bake
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: や.く、や.き、や.き-、-や.き、や.ける
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
尭[ギョウ] high
examples: 焼く[やく] to burn
焼ける[やける] to burn; to burn down; to go down in flames
夕焼け[ゆうやけ] evening glow; red sunset; afterglow (of sunset)
日焼け[ひやけ] sunburn; suntan; tan
焼きそば[やきそば] yakisoba
たこ焼き[たこやき] takoyaki; octopus dumplings
焼き肉[やきにく] yakiniku
お好み焼き[おこのみやき] okonomiyaki
焼き鳥[やきとり] yakitori
焼酎[しょうちゅう] shōchū
燃焼[ねんしょう] burning; combustion
焼肉[やきにく] yakiniku
日焼け止め[ひやけどめ] sunscreen; sunblock; sun cream; suntan lotion
すき焼き[すきやき] sukiyaki
全焼[ぜんしょう] total destruction by fire; being burned down
heisig_story: Hearth . . . straw man. Take care to distinguish this kanji from cook (Frame 507) and burn (Frame 549) when you compose your story.
koohii_story: Ah, there's no better way to bake a pizza than an oven fueled by a burning strawman. And if you listen carefully, there are stifled strawman screams coming from the kitchen. Think of this image: .

kanji: 照
meaning: illuminate
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: て.る、て.らす、て.れる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 昭[ショウ] shining
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 照れる[てれる] to be shy; to be bashful; to feel awkward; to feel embarrassed
照らす[てらす] to shine on; to illuminate
照明[しょうめい] illumination; lighting
対照的[たいしょうてき] contrastive
照準[しょうじゅん] sight (e.g. of a gun); aim; alignment
参照[さんしょう] reference (e.g. to a dictionary, passage, footnotes); consultation; comparison
照る[てる] to shine
対照[たいしょう] contrast; antithesis; comparison
日照[にっしょう] sunlight
照会[しょうかい] inquiry; query; enquiry; referral (e.g. to a doctor or court)
照射[しょうしゃ] irradiation; radiation; beaming
heisig_story: Although the range of possible meanings that the kanji for illuminate can have is about as rich as the connotations of the English word, we need to focus on just one of them: to make something shine. If you glaze a pot and put it into the oven to fire it, you in fact illuminate it. Hence the kanji for illuminate compares the kanji for shining with the primitive element for the oven's fire.
koohii_story: SHINING FLAMES illuminate!

kanji: 群
meaning: flock
ja_on: グン
ja_kun: む.れる、む.れ、むら、むら.がる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 君[クン] mister
羊[ひつじ] sheep
examples: 群れ[むれ] group; crowd; flock; herd; bevy; school; swarm; cluster (e.g. of stars); clump;
抜群[ばつぐん] outstanding; excellent; exceptional; distinguished; unrivaled; surpassing (e.g.
群[ぐん] group; bunch; crowd; throng; swarm; band; herd; school (of fish)
群がる[むらがる] to swarm; to gather
群れる[むれる] to crowd; to flock; to swarm
群衆[ぐんしゅう] group (of people); crowd; horde; throng; mob; multitude
群集[ぐんしゅう] crowd; community; group; herd; gathering; assembly
症候群[しょうこうぐん] syndrome
群像[ぐんぞう] lively group (esp. of young people); dynamic bunch
群島[ぐんとう] island group; archipelago
魚群[ぎょぐん] school of fish; shoal of fish
heisig_story: Old boys . . . sheep.
koohii_story: Good ol' boys are like sheep , they tend to flock together.

kanji: 飯
meaning: meal
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: めし
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
反[ハン] anti-
examples: ご飯[ごはん] cooked rice
飯[めし] cooked rice
夕飯[ゆうはん] evening meal; dinner; supper
昼飯[ひるめし] lunch; midday meal
朝ご飯[あさごはん] breakfast
晩ご飯[ばんごはん] dinner; evening meal
昼ご飯[ひるごはん] lunch; midday meal
朝飯[あさめし] breakfast
晩御飯[ばんごはん] dinner; evening meal
夜ご飯[よるごはん] dinner; evening meal
握り飯[にぎりめし] onigiri; rice ball
炊飯器[すいはんき] rice cooker
米飯[べいはん] cooked rice
赤飯[せきはん] red rice (beans and mochi) for auspicious occasions
heisig_story: Food . . . anti-.
koohii_story: I'm anti -fast food. Sit down and eat a real meal!

kanji: 典
meaning: code
ja_on: テン、デン
ja_kun: ふみ、のり
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 曲[キョク] bend
八[はち] eight
examples: 典型的[てんけいてき] typical; representative; archetypal; quintessential; stereotypical; model
特典[とくてん] privilege; special favor; special favour; benefit; prerogative; perk; amenity
古典的[こてんてき] classical; classic
古典[こてん] classic (work, esp. book); the classics
式典[しきてん] ceremony; rites
典型[てんけい] type; pattern; model; epitome; exemplar; archetype; perfect example
百科事典[ひゃっかじてん] encyclopedia; encyclopaedia
百科辞典[ひゃっかじてん] encyclopedia; encyclopaedia
辞典[じてん] dictionary; lexicon
事典[じてん] encyclopedia
出典[しゅってん] source (e.g. quotation); authority
国語辞典[こくごじてん] Japanese-language dictionary
祭典[さいてん] festival
heisig_story: We introduce this character here because of its connection to the book-related kanji treated above. It is based on the character for bend (frame 1256), whose last stroke is lengthened to coincide with the first stroke of the element for tool.
koohii_story: Coding is a tool which you can use to bend the computer to your will.

kanji: 賀
meaning: congratulations
ja_on: ガ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 加[カ] add
貝[かい] shell
examples: 祝賀[しゅくが] celebration; congratulations
年賀[ねんが] New Year's greetings; New Year's call; New Year's gift
年賀状[ねんがじょう] New Year's card
謹賀新年[きんがしんねん] Happy New Year
賀正[がしょう] A Happy New Year!
賀状[がじょう] New Year's card
heisig_story: Add . . . shells.
koohii_story: When someone at work gets married, you pass around an envelope to which you add some money and a card which you sign with your congratulations.

kanji: 縄
meaning: straw rope
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: なわ、ただ.す
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
电
examples: 縄[なわ] rope; cord
縄張り[なわばり] stretching a rope around; roping off; cordoning off; demarcation
沖縄[おきなわ] Okinawa (city, prefecture)
縄文[じょうもん] straw-rope pattern pressed into earthenware
縄跳び[なわとび] skipping rope; jump rope
heisig_story: Thread . . . eels.
koohii_story: The tortoise has escaped! We tied it up with a straw rope , but all that's left of the rope are some torn threads , and the unbound tortoise is nowhere to be found. (Note that the right half here is not "eels". This is (in my opinion) a mistake in the RTK book, as we already decided in [waterfall](../v4/537.html) (#537 滝) to refer to the simplified form of dragon as "eels". It is much better to call the right half of this character an "unbound tortoise".).

kanji: 徳
meaning: benevolence
ja_on: トク
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
十[じゅう] ten
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
心[こころ] heart
examples: 悪徳[あくとく] vice; immorality; corruption
道徳[どうとく] morals; morality
不徳[ふとく] lack of virtue; immorality; vice; depravity; unworthiness
淑徳[しゅくとく] womanly virtues
heisig_story: Going . . . needle . . . eye . . . heart. Refer back now to the note in frame 890.
koohii_story: Hearkening back to the kanji for LISTEN… Benevolence is a good listener who is willing to go the distance to help.

kanji: 漁
meaning: fishing
ja_on: ギョ、リョウ
ja_kun: あさ.る
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
魚[うお] fish
examples: 漁る[あさる] to fish
漁師[りょうし] fisherman
漁[りょう] fishing; gathering seafood (e.g. clams, seaweed)
漁村[ぎょそん] fishing village
漁業[ぎょぎょう] fishing industry; fishery
漁船[ぎょせん] fishing boat
漁場[ぎょじょう] fishing grounds; permitted fishing zone
漁民[ぎょみん] fishermen
漁港[ぎょこう] fishing harbour; fishing harbor
漁獲[ぎょかく] fishery; fishing; catch; haul
豊漁[ほうりょう] good catch; good haul
heisig_story: To the story we have just made about fish , this kanji for the profession of fishing adds yet another element BEFORE the others: namely the water , where the fish was happily at home before being caught, disemboweled, and eaten. Be sure to get a clear image of the water when you put it all together.
koohii_story: You need WATER and FISH for fishing.

kanji: 熊
meaning: bear
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: くま
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 能[ノウ] ability
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 熊[くま] bear (any mammal of family Ursidae)
heisig_story: Elbow . . . meat . . . spoon ATOP spoon . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: Most don't know it, but bear s have the ability to walk on fire. They're invincible creatures!

kanji: 倉
meaning: godown
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: くら
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 人[ひと] person
口[くち] mouth
examples: 倉庫[そうこ] storehouse; warehouse; godown
倉[くら] warehouse; storehouse; cellar; magazine; granary; godown; depository; treasury;
鎌倉[かまくら] Kamakura (city)
倉敷[くらしき] Kurashiki (city)
穀倉[こくそう] granary
米倉[こめぐら] rice granary
heisig_story: The single gate is used here not in order to represent one gate , but many of them, indeed a meeting of gates. Add mouth (as an entrance here) and you end up with godown. That should help keep this character distinct from warehouse (Frame 633).
koohii_story: (Warning-this one is crude) Imagine a godown (dockside warehouse) where you can meet girls who will godown on you with their mouth. To keep the place a bit of a secert, they only have one gate.

kanji: 唱
meaning: chant
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: とな.える
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
昌[ショウ] prosperous
examples: 唱える[となえる] to recite; to chant
合唱[がっしょう] singing together; singing in union; chorus
主唱[しゅしょう] advocacy; promotion
合唱団[がっしょうだん] chorus group; choir
唱歌[しょうか] singing; song
提唱[ていしょう] advocacy; proposal
斉唱[せいしょう] singing in unison; chanting in unison
歌唱[かしょう] song; singing
独唱[どくしょう] vocal solo
heisig_story: This one is easy! You have one mouth making no noise (the choirmaster) and two mouths with wagging tongues (the minimum for a chorus). So think of the key word, chant , as monastery singing and the kanji is yours forever (see frame 11).
koohii_story: Someone chant ing with their mouth open for two consecutive days.

kanji: 訓
meaning: instruction
ja_on: クン、キン
ja_kun: おし.える、よ.む、くん.ずる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 言[げん] words
川[さんぼんがわ] river
examples: 訓練[くんれん] training; drill; practice; discipline
特訓[とっくん] special training; intensive training; crash course
教訓[きょうくん] lesson; precept; teachings; moral
訓[くん] native Japanese reading of a Chinese character
訓令[くんれい] directive; instructions
訓戒[くんかい] warning; admonition; lesson or a phrase that teaches you not to do something
訓示[くんじ] instruction; direction; briefing
訓読み[くんよみ] kun reading; kun'yomi
音訓[おんくん] kanji readings
heisig_story: The personalism connoted by the word instruction , as opposed to "teaching" or "discipline," suits the picture here of words guiding one's progress like the gentle flowing of a stream. Even the etymology of the word instruction suggests the sense of "pouring into".
koohii_story: The best type of Japanese INSTRUCTION is full immersion, which consists of going to Japan and swimming in the stream of words that surrounds you every day.

kanji: 浴
meaning: bathe
ja_on: ヨク
ja_kun: あ.びる、あ.びせる
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
谷[たに] valley
examples: 浴びる[あびる] to dash over oneself (e.g. water); to take (e.g. shower); to bask in (e.g. the s
浴びせる[あびせる] to pour on
浴衣[ゆかた] yukata
入浴[にゅうよく] bathing; going in the bath
浴室[よくしつ] bathroom
浴槽[よくそう] bathtub
海水浴[かいすいよく] swimming in the ocean; sea bathing; seawater bath; going for a dip in the ocean
浴場[よくじょう] bathhouse; (public) bath
日光浴[にっこうよく] sunbathing; basking in the sun
海水浴場[かいすいよくじょう] swimming area (in the ocean); swimming beach; seawater baths
heisig_story: Water . . . valley.
koohii_story: This story is quite lascivious, sorry… Now, imagine you are at a 混浴 （こんよく） [two kanjis we now know] Onsen ( 温泉 ), and you are watching a woman bathe. Just picture the water dripping down her cleavage (that valley in between her breasts). Note: cleavage in Japanese is 谷間 .

kanji: 塩
meaning: salt
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: しお
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 土[つち] earth
口[くち] mouth
皿[さら] plate
examples: 塩[しお] salt; common salt; table salt; sodium chloride
塩味[しおあじ] salty taste; saltiness
塩分[えんぶん] salt; salt content
塩辛い[しおからい] salty (taste); briny
食塩[しょくえん] table salt
塩化[えんか] chloridation; salification
塩基[えんき] base
塩梅[あんばい] seasoning; flavour; flavor; taste
塩水[しおみず] salt water; brine
塩田[えんでん] saltpan; field for drying salt
塩素[えんそ] chlorine (Cl)
塩酸[えんさん] hydrochloric acid
岩塩[がんえん] halite; rock salt
heisig_story: Ground . . . reclining . . . mouth . . . dish.
koohii_story: In the old days, salt was a worth alot, so it is not surprising to find someone reclining on the ground , mouth to plate , getting every last grain of that delicious salt.

kanji: 兆
meaning: portent
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: きざ.す、きざ.し
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 儿[ひとあし] human legs
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 兆候[ちょうこう] sign; indication; omen; symptom
兆し[きざし] sign; indication; omen; symptom
前兆[ぜんちょう] omen; portent; sign; presage; harbinger; premonition; precursor; foreboding; pre
兆[ちょう] 10^12; 1,000,000,000,000; trillion
吉兆[きっちょう] lucky omen; good omen
heisig_story: Here we have a pictograph of the back of a turtle, the two sloping vertical strokes representing the central ridge and the four short strokes the pattern. Think of reading turtle shells as a way to foretell the future, and in particular things that portend coming evils.
koohii_story: When your wife's LEGs get huge hairs on them it is surely a bad portent for things to come.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 兆 挑戦 挑発 逃げる

kanji: 祝
meaning: celebrate
ja_on: シュク、シュウ
ja_kun: いわ.う
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: お祝い[おいわい] congratulation; congratulations; celebration; festival
祝う[いわう] to celebrate; to congratulate; to observe (a festival)
祝福[しゅくふく] celebration (of a joyous occasion); blessing; giving one's blessing; wishing (so
祝い[いわい] congratulation; congratulations; celebration; festival
祝杯[しゅくはい] toast; congratulatory cup
祝日[しゅくじつ] national holiday; public holiday
祝賀[しゅくが] celebration; congratulations
慶祝[けいしゅく] congratulation; celebration
祝儀[しゅうぎ] celebration; celebratory event; wedding ceremony
祝辞[しゅくじ] congratulatory address
祝電[しゅくでん] congratulatory telegram
heisig_story: Altar . . . teenager.
koohii_story: When Japanese people turn 20 they usually visit the altar at their local shrine and celebrate no longer being a teenager.

kanji: 旗
meaning: flag
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: はた
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
其[キ] that
examples: 旗[はた] flag
反旗[はんき] standard of revolt; banner of rebellion
国旗[こっき] national flag
旗印[はたじるし] design (on a banner); emblem (on a flag); insignia
旗手[きしゅ] standard-bearer; flag-bearer
旗揚げ[はたあげ] raising an army
旗色[はたいろ] situation; outlook
星条旗[せいじょうき] Stars and Stripes (US flag)
校旗[こうき] school flag
赤旗[あかはた] red flag
heisig_story: Banner . . . bushel basket.
koohii_story: The United Republic of Chess' national flag is actually a banner with a rook , that way they can hang it at every tournament.
heisig_keyword: national flag

kanji: 茨
meaning: briar
ja_on: シ、ジ
ja_kun: いばら、かや、くさぶき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
次[ジ] next
heisig_story: Earlier we made mention of the story of Briar Rose (or "Sleeping Beauty," as we called her in frame 165) and drew attention to the briar hedge that grew up all about her castle. But in the second part of the story, these briars blossomed into flowers. Hence her name, Briar Rose. Be careful not to confuse this character with that for thorn (Frame 446).
koohii_story: To prevent animals from eating the beautiful flowers in your garden, the best thing to do is to plant briar bushes immediately next to them.

kanji: 潟
meaning: lagoon
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: かた、-がた
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
舄[シャク] a shoe
examples: 干潟[ひがた] tidal flat; tideland
新潟[にいがた] Niigata (city, prefecture)
潟[かた] lagoon
koohii_story: Right part: mortar bound up over oven fire , comprising boiling cauldron. Lagoon is a shallow pond, thus easily warmed by sun, large-scale equivalent of a boiling cauldron.

kanji: 衣
meaning: garment
ja_on: イ、エ
ja_kun: ころも、きぬ、-ぎ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
examples: 衣装[いしょう] clothing; costume; outfit; garment; dress
衣服[いふく] clothes
衣[ころも] clothes; garment
浴衣[ゆかた] yukata
白衣[はくい] white clothes; white robe
更衣室[こういしつ] locker room; changing room; dressing room
脱衣所[だついじょ] bathroom antechamber; dressing room; sink area
衣類[いるい] clothes; clothing; garments
着衣[ちゃくい] clothes (that one is wearing)
衣料[いりょう] clothing
衣食住[いしょくじゅう] food, clothing and shelter; necessities of life
羽衣[はごろも] angel's raiment; robe of feathers
脱衣[だつい] undressing; taking off one's clothes; stripping
衣料品[いりょうひん] clothing; articles of clothing; apparel
衣替え[ころもがえ] seasonal change of clothing; changing one's dress for the season
heisig_story: At the top we see the top hat , and at the bottom a pictographic representation of the folds of a garment. If you break the "4-fold" fold into 2 sets of 2 strokes, you will find it easier to remember.
koohii_story: The only garment s allowed in this club are top hat and scarf.

kanji: 梅
meaning: plum
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: うめ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
毎[マイ] every
examples: 梅[うめ] Japanese apricot (Prunus mume); Japanese plum; ume; Chinese plum
梅雨[つゆ] (East Asian) rainy season (in Japan, usu. from early June to mid-July)
梅干し[うめぼし] umeboshi; pickled dried ume; pickled dried plum
梅干[うめぼし] umeboshi; pickled dried ume; pickled dried plum
塩梅[あんばい] seasoning; flavour; flavor; taste
梅酒[うめしゅ] ume liqueur; Japanese plum brandy
梅雨入り[つゆいり] entering the rainy season; beginning of the rainy season
梅雨明け[つゆあけ] end of the rainy season
紅梅[こうばい] red-blossomed plum tree; red Japanese apricot
青梅[あおうめ] unripe plum
heisig_story: Behind every Jack Horner's pie maker, a tree full of plums.
koohii_story: Plums actually grow on every single tree. What, you didn't know that? They do. Orange trees, apple trees, cantaloupe trees. Plum s are simply mutant fruits that have been installed in the root software of every single tree. I hear that some plum -loving scientists are working on a way to hack every tree's genetic code so that every tree will bear nothing but plum s.

kanji: 臣
meaning: retainer
ja_on: シン、ジン
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
examples: 大臣[だいじん] cabinet minister
総理大臣[そうりだいじん] prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
国務大臣[こくむだいじん] minister of state; cabinet minister (in Japan)
忠臣[ちゅうしん] loyal retainer; loyal subject
heisig_story: This kanji is actually a pictograph for an eye, distorted to make it appear that the pupil is protruding towards the right. This may not be an easy form to remember, but try this: Draw it once rather large, and notice how moving the two vertical lines on the right as far right as possible gives you the pictograph of the eye in its natural form. The "pop-eye" image belongs to an Emperor's retainer standing in awe before his ruler.
koohii_story: Retainer : a servant, especially one who has worked for a person or familly for a long time. Now, if you imagine looking at a retainer (e.g. Igor) from top, you see how he is bending his head (middle rectange) between his two shoulders as he offers something with his two hands (upper and lower lines) to his master.

kanji: 浅
meaning: shallow
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: あさ.い
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
戋
examples: 浅い[あさい] shallow; superficial
浅はか[あさはか] shallow; superficial; thoughtless; short-sighted; foolish; silly
浅瀬[あさせ] shoal; shallows; sand bar; ford
浅見[せんけん] shallow view; superficial idea
浅黒い[あさぐろい] dark (skin, complexion, etc.); swarthy; tanned
遠浅[とおあさ] shoal; wide shallow beach
heisig_story: An entourage of floats going from one town to the next must always seek a shallow place to cross the water. Try to picture what happens if they don't.
koohii_story: The water can't be too SHALLOW if you expect to float.

kanji: 勇
meaning: courage
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: いさ.む
grade: Grade 4
radicals: マ
男[ダン] male
examples: 勇気[ゆうき] courage; bravery; valour; valor; nerve; boldness
勇者[ゆうしゃ] hero; the brave; man of valour (valor)
勇敢[ゆうかん] brave; courageous; gallant; valiant; heroic
勇ましい[いさましい] brave; valiant; gallant; courageous
勇み足[いさみあし] overeagerness; rashness
勇む[いさむ] to be in high spirits; to be encouraged; to be lively; to cheer up
勇士[ゆうし] brave warrior; hero; brave man
勇退[ゆうたい] retiring voluntarily; resigning one's post (to make way for others); stepping do
武勇[ぶゆう] bravery; military prowess; valour; valor
義勇[ぎゆう] heroism; loyalty and courage
蛮勇[ばんゆう] foolhardiness; recklessness; savage valour; savage valor; brute courage
heisig_story: Chop-seal . . . man.
koohii_story: I imagined some kind of initiation rite in old China, where every young man has to show his courage. They then receive a chopseal which is a mark of their courage.

kanji: 械
meaning: contraption
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: かせ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
戒[カイ] commandment
examples: 機械[きかい] machine; mechanism
器械[きかい] machine; mechanism
工作機械[こうさくきかい] machine tool
機械化[きかいか] mechanization; mechanisation
heisig_story: Tree . . . commandment.
koohii_story: The ten commandments were heavy. So to help carry them, Moses made a wooden contraption , the ark of the covenant.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 機械 常識

kanji: 菜
meaning: vegetable
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: な
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
采[サイ] dice
examples: 野菜[やさい] vegetable
菜[な] greens; vegetables
山菜[さんさい] edible wild plants
惣菜[そうざい] small dish (served as a part of an ordinary household meal); side dish
白菜[はくさい] napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis); nappa cabbage; Chinese cabbage
菜園[さいえん] vegetable garden
菜種[なたね] rapeseed; coleseed
菜食[さいしょく] vegetable diet
heisig_story: Flower . . . grab.
koohii_story: A vegetarian vulture is munching on a flower , perched on a tree , patiently waiting for a patch of vegetable s to grow.

kanji: 梨
meaning: pear tree
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: なし
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 利[リ] profit
木[き] tree
examples: 梨[なし] nashi (esp. Pyrus pyrifolia); Japanese pear; Asian pear
heisig_story: Profit . . . tree.
koohii_story: The Japanese pear tree is the most profitable in the world, because it produces its fruit in pairs [sorry for the awful pun].

kanji: 刷
meaning: printing
ja_on: サツ
ja_kun: す.る、-ず.り、-ずり、は.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
巾[はば] cloth
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 印刷[いんさつ] printing
刷る[する] to print
凸版印刷[とっぱんいんさつ] letterpress; relief printing
刷新[さっしん] reform; renovation
増刷[ぞうさつ] additional printing; additional print run; reprint
heisig_story: Flag . . . towel . . . saber.
koohii_story: We printed a japanese flag on his white towel by stabbing him with a saber while he was wearing it.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 印刷 刺さる

kanji: 牧
meaning: breed
ja_on: ボク
ja_kun: まき
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 牧場[ぼくじょう] farm (livestock); stock farm; ranch; station
牧師[ぼくし] pastor; minister; clergyman; reverend
牧畜[ぼくちく] stock-farming; livestock farming; cattle breeding
遊牧[ゆうぼく] nomadism
放牧[ほうぼく] pasturage; grazing
牧草[ぼくそう] pasture; grass
牧野[ぼくや] pasture land; ranch
heisig_story: When it is time to breed new cattle, the bull is usually willing but the cow is often not. Thus the taskmaster to the right forces the cow into a compromising position, so to speak, so that she and her mate can breed.
koohii_story: Imagine a taskmaster giving a cow the command to "start breed ing, and start doing it now!", except that the cow takes his advice a bit too literally and starts chasing the taskmaster to carry out this command! instead of finding another cow to breed with. Hence, you see the taskmaster running to the right, trying to stay ahead of the cow.

kanji: 泣
meaning: cry
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: な.く
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
立[たつ] to stand
examples: 泣く[なく] to cry; to shed tears; to weep; to sob
泣き声[なきごえ] cry (e.g. of a baby); sob; whine
泣き[なき] weeping; lamenting
泣き顔[なきがお] crying face; face of a person who is crying
号泣[ごうきゅう] crying loudly; bawling; wailing; lamentation
悔し泣き[くやしなき] crying from vexation; tears of regret
heisig_story: One cries and cries until one is standing up knee-deep in water (or until one has a vase -full of water ).
koohii_story: Guys have two ways of watering when they are standing, the less common one is cry ing.

kanji: 孫
meaning: grandchild
ja_on: ソン
ja_kun: まご
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 子[こ] child
系[ケイ] lineage
examples: 孫[まご] grandchild
子孫[しそん] descendant; progeny; offspring
孫娘[まごむすめ] granddaughter
heisig_story: Child . . . yarn.
koohii_story: Your grandchild is the child of your DNA.

kanji: 栃
meaning: horse chestnut
ja_kun: とち
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 木[き] tree
厂[がんだれ] cliff
万[マン] ten thousand
heisig_story: A tree . . . cliff . . . ten thousand.
koohii_story: There are a bunch of HORSE CHESTNUT TREES on top of this CLIFF above the beach. Chestnuts keep rolling off the cliff and falling on people's heads. So far TEN THOUSAND people have been killed by falling chestnuts, and the Japanese government still ain't did shit about it.

kanji: 岐
meaning: branch off
ja_on: キ、ギ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 分岐[ぶんき] divergence; ramification; bifurcation; branching off
分岐点[ぶんきてん] fork; junction; diverging point
多岐[たき] diverse; various; wide-ranging
岐路[きろ] forked road; crossroads
岐阜[ぎふ] Gifu (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: Mountains . . . branch.
koohii_story: On the left, there are three mountains. The road branches off to each of them. (Note: This kanji is mostly used for branches in the road).

kanji: 径
meaning: diameter
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: みち、こみち、さしわたし、ただちに
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
圣[コツ] holy
examples: 半径[はんけい] radius
直径[ちょっけい] diameter
口径[こうけい] aperture; bore; calibre; caliber
heisig_story: Line . . . spool.
koohii_story: Scientists recently measured the diameter of Earth by drilling a deep hole and dropping a line of thread off a humongous spool until it got to the other side.

kanji: 鏡
meaning: mirror
ja_on: キョウ、ケイ
ja_kun: かがみ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 金[かね] metal
竟[キョウ] end
examples: 鏡[かがみ] mirror; looking-glass
眼鏡[めがね] glasses; eyeglasses; spectacles
望遠鏡[ぼうえんきょう] telescope
顕微鏡[けんびきょう] microscope
双眼鏡[そうがんきょう] binoculars; field glasses
鏡台[きょうだい] dresser; dressing table; vanity table
heisig_story: After lakes but before glass, polished metal was used for mirrors. These metal mirrors are recalled in this character for a mirror.
koohii_story: Mirror should suggest vanity. Imagine a spoiled girl who gets her parents to buy her a Golden mirror so she can stand in front of it all day vainly admiring her lovely human legs.

kanji: 阜
meaning: hill
ja_on: フ、フウ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
examples: 岐阜[ぎふ] Gifu (city, prefecture)
heisig_story: Maestro . . . needle.
koohii_story: The maestro lives on top of a large hill so that he can play music at over ten decibels without anyone giving a damn.
heisig_keyword: large hill

kanji: 滋
meaning: nourishing
ja_on: ジ、シ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
兹
examples: 滋養[じよう] nourishment; nutrition
heisig_story: Water . . . double- mysterious. Note the doubling up of the element for top hat in the primitive for mysterious and assign it a special image, as it will come up in the next two frames.
koohii_story: Water is doubly mysterious. It's in all our nourishment…and yet, it's really not nourishing at all.

kanji: 巣
meaning: nest
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: す、す.くう
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 小[しょう] small
果[カ] fruit
examples: 巣[す] nest; rookery; breeding place; hive
卵巣[らんそう] ovary
古巣[ふるす] old haunts; former homes
巣立ち[すだち] leaving the nest
空き巣[あきす] empty nest
heisig_story: Owl . . . fruit.
koohii_story: Owls only nest in fruit trees.

kanji: 灯
meaning: lamp
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ひ、ほ-、ともしび、とも.す、あかり
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 灯り[あかり] light; glow; gleam
街灯[がいとう] street light; streetlamp
灯す[ともす] to light (a candle, lamp, etc.); to turn on (a light)
灯[ひ] light; lamp
懐中電灯[かいちゅうでんとう] (electric) torch; flashlight
蛍光灯[けいこうとう] fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light
電灯[でんとう] electric light
灯火[とうか] light; lamplight
消灯[しょうとう] putting out the lights; turning off the lights
灯台[とうだい] lighthouse
灯油[とうゆ] kerosene; paraffin; lamp oil
heisig_story: Since it is very hard to read by the fireplace without going blind from the flickering of the flames or burning up from the heat, our ancestors invented a way to nail down a bit of that fire , just enough to light up the text of their evening newspapers and no more. Voilà! The lamp.
koohii_story: Imagine old gas lamp s which had a flame to light up the street signs.

kanji: 芽
meaning: bud
ja_on: ガ
ja_kun: め
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
牙[ガ] tusk
examples: 芽[め] sprout; shoot; bud
発芽[はつが] germination; sprouting; budding
新芽[しんめ] sprout; bud; shoot
木の芽[きのめ] leaf bud
芽生え[めばえ] bud; sprout
萌芽[ほうが] germination; germ; sprout
麦芽[ばくが] malt
heisig_story: Flowers . . . tusk.
koohii_story: Zoo keepers are baffled as to why the tips of the elephant's tusks keep budding into flowers.

kanji: 媛
meaning: beautiful woman
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: ひめ
grade: Grade 4
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
爰[エン] lead on to
heisig_story: Woman . . . migrating ducks.
koohii_story: You want to know about a beautiful woman? There's a woman that's so beautiful, the birds migrate to her instead of the sun!

kanji: 政
meaning: politics
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: まつりごと、まん
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 正[セイ] correct
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 政府[せいふ] government; administration; ministry
政治[せいじ] politics; government
政治家[せいじか] politician; statesman
政治的[せいじてき] political
政策[せいさく] political measures; policy
政[まつりごと] rule; government; administration
家政婦[かせいふ] housekeeper; maid
行政[ぎょうせい] executive; government
政権[せいけん] (political) administration; political power
財政[ざいせい] public finance
政党[せいとう] political party
内政[ないせい] domestic affairs; internal administration
参政権[さんせいけん] suffrage; franchise
国政[こくせい] national politics; political situation; statecraft; body politic
地方行政[ちほうぎょうせい] local administration
heisig_story: To the many definitions for politics that already exist, this character offers yet another: correct taskmastering. Think about what the primitives tell us. On the one hand, we see the pessimistic wisdom that politics has to do with taskmastering , maneuvering people with or without their will. And on the other, we see the campaign assurances that this duty can be performed correctly if only the right candidate is given a chance.
koohii_story: Those involved in politics are always trying to elect the correct taskmaster.

kanji: 経
meaning: sutra
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ、キン
ja_kun: へ.る、た.つ、たていと、はか.る、のり
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
圣[コツ] holy
examples: 経験[けいけん] experience
経つ[たつ] to pass (of time); to elapse
経る[へる] to pass; to elapse; to go by
神経[しんけい] nerve
経過[けいか] passage (of time); elapsing; lapse
経営[けいえい] management; administration; operation; running (a business); conducting
経緯[けいい] details; particulars; sequence of events; circumstances; situation; how things g
経由[けいゆ] going through; going via; going by way of
経歴[けいれき] personal history; background; career
経済[けいざい] economy; economics
経路[けいろ] course; route; path; channel
無神経[むしんけい] insensitive; inconsiderate; callous; thick-skinned
経験者[けいけんしゃ] experienced person; person who has had a particular experience
経営者[けいえいしゃ] manager; proprietor
神経質[しんけいしつ] nervous; highly strung; sensitive
heisig_story: Thread . . . spool.
koohii_story: The word ‘sutra’ literally means a rope or thread that holds things together. Here we see that it is a spool that is holding the threads together.
heisig_keyword: sūtra

kanji: 現
meaning: present
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: あらわ.れる、あらわ.す、うつつ、うつ.つ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 王[オウ] king
見[みる] to see
examples: 現れる[あらわれる] to appear; to come in sight; to become visible; to come out; to embody; to mater
現実[げんじつ] reality; actuality; hard fact
現在[げんざい] the present; present time; now
現場[げんば] actual spot; scene (of a crime, accident, etc.)
表現[ひょうげん] expression; representation; description
現状[げんじょう] present condition; existing state; status quo; current state
実現[じつげん] implementation (e.g. of a system); materialization; materialisation; realization
再現[さいげん] reappearance; reemergence; return; revival
出現[しゅつげん] appearance; emergence; advent; arrival; showing up; coming to existence
現象[げんしょう] phenomenon
現代[げんだい] present age; present day; today
現に[げんに] actually; really
現実的[げんじつてき] realistic; pragmatic
現金[げんきん] cash; ready money; money on hand; currency
現地[げんち] actual place; actual location; the spot; the scene; the field; (on) site
heisig_story: Do not think of a "gift" here, but of the present moment, as distinct from the future and the past. The kanji gives us a ball in which we see the present \- obviously a crystal ball that enables us to see things going on at the present in faraway places.
koohii_story: The KING … can SEE clearly the PRESENT state of affairs in the land. (maybe he hees them in the crystal ball on the left?).

kanji: 性
meaning: sex
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: さが
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 女性[じょせい] woman; female
可能性[かのうせい] possibility; chance; likelihood; probability
男性[だんせい] man; male
性格[せいかく] character (of a person); personality; disposition; nature
性[せい] nature (of a person)
可能性が高い[かのうせいがたかい] very likely; very probable
根性[こんじょう] willpower; guts; determination; grit; spirit
相性[あいしょう] affinity; compatibility; chemistry (between people)
理性[りせい] reason; reasoning power; (one's) sense
性質[せいしつ] nature (of a person); disposition; temperament; character
個性[こせい] individuality; personality; quirk; idiosyncrasy; character; individual character
本性[ほんしょう] true character; real nature
異性[いせい] the opposite sex
性別[せいべつ] (distinction of) sex; gender
性能[せいのう] ability; performance; efficiency
heisig_story: State of mind . . . cell.
koohii_story: Sex is the only state of mind for many men through their whole life.

kanji: 制
meaning: system
ja_on: セイ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
巾[はば] cloth
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 制服[せいふく] uniform
制御[せいぎょ] control (of a machine, device, etc.)
強制[きょうせい] compulsion; coercion; forcing (to do); enforcement
制限[せいげん] restriction; restraint; limitation; limit
制作[せいさく] work (film, book)
制する[せいする] to hold back (e.g. emotions); to rein in (e.g. a horse, unruly people); to bridl
強制的[きょうせいてき] forced; compulsory
体制[たいせい] order; system; structure; set-up; organization; organisation
制[せい] system; organization; organisation; imperial command; laws; regulation; control;
制止[せいし] control; check; restraint; inhibition
制圧[せいあつ] gaining total control (of people or counties); suppression; oppression; control;
制度[せいど] system; institution; organization; organisation
規制[きせい] regulation; (traffic) policing; control; restriction
抑制[よくせい] control; restraint; suppression; constraint; curtailment; inhibition; check; cur
制裁[せいさい] sanctions; punishment
heisig_story: This kanji show a unique system for leading cows to the slaughterer's saber : one ties a belt about their waist and fixes that belt to an overhead cable, pulling the cow up into the air where it hangs suspended, helpless against the fate that awaits it.
koohii_story: The system for making leather belts involves slicing up a cow with a sword.

kanji: 務
meaning: task
ja_on: ム
ja_kun: つと.める
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 矛[ほこ] halberd
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
力[ちから] power
examples: 務める[つとめる] to work (for); to be employed (at); to serve (in)
義務[ぎむ] duty; obligation; responsibility
任務[にんむ] duty; function; office; mission; task; role
事務所[じむしょ] office
務め[つとめ] service; duty; business; responsibility; task
業務[ぎょうむ] business; work; operations; service; duties
勤務[きんむ] service; duty; work
刑務所[けいむしょ] prison; jail; gaol; penitentiary
職務[しょくむ] professional duties
事務[じむ] office work; clerical work; administration; business; affairs
責務[せきむ] duty; obligation
事務的[じむてき] administrative; businesslike; practical
公務員[こうむいん] public employee; government employee; public-sector worker; public servant; civi
専務[せんむ] special duty; being in sole charge of a duty
公務[こうむ] official business; public business
heisig_story: Halberd . . . taskmaster . . . muscle.
koohii_story: It is with the halberd he holds that the taskmaster exerts his power over those actually performing the task.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 務める 疑う

kanji: 統
meaning: overall
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: す.べる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
充[ジュウ] allot
examples: 伝統[でんとう] tradition; convention
統一[とういつ] unity; consolidation; uniformity; unification; compatible
系統[けいとう] system
大統領[だいとうりょう] president (of a country)
統治[とうち] rule; reign; government; governing
統合[とうごう] integration; unification; unity; combination; consolidation; synthesis
統制[とうせい] regulation; control
統括[とうかつ] unification; bringing together; generalization
伝統的[でんとうてき] traditional; customary; conventional
統計[とうけい] statistics
正統[せいとう] legitimate; orthodox; traditional
伝統文化[でんとうぶんか] traditional culture
統一感[とういつかん] sense of unity; sense of oneness
統帥[とうすい] supreme command; high command
総統[そうとう] supreme ruler; generalissimo
heisig_story: Thread . . . allot.
koohii_story: Spidey is alloted the biggest crime fighter jurisdiction in NYC because his OVERALL arrest record is the best.

kanji: 総
meaning: general
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: す.べて、すべ.て、ふさ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
忩[ソウ] rush
examples: 総合[そうごう] synthesis; combination; integration; putting together
総[そう] whole; total; gross; entire; overall; general (election, manager, etc.)
総動員[そうどういん] general mobilization; full mobilization
総勢[そうぜい] all members; whole army
総意[そうい] consensus; collective will; collective opinion
総合的[そうごうてき] comprehensive; composite; all-round; all-embracing; general; overall; combined;
総理[そうり] prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
総数[そうすう] total (number); count
総会[そうかい] general meeting
総理大臣[そうりだいじん] prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
国民総生産[こくみんそうせいさん] gross national product; GNP
総会屋[そうかいや] extortionist that threatens to disrupt stock-holder meetings; sokaiya
総体[そうたい] the whole; all
総力[そうりょく] total energy; all efforts
総務[そうむ] general affairs; general business; manager; director; adjutant general
heisig_story: This kanji, meaning universal or widespread, is composed of three elements: thread . . . public . . . heart.
koohii_story: Spiderman could not achieve general acceptance by the media even after winning the public 's heart.

kanji: 領
meaning: jurisdiction
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: えり
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 令[レイ] orders
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 領域[りょういき] territory; domain
要領[ようりょう] point; gist; essentials; tenets; outline
占領[せんりょう] occupying; having (an area) all to oneself
大統領[だいとうりょう] president (of a country)
領地[りょうち] territory; dominion; grounds (e.g. school)
領土[りょうど] territory; domain; dominion; possession
領収書[りょうしゅうしょ] formal receipt (of payment; oft. hand-written)
横領[おうりょう] embezzlement; misappropriation; usurpation
首領[しゅりょう] head; chief; boss; leader
領事[りょうじ] consul
領収[りょうしゅう] receipt (of money); receiving
領海[りょうかい] territorial waters
受領[じゅりょう] receipt (of a letter, money, etc.); acceptance; receiving
学習指導要領[がくしゅうしどうようりょう] government course (curriculum) guidelines
本領[ほんりょう] characteristic quality; special character; one's real ability; one's specialty
heisig_story: Orders . . . head.
koohii_story: Two cowboys are crossing a state limit. One says to him “Did you know that in this Jurisdiction there are Orders to get your head?”, so he takes out his gun and shoots him. He claims the reward afterwards. (Thanks Fuaburisu).

kanji: 設
meaning: establishment
ja_on: セツ
ja_kun: もう.ける
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 設定[せってい] establishment; creation; posing (a problem); setting (movie, novel, etc.); scene
施設[しせつ] facility; facilities; institution; establishment
設置[せっち] establishment; institution
設備[せつび] equipment; facilities; installation; accommodations; conveniences; arrangements
設ける[もうける] to prepare; to provide
建設[けんせつ] construction; establishment
設計[せっけい] plan; design; layout
設立[せつりつ] establishment; founding
併設[へいせつ] joint establishment (esp. schools of different levels or different courses of st
創設[そうせつ] establishment; founding; organization; organisation
建設的[けんせつてき] constructive
仮設[かせつ] temporary construction; temporary establishment; provisional construction
公設[こうせつ] public (institution)
増設[ぞうせつ] adding (equipment, facilities, etc.); establishing more; installing more; increa
常設[じょうせつ] standing (committee); permanent (exhibit)
heisig_story: Words . . . missile.
koohii_story: Establishment can be attacked by words or by missiles. Writers will use words, whereas militars will use missiles.

kanji: 保
meaning: protect
ja_on: ホ、ホウ
ja_kun: たも.つ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
呆[ホウ] be amazed
examples: 保母[ほぼ] (female) childcare worker; nursery school teacher
保つ[たもつ] to keep; to preserve; to hold; to retain; to maintain; to sustain
確保[かくほ] securing; obtaining; ensuring; guarantee; maintaining
保証[ほしょう] guarantee; security; assurance; pledge
保護[ほご] protection; safeguard; guardianship; custody; patronage
保存[ほぞん] preservation; conservation; storage; maintenance
保管[ほかん] charge; custody; safekeeping; deposit; storage
保護者[ほごしゃ] guardian; protector; patron; parent
保険[ほけん] insurance
保留[ほりゅう] reservation; putting on hold; deferment; withholding
保障[ほしょう] guarantee; security; assurance; pledge
保持[ほじ] retention; maintenance; preservation
保有[ほゆう] possession; retention; maintenance; holding; keeping
保育園[ほいくえん] nursery school; day nursery; day care center
保健[ほけん] preservation of health; hygiene; sanitation
heisig_story: Person . . . mouth . . . tree.
koohii_story: Tip: Heisig later combines mouth and tree into 呆 [dumbfounded](../v4/2181.html) (#2181 呆). Story: Your person (Mr. T. or whoever) is dumbfounded when told to protect the bad guys rather than fight them.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 保つ 程

kanji: 支
meaning: branch
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: ささ.える、つか.える、か.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
又[また] again
examples: 支える[ささえる] to support; to prop; to sustain; to underlay; to hold up; to defend
支配[しはい] rule; domination; control
支度[したく] preparation; arrangements
支払う[しはらう] to pay
支援[しえん] support; backing; aid; assistance
支障[ししょう] obstacle; hindrance; impediment; difficulty
支払い[しはらい] payment
支持[しじ] support; backing; endorsement; approval
支給[しきゅう] provision; supply; payment; allowance; grant
差し支える[さしつかえる] to interfere (with); to hinder; to be hindered (from doing); to become impeded;
支部[しぶ] branch; branch office; subdivision
支店[してん] branch office; branch store
支柱[しちゅう] prop; stay; support; brace; fulcrum
支配人[しはいにん] manager; executive
収支[しゅうし] income and expenditure
heisig_story: Needle . . . crotch.
koohii_story: Picture sliding down the branch of a tree (in this case a pine tree or any tree with needles ) and getting a bunch of needles stuck in your crotch –ouch!!

kanji: 報
meaning: report
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: むく.いる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 幸[コウ] happiness
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
又[また] again
examples: 情報[じょうほう] information; news; report; intelligence
報告[ほうこく] report; information
通報[つうほう] report; notification; tip; bulletin
報酬[ほうしゅう] remuneration; recompense; reward; toll
報いる[むくいる] to reward; to recompense; to repay
報われる[むくわれる] to be repaid; to be rewarded
報告書[ほうこくしょ] (written) report
報道[ほうどう] report (of news); reporting; news; information; (media) coverage
警報[けいほう] warning; alarm; alert
報復[ほうふく] retaliation; revenge; reprisal; retribution
天気予報[てんきよほう] weather forecast; weather report
報[ほう] information; news; report
朗報[ろうほう] good news; happy news; glad tidings
予報[よほう] forecast; prediction
広報[こうほう] public relations; PR; publicity; public information
heisig_story: Happiness . . . stamp . . . crotch. Compare frame 1501.
koohii_story: Recall the fashion model wearing just a stamp over his crotch ([clothing](../v4/1399.html) (#1399 服)). When he got happy , of course, it ended up in the news report.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 予報 洋服

kanji: 得
meaning: gain
ja_on: トク
ja_kun: え.る、う.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
㝵 to get
examples: 得る[うる] to be able to ...; can ...
納得[なっとく] consent; agreement; acceptance
得意[とくい] satisfaction; pride; triumph; elation
説得[せっとく] persuasion
説得力[せっとくりょく] persuasiveness; powers of persuasion; cogency
得[とく] profit; advantage; benefit; gain
獲得[かくとく] acquisition; possession
心得る[こころえる] to know; to understand; to be aware of; to regard as; to take for
あり得ない[ありえない] impossible
習得[しゅうとく] learning; acquisition (of a skill, knowledge, etc.)
心得[こころえ] knowledge; understanding
得策[とくさく] good policy; wise policy; best plan
取得[しゅとく] obtaining (a qualification, right, object, etc.); acquisition (of land, property
得する[とくする] to make a profit
得点[とくてん] scoring; score; points made; marks obtained; goals; runs
heisig_story: Column . . . nightbreak . . . glue.
koohii_story: To gain more knowledge of what's goin on in the world I'm reading column after column of articles in the newspapers, and it takes so much time I'm glued to it till nightbreak.

kanji: 解
meaning: unravel
ja_on: カイ、ゲ
ja_kun: と.く、と.かす、と.ける、ほど.く、ほぐ.す、わか.る、さと.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 角[つの] horn
刀[かたな] knife
牛[うし] cow
examples: 理解[りかい] understanding; comprehension; appreciation
解決[かいけつ] settlement; solution; resolution
了解[りょうかい] comprehension; consent; understanding; agreement
誤解[ごかい] misunderstanding
正解[せいかい] correct answer; right solution; correct interpretation
解放[かいほう] release; unleashing; liberation; emancipation; setting free
解く[とく] to untie; to unfasten; to unwrap; to undo; to unbind; to unpack
解ける[とける] to be solved; to be worked out
解散[かいさん] breaking up (a meeting, gathering, etc.); dispersal (e.g. of a crowd)
解除[かいじょ] termination (of a contract); cancellation; rescinding; rescission
解釈[かいしゃく] interpretation; explanation; reading; construction
解消[かいしょう] cancellation; liquidation; resolution; reduction (e.g. of stress)
解説[かいせつ] explanation; commentary; exposition; elucidation
解る[わかる] to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to follow
解体[かいたい] demolition; taking down; dismantling; disassembly; taking apart
heisig_story: Angle . . . dagger . . . cow.
koohii_story: Did you know that you can unravel a cow? If you stick the dagger in at exactly the correct angle, the whole cow will just unravel.

kanji: 資
meaning: assets
ja_on: シ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 次[ジ] next
貝[かい] shell
examples: 資格[しかく] qualifications; requirements; capabilities
資料[しりょう] material; materials; data; information; documents
資金[しきん] funds; capital
投資[とうし] investment
資質[ししつ] nature; disposition; temperament; qualities; attributes; talents
物資[ぶっし] goods; materials; commodities; resources; supplies
資産[しさん] property; fortune; means; assets
資源[しげん] resources
資材[しざい] (raw) material
出資[しゅっし] investment; contribution; financing
融資[ゆうし] financing; loan
資本[しほん] funds; capital
原資[げんし] capital; principal
固定資産[こていしさん] fixed assets
増資[ぞうし] increase of capital
heisig_story: The first shells (money) you earn, you use to pay your debts. From then on, the next shells you accumulate become your assets.
koohii_story: Assets are the next best thing to money.

kanji: 際
meaning: occasion
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: きわ、-ぎわ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
祭[サイ] ritual
examples: 実際[じっさい] reality; actuality; truth; fact; actual conditions
際[さい] occasion; time; circumstances; (in) case (of); when
実際は[じっさいは] in fact; as a matter of fact; actually; in reality; to tell the truth
交際[こうさい] company; friendship; association; society; acquaintance
間際[まぎわ] the point just before ...; the point of (doing); the verge (of); the eve (of)
手際[てぎわ] skill; ability; dexterity
窓際[まどぎわ] at the window; by the window; next to the window
際立つ[きわだつ] to be prominent; to be conspicuous; to stand out; to be outstanding; to be remar
国際[こくさい] international
手際よく[てぎわよく] efficiently; skillfully; adeptly; adroitly; deftly
瀬戸際[せとぎわ] brink; verge; critical moment; crucial moment
に際して[にさいして] on the occasion of; at the time of; when; during
交際費[こうさいひ] entertainment expenses
国際人[こくさいじん] internationally minded person; cosmopolitan; cosmopolite; citizen of the world
国際化[こくさいか] internationalization; internationalisation
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . ritual.
koohii_story: On occasian, rituals are held at the very tip of The Pinnacle.

kanji: 査
meaning: investigate
ja_on: サ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 調査[ちょうさ] investigation; examination; inquiry; enquiry; survey
捜査[そうさ] search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry; enquiry
検査[けんさ] inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test; check; scan (e.g. MRI, PE
審査[しんさ] judging; inspection; examination; investigation; review
捜査官[そうさかん] (police) investigator
査定[さてい] assessment (of value, damages, etc.); revision (of a budget)
巡査[じゅんさ] police officer; policeman; constable
主査[しゅさ] chief examiner or investigator
会計検査院[かいけいけんさいん] Board of Audit
国勢調査[こくせいちょうさ] (national) census
実態調査[じったいちょうさ] fact-finding investigation; investigation into actual conditions; fact-finding s
市場調査[しじょうちょうさ] market research
意識調査[いしきちょうさ] attitude survey; opinion poll
探査[たんさ] probe; inquiry; enquiry; investigation
査問[さもん] inquiry; enquiry; hearing
heisig_story: Tree . . . shelf.
koohii_story: A whole team of cops is sent to investigate how a tree could grow on top of a shelf with no soil or water.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 検査 基本的に

kanji: 告
meaning: revelation
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: つ.げる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
口[くち] mouth
examples: 報告[ほうこく] report; information
告白[こくはく] confession (to a crime, wrongdoing, etc.); admission
告げる[つげる] to tell; to inform; to announce
忠告[ちゅうこく] advice; warning
警告[けいこく] warning; caution; admonition
予告[よこく] (advance) notice; preliminary announcement; warning
報告書[ほうこくしょ] (written) report
広告[こうこく] advertisement; advertising
宣告[せんこく] sentence; verdict; pronouncement
告発[こくはつ] indictment; prosecution; complaint
告知[こくち] notice; notification; announcement; disclosure; declaration
申告[しんこく] report; return (e.g. tax); statement; declaration; notification; filing
勧告[かんこく] advice; counsel; remonstrance; recommendation
通告[つうこく] announcement; notice
被告人[ひこくにん] accused; defendant; prisoner at the bar
heisig_story: Folklore throughout the world tells us of talking animals who show a wisdom superior to that of human beings, and that same tradition has found its way into television shows and cartoons right into our own century. This character depicts revelation through the mouth of a cow , suggesting oracular utterances about truths hidden to human intelligence.
koohii_story: The revelation makes the cow's mouth drop down, "Hamburgers are made of what?!".

kanji: 判
meaning: judgement
ja_on: ハン、バン
ja_kun: わか.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 半[ハン] half
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 判断[はんだん] judgment; judgement; decision; conclusion; adjudication
評判[ひょうばん] reputation; (public) estimation; popularity
判明[はんめい] establishing; proving; ascertaining; identifying; confirming
裁判[さいばん] trial; judgement; judgment
批判[ひはん] criticism; judgement; judgment; comment
判定[はんてい] judgement; judgment; decision; ruling; finding; adjudication; verdict; call
審判[しんぱん] judgement; judgment; decision; verdict; sentence
判決[はんけつ] judicial decision; judgement; judgment; sentence; decree
判る[わかる] to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to follow
裁判所[さいばんしょ] court; courthouse
判[はん] seal; stamp; monogram signature
判事[はんじ] judge; judiciary
判子[はんこ] seal (used in lieu of a signature); stamp; chop
公判[こうはん] public hearing; trial
判例[はんれい] judicial precedent; leading case; prior case
heisig_story: Half . . . saber. You might recall the famous judgment of King Solomon, who offered to slice a baby in two with a saber to give half to each of the mothers who claimed it as her own.
koohii_story: In the bible, King Solomon's JUDGMENT was admired not by saying to cut the baby in HALF with the SWORD, but that it revealed who the true mother was.
heisig_keyword: judgment
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 判断 洋服 権利

kanji: 在
meaning: exist
ja_on: ザイ
ja_kun: あ.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
土[つち] earth
examples: 存在[そんざい] existence; being; presence
現在[げんざい] the present; present time; now
実在[じつざい] actual existence; real existence; existing in real life
不在[ふざい] absence
滞在[たいざい] stay; sojourn
自在[じざい] being able to do as one pleases; doing at will
健在[けんざい] in good health; alive and well; going strong
所在[しょざい] location (of); position; whereabouts; place where one is
在る[ある] to be; to exist; to live
在庫[ざいこ] stock; inventory
在籍[ざいせき] being enrolled (at a school); being registered; being a member (of a team, organ
点在[てんざい] being dotted about; being scattered; being interspersed
在住[ざいじゅう] residing; living; dwelling
在学[ざいがく] attending (school, college, etc.); being enrolled; being a student
在宅[ざいたく] being at home; being in
heisig_story: Genie in the bottle . . . soil.
koohii_story: Genie in the bottle does exist but you need to dig deep into the soil to find one.

kanji: 件
meaning: affair
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: くだん
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
牛[うし] cow
examples: 件[けん] matter; affair; case; item; subject
事件[じけん] event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble; scandal
条件[じょうけん] condition; term; requirement; qualification; prerequisite
用件[ようけん] business; thing to be done; something that should be performed; information that
一件[いっけん] (one) matter; (one) item; (one) case
案件[あんけん] matter (to discuss); item (on the agenda); issue; topic; case
殺人事件[さつじんじけん] murder case
物件[ぶっけん] article; thing; object
無条件[むじょうけん] unconditional
大事件[だいじけん] major incident; major happening; big scandal
要件[ようけん] important matter
本件[ほんけん] this matter; this case
人件費[じんけんひ] personnel expenses; labor cost; labour cost
件数[けんすう] number of cases, incidents, items, messages, accounts, etc.
刑事事件[けいじじけん] criminal case
heisig_story: Person . . . cow.
koohii_story: Note: this kanji refers to event or case. Current Affair headline: Mr. T has affair with cow. "It's only animal 'man' enough for me".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 事件 牛 許す

kanji: 団
meaning: group
ja_on: ダン、トン
ja_kun: かたまり、まる.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
寸[すん] inch
examples: 布団[ふとん] futon
集団[しゅうだん] group; mass
団体[だんたい] group; party; team
軍団[ぐんだん] army corps; corps
一団[いちだん] body; group; party; gang; troupe; troop
団結[だんけつ] unity; union; solidarity; combination; banding together; teaming up
団長[だんちょう] leader of a group
座布団[ざぶとん] zabuton
劇団[げきだん] troupe; theatrical company
暴力団[ぼうりょくだん] bōryokudan; gangster organization (organisation); crime syndicate; yakuza
団員[だんいん] group member
公団[こうだん] public corporation
団地[だんち] multi-unit apartments; apartment complex
団扇[うちわ] uchiwa
交響楽団[こうきょうがくだん] symphony orchestra
heisig_story: Glued . . . pent in.
koohii_story: When you are admitted into a group like the Yakuza, you're well and truly done (だん) for. You must stick to the group like glue , and you will be pent-in for life, never being able to leave.

kanji: 任
meaning: responsibility
ja_on: ニン
ja_kun: まか.せる、まか.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
壬[ニン] 9th calendar sign
examples: 任せる[まかせる] to leave (a matter, decision, etc. to someone); to entrust (to someone); to entr
責任[せきにん] duty; responsibility (incl. supervision of staff)
任す[まかす] to entrust (to someone); to leave (in someone's hands)
任務[にんむ] duty; function; office; mission; task; role
無責任[むせきにん] irresponsibility
担任[たんにん] being in charge of (esp. a class or subject); taking charge of
責任者[せきにんしゃ] person in charge (including a supervisory role for other staff); person responsi
就任[しゅうにん] assumption (of office); taking up (a post); inauguration; installation
責任感[せきにんかん] sense of responsibility
任命[にんめい] appointment; nomination; ordination; commission; designation
任[にん] obligation; duty; charge; responsibility
主任[しゅにん] person in charge; senior staff; manager; chief; head
一任[いちにん] entrusting (everything to); leaving (a matter) entirely with
任意[にんい] optional; voluntary; arbitrary; random; discretionary; facultative; spontaneous;
赴任[ふにん] moving to a different location to start a new job; (proceeding to) new appointme
heisig_story: Person . . . porter.
koohii_story: It is always Mr. T 's responsibility to be the porter and carry around everyone's luggage because he's so strong.

kanji: 増
meaning: increase
ja_on: ゾウ
ja_kun: ま.す、ま.し、ふ.える、ふ.やす
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 土[つち] earth
曽[ソウ] formerly
examples: 増える[ふえる] to increase; to multiply
増やす[ふやす] to increase; to add to; to augment
増す[ます] to increase; to grow
増加[ぞうか] increase; rise; growth; addition; increment
増大[ぞうだい] enlargement; increase
増し[まし] better; preferable; less objectionable; least-worst
倍増[ばいぞう] doubling; double
増殖[ぞうしょく] increase; multiplication; propagation; proliferation
増強[ぞうきょう] reinforcement; augmentation; strengthening; increase; buildup
増減[ぞうげん] increase and decrease; fluctuation
増進[ぞうしん] promoting; increase; advance
増刷[ぞうさつ] additional printing; additional print run; reprint
増収[ぞうしゅう] increase in yield
増員[ぞういん] increasing the number of staff; hiring more people
増水[ぞうすい] rising water (of river, lake, etc.); swelling water; increased water; high water
heisig_story: This kanji depicts an increase of soil , multiplying so fast that it literally buries everything in its path.
koohii_story: Prices always INCREASE for LAND that was FORMERLY cheaper.

kanji: 情
meaning: feelings
ja_on: ジョウ、セイ
ja_kun: なさ.け
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
青[あお] blue
examples: 情報[じょうほう] information; news; report; intelligence
事情[じじょう] circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs
感情[かんじょう] emotion; feeling; feelings; sentiment
表情[ひょうじょう] facial expression; countenance
情けない[なさけない] miserable; pitiable; shameful; deplorable; pathetic
愛情[あいじょう] love; affection
同情[どうじょう] sympathy; compassion; pity
友情[ゆうじょう] friendship; fellowship; camaraderie
情熱[じょうねつ] passion; enthusiasm; zeal
情[じょう] feelings; emotion; sentiment
風情[ふぜい] taste; elegance; charm
感情的[かんじょうてき] emotional; sentimental
情け[なさけ] pity; sympathy; compassion; mercy
心情[しんじょう] sentiment; emotions; one's feelings; one's heart
苦情[くじょう] complaint; troubles; objection; grievance
heisig_story: State of mind . . . blue. Do not confuse with emotion (Frame 662).
koohii_story: Data is feeling blue about not having any feelings … hey, wait a minute.

kanji: 示
meaning: show
ja_on: ジ、シ
ja_kun: しめ.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 示[しめす] altar
examples: 示す[しめす] to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell; to exemplify; to make apparent
指示[しじ] indication; denotation; designation
表示[ひょうじ] indication; expression; showing; manifestation; demonstration
提示[ていじ] presentation (of a passport, ID, etc.); showing; production (e.g. of documents)
指し示す[さししめす] to indicate; to show; to point to
掲示板[けいじばん] bulletin board; display board; notice board
展示[てんじ] exhibition; display
暗示[あんじ] hint; suggestion; clue; implication
意思表示[いしひょうじ] expressing one's feelings; communicating one's intention
誇示[こじ] flaunting; showing off; display (of power, wealth, etc.); ostentation
示唆[しさ] suggestion; hint; implication
開示[かいじ] release (of information, documents, etc.); disclosure; display
掲示[けいじ] notice; bulletin; post; posting; placard
公示[こうじ] public announcement; official notice; edict
内示[ないじ] unofficial announcement; private notice; informal notification
heisig_story: Although the elements two and little are available for the using, it may be easier to remember this character as a picture of an altar. Something placed atop the altar is put on show for all to see.
koohii_story: A boy made an altar , but he's afraid to show it to God because he thinks it's two little.

kanji: 基
meaning: fundamentals
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: もと、もとい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 其[キ] that
土[つち] earth
examples: 基本[きほん] basics; fundamentals; basis; foundation
基準[きじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; benchmark; measure; gauge; basis
基礎[きそ] foundation; basis
基本的[きほんてき] fundamental; basic
基づく[もとづく] to be based (on); to be founded (on); to be grounded (on); to be in accordance (
基地[きち] base (military, expedition, etc.)
基盤[きばん] base; basis; foundation; footing; infrastructure
基調[きちょう] basic tone; underlying tone; basic theme; basis; keynote
基金[ききん] fund; foundation
労働基準法[ろうどうきじゅんほう] Labor Standards Act
基幹[きかん] mainstay; nucleus; key
基本料金[きほんりょうきん] basic rate (i.e. excluding optional service fees, usage charges, etc.); basic ch
基準法[きじゅんほう] basic law
基軸[きじく] basis; foundation; core; criterion; standard
塩基[えんき] base
heisig_story: Bushel basket . . . soil.
koohii_story: Fundamentals of chess : use the rooks to protect your ground.

kanji: 価
meaning: value
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: あたい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
覀[にし] cover
examples: 価値[かち] value; worth; merit
評価[ひょうか] valuation; appraisal; evaluation; assessment; estimation; rating; judging
価値観[かちかん] sense of values; values; value system
高価[こうか] highly priced; expensive; valuable; costly
価格[かかく] price; value; cost
対価[たいか] compensation; equivalent value; consideration
真価[しんか] true value; real worth
定価[ていか] list price; regular price; established price
物価[ぶっか] prices of commodities; prices (in general); cost-of-living
低価格[ていかかく] low price
創価学会[そうかがっかい] Soka Gakkai (lay organization based on Nichiren Buddhism)
単価[たんか] unit price; unit cost
卸売物価[おろしうりぶっか] wholesale price
原価[げんか] cost price
地価[ちか] the price of land
heisig_story: Person . . . Old West.
koohii_story: Mr. T has a high value in the Old West because you see him in "Wanted" posters all over the place! (thanks fiminor).

kanji: 確
meaning: assurance
ja_on: カク、コウ
ja_kun: たし.か、たし.かめる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 石[いし] stone
寉[つる] crane (bird)
examples: 確か[たしか] sure; certain; positive; definite
確認[かくにん] confirmation; verification; validation; review; check; affirmation; identificati
確かめる[たしかめる] to make sure; to check; to ascertain; to confirm; to verify
確実[かくじつ] certain; sure; definite; reliable; sound; solid; safe; secure
正確[せいかく] accurate; correct; precise; exact
確信[かくしん] conviction; belief; confidence
確保[かくほ] securing; obtaining; ensuring; guarantee; maintaining
確率[かくりつ] probability; likelihood; chances
確定[かくてい] decision; settlement; confirmation; establishment
明確[めいかく] clear; precise; definite; distinct
的確[てきかく] accurate; precise; exact; appropriate; apt; right
確立[かくりつ] establishment; settlement
再確認[さいかくにん] reaffirmation; reconfirmation; revalidation
確固[かっこ] firm; unshakeable; resolute
不確か[ふたしか] unreliable; uncertain; indefinite; unclear
heisig_story: On the left you see the rock , which is familiar enough. But pay attention to the right. Taking careful note of the unusual stroke order that has the "chimney" on the house doubled up with the first stroke of the turkey , we may see the right side as a turkey house (or " coop "). We shall see this pattern only on one other occasion (Frame 2093), but even for these two characters it is well worth the trouble to single it out as a primitive.
koohii_story: To assure that no one will get into the Turkey coop, put a huge rock in the entrance!

kanji: 提
meaning: propose
ja_on: テイ、チョウ、ダイ
ja_kun: さ.げる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
是[ゼ] just so
examples: 提案[ていあん] proposal; proposition; suggestion
提供[ていきょう] offer; tender; providing; supplying; making available; donating (blood, organs,
提出[ていしゅつ] presentation (of documents); submission (of an application, report, etc.); produ
前提[ぜんてい] condition; assumption; prerequisite; hypothesis
提示[ていじ] presentation (of a passport, ID, etc.); showing; production (e.g. of documents)
提げる[さげる] to take along; to hold in the hand
大前提[だいぜんてい] important condition; basic premise; basic assumption
提携[ていけい] cooperation; tie-up; joint business; partnership; alliance; sponsorship
手提げ[てさげ] handbag; purse
提供者[ていきょうしゃ] donor; contributor; provider
提唱[ていしょう] advocacy; proposal
提言[ていげん] proposal; motion; recommendation
提訴[ていそ] presenting a case; suing
提起[ていき] raising (a question); posing (a problem); bringing up (an issue); presenting
heisig_story: Fingers . . . just so.
koohii_story: When a man PROPOSE S to a lady, he takes her FINGER and places the ring on it JUST SO, and the moment sweeps her away.

kanji: 勢
meaning: forces
ja_on: セイ、ゼイ
ja_kun: いきお.い、はずみ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 埶[ゲイ] art
力[ちから] power
examples: 勢い[いきおい] force; vigor; vigour; energy; spirit; life
大勢[おおぜい] crowd of people; great number of people
姿勢[しせい] posture; pose; position; stance; carriage (of the body)
体勢[たいせい] posture; position; stance
勢力[せいりょく] influence; power; might; strength; potency; force; energy
態勢[たいせい] attitude; posture; preparedness; readiness
優勢[ゆうせい] superiority; superior power; predominance; preponderance
攻勢[こうせい] offensive (movement); aggression
情勢[じょうせい] state of things; state of affairs; situation; conditions; circumstances
劣勢[れっせい] inferiority (e.g. numerical); inferior position; disadvantage; unfavorable situa
威勢[いせい] power; might; authority; influence
勢[ぜい] group (of people, competitors, companies, etc.); contingent; camp; team
総勢[そうぜい] all members; whole army
形勢[けいせい] condition; situation; prospects
党勢[とうせい] strength of a party
heisig_story: Rice seedlings . . ground . . . fat man . . . muscle.
koohii_story: [land](../v4/1513.html) (#1513 陸) The rice-seedlings still stuck in the soil gather round in a circle. Their combined power forces them out of the ground at last.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 勢い 疑う

kanji: 減
meaning: dwindle
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: へ.る、へ.らす
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
咸[カン] all
examples: 減る[へる] to decrease (in size or number); to diminish; to abate
いい加減[いいかげん] irresponsible; perfunctory; careless
減らす[へらす] to abate; to decrease; to diminish; to shorten
加減[かげん] degree; extent; amount; balance; state; condition
いい加減にしろ[いいかげんにしろ] that's enough!; cut it out!; get a life!
減少[げんしょう] decrease; reduction; decline
軽減[けいげん] abatement; reduction
半減[はんげん] reduction by half; halving
減速[げんそく] deceleration
減点[げんてん] subtracting points; deducting points
激減[げきげん] dramatic decrease; sharp drop; sudden fall
削減[さくげん] cut; reduction; curtailment
増減[ぞうげん] increase and decrease; fluctuation
低減[ていげん] decrease; reduction; fall; depreciation; mitigation
減価償却[げんかしょうきゃく] depreciation
heisig_story: A group of unquenchable mouths sets out on a march across the country, drinking water wherever they find it until the water supply has dwindled to a trickle, triggering a national disaster.
koohii_story: When WATER was tossed on the PROTESTORS (a march of mouths), the numbers began to DWINDLE.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 城 地域

kanji: 容
meaning: contain
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: い.れる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
谷[たに] valley
examples: 内容[ないよう] contents; content; substance; matter; detail; import
容赦[ようしゃ] pardon; forgiveness; tolerance; overlooking
容易[ようい] easy; simple; plain
容姿[ようし] (physical) appearance (of a person); one's face and figure
容疑者[ようぎしゃ] suspect
容疑[ようぎ] suspicion; charge
容易い[たやすい] easy; simple; light
容器[ようき] container; receptacle; vessel; packaging
収容[しゅうよう] accommodation; taking in; receiving; housing; seating; admission (of patients, s
許容[きょよう] permission; allowance; acceptance; tolerance; pardon
形容[けいよう] description; expression (in words); qualification (e.g. of a noun with an adject
寛容[かんよう] tolerance; open-mindedness; forbearance; generosity; magnanimity
美容[びよう] beauty; good figure; (beautiful) appearance; (beautiful) features
容量[ようりょう] capacity; volume
全容[ぜんよう] full portrait; whole aspect; full story
heisig_story: This character depicts a house so large that it can contain an entire valley.
koohii_story: Imagine a house big enough to contain an entire valley. might want to live there. And now imagine cleaning it. . . . Maybe not . . .

kanji: 応
meaning: apply
ja_on: オウ、ヨウ、-ノウ
ja_kun: あた.る、まさに、こた.える
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
心[こころ] heart
examples: 一応[いちおう] more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; after a fashion; pretty much; rou
反応[はんのう] reaction; response
応援[おうえん] aid; assistance; help; support; reinforcement
対応[たいおう] correspondence (to); equivalence
応える[こたえる] to respond; to answer; to meet (e.g. demands, expectations)
応じる[おうじる] to respond; to satisfy; to accept; to comply with; to apply for
相応しい[ふさわしい] appropriate; adequate; suitable; fitting; worthy
手応え[てごたえ] feeling in the hands (when striking, poking, etc.); (feeling of) resistance
応用[おうよう] (practical) application; putting to practical use
応募[おうぼ] application; subscription; entry (competition, raffle, etc.); enlistment
応答[おうとう] reply; answer; response
相応[そうおう] suitable; appropriate; befitting; becoming; adequate; reasonable; proper
呼応[こおう] hailing each other
適応[てきおう] adaptation; accommodation; conformity
応対[おうたい] dealing with (people, customers, complaints, etc.); receiving (callers, visitors
heisig_story: Cave . . . heart. The sense of the key word here is of something appropriate that fills a particular need, and hence " applies. "
koohii_story: [bravo, scottamus!] To apply for the job as a (replacement) Batman, you have to make it to the heart of the cave past all the traps he set up to test you. There, you see a table with the application form on it. Now that you think about it, the ad in the paper did say "Those who don't make it to the heart of the cave need not apply.".

kanji: 演
meaning: performance
ja_on: エン
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
寅[イン] sign of the tiger
examples: 演技[えんぎ] acting; performance
演じる[えんじる] to act (a part); to play (a role)
演出[えんしゅつ] direction (of a play, film, etc.); production
演奏[えんそう] musical performance
出演[しゅつえん] appearance (in a film, play, TV show, etc.); performance
演説[えんぜつ] speech; address
演劇[えんげき] drama; theatre; theater; play
公演[こうえん] public performance
主演[しゅえん] starring (in a film, play, etc.); playing the leading part
演習[えんしゅう] practice; exercise; drill
実演[じつえん] demonstration; presentation
上演[じょうえん] performance (of a play, opera, etc.); staging; presentation
演技力[えんぎりょく] acting ability; talent as a performer
開演[かいえん] curtain raising; starting (e.g. play, concert)
演目[えんもく] program (musical, concert, theatrical, etc.); programme
heisig_story: Water . . . sign of the tiger.
koohii_story: That was some great performance! He caused the water to shoot up into the air and form the sign of the tiger in airborne droplets. You sure missed a great performance!

kanji: 能
meaning: ability
ja_on: ノウ
ja_kun: よ.く、あた.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 䏍
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 可能性[かのうせい] possibility; chance; likelihood; probability
能力[のうりょく] ability; faculty
可能[かのう] possible; potential; practicable; feasible
才能[さいのう] talent; ability
不可能[ふかのう] impossible
機能[きのう] function; facility; faculty; feature
可能性が高い[かのうせいがたかい] very likely; very probable
本能[ほんのう] instinct
堪能[たんのう] proficient; skilled; skillful; good; accomplished
不能[ふのう] impossible; incapable (of doing); unable (to do)
無能[むのう] incompetence; inefficiency; inability; incapacity
性能[せいのう] ability; performance; efficiency
有能[ゆうのう] able; capable; competent; talented; efficient
万能[ばんのう] all-purpose; utility; universal
芸能人[げいのうじん] entertainer; performer; celebrity; entertainment personality
heisig_story: Try relating this kanji to that of the previous frame. For instance, you might imagine that the test of ability envisioned here is removing the bear from the oven fire.
koohii_story: The amputee has no hands but only stumps of flesh beneath his elbows. To give him the ability to eat he has two spoons implanted in his arm stumps, one in each side.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 能 指

kanji: 再
meaning: again
ja_on: サイ、サ
ja_kun: ふたた.び
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 一[いち] one
冉[ゼン] red
examples: 再び[ふたたび] again; once more; a second time
再会[さいかい] meeting again; reunion
再開[さいかい] reopening; resumption; restarting
再生[さいせい] restoration to life; coming to life again; resuscitation; regeneration
再現[さいげん] reappearance; reemergence; return; revival
再[さい] re-; again
再度[さいど] a second time; again; once more; twice
再婚[さいこん] second marriage; remarriage
再確認[さいかくにん] reaffirmation; reconfirmation; revalidation
再建[さいけん] rebuilding; reconstruction; rehabilitation
再起動[さいきどう] restart; reboot
再発[さいはつ] return; relapse; recurrence
再来[さいらい] return; coming back
再三[さいさん] again and again; repeatedly
再来年[さらいねん] year after next
heisig_story: Jewel . . . with a belt hung on it. Note how the belt is drawn right after the first stroke of jewel.
koohii_story: The king has eaten too much and has to get a new belt again. See his fat rolls hanging over?

kanji: 格
meaning: status
ja_on: カク、コウ、キャク、ゴウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
各[カク] each
examples: 格好[かっこう] shape; form; figure; posture; pose
性格[せいかく] character (of a person); personality; disposition; nature
資格[しかく] qualifications; requirements; capabilities
本格的[ほんかくてき] genuine; real; authentic; standard; orthodox
合格[ごうかく] passing (an exam); pass; success; passing grade
失格[しっかく] disqualification; elimination; incapacity
人格[じんかく] personality; character; individuality; personhood
体格[たいかく] build; physique; frame; constitution
格闘[かくとう] (hand-to-hand) fight; grapple; scuffle; tussle
格[かく] status; position; rank
格別[かくべつ] particular; special; exceptional; especial
価格[かかく] price; value; cost
格段[かくだん] dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; noticeable
格好いい[かっこいい] attractive; good-looking; stylish; cool; smooth; neat; with-it; groovy
厳格[げんかく] strict; severe; stern; rigid; rigorous; tough
heisig_story: If you can imagine trees as status symbols (as they might well be for those living in Japan's congested cities, where greenery has become something of a luxury item), then each might be aiming to have his/her own tree , just to keep up with the Suzukis.
koohii_story: "Ranger! I want you to go check the status of each tree." "Errr, Each tree sir?" replies the ranger looking out over the vast forest. "That's Right, I want the status of each tree! Move out!".

kanji: 過
meaning: overdo
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: す.ぎる、す.ごす、あやま.ち、あやま.つ、よぎ.る、よ.ぎる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 咼[カイ] crooked mouth
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 過ぎる[すぎる] to pass through; to pass by; to go beyond
過ごす[すごす] to spend (time); to pass; to lead (a life); to live
過去[かこ] the past; bygone days
過ぎ[すぎ] past; after
経過[けいか] passage (of time); elapsing; lapse
通り過ぎる[とおりすぎる] to go past; to pass; to pass by
通過[つうか] passing through (a tunnel, station, town, etc.); passing by (e.g. of a typhoon);
過程[かてい] process; course; mechanism
見過ごす[みすごす] to let go by; to let pass; to overlook; to miss
過剰[かじょう] excess; surplus; superabundance; overabundance
過ち[あやまち] fault; error; indiscretion; faux pas
過酷[かこく] severe; harsh; hard; cruel; rigorous
過激[かげき] extreme (measure, idea, etc.); radical; violent (language)
し過ぎる[しすぎる] to overdo; to do too much
やり過ごす[やりすごす] to let (something or someone) go past
heisig_story: Jawbone . . . road.
koohii_story: Jaws XII~! Jaws strikes the highway! Man, they're really overdo ing it now.

kanji: 税
meaning: tax
ja_on: ゼイ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 税金[ぜいきん] tax; duty
免税[めんぜい] tax exemption; duty exemption
税務署[ぜいむしょ] tax office
税関[ぜいかん] customs; customs house
課税[かぜい] taxation
関税[かんぜい] customs (duties); duty; tariff
主税局[しゅぜいきょく] (Japanese) Tax Bureau
住民税[じゅうみんぜい] municipal tax
印税[いんぜい] royalty (on book)
国税[こくぜい] national tax
国税局[こくぜいきょく] revenue office; taxation bureau
国税庁[こくぜいちょう] National Tax Agency (Japan)
地方税[ちほうぜい] local tax; council tax
増税[ぞうぜい] tax increase
徴税[ちょうぜい] tax collection; taxation
heisig_story: Wheat . . . devil.
koohii_story: Nobody likes the tax man, so here it is only fitting that the person who comes over to take some of your wheat is depicted here as a devil. Keep in mind that in feudal societies there was no kind of money to speak of, so tax es were paid by serfs in wheat to the devils who came over to keep them poor.

kanji: 検
meaning: examination
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: しら.べる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
㑒
examples: 検査[けんさ] inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test; check; scan (e.g. MRI, PE
検討[けんとう] consideration; examination; investigation; study; scrutiny; discussion; analysis
検索[けんさく] looking up (e.g. a word in a dictionary); search (e.g. on the Internet); retriev
検証[けんしょう] verification; inspection
点検[てんけん] detailed inspection; thorough examination; checking
探検[たんけん] exploration; expedition
検出[けんしゅつ] detection; sense (e.g. sensor)
検察[けんさつ] criminal investigation; prosecution
検事[けんじ] public prosecutor
会計検査院[かいけいけんさいん] Board of Audit
再検討[さいけんとう] re-examination; review; reconsideration; reappraisal
地検[ちけん] District Public Prosecutor's Office
探検隊[たんけんたい] exploration party; expedition team
最高検[さいこうけん] Public Prosecutor's Office
検事正[けんじせい] chief public prosecutor
heisig_story: Tree . . . awl.
koohii_story: You're giving a TREE an EXAMINATION. You take a wood sample from the TREE with an AWL (cmp [exam](../v4/1278.html) (#1278 校)).

kanji: 常
meaning: usual
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: つね、とこ-
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 尚[ショウ] esteem
吊[チョウ] suspend
examples: 常に[つねに] always; constantly; at all times; habitually
異常[いじょう] abnormal; unusual; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon
非常[ひじょう] emergency
日常[にちじょう] everyday; daily; ordinary; usual; routine; regular
常識[じょうしき] common sense; good sense; common knowledge; general knowledge; common practice;
通常[つうじょう] usual; ordinary; normal; regular; general; common
正常[せいじょう] normal; regular
尋常[じんじょう] common; usual
常[つね] usual state of things
常連[じょうれん] regular customer; regular patron; regular visitor; frequenter
非常識[ひじょうしき] lack of common sense; thoughtlessness; senselessness; irrationality; absurdity
日常生活[にちじょうせいかつ] everyday life; daily life
常識的[じょうしきてき] ordinary; sensible; commonplace
常時[じょうじ] usually; ordinarily; always
平常[へいじょう] normal; usual; ordinary; everyday
heisig_story: Outhouse . . . towel.
koohii_story: It's usual to take your towel with your when you go to the outhouse at the onsen (hot springs bath in Japan) so everybody doesn't see your stuff.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 日常 食堂

kanji: 状
meaning: status quo
ja_on: ジョウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 丬 half of tree trunk
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 状況[じょうきょう] state of affairs; situation; conditions; circumstances
状態[じょうたい] state; condition; situation; appearance; circumstances
現状[げんじょう] present condition; existing state; status quo; current state
状[じょう] form; shape; appearance
症状[しょうじょう] symptoms; condition (of a patient)
白状[はくじょう] confession
形状[けいじょう] shape; form
惨状[さんじょう] disastrous scene; terrible spectacle
病状[びょうじょう] condition of a patient; state of a disease; pathology
令状[れいじょう] warrant; summons; written order
免状[めんじょう] licence; license; certificate; permit
年賀状[ねんがじょう] New Year's card
状況報告[じょうきょうほうこく] situation report; status report; progress report
環状[かんじょう] annulation; ring shape; loop shape
甲状腺[こうじょうせん] thyroid (gland)
heisig_story: Did you ever hear of the turtle who fell madly in love with a chihuahua but could not have her because their two families did not like the idea of their children intermarrying? Like all classic stories of ill-fated love, this one shows how the young upset the status quo with an emotion older and more powerful than anything their elders have devised to counter it: blind love.
koohii_story: It was left to the turtle to make right with the dog and thus maintain the status quo..

kanji: 営
meaning: camp
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: いとな.む、いとな.み
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
呂[ロ] spine
examples: 営業[えいぎょう] business; trade; operations
経営[けいえい] management; administration; operation; running (a business); conducting
運営[うんえい] management; administration; operation
経営者[けいえいしゃ] manager; proprietor
営む[いとなむ] to run (a business); to operate; to conduct; to practice (law, medicine, etc.)
営み[いとなみ] activity; action; performance; execution
陣営[じんえい] camp (supporters of a doctrine, party, etc.); faction (of a party)
公営[こうえい] public management
営利[えいり] money-making; commercialized; commercialised
営団[えいだん] corporation; foundation
営業マン[えいぎょうマン] salesman; businessman
営業所[えいぎょうしょ] business office; place of business
営業時間[えいぎょうじかん] business hours; opening hours; office hours
営繕[えいぜん] maintenance and repair; upkeep (of equipment)
営農[えいのう] farming; agriculture
heisig_story: Schoolhouse . . . spine.
koohii_story: The schoolhouse is the backbone of a foundation that will allow you to find a good occupation.
heisig_keyword: occupation

kanji: 職
meaning: post
ja_on: ショク、ソク
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
戠[ショク] sword
examples: 職場[しょくば] one's post; place of work; workplace
職業[しょくぎょう] occupation; profession; job; vocation; trade; calling; business
就職[しゅうしょく] finding employment; getting a job
職[しょく] job; work; employment; occupation; position
職員[しょくいん] staff member; employee; worker; personnel
職人[しょくにん] craftsman; artisan; tradesman; worker; workman
職務[しょくむ] professional duties
転職[てんしょく] change of job; change of occupation; career change
役職[やくしょく] post; official position
退職[たいしょく] retirement; resignation
無職[むしょく] without an occupation; unemployed; jobless
本職[ほんしょく] principal occupation; main job
聖職者[せいしょくしゃ] clergyman; churchman; clergy
辞職[じしょく] resignation
休職[きゅうしょく] temporary retirement; leave of absence; suspension from office
heisig_story: The key word refers to one's occupation, or position of employment. Its elements: ear . . . kazoo.
koohii_story: Worst post in history: quality checker at the kazoo factory. Imagine the toll on your ears!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 就職 常識

kanji: 証
meaning: evidence
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: あかし
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
正[セイ] correct
examples: 証拠[しょうこ] evidence; proof
証明[しょうめい] proof; testimony; demonstration; verification; certification
保証[ほしょう] guarantee; security; assurance; pledge
証言[しょうげん] testimony; (verbal) evidence
証[あかし] proof; evidence; sign; testimony; testament (to something); vindication
検証[けんしょう] verification; inspection
証人[しょうにん] witness
立証[りっしょう] establishing proof; demonstration; substantiation
実証[じっしょう] demonstration; verification; substantiation; actual proof
認証[にんしょう] certification; attestation; authentication; confirmation
免許証[めんきょしょう] licence; license; permit; certificate (of qualification)
保証人[ほしょうにん] guarantor; surety; sponsor; reference; bondsman
保証付き[ほしょうつき] guaranteed; certified; warranty included
保証金[ほしょうきん] deposit (esp. on renting a house); security money; bond payment; guarantee
偽証[ぎしょう] false evidence; perjury; false testimony
heisig_story: Words that testify to the correctness of some fact are classified as evidence. (Here we see a good example of how the more common primitive element takes the "strong" position to the left, even though it has more strokes.)
koohii_story: Your words must be absolutely correct if you plan to use them as evidence.

kanji: 可
meaning: can
ja_on: カ、コク
ja_kun: -べ.き、-べ.し
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 丁[チョウ] street
口[くち] mouth
examples: 可能性[かのうせい] possibility; chance; likelihood; probability
許可[きょか] permission; approval; authorization; license
可能[かのう] possible; potential; practicable; feasible
不可能[ふかのう] impossible
可愛い[かわいい] cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty
可能性が高い[かのうせいがたかい] very likely; very probable
可哀想[かわいそう] poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful
可愛らしい[かわいらしい] lovely; sweet; pretty; cute; adorable
可憐[かれん] sweet (e.g. young girls, flowers blooming); touchingly lovely; cute
不可解[ふかかい] incomprehensible; mysterious; inexplicable; inscrutable; enigmatic; baffling
不可欠[ふかけつ] indispensable; essential
可[か] acceptable; satisfactory; allowed; permitted
可能にする[かのうにする] to allow; to enable; to make possible; to make feasible; to permit
不可[ふか] wrong; bad; improper; unjustifiable; inadvisable
認可[にんか] approval; license; licence; permission
heisig_story: Remember the story about the "Little Engine that Could " when you hear this key word, and the rest is simple. See the determined little locomotive huffing and puffing up the mountain - "I think I can , I think I can.... " \- spitting railroad spikes out of its mouth as it chews up the line to the top.
koohii_story: A mouth on the street asking for things: "Can I get some help?! Can I get directions, Can I have some money? Can you please speak English?!".

kanji: 構
meaning: posture
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: かま.える、かま.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
冓[コウ] put together
examples: 結構[けっこう] splendid; nice; wonderful; delightful; lovely; excellent; fine
構う[かまう] to mind; to care about; to be concerned about; to have a regard for
構える[かまえる] to set up (a house, store, etc.); to build; to establish; to run; to maintain
構成[こうせい] composition; construction; formation; makeup; structure; organization; organisat
構造[こうぞう] structure; construction; makeup; framework; organization; pattern
待ち構える[まちかまえる] to lie in wait (for); to be on the watch (for); to wait (for); to watch (for)
構築[こうちく] construction; building; putting up; erecting; creation; formulation; architectur
構図[こうず] composition (of painting); structural outline; compositional arrangement
心構え[こころがまえ] preparedness; readiness; mental attitude; frame of mind
機構[きこう] mechanism; machinery
構想[こうそう] plan; plot; idea; conception; vision; scheme
虚構[きょこう] fiction; fabrication; concoction
構内[こうない] premises; grounds; campus; compound; precincts
構造物[こうぞうぶつ] structure
遺構[いこう] (archaeological) remains; remnants (of ancient structures); ancient foundation
heisig_story: Tree . . . funnel.
koohii_story: Trees with good posture look like funnels. For example, 8896e54a14m.jpg>.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 構え 横浜 アメ横

kanji: 費
meaning: expense
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: つい.やす、つい.える
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 弗[フツ] dollar
貝[かい] shell
examples: 消費[しょうひ] consumption; expenditure; spending
費用[ひよう] cost; expense
費やす[ついやす] to spend; to expend; to consume
生活費[せいかつひ] living expenses
費[ひ] cost; expense
経費[けいひ] expenses; expenditure; outgoings; outlays; costs
学費[がくひ] tuition; school expenses
浪費[ろうひ] waste; extravagance
出費[しゅっぴ] expenses; disbursements
食費[しょくひ] food expenses; money for food; charge for board
光熱費[こうねつひ] cost of fuel and lighting; cost of heat and electricity; energy bill; utility co
実費[じっぴ] actual expenses; out-of-pocket expenses
予備費[よびひ] reserve funds; emergency funds
交通費[こうつうひ] traveling expenses; travelling expenses; carfare
交際費[こうさいひ] entertainment expenses
heisig_story: Dollar sign . . . shells/money.
koohii_story: An expense is an expense , whether you put it in dollars or in local money.

kanji: 比
meaning: compare
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: くら.べる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 比べる[くらべる] to compare; to make a comparison (between)
比較的[ひかくてき] comparatively; relatively
比較[ひかく] comparison
見比べる[みくらべる] to compare with the eye; to judge by comparison
比[ひ] ratio; proportion
比例[ひれい] proportion
比喩[ひゆ] simile; metaphor; allegory; parable
比率[ひりつ] ratio; proportion; percentage
対比[たいひ] contrast; juxtaposition
比重[ひじゅう] specific gravity; relative density
恵比寿[えびす] Ebisu
比べ[くらべ] contest; comparison; competition
heisig_story: With two spoons , one in each hand, you are comparing your mother's cooking with your mother-in-law's.
koohii_story: Compare the two spoons… the one on the left is funny-looking.

kanji: 防
meaning: ward off
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: ふせ.ぐ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
方[ほう] direction
examples: 防ぐ[ふせぐ] to defend against; to protect against
防御[ぼうぎょ] defense; defence; safeguard; protection
防衛[ぼうえい] defense; defence; protection
攻防[こうぼう] offense and defense; offence and defence
防止[ぼうし] prevention; check
防犯[ぼうはん] prevention of crime
防犯カメラ[ぼうはんカメラ] security camera
正当防衛[せいとうぼうえい] legitimate self-defence; legitimate self-defense
予防[よぼう] prevention; protection (against); precaution
防音[ぼうおん] soundproofing
消防[しょうぼう] fire fighting
国防[こくぼう] national defence; national defense
堤防[ていぼう] bank; weir; embankment; levee
消防署[しょうぼうしょ] fire station
防火[ぼうか] fire prevention; fire control; fireproofing
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . compass.
koohii_story: A giant compass is The Pinnacle 's self- defense system. It points in the direction of any invaders so the city is prepared well ahead to ward off the intruders.

kanji: 断
meaning: severance
ja_on: ダン
ja_kun: た.つ、ことわ.る、さだ.める
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 断る[ことわる] to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down; to decline
判断[はんだん] judgment; judgement; decision; conclusion; adjudication
油断[ゆだん] negligence; carelessness; inattention; unpreparedness
決断[けつだん] decision; determination
断言[だんげん] assertion; declaration; affirmation
中断[ちゅうだん] interruption; suspension; break
断つ[たつ] to sever; to cut off
断じて[だんじて] absolutely; positively; decidedly
断定[だんてい] conclusion; decision; judgement; declaration
切断[せつだん] cutting; severance; section; amputation; disconnection
遮断[しゃだん] isolation; cut off; blockade; quarantine; interception; deprivation
断然[だんぜん] firmly; flatly; resolutely; decisively; absolutely; definitely
独断[どくだん] one's own judgement (judgment); decision made without consulting others; arbitra
診断[しんだん] diagnosis; medical examination
断固[だんこ] firm; determined; resolute; conclusive
heisig_story: Fishhook . . . rice . . . ax.
koohii_story: [Based on fuaburisu's] A man puts some rice on a fishhook as bait, but catches a fish so strong, he needs to take out his axe and sever the line lest he be dragged into the depths.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 歯

kanji: 境
meaning: boundary
ja_on: キョウ、ケイ
ja_kun: さかい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 土[つち] earth
竟[キョウ] end
examples: 環境[かんきょう] environment; surroundings; circumstances
境[さかい] border; boundary
境遇[きょうぐう] one's circumstances; environment; situation (in life)
心境[しんきょう] state of mind; mental state; mental attitude
国境[こっきょう] border (between countries); national border
境界[きょうかい] boundary; border; limit; bounds; frontier
境目[さかいめ] borderline; boundary
辺境[へんきょう] remote region; outlying district; border district; frontier
境地[きょうち] state (of mind); mental state; emotional condition
境内[けいだい] grounds (esp. of shrines and temples); compound; churchyard; precincts
苦境[くきょう] difficult situation; adverse circumstances; predicament; trouble; dilemma; distr
逆境[ぎゃっきょう] adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity
佳境[かきょう] most interesting part (of a story); climax; good part
作業環境[さぎょうかんきょう] work environment
推奨環境[すいしょうかんきょう] system requirements (i.e. recommended hardware and software to run a package)
heisig_story: Imagine the boundary of a plot of land marked with gigantic mirrors enabling the landowner to keep trespassers in sight at all times.
koohii_story: In the dense cities of Japan even a small garden is a luxury. In this house, the owner has put mirrors on the boundary of his land so it feels much bigger.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 境 億 僕

kanji: 規
meaning: standard
ja_on: キ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 夫[フ] husband
見[みる] to see
examples: 規模[きぼ] scale; scope; plan; structure
大規模[だいきぼ] large-scale
規則[きそく] rule; regulation
規定[きてい] stipulation; prescription; provision; regulation; rule
新規[しんき] new; fresh
正規[せいき] regular; normal; formal; legal; established; legitimate
不規則[ふきそく] irregular; unsystematic; unsteady; disorderly
規制[きせい] regulation; (traffic) policing; control; restriction
規律[きりつ] order; observance; discipline
小規模[しょうきぼ] small scale
規約[きやく] agreement; rules; code; protocol; convention; bylaw
定規[じょうぎ] (measuring) ruler
規格[きかく] standard; norm
規準[きじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; benchmark; measure; gauge; basis
規範[きはん] model; standard; pattern; norm; criterion; example
heisig_story: Husband . . . see.
koohii_story: In the male-dominated world of yesterday, the husband's way of seeing things was considered the standard point of view. Women who dared to disagree were frowned upon.

kanji: 術
meaning: art
ja_on: ジュツ
ja_kun: すべ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
朮[ジュツ] a type of millet
examples: 技術[ぎじゅつ] technology; engineering
術[じゅつ] art; technique; skill
手術[しゅじゅつ] surgery; operation; procedure
芸術[げいじゅつ] art; the arts
戦術[せんじゅつ] tactics
魔術[まじゅつ] magic; sorcery; witchcraft
美術[びじゅつ] art; fine arts
芸術家[げいじゅつか] artist
美術館[びじゅつかん] art museum; art gallery
技術的[ぎじゅつてき] technical; technological
技術者[ぎじゅつしゃ] engineer; technical expert; technician; craftsperson
技術力[ぎじゅつりょく] technical prowess; technical ability; technical finesse
学術[がくじゅつ] science; learning; scholarship; arts and sciences; academic pursuits
奇術[きじゅつ] magic; conjuring; sleight of hand; legerdemain
日本学術会議[にほんがくじゅつかいぎ] Science Council of Japan
heisig_story: Boulevard . . . resin.
koohii_story: Behold the "Boulev'Art" : a life-size section of a boulevard cast in a huge block of resin. Some call it … art.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 手術 商店街

kanji: 護
meaning: safeguard
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: まも.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
蒦[ワク] to measure
examples: 保護[ほご] protection; safeguard; guardianship; custody; patronage
護衛[ごえい] guard; convoy; escort
保護者[ほごしゃ] guardian; protector; patron; parent
弁護士[べんごし] lawyer; attorney
援護[えんご] support; help; backing
看護師[かんごし] (hospital) nurse; registered nurse; RN
警護[けいご] bodyguard; escort
介護[かいご] nursing; care; caregiving; caring
擁護[ようご] protection; defence; support; safeguarding; championship; vindication
弁護[べんご] defense; defence; pleading; advocacy
看護婦[かんごふ] (female) nurse
看護[かんご] nursing; (army) nurse
養護[ようご] nursing; (protective) care
人権擁護[じんけんようご] protection of human rights
弁護人[べんごにん] counsel; defender; advocate
heisig_story: Words . . . flowers . . . vessels.
koohii_story: Think of the flower-vessels as a the Greenpeace vessel “Arctic Sunrise”, only instead of a rainbow there is a big flower painted on the hull (this will come back in [seize](../v4/701.html) (#701 獲) and [harvest](../v4/908.html) (#908 穫)). Think of “flower-power” and of the “peace” in “Greenpeace” and it will make some sense hopefully. – In this kanji, we see an inauguration speech being given before the Greenpeace vessel is set afloat and sent to safeguard our planet.

kanji: 態
meaning: attitude
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: わざ.と
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 能[ノウ] ability
心[こころ] heart
examples: 状態[じょうたい] state; condition; situation; appearance; circumstances
態度[たいど] attitude; manner; behaviour; demeanour; bearing
事態[じたい] situation; (present) state of affairs; circumstances
変態[へんたい] transformation
失態[しったい] blunder; fault; error; mistake; failure; disgrace
態勢[たいせい] attitude; posture; preparedness; readiness
形態[けいたい] form; shape; figure
実態[じったい] true state; actual condition; reality
醜態[しゅうたい] disgraceful behavior; disgraceful behaviour; shameful conduct; shameful sight
生態[せいたい] ecology; life and habits (of an animal)
生態系[せいたいけい] ecosystem
動態[どうたい] movement; dynamic state
実態調査[じったいちょうさ] fact-finding investigation; investigation into actual conditions; fact-finding s
旧態[きゅうたい] old state of affairs
生態学[せいたいがく] ecology
heisig_story: Ability . . . heart.
koohii_story: This guy has an attitude problem – lots of ability , but his heart 's not in it.

kanji: 導
meaning: guidance
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: みちび.く
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 道[ドウ] road-way
寸[すん] inch
examples: 導く[みちびく] to guide; to lead; to show the way; to conduct
指導[しどう] guidance; leadership; instruction; direction; coaching
誘導[ゆうどう] guidance; leading; induction; introduction; incitement; inducement
先導[せんどう] guidance; leadership; leading the way
導入[どうにゅう] introduction; bringing in; installation; setting up; importation
指導者[しどうしゃ] leader; guide; mentor; coach
主導権[しゅどうけん] hegemony; leadership; initiative
主導[しゅどう] leadership; initiative; spearhead
半導体[はんどうたい] semiconductor
学習指導要領[がくしゅうしどうようりょう] government course (curriculum) guidelines
導火線[どうかせん] fuse
盲導犬[もうどうけん] guide dog; seeing-eye dog
超伝導[ちょうでんどう] superconductivity; super-conductivity
heisig_story: When we accept someone's guidance , we permit ourselves to be glued to a certain road or way of doing something, and try to "stick" to it.
koohii_story: For guidance on the road-way , glue a GPS unit to your car.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 導 薄

kanji: 備
meaning: equip
ja_on: ビ
ja_kun: そな.える、そな.わる、つぶさ.に
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
艹[くさかんむり] grass
厂[がんだれ] cliff
用[もちいる] to use
examples: 準備[じゅんび] preparation; arrangements; getting ready; provision; setup; reserving
備える[そなえる] to furnish with; to equip with; to provide; to install
警備[けいび] defense; defence; guard; policing; security
装備[そうび] equipment
設備[せつび] equipment; facilities; installation; accommodations; conveniences; arrangements
予備[よび] reserve; spare
整備[せいび] maintenance; servicing
備わる[そなわる] to be furnished with; to be provided with; to be equipped with
兼ね備える[かねそなえる] to have both; to possess both; to combine with
不備[ふび] defect; deficiency; imperfection; inadequacy; lack
守備[しゅび] defense; defence
配備[はいび] deployment; disposition; posting; stationing
備蓄[びちく] stocking up (in case of emergency); stockpile; reserves; storing; laying in (sup
予備校[よびこう] preparatory school (for entrance examinations); cram school; cramming school
備え付ける[そなえつける] to provide; to furnish; to equip; to install
heisig_story: Person . . . flowers . . . cliff . . . screwdriver. In cases like this you can jumble up the primitive into any order that seems best for the composition of a story, provided you feel confident about the relative position that those primitives take to one another in the completed character.
koohii_story: Mr. T wants to climb up and pick the flowers at the top of the cliff. He equip s himself with screwdrivers to use as climbing spikes to reach the top of the cliff. Imagine a large AMMO belt full of philips screwdrivers instead of bullets.

kanji: 条
meaning: article
ja_on: ジョウ、チョウ、デキ
ja_kun: えだ、すじ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 夂[のまた] to follow
木[き] tree
examples: 条件[じょうけん] condition; term; requirement; qualification; prerequisite
無条件[むじょうけん] unconditional
不条理[ふじょうり] absurd; irrational; unreasonable; illogical
信条[しんじょう] creed; belief; conviction; article of faith
条約[じょうやく] treaty; pact; convention; agreement
一条[いちじょう] one line; one streak; one stripe; one ray (of light); one wisp (of smoke)
労働条件[ろうどうじょうけん] working conditions
必須条件[ひっすじょうけん] essential condition
星条旗[せいじょうき] Stars and Stripes (US flag)
条件付き[じょうけんつき] conditional; qualified; with conditions attached
条例[じょうれい] regulations; rules
条文[じょうぶん] text (of a law, treaty, contract, etc.); provisions
条理[じょうり] reason
条項[じょうこう] clause; article; stipulations
検索条件[けんさくじょうけん] search criteria
heisig_story: Geppetto made walking legs for his little Pinocchio from two twigs of a tree , giving him a set of " twiggy " shanks.
koohii_story: They all say they have a TREE between their WALKING LEGS but most only have a TWIG.
heisig_keyword: twig
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 条件 季節 委ねる 柔道

kanji: 幹
meaning: tree trunk
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: みき
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 人[ひと] person
干[かん] to dry
examples: 幹部[かんぶ] management; (executive) staff; leaders; leadership; top brass; upper echelons
幹[みき] tree trunk; bole
新幹線[しんかんせん] Shinkansen; bullet train
根幹[こんかん] foundation; root; basis; core; fundamentals
幹線[かんせん] main line; trunk line
主幹[しゅかん] chief editor; managing editor
基幹[きかん] mainstay; nucleus; key
幹事[かんじ] executive secretary; coordinator; organizer; person in charge of making arrangem
heisig_story: Mist . . . umbrella . . . dry. The meaning of this key word extends beyond tree trunks to represent the main stem or line of anything from railway lines to managerial staffs. This should help distinguish it from the stories used earlier for book (Frame 224) and body (Frame 1030), both of which made use of the image of a tree trunk , as well as the kanji for trunk (Frame 194).
koohii_story: A fine mist is falling, and so everyone gathers around near the tree-trunk , effectively using the rest of the tree as an umbrella in order to keep dry.

kanji: 独
meaning: single
ja_on: ドク、トク
ja_kun: ひと.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
虫[むし] worm
examples: 孤独[こどく] solitude; loneliness; isolation
独特[どくとく] peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic
独り言[ひとりごと] soliloquy; monologue; speaking to oneself
独自[どくじ] original; unique; distinctive; characteristic; peculiar
独立[どくりつ] independence; self-reliance; supporting oneself; being on one's own
独占[どくせん] monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity
独り占め[ひとりじめ] hogging; having all to oneself; monopolising; monopolizing
独り[ひとり] one person
独身[どくしん] unmarried; single
単独[たんどく] sole; single; solo
独断[どくだん] one's own judgement (judgment); decision made without consulting others; arbitra
独学[どくがく] self-education; self-instruction; self-study
独りで[ひとりで] alone; by oneself; on one's own
独創[どくそう] originality
独裁[どくさい] dictatorship; despotism; autocracy
heisig_story: Think of this key word in connection with bachelorhood. The elements: wild dogs . . . insect.
koohii_story: The bachelor's apartment looked like it had been attacked by a pack of wild dogs. There were even insects in the kitchen. No wonder he's single!

kanji: 輸
meaning: transport
ja_on: ユ、シュ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
兪[ユ] affirmative response
examples: 輸送[ゆそう] transport; transportation; transit; conveyance
輸入[ゆにゅう] import; importation; introduction
輸出[ゆしゅつ] export; exportation
輸血[ゆけつ] blood transfusion
運輸[うんゆ] transportation
密輸[みつゆ] smuggling; contraband trade
禁輸[きんゆ] embargo
空輸[くうゆ] air transport; air lift; airlift
輸出入[ゆしゅつにゅう] export and import
輸銀[ゆぎん] import-export bank
逆輸入[ぎゃくゆにゅう] reimportation; reimport; reverse import; importing back
運輸省[うんゆしょう] Ministry of Transport
heisig_story: On the left we see a vehicle used for transport. On the right, we see a new tangle of elements that need sorting out. The first three strokes, you will remember, are the primitive for meeting. Below it we see the elements for flesh and saber , which combine to create a compound element for a butcher and his trade. Together they give us the image of a "trucker's convoy."
koohii_story: The car is a cattle-car, used to transport animals for the butcher 's meeting \- a convention on new butchering techniques. Hear the screams of the animals as it pulls up in front of the convention hall, where the butchers are waiting with their knives out front.

kanji: 述
meaning: mention
ja_on: ジュツ
ja_kun: の.べる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 朮[ジュツ] a type of millet
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 述べる[のべる] to state; to express; to say; to tell; to mention
記述[きじゅつ] description; account
供述[きょうじゅつ] affidavit; deposition; testimony
口述[こうじゅつ] dictation; verbal statement
叙述[じょじゅつ] description; account; delineation; narration
詳述[しょうじゅつ] detailed explanation
述懐[じゅっかい] speaking about (one's thoughts, memories, etc.); relating (one's feelings, remin
陳述[ちんじゅつ] statement; declaration
heisig_story: Resin . . . road.
koohii_story: Why are the roads leading through the woods so sticky and dirty? Hmm… I think the forest ranger mention ed something about excess resin on the roads …
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 述べる 迷う

kanji: 率
meaning: ratio
ja_on: ソツ、リツ、シュツ
ja_kun: ひき.いる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 玄[げん] darkness
冫[にすい] ice
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 確率[かくりつ] probability; likelihood; chances
効率[こうりつ] efficiency
率いる[ひきいる] to lead; to spearhead (a group); to command (troops)
率[りつ] rate; ratio; proportion; percentage
率直[そっちょく] frank; candid; straightforward; openhearted; direct; outspoken
効率的[こうりつてき] efficient
軽率[けいそつ] rash; thoughtless; careless; hasty; imprudent
率先[そっせん] taking the initiative
比率[ひりつ] ratio; proportion; percentage
勝率[しょうりつ] winning percentage
倍率[ばいりつ] magnification; leverage; amplification; scaling factor; scale factor
能率[のうりつ] efficiency
伸び率[のびりつ] growth rate
利率[りりつ] interest rate
同率[どうりつ] the same ratio or percentage
heisig_story: Mysterious . . . sparkler . . . ten. Do not confuse with proportion (Frame 1673).
koohii_story: Keep separate from proportion. Gandalf is trying to adjust the aspect ratio of his monitor from 4:3 to 16:9 so that he can watch Lord of the Rings in widescreen format. He's poking around the inside of his monitor with a magnesium needle when he causes a short circuit which sets his needle on fire making the needle look just like a sparkler.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 軽率 卒業

kanji: 武
meaning: warrior
ja_on: ブ、ム
ja_kun: たけ、たけ.し
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 一[いち] one
弋[いぐるみ] javelin
止[とめる] to stop
examples: 武器[ぶき] weapon; arms; ordnance
武装[ぶそう] arms; armament; taking up arms; arming oneself
武士[ぶし] samurai; warrior
武力[ぶりょく] armed might; military power; the sword; force
武道[ぶどう] martial arts; military arts; Bushido
武将[ぶしょう] military commander
核武装[かくぶそう] nuclear arms
武勇[ぶゆう] bravery; military prowess; valour; valor
武者[むしゃ] warrior
heisig_story: With a quiver of arrows set on one's back, the goal of the warrior depicted here is not to attack but merely to stop the attack of others: the oldest excuse in history!
koohii_story: ONE- ARROW can STOP a warrior.

kanji: 質
meaning: substance
ja_on: シツ、シチ、チ
ja_kun: たち、ただ.す、もと、わりふ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 斤[おのづくり] axe
貝[かい] shell
examples: 質問[しつもん] question; inquiry; enquiry
人質[ひとじち] hostage
質[しつ] quality; value
性質[せいしつ] nature (of a person); disposition; temperament; character
本質[ほんしつ] essence; true nature; substance; reality
体質[たいしつ] constitution (physical); physical make-up; predisposition (to disease); disposit
物質[ぶっしつ] material; substance
質問をする[しつもんをする] to ask a question; to ask questions
素質[そしつ] makings (of); aptitude; talent; qualities
実質[じっしつ] substance; essence
異質[いしつ] different (quality, nature); heterogeneous
資質[ししつ] nature; disposition; temperament; qualities; attributes; talents
神経質[しんけいしつ] nervous; highly strung; sensitive
質量[しつりょう] mass
悪質[あくしつ] malicious; vicious; malignant; underhanded
heisig_story: Two axes . . . shells.
koohii_story: What is this substance on this clam? I've already broken 2 axes on it! (Good question … 質問 ).

kanji: 象
meaning: elephant
ja_on: ショウ、ゾウ
ja_kun: かたど.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 豕[いのこ] pig
examples: 対象[たいしょう] target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.); coverage
印象[いんしょう] impression
現象[げんしょう] phenomenon
象徴[しょうちょう] symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation
印象的[いんしょうてき] impressive; striking; memorable; impactful
事象[じしょう] event; phenomenon; matter
象[しょう] form; shape; figure; appearance; phenomenon
抽象的[ちゅうしょうてき] abstract
抽象[ちゅうしょう] abstraction
気象[きしょう] weather (conditions)
具象[ぐしょう] concreteness; embodiment; expressing concretely
印象付ける[いんしょうづける] to impress (someone)
気象予報士[きしょうよほうし] weather forecaster
気象台[きしょうだい] meteorological observatory
気象学[きしょうがく] meteorology
heisig_story: A rabbit 's head with the body of a sow represents an elephant. Little wonder that the kanji also means "phenomenon"!
koohii_story: An elephant has huge ears, like a rabbit , and a big, fat body, like a sow.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 対象 想像

kanji: 衛
meaning: defense
ja_on: エイ、エ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
韋[なめしがわ] leather
examples: 護衛[ごえい] guard; convoy; escort
防衛[ぼうえい] defense; defence; protection
衛星[えいせい] (natural) satellite; moon
正当防衛[せいとうぼうえい] legitimate self-defence; legitimate self-defense
前衛[ぜんえい] advance guard; vanguard
自衛[じえい] self-defense; self-defence
自衛隊[じえいたい] Japan Self-Defense Forces; JSDF
近衛[このえ] Imperial Guards
守衛[しゅえい] (security) guard; caretaker; janitor; doorkeeper; gatekeeper
衛生[えいせい] hygiene; sanitation; cleanliness; health
人工衛星[じんこうえいせい] artificial satellite; man-made satellite
公衆衛生[こうしゅうえいせい] public health; public hygiene; sanitation
専守防衛[せんしゅぼうえい] nonaggressive defense (policy) (defence)
歯科衛生士[しかえいせいし] dental hygienist
海上自衛隊[かいじょうじえいたい] Maritime Self Defense Forces (Defence)
heisig_story: Boulevard . . . locket. Do not confuse with ward off (Frame 1399), protect (Frame 1072), guard (Frame 198), or safeguard (Frame 756).
koohii_story: [defense, protection] For " defense against the dark arts" class, you go the magical boulevard and buy an enchanted locket.

kanji: 張
meaning: counter for bows & stringed instruments
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: は.る、-は.り、-ば.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
長[ながい] long
examples: 頑張る[がんばる] to persevere; to persist; to keep at it; to hang on; to hold out; to do one's be
張る[はる] to stick; to paste; to affix
緊張[きんちょう] tension; strain; nervousness; stress
頑張って[がんばって] do your best; go for it; hang in there; keep at it
見張る[みはる] to stand watch; to stand guard; to look out
主張[しゅちょう] claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention; opinion; tenet
張り切る[はりきる] to be in high spirits; to be full of vigor (vigour); to be enthusiastic; to be e
出張[しゅっちょう] business trip; official trip
張り[ばり] in the style of (esp. literary, artistic, etc. works); reminiscent of
見張り[みはり] watch; guard; lookout; surveillance; watchman; sentinel
張本人[ちょうほんにん] originator; ringleader; perpetrator; main culprit; person responsible
引っ張る[ひっぱる] to pull; to draw; to pull tight
踏ん張る[ふんばる] to brace one's legs; to stand firm; to plant one's feet (firmly on the ground)
頑張り[がんばり] tenacity; endurance
欲張り[よくばり] greed; avarice; covetousness; greedy person
heisig_story: Bow . . . long.
koohii_story: The longbow is follows the design of a standard bow , only it has been lengthen ed.
heisig_keyword: lengthen

kanji: 限
meaning: limit
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: かぎ.る、かぎ.り、-かぎ.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 限界[げんかい] limit; bound
限り[かぎり] limit; limits; bounds
限る[かぎる] to restrict; to limit; to confine
限定[げんてい] limit; restriction
無限[むげん] infinity; infinitude; eternity
制限[せいげん] restriction; restraint; limitation; limit
とは限らない[とはかぎらない] not necessarily so; is not always true; there is no guarantee that ...; there is
最低限[さいていげん] minimum
最大限[さいだいげん] maximum
権限[けんげん] power; authority; jurisdiction
限りない[かぎりない] unlimited; endless; boundless; infinite
に限って[にかぎって] particularly; only; in the case of
期限[きげん] term; period; time frame
限度[げんど] limit; bounds
最小限[さいしょうげん] minimum; lowest; minimal; least
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . silver.
koohii_story: The speed limit at The Pinnacle is posted on silver signs.

kanji: 額
meaning: forehead
ja_on: ガク
ja_kun: ひたい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 客[キャク] guest
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 額[がく] (picture) frame; framed picture
金額[きんがく] amount of money; sum
高額[こうがく] large sum (of money); large amount
全額[ぜんがく] total; full amount; sum
多額[たがく] large (amount of money); huge; hefty; expensive
半額[はんがく] half the amount (of money); half price; half fare
差額[さがく] balance; difference (in price, cost); margin
増額[ぞうがく] increase (in an amount of money)
定額[ていがく] fixed amount (of money); fixed sum; flat sum
少額[しょうがく] small sum (of money); small amount
巨額[きょがく] huge sum (esp. of money); enormous sum; massive amount
年額[ねんがく] yearly amount
月額[げつがく] monthly sum; monthly amount
減額[げんがく] reduction (esp. in price or cost); diminution; abatement
税額[ぜいがく] amount of tax
heisig_story: As Miss Manners will be the first to tell you, out of respect, one does not look straight into the eyes of one's guests , but focus on the top button of their collar. Here, however, you are told to look above the eyes to the forehead of your guest.
koohii_story: Sign the guest book page with your forehead. (Picture a guestbook full of forehead prints like thumbprints).

kanji: 義
meaning: righteousness
ja_on: ギ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
我[ガ] ego
examples: 正義[せいぎ] justice; right; righteousness
義務[ぎむ] duty; obligation; responsibility
義理[ぎり] duty; sense of duty; honor; honour; decency; courtesy; debt of gratitude; social
主義[しゅぎ] doctrine; rule; principle; -ism
講義[こうぎ] lecture
定義[ていぎ] definition
有意義[ゆういぎ] significant; useful; meaningful; worthwhile; valuable; of interest
意義[いぎ] meaning; significance
大義名分[たいぎめいぶん] just cause; good reason; pretext; justification
大義[たいぎ] great cause; moral law; justice
名義[めいぎ] name (esp. on a deed, contract, work, etc.); formal name; published name
忠義[ちゅうぎ] loyalty; devotion
疑義[ぎぎ] doubt
義父[ぎふ] father-in-law
義母[ぎぼ] mother-in-law
heisig_story: Sheep . . . ego.
koohii_story: Righteous Christians are sheep with egos (reworked from raulir, fixes word order to match radical order).

kanji: 準
meaning: semi-
ja_on: ジュン
ja_kun: じゅん.じる、じゅん.ずる、なぞら.える、のり、ひと.しい、みずもり
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
隼[シュン] falcon
examples: 準備[じゅんび] preparation; arrangements; getting ready; provision; setup; reserving
基準[きじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; benchmark; measure; gauge; basis
照準[しょうじゅん] sight (e.g. of a gun); aim; alignment
準[じゅん] semi-; quasi-; associate
標準[ひょうじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; model; mark
水準[すいじゅん] level; standard
準じる[じゅんじる] to follow (a rule, precedent, etc.); to conform to (the law, standards, etc.); t
準ずる[じゅんずる] to follow (a rule, precedent, etc.); to conform to (the law, standards, etc.); t
準急[じゅんきゅう] semi-express train; local express train; sub-express train
規準[きじゅん] standard; criterion; norm; benchmark; measure; gauge; basis
低水準[ていすいじゅん] substandard; low-level
労働基準法[ろうどうきじゅんほう] Labor Standards Act
基準法[きじゅんほう] basic law
標準的[ひょうじゅんてき] standard
標準語[ひょうじゅんご] standard language (used in government, education, etc.)
heisig_story: Think of this in terms of the semi finals of some sports competition. Water . . . turkeys . . . needle.
koohii_story: At the turkey fighting semi- final, turkeys are injected with drugs via needles and splashed with water to help them last the match.

kanji: 賞
meaning: prize
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: ほ.める
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 尚[ショウ] esteem
貝[かい] shell
examples: 賞[しょう] prize; award
鑑賞[かんしょう] appreciation (of art, music, poetry, etc.)
受賞[じゅしょう] winning a prize; receiving an award; being awarded
賞金[しょうきん] prize money; monetary award; reward
賞賛[しょうさん] praise; admiration; commendation; approbation; applause
賞品[しょうひん] prize; trophy
賞味期限[しょうみきげん] best-before date (on food); use-by date; expiry date; expiration date
大賞[たいしょう] big prize; first prize
観賞[かんしょう] admiration; appreciation; enjoyment; viewing (for pleasure)
入賞[にゅうしょう] winning a prize; placing (high; in a contest)
懸賞[けんしょう] offering a prize; prize competition; prize; reward
アカデミー賞[アカデミーしょう] Academy Award
ノーベル賞[ノーベルしょう] Nobel Prize
副賞[ふくしょう] supplementary prize; additional prize; auxiliary prize; bonus prize
授賞[じゅしょう] awarding a prize; giving an award
heisig_story: Outhouse . . . shellfish.
koohii_story: You won first PRIZE in a shell-fish eating contest. Unfortunately you spent the whole night in the outhouse after.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 鑑賞 食堂 鼻 お腹

kanji: 造
meaning: create
ja_on: ゾウ
ja_kun: つく.る、つく.り、-づく.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 告[コク] revelation
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 造る[つくる] to make; to produce; to manufacture; to build; to construct
構造[こうぞう] structure; construction; makeup; framework; organization; pattern
改造[かいぞう] remodeling; remodelling; reconstruction; conversion; alteration; renovation; mod
造り[つくり] making; producing; manufacturing; building; construction; make; structure
製造[せいぞう] manufacture; production
無造作[むぞうさ] easy; simple; ready
創造[そうぞう] creation
建造物[けんぞうぶつ] structure; building
偽造[ぎぞう] forgery; counterfeiting; fabrication; falsification
捏造[ねつぞう] fabrication; forgery; falsehood; hoax
造形[ぞうけい] molding; moulding; shaping; forming; modelling (i.e. plastic arts); modeling
木造[もくぞう] wooden; made of wood; wooden construction
建造[けんぞう] building; construction
荷造り[にづくり] packing; baling; crating
人造[じんぞう] artificial; man-made; imitation; synthetic
heisig_story: Think of creating as making something out of nothing. Then recall how the way of revelation laid out in the Bible begins with the story of how God created the world out of a dark and chaotic nothingness.
koohii_story: A cow creates a road by eating all the grass on its path.

kanji: 技
meaning: skill
ja_on: ギ
ja_kun: わざ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 技術[ぎじゅつ] technology; engineering
技[わざ] technique; art; skill; move
演技[えんぎ] acting; performance
特技[とくぎ] special skill
競技[きょうぎ] game; match; contest; competition; sport; (sporting) event
技能[ぎのう] technical skill; ability; capacity
技術的[ぎじゅつてき] technical; technological
技術者[ぎじゅつしゃ] engineer; technical expert; technician; craftsperson
演技力[えんぎりょく] acting ability; talent as a performer
技術力[ぎじゅつりょく] technical prowess; technical ability; technical finesse
実技[じつぎ] practical skill
技師[ぎし] engineer; technician
国技[こくぎ] national sport
妙技[みょうぎ] exquisite skill; wonderful performance
技巧[ぎこう] technique; finesse
heisig_story: Fingers . . . branch.
koohii_story: (Adapted from dargsama's) Balancing a branch on your finger_ is the prototypical example of a skill that is nothing more than a skill (i.e., it is completely useless).

kanji: 復
meaning: restore
ja_on: フク
ja_kun: また
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
复 return
examples: 回復[かいふく] restoration; recovery; rehabilitation; return; improvement
復活[ふっかつ] revival (of an old system, custom, fashion, etc.); restoration; return; comeback
復讐[ふくしゅう] revenge
復帰[ふっき] return; reversion; comeback; reinstatement
往復[おうふく] making a round trip; going and returning; coming and going
修復[しゅうふく] restoration; repair; mending
報復[ほうふく] retaliation; revenge; reprisal; retribution
復習[ふくしゅう] review (of learned material); revision
復興[ふっこう] revival; reconstruction; restoration; rebuilding; recovery; renaissance
復旧[ふっきゅう] restoration; restitution; rehabilitation
復元[ふくげん] restoration (to the original state or location); reconstruction; restitution
反復[はんぷく] repetition; repeat; reiteration
復党[ふくとう] rejoining a political party
復刻[ふっこく] republication; reissue; reprinting; reproduction
復員[ふくいん] demobilization; demobilisation; repatriation
heisig_story: Going . . . double back.
koohii_story: Before going all the way to the Boss in a Final Fantasy game, you should probably double back to save at a restore point.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 修復 優しい

kanji: 移
meaning: shift
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: うつ.る、うつ.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
多[タ] many
examples: 移動[いどう] movement; transfer; migration; removal; travel
移る[うつる] to move (to another place or state); to change (e.g. of state, affiliation, scen
移す[うつす] to transfer (to a different place, group, etc.); to change; to move (something);
移行[いこう] transition; changeover; switchover; shift
転移[てんい] moving (location, with the times, etc.); change; transition
移住[いじゅう] migration; move; emigration; immigration
移植[いしょく] transplanting (a plant); transplant; grafting
移送[いそう] transfer; transport; transportation
移転[いてん] moving; relocation; change of address
推移[すいい] transition; change; progress; development; shift
移民[いみん] immigration; emigration
変移[へんい] change; alteration; transmutation; mutation
移り変わり[うつりかわり] change (e.g. season)
移動平均[いどうへいきん] moving average
移管[いかん] transfer of control
heisig_story: Wheat . . . many.
koohii_story: Picture the WHEAT field, filled with MANY, MANY stalks of WHEAT. Notice how they SHIFT like waves in the slightest breeze. When you hear SHIFT , just picture that scene.

kanji: 個
meaning: individual
ja_on: コ、カ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
固[コ] harden
examples: 個[こ] counter for (small) things or pieces
個人[こじん] individual; private person; personal; private
個人的[こじんてき] personal; individual; private
一個[いっこ] one (thing); one piece; one item
個性[こせい] individuality; personality; quirk; idiosyncrasy; character; individual character
個室[こしつ] single (room); room for one; one's own room; private room; private compartment
個体[こたい] individual; specimen
個性的[こせいてき] individual; distinctive; unique; characteristic; personal; idiosyncratic
個別[こべつ] individual; separate; personal; case-by-case
個々[ここ] individual; one by one; separate; each
個人差[こじんさ] individual differences; personal equation
個所[かしょ] place; point; part; spot; area; passage; portion
個々人[ここじん] each individual; each person
個展[こてん] solo exhibition; one-man exhibition; one-woman exhibition
別個[べっこ] another; different; separate; discrete
heisig_story: Person . . . harden.
koohii_story: This keyword gave me trouble, I could write the kanji from memory but could not remember the keyword the other way around. In such case the dictionary definition can be helpful : "Middle English, single, indivisible". Here we have Mr. T. who is so hardened (all the body workout he's had) that he became in-dividual , that is, in-divisible. "I pity da foo who can be divided into smaller units.".
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 周り

kanji: 評
meaning: evaluate
ja_on: ヒョウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
平[ヘイ] even
examples: 評価[ひょうか] valuation; appraisal; evaluation; assessment; estimation; rating; judging
評判[ひょうばん] reputation; (public) estimation; popularity
好評[こうひょう] favorable reception; good reputation; popularity
大好評[だいこうひょう] very highly commended; highly lauded; very well-received; very popular
不評[ふひょう] bad reputation; poor reception; unpopularity; disrepute
批評[ひひょう] criticism; critique; review; commentary
書評[しょひょう] book review
評論[ひょうろん] criticism; critique; review; comment; critical essay
定評[ていひょう] established reputation
総評[そうひょう] general comment
評[ひょう] criticism; commentary; review
評伝[ひょうでん] critical biography
評決[ひょうけつ] decision; verdict
評論家[ひょうろんか] critic; reviewer; commentator
評議[ひょうぎ] conference; discussion
heisig_story: Words . . . water lily.
koohii_story: Good evaluation should always be words of even fairness.

kanji: 非
meaning: un-
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: あら.ず
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 非[あらず] wrong
examples: 非常[ひじょう] emergency
是非[ぜひ] certainly; without fail
非難[ひなん] criticism; blame; censure; attack; reproach
非[ひ] fault; error; mistake
非常識[ひじょうしき] lack of common sense; thoughtlessness; senselessness; irrationality; absurdity
是非とも[ぜひとも] by all means; at all costs; absolutely
非礼[ひれい] impoliteness
非公式[ひこうしき] informal; unofficial
非合法[ひごうほう] illegal; unlawful
非常に[ひじょうに] very; extremely; exceedingly
非行[ひこう] delinquency; misconduct
是非是非[ぜひぜひ] certainly; by all means
非公開[ひこうかい] private; non-public; secret; closed-door; closed
非常勤[ひじょうきん] part-time work
非常口[ひじょうぐち] emergency exit
heisig_story: This key word, a negating prefix, is a doodle of a heavy iron pole with bars extending in both directions, to create the picture of a jail cell. From there to " un- " is but a short step.
koohii_story: This looks like a pictogram of 3 fingers from each hand trying to open up a crack in a wall. That's an un- believable way to escape from prison OR the UN- have a prison in the Hague.

kanji: 型
meaning: mould
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: かた、-がた
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 刑[ケイ] punish
土[つち] earth
examples: 型[かた] type; style; model; pattern
大型[おおがた] large; large-sized; large-scale; big
髪型[かみがた] hair style; coiffure; hairdo
小型[こがた] small-sized; small-scale; miniature
体型[たいけい] figure; body shape; build; physique; form
典型的[てんけいてき] typical; representative; archetypal; quintessential; stereotypical; model
新型[しんがた] new type; new style; new model; new strain (e.g. infectious disease)
血液型[けつえきがた] blood type; blood group
原型[げんけい] model; prototype; archetype
模型[もけい] model; dummy; maquette
典型[てんけい] type; pattern; model; epitome; exemplar; archetype; perfect example
中型[ちゅうがた] medium size
型式[かたしき] model (e.g. of a vehicle); type
新型コロナウイルス感染症[しんがたコロナウイルスかんせんしょう] COVID-19; coronavirus disease 2019
紋切り型[もんきりがた] formulaic; stereotyped; hackneyed
heisig_story: Punish . . . soil. In cases like this, you might find it easier to break the character up into its more basic elements, like this: two hands . . . saber . . . soil.
koohii_story: A famous ninja once pressed his two hands and saber into the soil of his temple, before going onto a mission from which he never came back. Think of some sort of signature that he left behind him. The mould of his two hands and saber has since become a popular attraction in the area.

kanji: 製
meaning: made in...
ja_on: セイ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 制[セイ] system
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 製[せい] make; manufacture; -made; made of ...; made in ...
特製[とくせい] special make; deluxe
複製[ふくせい] reproduction; duplication; reprinting
製造[せいぞう] manufacture; production
製作[せいさく] manufacture; production
製品[せいひん] manufactured goods; finished goods; product
木製[もくせい] wooden; made of wood
手製[てせい] handmade; homemade
鉄製[てっせい] made of iron
作製[さくせい] manufacture; production
製法[せいほう] manufacturing method; recipe; formula
製鉄[せいてつ] iron manufacture
乳製品[にゅうせいひん] dairy products
新製品[しんせいひん] new product
既製[きせい] ready-made; off the shelf
heisig_story: A label indicating that a garment was made in U.S.A. or Taiwan or Japan is itself a symbol for the systematization of the garment industry.
koohii_story: Made in china - a system of exploitation . making garments for nothing.

kanji: 財
meaning: property
ja_on: ザイ、サイ、ゾク
ja_kun: たから
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
才[サイ] genius
examples: 財布[さいふ] wallet; purse; coin purse; billfold; pocketbook
財産[ざいさん] property; fortune; assets
財閥[ざいばつ] zaibatsu; financial conglomerate; industrial group
財[ざい] fortune; riches
財政[ざいせい] public finance
文化財[ぶんかざい] cultural assets; cultural property
財源[ざいげん] source of funds; resources; finances
家財[かざい] household belongings; household goods
消費財[しょうひざい] consumer goods
無形文化財[むけいぶんかざい] intangible cultural asset
管財[かんざい] administration of property; custodianship; receivership
蓄財[ちくざい] amassing of wealth
財務[ざいむ] financial affairs
財務官[ざいむかん] finance official
財団[ざいだん] foundation (institution); syndicate; group
heisig_story: Clam . . . genie.
koohii_story: If you're a money genius , you can afford a lot of property.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 財布 食材

kanji: 識
meaning: discriminating
ja_on: シキ
ja_kun: し.る、しる.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
戠[ショク] sword
examples: 意識[いしき] consciousness
知識[ちしき] knowledge; information
認識[にんしき] recognition; awareness; perception; understanding; knowledge; cognition; cogniza
常識[じょうしき] common sense; good sense; common knowledge; general knowledge; common practice;
無意識[むいしき] unconsciousness
面識[めんしき] acquaintance
非常識[ひじょうしき] lack of common sense; thoughtlessness; senselessness; irrationality; absurdity
常識的[じょうしきてき] ordinary; sensible; commonplace
意識的[いしきてき] conscious; deliberate; intentional
識別[しきべつ] distinction; discrimination; discernment; identification
良識[りょうしき] good sense
標識[ひょうしき] sign; mark; marker; beacon
光学式文字認識[こうがくしきもじにんしき] optical character recognition; OCR
問題意識[もんだいいしき] awareness of the issues; (having a) critical mind; concerns
学識[がくしき] scholarship; scientific attainments
heisig_story: A person of discriminating intellect can tell the difference between mere kazoo -buzzing and words spoken wisely.
koohii_story: Words are difficult to discriminate/discern from sounds in the middle of a fiesta.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 常識 辞職

kanji: 史
meaning: history
ja_on: シ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 歴史[れきし] history
歴史的[れきしてき] historical; traditional
史[し] history
史上[しじょう] in history; ever; historical
女史[じょし] lady (of high social status; e.g. scholar, artist, critic, politician)
史学[しがく] study of history
史実[しじつ] historical fact
史家[しか] historian
史料[しりょう] historical materials; historical records; historical sources; archives
史跡[しせき] historic landmark; historic site; historic remains
日本史[にほんし] Japanese history; history of Japan
heisig_story: A mouth . . . tucked under the arm.
koohii_story: I sleep in history class with my mouth tucked under my arm.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 歴史 使う 変更

kanji: 程
meaning: extent
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: ほど、-ほど
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
呈[テイ] display
examples: 程度[ていど] degree; amount; grade; standard; of the order of (following a number); about; ap
程[ほど] extent; degree; measure
過程[かてい] process; course; mechanism
先程[さきほど] a short while ago; a moment ago; just now; some time ago
日程[にってい] schedule; program; programme; agenda
射程[しゃてい] range (of a rifle, missile, etc.)
余程[よほど] very; greatly; much; to a large extent; quite
工程[こうてい] process; operation; stage of a process; progress of work
方程式[ほうていしき] equation; formula
其れ程[それほど] to that degree; to that extent; that much
課程[かてい] course; curriculum
あれ程[あれほど] to that extent
それ程[それほど] to that degree; to that extent; that much
修士課程[しゅうしかてい] master's course
程なく[ほどなく] soon; before long; shortly thereafter
heisig_story: Wheat . . . display. Do not confuse with extremity (Frame 230) or boundary (Frame 523).
koohii_story: The extent to which some people will go to create ' wheat displays ', or as some call them 'crop circles', is truly amazing.

kanji: 接
meaning: touch
ja_on: セツ、ショウ
ja_kun: つ.ぐ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
妾[ショウ] concubine
examples: 直接[ちょくせつ] direct; immediate; personal; firsthand
接触[せっしょく] touch; contact; touching
接する[せっする] to touch; to come in contact with; to border on; to adjoin; to be adjacent; to b
接近[せっきん] getting closer; drawing nearer; approaching
面接[めんせつ] interview (e.g. for a job)
接続[せつぞく] connection; attachment; union; join; joint; link
接点[せってん] point of tangency; point of contact
直接的[ちょくせつてき] direct
接待[せったい] entertainment (of guests; esp. in the corporate world); treating (to food and dr
間接的[かんせつてき] indirect
隣接[りんせつ] adjacency; contiguity; being adjoined
密接[みっせつ] close (relationship, connection, etc.); intimate; near
間接[かんせつ] indirection; indirectness
応接[おうせつ] reception (e.g. of visitors); dealing with
予防接種[よぼうせっしゅ] vaccination; inoculation; immunization; immunisation
heisig_story: Fingers . . . vase . . . woman.
koohii_story: A pervert meets a woman. The pervert tries to touch the women with his lustful fingers. The woman takes a vase , lifts it over her head and smashes it on the pervert's head…

kanji: 士
meaning: gentleman
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: さむらい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
examples: 同士[どうし] fellow; mutual; companion; comrade
戦士[せんし] soldier; combatant; warrior
兵士[へいし] soldier
騎士[きし] (medieval) knight
弁護士[べんごし] lawyer; attorney
博士[はかせ] expert; learned person
紳士[しんし] gentleman
武士[ぶし] samurai; warrior
剣士[けんし] swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
士気[しき] morale (of troops, team, etc.); esprit de corps
富士山[ふじさん] Mount Fuji; Mt. Fuji; Fujiyama; Fuji-san
修士[しゅうし] master's (degree)
学士[がくし] university graduate; bachelor
代議士[だいぎし] parliamentarian; member of a congress
会計士[かいけいし] accountant
heisig_story: The shape of this kanji, slightly differing from that for soil by virtue of its shorter final stroke, hints at a broad-shouldered, slender-waisted warrior standing at attention. When feudalism collapsed, these warriors became Japan's gentlemen.
koohii_story: What a handsome gentleman. Standing up so straight, and broad shoulders too!! He's like a modern samurai!

kanji: 授
meaning: impart
ja_on: ジュ
ja_kun: さず.ける、さず.かる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
受[ジュ] accept
examples: 授業[じゅぎょう] lesson; class; teaching; instruction; classwork; schoolwork
教授[きょうじゅ] professor
授業中[じゅぎょうちゅう] while in class
授ける[さずける] to grant; to give; to confer; to award
授かる[さずかる] to be awarded (e.g. a prize); to be given an award; to receive (e.g. a title)
授与[じゅよ] awarding; conferment; granting; presentation
授業料[じゅぎょうりょう] tuition fee; course fee
助教授[じょきょうじゅ] assistant professor; associate professor
授受[じゅじゅ] giving and receiving; transferring; transfer; changing hands
授業参観[じゅぎょうさんかん] parents' day (day when parents observe their children in school)
授賞[じゅしょう] awarding a prize; giving an award
授賞式[じゅしょうしき] award ceremony; prize-giving
heisig_story: Fingers . . . accept.
koohii_story: "Please accept this finger ," you say, impart ing it to your yakuza boss.

kanji: 効
meaning: merit
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: き.く、ききめ、なら.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 交[コウ] mingle
力[ちから] power
examples: 効く[きく] to be effective; to take effect; to be good (for)
効果[こうか] effect; effectiveness; efficacy; result
有効[ゆうこう] valid; effective
効率[こうりつ] efficiency
効果的[こうかてき] effective; successful
逆効果[ぎゃくこうか] opposite effect; adverse effect; backfiring
効率的[こうりつてき] efficient
無効[むこう] invalid; void; ineffective; unavailable
効力[こうりょく] effect; efficacy; validity; potency
効き目[ききめ] effect; virtue; efficacy; impression
効能[こうのう] effect; effectiveness; efficacy; virtue; benefit
効用[こうよう] use; utility; effect; benefit
即効[そっこう] immediate effect; instant effect
実効[じっこう] practical effect; efficacy; efficiency
時効[じこう] statute of limitations; lapse of rights after a period of time; prescription (in
heisig_story: Mingle . . . power. Note the distinct connotations that separate merit from achievement (Frame 927).
koohii_story: Mingling with the powerful can bring you success, bypassing the need for any merit.

kanji: 旧
meaning: old times
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: ふる.い、もと
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
日[ひ] sun
examples: 旧[きゅう] old; former; ex-
復旧[ふっきゅう] restoration; restitution; rehabilitation
新旧[しんきゅう] new and old; incoming and outgoing
旧制[きゅうせい] old system; old order
旧姓[きゅうせい] one's original family name; maiden name
旧式[きゅうしき] old type; old style
旧態[きゅうたい] old state of affairs
旧暦[きゅうれき] Japan's old (lunisolar) calendar
旧来[きゅうらい] traditional; from ancient times; formerly
旧正月[きゅうしょうがつ] lunar New Year (esp. the Chinese New Year)
旧派[きゅうは] old school; old style
旧約[きゅうやく] old promise; old agreement; old covenant
heisig_story: A walking stick is needed for days of olden times , since days , too, get old - at least insofar as we refer to them as the "good old days." The main thing here is to think of "good old days" when you hear the key word olden times. The rest will take care of itself.
koohii_story: Age 18 = olden times.
heisig_keyword: olden times
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 復旧 担当 児童

kanji: 師
meaning: expert
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: いくさ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 教師[きょうし] teacher; instructor
師匠[ししょう] master; teacher
医師[いし] doctor; physician
看護師[かんごし] (hospital) nurse; registered nurse; RN
講師[こうし] speaker; lecturer
詐欺師[さぎし] swindler; fraudster; trickster; con man
家庭教師[かていきょうし] (home) tutor; private tutor; private teacher
漁師[りょうし] fisherman
占い師[うらないし] diviner; fortune teller; soothsayer
恩師[おんし] teacher (to whom one owes a debt of gratitude); mentor; one's former teacher
技師[ぎし] engineer; technician
牧師[ぼくし] pastor; minister; clergyman; reverend
医師会[いしかい] medical association
大師[だいし] great teacher (i.e. a buddha, bodhisattva or high monk, esp. Kobo Daishi)
宣教師[せんきょうし] missionary
heisig_story: Maestro . . . ceiling . . . towel.
koohii_story: A maestro in a large auditorium with high ceilings is conducting his orchestra of expert musicians at a fever-pitch, sweat pouring out of him. When the piece is over he reaches for his towel to wipe his brow.

kanji: 易
meaning: easy
ja_on: エキ、イ
ja_kun: やさ.しい、やす.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
勿[モチ] not
examples: 容易[ようい] easy; simple; plain
安易[あんい] easy; simple
容易い[たやすい] easy; simple; light
簡易[かんい] simple; simplified
易い[やすい] easy
貿易[ぼうえき] (foreign) trade; (international) commerce; importing and exporting
交易[こうえき] trade; commerce
易しい[やさしい] easy; plain; simple
簡易保険[かんいほけん] postal life insurance
難易[なんい] (relative) difficulty
heisig_story: Sun . . . knot.
koohii_story: The sun is not an easy place to get to.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 場所 太陽

kanji: 殺
meaning: kill
ja_on: サツ、サイ、セツ
ja_kun: ころ.す、-ごろ.し、そ.ぐ、あや.める
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 乂[ガイ] mow
木[き] tree
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 殺す[ころす] to kill; to slay; to murder; to slaughter
殺し[ころし] murder; killing; murderer
自殺[じさつ] suicide
殺人[さつじん] murder; homicide; manslaughter
人殺し[ひとごろし] murder; murderer
殺害[さつがい] killing; murder
殺意[さつい] intent to kill; intent to murder; urge to kill; murderous impulse
殺気[さっき] thirst for blood; bloodlust; determination to kill
暗殺[あんさつ] assassination
殺人事件[さつじんじけん] murder case
殺到[さっとう] rush; flood; deluge
抹殺[まっさつ] erasure; obliteration
射殺[しゃさつ] shooting to death
虐殺[ぎゃくさつ] slaughter; massacre
相殺[そうさい] offset; offsetting each other; cancelling each other out; counterbalancing
heisig_story: Sheaf . . . tree . . . missile.
koohii_story: Wolverine (sheaf, see [reap](../v4/1488.html) (#1488 刈)) leaps over a tree and with one swipe of his claws kill s a bad guy aiming a missle launcher.

kanji: 破
meaning: rend
ja_on: ハ
ja_kun: やぶ.る、やぶ.れる、わ.れる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 石[いし] stone
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 破る[やぶる] to tear; to rip; to break; to destroy
破壊[はかい] destruction; disruption
突破[とっぱ] breaking through; breakthrough; penetration
破れる[やぶれる] to get torn; to tear; to rip; to break; to wear out
破滅[はめつ] ruin; destruction; fall
破裂[はれつ] bursting; rupture; explosion
破片[はへん] fragment; broken piece; splinter; chip; shard
見破る[みやぶる] to see through (a plot, lie, etc.); to penetrate into; to discover; to find out
爆破[ばくは] destructive blast; blowing up; explosion
破綻[はたん] failure; collapse; breakdown; break-up; bankruptcy
破棄[はき] tearing up and discarding (e.g. documents); destruction
破損[はそん] damage; breakage
打破[だは] breaking down; defeating; abolishing
破格[はかく] extraordinary; exceptional; unprecedented; special; abnormal; irregular
破産[はさん] bankruptcy; insolvency
heisig_story: Rock . . . pelt.
koohii_story: Before the invention of scissors or knives, sharp STONES were used to REND PELTs, so that caveman designers could complete new styles for the upcoming year.

kanji: 編
meaning: compilation
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: あ.む、-あ.み
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
扁[ヘン] level
examples: 編集[へんしゅう] editing; compilation
編[へん] compilation (of a text); editing
編む[あむ] to knit; to plait; to braid
編成[へんせい] composition; formation; organization; organisation; compilation
編集者[へんしゅうしゃ] editor (in publishing, etc.)
編入[へんにゅう] admission; incorporation; enlistment; enrollment
短編[たんぺん] short story; short film; short poem
編物[あみもの] knitting; knitted material; crochet
長編[ちょうへん] long work; (full-length) novel; feature-length film; long poem
予告編[よこくへん] trailer (for a film, TV show, etc.); preview
再編[さいへん] reorganization; reorganisation; reshuffle
改編[かいへん] reorganization; reorganisation
続編[ぞくへん] sequel; continuation
編み物[あみもの] knitting; knitted material; crochet
編者[へんしゃ] editor; compiler
heisig_story: Thread . . . door . . . scrapbook.
koohii_story: I took the compilation of covers of all my Spider-Man comics that I had saved in a scrapbook and glued them on my door.

kanji: 責
meaning: blame
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: せ.める
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 龶
貝[かい] shell
examples: 責任[せきにん] duty; responsibility (incl. supervision of staff)
責める[せめる] to condemn; to blame; to criticize; to criticise; to reproach; to accuse
無責任[むせきにん] irresponsibility
責任者[せきにんしゃ] person in charge (including a supervisory role for other staff); person responsi
責任感[せきにんかん] sense of responsibility
責務[せきむ] duty; obligation
責任を持つ[せきにんをもつ] to be responsible for; to bear the responsibility of
免責[めんせき] exemption from responsibility
刑事責任[けいじせきにん] criminal liability
問責[もんせき] blame; censure; reproof; reprimand; rebuke
引責[いんせき] taking responsibility
自責[じせき] self-condemnation; self-reproach; self-accusation
道義的責任[どうぎてきせきにん] moral obligation
重責[じゅうせき] heavy responsibility
heisig_story: Grow up . . . oyster.
koohii_story: As one grows up , one typically starts to blame all of their problems on money.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 責める 青い

kanji: 修
meaning: discipline
ja_on: シュウ、シュ
ja_kun: おさ.める、おさ.まる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 攸[ユウ] relaxed
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 修行[しゅぎょう] training; practice; discipline; study
修理[しゅうり] repair; mending; fixing; servicing
修正[しゅうせい] amendment; correction; revision; modification; alteration; retouching; update; f
修復[しゅうふく] restoration; repair; mending
修業[しゅうぎょう] pursuit of knowledge; studying; learning; training; completing a course
修学旅行[しゅうがくりょこう] excursion; field trip; school trip
研修[けんしゅう] training (esp. in-service); induction course
修練[しゅうれん] training; drill; practice; practising; discipline
修繕[しゅうぜん] repair; mending
補修[ほしゅう] repair; mending
修了[しゅうりょう] completion (of a course)
修士[しゅうし] master's (degree)
専修[せんしゅう] specialization; specialisation
必修[ひっしゅう] required (subject)
改修[かいしゅう] repair; improvement
heisig_story: Person . . . walking stick . . . taskmaster . . . shape.
koohii_story: Mr. T is a harsh taskmaster who will discipline you (beat you into shape ) with his walking stick.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 修理 参加

kanji: 採
meaning: pick
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: と.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
采[サイ] dice
examples: 採用[さいよう] use; adoption; acceptance
採る[とる] to adopt (a method, proposal, etc.); to take (a measure, course of action, etc.)
採取[さいしゅ] picking; collecting; harvesting; gathering
採点[さいてん] marking; grading; scoring
採掘[さいくつ] mining; digging; working (a mine)
採択[さいたく] adoption; selection; choice
採決[さいけつ] vote; ballot; division
採算[さいさん] profit
採集[さいしゅう] collecting; gathering
伐採[ばっさい] felling timber; cutting down trees; logging; lumbering
強行採決[きょうこうさいけつ] forced passage (of a bill, measure, resolution, etc.); railroading; steamrolling
採炭[さいたん] coal mining; coal extraction
採録[さいろく] recording; transcription
heisig_story: Unlike pick up (Frame 720), this character is used for picking fruits from trees. Its elements: finger . . . grab.
koohii_story: You pick cheries with your fingers , then along comes a giant vulture and pick s up the whole tree with its claws.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 採る 授ける

kanji: 織
meaning: weave
ja_on: ショク、シキ
ja_kun: お.る、お.り、おり、-おり、-お.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
戠[ショク] sword
examples: 組織[そしき] organization; organisation; formation
織る[おる] to weave
織物[おりもの] textile; fabric
紡織[ぼうしょく] spinning and weaving
組織的[そしきてき] systematic; organized; organizational
絹織物[きぬおりもの] silk goods
織り[おり] weave; weaving; woven item
織機[しょっき] loom; weaving machine
羽織[はおり] haori (Japanese formal coat)
heisig_story: Thread . . . kazoo.
koohii_story: Spiderman weave s his way through the skyline while listening to his theme song on his ipod. It is played, of course, by kazoos.

kanji: 故
meaning: happenstance
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: ゆえ、ふる.い、もと
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 古[コ] old
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 事故[じこ] accident; incident; trouble
故郷[こきょう] hometown; birthplace; native place; one's old home
何故[なぜ] why; how; for what reason
故に[ゆえに] therefore; consequently
何故か[なぜか] somehow; for some reason; without knowing why
故障[こしょう] fault; trouble; breakdown; failure; being out of order
交通事故[こうつうじこ] traffic accident
何故なら[なぜなら] because; the reason is; if you want to know why
故意[こい] intent; intention; bad faith
故人[こじん] the deceased; the departed
何故ならば[なぜならば] because; for; the reason why is ...
故事[こじ] historical event; ancient event
故国[ここく] one's native land
heisig_story: Call it fate or providence or plain old Lady Luck, happenstance is the oldest taskmaster we know. It nearly always has its way.
koohii_story: An OLD TASKMASTER is no happenstance (coincidence). The older you get the more rigid in your ways.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 事故 改革

kanji: 弁
meaning: valve
ja_on: ベン、ヘン
ja_kun: かんむり、わきま.える、わ.ける、はなびら、あらそ.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 厶[む] private
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 勘弁[かんべん] pardon; forgiveness; forbearance
お弁当[おべんとう] bento
弁当[べんとう] bento
弁護士[べんごし] lawyer; attorney
弁解[べんかい] explanation (e.g. for one's actions); excuse; justification; defense; defence
弁償[べんしょう] compensation; indemnification; reparation; restitution; recompense
弁[べん] speech; tongue; talk; eloquence
弁明[べんめい] explanation; excuse; clarification; vindication; apology
代弁[だいべん] speaking by proxy; speaking for (someone else); acting as spokesman (for); repre
花弁[はなびら] petal
弁護[べんご] defense; defence; pleading; advocacy
雄弁[ゆうべん] eloquence; fluency (of speech)
弁える[わきまえる] to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish
熱弁[ねつべん] impassioned speech; fervent speech
弁論[べんろん] discussion; debate; argument
heisig_story: Elbow . . . two hands.
koohii_story: Opening a stuck valve requires 2 hands and a lot of elbow grease.

kanji: 歴
meaning: curriculum
ja_on: レキ、レッキ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
林[リン] grove
止[とめる] to stop
examples: 歴史[れきし] history
経歴[けいれき] personal history; background; career
歴代[れきだい] successive generations; successive emperors
歴[れき] experience; history; record; career
履歴[りれき] personal history; background; career
歴史的[れきしてき] historical; traditional
履歴書[りれきしょ] personal history document; curriculum vitae; resume
学歴[がくれき] academic background; academic credentials; academic record
歴然[れきぜん] evident; plain; distinct; clear
前歴[ぜんれき] personal history
歴任[れきにん] successive jobs; consecutive jobs
歴訪[れきほう] round of calls; tour of visitation
略歴[りゃくれき] brief personal record; short curriculum vitae; short CV
職歴[しょくれき] work experience; work history
遍歴[へんれき] travels; pilgrimage; itinerancy
heisig_story: That same grove of trees we met in frame 226 shows up here in the character for curriculum (in the sense of a record of one's life or academic achievements, the curriculum vitae). Instead of the grove making its way slowly through the surface of the cliff as before, here we see it stopped , much the same as a curriculum vitae calls a halt to the calendar and talks only about the past.
koohii_story: A CURRICULUM is a calendar that replaces days with reasons to stop having fun.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 歴史 禁止

kanji: 因
meaning: cause
ja_on: イン
ja_kun: よ.る、ちな.む
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
大[だい] large
examples: 原因[げんいん] cause; origin; source
因みに[ちなみに] by the way; in this connection; incidentally; in passing
因縁[いんねん] fate; destiny
要因[よういん] main cause; primary factor
死因[しいん] cause of death
因果[いんが] cause and effect; causality
敗因[はいいん] cause of defeat
起因[きいん] to be caused by; to result from; to arise from; to stem from; to be due to
因子[いんし] factor
一因[いちいん] one cause; one reason; one factor
主因[しゅいん] primary cause; main factor
勝因[しょういん] cause of victory; reason for (one's) success
因[いん] cause; factor
本因坊[ほんいんぼう] Hon'inbō; Honinbo; grandmaster
誘因[ゆういん] contributing cause; exciting cause; incentive; motive
heisig_story: St. Bernard dog . . . pent in.
koohii_story: We once had a dog with big paws // and oh what great trouble he'd cause // we built a huge pen // to keep him pent in // and stop him from breaking more laws //.

kanji: 貿
meaning: trade
ja_on: ボウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 卯[ボウ] sign of the hare or rabbit
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貿易[ぼうえき] (foreign) trade; (international) commerce; importing and exporting
heisig_story: Receipt . . . dagger . . . shells. Though the meanings are related, do not confuse with make a deal (Frame 471) or wholesale (Frame 1499).
koohii_story: There's a buyback program where you can trade in your dagger for money. But it's quite ineffective, since only registered dagger-owners with the original receipts can participate, and not criminals with illegally-purchased daggers.

kanji: 講
meaning: lecture
ja_on: コウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
冓[コウ] put together
examples: 講義[こうぎ] lecture
講師[こうし] speaker; lecturer
講習[こうしゅう] short course; training
講座[こうざ] course (e.g. of lectures)
講堂[こうどう] auditorium; lecture hall
休講[きゅうこう] cancellation (of a lecture, class, etc.)
聴講[ちょうこう] lecture attendance; auditing
講演[こうえん] lecture; address; speech
受講[じゅこう] taking a lecture; attending a class; taking a course
受講料[じゅこうりょう] course fee; tuition fee
講ずる[こうずる] to lecture; to read aloud; to give a lecture (on)
講和[こうわ] reconciliation (between warring nations); (making of) peace
講演会[こうえんかい] lecture (esp. special engagement by noted speaker); lecture meeting (event with
講談[こうだん] storytelling (of war chronicles, revenge tales, etc.) with highly dramatic deliv
heisig_story: Words . . . funnel.
koohii_story: I have a funnel attached to my laptop that takes my prof's lecture and puts the words into a text file. The bigger the funnel, the more accurate the conversion, so picture a bunch of laptops with large, unwieldy funnels attached to the USB port.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 講義 論文 会議 結論 構え

kanji: 素
meaning: elementary
ja_on: ソ、ス
ja_kun: もと
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 龶
糸[いと] thread
examples: 素直[すなお] obedient; meek; docile; unaffected
素敵[すてき] lovely; wonderful; charming; enchanting; nice; great; splendid; marvellous (marv
素晴らしい[すばらしい] wonderful; splendid; magnificent
素人[しろうと] amateur; layman; ordinary person; novice
要素[ようそ] component; factor; item (e.g. in list)
素早い[すばやい] quick; swift; nimble; agile
素材[そざい] ingredient; (raw) material; resource
素[す] one's nature; one's feelings; oneself
素質[そしつ] makings (of); aptitude; talent; qualities
酸素[さんそ] oxygen (O)
素顔[すがお] face with no make-up; unpainted face
素朴[そぼく] simple; artless; naive; unsophisticated
簡素[かんそ] simple; plain; modest
質素[しっそ] simple; plain
色素[しきそ] pigment; coloring; colouring; colorant; colourant
heisig_story: Grow up . . . thread.
koohii_story: When he was growing up , Venom never had many friends in elementary school. Maybe it explains why he turned out how he did.

kanji: 河
meaning: river
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: かわ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
可[カ] can
examples: 河原[かわら] dry riverbed; river beach
河[かわ] river; stream
銀河[ぎんが] Milky Way
大河[たいが] large river
河川[かせん] rivers
運河[うんが] (navigable) canal; waterway
氷河[ひょうが] glacier
河口[かこう] mouth of river; estuary
河川敷[かせんじき] flood plain; river terrace; riverside area; area between river and river bank
河畔[かはん] riverside
heisig_story: The character in this frame represents a step up from the stream we met in Frame 134, it is a full-sized river. The water to the left tells us what we are dealing with, and the can at the right tells us that our "little engine that could " has now become amphibious and is chugging down the Mighty Mississip' like a regular riverboat.
koohii_story: A river CAN exist only if there is WATER.

kanji: 航
meaning: navigate
ja_on: コウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
亢[コウ] high spirits
examples: 難航[なんこう] difficult voyage; stormy passage; hard flight
航海[こうかい] (sea) voyage; navigation; sailing; passage; cruise
航行[こうこう] cruise; navigation; sailing
航空[こうくう] aviation; flying
航路[こうろ] (air or sea) route; course; line; run
密航[みっこう] stowing away; smuggling oneself; clandestine travel abroad
就航[しゅうこう] entering service (on a route; of a plane or ship); going into commission; being
巡航[じゅんこう] cruise; cruising
格安航空券[かくやすこうくうけん] discount airline ticket
渡航[とこう] voyage; passage; travelling
航法[こうほう] sailing; navigation
航空会社[こうくうがいしゃ] airline company
航空便[こうくうびん] airmail; air mail
航空券[こうくうけん] airline ticket; plane ticket; air ticket
航空機[こうくうき] aircraft
heisig_story: Boat . . . whirlwind.
koohii_story: To navigate a "boat" through a "whirlwind" takes a skilled navigator.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 航空 船便

kanji: 適
meaning: suitable
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: かな.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 啇[テキ] the stalk
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 適当[てきとう] suitable; proper; appropriate; adequate; fit; fair
快適[かいてき] pleasant; agreeable; comfortable
最適[さいてき] most suitable; optimum; optimal; best
適切[てきせつ] appropriate; suitable; fitting; apt; proper; right; pertinent; relevant
適度[てきど] moderate (degree); proper (amount); temperate; suitable
適する[てきする] to fit; to suit
適応[てきおう] adaptation; accommodation; conformity
適用[てきよう] application (of a rule, law, method, etc.)
適性[てきせい] aptitude; aptness; suitability
不適切[ふてきせつ] unsuitable; inappropriate; improper
適正[てきせい] reasonable; suitable
適合[てきごう] conformity; compatibility; adaptability; congruity; congruence
適宜[てきぎ] suitable; appropriate; fitting; proper
適確[てきかく] accurate; precise; exact; appropriate; apt; right
不適当[ふてきとう] inadequacy; inappropriateness; unfitness; impropriety
heisig_story: Can you imagine anything less suitable to do with one's precious antiques than to display them in the middle of a crowded road-way?
koohii_story: Think of the term from televison "suitable for all audiences" to get the sense of the word. What program could be more suitable for the whole family than the " antiques road (show)".

kanji: 婦
meaning: lady
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: よめ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
帚[ソウ] broom
examples: 夫婦[ふうふ] married couple; husband and wife; man and wife
主婦[しゅふ] housewife; mistress (of the house); homemaker
婦人[ふじん] woman; lady; adult female
家政婦[かせいふ] housekeeper; maid
妊婦[にんぷ] pregnant woman
看護婦[かんごふ] (female) nurse
娼婦[しょうふ] prostitute
産婦人科[さんふじんか] maternity and gynaecology department (gynecology); department of obstetrics and
保健婦[ほけんふ] (female) public health nurse
助産婦[じょさんぷ] midwife
売春婦[ばいしゅんふ] prostitute
妊産婦[にんさんぷ] expectant and nursing mothers
婦人科[ふじんか] gynecology department
婦女[ふじょ] woman; womankind
婦女子[ふじょし] women and children
heisig_story: Woman . . . broom . . . apron.
koohii_story: In high society, a lady is a woman who never touches a broom or an apron.

kanji: 寄
meaning: draw near
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: よ.る、-よ.り、よ.せる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
奇[キ] strange
examples: 寄る[よる] to approach; to draw near; to come near; to be close to
寄せる[よせる] to come near; to let someone approach
近寄る[ちかよる] to approach; to draw near
年寄り[としより] old person; elderly person; senior citizen
寄り道[よりみち] dropping in on the way; stopping off at; making a side trip
歩み寄る[あゆみよる] to compromise; to meet halfway
立ち寄る[たちよる] to drop in (at); to drop by; to call at; to stop by; to stop off; to stop in
取り寄せる[とりよせる] to order; to send away for; to have (something) sent to one
寄付[きふ] contribution; donation
お年寄り[おとしより] old person; elderly person; senior citizen
身寄り[みより] relative; relation
寄生[きせい] parasitism
最寄り[もより] nearest; closest
寄せ集め[よせあつめ] mishmash; miscellany; medley; jumble; mixture; odds and ends
寄生虫[きせいちゅう] parasite
heisig_story: Let the idea of drawing near suggest something dangerous or eerie that one approaches with fear and trembling. Here we see a strange house \- perhaps the haunted House of Usher that Edgar Allen Poe immortalized, or the enchanted Gingerbread House that lured Hansel and Gretel to draw near.
koohii_story: The strange house has a sign saying "DRAW NEAR" in its window, instead of a 'Beware' sign. It must be a trick!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 奇跡 綺麗

kanji: 益
meaning: benefit
ja_on: エキ、ヤク
ja_kun: ま.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 八[はち] eight
皿[さら] plate
examples: 益々[ますます] increasingly; more and more
利益[りえき] profit; gains
有益[ゆうえき] beneficial; profitable; useful; helpful; instructive
無益[むえき] useless; futile; vain
不利益[ふりえき] disadvantage; handicap; drawback; inadvisability; inexpediency; loss
益[えき] benefit; use; good; advantage; gain
収益[しゅうえき] earnings; proceeds; returns; revenue
公益[こうえき] public interest; public benefit; public good
公益法人[こうえきほうじん] public-service corporation; charitable corporation
受益[じゅえき] benefitting by; benefiting by
国益[こくえき] national interest
増益[ぞうえき] increased (profit)
差益[さえき] marginal profits
損益[そんえき] profit and loss; advantage and disadvantage
権益[けんえき] (one's) interests
heisig_story: Poised over the dish here is a pair of animal horns that are attached to a pair of animal legs by a single horizontal stroke.
koohii_story: The benefit of having sharp horns and fast legs is that an animal can get to the food dish first.

kanji: 余
meaning: too much
ja_on: ヨ
ja_kun: あま.る、あま.り、あま.す、あんま.り
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 人[ひと] person
小[しょう] small
examples: 余計[よけい] extra; more; too much; too many; excessive; superfluous; spare; surplus
余裕[よゆう] surplus; margin; leeway; room; space; time; allowance; flexibility; scope
余りに[あまりに] too (much); overly; excessively
余る[あまる] to remain; to be left over; to be in excess; to be too many
余地[よち] place; room; margin; scope
余り[あまり] remainder; remnant; rest; balance; surplus; remains (of a meal); leftovers
余韻[よいん] reverberation; swelling (of a hymn); trailing note
余分[よぶん] extra; excess; surplus
余程[よほど] very; greatly; much; to a large extent; quite
余力[よりょく] remaining strength; surplus energy; reserve power
余波[よは] waves that remain after the wind has subsided
余命[よめい] remainder of one's life; one's remaining days; time left (to live)
余儀なく[よぎなく] unavoidably; necessarily; inevitably
余所[よそ] another place; somewhere else; strange parts
余儀なくされる[よぎなくされる] to be forced to do or experience something (against one's will); to be forced to
heisig_story: Umbrella . . . potato . . . little. The last stroke of potato and the first of little coincide in this character.
koohii_story: You hang an umbrella upside-down on a hook of the scales and fill it with little potatoes. No luck: it weights too much.

kanji: 禁
meaning: prohibition
ja_on: キン
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 林[リン] grove
示[しめす] altar
examples: 禁止[きんし] prohibition; inhibition; ban
禁じる[きんじる] to forbid; to ban; to prohibit
監禁[かんきん] confinement; imprisonment; incarceration
厳禁[げんきん] strict prohibition; ban; interdiction
禁物[きんもつ] thing that should be (carefully) avoided; no-no; thing to definitely not do; som
解禁[かいきん] lifting a ban; raising an embargo; opening a season (hunting, fishing, etc.)
禁煙[きんえん] abstaining from smoking; quitting smoking
禁ずる[きんずる] to forbid; to ban; to prohibit
拘禁[こうきん] detention; custody; confinement; internment
独禁法[どっきんほう] antitrust law; Antitrust Act
発禁[はっきん] prohibition of sale; ban on sale
禁制[きんせい] prohibition; ban; embargo
禁句[きんく] taboo word; forbidden topic
禁欲的[きんよくてき] abstemious; austere
禁止事項[きんしじこう] prohibited item; banned item
heisig_story: Grove . . . altar.
koohii_story: Similar to radical tyro's story. If you live in Japan, your main exposure to this kanji is probably "no smoking" signs. So I imagine the government enacting a prohibition of tobacco, and burning whole groves of tobacco plants on an altar (the altar of public health, or self-righteousness, if you will).

kanji: 逆
meaning: inverted
ja_on: ギャク、ゲキ
ja_kun: さか、さか.さ、さか.らう
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 屰[ゲキ] disobedient
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 逆[ぎゃく] reverse; opposite
逆らう[さからう] to go against; to oppose; to disobey; to defy
逆転[ぎゃくてん] reversal (of a situation); turnaround; turnabout; turning the tables; sudden cha
逆効果[ぎゃくこうか] opposite effect; adverse effect; backfiring
逆戻り[ぎゃくもどり] retrogression; reversal; relapse; doubling back; backtracking
反逆[はんぎゃく] treason; treachery; mutiny; rebellion; insurrection
逆さ[さかさ] inverted; upside down; reversed; back to front
逆立ち[さかだち] handstand; headstand
逆襲[ぎゃくしゅう] counterattack
逆境[ぎゃっきょう] adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity
逆しま[さかしま] reverse; inversion; upside down
逆上せる[のぼせる] to feel dizzy; to have blood rush to one's head
逆説[ぎゃくせつ] paradox
逆転勝ち[ぎゃくてんがち] winning after defeat seems certain; coming from behind to win
逆輸入[ぎゃくゆにゅう] reimportation; reimport; reverse import; importing back
heisig_story: Mountain goat . . . road.
koohii_story: There's a road that's been inverted \- it's gone from horizontal to directly vertical! The only beast that could possibly climb it is a mountain goat of course.

kanji: 久
meaning: long time
ja_on: キュウ、ク
ja_kun: ひさ.しい
grade: Grade 5
examples: 久しぶり[ひさしぶり] a long time (since the last time); first in a long time
お久しぶり[おひさしぶり] it's been a long time; long time no see
久々[ひさびさ] (in a) long time; long time (ago); while (ago); long ago; long while (ago); (in
久しい[ひさしい] long (time that has passed); old (story)
永久[えいきゅう] eternity; permanence; perpetuity
久し振り[ひさしぶり] a long time (since the last time); first in a long time
恒久[こうきゅう] permanence; perpetuity
悠久[ゆうきゅう] eternal; everlasting; perpetual; immemorial
持久[じきゅう] endurance; persistence
耐久[たいきゅう] endurance; persistence
耐久性[たいきゅうせい] durability
長久[ちょうきゅう] permanence; perpetuity
heisig_story: This character uses the diagonal sweep of the second stroke to double up for bound up and a person. Think of a mummy, and the key word will not be far behind.
koohii_story: Note: this is the ひさ in ひさしぶり . Long time no see mummy! (A bound up person).

kanji: 妻
meaning: wife
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: つま
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
examples: 妻[つま] wife
稲妻[いなずま] lightning; flash of lightning; lightning bolt
夫妻[ふさい] husband and wife; married couple
人妻[ひとづま] married woman
妻子[さいし] wife and children
後妻[ごさい] second wife
良妻[りょうさい] good wife
heisig_story: Ten . . . rakes . . . woman.
koohii_story: Ten rakes woman. your wife digs her fingernails into you and it feels like 10 rakes when she finds you ontop of another woman.

kanji: 暴
meaning: outburst
ja_on: ボウ、バク
ja_kun: あば.く、あば.れる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
㳟
examples: 暴れる[あばれる] to act violently; to rage; to struggle; to be riotous
乱暴[らんぼう] violence; assault; rowdiness; wildness; running riot
暴力[ぼうりょく] violence; mayhem
暴走[ぼうそう] acting rashly; running wildly; behaving recklessly; rampaging
横暴[おうぼう] violence; oppression; high-handedness; tyranny; despotism
暴露[ばくろ] disclosure; exposure; revelation
暴行[ぼうこう] assault; outrage; act of violence
暴動[ぼうどう] insurrection; riot; uprising; rebellion; revolt
暴挙[ぼうきょ] violence; reckless action; (an) outrage
暴風[ぼうふう] storm; windstorm; gale
暴虐[ぼうぎゃく] tyranny; atrocity
暴力団[ぼうりょくだん] bōryokudan; gangster organization (organisation); crime syndicate; yakuza
婦女暴行[ふじょぼうこう] sexual assault (of a woman); rape
暴徒[ぼうと] rioters; mob; insurgents
暴落[ぼうらく] slump; crash; heavy fall; sudden decline
heisig_story: Sun . . . strung together . . . rice grains.
koohii_story: Having spent all day stringing together grains of rice he suddenly had an outburst , "I can take it any longer!".

kanji: 険
meaning: precipitous
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: けわ.しい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
㑒
examples: 危険[きけん] danger; peril; hazard
冒険[ぼうけん] adventure; venture
保険[ほけん] insurance
険しい[けわしい] precipitous; rugged; inaccessible; impregnable; steep
危険性[きけんせい] (degree of) risk; riskiness; danger
険悪[けんあく] dangerous; perilous; threatening; stormy; volatile; tense; critical; serious
保険金[ほけんきん] insurance payout; insurance money
健康保険[けんこうほけん] health insurance
国民健康保険[こくみんけんこうほけん] national health insurance
損害保険[そんがいほけん] non-life insurance; general insurance; property and casualty insurance
火災保険[かさいほけん] fire insurance
生命保険[せいめいほけん] life insurance
社会保険[しゃかいほけん] social insurance
社会保険庁[しゃかいほけんちょう] Social Insurance Agency
簡易保険[かんいほけん] postal life insurance
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . awl.
koohii_story: The edge of The Pinnacle is precipitous , so they have a guard posted with an ice pick to poke people and keep them from the edge.

kanji: 均
meaning: level
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: なら.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 土[つち] earth
匀[イン] equal
examples: 平均[へいきん] average; mean
均衡[きんこう] balance; equilibrium
均等[きんとう] equal (distribution, treatment, level, etc.); even; uniform
平均的[へいきんてき] average; ordinary; normal
不均衡[ふきんこう] imbalance; lack of balance; lopsidedness; disproportion; inequality; disparity
均一[きんいつ] uniformity; equality
均整[きんせい] symmetry; balance; proportion; uniformity
均質[きんしつ] homogeneous; homogeneity
平均点[へいきんてん] average mark; mean point
拡大均衡[かくだいきんこう] an expanded or expanding equilibrium
移動平均[いどうへいきん] moving average
１００均[ひゃっきん] hundred-yen store; 100 yen shop
heisig_story: The level this key word refers to is not the carpenter's tool but rather the even surface of a thing. It pictures soil being scooped up into a ladle and then made level (apparently because one is measuring soil ). The excess drops of soil are brushed off the top, which accounts for the added drop at the ladle's edge.
koohii_story: Soil is scooped up into a ladel. The extra drop is brushed off to make it level.

kanji: 圧
meaning: pressure
ja_on: アツ、エン、オウ
ja_kun: お.す、へ.す、おさ.える、お.さえる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
土[つち] earth
examples: 圧倒的[あっとうてき] overwhelming
圧倒[あっとう] to overwhelm (e.g. an opponent); to overpower; to crush; to defeat completely
圧力[あつりょく] pressure
圧迫[あっぱく] pressure
制圧[せいあつ] gaining total control (of people or counties); suppression; oppression; control;
血圧[けつあつ] blood pressure
重圧[じゅうあつ] strong pressure; heavy pressure
圧縮[あっしゅく] compression
圧勝[あっしょう] overwhelming victory; crushing victory; sweeping victory; landslide victory
鎮圧[ちんあつ] suppression (of a riot, revolt, etc.); repression; putting down; quelling
抑圧[よくあつ] check; restraint; oppression; suppression
圧巻[あっかん] highlight; best part
気圧[きあつ] atmospheric pressure; air pressure
低気圧[ていきあつ] low (atmospheric) pressure; low-pressure system; depression; cyclone
加圧[かあつ] pressurization; applying pressure (to)
heisig_story: One of the things that causes the erosion of soil is the excessive pressure of the top soil on the lower soil. This can be caused by any number of things from heavy rainfall to heavy buildings to the absence of sufficient deep-rooted vegetation to hold the layers together. Here we see a steep cliff without a tree in sight. The slightest pressure on it will cause a landslide, which, with a little help from your imagination, you will be able to see happening in this character.
koohii_story: The GROUND at the base of a CLIFF must suffer from enormous pressure.

kanji: 許
meaning: permit
ja_on: キョ
ja_kun: ゆる.す、もと
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
午[ゴ] noon
examples: 許す[ゆるす] to permit; to allow; to approve; to consent to
許可[きょか] permission; approval; authorization; license
許し[ゆるし] pardon; forgiveness; exemption; permission
免許[めんきょ] license; licence; permission; permit; certificate
許容[きょよう] permission; allowance; acceptance; tolerance; pardon
免許証[めんきょしょう] licence; license; permit; certificate (of qualification)
特許[とっきょ] patent
無免許[むめんきょ] unlicensed; without a license (licence)
特許庁[とっきょちょう] Patent Office; Patent Agency
許諾[きょだく] consent; assent; approval; permission
運転免許[うんてんめんきょ] driver's license; driver's licence; driving licence
heisig_story: Words . . . horse.
koohii_story: If horses could speak, you might have to ask their permission before mounting them.

kanji: 留
meaning: detain
ja_on: リュウ、ル
ja_kun: と.める、と.まる、とど.める、とど.まる、るうぶる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 卯[ボウ] sign of the hare or rabbit
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 留守[るす] absence; being away from home
留守番[るすばん] care-taking; house-sitting; house-watching; staying at home
留める[とどめる] to stop; to stay (e.g. the night); to cease; to put an end to
留まる[とまる] to stop (moving); to come to a stop
留学[りゅうがく] studying abroad
保留[ほりゅう] reservation; putting on hold; deferment; withholding
留年[りゅうねん] repeating a year (at school); staying in the same class for another year
残留[ざんりゅう] staying behind; remaining; residual
留学生[りゅうがくせい] overseas student; exchange student
停留所[ていりゅうじょ] stop (bus, tram, etc.); station; stopping place
書留[かきとめ] registered mail; registered post; registration (of mail)
在留[ざいりゅう] residing (esp. abroad); staying; living
局留め[きょくどめ] general delivery; counter collection; poste restante
抑留[よくりゅう] internment; detainment; detention
拘留[こうりゅう] custody; detention; confinement
heisig_story: Receipt . . . dagger . . . rice field.
koohii_story: Got a receipt for that dagger , son? If not, we're going to detain you and send you to work in the rice fields.

kanji: 罪
meaning: guilt
ja_on: ザイ
ja_kun: つみ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
非[あらず] wrong
examples: 罪[つみ] crime; sin; wrongdoing; indiscretion
犯罪[はんざい] crime; offence; offense
謝罪[しゃざい] apology
犯罪者[はんざいしゃ] criminal; culprit
罪人[ざいにん] criminal; lawbreaker; wrongdoer; offender
無罪[むざい] innocence; being not guilty
有罪[ゆうざい] guilt; culpability
heisig_story: Eye . . . jail cell.
koohii_story: Guilt y under the eye s of the law, therefore sentenced to jail. [note: 'UNDER the eye of the law' works in [penalty](../v4/833.html) (#833 罰) as well.].

kanji: 停
meaning: halt
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: と.める、と.まる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
亭[テイ] pavilion
examples: 停止[ていし] stoppage; coming to a stop; halt; standstill
停電[ていでん] power outage; power failure; power cut; blackout
停滞[ていたい] stagnation; tie-up; standstill; congestion; delay; accumulation; falling into ar
バス停[バスてい] bus stop
停車[ていしゃ] stopping (of a train, car, etc.); stop
停留所[ていりゅうじょ] stop (bus, tram, etc.); station; stopping place
調停[ちょうてい] arbitration; conciliation; mediation
停学[ていがく] suspension from school
停戦[ていせん] armistice; ceasefire
停泊[ていはく] anchorage; anchoring; mooring
heisig_story: Person . . . pavilion.
koohii_story: "Halt fool" - Mr T acting as a bouncer at the pavillion.

kanji: 興
meaning: entertain
ja_on: コウ、キョウ
ja_kun: おこ.る、おこ.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 同[ドウ] same
八[はち] eight
examples: 興味[きょうみ] interest (in something); curiosity (about something); zest (for)
興奮[こうふん] excitement; stimulation; agitation; arousal
興味深い[きょうみぶかい] very interesting; of great interest
興味津々[きょうみしんしん] very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being imme
復興[ふっこう] revival; reconstruction; restoration; rebuilding; recovery; renaissance
興[きょう] interest; entertainment; pleasure
即興[そっきょう] improvisation
振興[しんこう] promotion; encouragement
新興[しんこう] rising; developing; emergent; burgeoning; new
興業[こうぎょう] promotion of industry; inauguration of a new industrial enterprise
興す[おこす] to vitalize (e.g. an industry); to invigorate; to energize; to revive; to promot
興信所[こうしんじょ] detective agency; enquiry agency
興行[こうぎょう] show; performance; act
興隆[こうりゅう] rise; prosperity
heisig_story: Mortar . . . same . . . tool. Be careful to make an image that keeps same in the middle.
koohii_story: To me, this looks like a pictograph of a road leading to the big city (see the buildings?) where there are plenty of places to be entertain ed. Unfortunately in this city, every store is the same: staples. What tools! [ayoung24].

kanji: 精
meaning: refined
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: しら.げる、くわ.しい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
青[あお] blue
examples: 精神[せいしん] mind; spirit; soul; heart; ethos
精神的[せいしんてき] mental; spiritual; emotional
精一杯[せいいっぱい] the best one can do; one's best effort
精[せい] spirit; sprite; nymph
妖精[ようせい] fairy; sprite; elf
精液[せいえき] semen; seminal fluid; sperm
射精[しゃせい] ejaculation
精進[しょうじん] concentration; diligence; devotion
精度[せいど] precision; accuracy
精鋭[せいえい] elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
精子[せいし] sperm; spermatozoon
精密[せいみつ] precise; exact; detailed; accurate; minute; close
精通[せいつう] being well versed (in); being well acquainted (with); being familiar (with); hav
精巧[せいこう] elaborate; delicate; exquisite
精力[せいりょく] energy; vigor; vigour; vitality
heisig_story: Rice . . . blue.
koohii_story: Before rice is refined , it is actually blue …bet ya didn't know that!! (alternate…. Condi Rice was blue when insurgents blew up the iraqi refinery where oil is refined ).

kanji: 則
meaning: rule
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: のっと.る、のり、すなわち
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 反則[はんそく] foul; breaking the rules
規則[きそく] rule; regulation
法則[ほうそく] law; rule
不規則[ふきそく] irregular; unsystematic; unsteady; disorderly
原則[げんそく] principle; general rule
校則[こうそく] school rules; school regulations
会則[かいそく] society regulations; club regulations; constitution
変則[へんそく] irregularity; anomaly
正則[せいそく] correct; proper; formal; regular; systematic; normal
罰則[ばっそく] punishment; penalty
heisig_story: The character depicts a clam alongside a great and flashing saber. Think of digging for clams in an area where there are gaming rules governing how large a find has to be before you can keep it. So you take your trusty saber , which you have carefully notched like a yardstick, crack open a clam and then measure the poor little beastie to see if it is as long as the rules say it has to be.
koohii_story: When you have both money and the power of the sword , you can make the rules.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 規則 側

kanji: 測
meaning: fathom
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: はか.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
則[ソク] rule
examples: 推測[すいそく] guess; conjecture
予測[よそく] prediction; estimation
測る[はかる] to measure; to weigh; to survey; to time (sound, gauge, estimate)
観測[かんそく] observation; survey; measurement
憶測[おくそく] guess; speculation; supposition
測定[そくてい] measurement
計測[けいそく] measuring; measurement
測量[そくりょう] measurement; surveying
測候所[そっこうじょ] weather measurement station
目測[もくそく] eye measurement; measure with eye
heisig_story: Connoting the measurement of the depth of water , the keyword fathom begins with the water primitive. To its right, we see the compound-primitive for rule (Frame 92) which we learned in the sense of a "ruler" or "measure." Hence, when we rule water we fathom it. What could be simpler? But be careful, its simplicity is deceptive. Be sure to picture yourself fathoming a body of water several hundred feet deep by using a ruler of gargantuan proportions.
koohii_story: A fathom is the unit you use when making rules about water 's depth.

kanji: 豊
meaning: bountiful
ja_on: ホウ、ブ
ja_kun: ゆた.か、とよ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 曲[キョク] bend
豆[まめ] bean
examples: 豊か[ゆたか] abundant; plentiful; rich; ample
豊富[ほうふ] abundant; plentiful; rich; ample
豊満[ほうまん] stout; corpulent; plump; voluptuous
豊作[ほうさく] abundant harvest; bumper crop
種類豊富[しゅるいほうふ] rich in variety; diverse; wide-ranging; multifarious
経験豊富[けいけんほうふ] experienced; well-versed
豊年[ほうねん] fruitful year
豊漁[ほうりょう] good catch; good haul
豊胸[ほうきょう] full breasts; ample breasts
heisig_story: Bend . . . table. Think of a bountiful harvest, and you will not be far from the meaning of this character.
koohii_story: The bountiful feast was so bountiful that it bent the table below it under its weight! いただきま〜す！.

kanji: 厚
meaning: thick
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: あつ.い、あか
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
日[ひ] sun
子[こ] child
examples: 厚い[あつい] thick; deep; heavy
濃厚[のうこう] rich (flavor, color, etc.); strong (e.g. odor); heavy; thick (soup, makeup, etc.
厚意[こうい] kindness (shown by others); courtesy; favor; favour; good offices
厚み[あつみ] thickness
重厚[じゅうこう] profound; deep; grave; solid; dignified; stately; solemn; composed; substantial;
温厚[おんこう] gentle; mild-mannered
厚かましい[あつかましい] impudent; shameless; brazen; cheeky; presumptuous
厚さ[あつさ] thickness
厚生[こうせい] welfare; public welfare; social welfare
厚生年金[こうせいねんきん] welfare pension
厚生省[こうせいしょう] (former) Ministry of Health and Welfare
厚相[こうしょう] Welfare Minister
厚着[あつぎ] wearing thick clothes; dressing warmly
厚紙[あつがみ] cardboard; thick paper
福利厚生[ふくりこうせい] employee welfare; employee benefits; fringe benefits
heisig_story: When we refer to someone as thick -skinned or thick- headed, we are usually quick to add - even if only under our breath - something about their upbringing. Perhaps it is because deep down we cherish the belief that by nature people are basically tender and sensitive. Be that as it may, the Japanese character for thick depicts a child abandoned out on the wild cliffs , exposed to the heat of the sun , and thus doomed to develop a head and skin as thick as the parent who left it there.
koohii_story: The thick cliff walls protected the children from the sun.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 原 厚

kanji: 喜
meaning: rejoice
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: よろこ.ぶ、よろこ.ばす
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 吉[キチ] good luck
口[くち] mouth
examples: 喜ぶ[よろこぶ] to be delighted; to be glad; to be pleased; to rejoice
喜び[よろこび] joy; delight; rapture; pleasure; gratification; rejoicing; congratulations; feli
喜んで[よろこんで] with pleasure; gladly; willingly; certainly
歓喜[かんき] delight; great joy
大喜び[おおよろこび] great joy; delight; jubilation
喜ばす[よろこばす] to delight; to please; to make (someone) happy; to give pleasure (to)
喜ばしい[よろこばしい] joyful (news, event, etc.); joyous; delightful (e.g. result); pleasing (e.g. sig
一喜一憂[いっきいちゆう] alternating between happiness and anxiety; swinging between joy and sorrow; bein
喜劇[きげき] comedy
喜寿[きじゅ] 77th birthday
喜怒哀楽[きどあいらく] human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure); feelings
heisig_story: Drum . . . mouth.
koohii_story: The samurai sitting on the drum is on a stage, and the people below him are rejoicing with their mouths in unison. It helps me to imagine the placement this way.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 喜ぶ 改善

kanji: 囲
meaning: surround
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: かこ.む、かこ.う、かこ.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
井[セイ] well
examples: 雰囲気[ふんいき] atmosphere; mood; ambience; ambiance; aura; feel
周囲[しゅうい] surroundings; environs
囲む[かこむ] to surround; to encircle; to enclose; to fence; to wall in
範囲[はんい] extent; scope; sphere; range; span
取り囲む[とりかこむ] to surround; to crowd around; to gather around; to encircle; to besiege
包囲[ほうい] siege; encirclement; envelopment; surrounding; besiegement
囲う[かこう] to enclose; to surround; to encircle; to fence; to wall in
広範囲[こうはんい] extensive; vast range; wide scope
囲い[かこい] enclosure; fence; wall; pen; paling
囲み[かこみ] enclosure; box
囲碁[いご] go (board game)
heisig_story: Well . . . pent in.
koohii_story: The village surround ed the well with a wall so kids wouldn't fall in.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 周囲 牛丼

kanji: 略
meaning: abbreviation
ja_on: リャク
ja_kun: ほぼ、はぶ.く、おか.す、おさ.める、はかりごと、はか.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
各[カク] each
examples: 攻略[こうりゃく] capture (of enemy territory); taking (by storm); conquest; attack; assault
戦略[せんりゃく] strategy; tactics
侵略[しんりゃく] invasion (e.g. of a country); raid; aggression
策略[さくりゃく] stratagem; artifice; trick; ruse; scheme; tactics
省略[しょうりゃく] omission; leaving out
略[りゃく] abbreviation; omission
略奪[りゃくだつ] pillage; plunder; looting; robbery
略す[りゃくす] to abbreviate; to abridge; to shorten
概略[がいりゃく] outline; summary; gist; in brief
略語[りゃくご] abbreviation; acronym
中略[ちゅうりゃく] omission (of middle part of a text); ellipsis
党略[とうりゃく] party politics (tactics)
前略[ぜんりゃく] dispensing with the preliminaries ...
略式[りゃくしき] informal; simplified
略歴[りゃくれき] brief personal record; short curriculum vitae; short CV
heisig_story: Each field has its own abbreviations (chemistry, philosophy, sports, etc.). Needless to say, the "stronger" primitive - thatis to say, the simpler and more often used one - takes the dominant position on the left, even though the story would read them off the other way around.
koohii_story: There are so many abbreviation s and acronyms nowadays that no brain can remember each of them. Mnemonic: ab-brain-each-ation.

kanji: 紀
meaning: chronicle
ja_on: キ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
己[おのれ] self
examples: 世紀[せいき] century
風紀[ふうき] public morals; discipline; rules governing social behavior
デボン紀[デボンき] Devonian period
世紀末[せいきまつ] end of a century (esp. 19th); fin-de-siècle
二十世紀[にじっせいき] twentieth century
紀元[きげん] era
紀元前[きげんぜん] pre-era; BC; BCE
紀行[きこう] traveller's journal; traveler's journal; travelogue
綱紀[こうき] law and order; (official) discipline
heisig_story: Thread . . . snake.
koohii_story: Worst fan fiction ever….SPIDERMAN joins the CHRONICLE S of narnia to battle a big SNAKE!!

kanji: 絶
meaning: discontinue
ja_on: ゼツ
ja_kun: た.える、た.やす、た.つ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
色[いろ] color
examples: 絶対[ぜったい] absolutely; definitely; unconditionally
絶対に[ぜったいに] absolutely; definitely; unconditionally
絶望[ぜつぼう] despair; hopelessness
気絶[きぜつ] faint; fainting; losing consciousness
拒絶[きょぜつ] refusal; rejection
絶える[たえる] to die out; to peter out; to become extinct
絶好[ぜっこう] best; ideal; perfect
絶妙[ぜつみょう] exquisite; superb; perfect; miraculous
途絶える[とだえる] to stop; to cease; to come to an end; to cut off
絶叫[ぜっきょう] scream; shriek; shout; exclamation
絶対的[ぜったいてき] absolute
絶頂[ぜっちょう] top (of a mountain); summit
絶つ[たつ] to sever; to cut off
絶句[ぜっく] being lost for words; becoming speechless
絶賛[ぜっさん] high praise; great admiration; acclaim
heisig_story: Thread . . . color.
koohii_story: The Spider-man 's multi-colored tie-dye costume comic book series was discontinue d after only one issue because of poor sales and fan protests.

kanji: 救
meaning: salvation
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: すく.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 求[キュウ] request
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 救う[すくう] to rescue (someone); to save; to help (out of a difficulty); to relieve (from)
救われる[すくわれる] to be rescued; to be saved
救急車[きゅうきゅうしゃ] ambulance
救い[すくい] help; rescue; aid; relief
救出[きゅうしゅつ] rescue; extricate; reclaim; deliverance
救助[きゅうじょ] relief; aid; rescue
救世主[きゅうせいしゅ] saviour; savior; messiah
救済[きゅうさい] relief; aid; help; rescue
救援[きゅうえん] relief; rescue
救急[きゅうきゅう] first-aid; emergency (aid)
救世軍[きゅうせいぐん] Salvation Army
救命[きゅうめい] lifesaving
救国[きゅうこく] salvation of one's country
救急医療[きゅうきゅういりょう] emergency medicine
救急箱[きゅうきゅうばこ] first-aid kit
heisig_story: Request . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: Like in the biblical sense, someone looks skyward and makes a request for salvation from this horrible taskmaster …

kanji: 版
meaning: printing block
ja_on: ハン
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 片[かた] split wood
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 版[はん] edition; version; printing; impression; implementation (of software)
出版[しゅっぱん] publication
出版社[しゅっぱんしゃ] publisher; publishing house; publishing company
初版[しょはん] first edition
版画[はんが] woodcut; woodblock print; art print
凸版[とっぱん] letterpress; relief printing
凸版印刷[とっぱんいんさつ] letterpress; relief printing
出版物[しゅっぱんぶつ] publication
図版[ずはん] plate; illustration; figure
改訂版[かいていばん] revised edition
版権[はんけん] copyright; publishing rights
銅版画[どうはんが] copperplate engraving; etching
heisig_story: Although this character also carries the sense of an "edition" of a publication, the elements, one-sided and anti- , more readily suggest its other meaning of a printing block.
koohii_story: Before the advent of printers in Japan, typewriters couldn't be built as they were in the west due to how many kanji there are. Lots of small printing block s had to be used instead. One side of the printing block would have a mirrored ( anti ) image of the kanji. This is true.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 出版 片道 海岸 岸本

kanji: 損
meaning: damage
ja_on: ソン
ja_kun: そこ.なう、そこな.う、-そこ.なう、そこ.ねる、-そこ.ねる
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
員[イン] employee
examples: 損[そん] loss; damage; harm; unprofitable
損ねる[そこねる] to harm; to hurt; to injure; to wreck
損傷[そんしょう] damage; injury
損なう[そこなう] to harm; to hurt; to injure; to damage; to spoil; to mar; to ruin
損失[そんしつ] loss (of assets, profit, etc.)
破損[はそん] damage; breakage
見損なう[みそこなう] to misjudge; to mistake; to misread
損害[そんがい] damage; injury; loss
損する[そんする] to lose (money, etc.); to suffer a loss; to miss (e.g. an opportunity); to miss
欠損[けっそん] deficit; shortage; loss
損得[そんとく] loss and gain; advantage and disadvantage
損壊[そんかい] damage; destruction
損害保険[そんがいほけん] non-life insurance; general insurance; property and casualty insurance
損害賠償[そんがいばいしょう] restitution; damages; indemnity; compensation
損益[そんえき] profit and loss; advantage and disadvantage
heisig_story: Finger . . . employee.
koohii_story: Boss yells, "Who damaged the Xerox machine?!" fingers of employees point at one another.

kanji: 仏
meaning: Buddha
ja_on: ブツ、フツ
ja_kun: ほとけ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
厶[む] private
examples: 仏[ふつ] France
仏像[ぶつぞう] statue of Buddha; image of Buddha; Buddhist statue; Buddhist image
仏壇[ぶつだん] Buddhist (household) altar
仏教[ぶっきょう] Buddhism
仏文[ふつぶん] French; French writing; French literature
仏語[ふつご] French (language)
大仏[だいぶつ] large statue of Buddha (trad. at least 4.8m high)
念仏[ねんぶつ] nembutsu; nianfo
石仏[せきぶつ] stone Buddhist image
heisig_story: Person . . . elbow.
koohii_story: Mr. T says, "I ain't afraid o' no foo! I'll give anyone an elbow to the face, I don't care if it's Buddha himself!".

kanji: 績
meaning: exploits
ja_on: セキ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
責[セキ] blame
examples: 成績[せいせき] results; record; grades; marks
実績[じっせき] achievements; actual results; accomplishments; past results; track record
功績[こうせき] achievement; meritorious deed; distinguished service; contribution
業績[ぎょうせき] achievement; performance; results; work; contribution
紡績[ぼうせき] spinning (textiles)
好成績[こうせいせき] good results
戦績[せんせき] war or military record; score; military achievements; results
heisig_story: Thread . . . blame.
koohii_story: Spidey' s exploits are world famous but still The Daily Bugle's pages blame him for every problem out there.

kanji: 築
meaning: fabricate
ja_on: チク
ja_kun: きず.く
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 筑[チク] an ancient musical instrument
木[き] tree
examples: 築く[きずく] to build; to construct; to erect
構築[こうちく] construction; building; putting up; erecting; creation; formulation; architectur
建築[けんちく] construction; architecture (of buildings)
築き上げる[きずきあげる] to build; to construct; to put up
建築物[けんちくぶつ] building; structure
新築[しんちく] new building; new construction
建築士[けんちくし] authorized architect and builder; licensed architect; registered architect
建築学[けんちくがく] architecture
建築家[けんちくか] architect
改築[かいちく] structural alteration (of a building); reconstruction; rebuilding; remodelling;
新築マンション[しんちくマンション] newly built apartment house; newly built condominium
築地[ついじ] mud wall with a roof; roofed mud wall
築山[つきやま] artificial hill (in a garden)
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . craft . . . mediocre . . . wood/tree.
koohii_story: Bamboo craft ing is a mediocre substitute for wood when you are build ing or fabricat ing a house. While it may look good and might attract a chick (ちく) or two, the kids'll (きず) just tear it to pieces as its not sturdy enough.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 築く 勢い

kanji: 志
meaning: intention
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: シリング、こころざ.す、こころざし
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
心[こころ] heart
examples: 意志[いし] will; volition; intention; intent; determination
志[こころざし] will; resolution; intention; ambition; aim; goal
同志[どうし] like-mindedness; (being of the) same mind; shared sentiment
志望[しぼう] wish; desire; ambition; choice
志願[しがん] aspiration; volunteering; desire; application
闘志[とうし] fighting spirit; (will to) fight
志す[こころざす] to aspire to; to aim for; to intend; to resolve
有志[ゆうし] interested person; volunteer; supporter
遺志[いし] wishes of a deceased person; dying wish
志向[しこう] intention; aim; preference (for); orientation (towards a goal)
篤志家[とくしか] charitable person; philanthropist; volunteer; supporter
heisig_story: Samurai . . . heart.
koohii_story: A samurai' s intentions always come from the heart.

kanji: 混
meaning: mix
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: ま.じる、-ま.じり、ま.ざる、ま.ぜる、こ.む
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
昆[コン] descendants
examples: 混乱[こんらん] disorder; chaos; confusion; mayhem
混ぜる[まぜる] to mix; to stir; to blend
混じる[まじる] to be mixed; to be blended with; to be combined
混ざる[まざる] to be mixed; to be blended with; to associate with; to mingle with; to join
混む[こむ] to be crowded; to be packed; to be congested; to be thronged (with)
混雑[こんざつ] congestion; crush; crowding; jam
混合[こんごう] mixing; mixture; meld
混同[こんどう] confusion; mixing; merger
混入[こんにゅう] mixing; blending; adding; adulteration
混血[こんけつ] mixed race; mixed parentage
混ぜ合わす[まぜあわす] to mix together; to blend; to compound
混ぜ物[まぜもの] mixture; adulteration
混成[こんせい] mixed (e.g. team, chorus)
混戦[こんせん] confused fight; free-for-all; melee
混紡[こんぼう] mixed yarn; mixed spinning
heisig_story: Mixed marriages, this character suggests, water down the quality of one's descendants \- the oldest racial nonsense in the world!
koohii_story: People have to mix their fluids (have sex), in order to create descendants.

kanji: 居
meaning: reside
ja_on: キョ、コ
ja_kun: い.る、-い、お.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
古[コ] old
examples: 居場所[いばしょ] whereabouts; place; location
居る[おる] to be (animate); to be; to exist
芝居[しばい] play; drama
長居[ながい] long visit; overstaying
居心地[いごこち] feeling of a house or a room
同居[どうきょ] living together; coexistence
居眠り[いねむり] nodding off (while sitting); dozing
居合わせる[いあわせる] to happen to be present
居間[いま] living room (Western style); sitting room
居酒屋[いざかや] izakaya
居候[いそうろう] lodger who pays nothing for room and board; freeloader; sponger
住居[じゅうきょ] dwelling; house; residence; address
隠居[いんきょ] retirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement)
鳥居[とりい] torii (Shinto shrine archway)
新居[しんきょ] new home
heisig_story: Flag . . . old. Do not confuse with dwell (Frame 1027).
koohii_story: A humongous American flag in Florida marks the place where all the old people reside.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 居る 届ける

kanji: 雑
meaning: miscellaneous
ja_on: ザツ、ゾウ
ja_kun: まじ.える、まじ.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 九[キュウ] nine
木[き] tree
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 複雑[ふくざつ] complex; complicated; intricate; mixed (feelings)
雑誌[ざっし] magazine; journal; periodical
雑[ざつ] rough; crude; sloppy; messy
雑談[ざつだん] chatting; idle talk
雑草[ざっそう] weed
混雑[こんざつ] congestion; crush; crowding; jam
雑音[ざつおん] noise (usu. unpleasant)
雑巾[ぞうきん] house-cloth; dust cloth
大雑把[おおざっぱ] rough (estimate, summary, etc.); broad; general; sweeping; loose
乱雑[らんざつ] disorder; confusion; clutter; mess; muddle; disarray
雑踏[ざっとう] hustle and bustle; throng; crowd; congestion; traffic jam
雑貨[ざっか] miscellaneous goods; general goods; sundries
煩雑[はんざつ] complex; intricate; complicated; confused; troublesome; vexatious; cumbersome
複雑さ[ふくざつさ] complexity
雑居[ざっきょ] living together; mixed residence; sharing living quarters
heisig_story: Baseball . . . trees . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Newscast: "Among today's miscellaneous stories, we have a report on a baseball team that was chased up a tree by a turkey. Stay tuned for this and more!".

kanji: 招
meaning: beckon
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: まね.く
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 招く[まねく] to invite; to ask
招待[しょうたい] invitation
手招き[てまねき] beckoning
招集[しょうしゅう] call; summons; convening; convocation
招き[まねき] invitation
招致[しょうち] invitation; summons; bidding (e.g. to host the Olympics); calling
招請[しょうせい] invitation
heisig_story: Finger . . . seduce.
koohii_story: A Geisha beckon s you with her index finger , and as you approach she runs her fingers all over her body in an attempt to seduce you. Keyword meaning : “invite”.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 招待 照れる 捨てる

kanji: 永
meaning: eternity
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: なが.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
水[みず] water
examples: 永遠[えいえん] eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality
永久[えいきゅう] eternity; permanence; perpetuity
永代[えいたい] permanence; eternity
永住[えいじゅう] permanent residence
永続[えいぞく] permanence; continuation
heisig_story: This kanji also uses the full form of water , though its meaning seems to have nothing at all to do with water. Remember what William Blake said about seeing "infinity in a grain of sand and eternity in an hour "? Well, reading this character from top to bottom, we see " eternity in a drop of water. "
koohii_story: It would take an eternity to count all the drops of water.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 永久 泳ぐ 氷 水

kanji: 刊
meaning: publish
ja_on: カン
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 干[かん] to dry
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 週刊誌[しゅうかんし] weekly (publication); weekly magazine; weekly journal
週刊[しゅうかん] weekly publication
新刊[しんかん] new book; new publication
刊行[かんこう] publication; issue
月刊[げっかん] monthly publication; monthly issue
創刊[そうかん] foundation (of a newspaper, magazine, etc.); starting; launching; first publicat
夕刊[ゆうかん] evening edition (of a daily newspaper); evening paper
季刊[きかん] quarterly publication
休刊[きゅうかん] suspension of publication
年刊[ねんかん] annual publication
日刊[にっかん] daily publication; daily issue
朝刊[ちょうかん] morning edition (of a daily newspaper); morning paper
発刊[はっかん] publication; issue; launching (a publication)
heisig_story: Dry . . . saber.
koohii_story: The newspaper pages are hung on the clotheseline to dry and then cut down with a sabre to be publish ed.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 週刊 権利 判断

kanji: 像
meaning: statue
ja_on: ゾウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
象[ショウ] elephant
examples: 想像[そうぞう] imagination; supposition; guess
映像[えいぞう] image (on a screen); picture (e.g. on a TV)
像[ぞう] image; figure; statue; picture; portrait
画像[がぞう] image; picture; portrait
想像力[そうぞうりょく] (power of) imagination
彫像[ちょうぞう] (carved) statue; sculpture
仏像[ぶつぞう] statue of Buddha; image of Buddha; Buddhist statue; Buddhist image
現像[げんぞう] development (of film); photographic processing
プロフィール画像[プロフィールがぞう] profile picture; profile pic
人間像[にんげんぞう] image of (an ideal) person
偶像[ぐうぞう] image; idol; statue
受像[じゅぞう] (television) reception; receiving (a picture)
実像[じつぞう] real image
将来像[しょうらいぞう] vision of the future
群像[ぐんぞう] lively group (esp. of young people); dynamic bunch
heisig_story: Person . . . elephant.
koohii_story: The statue of liberty is being replaced by a statue of Mr. T riding an elephant.

kanji: 賛
meaning: approve
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: たす.ける、たた.える
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 夫[フ] husband
貝[かい] shell
examples: 賛成[さんせい] approval; agreement; support; favour; favor
賛同[さんどう] approval; endorsement
絶賛[ぜっさん] high praise; great admiration; acclaim
賞賛[しょうさん] praise; admiration; commendation; approbation; applause
称賛[しょうさん] praise; admiration; commendation; approbation; applause
賛辞[さんじ] eulogy; compliment
賛美[さんび] praise; glorification; extolment
協賛[きょうさん] support; mutual aid; cooperation; approval; authorization; authorisation
賛[さん] praise; tribute
賛助[さんじょ] support; patronage
賛否[さんぴ] yes and no; for and against
賛意[さんい] approval; assent
賛歌[さんか] song of praise; eulogy; paean; hymn
heisig_story: Two husbands . . . shells.
koohii_story: Out of two potential husbands , which would you approve of? Well, the one with shells (money) of course!!!

kanji: 犯
meaning: crime
ja_on: ハン、ボン
ja_kun: おか.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
㔾
examples: 犯人[はんにん] offender; criminal; culprit
犯す[おかす] to commit (e.g. crime); to perpetrate; to make (e.g. mistake)
犯罪[はんざい] crime; offence; offense
犯罪者[はんざいしゃ] criminal; culprit
犯行[はんこう] crime; criminal act; offence; offense
共犯[きょうはん] complicity
防犯[ぼうはん] prevention of crime
防犯カメラ[ぼうはんカメラ] security camera
現行犯[げんこうはん] flagrante delicto; caught red-handed
主犯[しゅはん] principal offence; principal offense; principal offender
侵犯[しんぱん] violation (of foreign territory, rights, etc.); invasion; infringement
戦犯[せんぱん] war criminal
政治犯[せいじはん] political offense; political offence; political crime
heisig_story: Wild dogs . . . fingerprint.
koohii_story: Crime s can often be solved using the tools of dogs and fingerprints.

kanji: 布
meaning: linen
ja_on: フ、ホ
ja_kun: ぬの、し.く、きれ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
examples: 布団[ふとん] futon
財布[さいふ] wallet; purse; coin purse; billfold; pocketbook
布[ぬの] cloth; fabric; material; textile
毛布[もうふ] blanket
布地[ぬのじ] fabric; cloth; material
配布[はいふ] distribution
座布団[ざぶとん] zabuton
布陣[ふじん] battle formation
布石[ふせき] strategic arrangement of go stones at the beginning of a game; opening moves
昆布[こんぶ] kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp
分布[ぶんぷ] distribution
布告[ふこく] edict; ordinance; proclamation
布巾[ふきん] dish towel; tea towel; dishcloth
公布[こうふ] official proclamation; announcement; promulgation (e.g. of regulations)
塗布[とふ] application (of ointment, etc.)
heisig_story: The maid, towels by her side , distributes the linen.
koohii_story: A matador holding his red linen by his side.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 布団 怖い 都市

kanji: 属
meaning: belong
ja_on: ゾク、ショク
ja_kun: さかん、つく、やから
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
禹[ウ] name of a Chinese emperor
examples: 所属[しょぞく] belonging to (a group, organization, etc.); affiliation (with); being attached t
金属[きんぞく] metal
属する[ぞくする] to belong to; to come under; to be affiliated with; to be subject to
専属[せんぞく] exclusive; attached to; specialist
配属[はいぞく] assignment (of a person to somewhere); attachment (of a person to another unit,
直属[ちょくぞく] direct control; direct supervision
付属[ふぞく] being attached (to); being affiliated (to); belonging (to); going with
附属[ふぞく] being attached (to); being affiliated (to); belonging (to); going with
帰属[きぞく] belonging; ascription; attribution; imputation; possession; jurisdiction
従属[じゅうぞく] subordination; dependency
無所属[むしょぞく] independent (esp. in politics); non-partisan
貴金属[ききんぞく] precious metal
軍属[ぐんぞく] civilian in military employ
非鉄金属[ひてつきんぞく] non-ferrous metal
heisig_story: Flag . . . gnats (see frame 563) . . . with a belt.
koohii_story: These bugs BELONG TO an extremist group promoting insect independence. They are parading the FLAG of their group, the Nationalist GNATS, and wearing explosives BELTS for their planned terrorist war.

kanji: 複
meaning: duplicate
ja_on: フク
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
复 return
examples: 複雑[ふくざつ] complex; complicated; intricate; mixed (feelings)
複数[ふくすう] plural; multiple
複製[ふくせい] reproduction; duplication; reprinting
複写[ふくしゃ] copying; duplication; reproduction; copy
複合[ふくごう] composite; combined; complex
重複[じゅうふく] duplication; repetition; overlapping; redundancy; restoration
複利[ふくり] compound interest
複雑さ[ふくざつさ] complexity
heisig_story: In its original and etymologically transparent sense, to duplicate something means to double it back with a fold, like the fold of a cloak.
koohii_story: My girlfiend saw someone wearing the exact same (duplicate) outfit at a party, so she doubled back to change!

kanji: 似
meaning: becoming
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: に.る、ひ.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
以[イ] by means of
examples: 似る[にる] to resemble; to look like; to be like; to be alike; to be similar; to take after
似合う[にあう] to suit; to match; to become; to be like
真似[まね] imitating; copying; mimicry
真似る[まねる] to mimic; to imitate
似せる[にせる] to copy; to imitate; to counterfeit; to forge
酷似[こくじ] resembling closely; being strikingly similar; bearing a strong likeness
似顔絵[にがおえ] portrait; likeness; sketch (of a face)
似合い[にあい] well-matched (esp. of a couple); becoming; suitable
疑似[ぎじ] pseudo; quasi; false; para-; mock; sham
似通う[にかよう] to resemble closely
類似[るいじ] resemblance; similarity; likeness; analogy
似顔[にがお] portrait; likeness
相似[そうじ] resemblance; likeness; similitude
heisig_story: Be sure to keep this key word distinct from likeness (Frame 104). Its elements: person . . . by means of.
koohii_story: Mr. T finds that living by means of dragging a plow is similar to slavery.
heisig_keyword: similar

kanji: 迷
meaning: astray
ja_on: メイ
ja_kun: まよ.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 迷惑[めいわく] trouble; bother; annoyance; nuisance; inconvenience
迷う[まよう] to lose one's way; to get lost; to go astray
迷い[まよい] hesitation; bewilderment; perplexity; doubt; indecision
迷子[まいご] lost child; lost person; stray child; missing child
迷路[めいろ] maze; labyrinth
迷宮[めいきゅう] labyrinth; maze
迷信[めいしん] superstition; superstitious belief
低迷[ていめい] hanging low (of clouds)
混迷[こんめい] turmoil; chaos; confusion
迷彩[めいさい] camouflage; disguise
迷惑行為[めいわくこうい] disruptive behaviour; harassment; abusive behaviour
heisig_story: Road . . . United States.
koohii_story: The road that the USA is heading down is, well… let's just say that they're astray …
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 迷う 述べる

kanji: 夢
meaning: dream
ja_on: ム、ボウ
ja_kun: ゆめ、ゆめ.みる、くら.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
冖[わかんむり] cover
夕[ゆうべ] evening
examples: 夢[ゆめ] dream
夢中[むちゅう] absorbed in; immersed in; crazy about; obsessed with; devoted to
悪夢[あくむ] nightmare; bad dream
夢想[むそう] dream; vision; reverie
初夢[はつゆめ] first dream of the New year (believed to foretell one's luck)
夢にも[ゆめにも] (not) in the slightest; (not) at all
夢幻[むげん] dreams; fantasy; visions
heisig_story: To have a dream after going to bed is really the crown to a perfect evening. The flower petals over the eyes (instead of the "sand" that Westerners are used to finding there when they awake in the morning) only confirms the image of a pleasant dream suggested by the rest of this rather complex kanji.
koohii_story: Last night's date with Miss Sweden was like a dream. She even laid flowers over my eyes to crown the perfect evening.

kanji: 燃
meaning: burn
ja_on: ネン
ja_kun: も.える、も.やす、も.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
然[ゼン] sort of thing
examples: 燃える[もえる] to burn; to get fired up
燃やす[もやす] to burn
燃え上がる[もえあがる] to flare up; to burst into flames
燃料[ねんりょう] fuel
燃焼[ねんしょう] burning; combustion
不燃物[ふねんぶつ] non-inflammables; incombustible (usu. waste)
再燃[さいねん] recurrence; revival; resuscitation
可燃性[かねんせい] combustibility; inflammability
可燃物[かねんぶつ] combustibles; inflammables; flammables; burnables
核燃料[かくねんりょう] nuclear fuel
燃費[ねんぴ] fuel consumption; gas mileage
heisig_story: Hearth . . . sort of thing. Beware of letting the simple reading off of the primitive elements do your work for you. Unless you make a vivid image of something burning and relate it just as vividly to those primitive meanings, you can count on forgetting this character very quickly.
koohii_story: Any sort of thing can burn in the fire.

kanji: 災
meaning: disaster
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: わざわ.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 巛[まがりがわ] winding river
火[ひ] fire
examples: 災難[さいなん] calamity; misfortune; disaster
災い[わざわい] disaster; calamity; misfortune; trouble; woes
災害[さいがい] calamity; disaster; misfortune
火災[かさい] conflagration; fire
天災[てんさい] natural disaster; natural calamity; act of God
戦災[せんさい] war damage
労災[ろうさい] work-related injury; work-related illness; work-related death; on-the-job accide
大震災[だいしんさい] great earthquake (disaster); highly destructive earthquake
火災保険[かさいほけん] fire insurance
被災[ひさい] suffering (from a disaster); being hit (by an earthquake, typhoon, etc.); fallin
被災者[ひさいしゃ] person affected by a disaster; afflicted person; victim; sufferer; survivor
防災[ぼうさい] disaster preparedness; prevention of damage resulting from a natural disaster; p
震災[しんさい] earthquake disaster
heisig_story: Of all of nature's disasters , this kanji picks out two of the worst: floods and fires. To recall the disposition of the elements, think of nature's solution to nature's own problem: a great flood pouring down over a great forest fire.
koohii_story: What a disaster! First a FIRE, then on top of it came FLOODs.

kanji: 貸
meaning: lend
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: か.す、か.し-、かし-
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 代[ダイ] substitute
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貸す[かす] to lend; to loan
貸し[かし] loan; lending; hire; rental; lease
貸し出す[かしだす] to lend; to loan; to let out on hire
貸し出し[かしだし] lending; loaning
貸家[かしや] house for rent
貸間[かしま] room to let; room for rent
貸し切り[かしきり] reserving (for exclusive use); (full) booking; chartering; block reservation
貸与[たいよ] loan; lending
貸付[かしつけ] loan
貸借[たいしゃく] loan; debit and credit; lending and borrowing
貸出[かしだし] lending; loaning
貸出用[かしだしよう] circulation or lending (e.g. library books)
貸金[かしきん] loan; advance
賃貸[ちんたい] leasing (out); renting out; hiring out; letting
heisig_story: Substitute . . . shells/money.
koohii_story: In order for the bank to lend you money , you need to put up some sort of collateral as a substitute for the money.

kanji: 堂
meaning: public chamber
ja_on: ドウ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 尚[ショウ] esteem
土[つち] earth
examples: 堂々[どうどう] magnificent; grand; impressive; dignified; majestic; imposing; stately
食堂[しょくどう] dining room; dining hall; cafeteria; canteen; messroom
堂[どう] temple; shrine; chapel
講堂[こうどう] auditorium; lecture hall
議事堂[ぎじどう] assembly hall; parliament house; diet building; capitol; houses of parliament; c
一堂[いちどう] one building (hall, temple, shrine, room)
会堂[かいどう] church; chapel; synagogue; tabernacle
公会堂[こうかいどう] town hall; public hall
国会議事堂[こっかいぎじどう] parliament building; parliament house; National Diet Building (Japan); (US) Capi
本堂[ほんどう] main hall (of a Buddhist temple); main temple
殿堂[でんどう] palace; hall
聖堂[せいどう] (Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary
heisig_story: Outhouse . . . land.
koohii_story: In most communities you will be hauled into city hall if you use the ground as an outhouse.
heisig_keyword: hall

kanji: 謝
meaning: apologize
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: あやま.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 言[げん] words
射[シャ] shoot
examples: 謝る[あやまる] to apologize (apologise)
感謝[かんしゃ] thanks; gratitude; appreciation; thankfulness
謝罪[しゃざい] apology
謝礼[しゃれい] reward; honorarium; remuneration
月謝[げっしゃ] monthly tuition fee
代謝[たいしゃ] metabolism
慰謝[いしゃ] consolation
新陳代謝[しんちんたいしゃ] renewal; replacement; regeneration; rejuvenation
謝意[しゃい] gratitude; thanks
陳謝[ちんしゃ] apology
heisig_story: Words . . . shoot.
koohii_story: Dick Cheney…

kanji: 仮
meaning: sham
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: かり、かり-
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 仮に[かりに] supposing; even if; granting that; for argument's sake
仮面[かめん] mask
仮[かり] temporary; provisional; interim; tentative
仮定[かてい] assumption; supposition; hypothesis
仮説[かせつ] hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
仮装[かそう] costume; fancy dress; masquerade; disguise
仮想[かそう] imagination; supposition; virtual; potential (enemy)
仮令[たとえ] even if; no matter (what); if; though; although; supposing; supposing that; -eve
仮名[かな] kana; Japanese syllabaries (i.e. hiragana and katakana)
仮名遣い[かなづかい] kana orthography; syllabary spelling
平仮名[ひらがな] hiragana
振り仮名[ふりがな] furigana
送り仮名[おくりがな] kana written after a kanji to complete the full (usually kun) reading of the wor
仮処分[かりしょぶん] provisional disposition; temporary injunction
仮称[かしょう] temporary name; provisional name
heisig_story: Person . . . anti-.
koohii_story: Mr. T is anti anything provisional. "I pity da foo' who's so indecisive that he can't make nothin' permanent".
heisig_keyword: provisional

kanji: 快
meaning: cheerful
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: こころよ.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
夬[カイ] decide
examples: 不快[ふかい] displeasure; discomfort; unpleasantness
愉快[ゆかい] pleasant; delightful; enjoyable; joyful; cheerful; amusing; happy
快感[かいかん] pleasant feeling; pleasant sensation; pleasure
不愉快[ふゆかい] unpleasant; disagreeable; displeasing; uncomfortable; unhappy
快楽[かいらく] pleasure
快適[かいてき] pleasant; agreeable; comfortable
快い[こころよい] pleasant; agreeable; comfortable; refreshing
豪快[ごうかい] hearty; tremendous; magnificent; glorious; splendid; heroic; stirring
軽快[けいかい] light (of movements); nimble; sprightly; springy
快晴[かいせい] clear weather; cloudless weather; good weather
快活[かいかつ] cheerful; lively; lighthearted
爽快[そうかい] refreshing; exhilarating; invigorating; bracing
明快[めいかい] clear; clear-cut; lucid; unequivocal; explicit
全快[ぜんかい] complete recovery of health
快勝[かいしょう] sweeping victory; easy victory
heisig_story: State of mind . . . guillotine.
koohii_story: A large crowd in a cheerful state of mind applaude each criminal as they become victims of the guillotine.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 快適 決める

kanji: 貯
meaning: savings
ja_on: チョ
ja_kun: た.める、たくわ.える
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
宁[チョ] calm
examples: 貯金[ちょきん] putting money aside; savings; deposit (e.g. in a bank)
貯蓄[ちょちく] savings
貯蔵[ちょぞう] storage; preservation; stocking; stockpiling
貯水[ちょすい] storage of water
貯水池[ちょすいち] reservoir
郵貯[ゆうちょ] postal (post-office) savings (deposit)
預貯金[よちょきん] deposits and savings; bank account
heisig_story: To avoid confusing this frame with the last one, try to think of savings as actual money. The only difference is that our currency is not paper bills but shells , a not uncommon unit of exchange in older civilizations. The nail under the roof of the house points to a hiding place in the rafters on which one strings up one's shells for safekeeping.
koohii_story: It takes a lot more than one clam of savings to buy a house on a street.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 貯える 預ける

kanji: 序
meaning: preface
ja_on: ジョ
ja_kun: つい.で、ついで
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
予[ヨ] beforehand
examples: 秩序[ちつじょ] order; discipline; regularity; system; method
順序[じゅんじょ] order; sequence
序[ついで] opportunity; occasion; chance
序盤[じょばん] opening (in a game of go, chess, etc.)
序列[じょれつ] rank; ranking order; hierarchy
無秩序[むちつじょ] disorder; chaos; confusion
公序良俗[こうじょりょうぞく] public order and morals; social standards; public policy
年功序列[ねんこうじょれつ] seniority by length of service
序で[ついで] opportunity; occasion; chance
序幕[じょまく] curtain-raiser; prologue
序文[じょぶん] preface; foreword; introduction
序曲[じょきょく] overture; prelude
序説[じょせつ] introduction
heisig_story: Cave . . . beforehand.
koohii_story: The preface to all human history was written beforehand in caves.

kanji: 舎
meaning: cottage
ja_on: シャ、セキ
ja_kun: やど.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 人[ひと] person
吉[キチ] good luck
examples: 田舎[いなか] rural area; countryside; the sticks
校舎[こうしゃ] school building; schoolhouse
宿舎[しゅくしゃ] lodging (house); accommodation; hotel
舎[しゃ] hut; house
公舎[こうしゃ] official residence
兵舎[へいしゃ] barracks
国民宿舎[こくみんしゅくしゃ] inexpensive hotel operated by a local government
寄宿舎[きしゅくしゃ] boarding house; residence hall; dormitory
庁舎[ちょうしゃ] government office building
牛舎[ぎゅうしゃ] cow shed; cattle barn
heisig_story: A lidded crock with an umbrella overhead gives us a mixture of the modern and the nostalgic in this design for a cottage.
koohii_story: The cottage is so small - it has an umbrella for the roof, soil for the floor and room for only one mouth.

kanji: 慣
meaning: accustomed
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: な.れる、な.らす
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
貫[カン] pierce
examples: 慣れる[なれる] to get used to; to grow accustomed to; to become familiar with
見慣れる[みなれる] to get used to seeing; to become accustomed to seeing; to be familiar with
習慣[しゅうかん] habit
慣れ[なれ] practice; experience; habituation
不慣れ[ふなれ] inexperienced; unfamiliar (with); unversed; lacking experience
慣らす[ならす] to accustom; to train (e.g. one's ear)
慣習[かんしゅう] custom; convention; common practice
慣例[かんれい] custom; practice; convention; precedent
慣行[かんこう] customary practice; habit; traditional event
慣用句[かんようく] idiom; set phrase; idiomatic phrase
heisig_story: State of mind . . . pierce.
koohii_story: Some hardcore monks have a state of mind that has become accustomed to their self-torture through piercing themselves.

kanji: 液
meaning: fluid
ja_on: エキ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
夜[ヤ] night
examples: 液体[えきたい] liquid
血液[けつえき] blood
液[えき] liquid; fluid
精液[せいえき] semen; seminal fluid; sperm
血液型[けつえきがた] blood type; blood group
溶液[ようえき] solution (liquid)
液化[えきか] liquefaction
液晶[えきしょう] liquid crystal
血液検査[けつえきけんさ] blood test; hemanalysis
heisig_story: Water . . . night.
koohii_story: A wet dream……..water fluid that comes out at night….
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 液体 夜

kanji: 貧
meaning: poverty
ja_on: ヒン、ビン
ja_kun: まず.しい
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 分[ブン] part
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貧乏[びんぼう] poverty-stricken; destitute; poor; penurious
貧しい[まずしい] poor; needy
貧血[ひんけつ] anemia; anaemia
貧弱[ひんじゃく] poor; meagre; meager; feeble; scanty; shabby; insubstantial
貧乏人[びんぼうにん] poor person; the poor
貧相[ひんそう] poor-looking; impoverished-looking
貧困[ひんこん] poverty; penury; need; destitution
清貧[せいひん] poverty without selfish desire; honourable poverty (honorable); being poor yet h
貧富[ひんぷ] wealth and poverty; rich and poor
heisig_story: Part . . . shells/money.
koohii_story: In the case of true poverty , not having money is only part of the problem. There are other components as well, like lack of education, class structuring, etc., but that doesn't really matter. Just remember that the money is only part of it, not the whole.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 貧しい 学費 予算

kanji: 酸
meaning: acid
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: す.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
夋
examples: 酸素[さんそ] oxygen (O)
酸っぱい[すっぱい] sour; acid
酸味[さんみ] sourness; acidity
炭酸[たんさん] carbonic acid
酸[さん] acid
酸化[さんか] oxidation; oxidization
酸性[さんせい] acidity
アミノ酸[アミノさん] amino acid
一酸化炭素[いっさんかたんそ] carbon monoxide
二酸化炭素[にさんかたんそ] carbon dioxide; CO2
塩酸[えんさん] hydrochloric acid
尿酸[にょうさん] uric acid
核酸[かくさん] nucleic acid
硝酸[しょうさん] nitric acid
硫酸[りゅうさん] sulfuric acid; sulphuric acid
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . license . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: The prostitute carries an old whiskey bottle filled with acid to throw at any difficult Johns.

kanji: 祖
meaning: ancestor
ja_on: ソ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 祖父[そふ] grandfather
先祖[せんぞ] ancestor; forefather; foremother
祖母[そぼ] grandmother
祖国[そこく] homeland; motherland; fatherland; native country
祖先[そせん] ancestor
祖[そ] ancestor; forefather; progenitor
祖父母[そふぼ] grandparents
お祖母さん[おばあさん] grandmother
お祖父さん[おじいさん] grandfather
元祖[がんそ] originator; pioneer; inventor; founder
宗祖[しゅうそ] sect founder
教祖[きょうそ] founder of a religious sect
heisig_story: Altar . . . shelf.
koohii_story: The ancestor worship is so common in Daoist and buddhist countries that you can buy tiny altars to put on the shelves, one for each deceased family member.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 祖父 組み立てる

kanji: 桜
meaning: cherry
ja_on: オウ、ヨウ
ja_kun: さくら
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
小[しょう] small
女[おんな] woman
examples: 桜[さくら] cherry tree; cherry blossom; sakura
八重桜[やえざくら] double-flowered cherry tree; double cherry blossoms
桜花[おうか] cherry blossom
heisig_story: Tree . . . owl . . . woman.
koohii_story: I was taking a picture of my girlfriend under the cherry tree during 花見 , when an owl happened to poop on her at the exact moment the shutter snapped. It's really my favorite picture , just don't tell her that.
heisig_keyword: cherry tree

kanji: 句
meaning: phrase
ja_on: ク
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
口[くち] mouth
examples: 文句[もんく] complaint; grumbling; objection
絶句[ぜっく] being lost for words; becoming speechless
挙句[あげく] after (a long process); at the end of
文句なし[もんくなし] undisputed; entirely; perfect
俳句[はいく] haiku
句[く] section (i.e. of text); sentence; passage; paragraph
句読点[くとうてん] punctuation mark
語句[ごく] words and phrases; words
句集[くしゅう] collection of haiku poems
慣用句[かんようく] idiom; set phrase; idiomatic phrase
禁句[きんく] taboo word; forbidden topic
節句[せっく] seasonal festival
美辞麗句[びじれいく] flowery words; rhetorical flourishes
heisig_story: By combining the two primitives bound up and mouth , we can easily see how this character can get the meaning of a phrase. After all, a phrase is nothing more than a number of words bound up tightly and neatly so that they will fit in your mouth.
koohii_story: Some Japanese phrase s are difficult to wrap your mouth around.

kanji: 墓
meaning: grave
ja_on: ボ
ja_kun: はか
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 莫[バク] must not
土[つち] earth
examples: 墓[はか] grave; gravesite; tomb
墓参り[はかまいり] visit to a grave
墓地[ぼち] cemetery; graveyard
墓石[ぼせき] tombstone; gravestone
墓穴[ぼけつ] grave (pit)
墳墓[ふんぼ] grave; tomb
heisig_story: The mounds of soil with crude wooden crosses set at their head suggests those boot-hill graves we all know from cowboy lore. The only odd thing about this kanji is that the soil comes UNDER the graveyard , rather than to its left, where we might expect. Just think of the bodies as "lying under boot-hill" if you have any trouble. By the way, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that we learn a kanji whose key word is the same, or almost the same, as a primitive element based on it, but whose shape differs somewhat. There is no cause to worry. By using the primitive in a variety of other characters, as we have done here, the confusion will be averted as a matter of course. In most cases, as here, the primitive element is taken from a part of the fuller kanji.
koohii_story: The soil under a graveyard is full of graves.

kanji: 鉱
meaning: mineral
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: あらがね
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 金[かね] metal
広[コウ] wide
examples: 鉱石[こうせき] ore; mineral; crystal
鉱山[こうざん] mine (ore)
炭鉱[たんこう] coal mine; (coal) pit; colliery
鉱業[こうぎょう] mining industry
鉱物[こうぶつ] mineral
溶鉱炉[ようこうろ] smelting furnace; blast furnace
鉄鉱[てっこう] iron ore
鉱区[こうく] mining area; mine lot
heisig_story: Metal . . . wide.
koohii_story: Elbonium : a new mineral found in wide caves shaped like elbows and made of metal.

kanji: 飼
meaning: domesticate
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: か.う
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
司[シ] director
examples: 飼う[かう] to keep (a pet or other animal); to have; to own; to raise; to rear; to feed
飼い主[かいぬし] (pet) owner; keeper
飼育[しいく] breeding; raising; rearing; keeping
飼い犬[かいいぬ] pet dog
飼料[しりょう] fodder; feed
heisig_story: Eat . . . director. The sense is of rearing of animals.
koohii_story: After a pride of hungry lions ate the director , the producer decided to tone down his documentary and film domesticate d cats instead.

kanji: 枝
meaning: bough
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: えだ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 木[き] tree
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 枝[えだ] branch; bough; limb; twig; sprig; spray
大枝[おおえだ] large branch; bough
小枝[こえだ] twig; spray
枝葉[えだは] branches and leaves; foliage
枝豆[えだまめ] edamame (green soybeans)
爪楊枝[つまようじ] toothpick
heisig_story: Tree . . . branch. Take a moment to focus on the differences between a bough , a branch , and a twig (Frame 319).
koohii_story: The tree's primary branch is known as the bough.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 枝 看板

kanji: 毒
meaning: poison
ja_on: ドク
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 龶
毋[なかれ] not
examples: 毒[どく] poison; toxicant
気の毒[きのどく] pitiful; unfortunate; poor; miserable; wretched
消毒[しょうどく] disinfection; sterilization; sterilisation
中毒[ちゅうどく] poisoning
毒舌[どくぜつ] wicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive language
毒殺[どくさつ] killing by poisoning; killing with poison; poisoning (to death)
有毒[ゆうどく] poisonous; toxic
毒ガス[どくガス] poison gas
毒性[どくせい] toxicity; virulence
毒薬[どくやく] poison
食中毒[しょくちゅうどく] food poisoning
heisig_story: Grow up . . . breasts.
koohii_story: If you grow up with a mother that drinks and smokes, you can be sure it's poison in the stuff you get from her breasts.

kanji: 往
meaning: journey
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: い.く、いにしえ、さき.に、ゆ.く
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
主[シュ] lord
examples: 往復[おうふく] making a round trip; going and returning; coming and going
往来[おうらい] coming and going; traffic
右往左往[うおうさおう] moving about in confusion; going every which way; going this way and that
往年[おうねん] years gone by; earlier years; former years; the past
往生[おうじょう] passing on to the next life
往診[おうしん] doctor's visit; house call
既往症[きおうしょう] illness that one had in the past; previous illness; medical history; anamnesis
立ち往生[たちおうじょう] being brought to a standstill; being stranded; getting stuck; stalling; deadlock
heisig_story: Column . . . candlestick. This character has the special sense of journeying to someplace or other.
koohii_story: In Medieval Japan, going to see your lord was often a long journey.

kanji: 肥
meaning: fertilizer
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: こ.える、こえ、こ.やす、こ.やし、ふと.る
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 月[つき] moon
巴[ハ] comma-design
examples: 肥える[こえる] to grow fat; to gain weight; to put on weight
肥料[ひりょう] manure; fertilizer; fertiliser; compost
化学肥料[かがくひりょう] chemical fertilizer; chemical fertiliser
堆肥[たいひ] compost; manure
肥[こえ] manure; night soil; dung; fertiliser; fertilizer
肥やし[こやし] manure; night soil; dung; fertiliser; fertilizer
肥やす[こやす] to fertilize; to fertilise; to manure; to enrich
肥大[ひだい] swelling; enlargement; becoming fat
肥満[ひまん] corpulence; fatness; obesity
heisig_story: Flesh . . . mosaic.
koohii_story: PART OF YOUR BODY excretes something that is commonly used for FERTILIZER. Sometimes this process is slow, so you solve a RUBIK'S CUBE while you sit and wait.

kanji: 脈
meaning: vein
ja_on: ミャク
ja_kun: すじ
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 月[つき] moon
examples: 脈[みゃく] pulse
人脈[じんみゃく] personal connections
脈絡[みゃくらく] logical connection; chain of reasoning; coherence; context
山脈[さんみゃく] mountain range; mountain belt
脈拍[みゃくはく] pulse; pulse rate; pulsation; stroke of pulse
文脈[ぶんみゃく] context (of a passage); line of thought
不整脈[ふせいみゃく] arrhythmia; abnormal heartbeat
動脈[どうみゃく] artery
動脈硬化[どうみゃくこうか] arteriosclerosis; hardening of the arteries
大動脈[だいどうみゃく] aorta
金脈[きんみゃく] vein of gold
静脈[じょうみゃく] vein
heisig_story: Part of body . . . drag . . . rag.
koohii_story: The vein is the part of the body most lusted after by the flesh hungry zombies (drag & rag - see revenantkioku frame 1855).

kanji: 粉
meaning: flour
ja_on: フン
ja_kun: デシメートル、こ、こな
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
分[ブン] part
examples: 粉[こな] flour; meal; powder; dust
粉砕[ふんさい] pulverization; pulverisation
小麦粉[こむぎこ] wheat flour
粉末[ふんまつ] fine powder
花粉[かふん] pollen
パン粉[パンこ] breadcrumbs; panko
白粉[おしろい] white makeup powder; (face) powder
粉ミルク[こなミルク] milk powder
粉飾[ふんしょく] embellishment (e.g. of a story); ornamentation; decoration
花粉症[かふんしょう] hay fever; pollinosis (allergy to pollen)
heisig_story: Rice . . . part.
koohii_story: Parts of parts of parts of parts of rice… is flour. (Image: geishas patting their face with RICE flour to make it white. Not wheat flour …).

kanji: 綿
meaning: cotton
ja_on: メン
ja_kun: わた
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
帛[ハク] cloth
examples: 綿密[めんみつ] minute; detailed; careful; scrupulous; thorough
綿[めん] cotton
木綿[もめん] cotton (material)
綿布[めんぷ] cotton cloth; cotton material
heisig_story: Thread . . . white . . . towels.
koohii_story: Spiderman 's polyethylene suit starts to ride up after a while, so he always looks forward to the white cotton towels he wears while lounging around his apartment.

kanji: 銅
meaning: copper
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: あかがね
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 金[かね] metal
同[ドウ] same
examples: 銅[どう] copper (Cu)
銅貨[どうか] copper coin
銅像[どうぞう] bronze statue
銅山[どうざん] copper mine
銅版画[どうはんが] copperplate engraving; etching
青銅[せいどう] bronze
heisig_story: Picture an order of monks serving as chaplains for the police force. Their special habit, made of protective metal , is distinguished by a row of copper buttons just like the " cops " they serve.
koohii_story: I can't believe no one has used this one yet: Copper is metal which looks almost the same as gold. Really, look it up on Wikipedia, it's yellow and it's shiny (atleast in some compounds)!

kanji: 眼
meaning: eyeball
ja_on: ガン、ゲン
ja_kun: まなこ、め
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 目[め] eye
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 眼[まなこ] eye; eyeball
眼鏡[めがね] glasses; eyeglasses; spectacles
眼差し[まなざし] (a) look; gaze
肉眼[にくがん] naked eye
眼科[がんか] ophthalmology
近眼[きんがん] nearsightedness; shortsightedness; myopia
両眼[りょうがん] both eyes
主眼[しゅがん] main purpose; chief aim; focus
双眼鏡[そうがんきょう] binoculars; field glasses
眼科医[がんかい] ophthalmologist; eye specialist
老眼[ろうがん] presbyopia; age-related longsightedness; farsightedness
heisig_story: Eye . . . silver.
koohii_story: T-1000. Posts2006/T1000.jpg>.

kanji: 耕
meaning: till
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: たがや.す
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 耒[らいすき] plow
井[セイ] well
examples: 耕す[たがやす] to till; to plow; to plough; to cultivate
耕作[こうさく] cultivation; farming
耕地[こうち] arable land; plantation; farmland
農耕[のうこう] farming; agriculture; cultivation
heisig_story: Christmas tree . . . well.
koohii_story: If you just grow your christmas tree in a well, there will be no need to till the soil.

kanji: 潔
meaning: undefiled
ja_on: ケツ
ja_kun: いさぎよ.い
grade: Grade 5
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
絜[ケツ] marking line
examples: 潔い[いさぎよい] gracious (defeat, apology, etc.); graceful; honourable (e.g. death); noble; gall
清潔[せいけつ] clean; hygienic; sanitary
簡潔[かんけつ] concise; brief; succinct; compact (style)
潔白[けっぱく] innocence; guiltlessness; purity; uprightness; integrity
不潔[ふけつ] unclean; dirty; unsanitary; filthy
高潔[こうけつ] noble; lofty; high-minded; virtuous; upright
潔癖[けっぺき] fastidiousness; love of cleanliness
heisig_story: Water . . . grow up . . . dagger . . . thread. Do not confuse with upright (Frame 58).
koohii_story: To ensure she remained undefiled , a young girl growing up in a rough area always kept a dagger concealed under her threads , even when she went into the water.

kanji: 党
meaning: party
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: なかま、むら
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 尚[ショウ] esteem
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: 党[とう] party (political)
与党[よとう] ruling party; government party; party in power; government
政党[せいとう] political party
野党[やとう] opposition party; the opposition
一党[いっとう] one party; one faction; one clique
不偏不党[ふへんふとう] impartiality; neutrality; independence
与野党[よやとう] ruling and opposition parties; parties in and out of power
両党[りょうとう] both (political) parties
保守党[ほしゅとう] Conservative Party
党内[とうない] party-internal; within the party
党利[とうり] party interests
党務[とうむ] party business
党勢[とうせい] strength of a party
党員[とういん] party member
党派[とうは] faction; party; clique
heisig_story: Think of this key word as referring to a political party , not a gala affair. Its elements: human legs . . . sticking out of an outhouse window.
koohii_story: Every major political party , if personified, would look like a giant outhouse walking around with human legs spewing out a constant stream of bullshit.

kanji: 権
meaning: authority
ja_on: ケン、ゴン
ja_kun: おもり、かり、はか.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 権利[けんり] right; privilege
権力[けんりょく] (political) power; authority; influence
権限[けんげん] power; authority; jurisdiction
特権[とっけん] privilege; special right
権[けん] right (to do something)
権威[けんい] authority; power; influence; prestige
主導権[しゅどうけん] hegemony; leadership; initiative
人権[じんけん] human rights; civil liberties
拒否権[きょひけん] right of veto
政権[せいけん] (political) administration; political power
所有権[しょゆうけん] ownership; dominion; ownership rights; proprietorship; property rights
棄権[きけん] abstention (from voting); renunciation (of a right); withdrawal (from a contest)
利権[りけん] interest; rights; concession
実権[じっけん] real power
主権[しゅけん] sovereignty; supremacy; dominion
heisig_story: Tree . . . Pegasus.
koohii_story: I have Eric Cartman of the “South Park” animated series, wearing a cop uniform, riding a wooden Pegasus (such as on a funfair), and yelling “RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!”.

kanji: 派
meaning: faction
ja_on: ハ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
examples: 立派[りっぱ] splendid; fine; handsome; elegant; imposing; prominent; impressive
派手[はで] showy; loud; flashy; gaudy
派[は] group; faction; clique; coterie
派遣[はけん] dispatch; despatch; deployment
派閥[はばつ] clique; faction
右派[うは] right wing
一派[いっぱ] one school; one sect; one denomination
シーア派[シーアは] Shia (Islam)
他派[たは] the other group
党派[とうは] faction; party; clique
宗派[しゅうは] sect; denomination
左派[さは] left wing
新派[しんぱ] new school (of thought, etc.)
旧派[きゅうは] old school; old style
派兵[はへい] dispatch of troops
heisig_story: Water . . . drag . . . rag. Back in frame 1127 we indicated that this latter radical would come up once again, as it does in this and the following two frames.
koohii_story: Drag + rag gave me trouble until I came up with zombie for it. The zombie population became more diverse, separating into different faction s. One of them being the water Zombies.

kanji: 済
meaning: settle (debt, etc.)
ja_on: サイ、セイ
ja_kun: す.む、-ず.み、-ずみ、す.まない、す.ます、-す.ます、すく.う、な.す、わたし、わた.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
斉[せい] alike
examples: 済む[すむ] to finish; to end; to be completed; to be resolved
済まない[すまない] inexcusable; unjustifiable; unpardonable
済ませる[すませる] to finish; to make an end of; to get through with; to let end
済ます[すます] to finish; to get it over with; to conclude
経済[けいざい] economy; economics
返済[へんさい] repayment; reimbursement; refund; redemption
救済[きゅうさい] relief; aid; help; rescue
経済的[けいざいてき] economic; financial
済みません[すみません] excuse me; pardon me; I'm sorry; I beg your pardon
使用済み[しようずみ] used (ticket, stamp, etc.); spent (fuel, battery, etc.)
共済[きょうさい] mutual aid
弁済[べんさい] repayment; settlement (of a debt); paying off; reimbursement (of expenses)
日本経済[にほんけいざい] Japanese economy
決済[けっさい] settlement (of an account); liquidation of debts; payment
決済方法[けっさいほうほう] payment method
heisig_story: Water . . . adjust. Do not confuse with complete (Frame 101), end (Frame 1452), or perfect (Frame 199).
koohii_story: When the goalkeeper finish es the game, he drinks a lot of water and adjusts himself.
heisig_keyword: finish

kanji: 認
meaning: acknowledge
ja_on: ニン
ja_kun: みと.める、したた.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
忍[ニン] endure
examples: 確認[かくにん] confirmation; verification; validation; review; check; affirmation; identificati
認める[みとめる] to recognize; to recognise; to observe; to notice
認識[にんしき] recognition; awareness; perception; understanding; knowledge; cognition; cogniza
認定[にんてい] authorization; authorisation; acknowledgment; acknowledgement; certification; re
承認[しょうにん] recognition; acknowledgement; acknowledgment; approval; consent; agreement
認知[にんち] acknowledgement; acknowledgment; recognition; cognition
再確認[さいかくにん] reaffirmation; reconfirmation; revalidation
公認[こうにん] official recognition; official approval; certification; authorization; authorisa
黙認[もくにん] tacit approval; tacit permission; connivance; acquiescence; toleration; overlook
容認[ようにん] approval; acceptance; toleration
認証[にんしょう] certification; attestation; authentication; confirmation
認可[にんか] approval; license; licence; permission
光学式文字認識[こうがくしきもじにんしき] optical character recognition; OCR
公認会計士[こうにんかいけいし] certified public accountant
否認[ひにん] denial; negation; repudiation; disapproval
heisig_story: Words . . . endure.
koohii_story: You are given a speech about some serious mistakes of yours, and you have to endure the whole thing, because all you can do is acknowledge.

kanji: 策
meaning: scheme
ja_on: サク
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
朿[シ] thorn
examples: 対策[たいさく] measure; step; countermeasure; counterplan; countermove; strategy; preparation (
策[さく] plan; policy; means; measure; stratagem; scheme
得策[とくさく] good policy; wise policy; best plan
解決策[かいけつさく] solution; solution strategy
策略[さくりゃく] stratagem; artifice; trick; ruse; scheme; tactics
散策[さんさく] walking; strolling; roaming; wandering; exploring
政策[せいさく] political measures; policy
方策[ほうさく] plan; measure; means; scheme; policy
国策[こくさく] national policy
失策[しっさく] blunder; slip; error
施策[しさく] policy; measure
無策[むさく] lack of policy; having no measures; lacking means
策定[さくてい] formulation (of a plan, policy, etc.); decision; settling on
苦肉の策[くにくのさく] last resort; desperate measure taken under the pressure of necessity
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . belted tree (See frame 446).
koohii_story: The temples in kyoto belt bamboo around trees in a scheme to protect them from the huge number of tourists. (true story)———– 対策 たいさく measure, countermeasure.

kanji: 論
meaning: argument
ja_on: ロン
ja_kun: あげつら.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
侖[リン] think
examples: 結論[けつろん] conclusion (of an argument, discussion, study, etc.)
反論[はんろん] objection; refutation; rebuttal; counterargument
無論[むろん] of course; certainly; naturally
議論[ぎろん] argument; discussion; dispute; controversy
理論[りろん] theory
正論[せいろん] sound argument; fair argument; just reasoning
勿論[もちろん] of course; certainly; naturally
異論[いろん] different opinion; objection
口論[こうろん] quarrel; argument; row; (verbal) dispute
論文[ろんぶん] thesis; essay; treatise; paper; article
論理[ろんり] logic
論外[ろんがい] out of the question; outrageous; impossible
論理的[ろんりてき] logical
推論[すいろん] inference; deduction; induction; reasoning
持論[じろん] one's cherished opinion; pet theory
heisig_story: Words . . . meeting . . . scrapbook. The argument here is a process of academic reasoning, not a personal quarrel or spat.
koohii_story: Right part: academic conference (a meeting , some of the attendees making notes in scrapbooks during presentation). Argument at academic conferences is naturally carried out using words.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 講 論

kanji: 私
meaning: private
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: わたくし、わたし
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
厶[む] private
examples: 私[あたし] I; me
私たち[わたしたち] we; us
私達[わたしたち] we; us
私自身[わたしじしん] myself
私服[しふく] ordinary clothes (i.e. non-uniform); plain clothes; civilian clothes; casual wea
私物[しぶつ] private property; personal belongings; personal effects
私的[してき] private; personal
私立[しりつ] private (establishment)
私生活[しせいかつ] private life
私語[しご] whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
私用[しよう] personal use; private use
私有[しゆう] private ownership
私鉄[してつ] private railway
公私[こうし] public and private matters; official and personal affairs; professional and pers
私事[しじ] personal affairs; private matter
heisig_story: Wheat . . . elbow. Like the characters for I (Frame 17) and ego (Frame 690), this kanji is also representative of the subject, with the special connotation of privacy.
koohii_story: Warning sign: "Private wheat, trespassers will be elbowed".

kanji: 革
meaning: leather
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: かわ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 廿[ジュウ] twenty
口[くち] mouth
examples: 革命[かくめい] revolution
革[かわ] leather
改革[かいかく] reform; reformation; reorganization
変革[へんかく] change; transformation; reform; revolution; revolutionizing; innovation; upheava
革新[かくしん] reform; innovation
保革[ほかく] conservatism and progressivism; conservatives and reformists
沿革[えんかく] history; development
皮革[ひかく] leather; hide
行革[ぎょうかく] administrative reform
農地改革[のうちかいかく] agrarian reform
革靴[かわぐつ] leather shoes; leather boots
heisig_story: After the flowers at the top (painted on the leather for decoration), we see the element for car with the middle stroke left out. Think of the seats having been taken out so that they can be reupholstered with this decorated leather.
koohii_story: You can feed twenty mouths for a year for the price of ten leather coats.

kanji: 疑
meaning: doubt
ja_on: ギ
ja_kun: うたが.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 匕[さじ] spoon
矢[や] arrow
マ
疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
examples: 疑う[うたがう] to doubt; to distrust; to be suspicious of; to suspect
疑問[ぎもん] doubt; question; suspicion; dubiousness
疑い[うたがい] doubt; question; uncertainty; skepticism; scepticism; suspicion; distrust
疑惑[ぎわく] doubt; misgivings; distrust; suspicion
容疑者[ようぎしゃ] suspect
容疑[ようぎ] suspicion; charge
疑わしい[うたがわしい] doubtful; questionable; uncertain; disputable; suspicious
疑念[ぎねん] doubt; suspicion; misgivings; scruples
疑義[ぎぎ] doubt
疑問符[ぎもんふ] question mark
被疑者[ひぎしゃ] suspect
疑似[ぎじ] pseudo; quasi; false; para-; mock; sham
嫌疑[けんぎ] suspicion
質疑[しつぎ] question
懐疑[かいぎ] doubt; skepticism; scepticism; disbelief
heisig_story: Spoon . . . dart . . . chop-seal . . . zoo.
koohii_story: (Katsuo) You come at the zoo entrance. 'Here sir, a spoon to feed the animals.' cool 'and a dart(gun) in case stuff go wrong' ….' please chop-seal (sign) here for in case of accidents the zoo is not responsible.' 'lion feeding time is. bla bla' You are having serious doubt s about if you still want to go into this zoo.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 凝

kanji: 裁
meaning: tailor
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: た.つ、さば.く
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 裁判[さいばん] trial; judgement; judgment
裁く[さばく] to judge; to try; to sit in judgement (on); to decide (on)
体裁[ていさい] (outward) appearance
制裁[せいさい] sanctions; punishment
仲裁[ちゅうさい] arbitration; intercession; mediation
裁縫[さいほう] sewing; needlework
裁判所[さいばんしょ] court; courthouse
独裁[どくさい] dictatorship; despotism; autocracy
司法裁判[しほうさいばん] judicial trial
地裁[ちさい] district court
家裁[かさい] family court
最高裁[さいこうさい] Supreme Court
決裁[けっさい] sanction; approval; decision
洋裁[ようさい] (Western) dressmaking
簡裁[かんさい] summary court; court of summary offences
heisig_story: You might think here of garment that have been specially tailored for Thanksgiving celebrations to look like traditional Pilgrim garb.
koohii_story: The tailor was hard at work making sure all the pilgrims were dressed in their best garments for thanksgiving.

kanji: 供
meaning: submit
ja_on: キョウ、ク、クウ、グ
ja_kun: そな.える、とも、-ども
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
共[キョウ] together
examples: 子供[こども] child; children
子供たち[こどもたち] children; kids
提供[ていきょう] offer; tender; providing; supplying; making available; donating (blood, organs,
子供の頃[こどものころ] (time of) one's childhood; when one was a child
供給[きょうきゅう] supply; provision
子供達[こどもたち] children; kids
供[とも] companion; follower; attendant; retinue
供述[きょうじゅつ] affidavit; deposition; testimony
供える[そなえる] to offer; to sacrifice; to dedicate
供養[くよう] memorial service for the dead; holding a service
自供[じきょう] confession
供与[きょうよ] giving; provision; furnishing
供出[きょうしゅつ] obligatory supply (of goods to the government, e.g. during wartime); delivery (t
供物[くもつ] offering (e.g. to the gods); votive offering
子供用[こどもよう] for use by children; for children
heisig_story: Submit here is a transitive verb, meaning to offer or present. Its elements: person . . . strung together.
koohii_story: It took over 600 frames for Mr T to [make](../v4/1142.html) (#1142 作), the Ark , but when he was finally done, he cast his saw aside and submit ted the Ark to Noah for his approval. "I pity the foo who doesn't climb aboard this ark," said Noah to his friend.

kanji: 割
meaning: proportion
ja_on: カツ
ja_kun: わ.る、わり、わ.り、わ.れる、さ.く
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 害[ガイ] harm
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 割れる[われる] to break; to be smashed
割る[わる] to divide
役割[やくわり] part; assigning (allotment of) parts; role; duties
割[わり] rate; ratio; proportion
割と[わりと] comparatively; relatively; fairly; rather; pretty; unexpectedly
割り込む[わりこむ] to cut into (a line, conversation, etc.); to force oneself into (e.g. a crowd);
割に[わりに] comparatively; relatively; fairly; rather; pretty; unexpectedly
割り切る[わりきる] to find a clear solution; to come to a clean decision; to give a clear explanati
割合[わりあい] rate; ratio; percentage; proportion
割く[さく] to tear; to rip up
割れ目[われめ] crack; crevice; split; fissure; cleft; rift; chasm; chink; gap
割り出す[わりだす] to calculate; to compute
分割[ぶんかつ] partition; division; separation; segmenting; splitting
割り[わり] rate; ratio; proportion
割り当てる[わりあてる] to assign; to allot; to allocate; to divide among; to distribute; to prorate; to
heisig_story: Harm . . . saber.
koohii_story: [proportion, comparatively, divide, cut, separate, split] Hey, don't take this out of proportion! I did you just a little harm , no need to come over here with a saber …

kanji: 難
meaning: difficult
ja_on: ナン
ja_kun: かた.い、-がた.い、むずか.しい、むづか.しい、むつか.しい、-にく.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
口[くち] mouth
夫[フ] husband
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 難しい[むずかしい] difficult; hard; troublesome; complicated; serious (disease, problem, etc.)
困難[こんなん] difficulty; hardship; trouble; distress
避難[ひなん] taking refuge; finding shelter; evacuation; escape; seeking safe haven
非難[ひなん] criticism; blame; censure; attack; reproach
無難[ぶなん] safe (e.g. choice); secure; innocuous; inoffensive
災難[さいなん] calamity; misfortune; disaster
難い[かたい] difficult; hard
苦難[くなん] suffering; distress; hardship; trial
難[なん] difficulty; trouble; hardship; shortage
遭難[そうなん] (meeting with) disaster; (having an) accident; mishap; shipwreck; distress
難なく[なんなく] easily
気難しい[きむずかしい] hard to please; difficult; particular; fussy; choosy; picky; fastidious
難関[なんかん] barrier; obstacle; difficulty; hurdle; deadlock
難航[なんこう] difficult voyage; stormy passage; hard flight
難解[なんかい] difficult to understand; unintelligible; abstruse
heisig_story: Scarecrow . . . turkey.
koohii_story: It is difficult for a scarecrow to scare a turkey or else they would've been called scareturkeys.

kanji: 補
meaning: supplement
ja_on: ホ
ja_kun: おぎな.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
甫[ホ] for the first time
examples: 候補[こうほ] candidate; contender; prospect; pick; choice; list
補う[おぎなう] to supplement; to make up for; to compensate for; to cover (a shortage, loss, et
補充[ほじゅう] replenishment; supplementation; supplement; replacement; refilling
補給[ほきゅう] supply; supplying; replenishment
補助[ほじょ] assistance; support; help; aid
立候補[りっこうほ] candidacy; standing as a candidate; bidding (to host an event, e.g. the Olympics
補足[ほそく] supplement; complement
補佐[ほさ] aid; help; assistance; assistant; counselor; counsellor; adviser; advisor
補強[ほきょう] reinforcement; strengthening
候補者[こうほしゃ] candidate; applicant
補正[ほせい] correction; revision; compensation (e.g. to a pendulum)
補修[ほしゅう] repair; mending
補完[ほかん] complementation; supplementation; completion
補償[ほしょう] compensation; reparation
補欠[ほけつ] filling a vacancy; supplementation
heisig_story: Cloak . . . dog tag.
koohii_story: I usually hear supplement in "dietry supplement ". So you're given a cloak for extra fibre and dogtags for extra iron. Keeps you regular and stops you feeling tired and run-down.

kanji: 優
meaning: tenderness
ja_on: ユウ、ウ
ja_kun: やさ.しい、すぐ.れる、まさ.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
憂[ユウ] melancholy
examples: 優しい[やさしい] tender; kind; gentle; graceful; affectionate; amiable
優秀[ゆうしゅう] superior; excellent; brilliant; outstanding
優先[ゆうせん] preference; priority; precedence; right of way
優勝[ゆうしょう] overall victory; championship; winning the title
優れる[すぐれる] to be better (than); to be superior; to surpass; to excel; to be excellent
優雅[ゆうが] elegant; graceful; refined
女優[じょゆう] actress; female actor
優等生[ゆうとうせい] honor student; honours student; model student; prize pupil
俳優[はいゆう] actor; actress; player; performer
優位[ゆうい] predominance; superiority; ascendancy; advantage; supremacy
優越感[ゆうえつかん] superiority complex; sense of superiority
優勢[ゆうせい] superiority; superior power; predominance; preponderance
優柔不断[ゆうじゅうふだん] indecisive; irresolute; shilly-shally; vacillating
優劣[ゆうれつ] (relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; quality
優美[ゆうび] grace; refinement; elegance; daintiness
heisig_story: Person . . . melancholy.
koohii_story: The A-Team is on a mission to help Hamlet. With uncharacteristic tenderness , Mr. T consoles the melancholy Hamlet. "No, I really DO pity the poor foo. There, there little guy…take my hanky". (Careful: [benevolence](../v4/885.html) (#885 徳).

kanji: 収
meaning: income
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: おさ.める、おさ.まる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
又[また] again
examples: 収まる[おさまる] to fit into (a box, frame, category, etc.); to be contained within; to fall with
回収[かいしゅう] collection; recovery; withdrawal; retrieval
収める[おさめる] to put (into); to put away (in); to put back (in); to keep (in); to store (in);
収穫[しゅうかく] harvest; crop; ingathering
吸収[きゅうしゅう] absorption; suction; attraction
収入[しゅうにゅう] income; earnings; revenue; proceeds; takings; receipts
収録[しゅうろく] recording (in a book, the minutes, etc.); printing; including
没収[ぼっしゅう] seizure; confiscation; impounding; sequestration; forfeiture
収集[しゅうしゅう] collecting; accumulating; gathering
撤収[てっしゅう] removal (of a building, equipment, etc.); dismantling (e.g. a tent); striking (a
収縮[しゅうしゅく] contraction; shrinking; shrinkage; constriction; deflation
買収[ばいしゅう] acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; purchase
収納[しゅうのう] storage; putting away
収容[しゅうよう] accommodation; taking in; receiving; housing; seating; admission (of patients, s
収拾[しゅうしゅう] control; bringing under control; settling (a matter); putting in order
heisig_story: Cornucopia . . . crotch. Keep distinct from both fare (Frame 1079) and salary (Frame 1449).
koohii_story: Prostitutes can make a veritable cornucopia of income by using their crotches – they put the "come" in "income." (A bit lewd perhaps, but effective in keeping this character distinct from similar keywords like [profit](../v4/906.html) (#906 利) or [earnings](../v4/893.html) (#893 稼)).

kanji: 展
meaning: unfold
ja_on: テン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 展開[てんかい] development; evolution; progression; unfolding; (plot) twist
発展[はってん] development; growth; expansion; extension; flourishing
進展[しんてん] progress; development
展示[てんじ] exhibition; display
展望[てんぼう] view; outlook; prospect
展覧会[てんらんかい] exhibition
個展[こてん] solo exhibition; one-man exhibition; one-woman exhibition
出展[しゅってん] exhibit; display
展示会[てんじかい] exhibition
発展途上国[はってんとじょうこく] developing country
美術展[びじゅつてん] art exhibition
heisig_story: Flag . . . salad . . . hairpin.
koohii_story: You use an American flag to wrap up a salad for a picnic and bind it with a hairpin. Now imagine unfold ing it to open up the bounty you've fixed up for yourself.

kanji: 宅
meaning: home
ja_on: タク
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
乇[タク] to depend on
examples: 自宅[じたく] one's home; one's house
帰宅[きたく] returning home; going home; coming home; getting home
お宅[おたく] your house; your home; your family
住宅街[じゅうたくがい] residential area
宅[たく] house; home
住宅[じゅうたく] residence; housing; residential building
宅配便[たくはいびん] express home delivery service
邸宅[ていたく] (large) house; residence; mansion
在宅[ざいたく] being at home; being in
宅配[たくはい] home delivery
住宅地[じゅうたくち] housing district; residential district
社宅[しゃたく] company housing; housing provided by one's company
宅地[たくち] building lot; residential land
宅急便[たっきゅうびん] TA-Q-BIN (express home delivery service provided by Yamato Transport)
家宅[かたく] domicile; premises
heisig_story: House . . . lock of hair.
koohii_story: This kanji is, of course, pronounced "taku", and it seems the owner of this home is a little bit otaku himself. He has hung up locks of hair suruptitiously obtained from various females all over his house. A veritable hair fetishist, and certainly someone whose home you wouldn't want to visit.

kanji: 視
meaning: inspection
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: み.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
見[みる] to see
examples: 無視[むし] disregarding; ignoring
視線[しせん] one's line of sight; one's gaze; one's eyes (looking); glance; gaze; look
監視[かんし] monitoring; watching; observation; surveillance; guarding; supervision; lookout
視界[しかい] field of vision; visibility; view; visual field; (one's) ken
視点[してん] point of view; viewpoint; angle; perspective
重視[じゅうし] regarding as important; attaching importance to; taking a serious view of; putti
凝視[ぎょうし] stare; gaze; fixation
直視[ちょくし] taking a straight look at something; looking someone in the eyes
視覚[しかく] (sense of) sight; eyesight; vision
視野[しや] field of vision; view
視力[しりょく] eyesight; vision; visual acuity
視察[しさつ] inspection; observation
警視庁[けいしちょう] Metropolitan Police Department (Tokyo)
視聴者[しちょうしゃ] viewer (esp. of television, streaming video content); audience; viewership; list
視聴[しちょう] looking and listening; (television) viewing; watching
heisig_story: Altar . . . see.
koohii_story: The beaurocracy in Japan is such that even altars need to be inspection approved. A little man with glasses comes once a year to give the altar a "visual once over" as he calls it (perhaps checking for unauthorised symbology?).

kanji: 警
meaning: admonish
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: いまし.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 敬[ケイ] awe
言[げん] words
examples: 警察[けいさつ] police
警戒[けいかい] vigilance; caution; alertness; precaution; being on guard
警備[けいび] defense; defence; guard; policing; security
警告[けいこく] warning; caution; admonition
警官[けいかん] police officer; policeman; constable
警察官[けいさつかん] police officer; policeman; policewoman
警報[けいほう] warning; alarm; alert
警護[けいご] bodyguard; escort
警視庁[けいしちょう] Metropolitan Police Department (Tokyo)
警察署[けいさつしょ] police station
警部[けいぶ] police inspector
府警[ふけい] prefectural police (Osaka or Kyoto)
県警[けんけい] prefectural police
警報器[けいほうき] alarm (fire, burglar, railroad-crossing, etc.); sensor
警察庁[けいさつちょう] National Police Agency; NPA
heisig_story: Here you have a perfect example of how an apparently impossible snarl of strokes becomes a snap to learn once you know its elements. The idea of being admonished for something already sets up a superior-inferior relationship between you and the person you are supposed to stand in awe of. While you are restricted to answering in honorifics, the superior can use straightforward and ordinary words.
koohii_story: To admonish is to enforce awe by means of words.

kanji: 訪
meaning: call on
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: おとず.れる、たず.ねる、と.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
方[ほう] direction
examples: 訪れる[おとずれる] to visit; to call on
訪ねる[たずねる] to visit; to call on; to pay a visit to
訪問[ほうもん] call; visit
来訪[らいほう] visit (from someone); call
訪れ[おとずれ] visit; call
戸別訪問[こべつほうもん] door-to-door visit; door-to-door canvassing (canvasing)
探訪[たんぼう] searching; hunting for news story; journalist
歴訪[れきほう] round of calls; tour of visitation
訪中[ほうちゅう] visit to China
訪問者[ほうもんしゃ] visitor
訪日[ほうにち] visit to Japan
訪欧[ほうおう] visit to Europe; visiting Europe
訪米[ほうべい] visit to the United States
heisig_story: When making a courtesy call on a dignitary, one has to gauge one's words with great care. Hence the need for a compass.
koohii_story: When you call on someone, you point your words in their direction.

kanji: 域
meaning: range
ja_on: イキ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 土[つち] earth
或[ワク] some
examples: 地域[ちいき] area; region; district; locality
領域[りょういき] territory; domain
区域[くいき] area; zone; district; quarter; section; limits; boundary
全域[ぜんいき] the whole area; the entire region; all parts (of)
聖域[せいいき] sacred precincts; sanctuary; consecrated ground; holy ground
域外[いきがい] outside the area
流域[りゅういき] drainage basin; catchment basin; river basin; watershed; valley
地域社会[ちいきしゃかい] regional community
域内[いきない] inside the area
広域[こういき] wide area
戦域[せんいき] war area; battlefield; theater; theatre
水域[すいいき] waters; water area
海域[かいいき] area of sea; waters
空域[くういき] airspace
heisig_story: From its original meaning of a defined area or zone, a range has also come to mean a grazing land where cowboys roam and do whatever it is they do with cows. When the herds have all been driven to market, there is a great homecoming fiesta like that pictured here. As soon as the cowboys come home, home on the range , the first thing they do is kiss the ground (the mouth on the floor ), and then get on with the fiesta.
koohii_story: An astronaut lands back at the launch range , kisses the earth beneath him with his mouth , then heads off to a fiesta to celebrate a safe flight.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 域 城 減

kanji: 映
meaning: reflect
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: うつ.る、うつ.す、は.える、-ば.え
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
央[オウ] center
examples: 映画[えいが] movie; film; motion picture
映る[うつる] to be reflected; to harmonize with (harmonise); to come out (photo); to be proje
映像[えいぞう] image (on a screen); picture (e.g. on a TV)
映す[うつす] to project; to reflect; to cast (shadow)
映し出す[うつしだす] to project; to show (on a screen); to reflect (of a mirror, lake, etc.)
映える[はえる] to shine; to glow
反映[はんえい] reflection (of light)
映画館[えいがかん] movie theatre; movie theater; cinema
上映[じょうえい] screening (a movie); showing
放映[ほうえい] televising; broadcasting; airing
heisig_story: Sun . . . center.
koohii_story: In the solar system, the Sun is the central source of all light, everything else just reflect s it.

kanji: 担
meaning: shouldering
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: かつ.ぐ、にな.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
旦[タン] daybreak
examples: 担当[たんとう] being in charge (of an area of responsibility); being responsible (for a work ro
負担[ふたん] burden; load; responsibility
担う[になう] to carry on one's shoulder; to shoulder; to bear
担任[たんにん] being in charge of (esp. a class or subject); taking charge of
担ぐ[かつぐ] to shoulder; to carry on one's shoulder
担当者[たんとうしゃ] person in charge (of an area of work, etc.); person responsible; contact (person
分担[ぶんたん] taking on one's share (e.g. of work); dividing (work, expenses, etc.) between; a
加担[かたん] support; participation; assistance; complicity; conspiracy
担保[たんぽ] security; guarantee; collateral; mortgage
担架[たんか] stretcher; litter; gurney
担い手[にないて] bearer; carrier
担ぎ[かつぎ] carrier
heisig_story: The key word of this frame refers to shouldering a burden of some sort. Its elements are: fingers . . . nightbreak.
koohii_story: One of Hercules' labors was to hold the world in his fingers for Atlas and not move until nightbreak , shouldering the considerable burden.

kanji: 退
meaning: retreat
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: しりぞ.く、しりぞ.ける、ひ.く、の.く、の.ける、ど.く
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艮[こん] boundary
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 退屈[たいくつ] tedious; boring; dull; uninteresting; tiresome; monotonous
引退[いんたい] retirement
退く[しりぞく] to step back; to move back; to retreat
退院[たいいん] leaving hospital; discharge from hospital
退治[たいじ] extermination; elimination; eradication; destruction; suppression; subjugation;
撤退[てったい] evacuation; withdrawal; revocation; repeal; retreat
退ける[どける] to put something out of the way; to move (something, someone) aside
後退[こうたい] retreat; falling back; moving backwards; reversing; backing up (of a vehicle); r
辞退[じたい] declining; refusal; nonacceptance; turning down; withdrawal (e.g. of candidacy);
退場[たいじょう] leaving (a hall, meeting, stadium, etc.); exit; walkout
退学[たいがく] dropping out of school; withdrawal from school
退避[たいひ] taking refuge; evacuation
退職[たいしょく] retirement; resignation
早退[そうたい] leaving early
退却[たいきゃく] retreat; withdrawal; retirement
heisig_story: Road . . . silver.
koohii_story: You see a huge army of people in silver armour on the road so you retreat.

kanji: 株
meaning: stocks
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: かぶ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
朱[シュ] vermilion
examples: 株式会社[かぶしきがいしゃ] stock company; corporation; kabushiki kaisha; KK
株[かぶ] stock; share
株式[かぶしき] share (in a company); stock
持ち株[もちかぶ] stock holdings; one's shares
新株[しんかぶ] new stock; new share; newly issued shares
株主[かぶぬし] shareholder; stockholder
株価[かぶか] stock prices
株券[かぶけん] stock certificate
株式市場[かぶしきしじょう] stock market
heisig_story: The stocks bought and sold on the market by the tens of millions each day get their name from a comparison to a healthy tree , in which one takes " stock " in the hopes that it will grow and produce more and more trees like itself. Usually good stocks are referred to as "blue chip," but here we are asked to associate the key word with the color vermilion , perhaps because one can assess the value of a tree from the color of its autumn leaves.
koohii_story: Which tree would you buy stocks in - the healthy one on the left, or the one with only one vermilion leaf left on the right?

kanji: 姿
meaning: figure
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: すがた
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 次[ジ] next
女[おんな] woman
examples: 姿[すがた] figure; form; shape
姿勢[しせい] posture; pose; position; stance; carriage (of the body)
容姿[ようし] (physical) appearance (of a person); one's face and figure
後ろ姿[うしろすがた] (a person's) appearance from behind; person as seen from behind; back view; retr
heisig_story: This kanji depicts a woman's figure as a sort of second self.
koohii_story: The next woman always has a better figure! Thinking like that, you'll end up alone in an old folks home longing for the good old days!

kanji: 閣
meaning: tower
ja_on: カク
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
各[カク] each
examples: 閣下[かっか] your Excellency; his Excellency; her Excellency
内閣[ないかく] cabinet (of a government); ministry
倒閣[とうかく] overthrow of government
入閣[にゅうかく] joining the cabinet
内閣官房[ないかくかんぼう] Cabinet Secretariat
内閣府[ないかくふ] Cabinet Office
内閣法制局[ないかくほうせいきょく] Cabinet Legislation Bureau
影の内閣[かげのないかく] shadow cabinet
楼閣[ろうかく] multistoried building; castle; palace; shrine
組閣[そかく] formation of a cabinet
閣僚[かくりょう] cabinet ministers
閣内[かくない] (inside the) Cabinet
閣議[かくぎ] cabinet meeting
heisig_story: Gates . . . each.
koohii_story: To keep this distinct from other kanji such as "watchtower" and "pagoda", I use the mnemonic " towering tower ". – In some old 8-bit kung-fu videogame, with a plot similar as Bruce Lee's last, unfinished movie, the hero must break through a gate at each level of the tower ing tower , fighting with opponents using various styles of kung-fu until he meets the finale at the topmost level of the "towering tower ".

kanji: 衆
meaning: masses
ja_on: シュウ、シュ
ja_kun: おお.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 血[ち] blood
亻[にんべん] person
examples: 衆[しゅう] great numbers (of people); numerical superiority; masses
公衆[こうしゅう] the public; general public
民衆[みんしゅう] people; populace; masses
大衆[たいしゅう] general public; the masses
群衆[ぐんしゅう] group (of people); crowd; horde; throng; mob; multitude
公衆電話[こうしゅうでんわ] public telephone; pay phone
観衆[かんしゅう] spectators; onlookers; members of the audience
衆議院[しゅうぎいん] House of Representatives (lower house of the National Diet of Japan)
アメリカ合衆国[アメリカがっしゅうこく] United States of America
公衆衛生[こうしゅうえいせい] public health; public hygiene; sanitation
大衆文学[たいしゅうぶんがく] popular literature
聴衆[ちょうしゅう] audience; attendance; hearers
衆院[しゅういん] House of Representatives (lower house of the National Diet of Japan)
heisig_story: Blood . . . drag . . . rag.
koohii_story: Masses of zombies, splattered with blood. (any zombie movie).

kanji: 若
meaning: young
ja_on: ジャク、ニャク、ニャ
ja_kun: わか.い、わか-、も.しくわ、も.し、も.しくは、ごと.し
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
右[ウ] right
examples: 若し[もし] if; in case; supposing
若い[わかい] young; youthful
若者[わかもの] young person; youngster; young people; (the) youth
若しくは[もしくは] or; otherwise
若干[じゃっかん] some; few; a number of; a little (bit)
若い頃[わかいころ] one's youth; early life; one's early days; one's early years
若手[わかて] young person
若さ[わかさ] youth; youthfulness
若々しい[わかわかしい] youthful; young; young-looking
老若男女[ろうにゃくなんにょ] men and women of all ages
若いころ[わかいころ] one's youth; early life; one's early days; one's early years
若しかしたら[もしかしたら] perhaps; maybe; perchance; by some chance; by any chance
若しかして[もしかして] perhaps; possibly; maybe; by any chance; if I'm not mistaken
若しかすると[もしかすると] perhaps; possibly; maybe; by some chance
若しも[もしも] if; in case; supposing
heisig_story: Here we see a flower held in the right hand. You can imagine yourself in a magic garden where flowers picked with the right hand grant eternal youth , and those picked with the left, premature senility. Go ahead, pick one with each hand and watch what happens.
koohii_story: The young little girl held a cute flower in her right hand.

kanji: 脳
meaning: brain
ja_on: ノウ、ドウ
ja_kun: のうずる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
小[しょう] small
凶[キョウ] villain
examples: 脳[のう] brain
脳裏[のうり] one's mind
頭脳[ずのう] head; brains
洗脳[せんのう] brainwashing
脳波[のうは] brain waves
首脳[しゅのう] head; leader; top
大脳[だいのう] cerebrum
脳出血[のうしゅっけつ] cerebral hemorrhage; cerebral haemorrhage
脳卒中[のうそっちゅう] stroke; cerebral haemorrhage; cerebral hemorrhage
脳死[のうし] brain death
脳炎[のうえん] brain inflammation; encephalitis; cerebritis
首脳部[しゅのうぶ] executives; top management; governing body
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . owl . . . villain. By way of exception, the kanji for brain has no connection with the primitive for brains.
koohii_story: The brain is the part of the body that can give you the wisdom of the owl… or the wickedness of the villain.

kanji: 蔵
meaning: storehouse
ja_on: ゾウ、ソウ
ja_kun: くら、おさ.める、かく.れる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
厂[がんだれ] cliff
戈[ほこ] spear
臣[しん] retainer
examples: 冷蔵庫[れいぞうこ] refrigerator; fridge
蔵[くら] warehouse; storehouse; cellar; magazine; granary; godown; depository; treasury;
内蔵[ないぞう] internal (e.g. disk); built-in; equipped (with)
無尽蔵[むじんぞう] inexhaustible supply
蔵書[ぞうしょ] collection of books; (personal) library
冷蔵[れいぞう] cold storage; refrigeration
埋蔵[まいぞう] burying in the ground
蔵相[ぞうしょう] Minister of Finance
貯蔵[ちょぞう] storage; preservation; stocking; stockpiling
地蔵[じぞう] Kshitigarbha (bodhisattva who looks over children, travellers and the underworld
大蔵[おおくら] Ministry of Finance
大蔵省[おおくらしょう] Ministry of Finance (1869-2001)
所蔵[しょぞう] (in one's) possession
heisig_story: Flowers . . . parade . . . slaves.
koohii_story: The storehouse is overgrown with slaves. The slaves are to be sold in the store, to differentiate from a warehouse, which doesn't have the word "store" in it.

kanji: 段
meaning: grade
ja_on: ダン、タン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 普段[ふだん] usual; normal; everyday; habitual; ordinary
階段[かいだん] stairs; stairway; staircase
手段[しゅだん] means; way; measure
段階[だんかい] stage; step; phase
値段[ねだん] price; cost
一段[いちだん] even more; still more; much more; further
段[だん] step; stair; rung; (flight of) steps
段取り[だんどり] programme; program; plans; arrangements
一段落[いちだんらく] reaching a stopping place; settling down (before the next stage); getting to a p
格段[かくだん] dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; noticeable
段々[だんだん] gradually; by degrees; little by little; more and more; increasingly
段ボール[だんボール] (corrugated) cardboard
普段着[ふだんぎ] everyday clothes; ordinary clothes; casual wear; informal dress
現段階[げんだんかい] present stage; current phase
石段[いしだん] (flight of) stone steps; stone stairway
heisig_story: The kanji connoting rank or class shows us a new element on the left: the familiar primitive for staples with an additional stroke cutting through the vertical stroke. It is easiest in these cases to make a primitive related to what we already know. Hence, we call it a staple gun. To the right, missile.
koohii_story: This is a military- grade staple gun! It can be loaded with real missiles.

kanji: 呼
meaning: call
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: よ.ぶ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
乎[コ] question mark
examples: 呼ぶ[よぶ] to call out (to); to call; to invoke
呼び出す[よびだす] to call (someone) to (the door, phone, etc.); to tell (someone) to come; to call
呼吸[こきゅう] breathing; respiration
呼びかける[よびかける] to call out to; to hail; to address
呼び出し[よびだし] call; summons; paging; curtain call
呼びかけ[よびかけ] call; appeal
呼び戻す[よびもどす] to call (someone) back; to recall; to call home
呼び捨て[よびすて] addressing (someone) without using a suffix such as "-san" or "-chan" (considere
呼び名[よびな] popular name; common name; given name
呼応[こおう] hailing each other
呼称[こしょう] name; designation; denomination; naming; giving a name
呼び声[よびごえ] call; hail; yell
人工呼吸[じんこうこきゅう] artificial respiration
呼び水[よびみず] pump-priming; rousing; stimulation
呼吸器[こきゅうき] respiratory organs
heisig_story: Mouth . . . water lily. Note: this is the one time that the "stem" has a barb at the end. Work this fact into your story.
koohii_story: I'm a lazy fisher, so I genetically engineered a lily pad with a fishing hook at the stem and a mouth to call me whenever it catches something.

kanji: 針
meaning: needle
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: はり
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 金[かね] metal
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 針[はり] needle; pin
方針[ほうしん] policy; course; plan (of action); principle
指針[ししん] needle (compass, gauge, etc.); hand (clock); indicator; pointer; index
針金[はりがね] wire
羅針盤[らしんばん] compass
釣り針[つりばり] fish hook
heisig_story: In frame 10 we referred ahead to this full character from which the primitive for needle (on the right) derives. Since we already expect that needles are made of metal , let us picture a set of solid gold darning needles to complete the kanji.
koohii_story: Remember the story of the needle in the haystack. Why would someone even look for a needle if it wasn't a GOLD NEEDLE?

kanji: 専
meaning: specialty
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: もっぱ.ら
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 由[ユ] wherefore
寸[すん] inch
examples: 専門[せんもん] speciality; specialty; special subject of study; area of expertise; (one's) fiel
専用[せんよう] (one's) exclusive use; private use; personal use
専念[せんねん] absorption; giving undivided attention; devoting oneself (to)
専門家[せんもんか] specialist; expert; professional; authority; pundit
専属[せんぞく] exclusive; attached to; specialist
専ら[もっぱら] wholly; solely; entirely; exclusively; devotedly; fixedly
専門的[せんもんてき] technical; specialist; professional; exclusive
専門店[せんもんてん] specialist shop; shop specializing in a particular type of product
専門学校[せんもんがっこう] vocational school; technical school
専攻[せんこう] major subject; special study
専務[せんむ] special duty; being in sole charge of a duty
専修[せんしゅう] specialization; specialisation
専制[せんせい] despotism; autocracy
住専[じゅうせん] housing-loan corporation
専任[せんにん] full-time service
heisig_story: Ten . . . rice fields . . . glue. That is how one would read the primitive elements of this kanji from top to bottom. Now if we make a simple sentence out of these elements, we get: " Ten rice fields glued together. " A specialty , of course, refers to one's special " field " of endeavor or competence. In fact, few people remain content with a single specialty and usually extend themselves in other fields as well. This is how we come to get the picture of ten fields glued together to represent a specialty.
koohii_story: After you have chosen your 10 fields of study, measure how good you are at each to find out your specialty.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 薄

kanji: 推
meaning: conjecture
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: お.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 推測[すいそく] guess; conjecture
推薦[すいせん] recommendation; referral; endorsement
推理[すいり] reasoning; inference; deduction
推す[おす] to recommend; to endorse (e.g. a candidate); to nominate; to support; to back
推定[すいてい] presumption; assumption
推奨[すいしょう] recommendation; endorsement
推進[すいしん] propulsion; drive
推論[すいろん] inference; deduction; induction; reasoning
推移[すいい] transition; change; progress; development; shift
類推[るいすい] analogy
推奨環境[すいしょうかんきょう] system requirements (i.e. recommended hardware and software to run a package)
推敲[すいこう] polishing (a piece of writing); improvement; revision; refinement
推理小説[すいりしょうせつ] mystery novel; detective novel; whodunit
推計[すいけい] estimate; estimation
推量[すいりょう] guess; conjecture; supposition; inference
heisig_story: Fingers . . . turkey.
koohii_story: In mathematics, a conjecture is a mathematical statement which has been proposed as a true statement, but which no one has yet been able to prove or disprove. Have you heard of the Finger-Turkey conjecture ? It states that if turkeys had fingers , they would be able to count. Be sure to imagine a turkey with fingers at the tip of its wings, counting from one to ten.

kanji: 値
meaning: price
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: ね、あたい
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
直[チョク] straightaway
examples: 価値[かち] value; worth; merit
値段[ねだん] price; cost
価値観[かちかん] sense of values; values; value system
値する[あたいする] to be worth; to be worthy of; to deserve; to merit
値[あたい] price; cost
数値[すうち] numerical value
経験値[けいけんち] amount of experience; experience level
高値[たかね] high price
値打ち[ねうち] value; worth; merit
偏差値[へんさち] deviation value (usu. scaled to mean of 50, standard deviation of 10, and often
値引き[ねびき] price reduction; discount
下値[したね] lowest price
値上がり[ねあがり] price increase; rise in price
値上げ[ねあげ] price increase; rise in price; wage increase
値下がり[ねさがり] price decline; fall in price
heisig_story: Person . . . straightaway.
koohii_story: Mr. T ( person ) tells the used car salesman to tell him the real price straight away , and when he doesn't he throws him through the windshield.

kanji: 討
meaning: chastise
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: う.つ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
寸[すん] inch
examples: 検討[けんとう] consideration; examination; investigation; study; scrutiny; discussion; analysis
討つ[うつ] to attack; to destroy; to defeat; to conquer; to avenge
掃討[そうとう] cleaning up (enemy remnants); sweeping clean (of opponents); mopping up
討論[とうろん] debate; discussion
討議[とうぎ] debate; discussion
再検討[さいけんとう] re-examination; review; reconsideration; reappraisal
追い討ち[おいうち] attacking a fleeing enemy
heisig_story: Words spoken to chastise us stick to us like glue in a way no other words can.
koohii_story: I said some bad words, and my mother chastise d me by washing my mouth out with glue instead of soap!

kanji: 処
meaning: dispose
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: ところ、-こ、お.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 夂[のまた] to follow
几[きにょう] table
examples: 処理[しょり] processing; dealing with; treatment; disposition; disposal
処分[しょぶん] disposal; throwing away; selling off
対処[たいしょ] dealing with; coping with
処置[しょち] measure; step; dealing with
処刑[しょけい] execution
処女[しょじょ] virgin (usu. female); maiden
何処[どこ] where; what place
処罰[しょばつ] punishment; penalty
処遇[しょぐう] treatment (of a person); dealing with
処方[しょほう] prescription (of medicine); formula
仮処分[かりしょぶん] provisional disposition; temporary injunction
何処にも[どこにも] (not) anywhere; nowhere
何処までも[どこまでも] anywhere; for all time; to the ends of the earth
処方箋[しょほうせん] prescription
情報処理[じょうほうしょり] data processing; information processing
heisig_story: Both the stretching out of the walking legs and the little bit of wind tucked in on the right suggest using one's legs to kick something out of the way, or dispose of it.
koohii_story: The best way to dispose of a nasty bit of wind is to let it go and use those walking legs to dissapear. Nobody will ever know it was you.

kanji: 憲
meaning: constitution
ja_on: ケン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
心[こころ] heart
examples: 憲法[けんぽう] constitution
合憲[ごうけん] constitutionality
官憲[かんけん] officials; authorities
憲政[けんせい] constitutional government
憲章[けんしょう] charter
改憲[かいけん] constitutional change; revising the constitution
立憲[りっけん] constitutionalism
護憲[ごけん] protecting the constitution
違憲[いけん] unconstitutionality
heisig_story: The key word refers to the fundamental guiding principles of a government or other organization. Its elements: House . . . grow up . . . eyes . . . heart.
koohii_story: The constitution is important. At least my parents thought so. In the house where I grew up , it was framed on the wall. Under the watchful (sideways) eye of my mother, we had to study it until we knew it by heart.

kanji: 激
meaning: violent
ja_on: ゲキ
ja_kun: はげ.しい
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
敫[セク] ancient musical instrument
examples: 激しい[はげしい] violent; furious; tempestuous
刺激[しげき] stimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes)
急激[きゅうげき] sudden; abrupt; rapid; sharp; drastic; radical
感激[かんげき] deep emotion; impression; inspiration
過激[かげき] extreme (measure, idea, etc.); radical; violent (language)
激突[げきとつ] crash; smashing (into); ramming; (violent) collision
激怒[げきど] rage; fury
激情[げきじょう] violent emotion; passion; fury
激励[げきれい] encouragement; spurring (on); cheering (on)
激戦[げきせん] fierce battle; hard-fought battle; hot contest; severe fight
激減[げきげん] dramatic decrease; sharp drop; sudden fall
激化[げきか] intensification; aggravation
激動[げきどう] violent shock; agitation; turbulence; turmoil; upheaval; excitement
激変[げきへん] sudden change; upheaval
激流[げきりゅう] raging stream; rapids
heisig_story: Some cosmic taskmaster hovering overhead whips up the waves to make them dash violently against the shore. In the white foam that covers the water we see a broken compass floating, all that remains of a shipwreck.
koohii_story: When the taskmaster found his favorite white compas damaged by water , he became the most violent taskmaster there ever was.

kanji: 否
meaning: negate
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: いな、いや
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 不[フ] negative
口[くち] mouth
examples: 否定[ひてい] denial; negation; repudiation; disavowal
拒否[きょひ] refusal; rejection; denial; veto
否[いな] no; nay
か否か[かいなか] whether or not
安否[あんぴ] safety; welfare; well-being
拒否権[きょひけん] right of veto
否決[ひけつ] rejection; negation; voting down
可否[かひ] propriety; right and wrong; advisability; possibility
合否[ごうひ] success or failure; result
否々[いやいや] no!; no no!; no, not at all
否認[ひにん] denial; negation; repudiation; disapproval
成否[せいひ] success or failure; outcome; result
諾否[だくひ] consent or refusal; yes or no; decision to accept or decline; up or down (vote);
賛否[さんぴ] yes and no; for and against
heisig_story: Negative . . . mouth.
koohii_story: To distinguish between 否 negate , and 不 [negative](../v4/1217.html) (#1217 不): Note that ne gate contains 口 , which is a kind of gate.

kanji: 系
meaning: lineage
ja_on: ケイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
糸[いと] thread
examples: 系[けい] system; lineage; group
家系[かけい] family lineage
系統[けいとう] system
系列[けいれつ] series; sequence; system; succession
生態系[せいたいけい] ecosystem
体系[たいけい] system; organization; organisation; architecture
太陽系[たいようけい] solar system
山系[さんけい] mountain range; mountain system
文系[ぶんけい] humanities, social sciences, and fine arts; liberal arts
日系[にっけい] (of) Japanese descent
水系[すいけい] water system; river system; drainage system
理系[りけい] the sciences; STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
直系[ちょっけい] direct descent; direct line
系図[けいず] family tree; pedigree; genealogy
系譜[けいふ] genealogy; lineage; family tree; pedigree
heisig_story: The single stroke added to the beginning of the primitive for thread gives the image of threads woven into a single cord. Hence the meaning, lineage.
koohii_story: (Primitive: DNA , a drop of looong spiraled thread that is the key to your lineage ).

kanji: 批
meaning: criticism
ja_on: ヒ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
比[くらべる] to compare
examples: 批判[ひはん] criticism; judgement; judgment; comment
批評[ひひょう] criticism; critique; review; commentary
批准[ひじゅん] ratification
批判的[ひはんてき] critical; judgmental; censorious; negative
heisig_story: Finger . . . compare.
koohii_story: My criticism earned me the FINGER when I COMPARED her cooking to my mother's.

kanji: 存
meaning: exist
ja_on: ソン、ゾン
ja_kun: ながら.える、あ.る、たも.つ、と.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
子[こ] child
examples: 存在[そんざい] existence; being; presence
ご存じ[ごぞんじ] knowing; being aware (of)
存分[ぞんぶん] to one's heart's content; as much as one likes; without reserve; freely; to the
保存[ほぞん] preservation; conservation; storage; maintenance
存じる[ぞんじる] to know; to be aware (of); to be acquainted (with)
思う存分[おもうぞんぶん] to one's heart's content; to one's complete satisfaction; as much as one likes;
ご存知[ごぞんじ] knowing; being aware (of)
生存[せいぞん] existence; being; life; survival
依存[いぞん] dependence; reliance
存続[そんぞく] continuance; survival; persistence; retention; duration
共存[きょうぞん] coexistence
温存[おんぞん] preservation; retainment; keeping
既存[きそん] existing
依存症[いぞんしょう] dependence (on alcohol, drugs, etc.)
存亡[そんぼう] life or death; existence; destiny
heisig_story: Genie in the bottle . . . a child. Hint: focus on the key word's connotation of "make believe".
koohii_story: How do you suppose they manage to cram a genie inside a bottle? Well, I suppose they put him in there while he's still a little child …
heisig_keyword: suppose

kanji: 券
meaning: ticket
ja_on: ケン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 刀[かたな] knife
examples: 券[けん] ticket; coupon; bond; certificate
回数券[かいすうけん] coupon tickets; discount tickets; book of tickets
定期券[ていきけん] commuter pass; season ticket
旅券[りょけん] passport
乗車券[じょうしゃけん] ticket (for bus, train, etc.); passenger ticket
債券[さいけん] bond; debenture
入場券[にゅうじょうけん] admission ticket; entrance ticket
前売り券[まえうりけん] ticket sold in advance; advance ticket
商品券[しょうひんけん] gift certificate
旅行券[りょこうけん] travel voucher; travel coupon
有価証券[ゆうかしょうけん] marketable securities; stocks and bonds
東京証券取引所[とうきょうしょうけんとりひきじょ] Tokyo Stock Exchange; TSE
株券[かぶけん] stock certificate
格安航空券[かくやすこうくうけん] discount airline ticket
航空券[こうくうけん] airline ticket; plane ticket; air ticket
heisig_story: Quarter . . . dagger.
koohii_story: Entering the movie, the dude asks for your ticket , so he can tear it in half. He looks at you funny when you hand him a ticket already torn in half. He quietly tears the stub into quarter s after you show him your dagger with a smile.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 券 勝つ

kanji: 盟
meaning: alliance
ja_on: メイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 明[メイ] bright
皿[さら] plate
examples: 同盟[どうめい] alliance; union; league
連盟[れんめい] league; federation; union
加盟[かめい] joining (an association, agreement, etc.); participation; affiliation; accession
盟主[めいしゅ] leader (of an alliance); leading power
盟友[めいゆう] sworn friend
盟約[めいやく] oath; pledge; pact; covenant; alliance
heisig_story: Bright . . . dish.
koohii_story: (re: Raichu) An undercover alliance between Japan (the sun on its flag) and Turkey (the moon on its flag) detected by a surveillance satellite dish. .

kanji: 座
meaning: squat
ja_on: ザ
ja_kun: すわ.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
坐[ザ] sit
examples: 座る[すわる] to sit (down); to have a seat; to be seated; to kneel (on the floor)
座[ざ] seat; place
即座に[そくざに] immediately; right away; on the spot
正座[せいざ] seiza
座席[ざせき] seat (esp. in public places or places with assigned seating); seating
即座[そくざ] immediate; right there on the spot; impromptu; instant; instantaneous
口座[こうざ] account (e.g. bank)
銀座[ぎんざ] Ginza (district in Tokyo)
座布団[ざぶとん] zabuton
星座[せいざ] constellation
座り[すわり] sitting
講座[こうざ] course (e.g. of lectures)
座敷[ざしき] tatami room; tatami mat room; formal Japanese room
座談会[ざだんかい] symposium; round-table discussion
で御座います[でございます] be; is
heisig_story: Cave . . . assembly line . . . soil.
koohii_story: Coal mine ( cave ), tea break time, the assembly line stops and everyone sit or squat on the dirt floor, in a long line, to rest.
heisig_keyword: sit
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 座席 庭

kanji: 除
meaning: exclude
ja_on: ジョ、ジ
ja_kun: のぞ.く、-よ.け
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
余[ヨ] too much
examples: 掃除[そうじ] cleaning; sweeping; dusting; scrubbing
解除[かいじょ] termination (of a contract); cancellation; rescinding; rescission
排除[はいじょ] exclusion; removal; elimination; clearing away; getting rid of
除く[のぞく] to remove; to get rid of; to take away; to eliminate
取り除く[とりのぞく] to remove; to deinstall; to take away; to set apart
除いて[のぞいて] except; save
削除[さくじょ] deletion; elimination; erasure; striking out
除外[じょがい] exception; exclusion
駆除[くじょ] extermination (of pests); eradication; stamping out (e.g. a social evil)
大掃除[おおそうじ] major cleanup; spring cleaning
免除[めんじょ] exemption; exoneration; discharge
掃除機[そうじき] vacuum cleaner; vacuum; hoover
除去[じょきょ] removal; getting rid of
控除[こうじょ] subtraction; deduction (e.g. of tax)
虫除け[むしよけ] insecticide; insect repellent
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . scale.
koohii_story: To become a member of The Pinnacle , they test you on a scale. If you weigh too much , they exclude you.

kanji: 降
meaning: descend
ja_on: コウ、ゴ
ja_kun: お.りる、お.ろす、ふ.る、ふ.り、くだ.る、くだ.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
夅[コウ] to descend
examples: 降りる[おりる] to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down
降る[ふる] to fall (of rain, snow, ash, etc.); to come down
以降[いこう] on and after; from ... onward; since
降ろす[おろす] to take down; to bring down; to lower (a hand, flag, shutter, etc.); to drop (an
飛び降りる[とびおりる] to jump down; to leap down; to jump off; to leap off
雨が降る[あめがふる] to rain
降参[こうさん] surrender; submission; capitulation
降伏[こうふく] surrender; capitulation; submission
降下[こうか] descent; fall; drop; (atmospheric) depression
投降[とうこう] surrender
下降[かこう] descent; fall; drop; decline; downturn; subsidence
降水[こうすい] rainfall; precipitation
乗り降り[のりおり] getting on and off (a vehicle); boarding and alighting
乗降[じょうこう] getting on and off; embarking and disembarking
土砂降り[どしゃぶり] downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain; pelting rain; cloudburst
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . walking legs . . . sunglasses with a lens popped out. Distinguish from fall (Frame 320) and crash , which we considered in the previous frame.
koohii_story: "Sunglasses-missing-one-lens" is obviously the monocle. The proper, high- class way to descend The Pinnacle is wearing a monocle with your walking legs splayed to a full gentlemanly stride.

kanji: 並
meaning: row
ja_on: ヘイ、ホウ
ja_kun: な.み、なみ、なら.べる、なら.ぶ、なら.びに
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 八[はち] eight
一[いち] one
业
examples: 並ぶ[ならぶ] to line up; to stand in a line
並べる[ならべる] to line up; to set up; to arrange in a line
並み[なみ] average; medium; common; ordinary
並[なみ] average; medium; common; ordinary
人並み[ひとなみ] ordinary; average; common; normal; like the average person; like most people
並び[ならび] line; row; rank; list
並行[へいこう] going side-by-side; going abreast
町並み[まちなみ] townscape; street (of stores and houses); (look of) stores and houses on street
軒並み[のきなみ] row of houses
並びに[ならびに] and (also); both ... and; as well as
並列[へいれつ] arranging in a line; standing in a row
並木[なみき] roadside trees; row of trees
月並み[つきなみ] every month
並び替える[ならびかえる] to reorganize; to rearrange; to put (things) in order
並立[へいりつ] standing abreast
heisig_story: This character represents a slightly stylized duplication of the kanji for stand up. By lengthening the sixth and seventh strokes, you will see how this is done.
koohii_story: This is a simplification of 竝, a ideogram of two people standing in a row.

kanji: 従
meaning: accompany
ja_on: ジュウ、ショウ、ジュ
ja_kun: したが.う、したが.える、より
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
examples: 従う[したがう] to obey (an order, law, etc.); to abide by (a rule, custom, etc.); to follow; to
従える[したがえる] to be accompanied by; to be attended by; to take along (someone)
従業員[じゅうぎょういん] employee; worker
従兄弟[いとこ] cousin (male)
服従[ふくじゅう] obedience; submission; resignation
従来[じゅうらい] up to now; so far
従事[じゅうじ] engaging in (work); pursuing (e.g. studies); following (a profession); being inv
従って[したがって] therefore; consequently; accordingly
従姉妹[いとこ] cousin (female)
に従って[にしたがって] in accordance with; according to; as X, then Y (e.g. as we age we gain wisdom, a
侍従[じじゅう] chamberlain
専従[せんじゅう] working exclusively for; working full-time (for)
従属[じゅうぞく] subordination; dependency
従軍[じゅうぐん] military service; serving in a war; taking part in a campaign
heisig_story: Column . . . animal horns . . . mending.
koohii_story: The line of viking soldiers is always accompanied by a horn mending specialist.

kanji: 危
meaning: dangerous
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: あぶ.ない、あや.うい、あや.ぶむ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 厄[ヤク] unlucky
examples: 危ない[あぶない] dangerous; risky; hazardous; perilous; precarious
危険[きけん] danger; peril; hazard
危機[きき] crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
危うい[あやうい] dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger
危険性[きけんせい] (degree of) risk; riskiness; danger
危うく[あやうく] barely; narrowly
危惧[きぐ] apprehension; misgivings; uneasiness; fear; anxiety
危害[きがい] injury; harm; danger
危ぶむ[あやぶむ] to fear; to doubt; to have misgivings about; to worry about; to be anxious about
危急[ききゅう] emergency; crisis; imminent danger
危篤[きとく] critical condition; being on the verge of death
heisig_story: Bound up . . . unlucky.
koohii_story: You're bound up by ropes to an unlucky person. It's dangerous , because whatever happens to him will happen to you too.

kanji: 拡
meaning: broaden
ja_on: カク、コウ
ja_kun: ひろ.がる、ひろ.げる、ひろ.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
広[コウ] wide
examples: 拡大[かくだい] expansion; extension
拡散[かくさん] spreading; disseminating; scattering
拡張[かくちょう] expansion; extension; enlargement
拡充[かくじゅう] expansion
拡大均衡[かくだいきんこう] an expanded or expanding equilibrium
拡張子[かくちょうし] file extension
軍拡[ぐんかく] military expansion; arms buildup
heisig_story: Fingers . . . wide. The connection with the previous character is very close. Beware.
koohii_story: Japanese girls are tight and may require fingers inserted to broaden them and make them wide enough before you can…

kanji: 就
meaning: concerning
ja_on: シュウ、ジュ
ja_kun: つ.く、つ.ける
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 京[キョウ] capital
尤[ユウ] reasonable
examples: 就職[しゅうしょく] finding employment; getting a job
就く[つく] to take (seat, position, course, office, etc.); to assume; to be hired; to be em
就任[しゅうにん] assumption (of office); taking up (a post); inauguration; installation
成就[じょうじゅ] fulfillment; fulfilment; realization; realisation; completion
就寝[しゅうしん] going to bed; retiring (for the night)
就活[しゅうかつ] job hunting; job searching
就いて[ついて] about; concerning; as to; regarding
就業[しゅうぎょう] employment; starting work
去就[きょしゅう] leaving or staying
就労[しゅうろう] working; being employed; being hired
就学[しゅうがく] entering school; school attendance
就航[しゅうこう] entering service (on a route; of a plane or ship); going into commission; being
heisig_story: Capital . . . chihuahua with a human leg in place of one of its paws.
koohii_story: In the capital they have been having hearings concerning bioethics and bioengineering they call as their first witness a chihuahua with one human leg.

kanji: 異
meaning: uncommon
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: こと、こと.なる、け
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
共[キョウ] together
examples: 異常[いじょう] abnormal; unusual; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon
異なる[ことなる] to differ; to be different; to disagree; to vary; to diverge
異様[いよう] strange; odd; peculiar; weird; bizarre; unusual
異変[いへん] unusual event; strange occurrence; strange phenomenon; something abnormal; chang
異性[いせい] the opposite sex
異論[いろん] different opinion; objection
異議[いぎ] objection; dissent; protest
異質[いしつ] different (quality, nature); heterogeneous
異物[いぶつ] foreign substance; foreign body; foreign contamination; foreign material
異国[いこく] foreign country
異動[いどう] (personnel) change; transfer; relocation; reassignment; reshuffle
特異[とくい] unique; peculiar; singular
異例[いれい] exceptional; unusual; extraordinary; unprecedented; singular
異名[いみょう] another name; nickname; alias
異端[いたん] heresy; nonconformism; heathenism; paganism
heisig_story: Brains . . . together.
koohii_story: Noah's Ark is so uncommon ly large, he can even fit a rice field on top to feed the animals.

kanji: 将
meaning: leader
ja_on: ショウ、ソウ
ja_kun: まさ.に、はた、まさ、ひきい.る、もって
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 丬 half of tree trunk
爫[つめかんむり] claw
寸[すん] inch
examples: 将来[しょうらい] future; (future) prospects
大将[たいしょう] general; admiral
将軍[しょうぐん] general
将[しょう] commander; general; leader
将棋[しょうぎ] shogi; Japanese chess
将来的[しょうらいてき] future; possible; potential; prospective
武将[ぶしょう] military commander
中将[ちゅうじょう] lieutenant general; vice-admiral
主将[しゅしょう] commander-in-chief; supreme commander
将兵[しょうへい] officers and men
将来像[しょうらいぞう] vision of the future
将来性[しょうらいせい] future prospects; promise
将校[しょうこう] commissioned officer; military officer
将棋倒し[しょうぎだおし] falling down one after another (like dominoes)
少将[しょうしょう] major general; rear admiral; air commodore
heisig_story: Turtle . . . vulture . . . glue.
koohii_story: The leader in this race is the turtle! It appears he has covered the vulture ’s feet in glue , so that the vulture cannot get off the starting block.

kanji: 厳
meaning: stern
ja_on: ゲン、ゴン
ja_kun: おごそ.か、きび.しい、いか.めしい、いつくし
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 小[しょう] small
厂[がんだれ] cliff
敢[カン] daring
examples: 厳しい[きびしい] severe; strict; rigid; unsparing; relentless
厳重[げんじゅう] strict; severe; stringent; rigorous; rigid; firm; strong; secure
威厳[いげん] dignity; majesty; solemnity; gravity
厳密[げんみつ] strict; close; precise; scrupulous
尊厳[そんげん] dignity; majesty; sanctity
厳しさ[きびしさ] severity; strictness; intensity
厳禁[げんきん] strict prohibition; ban; interdiction
厳格[げんかく] strict; severe; stern; rigid; rigorous; tough
厳か[おごそか] solemn (ceremony, atmosphere, etc.); austere; grave; majestic; dignified; statel
荘厳[そうごん] solemn; sublime; grand; magnificent; impressive
厳守[げんしゅ] strict observance; rigid adherence; scrupulous compliance
厳戒[げんかい] strict guard
厳粛[げんしゅく] grave; solemn; serious
厳罰[げんばつ] severe punishment; rigorous measures
戒厳令[かいげんれい] martial law
heisig_story: Owl . . . cliff . . . daring.
koohii_story: This represents a stern looking owl, perched up on a cliff. This cliff is quite famous for daring individuals to cliff dive off of, but is any of them daring enough to threaten the owl?

kanji: 遺
meaning: bequeath
ja_on: イ、ユイ
ja_kun: のこ.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 貴[キ] precious
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遺体[いたい] (dead) body; corpse; remains
遺影[いえい] portrait of a deceased person
遺伝子[いでんし] gene
遺産[いさん] inheritance; bequest; legacy; heritage
遺言[ゆいごん] will; testament; one's dying wish; one's last words
遺跡[いせき] (archeological) remains; ruins; relics
後遺症[こういしょう] prognostic symptoms; after-effect; sequela
遺書[いしょ] note left by a dead person; suicide note; testamentary letter; will; testament
遺族[いぞく] bereaved family; surviving family; family of the deceased
遺品[いひん] things left (to one) by the deceased; inherited item; estate; memento; keepsake
遺伝[いでん] heredity; (genetic) inheritance
遺物[いぶつ] relic; remains; memento
遺憾[いかん] regrettable; unsatisfactory; deplorable; lamentable
遺志[いし] wishes of a deceased person; dying wish
世界遺産[せかいいさん] World Heritage (site)
heisig_story: Precious . . . road.
koohii_story: Bilbo bequeath es the "PRECIOUS" to Frodo, who will carry it on the long ROAD to Mordor.

kanji: 装
meaning: attire
ja_on: ソウ、ショウ
ja_kun: よそお.う、よそお.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 壮[ソウ] robust
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 衣装[いしょう] clothing; costume; outfit; garment; dress
服装[ふくそう] attire; dress; clothes; clothing; costume; garb
装置[そうち] equipment; device; installation; apparatus
装備[そうび] equipment
装う[よそおう] to dress (oneself in); to attire oneself in; to adorn; to decorate
武装[ぶそう] arms; armament; taking up arms; arming oneself
装着[そうちゃく] equipping; installing; fitting; mounting; putting on
偽装[ぎそう] camouflage; disguise
装飾[そうしょく] ornament; decoration
内装[ないそう] interior design; interior; upholstery
装甲[そうこう] armoring; armouring; armor; armour
改装[かいそう] remodelling; remodeling; reorganization; reorganisation
装い[よそおい] dress; outfit; equipment; makeup; adornment; guise; get-up
仮装[かそう] costume; fancy dress; masquerade; disguise
正装[せいそう] full dress; formal dress; uniform
heisig_story: The character for attire can be remembered as a picture of what we may call a " turtle-samurai " sweater. At the top we see the turtle-samurai and at the bottom the element for garment.
koohii_story: The TURTLE SAMURAI needs special GARMENTs for his ATTIRE since his body is much more ROBUST than others.

kanji: 諸
meaning: various
ja_on: ショ
ja_kun: もろ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
者[シャ] someone
examples: 諸君[しょくん] you (people)
諸[しょ] various; many; several
諸国[しょこく] various countries; various regions; various provinces
諸島[しょとう] archipelago; group of islands
heisig_story: Words . . . puppet. Do not confuse with miscellaneous (Frame 604).
koohii_story: Because i get tired of saying the same old thing, I have lately been trying to use various terms of endearment to my love doll. I think she appreciates it too.

kanji: 亡
meaning: deceased
ja_on: ボウ、モウ
ja_kun: な.い、な.き-、ほろ.びる、ほろ.ぶ、ほろ.ぼす
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
匸[かくしがまえ] to conceal
examples: 亡くなる[なくなる] to die; to pass away
死亡[しぼう] death; dying; mortality
亡くす[なくす] to lose (through death; e.g. a wife, child)
逃亡[とうぼう] escape; flight; running away; elopement; fleeing
滅亡[めつぼう] downfall; ruin; collapse; destruction
亡霊[ぼうれい] departed spirit; soul of the dead
亡骸[なきがら] remains; corpse; (dead) body
亡命[ぼうめい] fleeing from one's country; seeking asylum; defection; emigration (for political
亡夫[ぼうふ] deceased husband; late husband
亡父[ぼうふ] deceased father; late father
存亡[そんぼう] life or death; existence; destiny
未亡人[みぼうじん] widow
死亡率[しぼうりつ] death rate; mortality rate
死亡者[しぼうしゃ] the deceased; deaths; persons killed
heisig_story: A top hat hanging on a hook in the front hall, right where the deceased left it the day he died, reminds us of him and his kanji.
koohii_story: The top hat hanging on a hook belonged to the now deceased Charlie Chaplin.

kanji: 劇
meaning: drama
ja_on: ゲキ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 豦[キョ] wild boar
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 悲劇[ひげき] tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play
劇[げき] drama; play
劇的[げきてき] dramatic; exciting; touching
劇場[げきじょう] theatre; theater; playhouse
演劇[えんげき] drama; theatre; theater; play
時代劇[じだいげき] historical play; period drama
劇団[げきだん] troupe; theatrical company
喜劇[きげき] comedy
剣劇[けんげき] sword play; samurai drama
劇作[げきさく] playwriting
劇画[げきが] gekiga
劇薬[げきやく] powerful medicine; strong poison
国立劇場[こくりつげきじょう] national theater
新劇[しんげき] shingeki; new drama (movement)
歌劇[かげき] opera
heisig_story: Tiger . . . sow . . . saber.
koohii_story: A great Indian drama acted out every year is how a poor Bengali boy fended off the tigers from his pigs using only a sabre.

kanji: 模
meaning: imitation
ja_on: モ、ボ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
莫[バク] must not
examples: 模様[もよう] pattern; figure; design
規模[きぼ] scale; scope; plan; structure
大規模[だいきぼ] large-scale
模索[もさく] groping (for); fumbling around (for); searching (for an answer, solution, etc.);
小規模[しょうきぼ] small scale
模倣[もほう] imitation; copying
模型[もけい] model; dummy; maquette
模範[もはん] exemplar; model; example; pattern
模擬[もぎ] imitation
模擬試験[もぎしけん] mock exam; practice exam; practice test
模造[もぞう] imitation; counterfeit; fake; sham; ersatz (object)
heisig_story: Ah, but haven't modern graveyards become a parody of their ancestors! The flowers are plastic, the writing on the stones is unimaginative and cold, and the whole thing looks more like a marble orchard than a right and proper graveyard. This kanji continues with the modernization trend by picturing imitation trees in the graveyard. But of course, how convenient! They don't need pruning or fertilizing, their leaves don't fall, and they remain the same color all year long.
koohii_story: If I find out this furniture you're selling me is made of imitation wood , I'll put you in the graveyard.

kanji: 宣
meaning: proclaim
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: のたま.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
亘[コウ] span
examples: 宣言[せんげん] declaration; proclamation; announcement
宣伝[せんでん] publicity; advertisement; advertising; propaganda
宣告[せんこく] sentence; verdict; pronouncement
宣誓[せんせい] oath; abjuration; pledge
宣戦[せんせん] declaration of war
宣教師[せんきょうし] missionary
緊急事態宣言[きんきゅうじたいせんげん] declaration of a state of emergency
街宣車[がいせんしゃ] sound truck (used for campaigning, advertising or propaganda); loudspeaker van;
託宣[たくせん] oracle; revelation; divine message
heisig_story: Under the primitive for house we meet the kanji for span. Think of the key word in its religious sense of missionary preaching: " proclaiming the good news to all nations " and "shouting it from the housetops. " That should be enough to help you remember this simple kanji, used in fact both for traditional missionary work as well as for one of its contemporary replacements: advertising.
koohii_story: You can proclaim your opinions from the comfort of your HOUSE and have it SPAN the entire globe these days via The Internet.

kanji: 背
meaning: stature
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: せ、せい、そむ.く、そむ.ける
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 北[ホク] north
月[つき] moon
examples: 背中[せなか] back (of the body)
背負う[せおう] to carry on one's back
背[せ] back
背後[はいご] back; rear
背筋[せすじ] spine; line of the backbone
背景[はいけい] background; scenery; backdrop; setting
背が高い[せがたかい] tall (of a person)
背く[そむく] to run counter to; to go against; to disobey; to infringe
背丈[せたけ] stature; height
背もたれ[せもたれ] back (of a chair); backrest
背骨[せぼね] spine; backbone; spinal column
背広[せびろ] business suit
猫背[ねこぜ] bent back; hunchback; stoop
背任[はいにん] breach of trust; malfeasance; malpractice; misappropriation
背信[はいしん] betrayal; infidelity
heisig_story: One's stature is measured according to the " northern -most" part of the body.
koohii_story: While japanese people are generally small, people in the northern contryes have taller stature because of all the flesh they eat!

kanji: 盛
meaning: boom
ja_on: セイ、ジョウ
ja_kun: も.る、さか.る、さか.ん
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 成[セイ] turn into
皿[さら] plate
examples: 盛り上がる[もりあがる] to swell; to rise; to bulge; to be piled up
盛大[せいだい] grand; magnificent; lavish; large scale; prosperous; thriving; lively
盛り上げる[もりあげる] to pile up; to heap up
盛る[もる] to serve (in a bowl, on a plate, etc.); to dish out; to dish up; to fill (a bowl
盛り[さかり] height (e.g. of summer); peak (e.g. of cherry blossom season); (in) season; full
盛り上がり[もりあがり] climax; uprush
盛ん[さかん] prosperous; flourishing; thriving; successful
繁盛[はんじょう] prosperity; flourishing; thriving
大盛り[おおもり] large serving; large portion
旺盛[おうせい] lively; vigorous; energetic; healthy; avid (e.g. desire); rich (e.g. imagination
盛況[せいきょう] success; boom; being well-attended (of an event); prosperity
全盛[ぜんせい] height of prosperity
働き盛り[はたらきざかり] prime of one's working life
意気盛ん[いきさかん] in high spirits
最盛期[さいせいき] golden age; prime; heyday; height of prosperity
heisig_story: Here boom refers to something that is popular and prospering. Its elements: turn into . . . dish.
koohii_story: Japan's economic boom turned their empty plates into full ones.

kanji: 皇
meaning: emperor
ja_on: コウ、オウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 白[しろ] white
王[オウ] king
examples: 皇帝[こうてい] emperor
天皇[てんのう] Emperor of Japan
皇居[こうきょ] Imperial Palace (of Japan); imperial residence
上皇[じょうこう] retired emperor; ex-emperor; former emperor; emperor emeritus
天皇制[てんのうせい] the Emperor System
天皇陛下[てんのうへいか] His Majesty the Emperor
皇位[こうい] imperial throne
皇后[こうごう] empress (consort)
皇太后[こうたいごう] Empress Dowager; Queen Mother
皇太子[こうたいし] crown prince
皇太子妃[こうたいしひ] crown princess
皇女[こうじょ] imperial princess
皇室[こうしつ] Imperial household
皇族[こうぞく] imperial family; royalty
皇民党[こうみんとう] Imperialist Party
heisig_story: An emperor , as we all know, is a ruler - something like a king but higher in status. The white bird perched above the king , elevating him to imperial heights, is the messenger he sends back and forth to the gods to request advice and special favors, something that white birds have long done in folklore throughout the world.
koohii_story: Ancient Rome had Emperor s instead of Kings, and they wore white robes. Thus an emperor is a king in white. (make sure you picture a roman emperor not a japanese one and you'll be ok).

kanji: 臨
meaning: look to
ja_on: リン
ja_kun: のぞ.む
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
品[ヒン] goods
examples: 臨む[のぞむ] to look out on; to overlook; to front onto
臨時[りんじ] temporary; provisional; interim
君臨[くんりん] reigning (over a country)
臨場感[りんじょうかん] (sense of) presence; feeling as if one was there; feeling of actually being ther
臨床[りんしょう] clinical (e.g. pathology, training, trial)
臨海[りんかい] coastal; seaside; oceanfront; maritime
臨界[りんかい] boundary
臨終[りんじゅう] deathbed; dying hour; one's death
heisig_story: Slave . . . reclining . . . goods. The key word suggests both looking ahead to something and "seeing to" what is at hand. Consistent with everything we have learned about the role of the key word, this means that you must choose ONE meaning and stick to it.
koohii_story: The slave is look to the future, "One day" he thinks "I will be able to recline with all my goods , a tv, stereo and washing machine, and when that day comes I shall be truly happy" he sighs.

kanji: 署
meaning: signature
ja_on: ショ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
者[シャ] someone
examples: 部署[ぶしょ] one's post; one's station; department; bureau; section
署名[しょめい] signature; autograph
警察署[けいさつしょ] police station
署長[しょちょう] chief (of police); head (of office)
消防署[しょうぼうしょ] fire station
税務署[ぜいむしょ] tax office
署員[しょいん] staff member; station employee; official
heisig_story: Eye . . . puppet.
koohii_story: Before giving your SIGNATURE to accept the LOVEDOLL, you should EYE over the LOVEDOLL for any damages, then give your SIGNATURE.

kanji: 源
meaning: source
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: みなもと
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
原[ゲン] meadow
examples: 源[みなもと] source (of a river); fountainhead
電源[でんげん] source of electricity; electrical power
資源[しげん] resources
根源[こんげん] root; source; origin; cause
起源[きげん] origin; beginning; source
源泉[げんせん] source (of a spring, etc.)
水源[すいげん] source of river; fountainhead
語源[ごげん] origin of a word; derivation of a word; etymology
財源[ざいげん] source of funds; resources; finances
源氏[げんじ] Genji (the character in the Genji Monogatari)
源流[げんりゅう] source (e.g. of a river); headwaters
資源エネルギー庁[しげんエネルギーちょう] Agency of Natural Resources and Energy
電源ケーブル[でんげんケーブル] power cable; power lead
電源開発[でんげんかいはつ] development of electrical power resources
震源[しんげん] hypocentre (of an earthquake); hypocenter; focus
heisig_story: With the advice of the last frame in mind, it is easy to see water and meadow in this character for source. Both in its etymology (it has a common parent with the word "surge") and in popular usage, source suggests the place water comes from. In this kanji, it is under the meadow , where we just saw it breaking the surface in those bubbly little springs.
koohii_story: The water that flows from the meadow is the source of life for the wild antelope.

kanji: 創
meaning: genesis
ja_on: ソウ、ショウ
ja_kun: つく.る、はじ.める、きず、けず.しける
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 倉[ソウ] godown
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 創る[つくる] to make; to produce; to manufacture; to build; to construct
創作[そうさく] creation; production; creative work (novel, film, etc.); original work; (creativ
創造[そうぞう] creation
創立[そうりつ] establishment; founding; organization; organisation
創設[そうせつ] establishment; founding; organization; organisation
創刊[そうかん] foundation (of a newspaper, magazine, etc.); starting; launching; first publicat
独創[どくそう] originality
創価学会[そうかがっかい] Soka Gakkai (lay organization based on Nichiren Buddhism)
創出[そうしゅつ] creation; generation
創始[そうし] creation; founding; initiating
創意[そうい] original idea; originality
創業[そうぎょう] establishment (of a business); founding
創造力[そうぞうりょく] creative power; creativity
創造的[そうぞうてき] creative
独創的[どくそうてき] creative; original
heisig_story: Godown . . . saber.
koohii_story: Back in the day the people were so excited to get hold of the Sega genesis they looted the godown with sabers.

kanji: 障
meaning: hinder
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: さわ.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
章[ショウ] badge
examples: 障害[しょうがい] obstacle; impediment; hindrance; barrier; difficulty
支障[ししょう] obstacle; hindrance; impediment; difficulty
故障[こしょう] fault; trouble; breakdown; failure; being out of order
保障[ほしょう] guarantee; security; assurance; pledge
耳障り[みみざわり] hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping; rough; harsh; grating; jarr
障壁[しょうへき] enclosing wall; boundary fence
障る[さわる] to be harmful to; to hinder; to interfere with; to irritate
障子[しょうじ] shoji (paper sliding door)
気障[きざ] affected; smug; pompous; conceited; snobby; pretentious
安全保障[あんぜんほしょう] (guarantee of) security
白内障[はくないしょう] cataract
社会保障[しゃかいほしょう] social security
精神障害[せいしんしょうがい] mental disorder; mental disability; mental illness
身体障害者[しんたいしょうがいしゃ] (physically) disabled person; person with a physical disability
身障者[しんしょうしゃ] (physically) disabled person; person with a physical disability
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . badge.
koohii_story: The officer at the gate to The Pinnacle with a giant badge sewn to his chest hinder s all visitors. But not the handicapped. They're hinder ed enough already. They're given a badge and can pass right into The Pinnacle.

kanji: 筋
meaning: muscle
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: すじ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
肋[ロク] rib
examples: 筋[すじ] muscle; tendon; sinew
筋肉[きんにく] muscle
背筋[せすじ] spine; line of the backbone
一筋[ひとすじ] one line; one stretch (e.g. of road); one strand (e.g. of hair); one beam (e.g.
筋力[きんりょく] physical strength; muscle strength
道筋[みちすじ] path; route; itinerary
筋書き[すじがき] synopsis; outline; plot
粗筋[あらすじ] outline; summary; argument
筋違い[すじちがい] cramp; sprain; crick; strain (muscle)
大筋[おおすじ] outline; summary; gist; basic points
売れ筋[うれすじ] popular line (of products); best-selling line; hot sellers
売れ筋ランキング[うれすじランキング] list of top-selling products
心筋[しんきん] cardiac muscle; heart muscle; myocardium
消息筋[しょうそくすじ] informed circles
筋道[すじみち] reason; logic
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . part of the body . . . power. Here we see how the primitive meaning of muscle was derived from the kanji for power.
koohii_story: Muscle is part of the body that gives strength, and can be both supple and tense like the bamboo.

kanji: 延
meaning: prolong
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: の.びる、の.べる、の.べ、の.ばす
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 正[セイ] correct
廴[えんにょう] to move
examples: 延々[えんえん] endlessly; continuously; (going) on and on
延長[えんちょう] extension; elongation; prolongation; lengthening
延びる[のびる] to stretch; to extend; to lengthen; to grow (of hair, height, grass, etc.)
延ばす[のばす] to grow long (e.g. hair, nails)
延期[えんき] postponement; deferment; adjournment
引き延ばす[ひきのばす] to stretch larger
蔓延[まんえん] spread (e.g. of a disease); rampancy; infestation; proliferation; being widespre
蔓延る[はびこる] to become overgrown; to grow thick
延命[えんめい] keeping alive longer; prolonging life; life extension; life-support
延べ[のべ] futures
延滞[えんたい] arrears; (being) overdue; delay (e.g. in payment); procrastination
繰り延べ[くりのべ] postponement
遅延[ちえん] delay; latency
heisig_story: This character is a kind of pictographic image of how prolonging is a clever way of stopping things by trying to stretch them out a little bit at a time (the extra drop at the top of stop ). Be sure to get a concrete image of this process, by imagining yourself prolonging something you can really, physically, stretch.
koohii_story: Stretch ing correct ly prolong s life. Even the top part of 正 is stretching…

kanji: 乱
meaning: riot
ja_on: ラン、ロン
ja_kun: みだ.れる、みだ.る、みだ.す、みだ、おさ.める、わた.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 舌[した] tongue
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 混乱[こんらん] disorder; chaos; confusion; mayhem
乱暴[らんぼう] violence; assault; rowdiness; wildness; running riot
乱れる[みだれる] to be disordered; to be disarranged; to be disarrayed; to be disheveled; to be d
乱す[みだす] to throw into disorder; to disarrange; to disturb (order, peace, etc.); to corru
波乱[はらん] disturbance; trouble; commotion; uproar; turmoil
反乱[はんらん] insurrection; mutiny; rebellion; revolt; uprising
錯乱[さくらん] confusion; distraction; derangement
乱雑[らんざつ] disorder; confusion; clutter; mess; muddle; disarray
咲き乱れる[さきみだれる] to bloom in profusion
狂乱[きょうらん] fury; frenzy; madness; wildness
内乱[ないらん] civil war; insurrection; rebellion; domestic conflict
乱れ[みだれ] disorder; disturbance; unrest
乱売[らんばい] selling at a fire-sale price; clearance sale; dumping
乱獲[らんかく] overfishing; overhunting; indiscriminate fishing; indiscriminate hunting
乱用[らんよう] abuse; misuse; misappropriation; using to excess
heisig_story: In a riot , manners are laid aside and tempers get short, even in so courtesy-conscious a land as Japan. This kanji shows what happens to a rioting tongue : it gets "barbed" like a fishhook , and sets to attacking the opposition, to hook them as it were.
koohii_story: The riot police broke up the riot by dragging the riot ers away by their tongues with fishooks.

kanji: 善
meaning: virtuous
ja_on: ゼン
ja_kun: よ.い、い.い、よ.く、よし.とする
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
口[くち] mouth
examples: 改善[かいぜん] betterment; improvement
最善[さいぜん] the very best; utmost
善[ぜん] good; goodness; right; virtue
善意[ぜんい] virtuous mind
善良[ぜんりょう] good (person, nature, etc.); good-natured; virtuous; honest
善悪[ぜんあく] right and wrong; good and evil
善し悪し[よしあし] right or wrong; good or bad; quality; suitability
親善[しんぜん] friendship; goodwill; friendly relations; amity
勧善懲悪[かんぜんちょうあく] rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice
善戦[ぜんせん] fighting a good fight; putting up a good fight; fighting bravely
善隣[ぜんりん] good neighbour; good neighbor
慈善[じぜん] charity; benevolence; philanthropy
heisig_story: Sheep . . . horns . . . mouth. Pay special attention to the writing of this character.
koohii_story: Imagine a priest's teaching: "To achieve virtue one must first submit himself as a sheep to God's flock, rejecting the horns of Satan and resisting the mouth of Hell.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 善 喜ぶ

kanji: 承
meaning: acquiesce
ja_on: ショウ、ジョウ
ja_kun: うけたまわ.る、う.ける
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 了[リョウ] complete
三[サン] three
水[みず] water
examples: 承知[しょうち] knowledge; awareness
承諾[しょうだく] consent; approval; acceptance; agreement; compliance
了承[りょうしょう] acknowledgement; acknowledgment; understanding; approval; consent
承る[うけたまわる] to hear; to be told; to know
承認[しょうにん] recognition; acknowledgement; acknowledgment; approval; consent; agreement
伝承[でんしょう] handing down (information); legend; tradition; folklore; transmission
継承[けいしょう] inheritance; succession; accession
ご了承ください[ごりょうしょうください] please be aware (that ...); please note (that ...); please understand (that ...)
承服[しょうふく] accepting; consenting; agreeing; submission; compliance; agreement; consent
heisig_story: The sense of passive acceptance or reception of information is contained in this key word. The form is based on the middle portion of the preceding character, with three additional strokes, best thought of as the kanji for three.
koohii_story: To get someone to completely acquiesce it takes 3 dunks in the water before they give.

kanji: 庁
meaning: government office
ja_on: チョウ、テイ
ja_kun: やくしょ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 警視庁[けいしちょう] Metropolitan Police Department (Tokyo)
官庁[かんちょう] government office; government agency; authorities
庁[ちょう] government office; agency; board
県庁[けんちょう] prefectural office
北海道開発庁長官[ほっかいどうかいはつちょうちょうかん] Director General of Hokkaido Development Agency
国土庁[こくどちょう] (Japanese) National Land Agency
国税庁[こくぜいちょう] National Tax Agency (Japan)
官公庁[かんこうちょう] government and municipal offices; public agencies
宮内庁[くないちょう] Imperial Household Agency
庁舎[ちょうしゃ] government office building
府庁[ふちょう] prefectural office (of Osaka or Kyoto)
政庁[せいちょう] government office
文化庁[ぶんかちょう] Agency for Cultural Affairs
林野庁[りんやちょう] Forestry Agency
検察庁[けんさつちょう] Public Prosecutors Office
heisig_story: Cave . . . a spike.
koohii_story: Some bureaucrats at a government office decided that the tunnels of caves need to get street signs, which are then nail ed to the walls of the cave.

kanji: 層
meaning: stratum
ja_on: ソウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
曽[ソウ] formerly
examples: 一層[いっそう] even more; still more; all the more; more than ever
大層[たいそう] very; extremely; exceedingly; greatly; terribly
階層[かいそう] class; level; stratum; layer; hierarchy
高層[こうそう] high-rise (building); multistory; multistoried; tall
上層[じょうそう] upper stratum (classes, stories, storeys); upper layer; layer above
地層[ちそう] stratum; geological formation; layer; bed (coal, gravel, etc.)
年齢層[ねんれいそう] age range; age-group; age bracket
成層圏[せいそうけん] stratosphere
断層[だんそう] fault; dislocation
深層[しんそう] depths; deep level
無党派層[むとうはそう] unaffiliated voters; floating voters; swinging voters
重層[じゅうそう] multistoried; multilayered
heisig_story: Flag . . . increase.
koohii_story: The strata have piled up in an ever increasing pile of dirt. As the geologists go down the rocks, they flag each stratum with the name of the corresponding era.

kanji: 裏
meaning: back
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: うら
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
里[さと] village
examples: 裏[うら] opposite side; bottom; other side; side hidden from view; undersurface; reverse
裏切る[うらぎる] to betray; to turn traitor (to); to double-cross; to go back on; to be unfaithfu
裏切り者[うらぎりもの] betrayer; traitor; turncoat; informer
裏側[うらがわ] the reverse (side); back (side); other side; hidden side; behind the scenes
脳裏[のうり] one's mind
裏切り[うらぎり] treachery; betrayal; perfidy
裏腹[うらはら] opposite; reverse; contrary
裏口[うらぐち] backdoor; rear entrance; rear exit
裏返し[うらがえし] inside out; upside down
裏返す[うらがえす] to turn inside out; to turn the other way; to turn (something) over
裏付ける[うらづける] to support (a theory, claim, etc.); to back up; to substantiate; to prove
裏方[うらかた] someone working behind-the-scenes; scene shifter
裏表[うらおもて] back and front; inside and outside; both sides
裏付け[うらづけ] support (e.g. for an argument); backing; proof; evidence; corroboration; substan
裏道[うらみち] back lane; byway; back street
heisig_story: An innocent looking top hat and scarf lying there in front of you, turned over, reveal a hidden computer sewn into the back of each - obviously the tools of a master spy. Such experiences teach one always to have a look at the back side of things.
koohii_story: The computer had carefully dressed up in clothes to look human. It was n't until I looked at the back and saw the cables and stuff that I realized what it was.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 裏 表

kanji: 密
meaning: secrecy
ja_on: ミツ
ja_kun: ひそ.か
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宓[ミチ] quiet
山[やま] mountain
examples: 秘密[ひみつ] secret; secrecy; confidentiality; privacy
密着[みっちゃく] close adhesion; sticking firmly (to); being glued (to)
密か[ひそか] secret; private; surreptitious
親密[しんみつ] intimacy; friendship
密室[みっしつ] locked room
厳密[げんみつ] strict; close; precise; scrupulous
密度[みつど] density
機密[きみつ] secrecy; highly classified information
密集[みっしゅう] crowding together; clustering together; close formation; swarm
精密[せいみつ] precise; exact; detailed; accurate; minute; close
緻密[ちみつ] fine (grain, workmanship, etc.); close (weave); delicate; intricate; elaborate
綿密[めんみつ] minute; detailed; careful; scrupulous; thorough
密接[みっせつ] close (relationship, connection, etc.); intimate; near
過密[かみつ] overcrowding; congestion; overpopulation
密入国[みつにゅうこく] smuggling oneself into a country; illegal immigration
heisig_story: House . . . invariably . . . mountain.
koohii_story: To maintain secrecy , secret societies invariably have to house themselves in the moutains.

kanji: 我
meaning: ego
ja_on: ガ
ja_kun: われ、わ、わ.が-、わが-
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
戈[ほこ] spear
亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
examples: 我々[われわれ] we
我慢[がまん] endurance; patience; perseverance; bearing (with something)
我が[わが] my; our; one's own
我ら[われら] we; us
怪我[けが] injury; wound
我[われ] I; me
我が家[わがや] one's house; one's home; one's family
自我[じが] ego
我が国[わがくに] our country; our land; one's own country
怪我人[けがにん] wounded person; injured person
我儘[わがまま] selfish; egoist
無我[むが] selflessness; self-effacement; self-renunciation
heisig_story: Hand . . . fiesta. Note how the second stroke of the hand is stretched across to double up as the first stroke of the tasseled arrow we use for fiesta. Compare to frames 17, 36, and 564.
koohii_story: Someone with a huge EGO is too good for any romantic partner and as such has nothing but personal " hand fiesta s" with himself every night.

kanji: 勤
meaning: diligence
ja_on: キン、ゴン
ja_kun: つと.める、-づと.め、つと.まる、いそ.しむ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 菫[キン] the violet
力[ちから] power
examples: 勤める[つとめる] to work (for); to be employed (at); to serve (in)
勤務[きんむ] service; duty; work
出勤[しゅっきん] going to work; leaving for work; attendance (at work); being at work; presence (
勤め[つとめ] service; duty; business; responsibility; task
通勤[つうきん] commuting to work
勤勉[きんべん] diligent; hard-working; industrious
転勤[てんきん] job transfer; job relocation; intra-company transfer
夜勤[やきん] night duty; night shift; night work
勤め先[つとめさき] place of work
勤労[きんろう] labor; labour; exertion; diligent service
勤労者[きんろうしゃ] worker
勤務時間[きんむじかん] office hours; business hours; working hours
勤続[きんぞく] continuous service
常勤[じょうきん] full-time employment
非常勤[ひじょうきん] part-time work
heisig_story: Cabbage . . . muscle.
koohii_story: Growing cabbages takes muscle and diligence.

kanji: 幕
meaning: curtain
ja_on: マク、バク
ja_kun: とばり
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 莫[バク] must not
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 幕[まく] curtain
黒幕[くろまく] black curtain
開幕[かいまく] raising the curtain
幕開け[まくあけ] rise of the curtain; opening of a play
一幕[ひとまく] one act (of a play)
幕府[ばくふ] shogunate; bakufu
入幕[にゅうまく] advancing to the first grade
内幕[うちまく] lowdown; inside information; hidden circumstances; inside facts; inner workings;
垂れ幕[たれまく] hanging banner; hanging screen; curtain
字幕[じまく] subtitles; captioning
幕下[まくした] third highest division; wrestlers of the third highest division
幕僚[ばくりょう] staff; staff officer
幕内[まくうち] makuuchi; top division (of professional sumo)
幕切れ[まくぎれ] fall of the curtain; end of an act
幕末[ばくまつ] Bakumatsu period; closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate; end of the Edo period
heisig_story: A dirty towel draped over the entrance to the old graveyard is painted to look like the curtain of death that leads to the otherworld.
koohii_story: There is a graveyard outside my house that scares me, so I put a huge towel over the window to serve as a curtain so I can get a good nights sleep.

kanji: 染
meaning: dye
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: そ.める、そ.まる、し.みる、し.み
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
九[キュウ] nine
木[き] tree
examples: 染まる[そまる] to be dyed
染める[そめる] to dye; to colour; to color
馴染む[なじむ] to become familiar with; to get used to; to become accustomed to; to adapt onese
染み[しみ] stain; spot; smudge; blot; smear; blotch
染みる[しみる] to soak (into); to permeate; to seep (in); to penetrate; to pierce
感染[かんせん] infection; contagion; becoming infected
汚染[おせん] pollution; contamination
伝染[でんせん] contagion; infection
お馴染み[おなじみ] familiar; well-known; regular (e.g. customer); favourite; favorite
伝染病[でんせんびょう] contagious disease; communicable disease; transmissible disease; infectious dise
感染症[かんせんしょう] infectious disease; infection
新型コロナウイルス感染症[しんがたコロナウイルスかんせんしょう] COVID-19; coronavirus disease 2019
染め[そめ] dyeing; printing
染色[せんしょく] dyeing
染色体[せんしょくたい] chromosome
heisig_story: Water . . . nine . . . tree. From those elements you must compose a plot for the key word, dye. Here, as elsewhere, any of the alternate meanings of the primitives may be used, provided they do not require a position other than that of the kanji in question.
koohii_story: To make this dye , I used water and the barks of nine different tree s.

kanji: 困
meaning: quandary
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: こま.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
木[き] tree
examples: 困る[こまる] to be troubled; to have difficulty; to be in a fix; to be at a loss; to be stump
困難[こんなん] difficulty; hardship; trouble; distress
困惑[こんわく] bewilderment; perplexity; embarrassment; discomfiture; bafflement
貧困[ひんこん] poverty; penury; need; destitution
困り果てる[こまりはてる] to be at a complete loss; to be without recourse; to be completely stymied; to h
困窮[こんきゅう] poverty; need; destitution
heisig_story: Pent in . . . trees.
koohii_story: I'm supposed to make an enclosure for my tree , but if I use its wood for the enclosure, there won't be anything left to be pent-in. What a quandary!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 困難 原因

kanji: 傷
meaning: wound
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: きず、いた.む、いた.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
examples: 傷[きず] wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch; scrape; scar
傷つける[きずつける] to wound; to injure
傷つく[きずつく] to be wounded; to get injured
傷口[きずぐち] (opening of a) wound; cut
無傷[むきず] unhurt; uninjured; unwounded; unscathed; unharmed
火傷[やけど] burn; scald
負傷[ふしょう] injury; wound
損傷[そんしょう] damage; injury
致命傷[ちめいしょう] fatal wound
重傷[じゅうしょう] serious wound; serious injury
傷む[いたむ] to hurt; to ache; to feel a pain
外傷[がいしょう] external injury; external wound; (physical) trauma
傷跡[きずあと] scar
傷付ける[きずつける] to wound; to injure
死傷者[ししょうしゃ] casualties; the killed and wounded
heisig_story: Person . . . reclining . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: Mr. T cannot believe the reclining piggy bank won't give up. He has cut off its legs one by one until it cannot stand, yet, despite being rendered almost completely useless it won't surrender. “It's just a flesh wound!” the reclining piggy bank yells.

kanji: 著
meaning: renowned
ja_on: チョ、チャク
ja_kun: あらわ.す、いちじる.しい
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
者[シャ] someone
examples: 著者[ちょしゃ] author (usu. of a particular book); writer
著しい[いちじるしい] striking; remarkable; considerable
顕著[けんちょ] remarkable; striking; obvious
著[ちょ] (written) work; book
著す[あらわす] to write; to publish
著名[ちょめい] famous; noted; eminent; prominent; distinguished; celebrated
著書[ちょしょ] (written) work; book; writings
共著[きょうちょ] joint authorship; co-authorship; collaboration; joint work
名著[めいちょ] famous book; masterpiece (literary work)
編著[へんちょ] compilation
著作[ちょさく] writing (a book); book; (literary) work; writings
著作権[ちょさくけん] copyright
近著[きんちょ] recent work
heisig_story: Flowers . . . puppet.
koohii_story: Here I am, putting a wreath of flowers on my love doll's head and pretending she is someone of great renowned.

kanji: 誌
meaning: document
ja_on: シ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
志[シ] intention
examples: 雑誌[ざっし] magazine; journal; periodical
誌[し] magazine; journal
週刊誌[しゅうかんし] weekly (publication); weekly magazine; weekly journal
日誌[にっし] journal; log
地誌[ちし] topography; geographical description
学会誌[がっかいし] academic journal
書誌学[しょしがく] bibliography (study of books); bibliology
誌上[しじょう] in a magazine
誌面[しめん] page of a magazine
heisig_story: Words . . . intention.
koohii_story: This is quite simple: a document is a set of words describing your intentions.

kanji: 秘
meaning: secret
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: ひ.める、ひそ.か、かく.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
必[ヒツ] invariably
examples: 秘密[ひみつ] secret; secrecy; confidentiality; privacy
秘める[ひめる] to hide; to keep to oneself
秘書[ひしょ] (private) secretary
神秘[しんぴ] mystery; mysteriousness; secret
極秘[ごくひ] absolute secrecy
神秘的[しんぴてき] mysterious; mystical
秘訣[ひけつ] secret (method, trick, etc.); key (e.g. to success); mysteries (of an art, trade
便秘[べんぴ] constipation
秘話[ひわ] secret story; unknown episode
heisig_story: Cereal . . . invariably.
koohii_story: The prize at the bottom of a cereal box is invariably a secret decoder ring.

kanji: 刻
meaning: engrave
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: きざ.む、きざ.み
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亥[ガイ] sign of the hog
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 遅刻[ちこく] lateness; tardiness; arriving late
刻む[きざむ] to mince; to cut fine; to chop up; to hash; to shred
深刻[しんこく] serious; severe; grave; acute
時刻[じこく] time; (the) hour
小刻み[こきざみ] mincing; chopping finely
即刻[そっこく] immediately; at once; instantly
彫刻[ちょうこく] carving; engraving; sculpture
一刻[いっこく] a moment; a minute; an instant
刻[こく] period of time (usu. a period of approx. two hours corresponding to one of the s
夕刻[ゆうこく] evening; evening hour
刻一刻と[こくいっこくと] moment by moment; hour by hour
刻々[こっこく] moment by moment; hour by hour
時刻表[じこくひょう] timetable; schedule
刻み[きざみ] mincing; cutting; chopping; notch; nick
刻一刻[こくいっこく] moment by moment; hour by hour
heisig_story: Acorn . . . saber.
koohii_story: This famous ninja (I always use ninjas with sabres , distinct from samurai) used to engrave the kanji for his name onto acorns , and throw the acorns to distract his enemies. The legend goes that by the time his victims would pick up the acorn and read the engrave d kanji, they were already dead.

kanji: 宇
meaning: eaves
ja_on: ウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
于[ウ] going
examples: 宇宙[うちゅう] universe; cosmos; space
大宇宙[だいうちゅう] macrocosmos; macrocosm; the universe; the cosmos
宇宙空間[うちゅうくうかん] (outer) space
宇宙開発[うちゅうかいはつ] space development; space exploration
宇宙開発事業団[うちゅうかいはつじぎょうだん] National Space Development Agency; NASDA
宇宙飛行士[うちゅうひこうし] astronaut
heisig_story: House . . . potato.
koohii_story: Under the eaves of the house the poor family has potate plants.

kanji: 欲
meaning: longing
ja_on: ヨク
ja_kun: ほっ.する、ほ.しい
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 谷[たに] valley
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 欲しい[ほしい] wanting (to have); desiring; wishing for
欲望[よくぼう] desire; appetite; lust
食欲[しょくよく] appetite (for food)
欲[よく] greed; craving; desire; appetite; hunger; avarice; wants
欲する[ほっする] to want; to desire
欲求[よっきゅう] desire; want; will; wish; urge; craving
欲しがる[ほしがる] to appear to want to have (something); to obviously want; to seem to want; to in
性欲[せいよく] sexual desire; sex drive; lust
貪欲[どんよく] greedy; avaricious; covetous
欲張り[よくばり] greed; avarice; covetousness; greedy person
意欲[いよく] will; desire; eagerness; interest; drive; motivation; urge; ambition
欲張る[よくばる] to be greedy; to be avaricious; to want badly; to desire intensely; to covet
無欲[むよく] unselfish; disinterested; unavaricious; free of avarice
禁欲的[きんよくてき] abstemious; austere
heisig_story: Valley . . . yawn. Be sure to keep the key word distinct from pining (Frame 683).
koohii_story: Guess what? Japanese has dirty words too! (In fact, a lot of them) A sexual story is NOT inappropriate here, as this kanji is very sexual, such as in 性欲 , lust. As for a story: the lack of contact with a woman's valley will leave a man LONGING for love.

kanji: 痛
meaning: pain
ja_on: ツウ
ja_kun: いた.い、いた.む、いた.ましい、いた.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
甬[ヨウ] road with walls on both sides
examples: 痛い[いたい] painful; sore
痛み[いたみ] pain; ache; soreness; grief; distress
痛む[いたむ] to hurt; to ache; to feel a pain
苦痛[くつう] pain; agony; suffering; distress; torment
頭痛[ずつう] headache
痛める[いためる] to hurt; to injure; to cause pain
悲痛[ひつう] grief; sorrow; extreme sadness; heartbreak
痛感[つうかん] feeling keenly; fully realizing
腹痛[ふくつう] stomach ache; abdominal pain
痛手[いたで] serious wound
痛ましい[いたましい] pitiful; heartbreaking; heartrending; touching; tragic; sad; hurtful
手痛い[ていたい] severe; hard
痛恨[つうこん] deep regret; great sorrow; bitter grief
痛烈[つうれつ] severe; bitter; scathing
腰痛[ようつう] lower back pain; lumbago
heisig_story: Sickness . . . chop-seal . . . utilize.
koohii_story: The CAVEMAN felt such a pain after his POGO STICK got stuck in his butt.

kanji: 縮
meaning: shrink
ja_on: シュク
ja_kun: ちぢ.む、ちぢ.まる、ちぢ.める、ちぢ.れる、ちぢ.らす
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
宿[シュク] inn
examples: 恐縮[きょうしゅく] feeling (much) obliged; being (very) grateful; being thankful
縮める[ちぢめる] to shorten; to reduce; to condense; to shrink
縮まる[ちぢまる] to shorten; to narrow; to close; to shrink
縮む[ちぢむ] to shrink; to contract; to diminish (in size)
収縮[しゅうしゅく] contraction; shrinking; shrinkage; constriction; deflation
萎縮[いしゅく] withering; shrivelling; shrinking
凝縮[ぎょうしゅく] condensation (of ideas, emotions, etc.); concentration
圧縮[あっしゅく] compression
短縮[たんしゅく] shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
縮小[しゅくしょう] reduction; curtailment; cut; cutback; scaling down; contraction; shrinkage
縮れる[ちぢれる] to be wavy; to be curled; to be frizzled
伸縮[しんしゅく] expansion and contraction; elasticity; flexibility
濃縮[のうしゅく] concentration (e.g. of a solution); enrichment; condensation
緊縮[きんしゅく] tightening; shrinkage; contraction; constriction
縮み[ちぢみ] shrinkage
heisig_story: Thread . . . inn.
koohii_story: After spending the night at an inn , spider man discovered to his dismay that his costume had shrunk in the wash, and no longer fit!

kanji: 枚
meaning: sheet of...
ja_on: マイ、バイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 枚[まい] counter for thin, flat objects (e.g. sheets of paper, plates, coins)
三枚[さんまい] three flat objects (sheets of paper, pieces of cloth, etc.)
枚数[まいすう] the number of flat things
一枚[いちまい] one (thin, flat object); one sheet
一枚岩[いちまいいわ] monolith; large slab of rock
二枚[にまい] two sheets (of paper or other flat objects)
二枚目[にまいめ] handsome man
二枚舌[にまいじた] double-dealing; duplicity; equivocation
枚挙[まいきょ] enumeration
heisig_story: English counts thin, flat objects, like bed linen and paper, in sheets. The kanji does this with a taskmaster whipping a tree into producing sheets against its will.
koohii_story: The taskmaster is a strict bathroom monitor who hands out only one sheet of really rough, splintery toilet paper per person. You can see the wood fibers.
heisig_keyword: a sheet of

kanji: 郵
meaning: mail
ja_on: ユウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 垂[スイ] droop
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 郵便[ゆうびん] mail service; postal service; mail; post
郵便局[ゆうびんきょく] post office
郵送[ゆうそう] mailing; posting
郵政[ゆうせい] postal system
郵政省[ゆうせいしょう] (former) Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (now Ministry of Internal Affa
郵貯[ゆうちょ] postal (post-office) savings (deposit)
heisig_story: Droop . . . city walls.
koohii_story: The drooping citywalls was generating a lot of angry mail for the city officials.

kanji: 探
meaning: grope
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: さぐ.る、さが.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
㓁[あみがしら] net
木[き] tree
examples: 探す[さがす] to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to seek
探る[さぐる] to feel around for; to fumble for; to grope for; to search for; to look for
探偵[たんてい] detective; investigator; sleuth
探索[たんさく] search; lookup; hunt; (item of) research; exploration; investigation
探検[たんけん] exploration; expedition
手探り[てさぐり] fumbling; groping
探し回る[さがしまわる] to search about for; to hunt around for; to look high and low for; to look every
探知[たんち] detection
探し物[さがしもの] looking for something; searching for something
探求[たんきゅう] search; quest; pursuit
探査[たんさ] probe; inquiry; enquiry; investigation
探検隊[たんけんたい] exploration party; expedition team
探究[たんきゅう] research; investigation; enquiry; inquiry; study
探訪[たんぼう] searching; hunting for news story; journalist
heisig_story: Fingers . . . paper punch . . . tree.
koohii_story: A pictograph of a japanese schoolgirl getting grope d by perverts on the train. The fingers of course, a crown (her too short skirt) and her legs below (which to be honest are pretty thick like tree trunks).

kanji: 骨
meaning: skeleton
ja_on: コツ
ja_kun: ほね
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
examples: 骨[ほね] bone
露骨[ろこつ] open; unconcealed; undisguised; blatant; plain; frank
骨折[こっせつ] bone fracture
背骨[せぼね] spine; backbone; spinal column
骨格[こっかく] skeleton; skeletal structure; build; frame; physique
骨抜き[ほねぬき] boning (fish or meat); deboning
人骨[じんこつ] human bones
拳骨[げんこつ] (clenched) fist; knuckles
散骨[さんこつ] scattering of ashes (cremated remains)
白骨[はっこつ] white (bleached) bone; skeleton
軟骨[なんこつ] cartilage
遺骨[いこつ] cremated remains (esp. the bones); ashes
鉄骨[てっこつ] steel frame; steel beam; steel girder
頭骨[とうこつ] skull
骨子[こっし] main point; gist; essentials; bones (e.g. of an idea); pith
heisig_story: This kanji and primitive refers to the part of the body composed of the bones and their joints. The top part of the kanji, terminating in the element for crown , is a pictograph of a bone joint. I leave it to you to put the pieces together, so to speak.
koohii_story: Your body meat is attached to the bone joints of your skeleton.

kanji: 射
meaning: shoot
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: い.る、さ.す、う.つ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 身[み] body
寸[すん] inch
examples: 発射[はっしゃ] firing (esp. a rocket or missile); launching; shooting; discharge; catapult
反射[はんしゃ] reflection; reverberation
反射的[はんしゃてき] reflexive; reflecting
射精[しゃせい] ejaculation
射撃[しゃげき] firing; shooting; fire; gunshot; marksmanship
注射[ちゅうしゃ] injection; jab; shot
射程[しゃてい] range (of a rifle, missile, etc.)
射殺[しゃさつ] shooting to death
射る[いる] to shoot (arrow, bolt, dart)
噴射[ふんしゃ] jet; spray; emission; spouting
放射[ほうしゃ] radiation; emission
射す[さす] to shine
射止める[いとめる] to shoot dead; to bring down (an animal)
放射能[ほうしゃのう] radioactivity
投射[とうしゃ] projection (of an image)
heisig_story: "I shot an arrow into the air, And it landed I know not where " goes the poem. (The poor poet obviously loses a lot of arrows.) This kanji, however, tells us where it did land. Its elements: somebody . . . glued to.
koohii_story: You SHOOT SOMEBODY with a GLUE-gun.

kanji: 届
meaning: deliver
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: とど.ける、-とど.け、とど.く
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 届く[とどく] to reach; to touch; to get to; to carry (of sound)
届ける[とどける] to deliver; to forward; to send
見届ける[みとどける] to make sure of; to ascertain; to see with one's own eyes; to watch to the end;
行き届く[いきとどく] to be scrupulous; to be attentive; to be prudent; to be complete; to be thorough
届[とどけ] report; notification; registration
届け[とどけ] report; notification; registration
変更届[へんこうとどけ] notification of change; alteration report; registration of modification
届け出[とどけで] report; notification
無届け[むとどけ] without notice; without leave (e.g. absence)
heisig_story: Flag . . . sprout.
koohii_story: In the US, when the mail is deliver ed, a flag sprouts up on your mailbox. (We don't have that in Australia.).

kanji: 巻
meaning: scroll
ja_on: カン、ケン
ja_kun: ま.く、まき、ま.き
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 己[おのれ] self
examples: 巻き込む[まきこむ] to roll up; to enfold; to swallow up
巻く[まく] to wind; to coil; to roll; to wear (e.g. turban, scarf)
巻[まき] roll (e.g. of cloth)
取り巻く[とりまく] to surround; to encircle; to enclose
巻き添え[まきぞえ] getting mixed up in; getting embroiled in; involvement; entanglement; by-blow
竜巻[たつまき] tornado; whirlwind; waterspout; twister
圧巻[あっかん] highlight; best part
寝巻[ねまき] nightclothes; nightwear; sleepwear; pyjamas; pajamas; nightgown; nightdress
寝巻き[ねまき] nightclothes; nightwear; sleepwear; pyjamas; pajamas; nightgown; nightdress
巻き返し[まきかえし] rally; recovery; comeback; rollback
巻尺[まきじゃく] tape measure
巻末[かんまつ] end of a book
席巻[せっけん] sweeping (over, across); conquering; overwhelming
渦巻き[うずまき] whirlpool; maelstrom; vortex; eddy; swirl
絵巻[えまき] picture scroll
heisig_story: Quarter . . . snake. The key word refers to a manuscript rolled up into a scroll , not to a hanging scroll (Frame 435).
koohii_story: At a mysterious bazaar, you happen to come across something interesting: a rolled- up scroll for only 25¢. You buy it up impulsively until you realize that the powerful spell contained within is cursed by a poisonous snake. If you try to cast this spell, the snake will pop out of nowhere and bite you! Hrmph. No wonder it was so cheap…

kanji: 揮
meaning: brandish
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: ふる.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
軍[グン] army
examples: 発揮[はっき] show (of power, ability, etc.); exhibition; demonstration; display; manifestatio
指揮[しき] command; direction; supervision
指揮者[しきしゃ] (musical) conductor
揮発[きはつ] volatilization; volatilisation
heisig_story: Finger . . . chariot.
koohii_story: A military leader in his chariot is brandish ing his finger at the enemy, crying "chaaaaaaaaarrrgggeeee!".

kanji: 閉
meaning: closed
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: と.じる、と.ざす、し.める、し.まる、た.てる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
才[サイ] genius
examples: 閉める[しめる] to close; to shut
閉じる[とじる] to close (e.g. book, eyes, meeting, etc.); to shut
閉まる[しまる] to be shut; to close; to be closed
閉じ込める[とじこめる] to lock up; to shut up; to imprison
閉ざす[とざす] to shut; to close; to fasten; to lock
開閉[かいへい] opening and shutting; opening and closing
閉鎖[へいさ] closing; closure
閉じこもる[とじこもる] to seclude oneself; to shut oneself away
閉店[へいてん] closing up shop (for the day)
幽閉[ゆうへい] confinement; imprisonment; incarceration
閉会[へいかい] closure (of a ceremony, event, meeting, etc.)
閉口[へいこう] to be stumped; to be at a loss; to be at one's wits' end; to be nonplussed
自閉症[じへいしょう] autism
閉塞[へいそく] blockage; blockade; blocking up; stoppage; obstruction; occlusion
閉幕[へいまく] falling of the curtain
heisig_story: Gates . . . genie.
koohii_story: The gates are too big to be closed by man. Only a genie can. "Close sesame!".

kanji: 賃
meaning: fare
ja_on: チン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 任[ニン] responsibility
貝[かい] shell
examples: 家賃[やちん] rent
賃金[ちんぎん] wages; pay
運賃[うんちん] (passenger) fare
賃上げ[ちんあげ] wage increase; pay rise
賃借[ちんしゃく] renting; rental; hiring; leasing (from)
賃貸[ちんたい] leasing (out); renting out; hiring out; letting
heisig_story: Responsibility . . . shells/money.
koohii_story: It's your own responsibility to pay the bus fare with the correct number of shells/money.

kanji: 貴
meaning: precious
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: たっと.い、とうと.い、たっと.ぶ、とうと.ぶ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 中[チュウ] in
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貴重[きちょう] precious; valuable
兄貴[あにき] elder brother
貴方[あなた] you
貴族[きぞく] nobility; aristocracy; peerage
貴重品[きちょうひん] valuable article; valuables
貴い[たっとい] precious; valuable; priceless
富貴[ふうき] riches and honours (honors); wealth and rank
貴社[きしゃ] your company
貴賓[きひん] noble visitor
貴金属[ききんぞく] precious metal
騰貴[とうき] rise (in price or value); appreciation; advance
heisig_story: Purse . . . shells.
koohii_story: Frodo kept the precious in the purse but did a switch with some worthless shells when he went to sleep. Heres gollum opening the purse "ahhh my precious ssssss…..why you m !!!!!.

kanji: 暮
meaning: evening
ja_on: ボ
ja_kun: く.れる、く.らす
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 莫[バク] must not
日[ひ] sun
examples: 暮らす[くらす] to live (on, by, etc.); to lead a life; to get along; to get by
暮らし[くらし] (way of) life; lifestyle; living; life circumstances; livelihood; day-to-day lif
一人暮らし[ひとりぐらし] living by oneself; living alone
暮れる[くれる] to get dark; to grow dark
夕暮れ[ゆうぐれ] evening; dusk; twilight
野暮[やぼ] boorish; unsophisticated; unrefined; uncouth; tasteless; insensitive; thoughtles
暮れ[くれ] sunset; sundown; nightfall; dusk
お歳暮[おせいぼ] year-end gift
日暮れ[ひぐれ] twilight; sunset; dusk; evening
明け暮れ[あけくれ] morning and evening; daily routine
歳暮[せいぼ] year-end gift
heisig_story: Imagine that you have chosen the occupation of the keeper of a graveyard and spend your days tending to other's dead hood in order to make your means of livelihood.
koohii_story: He made a livelihood out of robbing GRAVEYARDS in broad DAYlight.
heisig_keyword: livelihood
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 暮らし 暑い

kanji: 預
meaning: deposit
ja_on: ヨ
ja_kun: あず.ける、あず.かる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 予[ヨ] beforehand
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 預かる[あずかる] to look after; to take care of; to keep; to hold on to; to keep in custody
預ける[あずける] to leave (in someone's keeping); to put (in someone's care); to place (in someon
預金[よきん] deposit; bank account
定期預金[ていきよきん] term deposit; (fixed) time deposit
普通預金[ふつうよきん] ordinary deposit
預かり[あずかり] under custody; under supervision
預かり所[あずかりじょ] cloakroom; parcel room
預け入れる[あずけいれる] to make a deposit
預託[よたく] depositing (of money, valuables, etc.); deposition
預貯金[よちょきん] deposits and savings; bank account
heisig_story: Beforehand . . . head.
koohii_story: Deposit ing money into your savings account is something you do beforehand if you use your head. If you're in Japan your passbook says 預金機 （よきんき）when you make a deposit.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 預金 頂上

kanji: 簡
meaning: simplicity
ja_on: カン、ケン
ja_kun: えら.ぶ、ふだ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
間[カン] interval
examples: 簡単[かんたん] simple; easy; uncomplicated
簡潔[かんけつ] concise; brief; succinct; compact (style)
簡易[かんい] simple; simplified
簡素[かんそ] simple; plain; modest
書簡[しょかん] letter; note; epistle; correspondence
簡易保険[かんいほけん] postal life insurance
簡略[かんりゃく] simple; brief
簡裁[かんさい] summary court; court of summary offences
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . interval.
koohii_story: The simplicity of bamboo plant is in all its joints being at equal intervals.

kanji: 納
meaning: settlement
ja_on: ノウ、ナッ、ナ、ナン、トウ
ja_kun: おさ.める、-おさ.める、おさ.まる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
内[ナイ] inside
examples: 納得[なっとく] consent; agreement; acceptance
納める[おさめる] to put (into); to put away (in); to put back (in); to keep (in); to store (in);
収納[しゅうのう] storage; putting away
納豆[なっとう] natto (fermented soybeans)
納まる[おさまる] to fit into (a box, frame, category, etc.); to be contained within; to fall with
納屋[なや] barn (for storage); shed; outbuilding
滞納[たいのう] falling behind (with a payment); being in arrears; non-payment; default; delinqu
納入[のうにゅう] payment (of taxes, fees, etc.)
出納[すいとう] receipts and expenditure (disbursements)
奉納[ほうのう] dedication; offering; presentation; oblation
未納[みのう] payment default; overdue on a payment
納付[のうふ] payment; supply
納税[のうぜい] payment of taxes
納金[のうきん] payment
heisig_story: Thread . . . inside.
koohii_story: Have you heard about patients who have surgery and the doctor mistakenly leaves a medical instrument INSIDE the patient’s body and proceeds to stitch up the patient’s incisions with stitching THREAD? Can you say “malpractice SETTLEMENT ”? .

kanji: 樹
meaning: timber
ja_on: ジュ
ja_kun: き
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
壴
寸[すん] inch
examples: 樹木[じゅもく] tree; trees and shrubs
樹立[じゅりつ] establishment; founding; setting (a record)
広葉樹[こうようじゅ] broadleaf tree; broad-leaved tree
果樹[かじゅ] fruit tree
植樹[しょくじゅ] tree-planting
樹皮[じゅひ] bark (of a tree, etc.)
樹脂[じゅし] resin; rosin
樹齢[じゅれい] age of a tree
街路樹[がいろじゅ] roadside trees
heisig_story: Trees . . . drum . . . glue.
koohii_story: The hippies object to trees being cut down for timber. They have glued themselves to the timber-trees and are beating their drums.
heisig_keyword: timber-trees

kanji: 臓
meaning: entrails
ja_on: ゾウ
ja_kun: はらわた
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
蔵[ゾウ] storehouse
examples: 心臓[しんぞう] heart
内臓[ないぞう] internal organs; viscera
臓器[ぞうき] internal organs; viscera
肝臓[かんぞう] liver
心臓病[しんぞうびょう] heart disease; heart trouble; cardiopathy
腎臓[じんぞう] kidney
臓[ぞう] viscera; bowels
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . storehouse.
koohii_story: You signed your organ donor card, right? So, when you die, your entrails and other body parts will be placed in a storehouse.

kanji: 律
meaning: rhythm
ja_on: リツ、リチ、レツ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
examples: 法律[ほうりつ] law; legislation; act
規律[きりつ] order; observance; discipline
旋律[せんりつ] melody; tune
一律[いちりつ] uniform; even; across-the-board; equal
不文律[ふぶんりつ] unwritten law; common law
戒律[かいりつ] (religious) precept; discipline; commandment; mitzvah
法律事務所[ほうりつじむしょ] law office; law firm
自律[じりつ] autonomy; self-control; self-discipline
自律神経[じりつしんけい] autonomic nerve
韻律[いんりつ] metre (of a poem); meter; rhythm
heisig_story: This character depicts a calligrapher's brush and its rhythmic sway as it flows down a column writing kanji on the way.
koohii_story: The calligrapher's brush is moving down a column of a script, in rhythm with his meditation.

kanji: 至
meaning: climax
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: いた.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 厶[む] private
土[つち] earth
examples: 至る[いたる] to arrive at (e.g. a decision); to reach (a stage); to attain
至急[しきゅう] urgent; pressing; immediate; prompt; express
乃至[ないし] from ... to; between ... and
至って[いたって] very much; exceedingly; extremely
至福[しふく] beatitude; supreme bliss
必至[ひっし] inevitable; necessary; foregone
至る所[いたるところ] everywhere; all over; throughout
至上[しじょう] supremacy
冬至[とうじ] winter solstice
夏至[げし] summer solstice
至難[しなん] most difficult; next to impossible
heisig_story: Wall . . . soil. The key word allows for the full variety of connotations: to peak, to arrive at the end, and the like.
koohii_story: Sexual climax es don't always happen on the bed, they sometimes happen against a wall or on the ground!

kanji: 宗
meaning: religion
ja_on: シュウ、ソウ
ja_kun: むね
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
示[しめす] altar
examples: 宗教[しゅうきょう] religion; religious affiliation; belief; faith; creed
宗[しゅう] sect; denomination
宗家[そうけ] head of family; head house
宗派[しゅうは] sect; denomination
宗祖[しゅうそ] sect founder
宗門[しゅうもん] (religious) denomination; sect
改宗[かいしゅう] religious conversion
浄土真宗[じょうどしんしゅう] Jōdo Shinshū (offshoot of the Jōdo sect); True Pure Land School
禅宗[ぜんしゅう] Zen (Buddhism)
heisig_story: House . . . altar.
koohii_story: I never really did figure out what religion my host family was - all I knew was that they kept an altar in their home.

kanji: 宙
meaning: mid-air
ja_on: チュウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 宇宙[うちゅう] universe; cosmos; space
宙[ちゅう] space; air; midair
宙返り[ちゅうがえり] somersault; looping-the-loop
大宇宙[だいうちゅう] macrocosmos; macrocosm; the universe; the cosmos
宇宙空間[うちゅうくうかん] (outer) space
宇宙開発[うちゅうかいはつ] space development; space exploration
宇宙開発事業団[うちゅうかいはつじぎょうだん] National Space Development Agency; NASDA
宇宙飛行士[うちゅうひこうし] astronaut
heisig_story: House . . . shoot.
koohii_story: Jack's beanstalk sprouted up, pushed at the roof and lifted the house so that it hangs in mid-air suspended on the SPROUT.

kanji: 銭
meaning: coin
ja_on: セン、ゼン
ja_kun: ぜに、すき
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 金[かね] metal
戋
examples: 金銭[きんせん] money; cash
小銭[こぜに] small change; pocket change; coins
銭[せん] sen (hundredth of a yen)
銭湯[せんとう] public bath; bathhouse
釣り銭[つりせん] change (for a purchase)
heisig_story: Those special gold -colored tokens minted each year for the Mardi Gras and thrown into the crowds from people on the floats give us the kanji for coins.
koohii_story: Interesting fact: The Japanese one yen coin is the only coin in the world that can float on water. .

kanji: 操
meaning: maneuver
ja_on: ソウ、サン
ja_kun: みさお、あやつ.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
喿[ソウ] chirping of birds
examples: 操る[あやつる] to operate (e.g. a machine); to handle; to manage; to control; to maneuver; to s
操作[そうさ] operation; management; handling
操縦[そうじゅう] steering; piloting; flying; control; operation; handling
体操[たいそう] gymnastics; physical exercises
節操[せっそう] integrity; fidelity; constancy; principle; faithfulness; honor; honour
操[みさお] fidelity; honour; honor; constancy
操業[そうぎょう] operation (of a machine, factory, fishing boat, etc.); work
heisig_story: Fingers . . . goods . . . tree.
koohii_story: Tip: goods \+ wood/tree : This combination of primitives appears four times in Heisig, so it's worthwhile giving it a name. I suggest " furniture " (a common type of wooden goods ). REF: [parch](../v4/215.html) (#215 燥) , maneuver (FRAME 671), [winding](../v4/1369.html) (#1369 繰), [seaweed](../v4/2035.html) (#2035 藻). Story: Using just a finger you are trying to maneuver your furniture round your room.

kanji: 誕
meaning: nativity
ja_on: タン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
延[エン] prolong
examples: 誕生日[たんじょうび] birthday
誕生[たんじょう] birth (of a person); nativity
お誕生日[おたんじょうび] birthday
お誕生日おめでとうございます[おたんじょうびおめでとうございます] happy birthday
生誕[せいたん] birth (esp. of a famous person); nativity
heisig_story: The key word of course calls to mind the feast of Christmas. As the famous poem at the start of St. John's gospel tells us, the nativity we celebrate at Christmas had its origins at the very start of time and governs all of human history: it represents the prolongation of the eternal Word in time and space.
koohii_story: Nativity = born, being born. Think of birth as a painful and prolong ed event. And of course, all the words and curses being yelled at the soon- to-be father for doing this to her!

kanji: 孝
meaning: filial piety
ja_on: コウ、キョウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 耂[おいかんむり] old
子[こ] child
examples: 親孝行[おやこうこう] filial piety; being kind to one's parents; taking care of one's parents
孝行[こうこう] filial piety
不孝[ふこう] undutifulness to one's parents; lack of filial piety
親不孝[おやふこう] lack of filial piety; disobedience to one's parents
heisig_story: Old man . . . child.
koohii_story: This child has taken filial piety to the next level. He is actually carrying the old man on his shoulders.

kanji: 純
meaning: genuine
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
屯[トン] barracks
examples: 単純[たんじゅん] simple; plain; uncomplicated; straightforward; simple-minded; naive
純粋[じゅんすい] pure; true; genuine; unmixed
純情[じゅんじょう] pure heart; naivete; innocence
純[じゅん] innocent; chaste; naive
不純[ふじゅん] impure; adulterated; foul; mixed; dishonest
純度[じゅんど] purity (of a substance)
純文学[じゅんぶんがく] pure literature; belles-lettres
純益[じゅんえき] clear profit; net income; net profit
純金[じゅんきん] pure gold; solid gold; fine gold
heisig_story: Thread . . . earthworm.
koohii_story: Earthworm Jim's prized possession is a genuine copy of the #1 issue of Spiderman.

kanji: 訳
meaning: translate
ja_on: ヤク
ja_kun: わけ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
尺[シャク] shaku
examples: 申し訳ない[もうしわけない] I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable; I feel regretful; I feel guilty
申し訳ありません[もうしわけありません] I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable
言い訳[いいわけ] excuse
訳[わけ] reason; cause; grounds
申し訳[もうしわけ] apology; excuse
訳じゃない[わけじゃない] it does not mean that ...; I don't mean that ...; it is not the case that
翻訳[ほんやく] translation
訳ではない[わけではない] it does not mean that ...; I don't mean that ...; it is not the case that ...
通訳[つうやく] interpretation (i.e. oral translation)
訳す[やくす] to translate; to interpret
訳がない[わけがない] there is no way that ...
内訳[うちわけ] itemization (of expenses); the items; breakdown; classification
全訳[ぜんやく] complete translation
点訳[てんやく] translating into Braille
英訳[えいやく] English translation
heisig_story: Words . . . shakuhachi.
koohii_story: You cannot pretend to translate into words the melody of the shakuhachi!

kanji: 吸
meaning: suck
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: す.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
及[キュウ] reach out
examples: 吸う[すう] to breathe in; to inhale; to smoke (a cigarette, etc.)
呼吸[こきゅう] breathing; respiration
吸い込む[すいこむ] to inhale; to breathe in; to suck up; to soak up; to absorb
吸収[きゅうしゅう] absorption; suction; attraction
吸血鬼[きゅうけつき] vampire; bloodsucker
吸引[きゅういん] absorption; suction; aspiration
人工呼吸[じんこうこきゅう] artificial respiration
吸い殻[すいがら] cigarette end; cigarette butt; tobacco ashes
吸入[きゅうにゅう] inhalation
呼吸器[こきゅうき] respiratory organs
heisig_story: Mouth . . . outstretched hands. Hint: use the image of a nursing baby.
koohii_story: An open mouth and reaching hands : a baby wants to suck at his mother's breast.

kanji: 看
meaning: watch over
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: み.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 手[て] hand
目[め] eye
examples: 看板[かんばん] signboard; sign; billboard; hoarding; doorplate
看病[かんびょう] nursing (a patient)
看護師[かんごし] (hospital) nurse; registered nurse; RN
看過[かんか] overlooking; turning a blind eye
看護婦[かんごふ] (female) nurse
看る[みる] to look after (often medically); to take care of
看護[かんご] nursing; (army) nurse
看守[かんしゅ] prison guard; warder; jailer; gaoler
heisig_story: Hand . . . eyes.
koohii_story: It's a hot day of summer with a clear sky, you're sitting outside a cafe (or maybe on a reclining chair in the garden), and you watch over the kids with a hand covering your eyes from the sunlight (next time, don't forget the sunglasses).

kanji: 奏
meaning: play music
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: かな.でる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 天[テン] heavens
examples: 演奏[えんそう] musical performance
奏でる[かなでる] to play an instrument (esp. string instruments)
二重奏[にじゅうそう] instrumental duet; instrumental duo
伴奏[ばんそう] accompaniment
協奏曲[きょうそうきょく] concerto
合奏[がっそう] ensemble (e.g. orchestra, chamber group, etc.); concert
四重奏[しじゅうそう] instrumental quartet
奏功[そうこう] success; achievement; fruition
奏者[そうしゃ] instrumentalist; player
演奏会[えんそうかい] concert; recital
独奏[どくそう] (instrumental) solo; recital
heisig_story: Bonsai . . . heavens.
koohii_story: When you play music to them, your bonsai will grow like they are in heaven.

kanji: 翌
meaning: the following
ja_on: ヨク
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 羽[はね] feather
立[たつ] to stand
examples: 翌日[よくじつ] next day
翌朝[よくあさ] next morning
翌年[よくねん] following year
翌月[よくげつ] following month
翌週[よくしゅう] the following week; the next week
heisig_story: Feathers . . . vase. Be sure to contrast the connotation of this keyword with that for next (Frame 510).
koohii_story: Your feathers would also stand up if you were a hen in a slaughter house and you heard: " The following!".

kanji: 片
meaning: one-sided
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: かた-、かた
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 片[かた] split wood
examples: 片付ける[かたづける] to put in order; to tidy up; to clean up; to put away; to clear away
片手[かたて] one hand
片方[かたほう] one side; one party; the other side; the other party
片隅[かたすみ] corner; nook
欠片[かけら] fragment; broken piece; chip; splinter; shard
破片[はへん] fragment; broken piece; splinter; chip; shard
片付く[かたづく] to be put in order; to be put to rights
片目[かため] one eye; one of one's eyes
後片付け[あとかたづけ] tidying up; clearing up; cleaning up; clearing away; putting in order
片思い[かたおもい] unrequited love; one-sided love
断片[だんぺん] fragment; scrap; piece; shred
片側[かたがわ] one side
片道[かたみち] one-way (trip)
片寄る[かたよる] to lean (to one side); to incline
木片[もくへん] block (of wood); chip; splinter
heisig_story: This kanji is based on the pictograph of a tree with some branches going upwards and others hanging down, split right down the middle. When that picture's right side is isolated, it becomes the kanji for one-sided , in the sense of only one part of a whole.
koohii_story: Fuaburisu's pictograph of a man kneeling and presenting the ring to his future wife is a one-sided version of the story. Others say he was giving her the finger.

kanji: 郷
meaning: home town
ja_on: キョウ、ゴウ
ja_kun: さと
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 乡
艮[こん] boundary
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 故郷[こきょう] hometown; birthplace; native place; one's old home
郷愁[きょうしゅう] nostalgia; homesickness
郷里[きょうり] hometown; birthplace
同郷[どうきょう] (being from the) same town (province, birthplace, etc.)
郷土[きょうど] native place; birth-place; one's old home
heisig_story: Cocoon . . . silver . . . city walls.
koohii_story: Your hometown is where you broke out of your cocoon (born), and where you left when your hair was silver (died), your whole life was spent inside the city walls.
heisig_keyword: hometown

kanji: 敬
meaning: awe
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ
ja_kun: うやま.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 苟[コウ] any
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 尊敬[そんけい] respect; esteem; reverence; honour; honor
敬語[けいご] honorific; term of respect; polite expression; honorific language
敬意[けいい] respect; honour; honor
失敬[しっけい] rudeness; impoliteness; disrespect; impertinence
敬う[うやまう] to show respect for; to revere; to honour; to honor; to worship; to hold in este
敬遠[けいえん] pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's
敬具[けいぐ] yours sincerely; sincerely yours; yours truly
敬称[けいしょう] honorific title; honorific term of address
敬老[けいろう] respect for the aged
heisig_story: Standing in awe of someone, you get self-conscious and may try to speak in flowery phrases out of veneration or fear. The taskmaster at the right is drilling you in the practice of your "honorifics."
koohii_story: The flowery phrases of keigo ( 敬語 ) with which you must address the schoolmaster.

kanji: 泉
meaning: spring
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: いずみ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 白[しろ] white
水[みず] water
examples: 温泉[おんせん] hot spring
泉[いずみ] spring; fountain
源泉[げんせん] source (of a spring, etc.)
天然温泉[てんねんおんせん] natural hot spring
泉水[せんすい] garden pond; miniature lake
heisig_story: Call to mind the image of a fresh, bubbling spring of water , and you will probably notice how the top of the spring you are thinking of, the part where the "bubbling" goes on, is all white. Happily, the white is just where it should be, at the top, and the water is at the bottom.
koohii_story: White is a symbol of purety, so white water is pure water, the precise definition of spring water.

kanji: 己
meaning: self
ja_on: コ、キ
ja_kun: おのれ、つちのと、な
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 己[おのれ] self
examples: 己[おのれ] oneself (itself, etc.)
自己紹介[じこしょうかい] self-introduction
自己[じこ] self; oneself
利己[りこ] self-interest
利己主義[りこしゅぎ] egoism; egotism; selfishness
知己[ちき] acquaintance
自己管理[じこかんり] taking care of something by oneself; self-management
自己資本[じこしほん] net worth; owned capital
heisig_story: The kanji carries the abstract sense of the self , the deep-down inner structure of the human person that mythology has often depicted as a snake \- which is what the kanji shows pictographically. Be sure to keep it distinct from the similar keywords, oneself (frame 36) and I (frame 17).
koohii_story: This kanji looks like the "s" of "self", looking at its own reflection in a mirror (reversed sideways), as if pondering about his "self".

kanji: 忠
meaning: loyalty
ja_on: チュウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 中[チュウ] in
心[こころ] heart
examples: 忠告[ちゅうこく] advice; warning
忠実[ちゅうじつ] faithful; devoted; loyal; honest; true
忠誠[ちゅうせい] loyalty; sincerity; allegiance; fidelity; integrity
忠義[ちゅうぎ] loyalty; devotion
忠臣[ちゅうしん] loyal retainer; loyal subject
heisig_story: In the middle of a . . . heart.
koohii_story: Their true loyalty exists in the middle of their hearts.

kanji: 沿
meaning: run alongside
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: そ.う、-ぞ.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
㕣 a marsh at the foot of the hills
examples: 沿って[そって] along; by; parallel to
沿い[ぞい] along (a river, coast, railway, etc.); on (e.g. a street)
沿う[そう] to run along; to run beside; to stick to (a line)
川沿い[かわぞい] along the river; riverside
沿岸[えんがん] coast; shore
沿線[えんせん] places alongside a railway line, bus route, major thoroughfare, etc.
沿海[えんかい] sea along the coast; coastal waters; inshore waters
沿海州[えんかいしゅう] Primorskaya Oblast (Russia)
沿道[えんどう] roadside; wayside; route
沿革[えんかく] history; development
heisig_story: Water . . . gully. The key word is meant to refer to things like rivers and railway tracks that run alongside something else.
koohii_story: Water in a gully runs alongside the path.

kanji: 誠
meaning: sincerity
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: まこと
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
成[セイ] turn into
examples: 誠実[せいじつ] sincere; honest; faithful
誠に[まことに] really; truly; very; extremely; exceedingly; sincerely
誠意[せいい] sincerity; good faith
誠[まこと] truth; reality; fact
忠誠[ちゅうせい] loyalty; sincerity; allegiance; fidelity; integrity
誠にありがとうございます[まことにありがとうございます] thank you very much
heisig_story: The sure sign of sincerity is that one's mere words are turned into deeds.
koohii_story: Sincerity happens when what you say actually turns into something.

kanji: 忘
meaning: forget
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: わす.れる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亡[ボウ] deceased
心[こころ] heart
examples: 忘れる[わすれる] to forget; to leave carelessly; to be forgetful of; to forget about; to forget (
忘れ物[わすれもの] lost article; thing left behind
忘却[ぼうきゃく] lapse of memory; forgetting completely; (consigning to) oblivion
忘年会[ぼうねんかい] year-end party; "forget-the-year" party; bōnenkai
heisig_story: Perish . . . heart.
koohii_story: You only truly forget her when she has perish ed in your heart.

kanji: 俳
meaning: haiku
ja_on: ハイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
非[あらず] wrong
examples: 俳優[はいゆう] actor; actress; player; performer
俳句[はいく] haiku
俳人[はいじん] haiku poet
heisig_story: This character is used for the haiku , the 17-syllable poem that is one of Japan's best-known literary forms. Its elements: person .. . jail cell.
koohii_story: I pity the fool/ Who put me in this jail cell/ I pity the fool. (Credit taijuando).

kanji: 宝
meaning: treasure
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: たから
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
玉[たま] jewelry
examples: 宝物[たからもの] treasure; treasured item; prized possession
宝石[ほうせき] gem; jewel; precious stone
宝[たから] treasure
重宝[ちょうほう] convenient; useful; handy; helpful
宝くじ[たからくじ] lottery
人間国宝[にんげんこくほう] living national treasure
国宝[こくほう] national treasure
宝庫[ほうこ] treasury; treasure house; storehouse; repository
宝飾[ほうしょく] jewels and ornaments; jewelry; jewellery
heisig_story: Every house has its treasure , as every thief knows only too well. While the things we treasure most are usually of sentimental value, we take the original sense of the term treasure here and make it refer to jewels kept in one's house.
koohii_story: On treasure island is a single house \- where all the jewels are stored.

kanji: 胸
meaning: bosom
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: むね、むな-
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
匈[キョウ] turmoil
examples: 胸[むね] chest; breast
度胸[どきょう] courage; bravery; pluck; nerve; grit; guts
胸中[きょうちゅう] one's heart; one's mind; one's intentions
胸部[きょうぶ] chest; breast
胸像[きょうぞう] bust (sculpture); half-length portrait
胸襟[きょうきん] one's heart
豊胸[ほうきょう] full breasts; ample breasts
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . bound up . . . villain.
koohii_story: Bosom is a Flesh part that should be bound up lest it provoke villian thoughts.

kanji: 砂
meaning: sand
ja_on: サ、シャ
ja_kun: すな
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 石[いし] stone
少[ショウ] few
examples: 砂[すな] sand; grit; fine gravel
砂糖[さとう] sugar
砂漠[さばく] desert
砂浜[すなはま] sandy beach
砂利[じゃり] gravel; ballast; pebbles
サハラ砂漠[サハラさばく] Sahara Desert
土砂[どしゃ] sediment; earth and sand
土砂降り[どしゃぶり] downpour; pouring rain; heavy rain; pelting rain; cloudburst
砂丘[さきゅう] sand dune; sand hill
砂時計[すなどけい] hourglass; sandglass
砂防[さぼう] erosion control
heisig_story: Good sand for beaches has few or no stones in it. That means that all of us whose feet have been spoiled by too much time in shoes don't have to watch our step as we cavort about.
koohii_story: Here's how I remember that stone is on the left. This is because sand starts as stones , and only later they become few.

kanji: 誤
meaning: mistake
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: あやま.る、-あやま.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
呉[ゴ] give
examples: 誤解[ごかい] misunderstanding
誤魔化す[ごまかす] to deceive; to cheat; to swindle
誤る[あやまる] to make a mistake (in); to commit an error; to do incorrectly; to err
誤算[ごさん] miscalculation
試行錯誤[しこうさくご] trial and error
誤差[ごさ] measurement error; calculation error
誤って[あやまって] accidentally; in error; by mistake; by accident
誤り[あやまり] error; mistake; slip; bug
錯誤[さくご] mistake; error; discrepancy
時代錯誤[じだいさくご] anachronism
誤報[ごほう] false report; incorrect report; misinformation; false alarm
誤字[ごじ] misprint; misspelling; typo; typographical error; erratum
誤植[ごしょく] misprint; typographical error; typo
誤認[ごにん] misrecognition; mistaking (x for y)
heisig_story: Words . . . give.
koohii_story: It is a rookie mistake to believe the words when your sweetie says "You don't have to give me anything for my birthday." Trust me, your sweetie wants something, something shiny, and if you disappoint, you will suffer.

kanji: 聖
meaning: holy
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
ja_kun: ひじり
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
口[くち] mouth
王[オウ] king
examples: 神聖[しんせい] holiness; sacredness; sanctity; dignity
聖地[せいち] sacred place; holy ground; the Holy Land
聖域[せいいき] sacred precincts; sanctuary; consecrated ground; holy ground
聖人[せいじん] saint
聖書[せいしょ] Bible; the Scriptures; Holy Writ
聖職者[せいしょくしゃ] clergyman; churchman; clergy
棋聖[きせい] great master of go; great master of shogi
聖堂[せいどう] (Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary
聖戦[せいせん] holy war; crusade
聖母[せいぼ] mother of a holy person
聖火[せいか] sacred fire; sacred flame
heisig_story: Ear . . . mouth . . . king.
koohii_story: A holy man hears with his ears before he speaks with his mouth , which places him higher than a king in people's esteem.

kanji: 洗
meaning: wash
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: あら.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
先[セン] before
examples: 洗う[あらう] to wash; to cleanse; to rinse
洗濯[せんたく] washing; laundry
洗濯物[せんたくもの] laundry; the washing
洗脳[せんのう] brainwashing
お手洗い[おてあらい] toilet; restroom; lavatory; bathroom
洗面所[せんめんじょ] washroom; bathroom
洗濯機[せんたくき] washing machine; (clothes) washer
洗い物[あらいもの] things to be washed; (dirty) dishes; laundry; washing
洗剤[せんざい] detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent; washing material
洗練[せんれん] refinement; polish
洗礼[せんれい] baptism; christening
洗浄[せんじょう] washing; cleansing; cleaning; laundering
手洗い[てあらい] washing one's hands; water (or basin, etc.) for washing one's hands
皿洗い[さらあらい] washing-up; dish-washing
水洗[すいせん] washing with water; rinsing; flushing
heisig_story: This character is so logical that one is tempted to let the elements speak for themselves: water . . . before. But we have already decided we will not allow such rationalism to creep into our stories. Not even this once. Instead, let us change the character from the Peanuts comic strip called "Pigpen," who is always preceded by a little cloud of dust and grime, and rename him " Wash -Out." Everywhere he walks, a spray of water goes before him to sanitize everything he touches.
koohii_story: In Japan, you always wash with water from the shower before you enter the bathtub.

kanji: 尊
meaning: revered
ja_on: ソン
ja_kun: たっと.い、とうと.い、たっと.ぶ、とうと.ぶ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 酋[シュウ] chieftain
寸[すん] inch
examples: 尊敬[そんけい] respect; esteem; reverence; honour; honor
尊重[そんちょう] respect; esteem; regard
尊い[たっとい] precious; valuable; priceless
尊厳[そんげん] dignity; majesty; sanctity
尊ぶ[たっとぶ] to value; to prize; to esteem
尊称[そんしょう] honorific title
本尊[ほんぞん] principal object of worship (at a Buddhist temple); principal image
男尊女卑[だんそんじょひ] male domination of women; male chauvinism; subjection of women
自尊[じそん] self-respect; esteem; self-importance; pride
heisig_story: Animal horns . . . whiskey bottle . . . glue.
koohii_story: I drank the Devil Whiskey and was revered by all. Too bad I had to have my anus glued shut from the damage it did to my digestive system…

kanji: 窓
meaning: window
ja_on: ソウ、ス
ja_kun: まど、てんまど、けむだし
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
厶[む] private
心[こころ] heart
examples: 窓[まど] window
窓際[まどぎわ] at the window; by the window; next to the window
窓口[まどぐち] counter; window; teller window; ticket window
同窓会[どうそうかい] alumni association; graduates' association; alumni meeting; class reunion
同窓[どうそう] being a graduate of the same school; person who went to the same school; fellow
車窓[しゃそう] train window; car window
heisig_story: House . . . human legs . . . elbow . . . heart.
koohii_story: This is either a love scene or a murder scene that you are seeing through a window. The love scene: through the window of a house (from a distance), you see a pair of human legs, then elbows, and then some pink hearts floating up like in a cartoon. The murder scene: peering through the window of a house, you see a gruesome murder scene. Human legs dangling from a ceiling fan, an elbow sticking out of a wall, and a heart still beating on the carpet.

kanji: 敵
meaning: enemy
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: かたき、あだ、かな.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 啇[テキ] the stalk
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 敵[てき] opponent; rival; adversary
素敵[すてき] lovely; wonderful; charming; enchanting; nice; great; splendid; marvellous (marv
無敵[むてき] invincible; unrivaled; unrivalled; matchless; unbeatable; undefeatable
敵意[てきい] hostility; animosity; enmity
敵対[てきたい] hostility; antagonism; opposition
強敵[きょうてき] formidable enemy; strong enemy; tough enemy
不敵[ふてき] daring; fearless; intrepid; bold; tough
匹敵[ひってき] to be a match for; to rival; to equal; to compare with; to be equivalent to
敵わない[かなわない] no match for; cannot compete with; not in the same league as; powerless against
宿敵[しゅくてき] old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy; traditional rival; longstanding foe
政敵[せいてき] political opponent
敵国[てきこく] enemy nation
敵失[てきしつ] error made by the enemy or opposing team
heisig_story: Picture your most precious antique (it doesn't matter how old it really is, so long as it is the oldest thing YOU own) being knocked over by your most unlikeable taskmaster , and you have a good picture of how people make themselves enemies for life.
koohii_story: The taskmaster became my enemy for life when he smashed the antique vase holding my wife's ashes.

kanji: 幼
meaning: infancy
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: おさな.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 幺[いとがしら] young
力[ちから] power
examples: 幼い[おさない] very young; little
幼なじみ[おさななじみ] childhood friend; friend from infancy; old playmate
幼稚園[ようちえん] kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school
幼稚[ようち] infancy
幼児[ようじ] young child; toddler
幼少期[ようしょうき] (early) childhood
幼少[ようしょう] infancy; childhood; tender age
幼子[おさなご] infant; baby; little child
乳幼児[にゅうようじ] babies and preschool children
幼虫[ようちゅう] larva; grub; maggot
heisig_story: Cocoon . . . muscle.
koohii_story: In its infancy , a butterfly is protected by a cocoon , as it doesn't yet have any power of its own.

kanji: 潮
meaning: tide
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: しお、うしお
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
朝[チョウ] morning
examples: 潮[しお] tide; current
紅潮[こうちょう] flush; blush
潮時[しおどき] tidal hour
風潮[ふうちょう] tide; current
満潮[まんちょう] high tide; high water; full tide
潮流[ちょうりゅう] tide; tidal current
黒潮[くろしお] Kuroshio Current; Japan Current
heisig_story: Before we get to explaining this character, take a look at it and see if you can figure out the primitive elements on your own.... On the left is the water \- that much is easy. On the right we have only one primitive, the kanji for morning learned back in Frame 53. See how an apparently complex kanji falls apart neatly into manageable pieces? To get the meaning of the key word tide , just think of it in connection with the character for eventide that we learned back in Frame 115. Here we have the morning - tide , its complement. By the way, if you missed the question about the number of primitives, it is probably because you forgot what we said earlier about kanji becoming primitives, independently of the pieces that make them up. As a rule, look for the largest kanji you can write and proceed from there to primitives stranded on their own.
koohii_story: The morning tide is basically, well, WATER in the MORNING.

kanji: 鋼
meaning: steel
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: はがね
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 金[かね] metal
岡[コウ] mount
examples: 鋼[はがね] steel
鋼鉄[こうてつ] steel
鉄鋼[てっこう] iron and steel
粗鋼[そこう] crude steel
製鋼[せいこう] steel manufacture
鋼材[こうざい] steel material
鋼板[こうはん] steel sheet; steel plate
heisig_story: Metal . . . Mount.
koohii_story: Mount Fuji is completely made up of a metal known as steel.

kanji: 縦
meaning: vertical
ja_on: ジュウ
ja_kun: たて
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
従[ジュウ] accompany
examples: 縦[たて] the vertical; height
操縦[そうじゅう] steering; piloting; flying; control; operation; handling
縦断[じゅうだん] running through (north-south); cutting across; travelling across
縦書き[たてがき] writing vertically; vertical writing
縦横[じゅうおう] length and width; length and breadth; lengthwise and crosswise; vertical and hor
heisig_story: Thread . . . accompany.
koohii_story: When Spider-man does his amazing vertical wall climbing, a throng of photographers accompanies him to get a good shot of the action.

kanji: 捨
meaning: discard
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: す.てる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
舎[シャ] cottage
examples: 捨てる[すてる] to throw away; to cast away; to dump; to discard
見捨てる[みすてる] to abandon; to fail; to desert; to forsake
切り捨てる[きりすてる] to cut off and throw away
呼び捨て[よびすて] addressing (someone) without using a suffix such as "-san" or "-chan" (considere
使い捨て[つかいすて] throwaway; disposable; single-use
四捨五入[ししゃごにゅう] rounding (off; a number); rounding half away from zero
切り捨て[きりすて] cutting a person down (without a second thought); sacrificing; throwing to the w
取捨[しゅしゃ] adoption or rejection; selection; choice; option
捨て子[すてご] abandoned child; foundling
heisig_story: Fingers . . . cottage.
koohii_story: Someone stuck their fingers in my cottage cheese! I'm going to have to discard the lot!
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 捨てる 拾う

kanji: 腹
meaning: abdomen
ja_on: フク
ja_kun: はら
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
复 return
examples: 腹[はら] abdomen; belly; stomach
お腹[おなか] belly; abdomen; stomach
裏腹[うらはら] opposite; reverse; contrary
空腹[くうふく] empty stomach; hunger
腹部[ふくぶ] abdomen; abdominal region; belly
満腹[まんぷく] full stomach; filling one's stomach; eating one's fill
腹痛[ふくつう] stomach ache; abdominal pain
立腹[りっぷく] anger; getting angry; taking offense; losing one's temper
切腹[せっぷく] seppuku; harakiri
中腹[ちゅうふく] halfway up (down) a mountain; mountainside
腹いっぱい[はらいっぱい] having a full stomach; being full
お腹の子[おなかのこ] child one is expecting; child in one's womb
下っ腹[したっぱら] abdomen; stomach; under parts
太っ腹[ふとっぱら] generous; magnanimous; big-hearted; broad-minded
腹心[ふくしん] one's confidant; trusted friend; trusted retainer
heisig_story: If you double back (fold over) most animals - or people, for that matter - in the middle, the part of the body where the crease comes is the abdomen.
koohii_story: The only body part that doubles over.

kanji: 乳
meaning: milk
ja_on: ニュウ
ja_kun: ちち、ち
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 孚[フ] sincere
乙[おつ] the second
examples: 牛乳[ぎゅうにゅう] (cow's) milk
乳[ちち] milk
乳首[ちくび] nipple; teat
乳房[ちぶさ] breast; udder
母乳[ぼにゅう] mother's milk
乳児[にゅうじ] infant (below 1 year old); suckling baby
乳幼児[にゅうようじ] babies and preschool children
乳製品[にゅうせいひん] dairy products
搾乳[さくにゅう] milking (a cow, goat, etc.)
豆乳[とうにゅう] soy milk
鍾乳洞[しょうにゅうどう] limestone cave; limestone cavern
heisig_story: Fledglings . . . hook.
koohii_story: A fledgling is being nursed at a zoo, it is fed milk through a small tube that is bent in the shape of a hook (so that it fits inside its beak). The fledgling soon becomes addicted to milk , giving us this very catchy mnemonic: “ fledgling hooked on milk ”.

kanji: 紅
meaning: crimson
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: べに、くれない、あか.い
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
工[たくみ] work
examples: 紅茶[こうちゃ] black tea
紅[くれない] deep red; crimson
紅潮[こうちょう] flush; blush
紅葉[こうよう] leaves turning red (in autumn); red leaves; autumn colours; fall colors
口紅[くちべに] lipstick
紅梅[こうばい] red-blossomed plum tree; red Japanese apricot
紅白[こうはく] red and white; colours for festive or auspicious occasions (colors)
heisig_story: Thread . . . craft.
koohii_story: Spiderman crafted a crimson costume to fight crime in.

kanji: 冊
meaning: tome
ja_on: サツ、サク
ja_kun: ふみ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 冊[さつ] counter for books
一冊[いっさつ] one copy (of a book, magazine, etc.); one volume
冊子[さっし] book; booklet; story book; pamphlet; notebook
分冊[ぶんさつ] separate volume; fascicle; fascicule
別冊[べっさつ] separate volume; extra issue; supplement; additional volume; supplementary volum
小冊子[しょうさっし] booklet; pamphlet
短冊[たんざく] tanzaku; poem slip; poetry slip
heisig_story: This key word is a counter for books. It differs from scrapbook both in the writing order and in the extension of the second horizontal stroke.
koohii_story: Pictograph. I think of that Harry Potter spell book that had to be bound shut coz it wanted to eat you.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 冊 皿

kanji: 仁
meaning: humanity
ja_on: ジン、ニ、ニン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
二[に] two
examples: 仁[じん] benevolence (esp. as a virtue of Confucianism); consideration; compassion; human
仁義[じんぎ] humanity and justice (esp. in Confucianism); virtue
仁王[におう] two Deva kings
heisig_story: To refer to the fullness of humanity that can only be achieved in dialogue with another ( person . . . two ), Confucius used this character.
koohii_story: Mr. T shows his humanity by giving two bucks to every homeless person he sees.

kanji: 卵
meaning: egg
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: たまご
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 卯[ボウ] sign of the hare or rabbit
丶[てん] dot
examples: 卵[たまご] eggs; egg; spawn; roe
卵子[らんし] ovum; ovule; egg cell
卵巣[らんそう] ovary
卵形[らんけい] oval shape; egg shape
卵管[らんかん] fallopian tube; oviduct
受精卵[じゅせいらん] fertilized egg; fertilised egg
産卵[さんらん] egg-laying; spawning
鶏卵[けいらん] hen's egg
heisig_story: Receipt . . . stamp . . . and a drop in each side to represent a little smear of egg yoke. The third stroke is drawn slightly higher to close the egg up tightly and keep the yoke inside.
koohii_story: The Easter Bunny dropped an egg on my desk and got yolk all over my receipts and stamps.

kanji: 干
meaning: dry
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: ほ.す、ほ.し-、-ぼ.し、ひ.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
examples: 若干[じゃっかん] some; few; a number of; a little (bit)
干渉[かんしょう] interference; intervention; meddling
干す[ほす] to air; to dry; to desiccate
梅干し[うめぼし] umeboshi; pickled dried ume; pickled dried plum
梅干[うめぼし] umeboshi; pickled dried ume; pickled dried plum
干る[ひる] to dry (up); to become parched
干拓[かんたく] land reclamation (from sea)
干満[かんまん] ebb and flow
干潟[ひがた] tidal flat; tideland
欄干[らんかん] railing; guard rail; handrail; banister; balustrade; parapet
物干し[ものほし] frame for drying clothes; clotheshorse
heisig_story: It is best to see this kanji as a pictograph of a revolving circular clothesline (viewed from the side). Spin it around quickly in your mind's eye to give it the connotation of to dry.
koohii_story: Dry one item in ten minutes on the clothesline.

kanji: 頂
meaning: place on the head
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: いただ.く、いただき
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 丁[チョウ] street
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頂く[いただく] to receive; to get; to accept; to take; to buy
頂ける[いただける] to be able to receive; to be able to take; to be able to accept
頂戴[ちょうだい] receiving; getting; accepting; being given
頂点[ちょうてん] vertex; apex
頂きます[いただきます] thank you (for the meal just served)
絶頂[ぜっちょう] top (of a mountain); summit
頂上[ちょうじょう] top; summit; peak
頂[いただき] crown (of head); summit (of mountain); spire
山頂[さんちょう] summit (of a mountain)
有頂天[うちょうてん] ecstasy
登頂[とうちょう] climbing to the summit; summiting
heisig_story: The key word is actually a formal metaphor meaning "humble acceptance." Reading off the two primitive elements in the order of their writing, we have: nail . . . head. As in "hitting the nail on the head. " Now one presumes that most people can handle metaphors, but if you were to run into a dimwit working in a hardware store who only knew the literal meaning of things, and were to ask him, in your best Japanese, to place on your head a nail, he might miss the point and cause you considerable torment.
koohii_story: If I put a street sign on my head what do I get ? A place on the head !
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 頂く 預ける

kanji: 穴
meaning: hole
ja_on: ケツ
ja_kun: あな
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
八[はち] eight
examples: 穴[あな] hole; opening; orifice; perforation
落とし穴[おとしあな] pitfall; trap; pit
穴埋め[あなうめ] filling (up) a hole
墓穴[ぼけつ] grave (pit)
洞穴[ほらあな] cave; cavern; den; grotto
風穴[かざあな] air hole; windhole; air vent
heisig_story: House . . . eight.
koohii_story: A black hole is a "House of Infinity". Infinity is of course represented by a sideways "8", but here we have a Japanese "8" instead.

kanji: 暖
meaning: warmth
ja_on: ダン、ノン
ja_kun: あたた.か、あたた.かい、あたた.まる、あたた.める
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
爰[エン] lead on to
examples: 暖かい[あたたかい] warm; mild; (pleasantly) hot
暖房[だんぼう] (indoor) heating
暖炉[だんろ] fireplace; hearth; stove
暖める[あたためる] to warm (up); to heat (up)
暖まる[あたたまる] to warm oneself; to sun oneself; to warm up; to get warm
温暖[おんだん] warm; mild; temperate
冷暖房[れいだんぼう] air conditioning and heating
地球温暖化[ちきゅうおんだんか] global warming
寒暖計[かんだんけい] thermometer
暖冬[だんとう] mild winter; warm winter
暖流[だんりゅう] warm current
暖簾[のれん] (short) curtain hung at shop entrance; split curtain used to divide spaces in a
heisig_story: Unlike the character for warm weather learned earlier (Frame 1560), this kanji and its key word can also refer to the warmth of human congeniality. Its elements are: sun . . . migrating ducks.
koohii_story: Ducks migrate south for the winter… they follow the warmth of the sun.

kanji: 朗
meaning: melodious
ja_on: ロウ
ja_kun: ほが.らか、あき.らか
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 良[リョウ] good
月[つき] moon
examples: 朗らか[ほがらか] cheerful; merry; sunny; melodious
朗報[ろうほう] good news; happy news; glad tidings
朗読[ろうどく] reading aloud; recitation
明朗[めいろう] cheerful; bright
朗詠[ろうえい] recitation (of Japanese or Chinese poem)
heisig_story: Halo . . . moon.
koohii_story: [Image: 'Moonlight sonata'] The moon has inspired many good composers (like Ludwig van Beethoven) to write something melodious.

kanji: 肺
meaning: lungs
ja_on: ハイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
市[シ] market
examples: 肺[はい] lung
肺炎[はいえん] pneumonia
肺結核[はいけっかく] pulmonary tuberculosis
heisig_story: One is surprised, strolling through the market , to find among the meats hung out for sale a slab marked: lungs.
koohii_story: The PART OF THE BODY most important if you work at a MARKET is your LUNGS so that you can shout out at the top of your voice "IRASSHAIMASEEE" to attract customers.

kanji: 熟
meaning: mellow
ja_on: ジュク
ja_kun: う.れる
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 孰[ジュク] which
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 未熟[みじゅく] unripe; green; immature
熟知[じゅくち] being familiar with; having a thorough knowledge of; being well-informed about
熟睡[じゅくすい] deep sleep; sound sleep; profound sleep
熟練[じゅくれん] skill; expertise; experience; proficiency; mastery; dexterity
熟す[こなす] to digest
成熟[せいじゅく] maturity; ripeness
熟語[じゅくご] kanji compound
円熟[えんじゅく] ripeness; mellowness; maturity
半熟[はんじゅく] half-cooked; half-done; soft-boiled
早熟[そうじゅく] precocity; early ripening; premature development
未熟児[みじゅくじ] premature baby
heisig_story: The tall and fat children from the last frame are here cast into a cauldron over an oven flame until they have sufficiently mellowed that they can return to the normal life of a student.
koohii_story: Imagine tall children sitting round the fire toasting marsh- mellow s.

kanji: 恩
meaning: grace
ja_on: オン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 因[イン] cause
心[こころ] heart
examples: 恩[おん] favour; favor; obligation; debt of gratitude
恩返し[おんがえし] paying back a favour; repayment (of an obligation, kindness, etc.)
恩人[おんじん] benefactor; patron; person to whom one owes a great deal; person to whom one is
恩恵[おんけい] grace; favor; favour; blessing; benefit
恩師[おんし] teacher (to whom one owes a debt of gratitude); mentor; one's former teacher
恩知らず[おんしらず] ungrateful
恩給[おんきゅう] pension (esp. public servant's)
恩賜[おんし] Imperial gift
恩赦[おんしゃ] amnesty; pardon
heisig_story: Take grace in its sense of a favor freely bestowed, not in its meaning of charming manners or fluid movement. The primitives: cause . . . heart.
koohii_story: Grace here is a favor freely bestowed, like a good deed. So to remember this kanji, go to the local shelter, find a big dog pent up in a small cage and adopt him. That will cause a warm feeling in your heart!

kanji: 晩
meaning: nightfall
ja_on: バン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
免[メン] excuse
examples: 一晩[ひとばん] one night; one evening
毎晩[まいばん] every night
晩[ばん] evening; night
今晩[こんばん] tonight; this evening
昨晩[さくばん] last night
一晩中[ひとばんじゅう] all night long; all through the night
晩ご飯[ばんごはん] dinner; evening meal
今晩は[こんばんは] good evening
晩御飯[ばんごはん] dinner; evening meal
明晩[みょうばん] tomorrow evening
晩婚[ばんこん] late marriage
晩年[ばんねん] one's later years; final years (in life)
晩酌[ばんしゃく] drink at home with one's evening meal; dinner-time drink
朝晩[あさばん] morning and evening
heisig_story: Sun . . . rabbit.
koohii_story: At nightfall the sun excuses itself and goes to sleep.

kanji: 陛
meaning: highness
ja_on: ヘイ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
比[くらべる] to compare
土[つち] earth
examples: 陛下[へいか] Your Majesty; His Majesty; Her Majesty
天皇陛下[てんのうへいか] His Majesty the Emperor
heisig_story: This key word indicates a title of address to royalty. Its elements: pinnacle . . . compare . . . ground.
koohii_story: Your highness is the pinnacle of finesse compared to all of us commoners who are but like dirt on the ground.

kanji: 拝
meaning: worship
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: おが.む、おろが.む
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
一[いち] one
丰[ホウ] abundant
examples: 拝見[はいけん] seeing; looking at
拝む[おがむ] to assume the posture of praying; to press the palms and fingers of both hands t
拝借[はいしゃく] borrowing
崇拝[すうはい] worship; adoration; admiration; cult
拝啓[はいけい] Dear (so and so); Dear Sir; Dear Madam; To Whom It May Concern
参拝[さんぱい] going and worshipping (at a shrine or temple); visit (to a shrine or temple to w
礼拝[れいはい] worship (esp. Christian); (church) service
heisig_story: Fingers . . . bush . . . suspended from the ceiling.
koohii_story: I put my fingers together in worship of the bush that hangs from the ceiling – that wonderful mistletoe which has gotten me kissed by many a girl.

kanji: 棒
meaning: rod
ja_on: ボウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
奉[ホウ] observance
examples: 棒[ぼう] pole; rod; stick; baton
泥棒[どろぼう] thief; burglar; robber
相棒[あいぼう] partner; pal; accomplice
用心棒[ようじんぼう] bodyguard; bouncer; (security) guard
棒立ち[ぼうだち] standing upright; standing bolt upright; rearing
鉄棒[てつぼう] iron rod; iron bar; iron club
ぶっきら棒[ぶっきらぼう] curt; blunt; brusque
heisig_story: Tree . . . dedicate.
koohii_story: Ha! If you know anything about Buddhist monks, during meditation, they're slapped with wooden rod s to stay dedicated to their task.

kanji: 糖
meaning: sugar
ja_on: トウ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
唐[トウ] T'ang
examples: 砂糖[さとう] sugar
糖分[とうぶん] amount of sugar; sugar content
糖[とう] sugar
糖尿病[とうにょうびょう] diabetes; diabetes mellitus
糖質[とうしつ] sugariness; saccharinity; carbohydrate
血糖[けっとう] blood sugar
製糖[せいとう] sugar manufacture
heisig_story: Rice . . . T'ang.
koohii_story: Sugar made from rice has a tangy flavour.

kanji: 俵
meaning: bag
ja_on: ヒョウ
ja_kun: たわら
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
表[ヒョウ] surface
examples: 土俵[どひょう] (wrestling) ring
俵[たわら] straw bag; sack; bale
土俵際[どひょうぎわ] edge of the ring
heisig_story: Keep this kanji distinct from that for sack (Frame 1081). Its elements are: person . . . surface.
koohii_story: Mr. T 's punching bag has one beat up surface.

kanji: 覧
meaning: perusal
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: み.る
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
見[みる] to see
examples: ご覧になる[ごらんになる] to see; to look; to watch
ご覧[ごらん] (please) try to
閲覧[えつらん] inspection; reading; perusal
一覧[いちらん] look; glance; sight; having a look at; looking over; glancing through; running o
回覧[かいらん] circulation (esp. of documents); sending round
展覧会[てんらんかい] exhibition
観覧[かんらん] viewing
一覧表[いちらんひょう] list; table; schedule; catalogue; catalog
博覧会[はくらんかい] exhibition; exposition; expo; fair
遊覧[ゆうらん] sightseeing
heisig_story: Slaves . . . reclining . . . floor . . . see.
koohii_story: The slave reclines on the floor at night to watch the stars. Since that's the only thing the slave is allowed to “read”, he does so very thoroughly and diligently, hence perusal.

kanji: 奮
meaning: stirred up
ja_on: フン
ja_kun: ふる.う
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 奞[シュン] the stride made by a man
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 興奮[こうふん] excitement; stimulation; agitation; arousal
奮闘[ふんとう] strenuous effort; hard struggle; working hard
奮発[ふんぱつ] strenuous efforts; exerting oneself; stirring oneself up; spurt
奮う[ふるう] to muster (e.g. one's courage); to call forth; to rouse up
奮って[ふるって] energetically; strenuously; heartily
奮起[ふんき] stirring; rousing oneself
heisig_story: St. Bernard dog . . . turkey . . . rice field/brains.
koohii_story: The St. Bernard dog pounces on a turkey in a rice field and stirs up all the other birds around. See them all gobble gobbling in fear?

kanji: 蒸
meaning: steam
ja_on: ジョウ、セイ
ja_kun: む.す、む.れる、む.らす
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
烝[ジョウ] many
examples: 蒸発[じょうはつ] evaporation
蒸し返す[むしかえす] to reheat; to steam over
蒸気[じょうき] steam; vapour; vapor
蒸す[むす] to steam (food, towel, etc.)
蒸し暑い[むしあつい] humid; sultry
水蒸気[すいじょうき] water vapour; water vapor; steam
蒸かす[ふかす] to steam (food)
蒸し[むし] steaming
蒸しパン[むしパン] steamed bun; steamed bread
heisig_story: The flower at the top and the floor with the oven fire beneath are familiar. The problem is what comes in between. It is formed by the character for complete , whose vertical stroke doubles up as the first stroke of water.
koohii_story: This kanji is used in compounds for the steam ing of food and also for smoking/fumigation. Here we have the Japanese once again trying to replicate the French cuisine, only with a twist, steam ing food with flowers (think of flower-smoked ham for example). Flowers must first be completely soaked in water , and then poured over a thin piece of flooring under which there is an oven fire.

kanji: 后
meaning: empress
ja_on: コウ、ゴ
ja_kun: きさき
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
口[くち] mouth
examples: 皇后[こうごう] empress (consort)
皇太后[こうたいごう] Empress Dowager; Queen Mother
heisig_story: Drag . . . one . . . mouth.
koohii_story: The empress is cruel. Normally she'll violently pull her servants by the ear when they've failed to follow orders. But one time she dragged this one guy around the palace by the mouth. She must have been really angry—ever since that moment, he's never been seen again.

kanji: 班
meaning: squad
ja_on: ハン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 王[オウ] king
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 班[はん] group; party; team
班長[はんちょう] squad leader; group leader; team leader
首班[しゅはん] head; leader; prime minister
heisig_story: Spear . . . two balls.
koohii_story: Am I the only one who took this as penis and balls? In order to be in the man-squad, naturally you need to have two balls with your "spear" in the middle there.

kanji: 詞
meaning: part of speech
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: ことば
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 言[げん] words
司[シ] director
examples: 歌詞[かし] song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
代名詞[だいめいし] pronoun
副詞[ふくし] adverb
助詞[じょし] particle
動詞[どうし] verb
名詞[めいし] noun
形容詞[けいようし] adjective; i-adjective (in Japanese)
作詞[さくし] (writing) song lyrics
品詞[ひんし] part of speech
heisig_story: The key word, parts of speech , refers to nouns, verbs, adjective, adverbs, and so on. The elements: words . . . directors.
koohii_story: The big mouthed diretor is even picky about the parts of speech you use, shouting, "More verbs! Less adjectives!" and such all the time.
heisig_keyword: parts of speech

kanji: 胃
meaning: stomach
ja_on: イ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
月[つき] moon
examples: 胃[い] stomach
胃袋[いぶくろ] stomach
胃腸[いちょう] stomach and intestines; gastrointestinal tract; digestive organs
heisig_story: You will need to refer back to frames 13 and 14 here for the special meaning of the two primitive elements that make up this character: flesh ( part of the body ) and brain. What the kanji says, if you look at it, is that the part of the body that keeps the brain in working order is the stomach. To keep the elements in proper order, when you write this kanji think of the brain as being "held up" by the flesh.
koohii_story: The rice field is harvested once a month to get food for our stomach.

kanji: 寸
meaning: measurement
ja_on: スン
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 寸[すん] inch
examples: 寸前[すんぜん] just before; on the verge of; on the brink of
寸法[すんぽう] measurement; size; extent; dimension
寸断[すんだん] cutting to pieces; tearing to pieces
寸暇[すんか] moment's leisure; free minute
heisig_story: This kanji actually stood for a small measurement used prior to the metric system, a bit over an inch in length, and from there acquired the sense of measurement. In the old system, it was one- tenth of a shaku (whose kanji we shall meet in frame 1151). The picture, appropriately, represents one drop of a ten (with a hook!).
koohii_story: The decimal system uses drops of ten as a measurement.

kanji: 机
meaning: desk
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: つくえ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 木[き] tree
几[きにょう] table
examples: 机[つくえ] desk
机上[きじょう] on the desk
heisig_story: We need to fix imagination here on two things to learn the kanji for desk : the wonderful rough wood of which it has been hewn and the wind that blows across it, sending your papers flying all over the room. These two elements, written in that order, dictate how to write the character.
koohii_story: My wooden desk is so messy, it looks like a strong wind blew my things all over it.

kanji: 磁
meaning: magnet
ja_on: ジ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 石[いし] stone
兹
examples: 磁石[じしゃく] magnet
磁器[じき] porcelain; china; chinaware
磁気[じき] magnetism
磁場[じば] magnetic field
陶磁器[とうじき] ceramics; pottery and porcelain
電磁石[でんじしゃく] electromagnet
heisig_story: Stone . . . double- mysterious.
koohii_story: A magnet is a rock with two sides, one that mysteriously pushes and one that pulls, doubly mysterious. (see astridtops' story).

kanji: 灰
meaning: ashes
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: はい
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
火[ひ] fire
examples: 灰色[はいいろ] grey; gray; ashen
灰[はい] ash; ashes
灰皿[はいざら] ashtray
火山灰[かざんばい] volcanic ash
石灰[せっかい] lime; quicklime; caustic lime
heisig_story: The kanji for ashes naturally includes the primitive for fire , or more specifically, a fireplace. Now what do you do with that bucket of ashes you have just cleaned out of the fireplace? You walk to the edge of a cliff and tip it upside down, watching as they are swept away in the wind like a swarm of gray mosquitoes. Thus the fire , once it has turned to ashes , ends up at the bottom of the cliff.
koohii_story: The fire underneath the cliff will eventually turn everything above to ashes.

kanji: 垂
meaning: droop
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: た.れる、た.らす、た.れ、-た.れ、なんなんと.す
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 千[セン] thousand
土[つち] earth
examples: 垂れる[たれる] to hang; to droop; to dangle; to sag; to lower; to pull down
垂らす[たらす] to dribble; to spill
垂直[すいちょく] vertical
垂れ幕[たれまく] hanging banner; hanging screen; curtain
懸垂[けんすい] pull-up (exercise); chin-up; chinning
雨垂れ[あまだれ] raindrops (dripping from eaves, branches, etc.)
heisig_story: A drop of . . . silage . . . walking stick . . . floor. The character is written in the order of its elements.
koohii_story: For an old man with a walking stick , even a drop of silage to carry on his back will make him droop low down to the floor.

kanji: 穀
meaning: cereals
ja_on: コク
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
冖[わかんむり] cover
禾[のぎへん] grain
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 穀物[こくもつ] grain; cereal; corn
穀倉[こくそう] granary
穀類[こくるい] grains
米穀[べいこく] rice
heisig_story: Samurai . . . crown . . . wheat . . . missile.
koohii_story: There are different cereals in different parts of the world. Japan has samurai cereal. Great Britain has Crowned Wheat … the United States and Russia have Missile cereals.

kanji: 腸
meaning: intestines
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: はらわた、わた
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 月[つき] moon
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 腸[ちょう] intestine; bowel
大腸[だいちょう] large intestine; large bowel; colon
大腸菌[だいちょうきん] Escherichia coli (E. coli)
盲腸[もうちょう] cecum; caecum; blind gut
胃腸[いちょう] stomach and intestines; gastrointestinal tract; digestive organs
heisig_story: Flesh . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: Intestines are the part of the body that is taken out of piglets to make piggy banks. Just imagine factory workers scraping out the intestines of real piglets and packaging them up for little children.

kanji: 舌
meaning: tongue
ja_on: ゼツ
ja_kun: した
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 千[セン] thousand
口[くち] mouth
examples: 舌[した] tongue
舌打ち[したうち] clicking one's tongue; tut-tut
毒舌[どくぜつ] wicked tongue; sharp tongue; abusive language
二枚舌[にまいじた] double-dealing; duplicity; equivocation
弁舌[べんぜつ] speech; eloquence; manner of speaking; manner of expression
猫舌[ねこじた] dislike of very hot food or drink; inability to take hot food
舌戦[ぜっせん] war of words
heisig_story: The primitive for mouth and the character for thousand naturally form the idea of tongue if one thinks of a thousand mouths able to speak the same language, or as we say, "sharing a common tongue. " It is easy to see the connection between the idiom and the kanji if you take its image literally: a single tongue being passed around from mouth to mouth.
koohii_story: What is in a mouth that permits it to speak a thousand things? Yes, a tongue.

kanji: 絹
meaning: silk
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: きぬ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
肙 a small worm
examples: 絹[きぬ] silk
絹布[けんぷ] silk; silk cloth
絹糸[きぬいと] silk thread; silk yarn
絹織物[きぬおりもの] silk goods
heisig_story: Thread . . . mouth . . . flesh.
koohii_story: Spider-man loves to run his mouth all over Mary Jane's silk y flesh.

kanji: 尺
meaning: shaku
ja_on: シャク、セキ
ja_kun: さし
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
八[はち] eight
examples: 尺[しゃく] shaku (unit of distance approximately equal to 30.3 cm)
尺八[しゃくはち] shakuhachi; end-blown fippleless bamboo flute
尺度[しゃくど] gauge; standard; measure; criterion; index
巻尺[まきじゃく] tape measure
縮尺[しゅくしゃく] reduced scale; scaling down
heisig_story: The key word shaku has actually come into English in the word shaku hachi, the ancient Japanese flute that measured "one shaku and eight sun " (the "sun" being about an inch in length). Since the shaku is about one foot in length, this makes about 20 inches. Let the final sweeping stroke be like a tape measure added to the flag.
koohii_story: Slang for blowjob and that's priceless for stories…but also the character looks like the letter R which I think of as standing for RULER (12 inches) other meanings include: rule, measure, length.

kanji: 蚕
meaning: silkworm
ja_on: サン、テン
ja_kun: かいこ、こ
grade: Grade 6
radicals: 天[テン] heavens
虫[むし] worm
examples: 蚕[かいこ] silkworm (Bombyx mori)
蚕糸[さんし] silk thread; silk yarn
養蚕[ようさん] sericulture; silkworm culture; silkworm raising
heisig_story: Heavens . . . insect. Be sure to do something about the position of the two elements.
koohii_story: There are no insects in heaven \- well, that is, except for silkworm s. What, do you expect Jesus to import his fancy robes from China?

kanji: 歳
meaning: year-end
ja_on: サイ、セイ
ja_kun: とし、とせ、よわい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 止[とめる] to stop
戌[ジュツ] sign of the dog
小[しょう] small
examples: 歳[さい] ... years old; age (of) ...
二十歳[はたち] 20 years old
万歳[ばんざい] banzai; hurray; hurrah; hooray
何歳[なんさい] how old; what age
歳月[さいげつ] time; years
２０歳[はたち] 20 years old
お歳暮[おせいぼ] year-end gift
歳入[さいにゅう] annual revenue (government); annual income (government); budget receipts
歳出[さいしゅつ] annual expenditure (of a state, organization, etc.)
歳暮[せいぼ] year-end gift
歳末[さいまつ] year end
heisig_story: Stop . . . march . . . little. Be sure not to forget that final dot in the element for march.
koohii_story: Santa had to put his foot down to stop a march of little guys, namely elves. They were protesting the harsh treatment they get every year-end when Santa asks them to step up toy production for the holiday season.

kanji: 企
meaning: undertake
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: くわだ.てる、たくら.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 人[ひと] person
止[とめる] to stop
examples: 企画[きかく] planning; plan; project; arrangements
企業[きぎょう] enterprise; business; company; corporation
企む[たくらむ] to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire; to frame up
企てる[くわだてる] to plan; to plot; to propose; to design; to intend; to contemplate
企み[たくらみ] plot; scheme; trick; design; intrigue; artifice; conspiracy
大企業[だいきぎょう] large company; large enterprise; large corporation
中小企業[ちゅうしょうきぎょう] small and medium-sized enterprises; small and medium-sized businesses
企図[きと] plan; project; scheme
企業家[きぎょうか] industrialist; entrepreneur
企画室[きかくしつ] planning office
大手企業[おおてきぎょう] big corporation; major firm; leading company
日本企業[にほんきぎょう] Japanese company (business, firm)
私企業[しきぎょう] private enterprise
経企庁[けいきちょう] Economic Planning Agency (1955-2001)
経済企画庁[けいざいきかくちょう] Economic Planning Agency (1955-2001)
heisig_story: To undertake a project is to take some idea floating in the air and stop it so that it can be brought down to earth and become a reality. Here we see some undertaking made to stop under a beach umbrella.
koohii_story: Mary Poppins floated down with her umbrella to undertake the job of stop ping the children's misbehaving.

kanji: 藤
meaning: wisteria
ja_on: トウ、ドウ
ja_kun: ふじ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
滕[トウ] rising water
examples: 葛藤[かっとう] conflict; complication; troubles; discord
藤[ふじ] wisteria (esp. Japanese wisteria, Wisteria floribunda); wistaria
heisig_story: Flower . . . moon . . . quarter . . . rice grains.
koohii_story: According to legend, the great Ogaki wisteria tree grew and flowered from magical rice grains that were planted under the quarter moon.

kanji: 沢
meaning: swamp
ja_on: タク
ja_kun: さわ、うるお.い、うるお.す、つや
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
尺[シャク] shaku
examples: 贅沢[ぜいたく] luxury; extravagance
沢山[たくさん] a lot; lots; plenty; many; a large number; much; a great deal; a good deal
光沢[こうたく] brilliance; polish; lustre; luster; glossy finish
沢[さわ] mountain stream; valley; dale
沼沢[しょうたく] marsh; swamp; bog
heisig_story: Water . . . shakuhachi.
koohii_story: You're hiding from the enemy underwater in a swamp. To breathe, you have your shakuhachi flute poking up through the surface of the water.

kanji: 与
meaning: bestow
ja_on: ヨ
ja_kun: あた.える、あずか.る、くみ.する、ともに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
examples: 与える[あたえる] to give (esp. to someone of lower status); to bestow; to grant; to confer; to pr
関与[かんよ] participation; taking part in; participating in; being concerned in
参与[さんよ] participation; taking part
付与[ふよ] grant; allowance; endowment; bestowal; assignment; conferment
投与[とうよ] administration (of medicine); giving medication
授与[じゅよ] awarding; conferment; granting; presentation
与党[よとう] ruling party; government party; party in power; government
寄与[きよ] contribution; service
給与[きゅうよ] pay; salary; wages
与野党[よやとう] ruling and opposition parties; parties in and out of power
供与[きょうよ] giving; provision; furnishing
貸与[たいよ] loan; lending
賞与[しょうよ] bonus
贈与[ぞうよ] donation; presentation
heisig_story: Slingshot . . . one. Later we shall learn the character for give (Frame 2046), but even so, it is a good idea already at this point to distinguish this key word from impart (Frame 795) and grant (Frame 1131).
koohii_story: David went to battle with a slingshot and it only took him one shot to slay Goliath. Partly because of this, the prophet Nathan was later instructed to bestow upon David the throne of all Israel.

kanji: 援
meaning: abet
ja_on: エン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
爰[エン] lead on to
examples: 応援[おうえん] aid; assistance; help; support; reinforcement
支援[しえん] support; backing; aid; assistance
援護[えんご] support; help; backing
援助[えんじょ] assistance; aid; support
声援[せいえん] (shout of) encouragement; cheering; rooting; support
援軍[えんぐん] reinforcement
救援[きゅうえん] relief; rescue
後援[こうえん] support; backing
援助交際[えんじょこうさい] paid dating (esp. with an underage girl; oft. involving selling of sex); compens
義援金[ぎえんきん] donation money (esp. disaster relief or charity); contribution
heisig_story: Fingers . . . migrating ducks.
koohii_story: You abet the escape of migrating ducks by pointing them the way.

kanji: 施
meaning: give
ja_on: シ、セ
ja_kun: ほどこ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
也[ヤ] to be (classical)
examples: 施設[しせつ] facility; facilities; institution; establishment
施す[ほどこす] to give (time, money, goods); to donate
実施[じっし] enforcement; implementation; putting into practice; carrying out; operation; wor
施行[しこう] putting in force (a law); putting into operation; putting into effect; enforceme
布施[ふせ] alms-giving; charity
施工[せこう] construction; constructing; carrying out; work; formation; workmanship; executio
施政[しせい] government; administration; statesmanship
施策[しさく] policy; measure
防衛施設庁[ぼうえいしせつちょう] (Japanese) Defense Facilities Administration Agency (Defence)
heisig_story: Banner . . . scorpion.
koohii_story: Under their banner , volunteers are requesting alms for scorpion sting victims.
heisig_keyword: alms

kanji: 違
meaning: difference
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: ちが.う、ちが.い、ちが.える、-ちが.える、たが.う、たが.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 韋[なめしがわ] leather
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 違う[ちがう] to differ (from); to be different; to be distinct; to be unlike; to vary; to dis
間違う[まちがう] to be mistaken; to be incorrect; to be wrong
間違い[まちがい] mistake; error; blunder
間違いない[まちがいない] certain; sure; no doubt
勘違い[かんちがい] misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess
間違える[まちがえる] to make a mistake (in); to commit an error; to get wrong; to do incorrectly
違い[ちがい] difference; distinction; discrepancy
違いない[ちがいない] sure; no mistaking it; for certain; without doubt
違和感[いわかん] uncomfortable feeling; feeling out of place; sense of discomfort
違反[いはん] violation; offense; offence; breach; transgression; infringement; contravention
人違い[ひとちがい] mistaking one person for another; (case of) mistaken identity
場違い[ばちがい] out-of-place; inappropriate; sticking out like a sore thumb
違法[いほう] illegal; illicit; unlawful
見違える[みちがえる] to mistake (for something or someone else); to be unable to recognize
相違[そうい] difference; discrepancy; variation
heisig_story: Locket . . . road.
koohii_story: You lose your precious locket on the road to somewhere. You ask people if they've seen it, but no luck. "Just buy another one," someone says. "I mean, what's the difference?" Then of course you say "Well, it makes a huge difference!! Since it has sentimental value, I don't want a different one! " Then of course they understand.

kanji: 鮮
meaning: fresh
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: あざ.やか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 魚[うお] fish
羊[ひつじ] sheep
examples: 新鮮[しんせん] fresh
鮮やか[あざやか] vivid; bright; brilliant; clear; fresh; vibrant
鮮明[せんめい] vivid; clear; distinct
鮮烈[せんれつ] vivid; striking
北朝鮮[きたちょうせん] North Korea
朝鮮[ちょうせん] Korea
朝鮮半島[ちょうせんはんとう] Korean peninsula
朝鮮民主主義人民共和国[ちょうせんみんしゅしゅぎじんみんきょうわこく] Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea); DPRK
生鮮[せいせん] fresh
鮮度[せんど] (degree of) freshness
鮮魚[せんぎょ] fresh fish
heisig_story: Fish . . . sheep.
koohii_story: The fresh est fish is caught in the middle of the night while most people are "counting sheep." (If you've ever been to Tsukiji fish market, you know what I mean).

kanji: 監
meaning: oversee
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
皿[さら] plate
examples: 監視[かんし] monitoring; watching; observation; surveillance; guarding; supervision; lookout
監督[かんとく] supervision; control; superintendence; direction
監禁[かんきん] confinement; imprisonment; incarceration
監獄[かんごく] prison
監修[かんしゅう] (editorial) supervision; general editorship
監察[かんさつ] inspection; inspector
監査[かんさ] inspection; audit; judgement; judgment
監査役[かんさやく] auditor; inspector
監理[かんり] superintendence; supervision; administration
総監[そうかん] inspector general; commissioner
heisig_story: Slaves . . . reclining . . . floor/one . . . dish.
koohii_story: The slavetrader oversees the slaves washing dishes int he kitchen. No reclining on the floor!

kanji: 環
meaning: ring
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: わ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
睘 round
examples: 環境[かんきょう] environment; surroundings; circumstances
一環[いっかん] link (e.g. in a chain of events); part (of a plan, campaign, activities, etc.)
循環[じゅんかん] circulation; rotation; cycle; loop
作業環境[さぎょうかんきょう] work environment
循環器[じゅんかんき] circulatory organ
悪循環[あくじゅんかん] vicious circle; vicious cycle
推奨環境[すいしょうかんきょう] system requirements (i.e. recommended hardware and software to run a package)
環境保護[かんきょうほご] environmental protection
環境問題[かんきょうもんだい] environmental problem; environmental issue
環境庁[かんきょうちょう] Environment Agency
環状[かんじょう] annulation; ring shape; loop shape
環礁[かんしょう] atoll; circular coral reef
自然環境[しぜんかんきょう] natural environment; (the) environment
heisig_story: Jewel . . . eye . . . ceiling . . . mouth . . . scarf. The number of elements is large here, so take extra care. Learn it in conjunction with the next frame, since these are the only two cases in this book where the combination of elements to the right appears.
koohii_story: Together with the next kanji, the keywords spell “send back the ring ”. First we have a jewel. Next we have the great eye of Sauron searching for the fellowship hiding under the many ceilings during their journey. The fourth and fifth primitives are the mouth of Gollum always mumbling “My preciousss”, and Pippin's scarf! Placement: the eye appears at the top similarly to how the Great Eye of Sauron is perched atop the Dark Tower.

kanji: 審
meaning: hearing
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: つまび.らか、つぶさ.に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
番[バン] turn
examples: 不審[ふしん] doubt; suspicion; question; strangeness
審査[しんさ] judging; inspection; examination; investigation; review
審判[しんぱん] judgement; judgment; decision; verdict; sentence
審議[しんぎ] deliberation; discussion; consideration
一審[いっしん] first instance; first trial
主審[しゅしん] chief umpire; referee (soccer, boxing, etc.)
再審[さいしん] retrial; reopening of a case
塁審[るいしん] base umpire
審問[しんもん] trial; hearing; inquiry; examination; interrogation
審理[しんり] trial
陪審[ばいしん] jury
heisig_story: The hearing referred to in this character relates to trials in the courts. The elements: house . . . dice.
koohii_story: At your divorce hearing the judge tells you to roll dice to see who keeps the house. ("I can't believe what I'm hearing!" you say).

kanji: 欧
meaning: Europe
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: うた.う、は.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 区[ク] ward
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 欧米[おうべい] Europe and the United States; Europe and America; the West
中欧[ちゅうおう] Central Europe
北欧[ほくおう] Northern Europe; Nordic countries; Scandinavia
東欧[とうおう] Eastern Europe
欧州[おうしゅう] Europe
西欧[せいおう] Western Europe
訪欧[ほうおう] visit to Europe; visiting Europe
heisig_story: Ward . . . yawn. Like the kanji of frame 1776, this character is an abbreviation of the name of a geographical region.
koohii_story: " Europe? Yawn… I've been to every ward (country/area)," says Wolverine interviewed from his cardboard box.

kanji: 訴
meaning: accusation
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: うった.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
斥[セキ] reject
examples: 訴える[うったえる] to raise; to bring to (someone's attention)
訴え[うったえ] lawsuit; complaint
訴訟[そしょう] lawsuit; suit; (legal) action; litigation
起訴[きそ] prosecution; indictment
不起訴[ふきそ] nonprosecution; nonindictment
公訴[こうそ] (public) prosecution; indictment; accusation
勝訴[しょうそ] winning a (legal) case; victory (in a legal case)
告訴[こくそ] accusation; complaint; charge; suit; legal action; legal proceedings
控訴[こうそ] appeal to a higher court; intermediate appeal
提訴[ていそ] presenting a case; suing
敗訴[はいそ] loss of a (legal) case
行政訴訟[ぎょうせいそしょう] administrative litigation (action)
訴状[そじょう] petition; complaint; (legal) brief
訴追[そつい] prosecution; indictment
起訴猶予[きそゆうよ] suspension of indictment; leaving charge on the file
heisig_story: Words . . . reject.
koohii_story: I strongly reject the accusation implicit in your words.

kanji: 被
meaning: incur
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: こうむ.る、おお.う、かぶ.る、かぶ.せる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 被害[ひがい] (suffering) damage; injury; harm
被害者[ひがいしゃ] victim; injured party; sufferer
被る[かぶる] to put on (one's head); to wear; to have on; to pull over (one's head); to crown
被せる[かぶせる] to cover (with something)
被疑者[ひぎしゃ] suspect
被告人[ひこくにん] accused; defendant; prisoner at the bar
被保険者[ひほけんしゃ] insured person
被写体[ひしゃたい] (photographic) subject
被告[ひこく] defendant; the accused
被服[ひふく] clothing
被災[ひさい] suffering (from a disaster); being hit (by an earthquake, typhoon, etc.); fallin
被災者[ひさいしゃ] person affected by a disaster; afflicted person; victim; sufferer; survivor
被爆[ひばく] being bombed
heisig_story: Cloak . . . pelt.
koohii_story: If you wear a coat of fur (pelt) you are sure to incur the wrath of animal rights extremists.

kanji: 韓
meaning: Korea
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: から、いげた
grade: Junior High
radicals: 韋[なめしがわ] leather
examples: 韓国[かんこく] South Korea; Republic of Korea
日韓[にっかん] Japan and South Korea; Japanese-Korean
韓国語[かんこくご] Korean (language; esp. as spoken in South Korea)
heisig_story: As with Italy (Frame 1245) and Africa (Frame 1391), this character simply abbreviates the full name of Korea. Its elements: mist . . . locket.
koohii_story: There's a young Korea n male actor, Yon-sama, famous amongst middle-aged Japanese women. Extremely famous. Read about his affect on Japan/ Korean relations on Everything2.com. In any case, women just flipped over this guy, traveled to Korea to see his home, started taking Korea n language classes, etc. So, imagine here the misty eyes of the Japanese women as they clutch their lockets with Yon-sama's picture inside watching his Korea n romantic mini series called "Winter Sonata".

kanji: 渡
meaning: transit
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: わた.る、-わた.る、わた.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
度[ド] degrees
examples: 渡す[わたす] to ferry across (e.g. a river); to carry across; to traverse
渡る[わたる] to cross over; to go across
見渡す[みわたす] to look out over; to survey (scene); to take an extensive view of
手渡す[てわたす] to hand (over); to deliver in person
引き渡す[ひきわたす] to deliver; to extradite; to stretch across; to hand over
渡し[わたし] ferry (crossing); ferry(boat)
譲渡[じょうと] transfer; assignment; conveyance
言い渡す[いいわたす] to announce; to tell; to sentence; to order
行き渡る[いきわたる] to diffuse; to spread throughout; to prevail; to become widespread; to reach eve
渡り[わたり] crossing; passage; transit
受け渡し[うけわたし] delivery; transfer; hand-over
綱渡り[つなわたり] tightrope walking; high-wire act; funambulism
引き渡し[ひきわたし] delivery; handing over; turning over; extradition
橋渡し[はしわたし] mediation; good offices; go-between; intermediary; mediator; bridge (between)
渡り鳥[わたりどり] migratory bird; bird of passage
heisig_story: Water . . . degrees.
koohii_story: This particular form of transit is a ferry (one of the actual meanings of this character). Naturally it can only cross the water if it's not frozen, so the temperature must be above 0 degrees.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 波動家

kanji: 影
meaning: shadow
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: かげ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 景[ケイ] scenery
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 影響[えいきょう] influence; effect; impact
影[かげ] shadow; silhouette; figure; shape
撮影[さつえい] photography (still or motion); photographing; filming; shooting; (video) recordi
人影[ひとかげ] figure of a person; figures of people
遺影[いえい] portrait of a deceased person
面影[おもかげ] face; looks; countenance
影響力[えいきょうりょく] influence; clout; leverage
幻影[げんえい] phantom; vision; illusion
悪影響[あくえいきょう] bad influence; negative influence
投影[とうえい] projection (of a shadow); casting (a reflection); reflection; cast shadow
写真撮影[しゃしんさつえい] photography; taking photographs
影の内閣[かげのないかく] shadow cabinet
影絵[かげえ] shadow picture; silhouette; shadowgraph
heisig_story: Scenery . . . shape.
koohii_story: The sun over the capital cast a shadow with the same shape.

kanji: 含
meaning: contain
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: ふく.む、ふく.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 今[コン] now
口[くち] mouth
examples: 含める[ふくめる] to include (in a group or scope)
含む[ふくむ] to contain; to comprise; to have; to hold; to include; to embrace
含み[ふくみ] implication; hidden meaning; latitude; atmosphere; tone; sentiment; inclusion
包含[ほうがん] inclusion; comprehension; implication; containing; covering
含有[がんゆう] containing (an ingredient, mineral, etc.)
含蓄[がんちく] implication; significance; connotation; depth of meaning; complications of a pro
heisig_story: Clock . . . mouth.
koohii_story: This clock include s a mouth that will tell you what the time is now. Hearing impaired people have this kind of watches… now imagine them as a big mouth under the clock.
heisig_keyword: include

kanji: 撃
meaning: beat
ja_on: ゲキ
ja_kun: う.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
殳[るまた] lance shaft
手[て] hand
examples: 攻撃[こうげき] attack; assault; raid; onslaught; offensive
衝撃[しょうげき] impact; shock; impulse
撃つ[うつ] to shoot (a gun, person, etc.); to fire
一撃[いちげき] one blow; one hit; one stroke
目撃[もくげき] witnessing; observing; sighting
反撃[はんげき] counterattack; counteroffensive; counterblow
襲撃[しゅうげき] (surprise) attack; assault; raid; charge
直撃[ちょくげき] direct hit
打撃[だげき] blow; shock; strike; damage
追撃[ついげき] pursuit (of a fleeing enemy); chase; follow-up attack
迎え撃つ[むかえうつ] to meet (the enemy) and attack; to engage (the approaching enemy); to confront;
迎撃[げいげき] intercept; interception; counter-attack
射撃[しゃげき] firing; shooting; fire; gunshot; marksmanship
電撃[でんげき] electric shock
出撃[しゅつげき] sortie; sally; attack
heisig_story: Car . . . missile . . . hand.
koohii_story: Your car has missles?! That beat s mine, hands down.

kanji: 核
meaning: nucleus
ja_on: カク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
亥[ガイ] sign of the hog
examples: 核[かく] stone (of a fruit); pit; pip
核心[かくしん] core; heart (of the matter); point; crux; kernel
中核[ちゅうかく] kernel; core; nucleus; center; centre
結核[けっかく] tuberculosis; TB
原子核[げんしかく] nucleus; atomic nucleus
核兵器[かくへいき] nuclear weapon
核分裂[かくぶんれつ] nuclear fission
核実験[かくじっけん] nuclear (bomb) test
核家族[かくかぞく] nuclear family
核弾頭[かくだんとう] nuclear warhead
核武装[かくぶそう] nuclear arms
核燃料[かくねんりょう] nuclear fuel
核融合[かくゆうごう] nuclear fusion
核酸[かくさん] nucleic acid
肺結核[はいけっかく] pulmonary tuberculosis
heisig_story: Tree . . . acorn.
koohii_story: The nucleus of an oak TREE is an ACORN.

kanji: 融
meaning: dissolve
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: と.ける、と.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 鬲[れき] tripod
虫[むし] worm
examples: 融合[ゆうごう] agglutination; adhesion; fusion; combination; blending; uniting
融通[ゆうずう] lending (money, commodities, etc.); finance; loan
融資[ゆうし] financing; loan
金融[きんゆう] finance; financing; credit transacting; loaning of money; circulation of money
投融資[とうゆうし] investment and lending
核融合[かくゆうごう] nuclear fusion
融和[ゆうわ] harmony; reconciliation
財政投融資[ざいせいとうゆうし] Fiscal Investment and Loan Program; FILP
金融市場[きんゆうしじょう] financial market; money market
金融庁[きんゆうちょう] Financial Services Agency; FSA
金融機関[きんゆうきかん] financial institutions; banking facilities
heisig_story: Ceiling . . . mouth . . . hood . . . human legs . . . spike . . . insect. This is the maximum number of elements to appear in any story in the book.
koohii_story: I have created the element "old camera" out of the left side of the kanji: from the subject's point of view, the light is captured by one mouth (the lens). The photographer is under a big hood , we only see his legs , and he is holding a spike in his right hand, which is the shutter release. Now, at the time the photographer takes the photo, a little insect is flying near the flash. The flash is so powerful that the insect is burnt and dissolve s in the air.

kanji: 況
meaning: condition
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: まし.て、いわ.んや、おもむき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: 状況[じょうきょう] state of affairs; situation; conditions; circumstances
戦況[せんきょう] war situation; progress of a battle
実況[じっきょう] actual state (of things); actual conditions; actual scene
近況[きんきょう] recent state; present state; present condition; current status; current circumst
盛況[せいきょう] success; boom; being well-attended (of an event); prosperity
不況[ふきょう] (economic) depression; recession; slump
好況[こうきょう] prosperous (economic) conditions; favourable conditions; (economic) boom; thrivi
作況指数[さっきょうしすう] rice-crop index
市況[しきょう] market conditions
概況[がいきょう] outlook; general situation
活況[かっきょう] activity; briskness; prosperity
状況報告[じょうきょうほうこく] situation report; status report; progress report
現況[げんきょう] present condition
heisig_story: This key word is a connector used to link contrasting phrase sand sentences together with much the same flavor as the English phrase but of course. Just picture yourself ready to go off on your first date as a teenager , and having your mother grill you about your manners and ask you embarrassing questions about your hygiene. "Did you have a good shower?" " But of course ," you reply, annoyed. So water and teenager combine to give us but of course.
koohii_story: If you ask your teenager if what he's drinking is water (and not Vodka), he will answer "but of course".
heisig_keyword: but of course

kanji: 渉
meaning: ford
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: わた.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
歩[ホ] walk
examples: 交渉[こうしょう] negotiations; bargaining; discussions; talks
干渉[かんしょう] interference; intervention; meddling
渉外[しょうがい] public relations; client liaison; client relations
heisig_story: To ford a body of water means to walk across it.
koohii_story: The new Ford Jesus. It can do everything except WALK on WATER.

kanji: 響
meaning: echo
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: ひび.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 郷[キョウ] home town
音[おと] sound
examples: 影響[えいきょう] influence; effect; impact
響く[ひびく] to resound; to be heard far away
響き[ひびき] echo; reverberation
反響[はんきょう] echo; reverberation
影響力[えいきょうりょく] influence; clout; leverage
悪影響[あくえいきょう] bad influence; negative influence
音響[おんきょう] sound; noise; audio; acoustics; reverberation
交響曲[こうきょうきょく] symphony
交響楽団[こうきょうがくだん] symphony orchestra
heisig_story: Hometown . . . sound.
koohii_story: People's voices are like echo es of sounds from their hometowns ….you can always tell where they're from by how they talk.

kanji: 突
meaning: stab
ja_on: トツ、カ
ja_kun: つ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
大[だい] large
examples: 突然[とつぜん] abrupt; sudden; unexpected
突く[つく] to prick; to stab
突破[とっぱ] breaking through; breakthrough; penetration
突入[とつにゅう] rushing into; breaking into; storming
唐突[とうとつ] abrupt; sudden
衝突[しょうとつ] collision; crash; impact; running into
突如[とつじょ] suddenly; all of a sudden; unexpectedly
突き刺す[つきさす] to stab; to stick; to pierce; to thrust
突き上げる[つきあげる] to push up; to thrust up; to stick up; to raise
激突[げきとつ] crash; smashing (into); ramming; (violent) collision
突進[とっしん] rush; dash; charge
突き抜ける[つきぬける] to pierce through; to break through
突き[つき] thrust; stab; lunge; pass (in fencing)
突っ込む[つっこむ] to thrust (something) into (something); to cram; to stuff; to shove
突起[とっき] protuberance; projection; prominence; protrusion; bump; boss; process; apophysis
heisig_story: Hole . . . St. Bernard dog.
koohii_story: When you stab something you often leave a big hole.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 突然 研究

kanji: 請
meaning: solicit
ja_on: セイ、シン、ショウ
ja_kun: こ.う、う.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
青[あお] blue
examples: 要請[ようせい] appeal; call for something; request; claim; demand
強請る[ねだる] to beg; to pester; to plead; to coax; to hound; to importune
申請[しんせい] application; request; petition
請求[せいきゅう] claim; demand; charge; application; request; billing (for a service)
請け負う[うけおう] to contract (to do); to undertake; to take on (work)
請求書[せいきゅうしょ] bill; account; invoice
下請け[したうけ] subcontract
招請[しょうせい] invitation
請求権[せいきゅうけん] claim rights
請託[せいたく] solicitation
請負[うけおい] contract (for work); contracting; undertaking
請願[せいがん] petition
heisig_story: Words . . . blue.
koohii_story: That door-to-door salesman can stand outside ringing my doorbell until he's blue in the face. There's a big sign on my front door, and the words clearly say "No Solicit ing".

kanji: 攻
meaning: aggression
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: せ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 攻撃[こうげき] attack; assault; raid; onslaught; offensive
攻める[せめる] to attack; to assault; to assail
攻略[こうりゃく] capture (of enemy territory); taking (by storm); conquest; attack; assault
速攻[そっこう] swift attack; quick attack; fast break; breakaway
攻防[こうぼう] offense and defense; offence and defence
侵攻[しんこう] invasion
攻勢[こうせい] offensive (movement); aggression
猛攻[もうこう] fierce attack
専攻[せんこう] major subject; special study
攻守[こうしゅ] offense and defense; offence and defence; batting and fielding
攻め[せめ] attack; offence; offense; assault
特攻隊[とっこうたい] special attack unit; kamikaze unit; suicide squad
進攻[しんこう] attack; drive; advance; invasion
heisig_story: The special craft of successful taskmasters is their ability to remain constantly on the aggressive , never allowing their underlings a moment to ponder a counter- aggression of their own.
koohii_story: AGGRESSION is a well-honed craft for any decent taskmaster.

kanji: 督
meaning: coach
ja_on: トク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 叔[シュク] uncle
目[め] eye
examples: 監督[かんとく] supervision; control; superintendence; direction
督促[とくそく] urge; demand; importunity
総督[そうとく] governor-general; governor; viceroy
heisig_story: Uncle . . . eye.
koohii_story: Creepy uncle volunteers as gymnastics coach so he can eye the team from below.

kanji: 催
meaning: sponsor
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: もよう.す、もよお.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
崔[ガイ] cliff
examples: 開催[かいさい] holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
催促[さいそく] pressing; urging; demanding; demand
主催[しゅさい] sponsorship (i.e. conducting under one's auspices); promotion; organizing; organ
催す[もよおす] to hold (an event); to give (a dinner, party, etc.)
催し[もよおし] event; festivities; function; social gathering; auspices; opening; holding (a me
催眠[さいみん] hypnosis
催涙[さいるい] tear-inducing
共催[きょうさい] joint sponsorship (of an event); cosponsorship; joint hosting
heisig_story: Hermit . . . turkey. Note what has happened to the mountain in the element for hermit. In order to make room for the turkey , it was raised and condensed.
koohii_story: And now a word from our sponsor. We see Mr. T, doing a sort of George Foreman thing, grilling Mountain Turkeys. "I pity da foo who don't have a Mr. T grill!".

kanji: 及
meaning: reach out
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: およ.ぶ、およ.び、および、およ.ぼす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
又[また] again
examples: 及ぶ[およぶ] to reach; to amount to; to befall; to happen to; to extend; to go on (for, until
追及[ついきゅう] investigation (e.g. into someone's guilt); questioning; pressing; hounding; pinn
及び[および] and; as well as
言及[げんきゅう] reference; allusion
普及[ふきゅう] diffusion; spread; popularization; promulgation; familiarization
及ぼす[およぼす] to exert (influence); to exercise; to cause (e.g. damage); to do (e.g. harm); to
波及[はきゅう] spread; extension; influence; aftereffect; ripple
heisig_story: The addition of a final stroke transforms this character from the primitive for a clenched fist into the kanji for reaching out , much as a stroke of kindness can often turn anger into acceptance.
koohii_story: I like to think of this as a fist with with brass knuckles because of the extra line. An old school thug reaches out to help you up but then with his other hand ( with the brass knuckles) punches you.

kanji: 湾
meaning: gulf
ja_on: ワン
ja_kun: いりえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
弯[ワン] curve
examples: 湾[わん] bay; gulf; inlet
メキシコ湾[メキシコわん] Gulf of Mexico
台湾[たいわん] Taiwan
港湾[こうわん] harbour; harbor
湾岸[わんがん] gulf coast; bay coast
湾曲[わんきょく] curve; bend; crook
heisig_story: Water . . . apple . . . bow.
koohii_story: In his most daring feat, William tell used his bow to shoot an apple off the head of his son across the water of the gulf.

kanji: 離
meaning: detach
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: はな.れる、はな.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 离[チ] rare beast
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 離れる[はなれる] to be separated; to be apart; to be distant
離す[はなす] to separate; to part; to divide; to keep apart
距離[きょり] distance; range; interval
離婚[りこん] divorce
引き離す[ひきはなす] to pull apart; to separate
切り離す[きりはなす] to cut off (from); to separate; to detach; to sever; to uncouple
離脱[りだつ] withdrawal; secession; separation; breakaway
隔離[かくり] isolation; segregation; separation; quarantine
かけ離れる[かけはなれる] to be far apart (from); to be a long way off (from); to be remote; to be distant
遠距離[えんきょり] long distance; tele-
分離[ぶんり] separation; partition; detachment; segregation; isolation
長距離[ちょうきょり] long distance; long haul
近距離[きんきょり] short distance
短距離[たんきょり] short distance; short range; short-haul
離党[りとう] secession from a political party
heisig_story: Top hat . . . villain . . . belt . . . elbow . . . turkey. This is potentially one of the most difficult characters to remember. Tackle it positively and let the image "sink in" by carrying it around with you today and calling it up in your spare moments.
koohii_story: I've finally met my arch-rival, the evilest of all villains. Finally, I'm about to fight him. But what's this? He's suspiciously quiet. I move to attack him, and his right arm falls off at the elbow. Strange. I walk up to him and detach his left arm. Very strange. I undo his belt , and take off his top hat … BLAST! It was just a decoy turkey!

kanji: 摘
meaning: pinch
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: つ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
啇[テキ] the stalk
examples: 指摘[してき] pointing out; identification
摘む[つまむ] to pinch; to hold (between one's fingers); to pick up (with chopsticks, tweezers
摘み[つまみ] knob; handle; button
摘出[てきしゅつ] picking out; taking out; (surgical) removal
摘発[てきはつ] exposing; unmasking; laying bare
heisig_story: Finger . . . antique.
koohii_story: My grandma always pinch ed me with her fingers when i was playing with her antiques. Imagine her fingers, also quite antique, thin, bony and hard, pinch ing at your hand. "Keep your fingers away from my antiques!!".

kanji: 郎
meaning: son
ja_on: ロウ、リョウ
ja_kun: おとこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 良[リョウ] good
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 野郎[やろう] guy; fellow; chap; buddy
新郎[しんろう] bridegroom
heisig_story: Halo . . . city walls.
koohii_story: The daughter is a good girl that grows up to be a woman. The son is a good boy that grows up to defend the city walls.

kanji: 捜
meaning: search
ja_on: ソウ、シュ、シュウ
ja_kun: さが.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
叟[ソウ] old person
examples: 捜す[さがす] to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to seek
捜査[そうさ] search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry; enquiry
捜索[そうさく] search (esp. for someone or something missing); manhunt
捜査官[そうさかん] (police) investigator
特捜[とくそう] special investigation
heisig_story: Fingers . . . monkey . . . crotch.
koohii_story: The monkey search es around with his fingers for his crotch.

kanji: 超
meaning: transcend
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: こ.える、こ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 走[はしる] to run
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 超[ちょう] super-; ultra-; hyper-; extreme
超える[こえる] to cross over; to cross; to pass through; to pass over (out of); to go beyond; t
超越[ちょうえつ] transcendence; transcendency
超人[ちょうじん] superman; superwoman
超す[こす] to cross over (e.g. mountain); to go across
超過[ちょうか] excess; surplus; exceeding (a limit, estimate, etc.); going over
超伝導[ちょうでんどう] superconductivity; super-conductivity
超党派[ちょうとうは] suprapartisan; multiparty; bipartisan; nonpartisan
超特急[ちょうとっきゅう] super express
超音波[ちょうおんぱ] ultrasonic waves; ultrasound
超音速[ちょうおんそく] supersonic speed
heisig_story: When one is running after something, the goal that seduces one is said to transcend the seeker.
koohii_story: A successful marathon runner needs to be able to transcend seductions, such as the possibility of rest, shelter from the rain, or a cold beer.

kanji: 療
meaning: heal
ja_on: リョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
尞[リョウ] fuel used for sacrifices
examples: 治療[ちりょう] (medical) treatment; care; therapy; cure; remedy
医療[いりょう] medical treatment; medical care
療養[りょうよう] recuperation; medical treatment
治療法[ちりょうほう] method of treatment; cure; remedy
診療所[しんりょうじょ] clinic; medical office; infirmary
診療[しんりょう] diagnosis and treatment; medical care
対症療法[たいしょうりょうほう] symptomatic therapy; allopathy
救急医療[きゅうきゅういりょう] emergency medicine
早期治療[そうきちりょう] early treatment
療法[りょうほう] (method of) treatment; therapy; remedy; cure
療養所[りょうようじょ] sanatorium
heisig_story: Sickness . . . pup tent.
koohii_story: In Final Fantasy 4, sleeping in a tent completely heal s you and recovers all your HP and MP (and cures any sickness your characters may have).

kanji: 捕
meaning: catch
ja_on: ホ
ja_kun: と.らえる、と.らわれる、と.る、とら.える、とら.われる、つか.まえる、つか.まる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
甫[ホ] for the first time
examples: 捕まえる[つかまえる] to catch; to capture; to arrest; to seize; to restrain
捕まる[つかまる] to be caught; to be arrested
逮捕[たいほ] arrest; apprehension; capture
捕らえる[とらえる] to catch; to capture; to seize; to arrest; to grab; to catch hold of
捕獲[ほかく] capture; seizure
捕らわれる[とらわれる] to be caught; to be captured; to be taken prisoner; to be arrested; to be appreh
捕虜[ほりょ] prisoner (of war); POW; captive
捕る[とる] to catch (a wild animal, fish, insect, baseball, etc.); to capture
捕える[とらえる] to catch; to capture; to seize; to arrest; to grab; to catch hold of
捕鯨[ほげい] whaling; whale hunting; whale fishing
捕手[ほしゅ] catcher
heisig_story: Fingers . . . dog tag.
koohii_story: I was retreating from the battlefield. In the chaos, my friend threw his dogtags at me to give to his family. I managed to catch them with my fingers as the chopper was lifting off.

kanji: 振
meaning: shake
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ふ.る、ふ.れる、ふ.るう
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
examples: 振る[ふる] to wave; to shake; to swing
振り返る[ふりかえる] to turn one's head; to look over one's shoulder; to turn around; to look back
振り回す[ふりまわす] to wield; to brandish; to flourish; to wave (about); to swing
振り向く[ふりむく] to turn one's face; to turn around; to look over one's shoulder
振る舞う[ふるまう] to behave; to conduct oneself; to act
振動[しんどう] oscillation; vibration; swing (e.g. of a pendulum)
振る舞い[ふるまい] behavior; behaviour; conduct
振り切る[ふりきる] to shake off; to shake free from
振り[ふり] swing; shake; sweep; wave; wag
空振り[からぶり] swing and a miss
振り込む[ふりこむ] to make a payment via bank deposit transfer
振舞う[ふるまう] to behave; to conduct oneself; to act
不振[ふしん] dullness; slump; stagnation; inactivity; depression
久し振り[ひさしぶり] a long time (since the last time); first in a long time
振り仮名[ふりがな] furigana
heisig_story: Fingers . . . sign of the dragon.
koohii_story: Bruce Lee shake s the confidence of his opponents by simply waving his fingers in front of them, they know that each of them is a deadly weapon in their own right. Hwwaaaa…

kanji: 介
meaning: jammed in
ja_on: カイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 人[ひと] person
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 紹介[しょうかい] introduction; presentation; referral; showcase (of a product)
厄介[やっかい] trouble; burden; nuisance; bother; worry
自己紹介[じこしょうかい] self-introduction
介入[かいにゅう] intervention
お節介[おせっかい] meddling; meddlesomeness; nosiness; interference; officiousness
介護[かいご] nursing; care; caregiving; caring
仲介[ちゅうかい] agency; intermediation
媒介[ばいかい] mediation; agency; serving as a medium; acting as an intermediary; acting as a g
介助[かいじょ] help; assistance; aid
介在[かいざい] existing (between); interposition; intervention; involvement
紹介文[しょうかいぶん] introductory text; introductory essay
紹介者[しょうかいしゃ] person who introduces someone; introducer
魚介[ぎょかい] marine products; seafood; fish and shellfish
魚介類[ぎょかいるい] marine products; seafood; fish and shellfish
heisig_story: The idea of something getting jammed into something else is depicted here by having a walking stick get jammed into an umbrella frame by someone shoving it into an already occupied slot in the umbrella stand at the door. First notice the vertical strokes: on the left is the curved umbrella handle, and on the right the straight walking stick. Now try to imagine the two parties tugging at their respective properties like two kids on a wishbone, creating a scene at the entrance of an elegant restaurant.
koohii_story: The two strokes at the bottom look like a J and I, which stands for "jammed in.".

kanji: 迎
meaning: welcome
ja_on: ゲイ
ja_kun: むか.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 卬[キョウ] lofty
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 迎える[むかえる] to go out to meet; to receive; to welcome; to greet; to salute; to hail
歓迎[かんげい] welcome; (warm) reception
出迎える[でむかえる] to meet; to greet
大歓迎[だいかんげい] big welcome; welcoming greatly; being very welcome
迎え撃つ[むかえうつ] to meet (the enemy) and attack; to engage (the approaching enemy); to confront;
迎撃[げいげき] intercept; interception; counter-attack
迎え[むかえ] meeting; greeting; welcome
出迎え[でむかえ] meeting; reception
迎合[げいごう] ingratiation; pandering; catering (to); going along with (someone or something);
迎賓館[げいひんかん] reception hall (esp. for visiting state dignitaries); guest house
送迎[そうげい] seeing off and meeting on return
heisig_story: Box . . . stamps . . . road.
koohii_story: Stamp-collectors sit and wait on the road to welcome new mail arrivals.

kanji: 販
meaning: marketing
ja_on: ハン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
反[ハン] anti-
examples: 販売[はんばい] sale; sales; selling; marketing
自販機[じはんき] vending machine
通販[つうはん] online shopping; e-commerce; mail order
市販[しはん] putting on the market; putting on sale; making commercially available
自動販売機[じどうはんばいき] vending machine
信販会社[しんぱんがいしゃ] credit company
再販[さいはん] resale
物販[ぶっぱん] sale of goods (as opposed to services)
自販[じはん] automatic selling
販促[はんそく] sales promotion
販売員[はんばいいん] sales staff; salesperson
販路[はんろ] market (for goods, services, etc.); outlet (for selling); opening
通信販売[つうしんはんばい] online shopping service (with delivery by mail); mail order; mail-order sales; s
量販店[りょうはんてん] volume retailer; mass marketer; emporium
heisig_story: Shells/money . . . anti-.
koohii_story: The goal of marketing is to get people who are naturally anti-buying to spend their shells (money).

kanji: 献
meaning: offering
ja_on: ケン、コン
ja_kun: たてまつ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 南[ナン] south
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 貢献[こうけん] contribution (furthering a goal or cause); services (to a cause)
文献[ぶんけん] literature; books (reference); document
献上[けんじょう] presenting (to)
献立[こんだて] menu; bill of fare
献花[けんか] flower offering; floral tribute; laying flowers
献血[けんけつ] blood donation
献金[けんきん] donation; contribution; offering
heisig_story: South . . . chihuahua.
koohii_story: A South Korean street vendor is offering chihuahu snacks.

kanji: 幅
meaning: hanging scroll
ja_on: フク
ja_kun: はば
grade: Junior High
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
畐[フク] to fill
examples: 幅[はば] width; breadth
大幅[おおはば] big; large; drastic; substantial
幅広い[はばひろい] extensive; wide; broad
小幅[こはば] small; narrow
振幅[しんぷく] amplitude (of vibration)
横幅[よこはば] breadth; width
走り幅跳び[はしりはばとび] long jump
heisig_story: A towel owned by the wealthiest tycoon in the world is made into a hanging scroll after his death and auctioned off to the highest bidder.
koohii_story: In the west, the rich use $100 bills to light their cigars… In Japan, after showering, when the wealthy don't have any clean towels, they simply grab a hanging scroll off the wall and use it to dry off!

kanji: 維
meaning: fiber
ja_on: イ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 維持[いじ] maintenance; preservation; improvement
繊維[せんい] fibre; fiber
合成繊維[ごうせいせんい] synthetic fibre; synthetic fiber
維新[いしん] reformation; revolution; renewal
heisig_story: Thread . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Hey, Spidey! Eat that turkey if you want, but make sure you eat some fiber s: you want spidey threads , don't ya?

kanji: 浜
meaning: seacoast
ja_on: ヒン
ja_kun: はま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
兵[ヘイ] soldier
examples: 砂浜[すなはま] sandy beach
横浜[よこはま] Yokohama (city)
浜[はま] beach; seashore
浜辺[はまべ] beach; foreshore
浜松[はままつ] Hamamatsu (city)
海浜[かいひん] seashore; seaside; beach
heisig_story: Water . . . soldier.
koohii_story: Seacoast - > Coast Guard -> " water soldiers " lined up on the seacoast defending our shores.

kanji: 彼
meaning: he
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: かれ、かの、か.の
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 彼女[かのじょ] she; her
彼[かれ] he; him
彼ら[かれら] they; them
彼氏[かれし] boyfriend
彼方[かなた] beyond; across; the other side; the distance
彼岸[ひがん] equinoctial week (when Buddhist services are held)
heisig_story: Going . . . pelt. This kanji refers to the third person singular personal pronoun, generally in its masculine form.
koohii_story: What's the main difference between a he and a she? The he has a column covered in a pelt … a penis. Badum-ching.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 彼 役 投

kanji: 般
meaning: carrier
ja_on: ハン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 一般[いっぱん] general; universal
一般的[いっぱんてき] general; popular; common; typical
一般人[いっぱんじん] ordinary person; member of the general public; non-celebrity
全般[ぜんぱん] (the) whole
一般に[いっぱんに] generally; in general; widely; commonly; universally
先般[せんぱん] some time ago; the other day
heisig_story: Boat . . . missile.
koohii_story: Carrier?! This means "general" (as in the general public or generally). OK.. Carrier s, i.e. boats with missiles, are not available to the general public.

kanji: 塁
meaning: bases
ja_on: ルイ、ライ、スイ
ja_kun: とりで
grade: Junior High
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
冫[にすい] ice
土[つち] earth
examples: 一塁[いちるい] first base
三塁[さんるい] third base
三塁手[さんるいしゅ] third baseman
三塁打[さんるいだ] three-base hit; triple
二塁[にるい] second base
二塁手[にるいしゅ] second baseman
二塁打[にるいだ] two-base hit; double
出塁[しゅつるい] getting on base; reaching first base
塁[るい] base; bag; sack
塁審[るいしん] base umpire
本塁[ほんるい] base; stronghold; main fort
本塁打[ほんるいだ] home run
残塁[ざんるい] left on base
満塁[まんるい] bases loaded
盗塁[とうるい] base stealing; steal; stolen base
heisig_story: The kanji of this frame refers to the four bases that are placed at the corners of a baseball infield. The elements: field . . . sparkler . . . ground.
koohii_story: Playing baseball in a rice field with sparklers stuck into the ground to act as bases.

kanji: 邦
meaning: home country
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: くに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丰[ホウ] abundant
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 連邦[れんぽう] federation (of states); confederation; commonwealth; union
東邦[とうほう] Oriental country; the Orient
邦人[ほうじん] Japanese national (esp. abroad)
邦楽[ほうがく] Japanese music (esp. traditional Japanese music)
邦画[ほうが] Japanese film
heisig_story: Bushes . . . city walls.
koohii_story: He reminisced about his home country : "Ah, back in my home country , the bushes grew so high that they covered the city walls!".

kanji: 舞
meaning: dance
ja_on: ブ
ja_kun: ま.う、-ま.う、まい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
一[いち] one
舛[まいあし] contrary
examples: 舞台[ぶたい] stage (of a theatre, concert hall, etc.)
振る舞う[ふるまう] to behave; to conduct oneself; to act
舞う[まう] to dance (orig. a whirling dance)
振る舞い[ふるまい] behavior; behaviour; conduct
見舞い[みまい] visit (to someone affected by illness or misfortune); call; inquiry (about someo
見舞う[みまう] to visit and comfort or console; to go to see (e.g. someone in hospital); to ask
舞[まい] dancing; dance
鼓舞[こぶ] encouragement; inspiration; rousing; stirring up; raising (e.g. morale)
振舞う[ふるまう] to behave; to conduct oneself; to act
初舞台[はつぶたい] debut; initial stage appearance
暑中見舞[しょちゅうみまい] summer greeting card; inquiry after someone's health in the hot season
最後の舞台[さいごのぶたい] final performance; swan song; last act
歌舞伎[かぶき] kabuki
演舞[えんぶ] dance performance
舞台裏[ぶたいうら] offstage; backstage; behind the scenes
heisig_story: The top two strokes show someone reclining , and the next six are a pictograph of an oaken tub ribbed with metal strips, like the kind once used for bathing. At the bottom, the sunglasses round off the character.
koohii_story: The yakuza boss reclines in the oaken bathtub wearing his shades while his personal harem dance s nakes for him.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: お見舞い 無理

kanji: 遣
meaning: dispatch
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: つか.う、-つか.い、-づか.い、つか.わす、や.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 中[チュウ] in
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 気遣い[きづかい] consideration; concern; fear; worry; solicitude
派遣[はけん] dispatch; despatch; deployment
言葉遣い[ことばづかい] speech; expression; wording; language
お小遣い[おこづかい] pocket money; spending money; pin money; allowance
心遣い[こころづかい] consideration (for); thoughtfulness; solicitude; care; watchfulness; concern; sy
小遣い[こづかい] pocket money; spending money; pin money; allowance
無駄遣い[むだづかい] waste (of money, time, etc.); squandering; frittering away
仮名遣い[かなづかい] kana orthography; syllabary spelling
先遣[せんけん] sending ahead
遣唐使[けんとうし] envoy to Tang China
heisig_story: This kanji takes away the maestro 's baton and replaces it with a purse. The road represents his being dispatched on his way a san obvious misfit. You will remember that when he did have his baton, he was being chased down the road by his fans. All of which shows what a difference a single stroke can make!
koohii_story: Dispatch all cars and chase the maestro! He's gone crazy and stolen a ladies purse!

kanji: 抗
meaning: confront
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: あらが.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
亢[コウ] high spirits
examples: 抵抗[ていこう] resistance; opposition; standing up to
対抗[たいこう] opposition; rivalry; competition; antagonism
抗議[こうぎ] protest; objection
反抗[はんこう] opposition; resistance; insubordination; defiance; hostility; rebellion
抗争[こうそう] rivalry; feud; conflict; dispute; struggle; strife; contention; resistance
抗体[こうたい] antibody
抗原[こうげん] antigen
抗告[こうこく] appeal; protest; complaint
抗戦[こうせん] resistance
抗日[こうにち] resistance against Japanese aggression; anti-Japanese (campaign, movement, etc.)
抗生物質[こうせいぶっしつ] antibiotic
抗菌[こうきん] antibacterial; antimicrobial
heisig_story: Fingers . . . a whirlwind.
koohii_story: Gandalf confront s the evil beast, shouting "you shall not pass!". He holds up a single finger and sends forth a whirlwind.

kanji: 雄
meaning: masculine
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: お-、おす、おん
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厷[コウ] the fore-arm
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 英雄[えいゆう] hero; heroine; great person
雄[おす] male (animal, plant)
雄弁[ゆうべん] eloquence; fluency (of speech)
雄大[ゆうだい] grand; magnificent; majestic; great; sublime
両雄[りょうゆう] two great men
雌雄[しゆう] male and female (animals); the two sexes
heisig_story: By one's side . . . elbow . . . turkey. Its match is in frame 605.
koohii_story: Men walk with their elbows out from their sides in a weird turkey trot when they try to appear very MASCULINE. Think of a 70's pimp walk.
heisig_keyword: male

kanji: 込
meaning: crowded
ja_kun: -こ.む、こ.む、こ.み、-こ.み、こ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 入[いる] to enter
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 巻き込む[まきこむ] to roll up; to enfold; to swallow up
込む[こむ] to be crowded; to be packed; to be congested; to be thronged (with)
込める[こめる] to load (a gun, etc.); to charge
落ち込む[おちこむ] to feel down; to feel sad; to be depressed; to be in low spirits
飛び込む[とびこむ] to jump in; to leap in; to plunge into; to dive
飲み込む[のみこむ] to swallow; to gulp down
閉じ込める[とじこめる] to lock up; to shut up; to imprison
乗り込む[のりこむ] to board (a train, plane, etc.); to get into (a car); to get on (a bus); to go o
持ち込む[もちこむ] to bring in; to take in; to carry in
入り込む[はいりこむ] to go into; to come into; to penetrate; to get in; to step in (a house)
思い込む[おもいこむ] to be convinced (that); to be under the impression (that); to feel sure (that);
追い込む[おいこむ] to herd; to drive; to chase; to corral
吸い込む[すいこむ] to inhale; to breathe in; to suck up; to soak up; to absorb
取り込む[とりこむ] to take in; to bring in; to adopt (e.g. behaviour); to introduce
打ち込む[うちこむ] to drive in (a nail, stake, etc.); to hammer in
heisig_story: Enter . . . road.
koohii_story: During a traffic jam it is impossible to get your car to enter the roadway as it is crowded with cars. Think of a grid lock so bad cars are litterally scraping up against each other like people on a Japanese train during rush hour.

kanji: 緊
meaning: tense
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: し.める、し.まる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
又[また] again
糸[いと] thread
examples: 緊張[きんちょう] tension; strain; nervousness; stress
緊急[きんきゅう] urgency; emergency
緊迫[きんぱく] tension; strain
緊密[きんみつ] rigour; rigor; closeness; compactness; tightly knit
緊急事態宣言[きんきゅうじたいせんげん] declaration of a state of emergency
緊縮[きんしゅく] tightening; shrinkage; contraction; constriction
heisig_story: Slave . . . crotch . . . thread.
koohii_story: Whenever Venom is tense , he loses control of his sex drive and becomes a slave to his crotch.

kanji: 換
meaning: interchange
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: か.える、-か.える、か.わる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
奐[カン] clear
examples: 交換[こうかん] exchange; interchange; switching; reciprocity; barter; substitution; replacement
引き換え[ひきかえ] exchange; conversion
気分転換[きぶんてんかん] change of pace; change of mood; (mental) break (e.g. going for a walk); refreshm
変換[へんかん] change; conversion; transformation
書き換える[かきかえる] to rewrite; to overwrite; to renew; to transfer
転換[てんかん] conversion; diversion; changeover; commutation; switchover
換える[かえる] to replace; to convert; to change
乗り換える[のりかえる] to transfer (trains); to change (bus, train)
言い換える[いいかえる] to say in other words; to put another way; to express in different words; to rew
置き換える[おきかえる] to move (something) to another location; to change the position of; to rearrange
換気[かんき] ventilation
換算[かんさん] conversion (e.g. yen to dollars); change; exchange; translation (numerical)
乗り換え[のりかえ] transfer (trains, buses, etc.); change; connection
互換[ごかん] interchange
換気扇[かんきせん] ventilation fan; extractor fan
heisig_story: Fingers . . . four St. Bernard dogs bound up.
koohii_story: After months of practice, you finally managed to teach a nice trick to your sled- pulling four bound up St. Bernard dogs : one snap of your fingers and they interchange their positions.

kanji: 占
meaning: fortune-telling
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: し.める、うらな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 卜[ぼく] oracle
口[くち] mouth
examples: 独占[どくせん] monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity
独り占め[ひとりじめ] hogging; having all to oneself; monopolising; monopolizing
占い[うらない] fortune-telling; divination
占める[しめる] to occupy; to hold
占領[せんりょう] occupying; having (an area) all to oneself
占拠[せんきょ] occupation; taking and maintaining exclusive control (of a location)
占う[うらなう] to tell someone's fortune; to divine (the future)
占い師[うらないし] diviner; fortune teller; soothsayer
買い占める[かいしめる] to buy up
占有[せんゆう] possession; occupation; occupancy
寡占[かせん] oligopoly; control of a market
星占い[ほしうらない] astrology; horoscope
買い占め[かいしめ] buying up of goods; cornering (market)
heisig_story: This is one of those kanji that is a real joy of simplicity: a divining rod with a mouth \- which translate directly into fortune-telling. Note how the movement from top to bottom (the movement in which the kanji are written) is also the order of the elements which make up our story and of the key word itself: first divining rod , then mouth. This will not always be possible, but where it is, memory has almost no work at all to do.
koohii_story: Fortune-telling : using a mouth as a divining rod.

kanji: 廃
meaning: abolish
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: すた.れる、すた.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
発[ハツ] departure
examples: 廃墟[はいきょ] ruins (of a building, town, etc.); remains
廃棄[はいき] disposal; abandonment; scrapping; discarding; abolition
廃止[はいし] abolition; discontinuance; discontinuation; repeal; annulment
荒廃[こうはい] ruin; destruction; devastation; waste; decay
全廃[ぜんぱい] total abolition; full phase-out; total repeal
存廃[そんぱい] maintenance or abolition (of a system, institution, etc.); existence
廃坑[はいこう] closure of a mine; abandoned mine; disused mine
廃材[はいざい] scrap wood; waste wood
廃案[はいあん] rejected bill (project)
廃棄物[はいきぶつ] waste matter; waste; garbage; trash
廃業[はいぎょう] discontinuation (of business); closing down; giving up (one's practice); retirin
廃絶[はいぜつ] abolition; elimination
撤廃[てっぱい] annulment; abolition; repeal; rescission
退廃[たいはい] (moral) decay; (social) decline; decadence; corruption; degeneration; deteriorat
退廃的[たいはいてき] degenerate; decadent; corrupt
heisig_story: Cave . . . discharge.
koohii_story: I think discharging nuclear weapons should be abolish ed. That includes underground tests in caves. You listening Kim Jong-il?

kanji: 江
meaning: creek
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: え
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
工[たくみ] work
examples: 江戸[えど] Edo (shogunate capital; former name of Tokyo); Yedo
江戸時代[えどじだい] Edo period (1603-1868)
江[え] inlet; bay
堀江[ほりえ] canal
江戸っ子[えどっこ] (true) Tokyoite; Edoite; Tokyo native; Edokko
heisig_story: Unlike the river, the ocean, the lake, and the pond, the creek is often no more then a dribble of water trickling down a small gully. While the geological history of the larger bodies of water is hard to surmise sometimes, all of us know from our childhood how creeks are made. You probably even dug one or two in your time. All you need to do is find a mainstream of water somewhere and dig a little path into dry land. The creek is thus a lesson in water-craft , as this kanji would agree.
koohii_story: A CREEK is a small trail of water easily craft ed with a stick.

kanji: 頼
meaning: trust
ja_on: ライ
ja_kun: たの.む、たの.もしい、たよ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 束[ソク] bundle
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頼む[たのむ] to request; to beg; to ask
頼る[たよる] to rely on; to depend on; to count on; to turn to (for help)
信頼[しんらい] trust (in); confidence; faith; reliance
依頼[いらい] request; commission; entrusting (with a matter)
頼み[たのみ] request; favor; favour
頼もしい[たのもしい] reliable; dependable; trustworthy; reassuring
頼り[たより] reliance; dependence
頼りない[たよりない] unreliable; undependable; indefinite; vague
信頼性[しんらいせい] credibility; authenticity; confidence; reliability
heisig_story: Bundle . . . head.
koohii_story: We found a bundle of severed heads in your room, its difficult to trust you.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 頼む 金額

kanji: 僚
meaning: colleague
ja_on: リョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
尞[リョウ] fuel used for sacrifices
examples: 同僚[どうりょう] coworker; co-worker; colleague; associate
官僚[かんりょう] bureaucrat; government official; bureaucracy
僚友[りょうゆう] colleague; workmate; comrade; coworker
幕僚[ばくりょう] staff; staff officer
閣僚[かくりょう] cabinet ministers
heisig_story: Person . . . pup tent. Choose some connotation of the key word that will keep it distinct for you from companion (Frame 19), friend (Frame 760), consort (Frame 1287), and comrade (Frame 1765).
koohii_story: Trivia: The right primitive is kagaribi \- 尞 - fuel used for sacrifices. I would use sacred bonfire as a primitive . (Mnemonic: Top is a merged image of big and fire \- big sacred bonfire that looks like little sun ). Story: Your colleague got fired literally… in a sacred bonfire by Mr.T.

kanji: 吉
meaning: good luck
ja_on: キチ、キツ
ja_kun: よし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
口[くち] mouth
examples: 不吉[ふきつ] ominous; sinister; unlucky; inauspicious
吉兆[きっちょう] lucky omen; good omen
吉報[きっぽう] good news
heisig_story: Here we see a samurai standing on a street with an open mouth , which people walk up to and look down deep inside of for good luck.
koohii_story: The samurai 's wife gives him a (uhum) before battle for good luck.

kanji: 途
meaning: route
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: みち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 余[ヨ] too much
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 途中[とちゅう] on the way; en route
途端[とたん] just (now, at the moment, etc.); just as; in the act of; as soon as; at the mome
途切れる[とぎれる] to break off; to come to an end; to be interrupted; to be cut short; to pause
中途[ちゅうと] halfway; midway; partway; mid-course
中途半端[ちゅうとはんぱ] halfway; half measures; unfinished; incomplete; by halves; half-baked; half-cock
途絶える[とだえる] to stop; to cease; to come to an end; to cut off
途端に[とたんに] just as; right after; in the act of; as soon as; at that moment
用途[ようと] use; service; purpose
一途[いちず] single-minded; intent; determined; wholehearted; earnest; devoted (to)
前途[ぜんと] future; prospects; outlook
途上[とじょう] on the way; en route
使途[しと] purpose for which money is spent; the way money is spent; how goods are used
別途[べっと] separate; special; another
帰途[きと] (the) way home; return trip; (the) way back
発展途上国[はってんとじょうこく] developing country
heisig_story: Scale . . . road.
koohii_story: On this route , all trucks have to check in at the scales before they can get on the road.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 除く

kanji: 踏
meaning: step
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ふ.む、ふ.まえる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
沓[トウ] shoes
examples: 踏む[ふむ] to step on; to tread on; to trample on
踏まえる[ふまえる] to be based on; to take into account; to build upon; to have origin in
踏ん張る[ふんばる] to brace one's legs; to stand firm; to plant one's feet (firmly on the ground)
踏み切る[ふみきる] to take off; to jump; to leap
足踏み[あしぶみ] stepping (in place); stamping (up and down); stomping; marking time (for a soldi
雑踏[ざっとう] hustle and bustle; throng; crowd; congestion; traffic jam
踏切[ふみきり] railway crossing; railroad crossing; train crossing; level crossing
舞踏[ぶとう] dance (esp. Western style); dancing
踏み絵[ふみえ] fumi-e; fumie
heisig_story: The meaning of this character is virtually identical with that of the last frame. Be sure to come up with distinct connotations suggested by phrases in which each is commonly used. Wooden leg . . . water . . . sun.
koohii_story: You have to watch your step when moving your leg on a watery day.

kanji: 抜
meaning: slip out
ja_on: バツ、ハツ、ハイ
ja_kun: ぬ.く、-ぬ.く、ぬ.き、ぬ.ける、ぬ.かす、ぬ.かる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
友[ユウ] friend
examples: 抜ける[ぬける] to come out; to fall out; to be omitted; to be missing; to escape; to come loose
抜く[ぬく] to pull out; to draw out; to extract; to unplug; to weed
抜け出す[ぬけだす] to slip out; to sneak away; to break free; to get through (a difficult situation
抜き[ぬき] leaving out; omitting; skipping; dispensing with
引き抜く[ひきぬく] to extract; to pull out; to draw out; to uproot
抜かる[ぬかる] to make a mistake
抜群[ばつぐん] outstanding; excellent; exceptional; distinguished; unrivaled; surpassing (e.g.
間抜け[まぬけ] stupid; foolish; idiotic; inane
抜かす[ぬかす] to omit; to leave out; to skip
突き抜ける[つきぬける] to pierce through; to break through
追い抜く[おいぬく] to pass (a car); to overtake
手抜き[てぬき] omitting crucial steps; cutting corners; skimping
選抜[せんばつ] selection; choice; picking out
奇抜[きばつ] (very) unusual; unconventional; eccentric; novel; original; striking; bizarre; w
骨抜き[ほねぬき] boning (fish or meat); deboning
heisig_story: Fingers . . . friend.
koohii_story: Don't let good friends slip out between your fingers.

kanji: 壊
meaning: demolition
ja_on: カイ、エ
ja_kun: こわ.す、こわ.れる、やぶ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
十[じゅう] ten
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 壊す[こわす] to break; to destroy; to demolish
壊れる[こわれる] to be broken; to break; to fall apart; to collapse; to be destroyed; to be damag
破壊[はかい] destruction; disruption
崩壊[ほうかい] collapse; crumbling; breaking down; caving in
壊滅[かいめつ] (complete) destruction; annihilation; devastation
取り壊し[とりこわし] demolition; pulling down; destruction; dismantling
損壊[そんかい] damage; destruction
heisig_story: The right half of this character shows a garment woven so fine that it can pass through the eye of a needle , fittingly draped around the slithering, ethereal form of a poltergeist. In this frame, our eerie visitor brushes its robes against a nearby block of apartments and completely demolishes them, razing them to the ground.
koohii_story: If you stand too close to a DEMOLITION site, the dust might sting you like NEEDLES in your EYE and get your GARMENTs all dirty.

kanji: 債
meaning: bond
ja_on: サイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
責[セキ] blame
examples: 負債[ふさい] debt; liabilities
債[さい] debt; loan
債券[さいけん] bond; debenture
債務[さいむ] debt; liabilities; obligation to a person or party (usu. legal or contractual)
債権[さいけん] credit; claim
公債[こうさい] public debt; public bond; government securities
公社債[こうしゃさい] public bonds
割引債[わりびきさい] discount bond
国債[こくさい] national debt; national securities; government bonds; government securities
社債[しゃさい] corporate bond; corporate debenture
起債[きさい] issuing of bonds
heisig_story: Person . . . blame. The key word refers to financial bonds.
koohii_story: Mr. T's plot of world domination is foiled. Who is to blame? Bond. James Bond.

kanji: 伸
meaning: expand
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: の.びる、の.ばす、の.べる、の.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
申[シン] have the honor to
examples: 伸びる[のびる] to stretch; to extend; to lengthen; to grow (of hair, height, grass, etc.)
伸ばす[のばす] to grow long (e.g. hair, nails)
差し伸べる[さしのべる] to hold out; to extend (e.g. one's hands); to stretch; to reach out for
欠伸[あくび] yawn; yawning
伸び[のび] growth; development
伸び伸び[のびのび] comfortably; peacefully; freely; with one's mind at ease; without restraint; cal
引き伸ばす[ひきのばす] to stretch larger
伸し[のし] stretching
伸びやか[のびやか] comfortable; carefree
伸び悩む[のびなやむ] to be sluggish; to make little progress; to show little growth; to fail to impro
伸び率[のびりつ] growth rate
伸縮[しんしゅく] expansion and contraction; elasticity; flexibility
急伸[きゅうしん] sudden rise (esp. of stock prices); jump
続伸[ぞくしん] continuous rise (in market price)
追伸[ついしん] postscript; post scriptum; PS; P.S.
heisig_story: Person . . . monkey.
koohii_story: Here we see Mr. T. expand ing his gang with some trained fighter monkeys.

kanji: 爆
meaning: bomb
ja_on: バク
ja_kun: は.ぜる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
暴[ボウ] outburst
examples: 爆発[ばくはつ] explosion; detonation; blast; blowing up; eruption
爆弾[ばくだん] bomb
爆破[ばくは] destructive blast; blowing up; explosion
爆笑[ばくしょう] roar of laughter (from multiple people); burst of laughter; uproarious laughter
爆音[ばくおん] (sound of an) explosion or detonation; roar (of a machine)
爆撃[ばくげき] bombing (raid)
爆薬[ばくやく] explosive; blasting powder
原爆[げんばく] atomic bomb; A-bomb
原水爆[げんすいばく] atomic and hydrogen bombs; nuclear and thermonuclear bombs
水爆[すいばく] hydrogen bomb
爆竹[ばくちく] firecracker
空爆[くうばく] aerial bombing
被爆[ひばく] being bombed
起爆[きばく] ignition; detonation; triggering; explosion
heisig_story: Fire . . . outburst.
koohii_story: Actually means explosion, like an outburst of fire.

kanji: 儀
meaning: ceremony
ja_on: ギ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
義[ギ] righteousness
examples: 儀式[ぎしき] ceremony; rite; ritual; service
礼儀[れいぎ] manners; courtesy; etiquette
お辞儀[おじぎ] bow; bowing
葬儀[そうぎ] funeral; funeral service
行儀[ぎょうぎ] manners; behavior; behaviour
儀[ぎ] ceremony
余儀なく[よぎなく] unavoidably; necessarily; inevitably
余儀なくされる[よぎなくされる] to be forced to do or experience something (against one's will); to be forced to
余儀ない[よぎない] unavoidable; inevitable; beyond one's control
儀礼[ぎれい] courtesy; etiquette; formality; protocol
地球儀[ちきゅうぎ] Earth globe (model); terrestrial globe
祝儀[しゅうぎ] celebration; celebratory event; wedding ceremony
heisig_story: Person . . . righteousness.
koohii_story: Mr. T is the master of ceremonies because he is a righteous dude.

kanji: 継
meaning: inherit
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: つ.ぐ、まま-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
米[こめ] rice
examples: 継ぐ[つぐ] to succeed (a person, to a position, etc.); to inherit; to take over; to follow
受け継ぐ[うけつぐ] to inherit; to succeed; to take over
引き継ぐ[ひきつぐ] to take over (someone's duties, business, etc.); to inherit; to succeed to; to c
継続[けいぞく] continuation; continuance; maintenance; persistence; going on
中継[ちゅうけい] relay; hook-up
継承[けいしょう] inheritance; succession; accession
跡継ぎ[あとつぎ] heir; inheritor
引き継ぎ[ひきつぎ] taking over; handing over; transfer of control; inheriting; passing on the baton
中継ぎ[なかつぎ] joining; joint
後継[こうけい] succession
生中継[なまちゅうけい] live broadcast (radio, TV); live coverage
継ぎ接ぎ[つぎはぎ] patching (clothing); darning
継投[けいとう] relieving the (starting) pitcher
継続的[けいぞくてき] continuous
heisig_story: Thread . . . rice . . . fishhook. Compare frame 1218.
koohii_story: Spider- Man is hooked on rice –it's all he inherit ed from his Uncle Ben. (thanks Nukemarine).

kanji: 狙
meaning: aim at
ja_on: ソ、ショ
ja_kun: ねら.う、ねら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 狙う[ねらう] to aim at (with a weapon, etc.)
狙い[ねらい] aim (of a gun, bow, etc.)
heisig_story: Pack of wild dogs . . . shelf.
koohii_story: When her home was invaded by a pack of dogs , the little girl climbed on the shelf and aimed various items at the dogs below.

kanji: 闘
meaning: fight
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: たたか.う、あらそ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
豆[まめ] bean
寸[すん] inch
examples: 戦闘[せんとう] battle; fight; combat
闘う[たたかう] to make war (on); to wage war (against); to go to war (with); to fight (with); t
格闘[かくとう] (hand-to-hand) fight; grapple; scuffle; tussle
奮闘[ふんとう] strenuous effort; hard struggle; working hard
闘志[とうし] fighting spirit; (will to) fight
闘争[とうそう] fight; battle; combat; conflict
健闘[けんとう] fighting bravely; strenuous efforts
共闘[きょうとう] joint struggle; common (united) front
戦闘機[せんとうき] fighter (aircraft)
乱闘[らんとう] confused fight; brawl; melee; scuffle; free-for-all
敢闘[かんとう] fighting bravely
春闘[しゅんとう] spring labor offensive; annual spring wage bargaining round
闘士[とうし] fighter (for); militant; champion (of); boxer
闘病[とうびょう] fighting against an illness
heisig_story: Gates . . . table . . . glue. Do not confuse with contend (Frame 1238).
koohii_story: During the saloon brawl, one guy got glued to a table and was tossed out through the saloon gates. But he really wanted to fight , so he ran back through those gates (with the table still glued to his back) only to be tossed out again. Imagine him repeatedly running in and being tossed back out.

kanji: 葬
meaning: interment
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: ほうむ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
死[シ] death
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 葬る[ほうむる] to bury; to inter; to entomb
葬式[そうしき] funeral
葬儀[そうぎ] funeral; funeral service
お葬式[おそうしき] funeral
埋葬[まいそう] burial
冠婚葬祭[かんこんそうさい] important ceremonial occasions in family relationships
副葬品[ふくそうひん] grave goods; burial accessories
火葬[かそう] cremation
社葬[しゃそう] company funeral
葬列[そうれつ] funeral procession
葬祭[そうさい] funerals and ceremonial occasions
葬送[そうそう] attending a funeral procession; seeing off the deceased; burial of someone's rem
heisig_story: Flowers . . . death . . . two hands. Do not confuse with bury (Frame 191).
koohii_story: I imagine an interment as a funeral. At this funeral it's an open casket, and the dead body (death) is holding flowers with both of its hands.

kanji: 避
meaning: evade
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: さ.ける、よ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辟[ヘキ] false
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 避ける[さける] to avoid (physical contact with)
回避[かいひ] evasion; avoidance
避難[ひなん] taking refuge; finding shelter; evacuation; escape; seeking safe haven
退避[たいひ] taking refuge; evacuation
逃避[とうひ] escape; evasion; flight
忌避[きひ] evasion; avoidance; shirking
不可避[ふかひ] inevitable; inescapable; unavoidable
避妊[ひにん] contraception; birth control
避暑[ひしょ] escaping the summer heat; going somewhere cooler during the summer; summering
避難民[ひなんみん] evacuees; displaced persons; refugees
heisig_story: Ketchup . . . road.
koohii_story: You can try and evade them, but they'll ketchup with you on the road… Sorry, couldn't resist it.

kanji: 普
meaning: universal
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: あまね.く、あまねし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 並[ヘイ] row
日[ひ] sun
examples: 普通[ふつう] normal; ordinary; regular; usual; common; average
普段[ふだん] usual; normal; everyday; habitual; ordinary
普及[ふきゅう] diffusion; spread; popularization; promulgation; familiarization
普段着[ふだんぎ] everyday clothes; ordinary clothes; casual wear; informal dress
普遍[ふへん] universal; general; ubiquitous; omnipresent
普賢[ふげん] Samantabhadra (bodhisattva); Universal Compassion
普通選挙[ふつうせんきょ] universal suffrage
普通預金[ふつうよきん] ordinary deposit
普遍的[ふへんてき] universal; omnipresent; ubiquitous
heisig_story: Row . . . sun.
koohii_story: People at Universal Studios wait in rows so long that the sun goes down.

kanji: 逮
meaning: apprehend
ja_on: タイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隶[れいづくり] to capture
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 逮捕[たいほ] arrest; apprehension; capture
heisig_story: Think of apprehending criminals. The elements are: sieve . . . road.
koohii_story: Think police roadblocks. They act like road sieves, letting good people through but apprehend ing criminals.

kanji: 婚
meaning: marriage
ja_on: コン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
昏[コン] dark
examples: 結婚[けっこん] marriage
離婚[りこん] divorce
結婚式[けっこんしき] marriage ceremony; wedding; nuptials
婚約者[こんやくしゃ] fiance; fiancee
婚約[こんやく] engagement; betrothal
再婚[さいこん] second marriage; remarriage
新婚[しんこん] newly-wed; newly married
結婚相手[けっこんあいて] marriage partner; spouse
婚姻[こんいん] marriage; matrimony
既婚[きこん] married
未婚[みこん] unmarried; not yet married
冠婚葬祭[かんこんそうさい] important ceremonial occasions in family relationships
晩婚[ばんこん] late marriage
heisig_story: Woman . . . family name . . . day.
koohii_story: Marriage is the day in this woman 's life where she gets a new family name.

kanji: 齢
meaning: age
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: よわい、とし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 歯[は] tooth
令[レイ] orders
examples: 年齢[ねんれい] age; years
高齢[こうれい] advanced age; old age
齢[よわい] (one's) age
学齢[がくれい] school age
年齢層[ねんれいそう] age range; age-group; age bracket
樹齢[じゅれい] age of a tree
老齢[ろうれい] old age; advanced age
適齢[てきれい] suitable age
適齢期[てきれいき] suitable age (esp. for marriage); marriageable age
高齢者[こうれいしゃ] old person; elderly person; senior citizen
heisig_story: This character is used to express the years of one's age. Its elements: teeth . . . orders.
koohii_story: You know you are fast approaching a ripe old AGE when you get ORDERS from the dentist to get new TEETH.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 年齢 歯医者

kanji: 迫
meaning: urge
ja_on: ハク
ja_kun: せま.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 白[しろ] white
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 迫る[せまる] to approach; to draw near; to be imminent
迫力[はくりょく] impressiveness; impact; force; intensity; presence; appeal; strength; punch; edg
脅迫[きょうはく] threat; menace; coercion; blackmail
圧迫[あっぱく] pressure
気迫[きはく] spirit; soul; drive; vigor; vigour
緊迫[きんぱく] tension; strain
切迫[せっぱく] pressure; urgency; tension; imminence; acuteness
迫害[はくがい] persecution; oppression
迫撃[はくげき] close attack
迫撃砲[はくげきほう] mortar
heisig_story: To urge someone to do something, you make the way as appealing as possible, perhaps even white washing it a bit.
koohii_story: When you have the URGE to go to White Castle, you know it's time to hit the road.

kanji: 浮
meaning: floating
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: う.く、う.かれる、う.かぶ、う.かべる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
孚[フ] sincere
examples: 浮かぶ[うかぶ] to float; to be suspended
浮く[うく] to float
浮かべる[うかべる] to float; to set afloat; to launch
浮気[うわき] extramarital sex; affair; fooling around
浮かれる[うかれる] to make merry; to be festive
浮かび上がる[うかびあがる] to rise to the surface
浮上[ふじょう] surfacing; rising to the surface
浮遊[ふゆう] floating; drifting; suspension
浮き[うき] floating; buoyancy
浮き彫り[うきぼり] relief; embossed carving
浮世絵[うきよえ] ukiyo-e; ukiyoe
浮動票[ふどうひょう] swing vote
浮揚[ふよう] floating (e.g. in air, water); floatation; buoyancy; buoying up (e.g. economy)
浮沈[ふちん] floating and sinking; rise and fall; ebb and flow; ups and downs
浮浪者[ふろうしゃ] vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person; hobo; bum
heisig_story: Water . . . fledglings.
koohii_story: Floating rubber ducky!!!

kanji: 惑
meaning: beguile
ja_on: ワク
ja_kun: まど.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 或[ワク] some
心[こころ] heart
examples: 迷惑[めいわく] trouble; bother; annoyance; nuisance; inconvenience
戸惑う[とまどう] to be bewildered; to be perplexed
困惑[こんわく] bewilderment; perplexity; embarrassment; discomfiture; bafflement
誘惑[ゆうわく] temptation; allurement; lure; enticement; seduction
惑わす[まどわす] to bewilder; to perplex; to puzzle; to delude; to mislead; to deceive
思惑[おもわく] expectation; anticipation; prediction; forecast; calculations
戸惑い[とまどい] being at sea; losing one's bearings; confusion; wonderment
疑惑[ぎわく] doubt; misgivings; distrust; suspicion
惑星[わくせい] planet
魅惑[みわく] fascination; captivation; charm; lure; allurement
当惑[とうわく] bewilderment; perplexity; embarrassment; confusion
小惑星[しょうわくせい] asteroid
迷惑行為[めいわくこうい] disruptive behaviour; harassment; abusive behaviour
heisig_story: The first three elements, fiesta . . . mouth . . . floor , appeared together once already in frame 380. Beneath them, once again, the heart.
koohii_story: She was beguiled / mislead by his charm: at the party he kissed her on the mouth , they did it on the floor and thus he stole her heart. Poor girl!

kanji: 崩
meaning: crumble
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: くず.れる、-くず.れ、くず.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
朋[ホウ] companion
examples: 崩れる[くずれる] to collapse; to crumble
崩す[くずす] to destroy; to demolish; to pull down; to tear down; to level
崩壊[ほうかい] collapse; crumbling; breaking down; caving in
崩落[ほうらく] collapse; break; cave-in; crash
雪崩[なだれ] avalanche; snowslide
切り崩す[きりくずす] to level (earth); to cut through (a mountain)
山崩れ[やまくずれ] landslide
崩れ[くずれ] crumbling; collapse; ruin
heisig_story: Mountain . . . companion.
koohii_story: Sam and Frodo were steadfast companions even as Mount Doom crumble d above them.

kanji: 聴
meaning: listen
ja_on: チョウ、テイ
ja_kun: き.く、ゆる.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
十[じゅう] ten
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
心[こころ] heart
examples: 聴く[きく] to hear
聴覚[ちょうかく] (sense of) hearing; auditory perception
視聴者[しちょうしゃ] viewer (esp. of television, streaming video content); audience; viewership; list
盗聴[とうちょう] interception (email); wiretap; bug
視聴[しちょう] looking and listening; (television) viewing; watching
聴取[ちょうしゅ] hearing (of a statement, opinion, explanation, etc.); asking; questioning (e.g.
聴講[ちょうこう] lecture attendance; auditing
傍聴[ぼうちょう] listening (to a lecture, hearing, parliament session, etc.); attending (without
傾聴[けいちょう] listening closely
公聴会[こうちょうかい] public hearing
聴聞[ちょうもん] listening; hearing
聴衆[ちょうしゅう] audience; attendance; hearers
補聴器[ほちょうき] hearing aid
視聴率[しちょうりつ] ratings (e.g. of a television program); audience rating; viewing rate
難聴[なんちょう] hardness of hearing; bradyacusia; deafness; hearing loss
heisig_story: Ear . . . needle . . . eye . . . heart. Compare frame 427 for this and the following kanji, and then once again when you get to frame 950.
koohii_story: I promise to use my ear to do nothing but listen … stick a needle in my eye , cross my heart and hope to die! (Intentionally said backwards to get the order of the primitives correct).

kanji: 脱
meaning: undress
ja_on: ダツ
ja_kun: ぬ.ぐ、ぬ.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 脱ぐ[ぬぐ] to take off (clothes, shoes, etc.); to undress
脱出[だっしゅつ] escape; getting away (from); getting out (of)
離脱[りだつ] withdrawal; secession; separation; breakaway
脱走[だっそう] escape; flight; breakout; fleeing; desertion
脱する[だっする] to escape from; to get out
脱落[だつらく] dropping out; falling behind; falling by the wayside; desertion
脱線[だっせん] derailment
逸脱[いつだつ] deviation; departure
脱衣所[だついじょ] bathroom antechamber; dressing room; sink area
脱退[だったい] withdrawal (e.g. from an organization); secession; leaving; pulling out
脱却[だっきゃく] ridding oneself; freeing oneself of; growing out of; overcoming; outgrowing
脱水[だっすい] dehydration (removal of water); desiccation; evaporation
脱皮[だっぴ] ecdysis; shedding (of skin); sloughing; molting; moulting; casting off
脱硫[だつりゅう] desulfurization; desulphurisation; desulphurization
脱税[だつぜい] tax evasion
heisig_story: To undress is to expose the flesh and tempt the devil in the eyes of one's onlookers. Ignore the moral if you want, but not the devil.
koohii_story: HORNY TEENAGERS love to UNDRESS FLESH.

kanji: 押
meaning: push
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: お.す、お.し-、お.っ-、お.さえる、おさ.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
甲[コウ] armor
examples: 押す[おす] to push; to thrust; to shove
押さえる[おさえる] to pin down; to hold down; to press down; to hold in place; to hold steady
押し付ける[おしつける] to press against; to push against; to force against
押し込む[おしこむ] to push into; to cram into; to stuff into; to crowd into
押し切る[おしきる] to overcome (opposition); to push past; to force one's way
押し[おし] push; pushing
後押し[あとおし] pushing; support; backing; supporter; backer
押し入る[おしいる] to push in; to force into; to break in (e.g. into a house); to intrude
押し入れ[おしいれ] closet (built into the wall, usu. with sliding doors); (built-in) wardrobe
押収[おうしゅう] seizure; confiscation
押し入り[おしいり] breaking into; burglar
押し出し[おしだし] pushing something out; extrusion
押し問答[おしもんどう] arguing back and forth; bandying words; verbal tug-of-war
押し売り[おしうり] high-pressure selling; aggressive peddling; the hard sell; high-pressure salesma
押入れ[おしいれ] closet (built into the wall, usu. with sliding doors); (built-in) wardrobe
heisig_story: Fingers . . . roots. Compare and contrast with pluck (Frame 1187).
koohii_story: Push the roots down, instead of plucking the seedling.

kanji: 倒
meaning: overthrow
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: たお.れる、-だお.れ、たお.す、さかさま、さかさ、さかしま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
到[トウ] arrival
examples: 倒れる[たおれる] to fall (over, down); to collapse; to take a fall; to topple
面倒[めんどう] trouble; bother
倒す[たおす] to throw down; to bring down; to blow down; to fell; to knock down; to set (some
圧倒的[あっとうてき] overwhelming
面倒くさい[めんどくさい] bothersome; tiresome; bother to do
圧倒[あっとう] to overwhelm (e.g. an opponent); to overpower; to crush; to defeat completely
転倒[てんとう] fall; falling down; tumbling; toppling (over)
打倒[だとう] overthrow; defeat; bringing down; knockdown
面倒臭い[めんどうくさい] bothersome; tiresome; bother to do
倒産[とうさん] (corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business
共倒れ[ともだおれ] falling together; mutual destruction; joint bankruptcy
一辺倒[いっぺんとう] complete devotion (to); total commitment (to); unvarying support (for); unwaveri
倒れ[たおれ] collapse; collapsing; death
倒置[とうち] turning upside down
倒錯[とうさく] perversion
heisig_story: Person . . . arrival.
koohii_story: The A-Team are planning to overthrow the government. However, they can't do a damn thing until Mr T arrives.

kanji: 了
meaning: complete
ja_on: リョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
examples: 了解[りょうかい] comprehension; consent; understanding; agreement
終了[しゅうりょう] end; close; conclusion; termination
完了[かんりょう] completion; conclusion
了承[りょうしょう] acknowledgement; acknowledgment; understanding; approval; consent
魅了[みりょう] charm; fascination
了[りょう] finish; completion; the end
終了後[しゅうりょうご] after the end (of something)
修了[しゅうりょう] completion (of a course)
ご了承ください[ごりょうしょうください] please be aware (that ...); please note (that ...); please understand (that ...)
満了[まんりょう] expiration; termination
heisig_story: Learn this character by returning to frame 99 and the image given there. The only difference is that the "arms" have been left off (actually, only tucked inside). Thus a child with its arms wrapped up into the back-sack is the picture of a job successfully completed.
koohii_story: The experiment was a complete failure! The child was made without any arms!

kanji: 患
meaning: afflicted
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: わずら.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 串[カン] spit
心[こころ] heart
examples: 患者[かんじゃ] patient
患う[わずらう] to be ill; to suffer from
急患[きゅうかん] emergency case
患部[かんぶ] affected part; diseased part; wound
疾患[しっかん] disease; illness; disorder; condition; ailment
heisig_story: Shish kebab . . . heart.
koohii_story: A person who is afflicted with the vampire disease can only be killed with a sheesh-kebab through the heart.

kanji: 締
meaning: tighten
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: し.まる、し.まり、し.める、-し.め、-じ.め
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
帝[テイ] sovereign
examples: 締める[しめる] to tie; to fasten; to tighten
締まる[しまる] to be shut; to close; to be closed
握り締める[にぎりしめる] to grasp tightly
引き締める[ひきしめる] to tighten; to stiffen; to brace; to strain
締め切り[しめきり] deadline; closing; cut-off
引き締まる[ひきしまる] to become tense; to be tightened; to become firm (e.g. body)
締め付け[しめつけ] pressure; clamping; tightening; fastening
戸締まり[とじまり] locking up (doors and windows); fastening the doors
取り締まる[とりしまる] to manage; to control; to supervise; to oversee; to command
取り締まり[とりしまり] control; management; supervision
締め切る[しめきる] to close up; to shut up (e.g. behind doors)
締切[しめきり] deadline; closing; cut-off
取締役[とりしまりやく] company director; board member
取締役会[とりしまりやくかい] board of directors
取締法[とりしまりほう] control law
heisig_story: Thread . . . sovereign.
koohii_story: (astridtops) Spiderman managed to get behind the sovereign. (pick your favourite nowadays country ruler who isn't doing a good job). Spidey has tighten d a web around the sovereing's throat. As long as the sovereign says what spidey whispers, he will be fine. Sovereign yelping : ' we will draw are troops back! and we will spend more money on healthcare, schools and less on wars!' Spidey whispering: ' If you continue at this pace, you might be doing good things AND the people will like you.'.

kanji: 執
meaning: tenacious
ja_on: シツ、シュウ
ja_kun: と.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 幸[コウ] happiness
丸[ガン] round
examples: 執着[しゅうちゃく] attachment; adhesion; insistence; tenacity; fixation; obsession; clinging (e.g.
執念[しゅうねん] tenacity; persistence; obsession; implacability
執筆[しっぴつ] writing; authoring
執行[しっこう] execution; carrying out; performance; enforcement; exercise; service; conduct
固執[こしつ] sticking to (an opinion, theory, belief, etc.); clinging to; adherence; persiste
確執[かくしつ] discord; antagonism
執る[とる] to take (trouble); to attend (to business); to command (army)
中執[ちゅうしつ] Central Executive Committee
執務[しつむ] performance of one's official duties
執行委員[しっこういいん] executive committee
執行猶予[しっこうゆうよ] stay of execution; suspended sentence
執行部[しっこうぶ] (the) executive; administration; leadership
heisig_story: Happiness . . . fat man.
koohii_story: Tenacious -D is happy band led by a fat man. (It's Tenacious -D time, ya muthafucka', gwaoh!).

kanji: 絡
meaning: entwine
ja_on: ラク
ja_kun: から.む、から.まる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
各[カク] each
examples: 連絡[れんらく] contacting; (making) contact; getting in touch; communication; correspondence; c
絡む[からむ] to twine; to get tangled; to get entangled; to get caught (in)
連絡先[れんらくさき] contact information (address, phone number, etc.)
ご連絡[ごれんらく] contacting; getting in touch; communication; call; message
絡み合う[からみあう] to intertwine; to become entangled; to get tangled (together)
絡み[からみ] linkage; entanglement; involvement; relationship; interaction
脈絡[みゃくらく] logical connection; chain of reasoning; coherence; context
短絡[たんらく] short circuit; short
heisig_story: Thread . . . each.
koohii_story: When threads become entwine d, each thread is tangled to another.

kanji: 房
meaning: tassel
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: ふさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
方[ほう] direction
examples: 女房[にょうぼう] wife (esp. one's own wife)
厨房[ちゅうぼう] kitchen; galley
乳房[ちぶさ] breast; udder
工房[こうぼう] workshop; studio; atelier
暖房[だんぼう] (indoor) heating
冷房[れいぼう] air conditioning; air cooling
房[ふさ] tuft (of hair, threads, etc.); fringe; tassel
文房具[ぶんぼうぐ] stationery
内閣官房[ないかくかんぼう] Cabinet Secretariat
冷暖房[れいだんぼう] air conditioning and heating
官房[かんぼう] government secretariat
官房長官[かんぼうちょうかん] Chief Cabinet Secretary (Japan)
書房[しょぼう] study; library
独房[どくぼう] single-person cell; isolation cell; solitary cell; solitary confinement cell
heisig_story: Door . . . compass.
koohii_story: Explanation here: .

kanji: 募
meaning: recruit
ja_on: ボ
ja_kun: つの.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 莫[バク] must not
力[ちから] power
examples: 募集[ぼしゅう] recruitment; invitation; selection; advertisement; taking applications
募る[つのる] to become stronger; to grow in intensity; to grow violent; to become worse
応募[おうぼ] application; subscription; entry (competition, raffle, etc.); enlistment
公募[こうぼ] public appeal (e.g. for contributions); public advertisement (of a post); open r
募金[ぼきん] fundraising; collection of contributions
大募集[だいぼしゅう] mass recruitment
応募者[おうぼしゃ] applicant
heisig_story: Graveyard . . . power.
koohii_story: The necromancer hangs out at the local graveyard and uses his dark powers to recruit an army of undead. Emphasize the verb form to keep distinct from the noun [cadet](../v4/1173.html) (#1173 曹).

kanji: 撤
meaning: remove
ja_on: テツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
育[イク] bring up
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 撤退[てったい] evacuation; withdrawal; revocation; repeal; retreat
撤回[てっかい] withdrawal; retraction; revocation; repeal
撤収[てっしゅう] removal (of a building, equipment, etc.); dismantling (e.g. a tent); striking (a
撤去[てっきょ] removal; taking away; dismantling (a building, facilities, etc.); withdrawal (of
撤兵[てっぺい] withdrawal of troops
撤廃[てっぱい] annulment; abolition; repeal; rescission
heisig_story: Fingers . . . bring up . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: A terrible yakuza taskmaster is bringing up his infant. Every time the infant does something wrong… well, you know what happens to yakuzas when they do something wrong.

kanji: 払
meaning: pay
ja_on: フツ、ヒツ、ホツ
ja_kun: はら.う、-はら.い、-ばら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
厶[む] private
examples: 払う[はらう] to pay (e.g. money, bill)
支払う[しはらう] to pay
支払い[しはらい] payment
払い[はらい] payment; bill; account
払拭[ふっしょく] wiping out; sweeping away; eradicating; dispelling
酔っ払う[よっぱらう] to get drunk
門前払い[もんぜんばらい] turning someone away (at the front door); refusing a visitor; shutting the door
酔っ払い[よっぱらい] drunkard
払い戻す[はらいもどす] to repay; to pay back; to refund; to reimburse
払い込む[はらいこむ] to deposit; to pay in
お支払い方法[おしはらいほうほう] payment method
不払い[ふばらい] nonpayment; default
分割払い[ぶんかつばらい] payment by installments; payment by instalments; hire-purchase
利払い[りばらい] interest payment
前払い[まえばらい] payment in advance; advance payment; prepayment
heisig_story: Finger . . . elbow.
koohii_story: You're at a restaurant and raise your finger to indicate to the waiter that you want to pay. Your friend elbows you in the ribs – it's his shout, and he insists on taking care of the bill.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 払う 仏教

kanji: 削
meaning: plane
ja_on: サク
ja_kun: けず.る、はつ.る、そ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 肖[ショウ] resemblance
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 削る[けずる] to shave (wood, leather, etc.); to sharpen (e.g. pencil); to plane; to whittle;
削除[さくじょ] deletion; elimination; erasure; striking out
削減[さくげん] cut; reduction; curtailment
削り節[けずりぶし] flaked bonito
掘削[くっさく] digging out; excavation
添削[てんさく] correction; looking over; touching up
heisig_story: Long before the invention of the carpenter's plane , people used knives and machetes (or here, sabers ) to smooth out their woodwork. If you have ever seen the process, you will have been amazed at the speed and agility with which the adept can plane a hunk of wood into shape. Indeed, you can almost see the sparks fly from their sabers.
koohii_story: Sparks will fly if you attempt to PLANE your sabre.

kanji: 措
meaning: set aside
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: お.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
昔[セキ] once upon a time
examples: 措置[そち] measure; step; action
heisig_story: Fingers . . . once upon a time.
koohii_story: Long ago our ancestors set aside the use of fingers and began to use cutlery. (Raichu,11-7-2006) The way I remember it's 昔 [once upon a time](../v4/1184.html) (#1184 昔) rather than 旧 [olden times](../v4/35.html) (#35 旧) is that they began to use cutlery to eat salad. (I also think about how when you visit the Medieval Times theme park, which is set in Once upon a time , their gimmick is that you eat with your fingers.).

kanji: 載
meaning: ride
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: の.せる、の.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 載る[のる] to be placed on; to be set on; to be piled on; to be loaded on
掲載[けいさい] publication (e.g. of an article in a newspaper); carrying (e.g. a story); runnin
連載[れんさい] serialization; serialisation; serial story
記載[きさい] mention (in a document); record; entry; statement; listing
搭載[とうさい] loading (on a ship); equipping (an aircraft, car, etc.) with; being equipped wit
満載[まんさい] full load; being fully loaded (with); being loaded to capacity (with); carrying
登載[とうさい] running (an article); carrying; printing; publication
積載[せきさい] loading; carrying
heisig_story: One loads bales on a wagon or cart in preparation for the great Hay Ride that follows the Thanksgiving dinner each year.
koohii_story: After eating a big Thanksgiving dinner, you have to be careful in the car ride home not to drop a load in your pants.
heisig_keyword: load

kanji: 昇
meaning: rise up
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: のぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
升[ショウ] measuring box
examples: 昇る[のぼる] to ascend; to go up; to climb
上昇[じょうしょう] rising; ascending; climbing
昇進[しょうしん] promotion; advancement; rising in rank
昇格[しょうかく] promotion; raising of status
昇級[しょうきゅう] promotion; advancement
昇給[しょうきゅう] salary raise
heisig_story: Our image here is made up of two primitive elements: a sun and a measuring box. Just as the sun can be seen rising up in the morning from - where else - the Land of the Rising Sun, this kanji has the sun rising up out of a Japanese measuring box \- the " measuring box of the rising-up sun. "
koohii_story: This kanji does not mean "get up" or "awake." It means rising, like the rising of a salary, or a promotion. STORY: You know that your salary has RISEN UP when your MEASURING BOX has enough dollar bills in it to reach the SUN.

kanji: 陣
meaning: camp
ja_on: ジン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 陣営[じんえい] camp (supporters of a doctrine, party, etc.); faction (of a party)
出陣[しゅつじん] going into battle; departure for the front
陣地[じんち] encampment; position
布陣[ふじん] battle formation
先陣[せんじん] vanguard; advance guard
初陣[ういじん] one's first campaign; one's first battle
報道陣[ほうどうじん] press corps
退陣[たいじん] resignation; stepping down; retirement
陣中[じんちゅう] in camp; at the front
陣容[じんよう] battle formation; battle array
陣痛[じんつう] labour pains; labor pains; birth pains; contractions
陣頭[じんとう] head of an army
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . car.
koohii_story: Paparazzi make camp outside of The Pinnacle in their cars , waiting for the celebs to come out.

kanji: 為
meaning: do
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: ため、な.る、な.す、す.る、たり、つく.る、なり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 行為[こうい] act; deed; conduct
為[ため] good; advantage; benefit; welfare
為す[なす] to do; to commit; to carry out; to bring about
無為[むい] idleness; inactivity
人為的[じんいてき] artificial; unnatural; human-caused (e.g. mistake, error, disaster); man-made
為に[ために] for; for the sake of; to one's advantage; in favor of; in favour of; on behalf o
為替[かわせ] money order; draft
人為[じんい] human work; human agency; art; artificiality
為政者[いせいしゃ] statesman; administrator; politician; policymaker
為替相場[かわせそうば] exchange rate; rate of exchange
迷惑行為[めいわくこうい] disruptive behaviour; harassment; abusive behaviour
heisig_story: This character rightly belongs to the previous lesson, but we held it until now because of the final element, the tail feathers. After the drop at the outset, the next three strokes are completely novel and should be given special attention.
koohii_story: In this kanji, you can see 3 katakana characters: ソ, ユ, and then ユ again followed by TAIL FEATHERS. STORY: "So (ソ) you (ユ) wanna DO it?" "Only if you (ユ) do " says the female bird as she raises her TAIL FEATHERS.

kanji: 遅
meaning: slow
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: おく.れる、おく.らす、おそ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
羊[ひつじ] sheep
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遅い[おそい] slow
遅れる[おくれる] to be late; to be delayed; to fall behind schedule; to be overdue
遅刻[ちこく] lateness; tardiness; arriving late
手遅れ[ておくれ] being too late; losing one's final chance
遅れ[おくれ] delay; lag; falling behind
出遅れる[でおくれる] to get a late start
乗り遅れる[のりおくれる] to miss (a train, bus, etc.)
遅らす[おくらす] to delay; to postpone; to slow down; to retard
遅々[ちち] slow; lagging; tardy
遅咲き[おそざき] blooming late; flowering late; blossoming late
遅延[ちえん] delay; latency
遅滞[ちたい] delay; procrastination
遅配[ちはい] delay (in payment, delivery, rationing, etc.)
heisig_story: Flag . . . sheep . . . road.
koohii_story: A sheep crossing guard waves a SLOW flag for his fellow sheep crossing the road.

kanji: 抑
meaning: repress
ja_on: ヨク
ja_kun: おさ.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 抑える[おさえる] to keep within limits (e.g. spending); to restrain (e.g. emotions); to control;
抑制[よくせい] control; restraint; suppression; constraint; curtailment; inhibition; check; cur
抑圧[よくあつ] check; restraint; oppression; suppression
抑揚[よくよう] intonation; accent; modulation; inflection
抑え[おさえ] weight (e.g. paperweight); pressing down
抑止[よくし] keeping in check; holding back; deterrence; restraint; suppression
抑留[よくりゅう] internment; detainment; detention
heisig_story: Fingers . . . box . . . stamps.
koohii_story: A true stamp collecting nerd won't be able to repress the urge to get his fingers on the latest box of collector stamps!

kanji: 択
meaning: choose
ja_on: タク
ja_kun: えら.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
尺[シャク] shaku
examples: 選択[せんたく] choice; selection; option
選択肢[せんたくし] choices; alternatives; options
採択[さいたく] adoption; selection; choice
二者択一[にしゃたくいつ] choosing between two things; two choices
択一[たくいつ] choosing one from among several; multiple choice
選択科目[せんたくかもく] elective subject or course
heisig_story: Fingers . . . shakuhachi.
koohii_story: Hand job or "shakuhachi", choose.

kanji: 秀
meaning: excel
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: ひい.でる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
乃[ナイ] from
examples: 優秀[ゆうしゅう] superior; excellent; brilliant; outstanding
秀でる[ひいでる] to excel; to surpass; to be superior; to be better (than others at something)
秀才[しゅうさい] bright person; talented student; prodigy
秀作[しゅうさく] excellent (piece of) work
秀逸[しゅういつ] excellent; superb; first-rate
heisig_story: Wheat . . . fist.
koohii_story: You spend three hours putting all of your wheat sale transaction records into Microsoft Excel , when suddenly it crashes, so you put your fist through the monitor.

kanji: 徴
meaning: indications
ja_on: チョウ、チ
ja_kun: しるし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
山[やま] mountain
王[オウ] king
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 特徴[とくちょう] feature; trait; characteristic; peculiarity; distinction
象徴[しょうちょう] symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation
徴収[ちょうしゅう] collection (of fees, taxes, etc.); levy
徴兵[ちょうへい] conscription; (military) draft; (compulsory) enlistment
徴税[ちょうぜい] tax collection; taxation
課徴金[かちょうきん] charges (i.e. fees)
象徴的[しょうちょうてき] symbolic; symbolical
追徴[ついちょう] supplementary charge; additional collection
heisig_story: Line . . . mountain . . . king . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: If you see a column of kings being marched up the mountain under a taskmaster 's whip… indications are, there has been a coup.

kanji: 弾
meaning: bullet
ja_on: ダン、タン
ja_kun: ひ.く、-ひ.き、はず.む、たま、はじ.く、はじ.ける、ただ.す、はじ.きゆみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
単[タン] simple
examples: 弾く[はじく] to flip; to snap; to flick
爆弾[ばくだん] bomb
弾む[はずむ] to spring; to bound; to bounce
弾丸[だんがん] bullet; shot; shell
弾力[だんりょく] elasticity; flexibility
銃弾[じゅうだん] bullet (from a rifle)
糾弾[きゅうだん] censure; denunciation; (verbal) attack; blaming
砲弾[ほうだん] shell; cannonball
弾み[はずみ] bounce; spring; rebound
ロケット弾[ロケットだん] rocket
実弾[じつだん] real bullet; live ammunition; live round; loaded cartridge; loaded shell
弾劾[だんがい] impeachment
弾圧[だんあつ] oppression; suppression; pressure
弾薬[だんやく] ammunition; ammo
弾道[だんどう] trajectory; line of fire
heisig_story: Bow . . . simple.
koohii_story: Hunting with a bow is too complicated. I'm switching to something simpler –using a bullet.

kanji: 償
meaning: reparation
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: つぐな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
賞[ショウ] prize
examples: 償う[つぐなう] to make up for; to compensate for; to indemnify; to recompense; to redeem (e.g.
代償[だいしょう] compensation; reparation; indemnification
無償[むしょう] without compensation; without reward; without pay
償い[つぐない] recompense; indemnity; atonement
弁償[べんしょう] compensation; indemnification; reparation; restitution; recompense
有償[ゆうしょう] (involving) payment; (involving) compensation; paying a fee
補償[ほしょう] compensation; reparation
賠償[ばいしょう] compensation; reparations; indemnity; damages
償却[しょうきゃく] repayment; redemption
償還[しょうかん] repayment; redemption; amortization; amortisation
損害賠償[そんがいばいしょう] restitution; damages; indemnity; compensation
減価償却[げんかしょうきゃく] depreciation
賠償金[ばいしょうきん] indemnities; reparations
heisig_story: Person . . . prize.
koohii_story: Mr. T says, "This ain't no prize , foo! This is reparations for slavery!".

kanji: 拠
meaning: foothold
ja_on: キョ、コ
ja_kun: よ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
処[ショ] dispose
examples: 証拠[しょうこ] evidence; proof
根拠[こんきょ] basis; grounds; foundation; reason; authority
拠点[きょてん] base (of operations); site; location; center; foothold; stronghold; (strategic)
占拠[せんきょ] occupation; taking and maintaining exclusive control (of a location)
拠出[きょしゅつ] donation; contribution
本拠[ほんきょ] stronghold; inner citadel; base; headquarters
準拠[じゅんきょ] being based on; following (a rule, guidelines, etc.); conforming to (standards,
論拠[ろんきょ] grounds of an argument
heisig_story: Fingers . . . dispose.
koohii_story: When rockclimbing, when your weight disposes of the valuble foothold , all that's left is your fingers keeping you from death. Meanwhile, your walking legs are left dangling in the wind.

kanji: 更
meaning: grow late
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: さら、さら.に、ふ.ける、ふ.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
日[ひ] sun
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 今更[いまさら] now (when it is already much too late); at this stage
変更[へんこう] change; modification; alteration; revision; amendment
更に[さらに] furthermore; again; after all; more and more; moreover; even more
更新[こうしん] renewal; update; replacement; renovation; breaking (a record)
夜更かし[よふかし] staying up late; sitting up late at night; keeping late hours
尚更[なおさら] still more; even more; all the more
更衣室[こういしつ] locker room; changing room; dressing room
更ける[ふける] to get late; to advance; to wear on
満更[まんざら] (not) altogether; (not) wholly
夜更け[よふけ] late at night; small hours of the morning
更生[こうせい] rehabilitation; remaking one's life; starting life anew
会社更生法[かいしゃこうせいほう] Corporate Reorganization Act
変更届[へんこうとどけ] notification of change; alteration report; registration of modification
更年期[こうねんき] menopause; climacteric
更改[こうかい] renewal; extension; revision
heisig_story: The implication behind the meaning of grow late is that things are changing in the same way that the day turns into night. The elements: ceiling . . . sun . . . tucked under the arm.
koohii_story: It's starting to GROW LATE , so God will take the SUN, and TUCK IT UNDER HIS ARM, and walk away. In the morning, he'll bring it back, so don't worry.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 変更 更に 便利

kanji: 拒
meaning: repel
ja_on: キョ、ゴ
ja_kun: こば.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
巨[キョ] gigantic
examples: 拒否[きょひ] refusal; rejection; denial; veto
拒む[こばむ] to refuse; to reject; to decline
拒絶[きょぜつ] refusal; rejection
拒否権[きょひけん] right of veto
拒絶反応[きょぜつはんのう] (transplant) rejection
heisig_story: Fingers . . . gigantic.
koohii_story: Having gigantic fingers is useful to repel insects. You can swat them away a lot easier!

kanji: 刑
meaning: punish
ja_on: ケイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 开 open
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 刑事[けいじ] (police) detective
処刑[しょけい] execution
刑[けい] penalty; sentence; punishment
刑務所[けいむしょ] prison; jail; gaol; penitentiary
死刑[しけい] death penalty; capital punishment
刑罰[けいばつ] (criminal) punishment; penalty; sentence
刑事事件[けいじじけん] criminal case
刑事責任[けいじせきにん] criminal liability
刑法[けいほう] criminal law; penal code
受刑[じゅけい] punishment
実刑[じっけい] prison sentence (without a stay of execution)
死刑囚[しけいしゅう] criminal condemned to death; convict on death row
求刑[きゅうけい] recommended sentence; prosecution's demand for punishment
絞首刑[こうしゅけい] death by hanging; execution by hanging
量刑[りょうけい] judge's sentence; assessment of a case
heisig_story: Two hands . . . saber.
koohii_story: This kanji is for severe punish ment. A man has his shackled hands placed on a wood block and they're chopped off with a saber. No more stealing bread in the Middle East…

kanji: 塚
meaning: hillock
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: つか、-づか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
冢[チョウ] mound
examples: 一里塚[いちりづか] milestone (1 ri apart)
塚[つか] mound; heap; hillock
heisig_story: Soil . . . crown . . . sow. Compare frame 582.
koohii_story: There's already King of the Hill. This is Queen of the Hillock. It's Ms. Piggy sitting on top of a mound of soil in her crown.

kanji: 致
meaning: doth
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: いた.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 至[いたる] to arrive
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 一致[いっち] agreement; accord; correspondence; consistency; coincidence; match
致す[いたす] to do
致命的[ちめいてき] fatal; lethal
致命傷[ちめいしょう] fatal wound
拉致[らち] taking captive; carrying away; kidnapping; kidnaping; abduction
合致[がっち] agreement; concurrence; conformance; compliance
お願い致します[おねがいいたします] please
雅致[がち] artistry; good taste; elegance; grace
どう致しまして[どういたしまして] you're welcome; don't mention it; not at all; my pleasure
拉致問題[らちもんだい] abduction issue (esp. of those Japanese abducted by North Korea)
招致[しょうち] invitation; summons; bidding (e.g. to host the Olympics); calling
満場一致[まんじょういっち] unanimity; unanimous consent; unanimous agreement
致死[ちし] lethal; fatal
致死量[ちしりょう] lethal dose
誘致[ゆうち] attraction; lure; invitation
heisig_story: The archaic English form for "does" indicates a humble form of the verb "to do." It is made up of climax and taskmaster.
koohii_story: This character is used in two very high-frequency words: "you are welcome" ( どう致しまして ) and the honorific form of onegaishimasu ( お願い致します , おねがいいたします). Can't you just picture this ridiculously polite S&M picture? A businessman, who DOTH the bidding of his taskmistress , is climaxing and yelling out " お願い致します " while she whips and says " どう致しまして ". (This kanji also means "to bring about" and "do humbly", which is perfect for this image).

kanji: 抱
meaning: embrace
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: だ.く、いだ.く、かか.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
包[ホウ] wrap
examples: 抱く[いだく] to hold in one's arms (e.g. a baby); to embrace; to hug
抱える[かかえる] to hold in one's arms; to carry in one's arms; to carry under one's arm; to hold
辛抱[しんぼう] patience; endurance; perseverance
抱き合う[だきあう] to embrace each other
抱っこ[だっこ] carrying in one's arms (a baby, pet, doll, etc.); holding
抱擁[ほうよう] embrace; hug; holding in one's arms
抱え[かかえ] armful
抱負[ほうふ] aspiration; ambition; plan; hopes; wishes
heisig_story: Fingers . . . wrap.
koohii_story: When embracing someone, wrap your fingers around her butt for added effect. You may think of "bound with snakes" as a description of the fingers slithering around the buttocks, if you want a particularly graphic image.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 抱える 包む

kanji: 繰
meaning: winding
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: く.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
喿[ソウ] chirping of birds
examples: 繰り返す[くりかえす] to repeat; to do over again
繰り返し[くりかえし] repetition; repeat; reiteration; iteration; refrain; cycle
繰り広げる[くりひろげる] to unfold; to unroll; to open
繰り出す[くりだす] to draw (a thread); to let out (e.g. a rope)
繰る[くる] to reel; to wind; to spin (thread)
やり繰り[やりくり] making do; getting by (somehow); managing
繰り上げ[くりあげ] upward move; advance
繰り上げる[くりあげる] to move up; to advance
繰り出し梯子[くりだしはしご] extension ladder; aerial ladder
繰り延べ[くりのべ] postponement
繰入[くりいれ] inward transfer (of money); carry over (money from previous period)
資金繰り[しきんぐり] fundraising; financing; cash flow
heisig_story: Thread . . . goods . . . tree.
koohii_story: After stopping a bank heist, Spiderman is seen winding his webbing around the stolen goods to trap them in a tree until the police arrive to take them back.

kanji: 尾
meaning: tail
ja_on: ビ
ja_kun: お
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
毛[け] hair
examples: 尻尾[しっぽ] tail (of an animal)
尾行[びこう] shadow; tail; following
尾[お] tail (of an animal); cauda
尾根[おね] (mountain) ridge
最後尾[さいこうび] end (e.g. of a line); tail end; rear; backmost part
首尾[しゅび] beginning and end; from beginning to end
末尾[まつび] end (e.g. of report, document, paragraph, etc.)
heisig_story: Flag . . . fur.
koohii_story: A dog waves its furry tail like a flag.

kanji: 描
meaning: sketch
ja_on: ビョウ
ja_kun: えが.く、か.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
苗[ビョウ] seedling
examples: 描く[えがく] to draw; to paint; to sketch
絵を描く[えをかく] to paint a picture; to draw a picture
思い描く[おもいえがく] to imagine; to picture; to figure; to see
描写[びょうしゃ] depiction; description; portrayal
手描き[てがき] hand-drawn; drawn by hand; hand-painted; painted by hand
素描[そびょう] drawing; sketch
heisig_story: Fingers . . . seedling.
koohii_story: A sketch is a [seedling](../v4/234.html) (#234 苗) of things to come. Before the assault, the sergeant draws a sketch of the attack with his fingers in the sand.

kanji: 恐
meaning: fear
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: おそ.れる、おそ.る、おそ.ろしい、こわ.い、こわ.がる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
凡[ボン] commonplace
心[こころ] heart
examples: 恐ろしい[おそろしい] terrible; dreadful; terrifying; frightening
恐れる[おそれる] to fear; to be afraid of
恐怖[きょうふ] fear; dread; dismay; terror; horror; scare; panic
恐らく[おそらく] probably; (most) likely; in all likelihood; I suspect; I dare say; I'm afraid
恐縮[きょうしゅく] feeling (much) obliged; being (very) grateful; being thankful
恐れ[おそれ] fear; horror; anxiety; concern; uneasiness; reverence
恐る恐る[おそるおそる] fearfully; timidly; nervously; cautiously; gingerly
恐るべき[おそるべき] terrible; terrifying; dreadful; horrible; horrifying; appalling
恐竜[きょうりゅう] dinosaur
恐喝[きょうかつ] blackmail; extortion; threat (to extort money)
恐慌[きょうこう] panic; scare; alarm
恐怖症[きょうふしょう] phobia; morbid fear
heisig_story: Craft . . . mediocre . . . heart.
koohii_story: If your heart surgeon is mediocre in his craft, you have plenty of reason to fear. ("Oops, I think I left my scissors in there").

kanji: 鈴
meaning: small bell
ja_on: レイ、リン
ja_kun: すず
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
令[レイ] orders
examples: 鈴[すず] bell (often globular)
風鈴[ふうりん] wind chime; wind bell
heisig_story: Gold . . . orders.
koohii_story: Some restaurants have a small gold bell to call someone to take customers' orders.

kanji: 盤
meaning: tray
ja_on: バン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 般[ハン] carrier
皿[さら] plate
examples: 終盤[しゅうばん] endgame; final stage
序盤[じょばん] opening (in a game of go, chess, etc.)
基盤[きばん] base; basis; foundation; footing; infrastructure
中盤[ちゅうばん] middle stage; middle phase; middle game; midpoint
地盤[じばん] ground; crust (earth); bed (gravel, river, etc.)
盤[ばん] board (in shogi, go, chess, etc.)
円盤[えんばん] disk; discus; platter
碁盤[ごばん] Go board
算盤[そろばん] abacus; soroban
岩盤[がんばん] bedrock
羅針盤[らしんばん] compass
胎盤[たいばん] placenta
鍵盤[けんばん] keyboard (of a piano, typewriter, etc.)
heisig_story: Carrier . . . dish.
koohii_story: What do you call a "CARRIER" of DISHes? A TRAY.

kanji: 項
meaning: paragraph
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: うなじ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 事項[じこう] matter; item; facts
項目[こうもく] item; heading; category; clause
条項[じょうこう] clause; article; stipulations
禁止事項[きんしじこう] prohibited item; banned item
要項[ようこう] important points; main points; gist; list of requirements
heisig_story: To the right we see a head and to the left an element that means craft. When we think of a paragraph , we immediately think of a heading device to break a text into parts. (Think of the elaborate heads often seen at the start of medieval manuscripts and the task becomes easier still.) Just where and how to do it belongs to the writer's craft. Hence, we define paragraphing as the " heading craft " to remember this character.
koohii_story: To write a paragraph is the craft of grouping sentences on a page.

kanji: 喪
meaning: miss
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: も
grade: Junior High
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
口[くち] mouth
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 喪失[そうしつ] loss; forfeit
喪[も] mourning
喪主[もしゅ] chief mourner
喪服[もふく] mourning clothes; mourning attire; mourning dress
喪章[もしょう] mourning band; mourning ribbon
heisig_story: Soil . . . two mouths . . . hairpin. Hint: see spit (Frame 162). The key word carries the wide range of meanings readily associated with it: error, loss, absence, and so on.
koohii_story: I miss my parents dearly. Here they lay, under a big cross , their mouths side by side. I stick hairpins in their graves. CAREFUL: the stroke order/primitive order is: ten, L mouth, R mouth, hairpin. "Soil" is not drawn in its stroke order.

kanji: 伴
meaning: consort
ja_on: ハン、バン
ja_kun: ともな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
半[ハン] half
examples: 伴う[ともなう] to accompany; to go hand in hand with; to be consequent upon
同伴[どうはん] accompanying; being accompanied by; going with
伴侶[はんりょ] companion; partner; spouse
伴奏[ばんそう] accompaniment
heisig_story: Person . . . half.
koohii_story: The person who is your consort is most commonly "your other half ".

kanji: 懸
meaning: state of suspension
ja_on: ケン、ケ
ja_kun: か.ける、か.かる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 縣[ケン] county
心[こころ] heart
examples: 一生懸命[いっしょうけんめい] very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dea
懸命[けんめい] eager; earnest; strenuous; fervent; assiduous; with utmost effort
懸念[けねん] worry; fear; anxiety; concern
懸賞[けんしょう] offering a prize; prize competition; prize; reward
懸垂[けんすい] pull-up (exercise); chin-up; chinning
懸案[けんあん] pending question; unresolved problem
heisig_story: Prefecture . . . yarn . . . heart.
koohii_story: The prefecture has suspend ed all DNA research for heart disease because of corruption. All involved will be suspend ed by their wrists.
heisig_keyword: suspend

kanji: 戻
meaning: re-
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: もど.す、もど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
大[だい] large
examples: 戻る[もどる] to turn back (e.g. half-way)
戻す[もどす] to put back; to return; to give back; to restore (to a previous state, e.g. defr
取り戻す[とりもどす] to take back; to get back; to regain; to recover; to restore; to recoup
引き戻す[ひきもどす] to bring back; to restore
呼び戻す[よびもどす] to call (someone) back; to recall; to call home
後戻り[あともどり] going backward; turning back; backtracking; doubling back
逆戻り[ぎゃくもどり] retrogression; reversal; relapse; doubling back; backtracking
戻り[もどり] return; reaction; recovery
払い戻す[はらいもどす] to repay; to pay back; to refund; to reimburse
差し戻す[さしもどす] to send back; to refer back
戻し[もどし] returning; giving back
払い戻し[はらいもどし] repayment; refund; payback
買い戻し[かいもどし] repurchase; redemption
heisig_story: The key word signals a "coming back" or return to some place or activity. Its elements: door . . . St. Bernard dog.
koohii_story: The St. Bernard dog whining at the door of his master’s house in order to re- enter / re- turn inside.

kanji: 巨
meaning: gigantic
ja_on: キョ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匚[はこがまえ] box
examples: 巨大[きょだい] huge; gigantic; enormous
巨人[きょじん] giant; great man
巨体[きょたい] huge body; large build
巨匠[きょしょう] master; masterhand; maestro
巨星[きょせい] giant star
巨漢[きょかん] giant
巨視的[きょしてき] macroscopic
巨額[きょがく] huge sum (esp. of money); enormous sum; massive amount
heisig_story: This kanji depicts a gigantic "pop-eye," which accounts for its shape. Be sure not to confuse it with the slave ( retainer ) we just learned.
koohii_story: This is actually the top view of a porn star with a gigantic erect penis. The top and bottom are his arms and the middle is his penis. Imagine him making the pumping motion while he's banging some chick. The arms move in, the penis moves out and vice versa.

kanji: 震
meaning: quake
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ふる.う、ふる.える、ふる.わせる、ふる.わす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
examples: 震える[ふるえる] to shiver; to shake; to quake; to tremble; to quaver; to quiver
地震[じしん] earthquake
身震い[みぶるい] shivering (with cold); trembling (with fear); shuddering
震動[しんどう] shock; tremor; impact; vibration
余震[よしん] aftershock
大震災[だいしんさい] great earthquake (disaster); highly destructive earthquake
微震[びしん] slight earthquake
烈震[れっしん] disastrous earthquake
軽震[けいしん] weak earthquake
震度[しんど] seismic intensity
震源[しんげん] hypocentre (of an earthquake); hypocenter; focus
震災[しんさい] earthquake disaster
heisig_story: Weather . . . sign of the dragon.
koohii_story: Bruce Lee has magical abilities in his newest movie. He can conjure rain and earth quakes.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 震える 曇る 雪 雨 雷電

kanji: 越
meaning: surpass
ja_on: エツ、オツ
ja_kun: こ.す、-こ.す、-ご.し、こ.える、-ご.え
grade: Junior High
radicals: 走[はしる] to run
戉[ジュウ] warrior
examples: 越す[こす] to cross over (e.g. mountain); to go across
越える[こえる] to cross over; to cross; to pass through; to pass over (out of); to go beyond; t
乗り越える[のりこえる] to climb over; to get over; to cross (a mountain)
越し[ごし] across; over; beyond; through; crossing
引っ越す[ひっこす] to move (house); to change residence
超越[ちょうえつ] transcendence; transcendency
追い越す[おいこす] to pass (e.g. car); to overtake
引っ越し[ひっこし] moving (dwelling, office, etc.); changing residence
優越感[ゆうえつかん] superiority complex; sense of superiority
卓越[たくえつ] preeminence; excellence; superiority; transcendence
上越[じょうえつ] area on Japan Sea side of Japan, including Niigata
中越[ちゅうえつ] Chūetsu (region in Niigata)
乗り越し[のりこし] riding past (one's station)
乗り越す[のりこす] to ride past (one's stop); to overshoot
勝ち越し[かちこし] having more wins than losses
heisig_story: Here we see two parades in competition, each trying to surpass the other by running at high speed from one town to the next. Note the little "hook" at the end of the first stroke of the element for parade. This is the ONLY time it appears like this in the kanji treated in this book.
koohii_story: The person in charge of running the parade surpass ed all our expectations (by just a extra drop…).

kanji: 契
meaning: pledge
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: ちぎ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 龶
刀[かたな] knife
大[だい] large
examples: 契約[けいやく] contract; compact; agreement
契約書[けいやくしょ] (written) contract; agreement
契機[けいき] opportunity; chance
heisig_story: Grow up . . . dagger . . . St. Bernard dog. The connotation of this character should be kept distinct from that for vow (Frame 1214) and promise (Frame 1462).
koohii_story: Imagine a totalitarian regime where, while growing up , you have to pledge allegiance to the flag at dagger -point and with St. Bernard guard dogs watching you.

kanji: 掲
meaning: put up (a notice)
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: かか.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
曷[カツ] why
examples: 掲げる[かかげる] to put up (a notice, sign, etc.); to hang out (e.g. a banner); to fly (e.g. a fl
掲載[けいさい] publication (e.g. of an article in a newspaper); carrying (e.g. a story); runnin
掲示板[けいじばん] bulletin board; display board; notice board
掲示[けいじ] notice; bulletin; post; posting; placard
掲揚[けいよう] hoisting (e.g. a flag); raising; flying; putting up
heisig_story: Fingers . . . siesta.
koohii_story: A muchacho puts up a notice that says “NO FINGER SNAPPING ALLOWED. MUCHACHOS ON SIESTA”. The muchachos are sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the sound of dogs barking, guitar playing and even gun shots. Now imagine one tourist passing by and snapping his fingers and waking up all the muchachos at once.
heisig_keyword: put up a notice

kanji: 躍
meaning: leap
ja_on: ヤク
ja_kun: おど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
翟[ケキ] surname
examples: 活躍[かつやく] activity (esp. energetic or successful); great efforts; active participation
飛躍[ひやく] leap; jump
跳躍[ちょうやく] jump; leap; skip; bound
躍起[やっき] desperate; frantic; excited; worked up; heated; eager
躍動[やくどう] lively motion; throb
一躍[いちやく] suddenly (rising to fame, etc.); instantly; immediately; overnight
躍り[おどり] leaping; jumping; spring; exciting
躍如[やくじょ] vivid; lifelike; graphic
躍進[やくしん] making rapid progress; making great advances; rush; dash; onslaught
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . feathers . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Well, there are weekdays [weekday](../v4/576.html) (#576 曜) and there are laundry days [laundry](../v4/577.html) (#577 濯), and on February 29th leap day, the manufacturer recommends servicing or replacing your peg leg because they tend to wear out every 4 years.

kanji: 棄
meaning: abandon
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: す.てる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
厶[む] private
丗[セイ] thirty
木[き] tree
examples: 放棄[ほうき] abandonment; renouncement; renunciation; resignation; abdication; surrender; rel
破棄[はき] tearing up and discarding (e.g. documents); destruction
自棄[やけ] desperation; despair; self-abandonment
廃棄[はいき] disposal; abandonment; scrapping; discarding; abolition
棄権[きけん] abstention (from voting); renunciation (of a right); withdrawal (from a contest)
廃棄物[はいきぶつ] waste matter; waste; garbage; trash
投棄[とうき] abandonment; giving up; throwing away; disposal; dumping
棄却[ききゃく] rejection; dismissal; turning down; abandoning; renunciation
遺棄[いき] abandonment; desertion
heisig_story: Infant . . . buckle (See frame 444) . . . tree.
koohii_story: Think of a really loud and annoying baby, you want to abandon it but it keeps coming back…so you take of your belt by the buckle, and buckle the baby to a tree!

kanji: 触
meaning: contact
ja_on: ショク
ja_kun: ふ.れる、さわ.る、さわ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 角[つの] horn
虫[むし] worm
examples: 触る[さわる] to touch; to feel; to handle
触れる[ふれる] to touch; to feel
接触[せっしょく] touch; contact; touching
感触[かんしょく] feel (of something); touch; texture; sensation
触れ合う[ふれあう] to come into contact with; to touch (each other); to have a brush with
前触れ[まえぶれ] advance warning; previous notice; prior announcement
肌触り[はだざわり] feel; touch; texture
触発[しょくはつ] detonation by contact; contact detonation
触れ合い[ふれあい] contact; connectedness; rapport; mutual touching
触覚[しょっかく] sense of touch
折に触れて[おりにふれて] at every opportunity; whenever possible; whenever the occasion arises; from time
抵触[ていしょく] infringement (of a law, treaty, etc.); contravention; running afoul
気触れ[かぶれ] rash; eruption (in response to a skin irritant)
触媒[しょくばい] catalyst
heisig_story: Angle . . . insect.
koohii_story: For insects to get in contact with each other, they need to place their antennae at just the right angle.

kanji: 邸
meaning: residence
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: やしき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氐[テイ] name of an ancient tribe
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 邸[やしき] residence; estate; grounds; premises; mansion
邸宅[ていたく] (large) house; residence; mansion
公邸[こうてい] official residence
官邸[かんてい] official residence (e.g. of the prime minister)
御用邸[ごようてい] imperial villa
私邸[してい] private residence
邸内[ていない] grounds; premises
heisig_story: Calling card . . . city walls.
koohii_story: So fed up am I, I've finally built city walls around my residence to keep these Japanese from soliciting me with their business cards.

kanji: 依
meaning: reliant
ja_on: イ、エ
ja_kun: よ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 依頼[いらい] request; commission; entrusting (with a matter)
依存[いぞん] dependence; reliance
依然[いぜん] still; as yet; as it has been
依然として[いぜんとして] still; as yet; as of old
に依る[による] by means of; due to; because of; according to
依存症[いぞんしょう] dependence (on alcohol, drugs, etc.)
帰依[きえ] becoming a devout believer; (religious) conversion
heisig_story: Person . . . garment.
koohii_story: Mr T is reliant (depends on) on his garment (the gold chains).

kanji: 籍
meaning: enroll
ja_on: セキ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
耒[らいすき] plow
昔[セキ] once upon a time
examples: 戸籍[こせき] family register
書籍[しょせき] book; publication
在籍[ざいせき] being enrolled (at a school); being registered; being a member (of a team, organ
籍[せき] one's family register; one's domicile
国籍[こくせき] nationality; citizenship
党籍[とうせき] party membership; party register
入籍[にゅうせき] registering (a marriage, etc.) in the family register
戸籍謄本[こせきとうほん] official copy of the family register
本籍[ほんせき] one's registered domicile (as recorded in the family register); one's legal domi
移籍[いせき] transfer (of one's name into another family register)
船籍[せんせき] ship's nationality; ship's country of registration
除籍[じょせき] removing a name
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . Christmas tree . . . once upon a time.
koohii_story: Once upon a time , in order to enroll in a Christian school you had to answer a series of questions to ensure that you were really Christian. For example, the principal might show you a picture of a Christmas tree and a picture of some bamboo and ask you which one is most suitable for decoration at Christmas time.

kanji: 汚
meaning: dirty
ja_on: オ
ja_kun: けが.す、けが.れる、けが.らわしい、よご.す、よご.れる、きたな.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
二[に] two
examples: 汚い[きたない] dirty; filthy; foul; unclean
汚れる[よごれる] to get dirty; to become dirty
汚す[よごす] to pollute; to contaminate; to soil; to make dirty; to stain
汚れ[よごれ] dirt; filth; stain; blot; spot
汚染[おせん] pollution; contamination
汚名[おめい] bad name; bad reputation; disgrace; dishonour; dishonor; stigma; infamy
汚物[おぶつ] filth (esp. excrement, feces, urine); muck; waste; garbage; dirt; dust
汚点[おてん] stain; blot; flaw; disgrace
汚水[おすい] filthy water; sewage
汚濁[おだく] pollution; contamination; corruption; graft
汚職[おしょく] corruption (esp. by a government employee); bribery; graft
heisig_story: Water . . . two . . . snare. Note that the first two strokes for snare doubles up with the first stroke for two.
koohii_story: A hunter Washes, with WATER, his TWO SNAREs, because they are dirty.

kanji: 還
meaning: send back
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: かえ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 睘 round
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 帰還[きかん] return (home); repatriation
奪還[だっかん] recapture; retaking; recovery; taking back
生還[せいかん] returning alive; surviving
還元[かんげん] restoration; return
返還[へんかん] return; restoration
還暦[かんれき] kanreki
償還[しょうかん] repayment; redemption; amortization; amortisation
送還[そうかん] sending home; repatriation; deportation
還付[かんぷ] return; restoration; refund; (duty) drawback
還流[かんりゅう] return current; reflux; back flow
heisig_story: Road . . . eye . . . ceiling . . . mouth . . . scarf.
koohii_story: You've probably guessed it by now, this is the road that Sam and Frodo take to send back the ring to Mount Doom! (see previous frame, the jewel is replaced by the road ).

kanji: 互
meaning: mutually
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: たが.い、かたみ.に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 二[に] two
彑[けいがしら] pig’s head
examples: 互い[たがい] each other; one another
互いに[たがいに] mutually; with each other; reciprocally; together
お互いに[おたがいに] mutually; with each other; reciprocally; together; both
互角[ごかく] equal (in ability); even; evenly matched; well-matched; on par (with)
交互[こうご] alternate; alternating
相互[そうご] mutual; reciprocal
互い違い[たがいちがい] alternate; alternation
互助[ごじょ] mutual aid; cooperation; benefit
互換[ごかん] interchange
互選[ごせん] election by mutual vote; election from within a committee (party, etc.); interna
相互交流[そうごこうりゅう] mutual exchange
相互銀行[そうごぎんこう] mutual savings bank
heisig_story: When you draw this character think of linking two walls together, one right side up and the other upside down.
koohii_story: The 69 position allows both parties to mutually give themselves pleasure.

kanji: 慮
meaning: prudence
ja_on: リョ
ja_kun: おもんぱく.る、おもんぱか.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
思[シ] think
examples: 遠慮[えんりょ] reserve; constraint; restraint; modesty; diffidence; hesitation; holding back; d
配慮[はいりょ] consideration; concern; attention; thoughtfulness; making arrangements; care; tr
考慮[こうりょ] consideration; taking into account
不慮[ふりょ] unforeseen; unexpected; sudden; accidental
ご遠慮ください[ごえんりょください] please refrain (from)
憂慮[ゆうりょ] anxiety; concern; fear
苦慮[くりょ] racking one's brains; worrying oneself; being anxious
heisig_story: Tiger . . . think.
koohii_story: Real meaning: "to ponder". You have to think with prudence (ponder carefully) about approaching a tiger, as is evident from 虎 .

kanji: 枠
meaning: frame
ja_kun: わく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
卆[ソツ] soldier
examples: 枠[わく] frame; framework
枠内[わくない] within the limits (framework, boundaries, price, etc.)
枠外[わくがい] (beyond the) limits; scope; boundary
枠組み[わくぐみ] frame (physical structure); framework
heisig_story: You might think of the frame this character refers to as the sort of frame we have created by drawing a dark line around this kanji and its explanation. Then think of that line as made of very thin wood , and finally note how each time the line bends it forms a 90° angle, thus giving us the nine and the ten.
koohii_story: wood at 90 (9 * 10) degrees.

kanji: 恵
meaning: favor
ja_on: ケイ、エ
ja_kun: めぐ.む、めぐ.み
grade: Junior High
radicals: 由[ユ] wherefore
心[こころ] heart
examples: 恵まれる[めぐまれる] to be blessed with; to be rich in; to abound in
知恵[ちえ] wisdom; wit; sagacity; sense; intelligence
恩恵[おんけい] grace; favor; favour; blessing; benefit
恵み[めぐみ] blessing; grace
恵む[めぐむ] to bless; to show mercy to
恵比寿[えびす] Ebisu
最恵国[さいけいこく] most favored nation; most favoured nation; MFN
heisig_story: Ten . . . fields (or: needle . . . brains ) . . . heart.
koohii_story: Too easy. Imagine the Wizard of OZ. There, the three heroes asked the Wizard for three FAVOR S: the lion wanted courage of TEN men, the scarecrow wanted a BRAIN, and the tin man wanted a HEART. Ok, the lion bit is stretching but you have it memorized now, so who cares?

kanji: 露
meaning: dew
ja_on: ロ、ロウ
ja_kun: つゆ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
路[ロ] path
examples: 披露[ひろう] announcement; presentation; demonstration; displaying; showing; introducing; unv
露出[ろしゅつ] exposure; laying bare; baring (e.g. skin)
露骨[ろこつ] open; unconcealed; undisguised; blatant; plain; frank
暴露[ばくろ] disclosure; exposure; revelation
露[つゆ] dew
吐露[とろ] expressing one's mind; speaking out
露見[ろけん] discovery (of a plot, misdeed, etc.); detection; exposure; disclosure
露天風呂[ろてんぶろ] open-air bath; rotenburo; rotemburo
露店[ろてん] street stall; stand; booth
露呈[ろてい] exposure; disclosure
披露宴[ひろうえん] reception (e.g. wedding); banquet; celebration; party
heisig_story: Rain . . . path.
koohii_story: After the rain the path was covered with dew.

kanji: 逃
meaning: escape
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: に.げる、に.がす、のが.す、のが.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 兆[チョウ] portent
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 逃げる[にげる] to run away; to flee; to get away (e.g. from danger); to escape; to break out; t
逃がす[にがす] to set free; to let go; to release
逃げ出す[にげだす] to run away; to flee; to make off; to take to one's heels; to escape
見逃す[みのがす] to miss; to overlook; to fail to notice
逃す[のがす] to miss (e.g. a chance); to lose; to let get away
逃れる[のがれる] to escape
逃走[とうそう] flight; desertion; escape
逃亡[とうぼう] escape; flight; running away; elopement; fleeing
逃げ切る[にげきる] to make good one's escape; to get away; to outrun
逃げ道[にげみち] way out; means to escape; escape route
逃げ足[にげあし] running away; escaping on foot
逃避[とうひ] escape; evasion; flight
逃げ[にげ] escape; getaway; evasion
heisig_story: When escaping from something or someone, one always feels as if one is not going fast enough, like a turtle on an expressway. (Since the turtle is on the road and not on the left, it can keep its full kanji shape as given in frame 250.)
koohii_story: I used my pants to make a rope, which I then used to escape from prison, hence the naked, hairy legs running along the road!

kanji: 緩
meaning: slacken
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: ゆる.い、ゆる.やか、ゆる.む、ゆる.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
爰[エン] lead on to
examples: 緩む[ゆるむ] to become loose; to slacken (e.g. rope)
緩める[ゆるめる] to loosen; to slacken
緩い[ゆるい] loose
緩やか[ゆるやか] loose; slack
緩和[かんわ] relief; mitigation; alleviation; relaxation (of restrictions, tensions, etc.); e
緩慢[かんまん] slow; sluggish; dull; slack; inactive
緩急[かんきゅう] high and low speed; fast and slow; pace; tempo
緩衝地帯[かんしょうちたい] buffer zone
heisig_story: Thread . . . migrating ducks.
koohii_story: Oh no Spiderman has some migrating ducks stuck in his web, he has to slacken it so they can get out.

kanji: 需
meaning: demand
ja_on: ジュ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
而[しこうして] and also
examples: 需要[じゅよう] demand; need
必需品[ひつじゅひん] necessities; necessary article; requisite; essentials
内需[ないじゅ] domestic demand
外需[がいじゅ] foreign demand
必需[ひつじゅ] necessary
民需[みんじゅ] private demand
特需[とくじゅ] emergency demands; special procurement (particularly in time of war)
軍需[ぐんじゅ] munitions; military stores
需給[じゅきゅう] supply and demand
heisig_story: The sense of demand is best captured by thinking of the economic principle of "supply and demand. " The primitives: rain . . . comb.
koohii_story: Supply and demand is a simple concept: when it rains , the demand for combs goes up to deal with wet hair.

kanji: 傾
meaning: lean
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: かたむ.く、かたむ.ける、かたぶ.く、かた.げる、かし.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
頃[ケイ] time
examples: 傾く[かたむく] to incline toward; to slant; to lurch; to heel over; to be disposed to; to trend
傾向[けいこう] tendency; trend; inclination
傾ける[かたむける] to incline; to lean; to tip; to tilt; to slant; to bend; to list
傾斜[けいしゃ] inclination; slant; slope; bevel; list; dip; tilt; lean
傾げる[かしげる] to tilt (esp. head); to lean; to incline; to slant
傾倒[けいとう] devoting oneself to; concentrating on; being an ardent admirer of; having great
傾注[けいちゅう] devoting (oneself) to; concentrating (one's efforts) on
傾聴[けいちょう] listening closely
heisig_story: Change . . . head. The key word has the sense of leaning on or toward someone or something.
koohii_story: Mr. T gave a girl some change to lean over and give him head.

kanji: 購
meaning: subscription
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
冓[コウ] put together
examples: 購入[こうにゅう] purchase; buying
購買[こうばい] procurement; purchase; buying
購読[こうどく] buying and reading (book, magazine, etc.); subscribing (incl. free subscriptions
定期購読[ていきこうどく] subscription (e.g. to a magazine)
購買力[こうばいりょく] buying power; purchasing power
heisig_story: Shells . . . funnel. The key word is meant to suggest magazine subscriptions and the like.
koohii_story: Subscription is like a money funnel, because the receiving end is small (just one company) and the other end is wide (the whole country).

kanji: 充
meaning: allot
ja_on: ジュウ
ja_kun: あ.てる、み.たす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
允[イン] license
examples: 充実[じゅうじつ] fullness; completeness; perfection; substantiality
充分[じゅうぶん] enough; sufficient; plenty; adequate; satisfactory
補充[ほじゅう] replenishment; supplementation; supplement; replacement; refilling
充満[じゅうまん] being filled with; being full of; permeation
充電[じゅうでん] charging (electrically)
充てる[あてる] to assign; to set aside
拡充[かくじゅう] expansion
充填[じゅうてん] filling (up); replenishing; filling in (a tooth); loading (a gun with ammunition
充当[じゅうとう] allocation; appropriation
充足[じゅうそく] sufficiency
heisig_story: Infant . . . human legs.
koohii_story: Scene at the baby factory: Manager: "Good news! Your infant has been allot ted human legs ". Parent to be: "Thanks a lot!".

kanji: 緒
meaning: thong
ja_on: ショ、チョ
ja_kun: お、いとぐち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
者[シャ] someone
examples: 一緒[いっしょ] (doing) together
一緒に[いっしょに] together (with)
内緒[ないしょ] secrecy; confidentiality; privacy; secret
情緒[じょうしょ] emotion; feeling
緒[お] cord; strap; thong
由緒[ゆいしょ] history; pedigree; lineage
端緒[たんしょ] start; beginning; first step; clue
緒戦[しょせん] beginning of hostilities; beginning of competition
heisig_story: Thread . . . puppet. Although we usually think of a thong as coming at the end of a piece of string, this character's meaning allows for it to come at the beginning as well.
koohii_story: Spiderman has a secret fetish, he likes nothing better than to dress his lovedoll in a thong. Wierd, eh!

kanji: 跡
meaning: tracks
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: あと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
亦[エキ] also
examples: 奇跡[きせき] miracle; wonder; marvel
跡[あと] trace; tracks; mark; sign
痕跡[こんせき] trace; vestige; mark; sign; evidence
追跡[ついせき] chase; pursuit; tracking; stalking
足跡[あしあと] footprints
形跡[けいせき] traces; evidence
遺跡[いせき] (archeological) remains; ruins; relics
軌跡[きせき] tire track
傷跡[きずあと] scar
跡継ぎ[あとつぎ] heir; inheritor
筆跡[ひっせき] handwriting
史跡[しせき] historic landmark; historic site; historic remains
失跡[しっせき] absconding; disappearance
焼け跡[やけあと] ruins of a fire; fire-devastated area
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . apple.
koohii_story: Pirate pokes the tip of his wooden leg into an apple to disguise his tracks.

kanji: 駐
meaning: stop-over
ja_on: チュウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
主[シュ] lord
examples: 駐車場[ちゅうしゃじょう] parking lot; car park; carpark; parking garage
常駐[じょうちゅう] permanent stationing; staying permanently
駐車[ちゅうしゃ] parking (a vehicle)
進駐[しんちゅう] occupation; stationing
駐在[ちゅうざい] residence; stay; (job) posting; being stationed (overseas, etc.)
駐屯[ちゅうとん] stationing (troops); garrisoning
駐日[ちゅうにち] resident in Japan (of a foreign ambassador, government official, etc.)
駐留[ちゅうりゅう] stationing (e.g. of troops); garrison
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . candlestick.
koohii_story: Parking in the dark may be difficult…specially if you're parking a trojan horse. To lend you a tiny bit of help, take this candlestick with you, and at least you'll have some light.
heisig_keyword: parking

kanji: 貢
meaning: tribute
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: みつ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貢献[こうけん] contribution (furthering a goal or cause); services (to a cause)
heisig_story: A tribute has a kind of double-meaning in English: honor paid freely and money collected by coercion. Simply because a ruler bestows a noble name on a deed is hardly any consolation to the masses who must part with their hard- earned money. Little wonder that this ancient craft of getting money by calling it a tribute has given way to a name closer to how it feels to those who pay it: a tax.
koohii_story: "This next song is a TRIBUTE to a little SHELLFISH friend of mine who was tragically crushed by an I-shaped table.".

kanji: 却
meaning: instead
ja_on: キャク
ja_kun: かえ.って、しりぞ.く、しりぞ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 去[キョ] gone
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 却って[かえって] on the contrary; rather; instead; all the more
却下[きゃっか] rejection; dismissal
返却[へんきゃく] return of something; repayment
退却[たいきゃく] retreat; withdrawal; retirement
売却[ばいきゃく] selling off; disposal by sale; sale
忘却[ぼうきゃく] lapse of memory; forgetting completely; (consigning to) oblivion
冷却[れいきゃく] cooling; refrigeration
償却[しょうきゃく] repayment; redemption
棄却[ききゃく] rejection; dismissal; turning down; abandoning; renunciation
減価償却[げんかしょうきゃく] depreciation
焼却[しょうきゃく] incineration; destruction by fire
脱却[だっきゃく] ridding oneself; freeing oneself of; growing out of; overcoming; outgrowing
heisig_story: Gone . . . stamp.
koohii_story: [instead, on the contrary, rather] Gone is the time for stamps \- use e-mail instead.

kanji: 端
meaning: edge
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: はし、は、はた、-ばた、はな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
耑[タン] specialized
examples: 端[はし] end (e.g. of street); tip; point; edge; margin
途端[とたん] just (now, at the moment, etc.); just as; in the act of; as soon as; at the mome
半端[はんぱ] remnant; fragment; incomplete set; incompleteness
先端[せんたん] pointed end; tip; point; cusp (of a leaf, crescent moon, etc.); apex (of a curve
極端[きょくたん] extreme; extremity
中途半端[ちゅうとはんぱ] halfway; half measures; unfinished; incomplete; by halves; half-baked; half-cock
途端に[とたんに] just as; right after; in the act of; as soon as; at that moment
道端[みちばた] roadside; wayside
発端[ほったん] origin; genesis; opening; start; beginning
一端[いったん] one end; an end
端末[たんまつ] terminal; computer terminal
最先端[さいせんたん] cutting edge; leading edge; forefront; state of the art
端的[たんてき] frank; direct; plain; straightforward; point-blank; concise
末端[まったん] end; tip; extremities; terminal
両端[りょうたん] both ends; either end; both edges
heisig_story: Vase . . . mountain . . . comb.
koohii_story: Have you ever seen those shots in movies where the hero is standing at the edge of a sheer mountain face, hair blowing in the wind? It probably wouldn't seem so heroic if you saw him ten minutes earlier, when a crew of stylists was carefully combing his hair so it would fall perfectly.

kanji: 紹
meaning: introduce
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 紹介[しょうかい] introduction; presentation; referral; showcase (of a product)
自己紹介[じこしょうかい] self-introduction
紹介文[しょうかいぶん] introductory text; introductory essay
紹介者[しょうかいしゃ] person who introduces someone; introducer
heisig_story: Thread . . . seduce.
koohii_story: Spiderman seduces all the girls he's introduce d to.

kanji: 獲
meaning: seize
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: え.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
蒦[ワク] to measure
examples: 獲物[えもの] prey; catch; kill; game
獲得[かくとく] acquisition; possession
捕獲[ほかく] capture; seizure
乱獲[らんかく] overfishing; overhunting; indiscriminate fishing; indiscriminate hunting
漁獲[ぎょかく] fishery; fishing; catch; haul
heisig_story: A pack of wild dogs . . . flowers . . . vessels. Do not confuse this with the character for arrest (Frame 706).
koohii_story: A pack of genetically-modified wild dogs is seize d by a group of Greenpeace activists and taken onboard the Greenpeace vessel (the flower vessel , see [safeguard](../v4/700.html) (#700 護)).

kanji: 併
meaning: join
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: あわ.せる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
并[ヘイ] put together
examples: 併せる[あわせる] to match (rhythm, speed, etc.)
併設[へいせつ] joint establishment (esp. schools of different levels or different courses of st
合併[がっぺい] merger (of companies, towns, etc.); combination; union; amalgamation; consolidat
併合[へいごう] merger; joining into one; amalgamation; melding; merging; annexation; absorption
併殺[へいさつ] double play
併用[へいよう] combined use; using together (with); using jointly; using at the same time
併発[へいはつ] concurrence; coincidence; complication (in illness)
併記[へいき] writing side by side; writing (down) together; writing (down) both
合併症[がっぺいしょう] complication
heisig_story: The sense of the key word is one of joining things together that were previously separate. Its elements: person . . . puzzle.
koohii_story: Mr. T furiously works a puzzle in an attempt to join Mensa, the high-IQ society.

kanji: 徹
meaning: penetrate
ja_on: テツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
育[イク] bring up
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 徹底的[てっていてき] thorough; exhaustive; complete
徹夜[てつや] staying up all night
徹底[てってい] thoroughness; completeness; consistency
徹する[てっする] to penetrate; to sink in
冷徹[れいてつ] cool-headed; level-headed; hard-headed
貫徹[かんてつ] accomplishment; realization; attainment; fulfillment; achievement
heisig_story: Line . . . bring up . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: The taskmistress in a moment of weakness allowed the man's column to penetrate her. As punishment he was made to bring up their infant.

kanji: 衝
meaning: collide
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: つ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
重[ジュウ] heavy
examples: 衝撃[しょうげき] impact; shock; impulse
衝動[しょうどう] impulse; urge; impetus
衝突[しょうとつ] collision; crash; impact; running into
折衝[せっしょう] negotiation
緩衝地帯[かんしょうちたい] buffer zone
要衝[ようしょう] important point; strategic position; key point
heisig_story: Boulevard . . . heavy.
koohii_story: Two heavy trucks in a game of chicken collide while racing toward each other on the boulevard.

kanji: 焦
meaning: char
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: こ.げる、こ.がす、こ.がれる、あせ.る、じ.れる、じ.らす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 焦る[あせる] to be in a hurry; to be impatient; to be anxious (to do); to fret
焦げる[こげる] to burn; to scorch; to char; to singe
焦点[しょうてん] focus; focal point
焦がす[こがす] to burn; to scorch; to singe; to char
焦燥[しょうそう] impatience; irritation; frustration; fretfulness
焦り[あせり] impatience
heisig_story: Turkey . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: When I put the turkey over the oven fire , it always ends up being charred beyond recognition. I'm not a very good cook.

kanji: 奪
meaning: rob
ja_on: ダツ
ja_kun: うば.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 奞[シュン] the stride made by a man
寸[すん] inch
examples: 奪う[うばう] to take (by force); to take away; to snatch; to steal; to rob (someone) of; to d
奪還[だっかん] recapture; retaking; recovery; taking back
強奪[ごうだつ] robbery; pillage; seizure; hijacking; plunder; extortion
略奪[りゃくだつ] pillage; plunder; looting; robbery
奪取[だっしゅ] usurpation; taking back; dispossession
争奪[そうだつ] struggle (for); scramble; contest
奪三振[だつさんしん] striking a batter out
奪回[だっかい] recovery; rescue; recapture
heisig_story: Whereas burglary (Frame 381) implies clandestine appropriation of another's property, robbery refers to taking by force. The primitive elements: St. Bernard dog . . . turkey . . . glue.
koohii_story: Don't let the neighbor's St.Bernard rob tonight's turkey …. glue it to the table if you must.

kanji: 雇
meaning: employ
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: やと.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 雇う[やとう] to employ; to hire; to take on
解雇[かいこ] dismissal (of an employee); discharge; firing; layoff
雇い主[やといぬし] employer
雇用[こよう] employment; hire
heisig_story: Door . . . turkey. Be sure to keep distinct from both employee (Frame 59) and use (Frame 1065).
koohii_story: Our company has no standards. We'll employ any turkey who walks in the door.

kanji: 浦
meaning: bay
ja_on: ホ
ja_kun: うら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
甫[ホ] for the first time
examples: 浦[うら] inlet
heisig_story: Water . . . dog tag.
koohii_story: The water of the bay washes all the dog tags up after the battle.

kanji: 替
meaning: exchange
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: か.える、か.え-、か.わる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 夫[フ] husband
日[ひ] sun
examples: 着替える[きかえる] to change (one's clothes)
替える[かえる] to replace; to convert; to change
着替え[きがえ] changing clothes; change of clothes
切り替える[きりかえる] to change; to switch; to change over (to); to renew
取り替える[とりかえる] to exchange; to swap; to barter; to trade
替え[かえ] change; alteration
替わる[かわる] to succeed; to relieve; to replace
切り替え[きりかえ] exchange; conversion; replacement; switching (to); switchover
塗り替える[ぬりかえる] to repaint; to paint again; to paint (a different colour)
入れ替え[いれかえ] replacement; substitution; change
交替[こうたい] change; alternation; rotation; replacement; substitution; shift; relief; taking
両替[りょうがえ] change; money exchange
為替[かわせ] money order; draft
並び替える[ならびかえる] to reorganize; to rearrange; to put (things) in order
代替[だいたい] substitution
heisig_story: Two husbands . . . day.
koohii_story: A show like "Trading Spouses" called "exchanging husbands" where 2 husbands are exchange d for a day (thanks dingomick).

kanji: 析
meaning: chop
ja_on: セキ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 分析[ぶんせき] analysis
解析[かいせき] analysis; analytical study
透析[とうせき] dialysis
heisig_story: Tree . . . ax.
koohii_story: We chop down trees with axes to analyze their rings.

kanji: 譲
meaning: defer
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: ゆず.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
㐮 to help
examples: 譲る[ゆずる] to hand over; to transfer; to turn over; to assign; to convey; to bequeath
譲渡[じょうと] transfer; assignment; conveyance
譲歩[じょうほ] concession; conciliation; compromise
分譲[ぶんじょう] selling (real-estate) lots
割譲[かつじょう] cession (of territory)
移譲[いじょう] handing over (of a right, property, etc.); transfer; assignment
親譲り[おやゆずり] inheritance from a parent (property, trait, physique, etc.)
譲り渡す[ゆずりわたす] to hand over; to turn over; to cede
heisig_story: Words . . . grass skirt.
koohii_story: (thanks chamcham) A graduate student in anthropology tells the University that he plans to defer his studies for a year, and instead conduct "field research" on the grass-skirt-wearing native women on the island of Jou.

kanji: 称
meaning: appellation
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: たた.える、とな.える、あ.げる、かな.う、はか.り、はか.る、ほめ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
尓[ジ] you
examples: 通称[つうしょう] popular name; common name; nickname; alias
称する[しょうする] to call; to name
自称[じしょう] self-proclaimed; self-professed; self-styled; would-be
称号[しょうごう] title; name; degree
名称[めいしょう] name; title
称賛[しょうさん] praise; admiration; commendation; approbation; applause
呼称[こしょう] name; designation; denomination; naming; giving a name
愛称[あいしょう] pet name; nickname; affectionate name; term of endearment
正式名称[せいしきめいしょう] official name; formal name
仮称[かしょう] temporary name; provisional name
公称[こうしょう] public announcement; official statement; official claim
対称[たいしょう] symmetry
尊称[そんしょう] honorific title
敬称[けいしょう] honorific title; honorific term of address
略称[りゃくしょう] abbreviation
heisig_story: Wheat . . . reclining . . . little.
koohii_story: Taking appellation to mean the act of naming, we have the little baby superman reclining in the space craft that landed in a wheat field. Mr. and Mrs. Kent look down and decide to call him Clark. (I also thought of Jesus but he was born in a barn full of hay not wheat).

kanji: 挑
meaning: challenge
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: いど.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
兆[チョウ] portent
examples: 挑戦[ちょうせん] challenge; defiance; dare; attempt; try
挑む[いどむ] to challenge to (a fight, game, etc.); to throw down the gauntlet; to contend fo
挑発[ちょうはつ] provocation; stirring up; arousal; excitement; stimulation
挑発的[ちょうはつてき] provocative; incendiary; inflammatory
初挑戦[はつちょうせん] first challenge; first try
heisig_story: Fingers . . . portent.
koohii_story: The rabbit pointed his FINGER at the TURTLE and said, "I CHALLENGE you for a race!" The rest is history…

kanji: 誘
meaning: entice
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: さそ.う、いざな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
秀[シュウ] excel
examples: 誘う[さそう] to invite; to ask (someone to do); to call (for); to take (someone) along
誘い[さそい] invitation; introduction
誘導[ゆうどう] guidance; leading; induction; introduction; incitement; inducement
誘惑[ゆうわく] temptation; allurement; lure; enticement; seduction
誘拐[ゆうかい] abduction; kidnapping; kidnaping
勧誘[かんゆう] invitation; solicitation; canvassing; canvasing; inducement; persuasion; encoura
誘発[ゆうはつ] inducing; causing; triggering; giving rise to
誘い水[さそいみず] pump priming
誘因[ゆういん] contributing cause; exciting cause; incentive; motive
誘致[ゆうち] attraction; lure; invitation
heisig_story: Words . . . excel. Compare beckon (Frame 702), to urge (Frame 300), seduce (Frame 90), and encourage (Frame 931) when choosing your connotation.
koohii_story: Word and Excel somehow manage to entice people to use them, despite their plethora of bugs.

kanji: 紛
meaning: distract
ja_on: フン
ja_kun: まぎ.れる、-まぎ.れ、まぎ.らす、まぎ.らわす、まぎ.らわしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
分[ブン] part
examples: 紛れる[まぎれる] to disappear into; to be lost in; to slip into; to get mixed in among
紛れもない[まぎれもない] unmistakable; evident; obvious; certain; beyond doubt
紛らわしい[まぎらわしい] easily mixed up (e.g. similar words); easily mistaken; confusing; misleading; eq
紛失[ふんしつ] loss; going missing
紛争[ふんそう] dispute; conflict; trouble; unrest; strife
紛らす[まぎらす] to divert (e.g. one's mind); to distract; to relieve (boredom, sorrow, etc.); to
紛れ[まぐれ] fluke; chance; pure luck
紛糾[ふんきゅう] complication; confusion; disorder; chaos; dispute; conflict; trouble; quarrel
heisig_story: Thread . . . part.
koohii_story: Spiderman got distract ed when someone yelled, "Spiderman, wait a minute." He turned around and flew into a building. ("part" also means "minute").

kanji: 促
meaning: stimulate
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: うなが.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
足[あし] foot
examples: 促す[うながす] to urge; to encourage; to press; to prompt; to draw (attention to)
催促[さいそく] pressing; urging; demanding; demand
促進[そくしん] promotion; acceleration; encouragement; facilitation; spurring on
促成[そくせい] promotion of growth
督促[とくそく] urge; demand; importunity
販促[はんそく] sales promotion
heisig_story: Person . . . leg.
koohii_story: You stimulate a person by giving him a kick.

kanji: 慎
meaning: humility
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: つつし.む、つつ.ましい、つつし、つつし.み
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
真[シン] true
examples: 慎重[しんちょう] careful; cautious; prudent; discreet; deliberate
慎む[つつしむ] to be careful; to be discreet
謹慎[きんしん] self restraint; moderating one's own behavior; penitence; discipline
heisig_story: State of mind . . . truth.
koohii_story: Humility is the state of mind of accepting the truth about yourself - both favorable and unfavorable. (tweaked version of Raichu's).

kanji: 控
meaning: withdraw
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: ひか.える、ひか.え
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
空[クウ] empty
examples: 控える[ひかえる] to be temperate in; to refrain; to abstain; to hold back; to restrain oneself fr
控えめ[ひかえめ] moderate; reserved; modest; temperate; restrained; low-key; conservative (estima
控え室[ひかえしつ] waiting room; anteroom; antechamber; green room
控室[ひかえしつ] waiting room; anteroom; antechamber; green room
控除[こうじょ] subtraction; deduction (e.g. of tax)
差し控える[さしひかえる] to be moderate in; to be temperate in; to not do too much of
手控え[てびかえ] note; memorandum
控え[ひかえ] reserve; spare; backup
控訴[こうそ] appeal to a higher court; intermediate appeal
買い控え[かいびかえ] restrained buying
heisig_story: Fingers . . . empty.
koohii_story: With my fingers , I punch in my bank code and withdraw some money from my account. And now it's empty again, as usual!

kanji: 贈
meaning: presents
ja_on: ゾウ、ソウ
ja_kun: おく.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
曽[ソウ] formerly
examples: 贈る[おくる] to give (as a gift); to present
贈り物[おくりもの] present; gift
寄贈[きぞう] donation; presentation; gift
贈り主[おくりぬし] sender (of a present)
贈与[ぞうよ] donation; presentation
贈収賄[ぞうしゅうわい] bribery; corruption
贈呈[ぞうてい] presentation (of a gift, prize, etc.)
贈答[ぞうとう] exchange of presents
贈賄[ぞうわい] giving a bribe; bribery
heisig_story: The presents offered here are money that increases each time you give it away. Do not confuse with the temporal word "present" (Frame 275).
koohii_story: Imagine if the number of presents you get increases with each birthday. So on your first birthday, you receive just one shell as a present , but the next year it increases to two shells as presents , and so on, increasing and increasing so by the time you're elderly, the number of shells you'll get as presents will have increased to an awful lot of presents. GOT IT YET? PRESENTS = SHELLS + INCREASE.

kanji: 握
meaning: grip
ja_on: アク
ja_kun: にぎ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
屋[オク] roof
examples: 握る[にぎる] to clasp; to grasp; to grip; to clutch
把握[はあく] grasp (of the situation, meaning, etc.); understanding; control; hold; grip
握手[あくしゅ] handshake
握り締める[にぎりしめる] to grasp tightly
掌握[しょうあく] grasping; seizing; holding; commanding; having control over
握り[にぎり] grasping; gripping; grasp; grip; clutch
握力[あくりょく] grip (of hand); grip strength
一握り[ひとにぎり] a handful (of)
握らす[にぎらす] to let (someone) take hold of your hand
握り飯[にぎりめし] onigiri; rice ball
heisig_story: Fingers . . . roof.
koohii_story: Fingers grip ping the roof as your about to fall to your death. Think of an action scene in some movie.

kanji: 俊
meaning: sagacious
ja_on: シュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
夋
examples: 俊英[しゅんえい] excellence; genius
俊足[しゅんそく] swiftness of foot; fast runner
heisig_story: Person . . . license . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: The entire town wants to get rid of legal prostitutes , but the sagacious Mr T realizes that they are a benefit to the economy and society. So he lets the sa-geishas stay.

kanji: 薄
meaning: dilute
ja_on: ハク
ja_kun: うす.い、うす-、-うす、うす.める、うす.まる、うす.らぐ、うす.ら-、うす.れる、すすき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
溥[フ] far and wide
examples: 薄い[うすい] thin (of an object)
薄暗い[うすぐらい] dim; gloomy
薄れる[うすれる] to fade; to become dim
軽薄[けいはく] frivolous; flippant; superficial; shallow; trifling; insincere
手薄[てうす] shorthanded; short of hands; undermanned
希薄[きはく] thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute; sparse (population); rarefied
薄着[うすぎ] being lightly dressed
薄める[うすめる] to dilute; to water down; to thin; to lighten (e.g. a color); to make less stron
薄まる[うすまる] to become weak
薄らぐ[うすらぐ] to become thin; to fade; to grow pale
薄弱[はくじゃく] feebleness; weakness
精神薄弱[せいしんはくじゃく] feeble-mindedness; intellectual disability
肉薄[にくはく] closing in on (the enemy, first place, etc.); coming close to; pressing hard
heisig_story: Take a good look at this kanji: the "strong" element here is really the flower , not the water as you might have thought on first glance. To the right is the acupuncturist from frame 48. Taking the key word to connote diluting the vital humors of the body, we can imagine our acupuncturist performing his task with flowers in place of needles, and using their hollow stems to pipe water into the body of the patient.
koohii_story: A Dr. missing his needle can only use dilute flower water for medicine.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 薄い 専門 導く

kanji: 渋
meaning: astringent
ja_on: ジュウ、シュウ
ja_kun: しぶ、しぶ.い、しぶ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
止[とめる] to stop
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 渋い[しぶい] astringent; bitter; puckery; rough; harsh; tart
渋る[しぶる] to be reluctant (to do); to be unwilling (to do); to hesitate (to do); to grudge
渋谷[しぶや] Shibuya City (special ward of Tokyo); Shibuya
渋滞[じゅうたい] (traffic) congestion; traffic jam; gridlock
苦渋[くじゅう] bitterness; distress; pain; anguish; affliction
渋面[じゅうめん] grimace; sullen face
heisig_story: Water . . . footprint . . . sparkler.
koohii_story: If you eat something astringent water will stop the sparkly sensation in your mouth.

kanji: 銃
meaning: gun
ja_on: ジュウ
ja_kun: つつ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
充[ジュウ] allot
examples: 銃[じゅう] gun; firearm; small arms (e.g. rifle, pistol, etc)
銃声[じゅうせい] sound of a gunshot; report of a gun
拳銃[けんじゅう] pistol; handgun
銃弾[じゅうだん] bullet (from a rifle)
銃撃[じゅうげき] shooting; gunning (down)
小銃[しょうじゅう] rifle; small arms
機関銃[きかんじゅう] machine gun
猟銃[りょうじゅう] hunting gun; sportsgun
短銃[たんじゅう] pistol
銃器[じゅうき] small arms
銃殺[じゅうさつ] death by shooting
heisig_story: Metal . . . allot.
koohii_story: "Everyone is allotted a metal gun " (US constitution according to the NRA).

kanji: 携
meaning: portable
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: たずさ.える、たずさ.わる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
隽 superior
examples: 携帯[けいたい] carrying (on one's person or in the hand)
携帯電話[けいたいでんわ] mobile phone; cell phone
連携[れんけい] cooperation; coordination; collaboration; alignment
携わる[たずさわる] to engage in; to participate in; to take part in; to be involved in
携える[たずさえる] to carry in one's hand; to carry with one; to have on one's person; to bear
提携[ていけい] cooperation; tie-up; joint business; partnership; alliance; sponsorship
必携[ひっけい] indispensable; essential; must-have
携帯ストラップ[けいたいストラップ] straps for mobile phone
heisig_story: Fingers . . . turkey . . . fist.
koohii_story: This character is the "kei" in "keitai" (cell phone), a word you will no doubt hear often in Japan, since everyone has one. Imagine you've just arrived in Japan, but don't have a cell phone yet, so instead you're carrying around a portable turkey you can hold in your fist. To dial a number, just poke it with your fingers.

kanji: 奥
meaning: heart
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: おく、おく.まる、くま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
米[こめ] rice
大[だい] large
examples: 奥[おく] inner part; interior; back (of a drawer, one's throat, etc.); depths (e.g. of a
奥さん[おくさん] wife; your wife; his wife; married lady; madam
奥様[おくさま] wife; your wife; his wife; married lady; madam
山奥[やまおく] deep in the mountains; mountain recesses
奥行き[おくゆき] depth; length
奥地[おくち] interior; backwoods; hinterland; back regions
奥山[おくやま] remote mountain; mountain recesses
heisig_story: A drop . . . pent in . . . rice . . . St. Bernard dog. Notice that the horizontal line of the bottom primitive doubles up as the final stroke for pent in.
koohii_story: In the core of a nuclear reactor, scientists have discovered a way to get power from rice, by penting it in under high pressure. It's very dangerous, so they've trained a st. bernard dog to run things, he's adding more drops of rice as necessary.
heisig_keyword: core

kanji: 診
meaning: checkup
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: み.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
人[ひと] person
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 診る[みる] to examine (medically); to have a look at; to check (a patient's pulse)
診察[しんさつ] medical examination; checkup; consultation
診断[しんだん] diagnosis; medical examination
打診[だしん] percussion; tapping; examining by percussion
健康診断[けんこうしんだん] health checkup; (general) medical examination; physical examination
診療所[しんりょうじょ] clinic; medical office; infirmary
診療[しんりょう] diagnosis and treatment; medical care
健診[けんしん] health checkup; (general) medical examination; physical examination
受診[じゅしん] having a medical examination; seeing a doctor
往診[おうしん] doctor's visit; house call
検診[けんしん] medical examination (for a specific condition or disease); health screening
heisig_story: Words . . . umbrella . . . shape. The key word refers to a medical examination.
koohii_story: The doctor at my checkup was expressing words of concern about my umbrella shaped gut.

kanji: 詰
meaning: packed
ja_on: キツ、キチ
ja_kun: つ.める、つ.め、-づ.め、つ.まる、つ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
吉[キチ] good luck
examples: 詰まり[つまり] that is to say; that is; in other words; I mean; that (this, it) means
詰まる[つまる] to be packed (with); to be filled; to be full (e.g. of a schedule)
詰める[つめる] to stuff into; to jam; to cram; to pack; to fill; to plug; to stop up
詰め込む[つめこむ] to cram; to stuff; to jam; to squeeze; to pack; to crowd
詰まらせる[つまらせる] to clog; to block; to choke up; to jam; to obstruct
缶詰[かんづめ] canned food; tinned food
詰む[つむ] to become fine (of fabric)
詰問[きつもん] cross-examination; close questioning; demanding an explanation
煮詰める[につめる] to boil down; to concentrate (soup, milk, stock, etc.)
大詰め[おおづめ] final scene; the end; finale
瓶詰[びんづめ] bottling
詰らない[つまらない] dull; uninteresting; boring; tedious
字詰め[じづめ] number of characters per line, page, etc.
瓶詰め[びんづめ] bottling
行き詰まり[いきづまり] deadlock; stalemate; impasse; dead end
heisig_story: A piece of writing that is pregnant with meaning and needs to be reread several times to be understood we refer to colloquially as " packed. " The character sees the words as sealed tightly inside an aerosol can.
koohii_story: WORDS of GOOD LUCK are PACKED into fortune cookies.

kanji: 託
meaning: consign
ja_on: タク
ja_kun: かこつ.ける、かこ.つ、かこ.つける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
乇[タク] to depend on
examples: 託す[たくす] to entrust (someone) with; to leave (a matter) with someone; to place under some
結託[けったく] conspiracy; collusion
委託[いたく] entrusting (something to a person); consignment (of goods); putting in someone's
信託[しんたく] trust; entrusting; leaving in someone's trust
受託[じゅたく] being entrusted with; taking charge of
嘱託[しょくたく] commission; entrusting with (work)
屈託[くったく] worry; care; concern
投資信託[とうししんたく] investment trust; mutual fund
託児所[たくじしょ] creche; day nursery; day-care center
託宣[たくせん] oracle; revelation; divine message
請託[せいたく] solicitation
預託[よたく] depositing (of money, valuables, etc.); deposition
heisig_story: Words . . . lock of hair.
koohii_story: When you consign a matter to someone, you get their word and a lock of their hair (to be used in a voodoo ritual if they don't keep their word).

kanji: 撮
meaning: snapshot
ja_on: サツ
ja_kun: と.る、つま.む、-ど.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
最[サイ] utmost
examples: 撮る[とる] to take (a photograph)
撮影[さつえい] photography (still or motion); photographing; filming; shooting; (video) recordi
写真撮影[しゃしんさつえい] photography; taking photographs
heisig_story: Finger . . . utmost. This character is used for taking photographs. Note how, conveniently, the element for " take " is included in it.
koohii_story: Take the utmost care that you don't have your finger in the way when you take a snapshot.

kanji: 侵
meaning: encroach
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: おか.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
冖[わかんむり] cover
又[また] again
examples: 侵入[しんにゅう] invasion; incursion; raid; aggression; intrusion; trespass; penetration; hacking
侵す[おかす] to invade; to raid; to violate (airspace, etc.); to intrude; to trespass
侵略[しんりゃく] invasion (e.g. of a country); raid; aggression
侵攻[しんこう] invasion
侵食[しんしょく] encroachment; invasion; erosion (e.g. of market share, rights)
侵害[しんがい] infringement; violation; invasion; encroachment; trespass
不可侵[ふかしん] inviolability; nonaggression; sacredness
侵犯[しんぱん] violation (of foreign territory, rights, etc.); invasion; infringement
heisig_story: Person . . . broom . . . crown . . . crotch. Gather the elements on the right into a composite image that can serve you in the next two frames.
koohii_story: The parson ENCROACH ES on the French maid , driven wild by her little broom , dainty tiara and sinfully short skirt showing her knickers ( crotch )!

kanji: 括
meaning: fasten
ja_on: カツ
ja_kun: くく.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
舌[した] tongue
examples: 括る[くくる] to tie up; to tie together; to bind; to bundle; to fasten
統括[とうかつ] unification; bringing together; generalization
一括[いっかつ] lumping together; summing up; bundle; lump; batch
括弧[かっこ] brackets; parentheses
包括[ほうかつ] inclusion; complete coverage; comprehensiveness
総括[そうかつ] summarization; summary; generalization
heisig_story: Finger . . . tongue.
koohii_story: Teacher was always telling us to fasten our lips by pulling a zipper shut with our fingers. It always frightened me because I imagined getting my tongue stuck in the zipper.

kanji: 掛
meaning: hang
ja_on: カイ、ケイ
ja_kun: か.ける、-か.ける、か.け、-か.け、-が.け、か.かる、-か.かる、-が.かる、か.かり、-が.かり、かかり、-がかり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
卦[カ] a divination sign
examples: 掛ける[かける] to hang up (e.g. a coat, a picture on the wall); to let hang; to suspend (from);
仕掛ける[しかける] to start; to begin; to commence
掛かる[かかる] to take (a resource, e.g. time or money)
仕掛け[しかけ] device; contrivance; mechanism; gadget
腰掛ける[こしかける] to sit (down)
出掛ける[でかける] to go out (e.g. on an excursion or outing); to leave; to depart; to start; to se
掛け[かけ] credit
手掛かり[てがかり] clue; lead; key; trail; scent; track
掛け声[かけごえ] shout (of encouragement, etc.); yell (used to time or encourage activity, e.g. "
差し掛かる[さしかかる] to come near (to); to approach
取り掛かる[とりかかる] to begin (doing); to start; to set about; to get down to
話し掛ける[はなしかける] to address (someone); to accost a person; to talk (to someone)
引っ掛かる[ひっかかる] to be caught in; to be stuck in
心掛ける[こころがける] to keep in mind; to bear in mind; to try; to aim to do; to endeavor; to endeavou
大掛かり[おおがかり] large-scale
heisig_story: Fingers . . . ivy . . . magic wand.
koohii_story: Think RPG. The wizard points his finger to the guard and the ivy he has just animated with his magic wand climbs down the wall to hang the poor guy, opening the way for the adventurers into the dungeon.

kanji: 双
meaning: pair
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: ふた、たぐい、ならぶ、ふたつ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 又[また] again
examples: 双子[ふたご] twins; twin
双方[そうほう] both parties; both sides
双[そう] pair
双生児[そうせいじ] twins
双眼鏡[そうがんきょう] binoculars; field glasses
双葉[ふたば] seed leaves (of a dicot); cotyledons; bud; sprout
heisig_story: The crotch reduplicated gives us a pair.
koohii_story: The animals boarding Noah's Ark all came in pair s – but Noah had to carefully check the two crotches in each pair to ensure that the animals were of different sexes and thus able to further their species after the flood.

kanji: 刺
meaning: thorn
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: さ.す、さ.さる、さ.し、さし、とげ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 朿[シ] thorn
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 刺激[しげき] stimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes)
刺さる[ささる] to stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce; to get stu
刺す[さす] to pierce; to stab; to prick; to stick; to thrust
突き刺す[つきさす] to stab; to stick; to pierce; to thrust
名刺[めいし] business card
刺身[さしみ] sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans)
刺繍[ししゅう] embroidery
刺[とげ] thorn; spine; prickle
刺し[さし] grain thief
刺し殺す[さしころす] to stab to death
風刺[ふうし] satire; irony; sarcasm
heisig_story: Thorns grow on a bush here that has wrapped itself around a tree like a belt , cutting into the poor tree like little sabers.
koohii_story: A TREE with a BELT wrapped around the middle. If you tighten the BELT, hundreds of tiny SABERS pop out of the tree in all directions, looking like THORN S.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 刺さる 倒せる 制する

kanji: 到
meaning: arrival
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: いた.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 至[いたる] to arrive
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 到着[とうちゃく] arrival
到底[とうてい] (cannot) possibly; (not) by any means; (not) at all; utterly; absolutely
到達[とうたつ] reaching; attaining; arrival
殺到[さっとう] rush; flood; deluge
到来[とうらい] arrival; coming; advent
周到[しゅうとう] careful; thorough; meticulous; scrupulous
heisig_story: Climax . . . saber.
koohii_story: Just look at this image…

kanji: 駆
meaning: drive
ja_on: ク
ja_kun: か.ける、か.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
区[ク] ward
examples: 駆けつける[かけつける] to run to; to come running; to rush (someplace); to hasten
駆ける[かける] to run; to dash; to race
駆使[くし] using freely; making full use of; having a good command of
駆け引き[かけひき] bargaining; haggling
駆け回る[かけまわる] to run around; to bustle about
駆け足[かけあし] running fast; double time
駆る[かる] to spur on; to urge forward; to impel
駆除[くじょ] extermination (of pests); eradication; stamping out (e.g. a social evil)
駆逐[くちく] expulsion; driving out; driving away; extermination
駆動[くどう] drive; driving (force)
駆けっこ[かけっこ] (foot) race; sprint
先駆[せんく] forerunner; precursor; pioneer; leader
先駆け[さきがけ] pioneer; leader; taking the initiative; forerunner; harbinger; herald
先駆ける[さきがける] to do (something) before (something or someone else); to be ahead of (others, th
駆け込み[かけこみ] running in; rushing into
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . ward.
koohii_story: You have to be craaazzzzyy to drive a buggy led by a team of horses through a ward of Tokyo!

kanji: 寝
meaning: lie down
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ね.る、ね.かす、い.ぬ、みたまや、や.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
丬 half of tree trunk
冖[わかんむり] cover
又[また] again
examples: 寝る[ねる] to sleep (lying down)
寝かせる[ねかせる] to put to bed; to let sleep
寝ぼける[ねぼける] to be still half asleep; to be half awake; to be not yet quite awake
昼寝[ひるね] (afternoon) nap; sleeping during the day; siesta
寝坊[ねぼう] sleeping in late; oversleeping
寝室[しんしつ] bedroom
寝顔[ねがお] sleeping face
寝不足[ねぶそく] lack of sleep; insufficient sleep
寝言[ねごと] talking in one's sleep; somniloquy
寝息[ねいき] breathing of a sleeping person
寝床[ねどこ] bed; berth; crib; cot; bedroom
寝かす[ねかす] to put to bed; to let sleep
寝転ぶ[ねころぶ] to lie down; to throw oneself down
寝泊まり[ねとまり] staying the night; lodging (at)
就寝[しゅうしん] going to bed; retiring (for the night)
heisig_story: Do not confuse this key word with either the element for reclining or the character for prostrated (Frame 1035). Its primitive elements are: house . . . turtle . . . broom . . . crown . . . crotch.
koohii_story: After work, the French maid goes home and lies down with a turtle. Turtle? Well, he's sloooow and always hard… (thanks to Nukemarine and Wakela!).

kanji: 透
meaning: transparent
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: す.く、す.かす、す.ける、とう.る、とう.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 秀[シュウ] excel
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 透明[とうめい] transparent; clear
透き通る[すきとおる] to be transparent; to be see-through; to be clear
浸透[しんとう] permeation (of thought, ideology, culture, etc.); infiltration (e.g. of ideas);
不透明[ふとうめい] opaque; obscure; murky; turbid
透析[とうせき] dialysis
透視[とうし] seeing through
heisig_story: Excel . . . road-way.
koohii_story: If you excel in the Mario Kart road , your movements are saved and you can race against yourself as a transparent racer. .

kanji: 津
meaning: haven
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
examples: 興味津々[きょうみしんしん] very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being imme
津波[つなみ] tsunami; tidal wave
heisig_story: Seeing the tiny boats of poor mortals tossed about in a stormy sea like so many corks, the All-Merciful took its brush and drew little inlets of water where the hapless creatures might seek shelter. And so it is that we have havens.
koohii_story: A brush laying in dirty water is a haven for bacteria.

kanji: 壁
meaning: wall
ja_on: ヘキ
ja_kun: かべ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辟[ヘキ] false
土[つち] earth
examples: 壁[かべ] wall; partition
外壁[がいへき] outer wall
障壁[しょうへき] enclosing wall; boundary fence
壁面[へきめん] surface of a wall
壁紙[かべがみ] wallpaper
壁画[へきが] fresco; mural; wall painting
岸壁[がんぺき] quay; wharf; jetty
heisig_story: Ketchup . . . ground.
koohii_story: Did anyone else used to put ketchup packets on the ground and jump on them so they spattered on the wall?

kanji: 稲
meaning: rice plant
ja_on: トウ、テ
ja_kun: いね、いな-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
爫[つめかんむり] claw
旧[キュウ] old times
examples: 稲妻[いなずま] lightning; flash of lightning; lightning bolt
稲[いね] rice plant (Oryza sativa)
水稲[すいとう] wet-land rice
稲作[いなさく] rice cultivation; rice crop
稲刈り[いねかり] rice reaping; rice harvesting
稲田[いなだ] paddy field; rice field
稲穂[いなほ] ear (head) of rice
稲荷[いなり] Inari (god of harvests, Uka-no-Mitama)
heisig_story: Wheat . . . vulture . . . olden times.
koohii_story: The rice plant is common in Japan because all the wheat was eaten by vultures in the olden times.

kanji: 裂
meaning: split
ja_on: レツ
ja_kun: さ.く、さ.ける、-ぎ.れ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 列[レツ] file
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 引き裂く[ひきさく] to tear up; to tear off; to rip up; to tear to pieces
破裂[はれつ] bursting; rupture; explosion
裂ける[さける] to split; to tear; to burst; to be separated; to be divided
裂く[さく] to tear; to rip up
炸裂[さくれつ] violent explosion; bursting
亀裂[きれつ] crack; crevice; fissure; chap; rift
分裂[ぶんれつ] split; division; break up
裂け目[さけめ] tear; rip; rent; slit; crack; chasm; rift
決裂[けつれつ] breakdown (of talks, negotiations, etc.); breaking off; rupture
核分裂[かくぶんれつ] nuclear fission
heisig_story: File . . . garment.
koohii_story: They tried issuing the skeleton warriors with proper garments to wear, but they kept getting split by the sharp bones or by their sabres. In the end, it was decided they look scarier naked anyway.

kanji: 敏
meaning: cleverness
ja_on: ビン
ja_kun: さとい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 毎[マイ] every
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 敏感[びんかん] sensitive; alert; aware; susceptible
過敏[かびん] nervousness; oversensitivity
鋭敏[えいびん] sharp (eyes, ears, etc.); keen; acute; sensitive
機敏[きびん] quick; prompt; alert; smart; clever; astute; shrewd; quick-witted
敏腕[びんわん] ability; capability; competence; skill
敏速[びんそく] quickness; agility; activity
heisig_story: Behind every successful taskmaster , the cleverness of a fox to outwit his charges.
koohii_story: Every master(or taskmaster) must have some degree of cleverness.

kanji: 是
meaning: just so
ja_on: ゼ、シ
ja_kun: これ、この、ここ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
examples: 是非[ぜひ] certainly; without fail
是非とも[ぜひとも] by all means; at all costs; absolutely
是正[ぜせい] correction; revision; redressing; rectifying
国是[こくぜ] national policy
是認[ぜにん] approval; approbation; endorsement
是非是非[ぜひぜひ] certainly; by all means
heisig_story: In this kanji we are shown someone spending an entire day at mending one stocking, because they want the job done " just so. " Be sure to make a clear image of a finicky old fusspot to make the abstract idea as concrete as possible.
koohii_story: 'Sun' 'Mend' - It just so happens that sun shine can mend your gloomy spirits.

kanji: 排
meaning: repudiate
ja_on: ハイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
非[あらず] wrong
examples: 排除[はいじょ] exclusion; removal; elimination; clearing away; getting rid of
排出[はいしゅつ] discharge; evacuation; emission (e.g. of CO2); ejection; excretion
排水[はいすい] drainage; draining; pumping out (water); sewerage
排他[はいた] exclusion
排他主義[はいたしゅぎ] exclusivism; exclusionism
排斥[はいせき] rejection; expulsion; boycott; ostracism
排日[はいにち] anti-Japanese
排気[はいき] exhaust; emission (of gas from an engine)
排気ガス[はいきガス] exhaust fumes
heisig_story: Fingers . . . jail cell.
koohii_story: When ordered to go to the jail cell , the defendant gave the judge the finger and said he repudiate d all that the legal system stood for if they were going to send an innocent man like him to jail.

kanji: 裕
meaning: abundant
ja_on: ユウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
谷[たに] valley
examples: 余裕[よゆう] surplus; margin; leeway; room; space; time; allowance; flexibility; scope
裕福[ゆうふく] wealthy; rich; affluent; well-off
富裕[ふゆう] wealthy; rich; affluent
heisig_story: This character shows the typical cloak of valley folk, which, unlike the tailor-made, high-fashion overcoats of city folk, is loose-fitting and free- form. Hence the key word's meaning of abundant.
koohii_story: Again using the fact that cleavage in Japanese is called " valley of the chest": a woman with abundant cleavage tightly wraps up her bosom in a form-fitting cloak , but leaving her valley exposed. Another unforgettable image (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week).

kanji: 堅
meaning: strict
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: かた.い、-がた.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
又[また] again
土[つち] earth
examples: 堅い[かたい] hard; solid; tough
堅実[けんじつ] steady; sound; stable; safe (e.g. business); reliable; trustworthy; solid
中堅[ちゅうけん] nucleus; backbone; mainstay; key figure
堅固[けんご] solid; strong; firm
堅持[けんじ] adhering to (a view, policy, etc.); sticking to; holding fast to; steadfastly ma
堅調[けんちょう] firm (market); bullish
手堅い[てがたい] sound; sure; safe; secure; trustworthy; reliable; solid
heisig_story: Slave . . . crotch . . . soil.
koohii_story: The strict parent thinks adolescent kids are " slaves to their crotch " (= can't control their hormones), so he grounds them. Permanently!

kanji: 盗
meaning: steal
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: ぬす.む、ぬす.み
grade: Junior High
radicals: 次[ジ] next
皿[さら] plate
examples: 盗む[ぬすむ] to steal
強盗[ごうとう] robber; mugger
盗賊[とうぞく] thief; robber; burglar; bandit
盗み[ぬすみ] stealing; theft
盗聴[とうちょう] interception (email); wiretap; bug
窃盗[せっとう] theft; stealing; larceny
盗難[とうなん] theft; robbery
盗作[とうさく] plagiarism; plagiarised work
盗品[とうひん] stolen goods; stolen article; loot; spoils
盗塁[とうるい] base stealing; steal; stolen base
盗用[とうよう] embezzlement; fraudulent use; plagiarism; appropriation
heisig_story: Next . . . dish.
koohii_story: You are so poor you dont know where your next dish will come from all you know is that you will have to steal it.

kanji: 芝
meaning: turf
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: しば
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
之[シ] of
examples: 芝居[しばい] play; drama
芝生[しばふ] lawn; grass
芝[しば] lawn; sod; turf
紙芝居[かみしばい] kamishibai; storytelling with pictures
芝居小屋[しばいごや] playhouse; theatre; theater
芝草[しばくさ] lawn; sod; turf
heisig_story: Flowers . . . building blocks.
koohii_story: Zorro, with a flower between his teeth for the ladies, defends his turf against evildoers. "This is my turf! And this…is for the lady.".

kanji: 綱
meaning: hawser
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: つな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
岡[コウ] mount
examples: 手綱[たづな] reins; bridle
綱[つな] rope; cord; line
綱渡り[つなわたり] tightrope walking; high-wire act; funambulism
横綱[よこづな] yokozuna (highest rank in sumo); grand champion
大綱[たいこう] fundamental principles; main lines
綱引き[つなひき] tug of war
綱紀[こうき] law and order; (official) discipline
綱領[こうりょう] general plan; main points; summary; platform (e.g. for a campaign); mission stat
要綱[ようこう] main principle; gist; general plan; guidelines; outline
heisig_story: Thread . . . Mount.
koohii_story: Spiderman saves Japan from floating away by tying Mt. Fuji to mainland Asia using a hawser made of web.

kanji: 扱
meaning: handle
ja_on: ソウ、キュウ
ja_kun: あつか.い、あつか.う、あつか.る、こ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
及[キュウ] reach out
examples: 扱い[あつかい] treatment; service; dealing (with); handling; management
扱う[あつかう] to deal with (a person); to treat; to handle; to take care of; to entertain
取り扱う[とりあつかう] to handle; to operate (a machine, etc.); to use
取り扱い[とりあつかい] treatment; service; handling; management
取扱注意[とりあつかいちゅうい] handling warning
heisig_story: Finger . . . outstretched hands.
koohii_story: See [suck](../v4/689.html) (#689 吸): if it's too big to handle , just use your fingers instead…

kanji: 顧
meaning: look back
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: かえり.みる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雇[コ] employ
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 顧問[こもん] adviser; advisor; consultant; counselor
顧みる[かえりみる] to look back on (the past); to reflect on; to reminisce about
顧客[こきゃく] customer; client; patron
回顧[かいこ] recollecting; reminiscing; looking back; retrospection; review
回顧録[かいころく] memoirs; reminiscences
heisig_story: Employ . . . head.
koohii_story: I was EMPLOYED to give HEAD…when I look back , maybe that was not a wise career move.

kanji: 訟
meaning: sue
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
公[コウ] public
examples: 訴訟[そしょう] lawsuit; suit; (legal) action; litigation
行政訴訟[ぎょうせいそしょう] administrative litigation (action)
heisig_story: Words . . . public.
koohii_story: Take care what words you say in public lest you be sue d.

kanji: 戒
meaning: commandment
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: いまし.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戈[ほこ] spear
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 警戒[けいかい] vigilance; caution; alertness; precaution; being on guard
戒める[いましめる] to warn against; to caution against
戒め[いましめ] caution; admonition; warning; lesson
厳戒[げんかい] strict guard
懲戒[ちょうかい] discipline; punishment; reprimand
戒厳令[かいげんれい] martial law
戒告[かいこく] admonition; warning; caution
戒律[かいりつ] (religious) precept; discipline; commandment; mitzvah
訓戒[くんかい] warning; admonition; lesson or a phrase that teaches you not to do something
heisig_story: Two hands . . . fiesta.
koohii_story: Two hands, fiesta…..when moses received the ten commandment s with two hands, he went back down the mountain and threw a fiesta with the jews, celebrating the arrival of the commandment s.

kanji: 祉
meaning: welfare
ja_on: シ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
止[とめる] to stop
examples: 福祉[ふくし] welfare; well-being; social welfare; social security; social service
社会福祉[しゃかいふくし] social welfare
老人福祉[ろうじんふくし] welfare for the aged
heisig_story: Altar . . . footprint.
koohii_story: And in front of every altar , she stopped to pray for the welfare of the others.

kanji: 誉
meaning: reputation
ja_on: ヨ
ja_kun: ほま.れ、ほ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 小[しょう] small
八[はち] eight
言[げん] words
examples: 名誉[めいよ] honor; honour; credit; glory; fame; distinction
栄誉[えいよ] honour; honor
誉れ[ほまれ] honour; honor; glory; renown
名誉職[めいよしょく] honorary position
heisig_story: Owl . . . tool . . . saying.
koohii_story: This owl 's reputation skyrocketed after he created a tool in order to speak human words.

kanji: 歓
meaning: delight
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: よろこ.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 歓迎[かんげい] welcome; (warm) reception
歓声[かんせい] cheer; shout of joy
大歓迎[だいかんげい] big welcome; welcoming greatly; being very welcome
歓喜[かんき] delight; great joy
歓談[かんだん] pleasant talk; chat
歓待[かんたい] warm welcome; friendly reception; hospitality; entertainment
歓楽街[かんらくがい] entertainment district; amusement area; pleasure quarter; red-light district
heisig_story: Again I cannot resist sharing my own associations. If you've ever seen Disney's animated interpretation of classical music, "Fantasia," you will recall what was done there with Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" (the 6th), and the flying horses that figured in it. The mares are bathing in the stream and the stallions begin to gather. As dusk sets in, the flying horses all start yawning and pair off for the night: a perfectly delightful portrait of delight.
koohii_story: Imagine a spoiled little girl. Her delight when she gets a Pegasus for her birthday… and then like all spoilt little girls she gets bored of it quickly… hence the yawn.

kanji: 勧
meaning: persuade
ja_on: カン、ケン
ja_kun: すす.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
力[ちから] power
examples: 勧める[すすめる] to recommend (someone to do); to advise; to encourage; to urge
勧誘[かんゆう] invitation; solicitation; canvassing; canvasing; inducement; persuasion; encoura
勧告[かんこく] advice; counsel; remonstrance; recommendation
勧め[すすめ] recommendation; advice; suggestion; encouragement
勧善懲悪[かんぜんちょうあく] rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice
勧奨[かんしょう] encouragement; stimulation
勧業[かんぎょう] (encouragement of) industry
勧進[かんじん] temple solicitation
heisig_story: Pegasus . . . power.
koohii_story: Mnemonic " pegasus persuasion power ". I think of the hippogriff from Harry Potter as being like a pegasus. To befriend a hippogriff, you have to persuade it you mean no harm, you can do this if you have " pegasus persuasion power ".

kanji: 騒
meaning: boisterous
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: さわ.ぐ、うれい、さわ.がしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
又[また] again
虫[むし] worm
examples: 騒ぐ[さわぐ] to make noise; to make racket; to be noisy
騒ぎ[さわぎ] uproar; disturbance
騒がしい[さわがしい] noisy; boisterous
大騒ぎ[おおさわぎ] clamour; clamor; uproar; tumult; furore; furor
物騒[ぶっそう] dangerous; unsettled; troubled; disturbed; insecure
騒動[そうどう] riot; rebellion; turmoil; strife
騒々しい[そうぞうしい] noisy; loud; boisterous; clamorous; raucous
騒音[そうおん] noise; din
騒然[そうぜん] noisy; confused; uproarious
騒乱[そうらん] disturbance; riot; mayhem
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . crotch . . . insect.
koohii_story: The hidden Greeks inside the Trojan Horse are getting boisterous as one of them is bitten in the crotch by a nasty insect. If they don't shut up, the Trojans will hear them…

kanji: 閥
meaning: clique
ja_on: バツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
伐[バツ] fell
examples: 派閥[はばつ] clique; faction
財閥[ざいばつ] zaibatsu; financial conglomerate; industrial group
閥[ばつ] clique; clan; faction
heisig_story: Gates . . . fell.
koohii_story: You set a guard at the gate to fell intruders not of your clique.

kanji: 甲
meaning: armor
ja_on: コウ、カン
ja_kun: きのえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 甲斐[かい] result (that makes an act worthwhile); worth (in doing something); value; effect
甲高い[かんだかい] high-pitched; shrill
甲[こう] carapace; shell
装甲[そうこう] armoring; armouring; armor; armour
甲板[かんぱん] deck (of a ship)
甲子園[こうしえん] Koshien Stadium (baseball park in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture)
甲乙[こうおつ] first and second; A and B
甲状腺[こうじょうせん] thyroid (gland)
甲種[こうしゅ] A-grade; first-class
heisig_story: This kanji reverses the element for sprout , giving the image of roots being sent down into the earth by a seed planted in the rice field. From there you must invent a connection to the keyword, armor.
koohii_story: Funny.. this appeared to me as a pictograph of a samurai's armor. Then I looked up images of the samurai armor and it is not even remotely similar. Then I realised it looks in fact like the belly of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I somehow associated with the samurai armor because of the "turtle samurai" that appeared earlier. Fits me. The bit that pokes down is to protect the genitals, I guess.

kanji: 揺
meaning: swing
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: ゆ.れる、ゆ.る、ゆ.らぐ、ゆ.るぐ、ゆ.する、ゆ.さぶる、ゆ.すぶる、うご.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
䍃 a vase
examples: 揺れる[ゆれる] to shake; to sway; to rock; to swing; to tremble; to jolt; to pitch; to roll; to
動揺[どうよう] shaking; trembling; pitching; rolling; oscillation
揺さぶる[ゆさぶる] to shake; to jolt; to rock; to swing; to sway
揺らぐ[ゆらぐ] to swing; to sway; to shake; to tremble
揺する[ゆする] to shake; to jolt; to rock (cradle); to swing
揺る[ゆる] to shake; to jolt; to rock (cradle); to swing
揺るがす[ゆるがす] to shake; to swing; to sway; to shock
揺るぐ[ゆるぐ] to shake; to waver; to tremble
揺らぎ[ゆらぎ] quiver; quaver; flutter
揺さぶり[ゆさぶり] shaking; jolting
揺ら揺ら[ゆらゆら] swaying; swinging; rocking; shaking; wavering; flickering
heisig_story: Fingers . . . condor.
koohii_story: For the condor primitive: A condor is like a vulture , but twice as big and it lives near mountains (a suitable place for such a majestic bird). For swing : I'm sitting on a swing when a condor comes by and picks up the whole swing set with its big finger -like claws and now I'm swing ing in mid-air. Weeeeeeeee!!!!!

kanji: 免
meaning: excuse
ja_on: メン
ja_kun: まぬか.れる、まぬが.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 免れる[まぬがれる] to escape (disaster, death, etc.); to be saved from; to be rescued from
免許[めんきょ] license; licence; permission; permit; certificate
御免[ごめん] I'm sorry; my apologies; excuse me; pardon me
免疫[めんえき] immunity; immunization; immunisation
免除[めんじょ] exemption; exoneration; discharge
免許証[めんきょしょう] licence; license; permit; certificate (of qualification)
免税[めんぜい] tax exemption; duty exemption
免状[めんじょう] licence; license; certificate; permit
免職[めんしょく] dismissal; sacking; discharge
免責[めんせき] exemption from responsibility
減免[げんめん] reduction and exemption (e.g. taxes); mitigation and remission (e.g. in criminal
無免許[むめんきょ] unlicensed; without a license (licence)
罷免[ひめん] dismissal (from a position); discharge
赦免[しゃめん] pardon; remission; amnesty
運転免許[うんてんめんきょ] driver's license; driver's licence; driving licence
heisig_story: This character is used for excusing oneself for a failure of courtesy. The elements are: bound up . . . sun (oddly enough, laid on its side) . . . human legs.
koohii_story: Obviously this is the rabbit from Alice, excusing himself and rushing away on his legs, as he has a binding day schedule. This is at the same time an image, with bound=ears, day=head and legs are just legs. The image is used in [rabbit](../v4/2093.html) (#2093 兎).

kanji: 既
meaning: previously
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: すで.に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艮[こん] boundary
旡[むにょう] not
examples: 既に[すでに] already
既存[きそん] existing
既成事実[きせいじじつ] established fact; fait accompli
既婚[きこん] married
既定[きてい] established; fixed; prearranged; predetermined
既往症[きおうしょう] illness that one had in the past; previous illness; medical history; anamnesis
既得権[きとくけん] vested rights
既成[きせい] established; existing; accomplished; accepted; completed
既製[きせい] ready-made; off the shelf
既製服[きせいふく] ready-made clothes; ready-to-wear clothes; off-the-rack clothes; off-the-peg clo
heisig_story: Silver . . . waitress. Do not confuse this kanji's key word with before (Frame 263).
koohii_story: Distinguish from [formerly](../v4/501.html) (#501 曽). Think of previously as "the previous customer" in a restaurant. At a cheap sleazy diner, the waitress gives you unwashed silver ware that was previously used by the previous customer. Yuck.

kanji: 薦
meaning: recommend
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: すす.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
广[まだれ] slanting roof
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 推薦[すいせん] recommendation; referral; endorsement
薦める[すすめる] to recommend (someone to do); to advise; to encourage; to urge
他薦[たせん] recommendation (by others)
自薦[じせん] self-recommendation; self-nomination; putting oneself forward
heisig_story: Flowers . . . deer . . . one . . . tail feathers. Note the doubling up in these last two elements as in frame 2091.
koohii_story: Picture an ad in which Uncle Jimbo (of "South Park" fame) recommend s the latest craze in deer hunting : a high tech slingshot! The ad begins with Bambi prancing around, smelling the flowers. Then, all of a sudden, Bambi is brutally murdered with the slingshot , put on the cooking fire , and the camera pans to Uncle Jimbo happily munching on crispy cooked Bambi! Note: the slingshot is strokes 11-12.

kanji: 隣
meaning: neighboring
ja_on: リン
ja_kun: とな.る、となり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
粦[リン] phosphorus
examples: 隣[となり] next (to); adjoining; adjacent
近隣[きんりん] neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity
隣人[りんじん] neighbour; neighbor; (people in the) neighbourhood; neighborhood
隣接[りんせつ] adjacency; contiguity; being adjoined
隣り合わせ[となりあわせ] adjoining each other; next to each other
隣国[りんごく] neighbouring country; neighboring country; adjacent country
善隣[ぜんりん] good neighbour; good neighbor
隣り合う[となりあう] to adjoin each other; to sit side by side
隣室[りんしつ] next or adjoining room
隣家[りんか] neighbouring house; neighboring house
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . rice . . . sunglasses.
koohii_story: America thinks it is the pinnacle of the world, looking down on all neighboring countries through its mirrored, aviator sunglasses.

kanji: 悩
meaning: trouble
ja_on: ノウ
ja_kun: なや.む、なや.ます、なや.ましい、なやみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
小[しょう] small
凶[キョウ] villain
examples: 悩む[なやむ] to be worried; to be troubled
悩み[なやみ] trouble; troubles; worry; distress; sorrows; anguish; agony; problem
苦悩[くのう] (mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
悩ます[なやます] to afflict; to torment; to harass; to molest
煩悩[ぼんのう] worldly desires; evil passions; appetites of the flesh
伸び悩む[のびなやむ] to be sluggish; to make little progress; to show little growth; to fail to impro
heisig_story: State of mind . . . owl . . . villain.
koohii_story: The owl villain is the one that trouble s me most of all the super- villains. He's just so smart… you never know what he'll do! Definitely enough to put you in a trouble d state of mind.

kanji: 華
meaning: splendor
ja_on: カ、ケ
ja_kun: はな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 豪華[ごうか] extravagant; lavish; opulent; luxurious; magnificent; splendid; fancy; gorgeous
華やか[はなやか] bright and beautiful; gorgeous; showy; brilliant; splendid; gay; colorful; flowe
華麗[かれい] splendid; magnificent; gorgeous
中華[ちゅうか] China
繁華街[はんかがい] business district; shopping district; bustling street; shopping centre; shopping
華々しい[はなばなしい] brilliant; splendid; glorious; magnificent; spectacular
華美[かび] splendor; splendour; gorgeousness; pomp; magnificence
中華人民共和国[ちゅうかじんみんきょうわこく] People's Republic of China
中華料理[ちゅうかりょうり] Chinese cooking; Chinese food
中華街[ちゅうかがい] Chinatown
華僑[かきょう] overseas Chinese
華道[かどう] flower arrangement; floral art; ikebana
heisig_story: Flower . . . silage . . . needle.
koohii_story: The Queen of England taking a walk round a village: 'Excuse me, I couldn't help noticing the splendour of the flowers in your garden. Simply splendid. Ten out of ten.' The villager gruffly replies: 'No it 'aint. It's all muck. An' I'm gonna cut it all down and sell it to the farmer for silage.'.

kanji: 御
meaning: honorable
ja_on: ギョ、ゴ
ja_kun: おん-、お-、み-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
卸[シャ] wholesale
examples: 制御[せいぎょ] control (of a machine, device, etc.)
御[お] honorific/polite/humble prefix
防御[ぼうぎょ] defense; defence; safeguard; protection
御免[ごめん] I'm sorry; my apologies; excuse me; pardon me
晩御飯[ばんごはん] dinner; evening meal
御社[おんしゃ] your company
御中[おんちゅう] ... and Company; Messrs; for the attention of ...
で御座います[でございます] be; is
御所[ごしょ] imperial palace (esp. Kyoto Imperial Palace); imperial residence; residence of a
御殿[ごてん] palace; court
御用邸[ごようてい] imperial villa
御苑[ぎょえん] imperial garden
heisig_story: Line . . . wholesale.
koohii_story: An honorable man will not try to cut in front of the line at the wholesale stamp store. (Imagine just how much honor it takes facing those long lines at the post office!).

kanji: 範
meaning: pattern
ja_on: ハン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
車[くるま] vehicle
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 範囲[はんい] extent; scope; sphere; range; span
広範囲[こうはんい] extensive; vast range; wide scope
模範[もはん] exemplar; model; example; pattern
規範[きはん] model; standard; pattern; norm; criterion; example
師範[しはん] instructor (esp. of martial or traditional arts); teacher; master; coach
広範[こうはん] wide; extensive; comprehensive; far-reaching; widespread
範[はん] example; model
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . car . . . fingerprint.
koohii_story: This pattern made of bamboo is for a new model of car designed to leave as small an ecological fingerprint as possible.

kanji: 隠
meaning: conceal
ja_on: イン、オン
ja_kun: かく.す、かく.し、かく.れる、よ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
爫[つめかんむり] claw
心[こころ] heart
examples: 隠す[かくす] to hide; to conceal
隠れる[かくれる] to hide; to conceal oneself; to take cover
見え隠れ[みえかくれ] appearing and disappearing; slipping in and out of view
隠居[いんきょ] retirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement)
何を隠そう[なにをかくそう] to be frank with you; to tell you the truth; I'm going to lay my cards on the ta
隠し引き出し[かくしひきだし] secret drawer; hidden drawer
隠匿[いんとく] concealment (esp. of wrongdoings or criminals); sheltering; harboring
隠滅[いんめつ] destruction (esp. of evidence); spoliation; suppression
隠語[いんご] secret language; jargon; cant; argot; slang
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . vulture . . . broom . . . heart. Compare the element sat the right to the kanji for calm (Frame 1230).
koohii_story: The wheat farmer's heart is [calm](../v4/1147.html) (#1147 穏) about the eagle not stealing his crops because of the broom scarecrow. But he still conceal s all his wheat at The Pinnacle in case anyone else trys to steal it.

kanji: 哲
meaning: philosophy
ja_on: テツ
ja_kun: さとい、あきらか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 折[セツ] fold
口[くち] mouth
examples: 哲学[てつがく] philosophy
哲人[てつじん] wise man; philosopher; sage
heisig_story: Fold . . . mouth.
koohii_story: A two-hour lesson of philosophy in high school. All the students, bored to death, are folding sheets of paper into planes, love notes or whatever, while the mouth of the teacher is talking about Platon, Kierkegaard and many other notorious philosophers.

kanji: 杉
meaning: cedar
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: すぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 杉[すぎ] Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
heisig_story: Tree . . . shape.
koohii_story: Cedar is an evergreen tree that keeps its SHAPE all year long. That is, it doesn't loose its needles/leaves in the winter.

kanji: 釈
meaning: explanation
ja_on: シャク、セキ
ja_kun: とく、す.てる、ゆる.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 釆[のごめ] to separate
尺[シャク] shaku
examples: 解釈[かいしゃく] interpretation; explanation; reading; construction
会釈[えしゃく] slight bow (as a greeting or sign of gratitude); nod; salutation
釈放[しゃくほう] release; liberation; acquittal
釈明[しゃくめい] explanation; vindication
保釈[ほしゃく] bail; releasing on bail
注釈[ちゅうしゃく] notes; comment; remark; annotation
釈迦[しゃか] Gautama Buddha; Shakyamuni; the historical Buddha
heisig_story: Animal tracks . . . shakuhachi.
koohii_story: Mrs. Badger follows the animal tracks to the den where she finds her husband getting a blowjob from a fox. "I have a good explanation for this. Really!".
heisig_keyword: interpretation

kanji: 荒
meaning: laid waste
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: あ.らす、あ.れる、あら.い、すさ.ぶ、すさ.む、あ.らし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
亡[ボウ] deceased
川[さんぼんがわ] river
examples: 荒れ[あれ] stormy weather; tempest; chaps (of skin)
荒い[あらい] rough; wild; violent; rude; coarse; harsh; fierce; heavy (e.g. breathing)
荒れる[あれる] to become stormy; to become rough (of the sea)
荒らす[あらす] to lay waste; to devastate; to damage
荒々しい[あらあらしい] rough; wild; rude; harsh; gruff; violent
荒っぽい[あらっぽい] wild; violent; rough-mannered; rude
荒野[あれの] wasteland; wilderness; deserted land; prairie; vast plain; wilds; desert; wild l
荒らげる[あららげる] to roughen (e.g. one's attitude); to raise (one's voice)
荒波[あらなみ] raging waves; stormy seas
荒廃[こうはい] ruin; destruction; devastation; waste; decay
荒木[あらき] logs in bark; rough wood; unseasoned timber; new lumber
heisig_story: The flowers that perish in the flood are taken here as symbols of an area that has been laid waste.
koohii_story: After Godzilla laid waste to the city, the survivors put some flowers on the bodies of the deceased and floated their bodies down the stream.

kanji: 硬
meaning: stiff
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: かた.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
更[コウ] grow late
examples: 硬い[かたい] hard; solid; tough
硬直[こうちょく] stiffening; rigidity; rigor; stiffness; ossification; petrification
硬さ[かたさ] firmness; hardness; stiffness; honesty
硬度[こうど] hardness; solidity
硬質[こうしつ] hardness; stiffness
硬貨[こうか] coin
強硬[きょうこう] firm; strong; unbending; unyielding; uncompromising; stubborn; tough; hard-line
動脈硬化[どうみゃくこうか] arteriosclerosis; hardening of the arteries
硬化[こうか] hardening; vulcanization; vulcanisation; sclerosis; curing
硬式[こうしき] hard (esp. of hardball, tennis, etc.)
硬派[こうは] hard-liners; diehards; hawks
肝硬変[かんこうへん] cirrhosis (of the liver)
heisig_story: Rocks . . . grow late.
koohii_story: A stiff drink on the ROCK s after it GROWS LATE is a way to unwind after a long day…

kanji: 妥
meaning: gentle
ja_on: ダ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 爫[つめかんむり] claw
女[おんな] woman
examples: 妥当[だとう] valid; proper; right; appropriate; reasonable
妥協[だきょう] compromise; giving in
妥結[だけつ] settlement; an agreement
heisig_story: Vulture . . . woman.
koohii_story: Overly gentle women are vultures who want to marry you and steal your money - not true but an easy mnemonic!

kanji: 威
meaning: intimidate
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: おど.す、おど.し、おど.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戍[ジュ] protection
女[おんな] woman
examples: 威力[いりょく] power; might; authority; influence
脅威[きょうい] threat; menace
威嚇[いかく] threat; intimidation; menace
威厳[いげん] dignity; majesty; solemnity; gravity
権威[けんい] authority; power; influence; prestige
威張る[いばる] to put on airs; to act big; to throw one's weight about; to be overbearing; to b
威勢[いせい] power; might; authority; influence
威信[いしん] prestige; dignity
猛威[もうい] fury; power; menace
球威[きゅうい] (pitcher's) stuff
heisig_story: Here we see a march of women demonstrating on behalf of equal rights, something extremely intimidating to the male chauvinist population.
koohii_story: The march of women \- against intimidation in the workplace - is pretty intimidating in itself!

kanji: 豪
meaning: overpowering
ja_on: ゴウ
ja_kun: えら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
口[くち] mouth
冖[わかんむり] cover
豕[いのこ] pig
examples: 豪華[ごうか] extravagant; lavish; opulent; luxurious; magnificent; splendid; fancy; gorgeous
豪快[ごうかい] hearty; tremendous; magnificent; glorious; splendid; heroic; stirring
豪[ごう] Australia
豪雨[ごうう] torrential rain; heavy rain; cloudburst; downpour
富豪[ふごう] wealthy person; millionaire
強豪[きょうごう] overwhelming strength; extremely strong person; powerhouse; very strong player;
豪傑[ごうけつ] hero; bold person; daring person; great person; extraordinary person
豪族[ごうぞく] powerful family; powerful clan
集中豪雨[しゅうちゅうごうう] local downpour; severe rain fall
heisig_story: Tall . . . crowned . . . sow.
koohii_story: In Orwell's 'Animal Farm' the pigs overpowered every other animals. They crownded themselves as ruler of the farm and walked tall on their rear legs, a crime strictly forbidden in the animal republic.

kanji: 滞
meaning: stagnate
ja_on: タイ、テイ
ja_kun: とどこお.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
帯[タイ] sash
examples: 滞在[たいざい] stay; sojourn
停滞[ていたい] stagnation; tie-up; standstill; congestion; delay; accumulation; falling into ar
渋滞[じゅうたい] (traffic) congestion; traffic jam; gridlock
滞納[たいのう] falling behind (with a payment); being in arrears; non-payment; default; delinqu
延滞[えんたい] arrears; (being) overdue; delay (e.g. in payment); procrastination
沈滞[ちんたい] stagnation; inactivity
滞在中[たいざいちゅう] during a stay
遅滞[ちたい] delay; procrastination
heisig_story: People that have been " sashed " to something (whether their mother's apron strings or a particular job) for too long become like water that has stopped moving: they start to stagnate.
koohii_story: History of the first karate blackbelts: In those days, it was often difficult to find fresh, clean water , so samurai usually had to wash their sashes in stagnant puddles. The longer one had been studying martial arts, the older the sash on one's karate uniform and, therefore, the darker the color. So why weren't their karate uniforms black too? Never seen a ninja????

kanji: 微
meaning: delicate
ja_on: ビ
ja_kun: かす.か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
山[やま] mountain
兀[コツ] high & level
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 微妙[びみょう] subtle; delicate; fine
微笑む[ほほえむ] to smile
微塵[みじん] particle; atom; little piece
微か[かすか] faint; dim; weak; slight; vague; indistinct; hazy
微笑[びしょう] smile
微細[びさい] minute; fine; detailed; subtle
微量[びりょう] minuscule amount; extremely small quantity
顕微鏡[けんびきょう] microscope
微動[びどう] slight movement; slight tremor; quiver
微小[びしょう] microscopic
微熱[びねつ] slight fever
微生物[びせいぶつ] microbe; germ
微震[びしん] slight earthquake
heisig_story: Line . . . mountain . . . ceiling . . . human legs . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: The Column of 300 spartans were in a delicate situation. They had travelled in one line (using only their legs) to the mountain pass to face the fierce Persian task master.

kanji: 隆
meaning: hump
ja_on: リュウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
夂[のまた] to follow
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 隆起[りゅうき] protuberance; bulge; protrusion; projection; swell
興隆[こうりゅう] rise; prosperity
隆盛[りゅうせい] prosperity; flourishing; thriving
heisig_story: This character, used for everything from little humps of hills to camel humps , easily suggests the hunch on the pig's back and hind parts where the best cuts of meat are to be found (and hence the English expression for luxury, "living high off the hog.") The elements we have to work with are: pinnacle . . . walking legs . . . cell.
koohii_story: You are struggling to the top across the hump s, but you suddenly see the pinnacle and you feel new life in your walking legs.

kanji: 埋
meaning: bury
ja_on: マイ
ja_kun: う.める、う.まる、う.もれる、うず.める、うず.まる、い.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
里[さと] village
examples: 埋める[うずめる] to cover; to bury (e.g. one's face in hands); to submerge
埋まる[うずまる] to be buried; to be covered; to be surrounded
埋もれる[うもれる] to be buried; to be covered; to be hidden
埋葬[まいそう] burial
埋没[まいぼつ] being buried
穴埋め[あなうめ] filling (up) a hole
埋蔵[まいぞう] burying in the ground
埋め立て[うめたて] land reclamation; land fill
埋め立て地[うめたてち] reclaimed land
生き埋め[いきうめ] burying alive
heisig_story: When we speak of burying something (or someone, for that matter), we usually mean putting them under ground. Only here, we are burying our beloved computer that has served us so well these past years. Behind us a choir chants the "Dies irae, dies illa" and there is much wailing and grief among the bystanders as they pass by to shovel a little dirt into what will be its final resting place. R.I.P.
koohii_story: You can't bury computers underground, because of the dangerous heavy metals, so you hide them behind an equally large mound of soil and hope no-one notices.

kanji: 症
meaning: symptoms
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
正[セイ] correct
examples: 症状[しょうじょう] symptoms; condition (of a patient)
重症[じゅうしょう] serious illness
後遺症[こういしょう] prognostic symptoms; after-effect; sequela
発症[はっしょう] outbreak of an illness; onset of a condition; appearance of symptoms
症[しょう] illness; condition; -pathy
不眠症[ふみんしょう] sleeplessness; insomnia; wakefulness
依存症[いぞんしょう] dependence (on alcohol, drugs, etc.)
合併症[がっぺいしょう] complication
対症療法[たいしょうりょうほう] symptomatic therapy; allopathy
恐怖症[きょうふしょう] phobia; morbid fear
感染症[かんせんしょう] infectious disease; infection
新型コロナウイルス感染症[しんがたコロナウイルスかんせんしょう] COVID-19; coronavirus disease 2019
既往症[きおうしょう] illness that one had in the past; previous illness; medical history; anamnesis
炎症[えんしょう] inflammation; irritation
狭心症[きょうしんしょう] angina pectoris
heisig_story: Sickness . . . correct.
koohii_story: Once you have all the symptoms right, you have correctly identified the sickness.

kanji: 暫
meaning: temporarily
ja_on: ザン
ja_kun: しばら.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斬[ザン] beheading
日[ひ] sun
examples: 暫く[しばらく] for a moment; for a minute
暫定[ざんてい] provisional; temporary; tentative; interim
heisig_story: Chop off . . . days.
koohii_story: Your car has been savagely (see steadily) attacked by an ax. It will be some days before your car is fixed. So you are temporarily without car.

kanji: 肝
meaning: liver
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: きも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
干[かん] to dry
examples: 肝心[かんじん] essential; important; crucial; vital; main
肝[きも] liver; innards
肝臓[かんぞう] liver
肝炎[かんえん] hepatitis
肝硬変[かんこうへん] cirrhosis (of the liver)
肝要[かんよう] extremely important; essential; vital; crucial
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . dry.
koohii_story: Well you all know that the liver is the part of the body that would be quite grateful if you led a dry lifestyle (i.e. no alcohol).

kanji: 喚
meaning: yell
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: わめ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
奐[カン] clear
examples: 召喚[しょうかん] summons; subpoena; citation
喚く[わめく] to shout; to cry (out); to yell; to scream; to clamour
喚問[かんもん] summons
喚起[かんき] arousal; excitation; awakening; evocation
heisig_story: The mouth on the left is obvious. The rest is harder. Try this: four St. Bernard dogs bound up in a bunch. Together they should supply a clear enough portrait of a yell , provided you are careful to see all four of them. Note how the final stroke of the four is supplied by the long horizontal stroke of the St .Bernard.
koohii_story: Think yelp when you hear yell to help dinstinguish this from shout (1508). I think of the sounds that would come from the mouths of the 4 dogs if they were bound up together. I'm imagining lots of yelping.

kanji: 妙
meaning: exquisite
ja_on: ミョウ、ビョウ
ja_kun: たえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
少[ショウ] few
examples: 妙[みょう] strange; weird; odd; curious
微妙[びみょう] subtle; delicate; fine
奇妙[きみょう] strange; odd; peculiar; queer; curious
絶妙[ぜつみょう] exquisite; superb; perfect; miraculous
神妙[しんみょう] meek; quiet; docile; humble; faithful; obedient
巧妙[こうみょう] ingenious; skillful; clever; deft; sophisticated
妙案[みょうあん] ingenious idea; excellent plan; bright idea
妙手[みょうしゅ] spectacular move (chess, shogi, etc.); brilliant move
妙技[みょうぎ] exquisite skill; wonderful performance
軽妙[けいみょう] light and easy; lambent; clever; witty; smart
heisig_story: The primitive for woman is on the left (there and at the bottom of another primitive is where you will always find her), and to the right the element for few. When we refer to a woman as exquisite , we mean to praise her as the sort of person we meet but few and far between. If you are interested in etymologies, it might help to recall that the Latin phrase lying at the root of the English word exquisite carries this same sense of "seeking out" the rare from the ordinary.
koohii_story: Exquisite women are few and far between.

kanji: 袋
meaning: sack
ja_on: タイ、ダイ
ja_kun: ふくろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 代[ダイ] substitute
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 袋[ふくろ] bag; sack; pouch
手袋[てぶくろ] glove; mitten; mitt
紙袋[かみぶくろ] paper bag
胃袋[いぶくろ] stomach
お袋[おふくろ] (one's) mother
袋小路[ふくろこうじ] blind alley; cul-de-sac; dead end street
足袋[たび] tabi
heisig_story: Substitute . . . garment.
koohii_story: A sack is an easy substitute for a garment.

kanji: 索
meaning: cord
ja_on: サク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 十[じゅう] ten
冖[わかんむり] cover
糸[いと] thread
examples: 捜索[そうさく] search (esp. for someone or something missing); manhunt
検索[けんさく] looking up (e.g. a word in a dictionary); search (e.g. on the Internet); retriev
探索[たんさく] search; lookup; hunt; (item of) research; exploration; investigation
模索[もさく] groping (for); fumbling around (for); searching (for an answer, solution, etc.);
索引[さくいん] index (in a book)
思索[しさく] speculation; thinking; meditation
検索条件[けんさくじょうけん] search criteria
heisig_story: Chapel (see frame 930) . . . thread.
koohii_story: Spiderman has been captured and given the ultimate torture: they forced a crown of needles on his head and attached it to an electrical cord , which they are about to plug into an outlet…

kanji: 襲
meaning: attack
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: おそ.う、かさ.ね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 龍[りゅう] dragon
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 襲う[おそう] to attack; to assail; to make an assault; to strike; to hunt down
襲撃[しゅうげき] (surprise) attack; assault; raid; charge
奇襲[きしゅう] surprise attack
逆襲[ぎゃくしゅう] counterattack
世襲[せしゅう] heredity; heritage
来襲[らいしゅう] (incoming) attack; raid; invasion; assault
空襲[くうしゅう] air-raid
襲名[しゅうめい] succession to another's professional name
heisig_story: Vase . . . meat . . . slingshot (doubled up with) snake . . . three . . . garment. The top half of this character is the old form for the kanji in frame 575.
koohii_story: The top 16 strokes are the chinese radical for "dragon". Joining up both meanings of the radical we can name the top part of this kanji "imperial dragon". Two-headed snakes do exist as biological curiosities, and they look a bit like a slingshot (with the heads splitting at a junction). Our imperial dragon here, the pet of a Chinese emperor, is a rare "three-headed slingshot- snake" kept in a vase and fed with meat. When the emperor attack ed neighbours, his army wore the imperial dragon garment.

kanji: 吹
meaning: blow
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: ふ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 吹く[ふく] to blow (of the wind)
吹き込む[ふきこむ] to blow in (of wind, rain, etc.)
吹き飛ぶ[ふきとぶ] to be blown off; to blow off; to blow away
吹き出す[ふきだす] to spout out; to spurt out; to gush out; to jet out
吹雪[ふぶき] snow storm; blizzard
息吹[いぶき] breath
吹き出物[ふきでもの] (skin) eruption; rash; pimple; spot; acne; boil
吹き溜まり[ふきだまり] drift (of snow, leaves, etc.)
heisig_story: To blow is really no more than a deliberate effort to make one's mouth lack all the air that is in it.
koohii_story: This is clearly a BLOW JOB, we can see the MOUTH and the LACK OF condom. (I am sorry for the image, but it sticks forever in your mind).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 吹く 弾く

kanji: 懇
meaning: sociable
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: ねんご.ろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豸[むじなへん] badger
艮[こん] boundary
心[こころ] heart
examples: 懇願[こんがん] pleading; entreaty; supplication; petition
懇意[こんい] friendship; (on) familiar terms; intimacy
懇切[こんせつ] kind and careful (instruction, explanation, etc.); considerate; helpful; thought
懇親[こんしん] friendship; intimacy
懇話[こんわ] friendly talk; chat
懇談[こんだん] friendly chat; relaxed conversation; informal meeting
heisig_story: Skunk . . . silver . . . heart.
koohii_story: The skunk here is Pepe LePew of Looney Tunes fame. He's a very sociable skunk, as far as skunks go, but instead of having a "heart of gold" he has a heart of silver (since he always finishes second in the game of love).

kanji: 柄
meaning: design
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: がら、え、つか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
丙[ヘイ] third class
examples: 柄[え] handle; grip
手柄[てがら] achievement; feat; meritorious deed; distinguished service
小柄[こがら] small build; small stature; petite
間柄[あいだがら] relationship; relation; terms (good, friendly, etc.)
取り柄[とりえ] worth; merit; value; good point; strong point; redeeming feature; saving grace
人柄[ひとがら] personality; character; personal appearance; gentility
身柄[みがら] one's person
家柄[いえがら] social standing of a family; lineage; parentage; pedigree
事柄[ことがら] matter; thing; affair; circumstance
銘柄[めいがら] brand; make; description
横柄[おうへい] arrogant; haughty; insolent
作柄[さくがら] crop (conditions); harvest; yield
図柄[ずがら] design; pattern
国柄[くにがら] national character; regional character
土地柄[とちがら] nature of the locality; character of a place; local colour; local color
heisig_story: Tree . . . third class.
koohii_story: Half Way!!!!

kanji: 驚
meaning: wonder
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: おどろ.く、おどろ.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 敬[ケイ] awe
馬[うま] horse
examples: 驚く[おどろく] to be surprised; to be taken aback; to be amazed; to be astonished; to be shocke
驚き[おどろき] surprise; astonishment; wonder; amazement
驚かす[おどろかす] to surprise; to frighten; to create a stir
驚くほど[おどろくほど] to a surprising degree; to a remarkable extent; surprisingly; astonishingly; ama
驚愕[きょうがく] astonishment; amazement; surprise; fright; shock
驚異[きょうい] wonder; miracle; amazement; prodigy
驚嘆[きょうたん] wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration
heisig_story: Awe . . . team of horses.
koohii_story: You stand in AWE at the 8th WONDER of the world, a huge TROJAN HORSE.

kanji: 麻
meaning: hemp
ja_on: マ、マア
ja_kun: あさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
林[リン] grove
examples: 麻痺[まひ] paralysis; palsy; stupor
麻薬[まやく] narcotic; drug; dope
麻酔[ますい] anaesthesia; anesthesia
麻[あさ] cannabis (Cannabis sativa); hemp (plant)
大麻[たいま] hemp
胡麻[ごま] sesame seeds
麻布[あさぬの] hemp cloth; linen
麻雀[マージャン] mahjong; mah-jongg
heisig_story: Cave . . . grove. If it helps, this is the hemp marijuana comes from.
koohii_story: (Image: while Batman is out, Robin is smokin' a huge doob in a secret corner of the Bat cave where he nurtures his hemp grove ).

kanji: 封
meaning: seal
ja_on: フウ、ホウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 圭[ケイ] square jewel
寸[すん] inch
examples: 封じる[ふうじる] to seal (e.g. a letter)
封筒[ふうとう] envelope
封鎖[ふうさ] blockade; lockdown; sealing off (an area)
封[ふう] seal
開封[かいふう] opening (a letter, parcel, etc.); breaking the seal
同封[どうふう] enclosing (e.g. with a letter)
完封[かんぷう] total blockage; complete shutdown; stopping completely
封じ手[ふうじて] sealed move; next move written down and kept sealed in an envelope until the gam
封建主義[ほうけんしゅぎ] feudalism
封建的[ほうけんてき] feudal; feudalistic
封書[ふうしょ] sealed letter
経済封鎖[けいざいふうさ] economic blockade; embargo
heisig_story: Think of the key word seal as referring to a letter you have written and are preparing to close. Instead of using the traditional wax seal , you glue a sprig of ivy on the outside. In this way the elements ivy and glue give you a curious and memorable way to seal your secret letters.
koohii_story: The king used a special seal of ivy leaves glued onto his document.

kanji: 娘
meaning: daughter
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: むすめ、こ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
良[リョウ] good
examples: 娘[むすめ] daughter
一人娘[ひとりむすめ] only daughter
孫娘[まごむすめ] granddaughter
娘婿[むすめむこ] son-in-law
heisig_story: Woman . . . halo.
koohii_story: Your daughter is a good girl……well, let's hope so… :-).

kanji: 剤
meaning: dose
ja_on: ザイ、スイ、セイ
ja_kun: かる、けず.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斉[せい] alike
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 洗剤[せんざい] detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent; washing material
合成洗剤[ごうせいせんざい] synthetic detergent
殺虫剤[さっちゅうざい] insecticide; pesticide
洗浄剤[せんじょうざい] detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent; washing material
漂白剤[ひょうはくざい] bleaching agent; bleach
薬剤[やくざい] medicine; drug
薬剤師[やくざいし] pharmacist; chemist
覚醒剤[かくせいざい] stimulant (e.g. psychoactive drugs like methamphetamine, ritalin, etc.)
調剤[ちょうざい] making up a prescription; dispensing a prescription; preparing a medicine
錠剤[じょうざい] pill; lozenge; tablet
鎮痛剤[ちんつうざい] analgesic; painkiller; sedative; tranquilizer (tranquiliser); anodyne
heisig_story: Adjust . . . saber. Think of this as a dose of medicine.
koohii_story: When my medicine dose is way too large, I adjust it by cutting it into smaller pieces with my saber.

kanji: 瀬
meaning: rapids
ja_on: ライ
ja_kun: せ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
頼[ライ] trust
examples: 瀬戸際[せとぎわ] brink; verge; critical moment; crucial moment
瀬[せ] shallows; shoal
瀬戸物[せともの] earthenware; porcelain; china; pottery; crockery
早瀬[はやせ] swift current; rapids
浅瀬[あさせ] shoal; shallows; sand bar; ford
瀬戸[せと] strait; channel
高瀬[たかせ] shallow river; shallows
heisig_story: Water . . . bundle . . . head.
koohii_story: You need complete trust in your water guide to attempt Class 5 rapids.

kanji: 趣
meaning: purport
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: おもむき、おもむ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 走[はしる] to run
取[シュ] take
examples: 趣味[しゅみ] hobby; pastime
趣[おもむき] meaning; tenor; gist
趣向[しゅこう] plan; idea; design; plot
趣旨[しゅし] meaning; point (e.g. of a statement); gist; effect
heisig_story: Run . . . take.
koohii_story: The gist of it is this: We take the money and run!
heisig_keyword: gist

kanji: 陥
meaning: collapse
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: おちい.る、おとしい.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
旧[キュウ] old times
examples: 陥る[おちいる] to fall into (e.g. a hole)
欠陥[けっかん] defect; fault; flaw; deformity; deficiency; shortage; gap
陥落[かんらく] subsidence; sinking; cave-in; collapse; falling in
陥没[かんぼつ] cave-in; collapse; sinking; depression (e.g. of the skull); subsidence
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . bound up . . . olden times.
koohii_story: The Pinnacle is actually bound up by supports from olden times. Eventually, they give out, and the whole thing starts to collapse.

kanji: 斎
meaning: purification
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: とき、つつし.む、ものいみ、い.む、いわ.う、いつ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斉[せい] alike
示[しめす] altar
examples: 書斎[しょさい] study; library; den; home office; reading room
斎場[さいじょう] funeral hall
heisig_story: Plaid . . . fenceposts . . . altar. This is a "religious" purification , which distinguishes it from the simple kanji for pure (Frame 1659).
koohii_story: A scottish priest in a tartan kilt has put his altar between a couple of fence posts and is now playing the bagpipes in a very Scottish purification rite.

kanji: 貫
meaning: pierce
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: つらぬ.く、ぬ.く、ぬき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 毋[なかれ] not
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貫く[つらぬく] to go through; to pierce; to penetrate
貫通[かんつう] passing through (of a tunnel, bullet, etc.); going (right) through; penetrating;
一貫[いっかん] consistency; coherence; integration
貫き通す[つらぬきとおす] to go through; to pierce; to penetrate
突貫[とっかん] charging (at the enemy) with a shout; rush
貫[かん] kan (obs. unit of weight, approx. 3.75 kg, 8.3 lb)
貫徹[かんてつ] accomplishment; realization; attainment; fulfillment; achievement
heisig_story: If one is asked to think of associations for the word pierce , among the first to come to mind is that of piercing one's ears to hold earrings, a quite primitive form of self-mutilation that has survived into the 21st century. The kanji here is read, top to bottom: mama . . . oyster. All you need to do is imagine piercing an ear so that it can hold a mother-of- pearl (actually, a mama -of-pearl) you have just wrested from an oyster.
koohii_story: Ariel the Little Mermaid's clamshell bra was held to her breasts by piercings.

kanji: 仙
meaning: hermit
ja_on: セン、セント
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
山[やま] mountain
examples: 仙人[せんにん] immortal mountain wizard (in Taoism); mountain man (esp. a hermit)
仙台[せんだい] Sendai (city in Miyagi)
水仙[すいせん] daffodil (esp. Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis); narcissus
heisig_story: Person . . . mountain.
koohii_story: A HERMIT is a PERSON who lives in the MOUNTAINS.

kanji: 慰
meaning: consolation
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: なぐさ.める、なぐさ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尉[イ] military officer
心[こころ] heart
examples: 慰める[なぐさめる] to comfort; to console; to amuse
慰問[いもん] visit to console someone; giving comfort (to the sick, injured, etc.); expressin
慰安[いあん] solace; relaxation
慰謝[いしゃ] consolation
慰霊[いれい] consoling the spirits of the dead
慰霊祭[いれいさい] memorial service
heisig_story: Military officer . . . heart.
koohii_story: A military officer must offer consolation to the hearts of the families of his fallen men.

kanji: 賢
meaning: intelligent
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: かしこ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
又[また] again
貝[かい] shell
examples: 賢い[かしこい] wise; clever; smart
賢明[けんめい] wise; sensible; well-advised; intelligent; sagacious; prudent
悪賢い[わるがしこい] cunning; crafty; wily; sly
普賢[ふげん] Samantabhadra (bodhisattva); Universal Compassion
賢人[けんじん] wise person; virtuous person; sage
賢母[けんぼ] wise mother
heisig_story: Slave . . . crotch . . . shellfish.
koohii_story: An intelligent man is neither slave to his crotch nor to money. But an intelligent slave will know how to use his/her crotch to make money.

kanji: 旬
meaning: decameron
ja_on: ジュン、シュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
日[ひ] sun
examples: 旬[しゅん] season (for fruit, seafood, etc.); best time of the year (for)
上旬[じょうじゅん] first third of a month; first ten days of a month
下旬[げじゅん] last third of a month; 21st to the last day of a month
中旬[ちゅうじゅん] middle ten days of a month; 11th to 20th day of a month
初旬[しょじゅん] first 10 days of the month
heisig_story: There simply is not a good phrase in English for the block often days which this character represents. So we resurrect the classical phrase, decameron , whose connotations the tales of Boccaccio have done much to enrich. Actually, it refers to a journey of ten days taken by a band of people - that is, a group of people bound together for the days of the decameron.
koohii_story: Hesig should be BOUND for a DAY (or maybe 10 days - a decameron ) for calling this Kanji DECAMERON. See [martyrdom](../v4/809.html) (#809 殉).

kanji: 腕
meaning: arm
ja_on: ワン
ja_kun: うで
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
宛[エン] address
examples: 腕[うで] arm
右腕[みぎうで] right arm
両腕[りょううで] both arms
腕前[うでまえ] ability; skill; facility
左腕[ひだりうで] left arm
腕力[わんりょく] strength in one's arms; physical strength; muscular strength
腕時計[うでどけい] wristwatch; watch
手腕[しゅわん] ability; capability; skill
敏腕[びんわん] ability; capability; competence; skill
腕白[わんぱく] naughty; mischievous; unruly
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . address.
koohii_story: Like in Memento, I tattoo my address on my fore arm flesh so I don't forget it.

kanji: 兼
meaning: concurrently
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: か.ねる、-か.ねる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 八[はち] eight
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 兼ねる[かねる] to be unable to; to find difficult (unpleasant, awkward, painful) to do
兼[けん] and (concurrently; e.g. chauffeur and secretary); in addition to; at the same ti
兼ねて[かねて] previously; already; for some time; for quite a while
気兼ね[きがね] constraint; reserve; feeling hesitant; being afraid of troubling someone
兼ね備える[かねそなえる] to have both; to possess both; to combine with
兼業[けんぎょう] pursuing as a side business; doing in addition to one's main work; running (busi
兼ね合い[かねあい] equilibrium; good balance; poise
兼任[けんにん] serving concurrently as; holding the additional post of
兼務[けんむ] serving concurrently as; concurrently holding the position of; holding the addit
heisig_story: At the top we have the animal horns and the single horizontal stroke to give them something to hang onto. Below that, we see one rake with two handles. Finally, we see a pair of strokes splitting away from each of the handles, indicating that they are both splitting under the pressure. The composite picture is of someone holding down two jobs concurrently , using the same kit of tools to move in two different directions and ending up in a mess. Take the time to find this sense in the kanji and it will be easy to remember, despite initial appearances.
koohii_story: Our ninja hero, disguised as a gardener with a rake , is suddenly attacked from both left and right concurrently by bulls with animal horns. Our hero lets out a blood-curdling scream and tears his rake handle vertically in half, so he now has two wooden staffs ( split rake handle ) to fight with. He grips each staff (left side and right side) and rams it into the horns of the charging bulls. The force of each charging bull causes the tips of each staff to split again ( split bottom of each rake handle ).

kanji: 旨
meaning: delicious
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: むね、うま.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匕[さじ] spoon
日[ひ] sun
examples: 旨[むね] principle; aim; main purpose; central part; pillar
趣旨[しゅし] meaning; point (e.g. of a statement); gist; effect
旨い[うまい] skillful; skilful; skilled; good; expert; clever (expression, trick, etc.); apt;
要旨[ようし] (main) point; gist; key points; essentials; substance; summary; outline; abstrac
本旨[ほんし] main object; principal object; true aim
論旨[ろんし] point of an argument; drift of an argument
heisig_story: Something is so downright delicious that one spends the entire day with a spoon in hand gobbling it up.
koohii_story: Use a spoon to eat a DELICIOUS hot fudge sun dae. Duh..

kanji: 即
meaning: instant
ja_on: ソク
ja_kun: つ.く、つ.ける、すなわ.ち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艮[こん] boundary
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 即座に[そくざに] immediately; right away; on the spot
即死[そくし] instant death
即刻[そっこく] immediately; at once; instantly
即座[そくざ] immediate; right there on the spot; impromptu; instant; instantaneous
即席[そくせき] impromptu; improvised; extempore; ad-lib; off-the-cuff
即ち[すなわち] that is (to say); namely; i.e.
即興[そっきょう] improvisation
即時[そくじ] prompt; immediate; in real time
即する[そくする] to conform to; to agree with; to be adapted to; to be based on
即位[そくい] accession to the throne; enthronement
即効[そっこう] immediate effect; instant effect
即売[そくばい] selling on the spot
即戦力[そくせんりょく] ready fire-power; battle-ready forces; immediate asset (to a team or firm); some
即日[そくじつ] (on) the same day
heisig_story: Silver . . . stamp.
koohii_story: He scratches off the silver stamp and discovers that he is an instant winner.

kanji: 柳
meaning: willow
ja_on: リュウ
ja_kun: やなぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
卯[ボウ] sign of the hare or rabbit
examples: 柳[やなぎ] willow (any tree of genus Salix)
川柳[せんりゅう] senryū; comic haiku
花柳[かりゅう] red-light district
青柳[あおやぎ] green willow (i.e. one that has budded)
heisig_story: Tree . . . receipt . . . stamp.
koohii_story: Having decided to use SIGN OF THE HARE rather than RECEIPT and STAMP my mnemonic goes as follows: The WILLOW is the TREE that droops likes a HARE's ears.

kanji: 偽
meaning: falsehood
ja_on: ギ、カ
ja_kun: いつわ.る、にせ、いつわ.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
為[イ] do
examples: 偽物[にせもの] spurious article; forgery; counterfeit; imitation; sham
偽[にせ] imitation; fake; phony; counterfeit; forged; bogus; sham
偽る[いつわる] to lie; to pretend; to feign; to falsify
偽装[ぎそう] camouflage; disguise
真偽[しんぎ] truth or falsehood; genuineness; authenticity; veracity
偽造[ぎぞう] forgery; counterfeiting; fabrication; falsification
虚偽[きょぎ] falsehood; untruth; lie; misinformation
偽証[ぎしょう] false evidence; perjury; false testimony
heisig_story: Person . . . do.
koohii_story: Mr. T doesn’t "DO" FALSEHOOD. It goes against everything he stands for. “I pity da foos who revel in FALSEHOOD s!”.

kanji: 較
meaning: contrast
ja_on: カク、コウ
ja_kun: くら.べる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
交[コウ] mingle
examples: 比較的[ひかくてき] comparatively; relatively
比較[ひかく] comparison
heisig_story: Cars . . . mingle.
koohii_story: The people I had invited to the party were mingling quite well with one another, until they all suddenly started talking about the cars they own. Pretty soon the crowd divided itself into distinct, contrast ing crowds: rich snobs with fancy cars, soccer moms with minivans, and hippies with bicycles.

kanji: 覇
meaning: hegemony
ja_on: ハ、ハク
ja_kun: はたがしら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 覀[にし] cover
䩗
examples: 覇気[はき] spirit; drive; vigour; vigor
制覇[せいは] conquest; domination; supremacy; mastery
覇者[はしゃ] supreme ruler; conqueror
覇権[はけん] hegemony
連覇[れんぱ] successive championships
heisig_story: Old West . . . leather . . . moon.
koohii_story: In the Old West , cowboys had hegemony OVER the Indians despite their leather craft and ability to navigate by the moon.

kanji: 床
meaning: bed
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: とこ、ゆか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
木[き] tree
examples: 床[とこ] bed; bedding
寝床[ねどこ] bed; berth; crib; cot; bedroom
起床[きしょう] rising (from one's bed); getting up; getting out of bed
床の間[とこのま] tokonoma
床屋[とこや] barbershop; barber shop; barber
床下[ゆかした] under the floor
温床[おんしょう] hotbed; breeding ground
病床[びょうしょう] sickbed; (hospital) bed
臨床[りんしょう] clinical (e.g. pathology, training, trial)
苗床[なえどこ] seedbed; nursery; seed-plot
heisig_story: Cave . . . tree.
koohii_story: The two safe places to sleep in the wilderness are in a tree and in a cave. So these can be considered as bed s.

kanji: 詳
meaning: detailed
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: くわ.しい、つまび.らか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
羊[ひつじ] sheep
examples: 詳しい[くわしい] detailed; full; minute
詳細[しょうさい] details; particulars; specifics
不詳[ふしょう] unknown; unidentified; unspecified
詳報[しょうほう] detailed report; full report; details; particulars
詳述[しょうじゅつ] detailed explanation
heisig_story: Words/speaking . . . sheep.
koohii_story: Trembling from head to hoof from such a traumatic experience, the sheep gives a very detailed worded account to the detective about his wolf attack. "We need more details Mr. Sheep. Tell us exactly where the baaad man touched you".

kanji: 抵
meaning: resist
ja_on: テイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
氐[テイ] name of an ancient tribe
examples: 抵抗[ていこう] resistance; opposition; standing up to
大抵[たいてい] mostly; ordinarily; usually; generally
抵当[ていとう] mortgage; security; hypothec; pledge
抵当権[ていとうけん] mortgage; right of pledge; lien
抵触[ていしょく] infringement (of a law, treaty, etc.); contravention; running afoul
heisig_story: Fingers . . . calling card.
koohii_story: Most japanese find it impossible to resist pushy businessmen in Japan when they push their damned business cards into your fingers.

kanji: 脅
meaning: threaten
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: おびや.かす、おど.す、おど.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 劦
月[つき] moon
examples: 脅す[おどす] to threaten; to menace; to frighten (into doing)
脅威[きょうい] threat; menace
脅迫[きょうはく] threat; menace; coercion; blackmail
脅かす[おどかす] to threaten; to menace; to intimidate
脅し[おどし] threat
heisig_story: Triceps . . . part of the body.
koohii_story: Compare the primitive positions of [armpit](../v4/870.html) (#870 脇) and [threaten](../v4/871.html) (#871 脅). When your triceps rest alongside your body , they fit snugly against your armpit. When you hold them above your body , however, your posture becomes quite threaten ing.

kanji: 柔
meaning: tender
ja_on: ジュウ、ニュウ
ja_kun: やわ.らか、やわ.らかい、やわ、やわ.ら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 矛[ほこ] halberd
木[き] tree
examples: 柔らかい[やわらかい] soft; tender; supple; flexible; limber; limp
柔らか[やわらか] soft; tender; pliant; supple
柔軟[じゅうなん] flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
柔道[じゅうどう] judo
優柔不断[ゆうじゅうふだん] indecisive; irresolute; shilly-shally; vacillating
柔和[にゅうわ] gentle; mild; meek; tender
懐柔[かいじゅう] winning over; placation; gentle persuasion
heisig_story: Halberd . . . tree.
koohii_story: [tender, weakness, gentleness, softness] Love me tender , Love me perfect, Never cheat on me. Or I'll impale you on my Halberd , And hang ya atop a tree …

kanji: 茂
meaning: overgrown
ja_on: モ
ja_kun: しげ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
戊[ボ] 5th calendar sign
examples: 茂る[しげる] to grow thickly; to be in full leaf; to be rampant; to luxuriate; to be luxuriou
繁茂[はんも] flourishing (of plants); thriving; luxuriant growth; growing lushly; rankness (o
heisig_story: The sense of the key word overgrown is of something growing luxuriously, though not necessarily in excess - in this case a whole parade of weeds (outcast flowers ). By way of exception, the flowers take their normal place over the enclosure.
koohii_story: The gay parade looks astonishing, as if overgrown with flowers.

kanji: 犠
meaning: sacrifice
ja_on: ギ、キ
ja_kun: いけにえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
義[ギ] righteousness
examples: 犠牲[ぎせい] sacrifice
犠牲者[ぎせいしゃ] victim (esp. someone killed); casualty
犠打[ぎだ] sacrifice (bunt or fly)
犠飛[ぎひ] sacrifice fly
heisig_story: Cow . . . righteousness. Do NOT use the image of an animal sacrifice here, as that will have it own character later on.
koohii_story: A cow that is righteous sacrifice s her milk for the human race.

kanji: 距
meaning: long-distance
ja_on: キョ
ja_kun: へだ.たる、けづめ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
巨[キョ] gigantic
examples: 距離[きょり] distance; range; interval
遠距離[えんきょり] long distance; tele-
長距離[ちょうきょり] long distance; long haul
近距離[きんきょり] short distance
短距離[たんきょり] short distance; short range; short-haul
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . gigantic.
koohii_story: You can step a long-distance if you have a leg that's gigantic!

kanji: 雅
meaning: gracious
ja_on: ガ
ja_kun: みや.び
grade: Junior High
radicals: 牙[ガ] tusk
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 優雅[ゆうが] elegant; graceful; refined
雅致[がち] artistry; good taste; elegance; grace
雅楽[ががく] gagaku
heisig_story: Tusk . . . an old turkey.
koohii_story: "Goodness gracious! Such an elegant turkey with a tusk." This mnemonic is meant to join RtK's keyword with a better proposition. Heisig could have used " elegant " here, which is not confounded so easily with [graceful](../v4/721.html) (#721 淑), and accurately represents the character's meaning (it is also the chosen keyword in Kodansha's Kanji Learner's Dictionary).

kanji: 飾
meaning: decorate
ja_on: ショク
ja_kun: かざ.る、かざ.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 飾る[かざる] to decorate; to ornament; to adorn
飾り[かざり] decoration; ornament; trimmings
装飾[そうしょく] ornament; decoration
着飾る[きかざる] to dress up
首飾り[くびかざり] necklace; choker
宝飾[ほうしょく] jewels and ornaments; jewelry; jewellery
服飾[ふくしょく] clothing and accessories; attire
粉飾[ふんしょく] embellishment (e.g. of a story); ornamentation; decoration
飾り付け[かざりつけ] decoration; arrangement
飾り気[かざりけ] affectation; showiness; pretence
heisig_story: Food . . . reclining . . . towel.
koohii_story: [decorate, ornament, adorn, embellish] We decorate a table before eating , reclining a towel over it.

kanji: 網
meaning: netting
ja_on: モウ
ja_kun: あみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
罔[モウ] net
examples: 網[あみ] net; netting
網膜[もうまく] retina
網羅[もうら] encompassing; covering (exhaustively); including (all of); comprising; comprehen
交通網[こうつうもう] transportation network; transport network; traffic network
網戸[あみど] window screen; insect screen; mosquito screen; screen; screen door
通信網[つうしんもう] communications network
金網[かなあみ] wire netting; wire mesh; wire gauze; chain-link mesh; chicken wire
heisig_story: Thread . . . glass canopy . . . animal horns . . . perish.
koohii_story: Spiderman traps The Rhino under the hood of his famous netting , where even Rhino's horns can not break free, in fact if the netting did not dissappear after a few hours then Rhino might even perish in there.

kanji: 竜
meaning: dragon
ja_on: リュウ、リョウ、ロウ
ja_kun: たつ、いせ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竜[リュウ] dragon
examples: 竜[りゅう] dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon)
竜巻[たつまき] tornado; whirlwind; waterspout; twister
恐竜[きょうりゅう] dinosaur
登竜門[とうりゅうもん] gateway to success
竜王[りゅうおう] Dragon King
heisig_story: Vase . . . eel. In order not to confuse this kanji with the zodiacal sign of the dragon , which we will meet later (Frame 2164) and use as a primitive, you might think here of a paper parade dragon.
koohii_story: Have you ever seen an asian DRAGON? it looks like an eel, but can stand up because it has legs.

kanji: 繁
meaning: luxuriant
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: しげ.る、しげ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 敏[ビン] cleverness
糸[いと] thread
examples: 頻繁[ひんぱん] frequent; incessant
繁栄[はんえい] prosperity; thriving; flourishing
繁盛[はんじょう] prosperity; flourishing; thriving
繁華街[はんかがい] business district; shopping district; bustling street; shopping centre; shopping
繁殖[はんしょく] breeding; propagation; reproduction; multiplication; increase
繁茂[はんも] flourishing (of plants); thriving; luxuriant growth; growing lushly; rankness (o
heisig_story: Cleverness . . . thread.
koohii_story: Important: Luxuriant does NOT mean luxurious, as the other stories indicate. Definition: abundant or lush in growth, as vegetation. When Venom realized he couldn't beat Spider-Man in a fair fight, he showed his cleverness by spraying venom all over Spider-Man's luxuriant garden.

kanji: 殿
meaning: Mr.
ja_on: デン、テン
ja_kun: との、-どの
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
共[キョウ] together
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 殿[どの] Mr.; Mrs.; Miss; Ms.
神殿[しんでん] temple; shrine; sanctuary
宮殿[きゅうでん] palace
殿下[でんか] Your Highness; His Highness; Her Highness
殿様[とのさま] nobleman; dignitary; lord
妃殿下[ひでんか] princess; Her Royal Highness
御殿[ごてん] palace; court
殿堂[でんどう] palace; hall
heisig_story: Flags . . . strung together . . . missile.
koohii_story: Mr. President! We all stand here together under a national flag. One thing is certain: we'll never give in. We are launching nuclear missiles now to implement mutually assured destruction protocol.

kanji: 濃
meaning: concentrated
ja_on: ノウ
ja_kun: こ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
農[ノウ] agriculture
examples: 濃い[こい] deep (colour); dark
濃厚[のうこう] rich (flavor, color, etc.); strong (e.g. odor); heavy; thick (soup, makeup, etc.
濃度[のうど] concentration; density
濃淡[のうたん] light and shade; shade (of colour, color)
濃紺[のうこん] dark blue
濃縮[のうしゅく] concentration (e.g. of a solution); enrichment; condensation
濃霧[のうむ] heavy fog; dense fog; thick fog
heisig_story: Among other things, the key word refers to the thick consistency of liquids. Its elements: water . . . agriculture.
koohii_story: The agriculture of Florida is concentrated on making concentrated orange juice. Just add water! Imagine a can of FCOJ, dumping it into a pitcher and adding water.

kanji: 翼
meaning: wing
ja_on: ヨク
ja_kun: つばさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 羽[はね] feather
異[イ] uncommon
examples: 翼[つばさ] wing
一翼[いちよく] one wing
両翼[りょうよく] both wings; both flanks
右翼[うよく] right wing
左翼[さよく] left wing
heisig_story: Feathers . . . uncommon.
koohii_story: The thing about feathers is that they usually cover the entire bird. A creature with feathers only on its wings would be very uncommon.

kanji: 魅
meaning: fascination
ja_on: ミ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 鬼[おに] demon
未[ミ] un-
examples: 魅力[みりょく] charm; fascination; glamour; glamor; attraction; appeal
魅力的[みりょくてき] charming; fascinating; attractive
魅了[みりょう] charm; fascination
魅惑[みわく] fascination; captivation; charm; lure; allurement
heisig_story: Ghost . . . not yet.
koohii_story: Ghosts have not yet left the world, they must still have a deep fascination with their past life on Earth.

kanji: 嫌
meaning: dislike
ja_on: ケン、ゲン
ja_kun: きら.う、きら.い、いや
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
兼[ケン] concurrently
examples: 嫌[いや] disliking; not wanting; unwilling (to do); reluctant
嫌い[きらい] disliked; hated; disagreeable
嫌う[きらう] to hate; to dislike; to loathe; to abhor
機嫌[きげん] humour; humor; temper; mood; spirits
大嫌い[だいきらい] hating; strongly disliking
嫌らしい[いやらしい] unpleasant; disagreeable; nasty
不機嫌[ふきげん] pout; displeasure; ill humor; ill humour; sullenness
嫌がらせ[いやがらせ] harassment; pestering
嫌がる[いやがる] to appear uncomfortable (with); to seem to hate; to express dislike
上機嫌[じょうきげん] good humour (humor); good mood
好き嫌い[すききらい] likes and dislikes; tastes; preferences; pickiness (esp. about food); choosiness
嫌悪[けんお] disgust; hate; repugnance; loathing
嫌悪感[けんおかん] (feeling of) hatred; (strong) dislike; disgust; aversion; revulsion; loathing; a
嫌疑[けんぎ] suspicion
嫌気[いやき] dislike; disgust; disinclination; tired of
heisig_story: Woman . . . concurrently.
koohii_story: Naturally, if you're dating more than one woman concurrently , they will certainly dislike each other!

kanji: 斉
meaning: adjusted
ja_on: セイ、サイ
ja_kun: そろ.う、ひと.しい、ひと.しく、あたる、はやい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 文[ぶん] literature
二[に] two
examples: 一斉に[いっせいに] simultaneously; all at once; in unison
一斉[いっせい] simultaneous; all at once
斉唱[せいしょう] singing in unison; chanting in unison
heisig_story: Plaid . . . fenceposts . . . two. Do not confuse with just so (Frame 414).
koohii_story: The Scotsman goalkeeper adjusted himself. He reached down and adjusted the two things between his skinny fencepost legs.

kanji: 敷
meaning: spread
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: し.く、-し.き
grade: Junior High
radicals: 旉[フ] to state to
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 屋敷[やしき] residence; estate; grounds; premises; mansion
敷く[しく] to spread out (e.g. a futon); to lay out
敷地[しきち] site; plot; lot; grounds
座敷[ざしき] tatami room; tatami mat room; formal Japanese room
下敷き[したじき] desk pad; sheet of plastic (or cardboard, felt, etc.) placed under writing paper
風呂敷[ふろしき] furoshiki; wrapping cloth; cloth wrapper
倉敷[くらしき] Kurashiki (city)
敷き布団[しきぶとん] futon (laid on the floor); (Japanese) mattress; underquilt; sleeping mat
敷居[しきい] threshold (esp. one with grooves for sliding doors); sill
敷設[ふせつ] laying (a railroad, pipes, naval mines, etc.); construction
敷金[しききん] (security) deposit; caution money
河川敷[かせんじき] flood plain; river terrace; riverside area; area between river and river bank
heisig_story: At the top we have the arrowhead whose vertical line joins it to the rice field (or brains ) below it. Beneath it, the compass , and to the right, the taskmaster.
koohii_story: Arrowheads are spread all over the field. The taskmaster profiteerer forces you to find them all using a compass.

kanji: 擁
meaning: hug
ja_on: ヨウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
雍[ヨウ] softening
examples: 抱擁[ほうよう] embrace; hug; holding in one's arms
擁護[ようご] protection; defence; support; safeguarding; championship; vindication
擁する[ようする] to embrace; to hug
人権擁護[じんけんようご] protection of human rights
擁立[ようりつ] backing (for a position); giving support to; helping (someone) to a position
heisig_story: Fingers . . . mysterious . . . turkey. Note that the top hat is extended across both elements, though it belongs only to the cocoon. This means that you may either use mysterious \- as we did here - or take the three elements separately.
koohii_story: A mysterious turkey with human finger s wants to hug me… I will never go to Tokyo Disneyland again!

kanji: 肩
meaning: shoulder
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: かた
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
月[つき] moon
examples: 肩[かた] shoulder
肩書き[かたがき] title (e.g. Doctor, Professor, Lord); job title; position (in a company); degree
肩代わり[かたがわり] taking over (another's debt, work); shouldering someone else's burden; subrogati
肩書[かたがき] title (e.g. Doctor, Professor, Lord); job title; position (in a company); degree
肩こり[かたこり] stiff neck; stiff shoulders
heisig_story: Door . . . flesh.
koohii_story: The shoulder is the best part of the body to bash a door open with (Don't ever try this. Use your foot).

kanji: 圏
meaning: sphere
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: かこ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
巻[カン] scroll
examples: 圏内[けんない] inside (a region, area, etc.); within the range (of); within the sphere (of infl
圏外[けんがい] outside (a region, area, etc.); out of range (of a mobile network, radar, etc.);
北極圏[ほっきょくけん] Arctic Circle; the Arctic
成層圏[せいそうけん] stratosphere
首都圏[しゅとけん] Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area
heisig_story: This key word refers to a realm or orbit, not to a ball. Its elements: pent in . . . scroll.
koohii_story: I assosiate scrolls with spell casting, the efect of this spell is pent in a certain sphere of influence, outside it no damage is done.

kanji: 零
meaning: zero
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: ぜろ、こぼ.す、こぼ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
令[レイ] orders
examples: 零れる[こぼれる] to spill; to fall out of; to overflow
零[れい] zero; nought
零点[れいてん] zero (points, marks); no marks
零下[れいか] below zero; sub-zero
零時[れいじ] twelve o'clock; midnight; noon
零細[れいさい] insignificant; trifling; paltry; cottage (industry); tiny (company)
heisig_story: Rain . . . orders.
koohii_story: The amount of people that can order the rain to rain.

kanji: 罰
meaning: penalty
ja_on: バツ、バチ、ハツ
ja_kun: ばっ.する
grade: Junior High
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
䚯 to quell (uprising
examples: 罰[ばち] (divine) punishment; curse; retribution
処罰[しょばつ] punishment; penalty
罰する[ばっする] to punish; to penalize; to penalise
罰金[ばっきん] fine; penalty
懲罰[ちょうばつ] discipline; punishment; reprimand
刑罰[けいばつ] (criminal) punishment; penalty; sentence
体罰[たいばつ] corporal punishment
厳罰[げんばつ] severe punishment; rigorous measures
罰則[ばっそく] punishment; penalty
罰点[ばってん] cross mark; demerit mark; an X
賞罰[しょうばつ] reward and punishment
heisig_story: Eye . . . words . . . saber.
koohii_story: For Japanese, when the mind's eye (the sideways eye) feels guilty for something bad that the body has done, there are two penalty s to choose from. One, you can say I'm sorry. Two, you can commit suicide by sabre. Why, oh why, do so many Japanese executives commit suicide at the first sign of scandal when all the have to do is say I'm sorry to get off the hook. (on yomi: バチ, バツ).

kanji: 怒
meaning: angry
ja_on: ド、ヌ
ja_kun: いか.る、おこ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 奴[ド] guy
心[こころ] heart
examples: 怒る[おこる] to get angry; to get mad; to lose one's temper
怒り[いかり] anger; rage; fury; wrath; indignation
怒らせる[おこらせる] to make (someone) angry; to anger; to offend; to rile up; to provoke (to anger)
怒鳴る[どなる] to shout (in anger); to yell
激怒[げきど] rage; fury
怒号[どごう] angry roar; bellow
怒気[どき] anger; wrath
怒涛[どとう] surging waves; raging billows
喜怒哀楽[きどあいらく] human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure); feelings
怒鳴り込む[どなりこむ] to storm in with a yell
heisig_story: Guy . . . heart.
koohii_story: This woman is angry because of the guys in the previous frame who pay more attention to her crotch than her heart. I prefer to decompose the kanji in three elements here because it is easier to read like a mnemonic.

kanji: 滅
meaning: destroy
ja_on: メツ
ja_kun: ほろ.びる、ほろ.ぶ、ほろ.ぼす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
戌[ジュツ] sign of the dog
火[ひ] fire
examples: 消滅[しょうめつ] extinction; extinguishment; disappearance; vanishing; termination; lapse
滅ぼす[ほろぼす] to destroy; to overthrow; to wreck; to ruin
全滅[ぜんめつ] total destruction; complete destruction; annihilation; being wiped out
滅びる[ほろびる] to go to ruin; to go under; to fall; to be destroyed; to die out; to become exti
破滅[はめつ] ruin; destruction; fall
壊滅[かいめつ] (complete) destruction; annihilation; devastation
滅多に[めったに] rarely; seldom
滅亡[めつぼう] downfall; ruin; collapse; destruction
幻滅[げんめつ] disillusionment; disillusion; disenchantment
滅茶苦茶[めちゃくちゃ] absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous; incoherent
自滅[じめつ] self-destruction; ruining oneself
絶滅[ぜつめつ] extinction; extermination
点滅[てんめつ] switching on and off (of a light); flashing; blinking; flickering
滅多[めった] thoughtless; reckless; careless; rash
撲滅[ぼくめつ] eradication; extermination; destruction; suppression
heisig_story: Picture a march of flames demonstrating against the Fire Department for their right to destroy , but being doused with water by the police riot squads.
koohii_story: Water flows down to destroy the march of fire.

kanji: 礎
meaning: cornerstone
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: いしずえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
楚[ソ] whip
examples: 基礎[きそ] foundation; basis
礎[いしずえ] foundation stone; cornerstone
礎石[そせき] foundation stone; cornerstone
heisig_story: This character depicts a cornerstone as a stone set at the end of a wildlife preserve (the " zoo in the grove ").
koohii_story: Features like stones and groves of trees are the cornerstone s of a happy zoo.

kanji: 腐
meaning: rot
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: くさ.る、-くさ.る、くさ.れる、くさ.れ、くさ.らす、くさ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 府[フ] borough
肉[にく] flesh
examples: 腐る[くさる] to rot; to go bad; to decay; to spoil; to fester; to decompose; to turn sour (e.
豆腐[とうふ] tofu; bean curd; beancurd
腐敗[ふはい] decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; spoilage
陳腐[ちんぷ] stale; hackneyed; clichéd
腐心[ふしん] taking great pains (to do); making every effort; having a lot of trouble (doing)
腐食[ふしょく] rot; decay; erosion
heisig_story: Municipality . . . meat.
koohii_story: The rotting meat adheres to the cave walls.

kanji: 脚
meaning: skids
ja_on: キャク、キャ、カク
ja_kun: あし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
却[キャク] instead
examples: 脚[あし] foot; paw; arm (of an octopus, squid, etc.)
脚本[きゃくほん] script; screenplay; scenario
失脚[しっきゃく] losing one's position; losing one's standing; downfall; fall (from power); being
脚色[きゃくしょく] dramatization (e.g. of a novel); dramatisation; adaptation (for the stage or scr
二人三脚[ににんさんきゃく] three-legged race
橋脚[きょうきゃく] bridge pier; pontoon bridge
立脚[りっきゃく] being based on
脚光[きゃっこう] footlight; limelight
行脚[あんぎゃ] pilgrimage
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . instead. This character has more or less the same meaning as that for leg learned back in frame 1372. It can also indicate the part of the legs from the shins down, which explains the choice of the key word.
koohii_story: Shins are the part of the body that Japanese traditionally sit on instead of their asses.
heisig_keyword: shins

kanji: 泊
meaning: overnight stay
ja_on: ハク
ja_kun: と.まる、と.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
白[しろ] white
examples: 泊まる[とまる] to stay at (e.g. hotel)
泊める[とめる] to give shelter to; to lodge; to put up; to accommodate
泊まり[とまり] (overnight) stay; lodging
宿泊[しゅくはく] accommodation; lodging
寝泊まり[ねとまり] staying the night; lodging (at)
一泊[いっぱく] (staying) one night; overnight stay
停泊[ていはく] anchorage; anchoring; mooring
heisig_story: When you stop at an inn for an overnight rest, all you expect is a bit of water for a wash and a set of clean white sheets to wrap your weary bones in.
koohii_story: Please supply a guest who stays overnight with WATER and WHITE sheets.
heisig_keyword: overnight

kanji: 尽
meaning: exhaust
ja_on: ジン、サン
ja_kun: つ.きる、つ.くす、つ.かす、-づ.く、-ず.く、ことごと.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尺[シャク] shaku
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 尽くす[つくす] to use up; to exhaust; to run out of
尽きる[つきる] to be used up; to be run out; to be exhausted; to be consumed; to come to an end
理不尽[りふじん] unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
尽力[じんりょく] efforts; exertion; endeavour; assistance; services
無尽蔵[むじんぞう] inexhaustible supply
論じ尽くす[ろんじつくす] to discuss fully; to discuss from every angle; to deal exhaustively with (an iss
heisig_story: Shakuhachi . . . ice.
koohii_story: A women is so exhaust ed by her "shakuhachi" that she needs to ice her jaw.

kanji: 杯
meaning: counter for cupfuls
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: さかずき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
不[フ] negative
examples: 乾杯[かんぱい] cheers; bottoms-up; prosit
一杯[いっぱい] one cup (of); one glass (of); one bowl (of); cupful; glassful; bowlful; spoonful
精一杯[せいいっぱい] the best one can do; one's best effort
杯[さかずき] sake cup; cup for alcoholic beverages
祝杯[しゅくはい] toast; congratulatory cup
力一杯[ちからいっぱい] with all one's strength; with might and main; as hard as one can
満杯[まんぱい] full
賜杯[しはい] Emperor's cup; trophy given by the Emperor
銀杯[ぎんぱい] silver cup
heisig_story: Tree . . . negative.
koohii_story: The maple tree is very negative about it, but the farmer still collects cupfuls of maple syrup from it.
heisig_keyword: cupfuls

kanji: 僕
meaning: me
ja_on: ボク
ja_kun: しもべ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
菐
examples: 僕[ぼく] I; me
僕たち[ぼくたち] we
僕ら[ぼくら] we; us
heisig_story: This key word is yet another synonym for "I," somewhat more familiar in tone. As a rule, it is a word that boys and men use to refer to themselves. Its elements: person . . . husbands . . . in a row upside down.
koohii_story: Building on johnskb: Although it goes against the Heisig me thod, this story is a lot easier to remember when you know it's the kanji for "boku." Males usually use either "boku" or "ore" (instead of "watashi") to refer themselves. "Boku" is slightly boyish and soft, "ore" is rough & tough. Mr. T would definitely use "ore" – but when he's one of the husbands hung upside down in a row about to be punished by his wife, he puts on a sweet act and switches to "boku" when he pleads "come on baby, it's ME!".

kanji: 滑
meaning: slippery
ja_on: カツ、コツ
ja_kun: すべ.る、なめ.らか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
骨[ほね] bone
examples: 滑る[すべる] to slide; to glide; to skate; to ski
滑稽[こっけい] funny; comical; humorous; laughable
滑らか[なめらか] smooth (of a surface); glassy; velvety; soft
滑り[ぬめり] slime; sliminess; mucus; viscous liquid
円滑[えんかつ] smooth; undisturbed; uninterrupted; harmonious
潤滑油[じゅんかつゆ] lubricating oil; lubricant; lube
滑り台[すべりだい] (playground) slide
滑走[かっそう] gliding; sliding; skating (on ice); skiing; glide; slide
滑走路[かっそうろ] runway; airstrip; landing strip; flight strip
滑降[かっこう] descent (esp. in skiing); sliding down; skiing down
heisig_story: Water . . . skeleton.
koohii_story: Don't give water to a skeleton. When he drinks it, it'll sluice right through his bones, forcing you to put one of those "Caution - Slippery Floor" signs up on the resultant puddle.

kanji: 孤
meaning: orphan
ja_on: コ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 子[こ] child
瓜[うり] melon
examples: 孤独[こどく] solitude; loneliness; isolation
孤立[こりつ] isolation; being alone; being friendless
孤児[こじ] orphan
孤児院[こじいん] orphanage
孤島[ことう] solitary island; isolated island
heisig_story: Child . . . melon.
koohii_story: An orphan will never know the joys on sucking on his mother's melons……..

kanji: 炎
meaning: inflammation
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: ほのお
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
examples: 炎[ほのお] flame; blaze
炎上[えんじょう] going up in flames; destruction by fire (esp. of a large building)
中耳炎[ちゅうじえん] otitis media; middle-ear infection
火炎瓶[かえんびん] Molotov cocktail; petrol bomb; gasoline bomb
炎天[えんてん] blazing heat; scorching sun
炎症[えんしょう] inflammation; irritation
肝炎[かんえん] hepatitis
肺炎[はいえん] pneumonia
脳炎[のうえん] brain inflammation; encephalitis; cerebritis
heisig_story: A fire belongs IN the hearth , not OVER it. When the fire spreads to the rest of the house, we have an inflamed house. And as with any inflammation \- including those that attack our bodies - the danger is always that it might spread if not checked. This is the sense behind the reduplication of element for fire , one atop the other.
koohii_story: To fight fire with fire would just inflame a situation.

kanji: 賠
meaning: compensation
ja_on: バイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
咅[トウ] to spit out
examples: 賠償[ばいしょう] compensation; reparations; indemnity; damages
損害賠償[そんがいばいしょう] restitution; damages; indemnity; compensation
賠償金[ばいしょうきん] indemnities; reparations
heisig_story: Picture a clam used as a muzzle to quiet the complaints of a fisherman's widow asking compensation for her husband lost at sea.
koohii_story: Compensation is money you give to someone to shut them up (i.e. muzzle their mouth).

kanji: 寿
meaning: longevity
ja_on: ジュ、ス、シュウ
ja_kun: ことぶき、ことぶ.く、ことほ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 三[サン] three
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
寸[すん] inch
examples: 寿命[じゅみょう] lifespan; life; lifetime
寿司[すし] sushi
にぎり寿司[にぎりずし] nigirizushi
喜寿[きじゅ] 77th birthday
天寿[てんじゅ] natural span of life
寿[ことぶき] congratulations; felicitations; best wishes
恵比寿[えびす] Ebisu
長寿[ちょうじゅ] long life; longevity
heisig_story: Bushes . . . glue.
koohii_story: This old China man glued shrubs to his body. The added intake of oxygen from the shrubs was, according to him, the secret of his longevity. Sometimes he would sit all day in meditation without moving, and the locals believed the old man had actually turned into a shrub !

kanji: 頑
meaning: stubborn
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: かたく.な
grade: Junior High
radicals: 元[ゲン] beginning
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頑張る[がんばる] to persevere; to persist; to keep at it; to hang on; to hold out; to do one's be
頑張って[がんばって] do your best; go for it; hang in there; keep at it
頑固[がんこ] stubborn; obstinate; pigheaded
頑丈[がんじょう] solid; firm; stout; burly; strong; sturdy
頑な[かたくな] obstinate; stubborn; mulish; die-hard; bigoted
頑張り[がんばり] tenacity; endurance
頑強[がんきょう] stubborn; dogged; persistent; tenacious
heisig_story: This character refers to the block headed , persistent stubbornness of one who sticks to an idea or a plan just the way it was at the beginning , without letting anything that comes up along the way alter things in the least. The explanation makes "sense," but is hard to remember because the word " beginning "is too abstract. Back up to the image we used two frames ago - Adam and Eve in their Eden - and try again: The root of all stubbornness goes back to the beginning , with two brothers each stubbornly defending his own way of life and asking their God to bless it favorably. Abel stuck to agriculture, Cain to animal-raising. Picture these two with their giant, swelled heads , each vying for the favors of heaven, a stubborn grimace on their faces. No wonder something unfortunate happened!
koohii_story: A stubborn person in the beginning gets something into their head and can't change their mind.

kanji: 甘
meaning: sweet
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: あま.い、あま.える、あま.やかす、うま.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 廿[ジュウ] twenty
examples: 甘い[あまい] sweet-tasting; sweet; sugary; sugared
甘える[あまえる] to behave like a spoiled child; to fawn on
甘やかす[あまやかす] to pamper; to spoil
甘え[あまえ] overdependence (on others; usu. one's fosterers or seniors); lack of self-relian
甘美[かんび] sweet (taste); luscious
甘み[あまみ] sweetness; sugary taste
甘味[あまみ] sweetness; sugary taste
甘味料[かんみりょう] sweetener (sugar, honey, saccharin, maltose, etc.); sweetening agent; sweetening
甘言[かんげん] sweet words; smooth talk; cajolery; flattery; sycophancy
甘酢[あまず] sweet vinegar
heisig_story: This kanji is a pictograph of a small wicker basket. (The extra short stroke in the middle helps keep it distinct from the character for twenty.) All one needs to add is some image of sweet cakes or breads carried in the basket, and the union of picture and meaning is complete. Take care not to confuse with confectionary (Frame 1203).
koohii_story: Little red riding hood is carrying around a wicker basket filled with sweet baked cookies for granny.

kanji: 鎖
meaning: chain
ja_on: サ
ja_kun: くさり、とざ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
小[しょう] small
貝[かい] shell
examples: 鎖[くさり] chain; chains
閉鎖[へいさ] closing; closure
封鎖[ふうさ] blockade; lockdown; sealing off (an area)
連鎖[れんさ] chain; series; connection
経済封鎖[けいざいふうさ] economic blockade; embargo
鎖国[さこく] national isolation; closing the country (to foreigners)
heisig_story: Metal . . . little . . . shells. We have saved this character until no win order to draw attention to the visual difference between the owl and little. By now your eyes should be so accustomed to these apparently infinitesimal differences that the point is obvious.
koohii_story: The chain on this chain saw is made of little metal shells.

kanji: 彩
meaning: coloring
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: いろど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 采[サイ] dice
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 彩る[いろどる] to colour; to color; to paint
彩り[いろどり] coloring; colouring; coloration; colouration
色彩[しきさい] colour; color; hue; tints
多彩[たさい] colourful; colorful; multicoloured; multicolored; varicoloured; varicolored
光彩[こうさい] brilliance; splendour; splendor; lustre; luster
彩色[さいしき] colouring; coloring; colouration; coloration; painting
水彩画[すいさいが] watercolor painting; watercolour painting
油彩[ゆさい] oil painting
精彩[せいさい] brilliance; luster; lustre; colorfulness; colourfulness
迷彩[めいさい] camouflage; disguise
heisig_story: Vulture . . . tree . . . shape.
koohii_story: In Sydney we occasionally get exotic birds. You first notice a colouring in a tree. You look more carefully and you make out the shape of a bird (here represented by its claws ).

kanji: 摩
meaning: chafe
ja_on: マ
ja_kun: ま.する、さす.る、す.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 麻[あさ] hemp
手[て] hand
examples: 摩る[さする] to rub; to pat; to stroke; to massage
摩擦[まさつ] friction
あん摩[あんま] massage (esp. anma, a traditional form of Japanese massage)
摩天楼[まてんろう] skyscraper
heisig_story: Hemp . . . hand.
koohii_story: If you grind the hemp without a stone but use your hand instead it will chafe. (Image: "Robin, why are your hands all chafe d?" 'Uh… (I've been grinding hemp all day)').

kanji: 励
meaning: encourage
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: はげ.む、はげ.ます
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
万[マン] ten thousand
力[ちから] power
examples: 励ます[はげます] to encourage; to cheer on; to cheer (someone) up
励む[はげむ] to work hard; to try hard; to strive; to endeavour; to endeavor; to devote onese
励まし[はげまし] encouragement; cheering on
激励[げきれい] encouragement; spurring (on); cheering (on)
励み[はげみ] encouragement; incentive; stimulus
奨励[しょうれい] encouragement; promotion; inducement; incitement; stimulation
heisig_story: Cliff . . . ten thousand . . . power.
koohii_story: 10,000 Persians are at the base of the cliff , but the leader of the 300 Spartans just flexes his huge muscles and encourage s his men by shouting that they have the power to fight them all.

kanji: 掃
meaning: sweep
ja_on: ソウ、シュ
ja_kun: は.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
帚[ソウ] broom
examples: 掃除[そうじ] cleaning; sweeping; dusting; scrubbing
清掃[せいそう] cleaning; clean-up; garbage collection; scavenging
一掃[いっそう] clean sweep; purging; doing away with; eradication
大掃除[おおそうじ] major cleanup; spring cleaning
掃除機[そうじき] vacuum cleaner; vacuum; hoover
掃く[はく] to sweep; to brush; to clean
掃討[そうとう] cleaning up (enemy remnants); sweeping clean (of opponents); mopping up
掃海[そうかい] sweeping the sea for mines; dragging for mines
heisig_story: Fingers . . . broom . . . apron.
koohii_story: Whether I SWEEP something away with my FINGERS or my BROOM, I should always wear my APRON.

kanji: 掘
meaning: dig
ja_on: クツ
ja_kun: ほ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
屈[クツ] yield
examples: 掘る[ほる] to dig; to excavate; to hollow
発掘[はっくつ] excavation; exhumation; digging up; unearthing
根掘り葉掘り[ねほりはほり] inquisitively; pryingly; nosily; thoroughly; persistently; through-and-through
採掘[さいくつ] mining; digging; working (a mine)
掘削[くっさく] digging out; excavation
heisig_story: Fingers . . . yield.
koohii_story: If you dig with your fingers hard enough, soil eventually yields.

kanji: 輝
meaning: radiance
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: かがや.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 光[コウ] ray
軍[グン] army
examples: 輝く[かがやく] to shine; to sparkle; to twinkle; to glitter; to glisten
輝き[かがやき] brightness; brilliance; brilliancy; radiance; glitter
光り輝く[ひかりかがやく] to shine; to glitter
輝かしい[かがやかしい] brilliant; glorious; glittering; bright; splendid (e.g. achievement, success); p
光輝[こうき] brightness; splendour; splendor
輝度[きど] brightness; luminance
heisig_story: Take advantage of the first syllable of the key word to think of the ray of light to the left. Now add the glittering chariot that is emitting those rays and you have radiance.
koohii_story: Rays of light emitted from Apollo's chariot = radiance. Don't put the sun into this kanji. The rays are coming from the chariot directly!

kanji: 蓄
meaning: amass
ja_on: チク
ja_kun: たくわ.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
畜[チク] livestock
examples: 蓄える[たくわえる] to store; to save up; to stock up on; to lay in stock; to set aside
蓄積[ちくせき] accumulation; accumulate; store
備蓄[びちく] stocking up (in case of emergency); stockpile; reserves; storing; laying in (sup
貯蓄[ちょちく] savings
含蓄[がんちく] implication; significance; connotation; depth of meaning; complications of a pro
蓄財[ちくざい] amassing of wealth
蓄電池[ちくでんち] storage battery
heisig_story: Flowers . . . livestock.
koohii_story: One sneaky farmer wanted to amass a large collection of livestock. We all know that cows like to eat flowers, so he planted lines of flowers leading to his own fields. The livestock followed the lines, eating the flowers one by one, and amass ed in his field.

kanji: 軸
meaning: axis
ja_on: ジク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 軸[じく] axis; shaft; axle
中軸[ちゅうじく] axis; pivot; central figure; key man
主軸[しゅじく] main spindle; main shaft
基軸[きじく] basis; foundation; core; criterion; standard
掛け軸[かけじく] hanging scroll
枢軸[すうじく] axle; pivot
車軸[しゃじく] axle
heisig_story: Car . . . shoot.
koohii_story: An absurd image, but what the heck - worked for me. Imagine a car going across a plain at a fast speed. Suddenly a single sprout (the only one to be seen) gets stuck to the car's wheels, causing the car to fly around its axis.

kanji: 巡
meaning: patrol
ja_on: ジュン
ja_kun: めぐ.る、めぐ.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 巛[まがりがわ] winding river
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 巡る[めぐる] to go around; to make a circle around
巡回[じゅんかい] going around; patrol; round; tour
巡り会う[めぐりあう] to meet fortuitously; to meet by chance; to happen across
お巡りさん[おまわりさん] police officer
巡査[じゅんさ] police officer; policeman; constable
巡業[じゅんぎょう] provincial tour
巡礼[じゅんれい] pilgrimage; pilgrim
巡航[じゅんこう] cruise; cruising
巡視[じゅんし] inspection tour
heisig_story: A virtual flood of motorcycle police washing down a road is this kanji's image for a patrol.
koohii_story: The cops don't PATROL anymore - they just flood the road.

kanji: 疲
meaning: exhausted
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: つか.れる、-づか.れ、つか.らす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 疲れる[つかれる] to get tired; to tire; to get fatigued; to become exhausted; to grow weary
お疲れさま[おつかれさま] thank you (for your hard work); good work
疲れ[つかれ] tiredness; fatigue
お疲れ様[おつかれさま] thank you (for your hard work); good work
疲労[ひろう] fatigue; weariness; exhaustion; tiredness
疲弊[ひへい] exhaustion; fatigue
疲れ果てる[つかれはてる] to get tired out; to be exhausted
heisig_story: Sickness . . . pelt.
koohii_story: I picture an exhausted sick caveman snuggling up in a comfy pelt blanket.
heisig_keyword: tired

kanji: 稼
meaning: earnings
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: かせ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
家[カ] house
examples: 稼ぐ[かせぐ] to earn (income); to make (money)
稼ぎ[かせぎ] earnings
稼働[かどう] operation (of a machine); running
稼業[かぎょう] trade; business; occupation; profession; job
共稼ぎ[ともかせぎ] (husband and wife) earning a living together
出稼ぎ[でかせぎ] working away from home (esp. abroad)
稼働率[かどうりつ] operating rate; utilization rate; occupancy rate; availability factor
heisig_story: Wheat . . . house.
koohii_story: Your earnings allow you to bring home your daily bread (made of wheat , naturally).

kanji: 瞬
meaning: wink
ja_on: シュン
ja_kun: またた.く、まじろ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
舜[シュン] type of morning glory
examples: 瞬間[しゅんかん] moment; instant; second
一瞬[いっしゅん] instant; moment; for an instant
瞬時[しゅんじ] instant; moment; (split) second; (in a) flash; (in the) blink of an eye
瞬く[またたく] to twinkle (e.g. stars); to flicker; to waver
heisig_story: Eye . . . birdhouse . . . sunglasses.
koohii_story: What a dilemna, you wore SUNGLASSES over your EYES when you went to the BIRDHOUSE so you wouldn't be recognized - but now you can't WINK at the girl you want!

kanji: 皆
meaning: all
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: みな、みんな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 比[くらべる] to compare
白[しろ] white
examples: 皆さん[みなさん] all; everyone; everybody
皆[みな] everyone; everybody; all
皆様[みなさま] everyone
皆無[かいむ] nonexistent; nil; none; nothing (at all); bugger-all
皆目[かいもく] entirely; (not) at all
heisig_story: Think of the housewives in TV commercials " comparing the whiteness " of their laundry across the fence, a typical advertisement for the popular detergent known as All. (If you don't know the brand, surely you've heard the phrases " all -purpose detergent" or " all -temperature detergent.")
koohii_story: If you compare colors, you will find that white is produced from the mix of all the others.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 混ぜる 比べる

kanji: 砲
meaning: cannon
ja_on: ホウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
包[ホウ] wrap
examples: 砲[ほう] gun; cannon; artillery; ordnance
発砲[はっぽう] firing; discharge of gun
鉄砲[てっぽう] gun; firearm
砲撃[ほうげき] bombarding; shelling; bombardment
大砲[たいほう] (large) gun; cannon; artillery
砲弾[ほうだん] shell; cannonball
主砲[しゅほう] main battery; main armament
砲兵[ほうへい] artillery; gunner
砲火[ほうか] gunfire; fire
空砲[くうほう] empty gun; gun loaded with blanks; firing a blank
迫撃砲[はくげきほう] mortar
heisig_story: Stones . . . wrap.
koohii_story: Primitive cannons fired stones wrapped with poisonous snakes.

kanji: 軟
meaning: soft
ja_on: ナン
ja_kun: やわ.らか、やわ.らかい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 柔軟[じゅうなん] flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
軟弱[なんじゃく] soft and lacking firmness; weak; fragile
軟らかい[やわらかい] soft; tender; supple; flexible; limber; limp
軟化[なんか] softening
軟式[なんしき] soft (esp. of softball, tennis, etc.)
軟着陸[なんちゃくりく] soft landing
軟禁[なんきん] house arrest
軟骨[なんこつ] cartilage
heisig_story: If the cushions of one's car are too soft , one may begin yawning at the wheel.
koohii_story: Cars are rough steel things, lacking soft ness.

kanji: 噴
meaning: erupt
ja_on: フン
ja_kun: ふ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
賁[フン] decorate
examples: 噴き出す[ふきだす] to spout out; to spurt out; to gush out; to jet out
噴水[ふんすい] water fountain
噴出[ふんしゅつ] spewing; gushing; spouting; eruption; effusion
噴射[ふんしゃ] jet; spray; emission; spouting
噴火[ふんか] eruption; volcanic eruption
噴煙[ふんえん] (eruption of) smoke
heisig_story: Mouth . . . haystack . . . clams.
koohii_story: History of Pompei: An unexpect erupt ion and from the mouths of the volcano come lava that threatens the farmers collecting haystacks in the fields and the fisherman catching shells on the coast.

kanji: 沈
meaning: sink
ja_on: チン、ジン
ja_kun: しず.む、しず.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
冘[イン] to move on
examples: 沈む[しずむ] to sink; to go under; to submerge
沈黙[ちんもく] silence; being silent; quiet; hush
沈める[しずめる] to sink (e.g. a ship); to submerge
撃沈[げきちん] (attacking and) sinking (a ship); sending (a ship) to the bottom
沈没[ちんぼつ] sinking; foundering; going down; submersion
沈下[ちんか] sinking; subsidence
沈滞[ちんたい] stagnation; inactivity
沈着[ちんちゃく] composure; calmness; self-possession; presence of mind
沈静[ちんせい] settling down; quieting down; cooling down; cooling off
浮沈[ふちん] floating and sinking; rise and fall; ebb and flow; ups and downs
heisig_story: The technique for sinking used in this kanji is unique. Rather than the biblical image of tying a millstone about the victim's neck, here we see a crown tied about one leg before the unfortunate party is tossed into the water.
koohii_story: (thx geezer) The maimed waitress (no head and arms just her legs and trunk) is dropped into the water with a cement crown to make sure she sink s. She shouldn't have been so nosy about her yakuza-boyfriend's schemes.

kanji: 誇
meaning: boast
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: ほこ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
夸[コ] boast
examples: 誇る[ほこる] to boast of; to be proud of; to take pride in
誇り[ほこり] pride; boast; credit (to)
誇張[こちょう] exaggeration
誇示[こじ] flaunting; showing off; display (of power, wealth, etc.); ostentation
誇大[こだい] exaggeration; hyperbole
heisig_story: Words . . . St. Bernard dog . . . ceiling . . . snare.
koohii_story: The hunter's boast : I say , it was a " big one ", but the snare broke and it got away. (credit to many others before).

kanji: 祥
meaning: auspicious
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: さいわ.い、きざ.し、よ.い、つまび.らか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
羊[ひつじ] sheep
examples: 不祥事[ふしょうじ] scandal; impropriety; misconduct
発祥[はっしょう] origin
発祥地[はっしょうち] birthplace (e.g. of jazz, Buddhism); cradle (e.g. of civilization); place of ori
heisig_story: Altar . . . sheep.
koohii_story: Bringing a sheep to sacrifice on the altar was a sign of an auspicious life. The poor could only afford a pigeon, the more auspicious an expensive sheep for an offering.

kanji: 牲
meaning: animal sacrifice
ja_on: セイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 牛[うし] cow
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 犠牲[ぎせい] sacrifice
犠牲者[ぎせいしゃ] victim (esp. someone killed); casualty
heisig_story: Cow . . . cell.
koohii_story: Animal sacrifice = taking the life of a cow.

kanji: 秩
meaning: regularity
ja_on: チツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
失[シツ] lose
examples: 秩序[ちつじょ] order; discipline; regularity; system; method
無秩序[むちつじょ] disorder; chaos; confusion
heisig_story: Wheat . . . drop.
koohii_story: Think of REGULARITY in terms of bowel movements. Enough WHEAT in your diet will help your DROPS with improved REGULARITY.

kanji: 帝
meaning: sovereign
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: みかど
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
冖[わかんむり] cover
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 帝国[ていこく] empire
皇帝[こうてい] emperor
帝[みかど] emperor (of Japan); mikado
帝国主義[ていこくしゅぎ] imperialism
帝政[ていせい] imperial government; imperialism; monarchical rule
heisig_story: An uncommon, but not altogether unlikely picture of a reigning sovereign has him standing up in his apron , presumably at the behest of HIS sovereign (she who is to be obeyed), who needs help with washing the dishes.
koohii_story: The crazy sovereign stands up from his throne, wearing nothing but a crown and a towel. That's why they try to keep him locked up in the castle away from the public.

kanji: 唆
meaning: tempt
ja_on: サ
ja_kun: そそ.る、そそのか.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
夋
examples: 示唆[しさ] suggestion; hint; implication
唆す[そそのかす] to instigate; to tempt; to entice; to incite
教唆[きょうさ] instigation
heisig_story: Mouth . . . license . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: I named the right part legal prostitute has it represents a walker [ walking legs ] with the license. It's easy to imagine a legal prostitute tempt ing a man with her mouth.

kanji: 阻
meaning: thwart
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: はば.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 阻止[そし] obstruction; prevention; hindrance; check; blocking; stopping
阻む[はばむ] to keep someone from doing; to stop; to prevent; to check; to hinder; to obstruc
阻害[そがい] obstruction; impediment; hindrance; inhibition; blocking; check
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . shelf.
koohii_story: In a last ditch effort to thwart the invaders of The Pinnacle , they push glass shelves over the edge onto their heads below.

kanji: 泰
meaning: peaceful
ja_on: タイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氺[したみず] water
examples: 安泰[あんたい] security; stability; safety; peace
heisig_story: Bonsai . . . rice grains.
koohii_story: If you look into Japanese gardens they seem so peaceful \- with their small bonsais and the white stones looking like rice grains.

kanji: 賄
meaning: bribe
ja_on: ワイ
ja_kun: まかな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
有[ユウ] possess
examples: 賄賂[わいろ] bribe; sweetener; douceur
賄う[まかなう] to supply (goods, money, etc.); to cover (costs); to pay; to finance; to maintai
収賄[しゅうわい] accepting a bribe
贈収賄[ぞうしゅうわい] bribery; corruption
贈賄[ぞうわい] giving a bribe; bribery
heisig_story: To the left we have the primitive for a shellfish , and to the right the kanji we just learned for possess. Keep the connotation of the last frame for the word possess , and now expand your image of shells to include the ancient value they had as money (a usage that will come in very helpful later on). Now one who is possessed by shells is likely to abandon any higher principles to acquire more and more wealth. These are the easiest ones to bribe with a few extra shells.
koohii_story: To bribe someone, money is a necessary possession.

kanji: 撲
meaning: slap
ja_on: ボク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
菐
examples: 相撲[すもう] sumo (wrestling)
打撲[だぼく] blow; hit (on the body); beating
大相撲[おおずもう] professional sumo wrestling
撲滅[ぼくめつ] eradication; extermination; destruction; suppression
相撲取り[すもうとり] sumo wrestler; rikishi
heisig_story: Fingers . . . upside down in a row . . . husbands.
koohii_story: After a row husbands take their wives upsides down over the knee and slap them with their fingers on the bottom (if that doesn't get me banned…).

kanji: 凍
meaning: frozen
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: こお.る、こご.える、こご.る、い.てる、し.みる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
東[トウ] east
examples: 凍る[こおる] to freeze; to become frozen; to freeze over
凍える[こごえる] to freeze (of one's body); to be frozen; to become numb (with cold); to be chill
冷凍[れいとう] freezing; cold storage; refrigeration
凍結[とうけつ] freezing (e.g. water)
冷凍庫[れいとうこ] freezer
冷凍食品[れいとうしょくひん] frozen food
凍死[とうし] death from cold; freezing to death
heisig_story: The whole secret to breaking the ice with the East is to peek behind those mysteriously " frozen smiles. "
koohii_story: Eastern Siberia is often frozen by ice. According to wikipedia, Yakutia (in Eastern Siberia) holds the record as the coldest town on Earth. Check it out yourself…it made it stick for me!

kanji: 堀
meaning: ditch
ja_on: クツ
ja_kun: ほり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
屈[クツ] yield
examples: 堀[ほり] moat; fosse
内堀[うちぼり] inner moat; moat within the castle walls
堀川[ほりかわ] canal
堀江[ほりえ] canal
外堀[そとぼり] outer moat (of a castle)
釣り堀[つりぼり] fish pond (artificially stocked); fishing pond
heisig_story: Soil . . . yield.
koohii_story: (See [dig](../v4/1061.html) (#1061 掘)). When soil finally yielded thanks to your digging efforts, what you have is a ditch.

kanji: 菊
meaning: chrysanthemum
ja_on: キク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
匊[キク] handful
examples: 菊[きく] chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
白菊[しらぎく] white chrysanthemum
heisig_story: Flower . . . bound up . . . rice.
koohii_story: Chrysanthemum flower consists of many tiny petals, just like many rice grains bound up together.

kanji: 絞
meaning: strangle
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: しぼ.る、し.める、し.まる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
交[コウ] mingle
examples: 絞る[しぼる] to wring (towel, rag); to squeeze
絞める[しめる] to strangle; to constrict
絞り込む[しぼりこむ] to squeeze; to wring out
お絞り[おしぼり] wet towel (supplied at table); hot, moistened hand towel
絞り[しぼり] shibori; tie-dye; tie-dyeing
絞殺[こうさつ] strangling (to death); strangulation
絞首刑[こうしゅけい] death by hanging; execution by hanging
heisig_story: Thread . . . mingle.
koohii_story: Spiderman hates going to parties and having to mingle. He wants to strangle someone after just a little small talk.

kanji: 煙
meaning: smoke
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: けむ.る、けむり、けむ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
垔[シュ] to restrain
examples: 煙[けむり] smoke; fumes
煙草[たばこ] tobacco; cigarette; cigar
禁煙[きんえん] abstaining from smoking; quitting smoking
煙たい[けむたい] smoky
煙突[えんとつ] chimney; smokestack; funnel (of a ship); stovepipe
煙い[けむい] smoky
煙る[けむる] to smoke (e.g. fire); to billow smoke; to smoulder; to smolder
喫煙[きつえん] smoking (tobacco)
噴煙[ふんえん] (eruption of) smoke
発煙[はつえん] emitting smoke; fuming
発煙筒[はつえんとう] smoke bomb; smoke candle
硝煙[しょうえん] gunpowder smoke
黒煙[こくえん] black smoke
heisig_story: Hearth . . . Old West . . . ground.
koohii_story: In the Old West , they used to light fires in the ground to make smoke signals.

kanji: 縁
meaning: affinity
ja_on: エン、-ネン
ja_kun: ふち、ふち.どる、ゆかり、よすが、へり、えにし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
彖[タン] divination
examples: 縁[ふち] rim; brim; edge; brink
因縁[いんねん] fate; destiny
無縁[むえん] unrelated; unconnected; irrelevant; indifferent; divorced from; having nothing t
縁談[えんだん] marriage proposal; marriage talks
縁側[えんがわ] engawa
血縁[けつえん] blood relationship; consanguinity
縁起[えんぎ] omen; sign of luck
絶縁[ぜつえん] breaking off relations (with); severing one's connections (with); breaking with
額縁[がくぶち] (picture) frame
heisig_story: Thread . . . broom . . . sow.
koohii_story: There once was a lonely little pig that constantly followed Spiderman, always nuzzling his leg and oinking tenderly. Spiderman finally caved in and decided to keep the little pig under one condition: the pig was to take a broom and sweep up all of Spiderman's leftover threads after having fought crime. The pig felt such affinity for Spiderman, he happily accepted—and did a good job too.

kanji: 唯
meaning: solely
ja_on: ユイ、イ
ja_kun: ただ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 唯一[ゆいいつ] only; sole; unique
唯[ただ] ordinary; common; usual
唯物論[ゆいぶつろん] materialism
heisig_story: Mouth . . . turkey.
koohii_story: The mouth of a turkey is used solely for saying, "Gobble." Likewise, your mouth , full of turkey , is solely used to gobble it up.

kanji: 膨
meaning: swell
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: ふく.らむ、ふく.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
彭[ホウ] swelling
examples: 膨らむ[ふくらむ] to expand; to swell (out); to get big; to become inflated
膨大[ぼうだい] huge; vast; enormous; colossal; extensive; large
膨れる[ふくれる] to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated; to distend; to bulge
膨張[ぼうちょう] expansion; swelling; increase; growth
膨らます[ふくらます] to swell; to expand; to inflate; to bulge
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . drum . . . shape. Compare expand (Frame 1199).
koohii_story: An injured body part may swell. It will begin to throb like a bass drum and will change shape.

kanji: 耐
meaning: -proof
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: た.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 而[しこうして] and also
寸[すん] inch
examples: 耐える[たえる] to bear; to stand; to endure; to put up with
耐性[たいせい] resistance (to heat, corrosion, etc.); tolerance (to a drug, pain, etc.)
忍耐[にんたい] endurance; perseverance; patience
耐久[たいきゅう] endurance; persistence
耐久性[たいきゅうせい] durability
耐火[たいか] fireproof
耐熱[たいねつ] heat-resisting
heisig_story: The key word is a suffix used to indicate "safe from" or "protected against," as in the words rust proof , water proof , and fire proof. It is composed of: comb . . . glue.
koohii_story: [akrodha] My comb is rust-proof, water-proof, and fire-proof. But unfortunately it is not idiot-proof–and I glued it to myself.

kanji: 恋
meaning: romance
ja_on: レン
ja_kun: こ.う、こい、こい.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亦[エキ] also
心[こころ] heart
examples: 恋[こい] (romantic) love
恋人[こいびと] lover; sweetheart; boyfriend; girlfriend
恋愛[れんあい] love; romance; tender passion; emotion; affections
恋する[こいする] to fall in love (with); to love
恋しい[こいしい] yearned for; longed for; missed
初恋[はつこい] first love; puppy love
失恋[しつれん] disappointed love; broken heart; unrequited love; being lovelorn
恋心[こいごころ] (feelings of) love
恋文[こいぶみ] love letter
悲恋[ひれん] blighted love; disappointed love
heisig_story: Apple . . . heart.
koohii_story: The romance between Snow White and Prince Charming started when Snow White took a bite of poison apple and her heart stopped.

kanji: 塾
meaning: cram school
ja_on: ジュク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 孰[ジュク] which
土[つち] earth
examples: 塾[じゅく] cram school; private tutoring school; juku
塾生[じゅくせい] cram school student; student of a private-tutoring school
塾長[じゅくちょう] principal of a private school
私塾[しじゅく] small private school (esp. for cramming)
heisig_story: Cram schools are after-hours educational institutions where kids can do concentrated preparing for their coming entrance examinations or drill what they missed during regular class hours. The exception are the tall children who are out on the school grounds practicing sports, and the fat ones who are out there burning off calories. So this character depicts those who do NOT go to the cram schools , rather than those who do.
koohii_story: Welcome to our cram school : you will receive a rounded education on our grounds.

kanji: 漏
meaning: leak
ja_on: ロウ
ja_kun: も.る、も.れる、も.らす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
尸[しかばね] corpse
雨[あめ] rain
examples: 漏れる[もれる] to leak out; to escape; to come through; to shine through; to filter out
漏らす[もらす] to let leak; to let out (e.g. light)
漏る[もる] to leak; to run out
漏洩[ろうえい] leak (of secrets, information, etc.); disclosure; divulging
雨漏り[あまもり] roof leak
heisig_story: Water . . . flag . . . rain.
koohii_story: WATER always LEAK ED in the spot left by the FLAG planted in the roof everytime it RAINED. Not too hard to picture a hole left in the ceiling from a flag, now leak ing water.

kanji: 慶
meaning: jubilation
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: よろこ.び
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
心[こころ] heart
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 国慶節[こっけいせつ] anniversary of founding (of PRC); national celebration time
弁慶[べんけい] strong person; person putting on a brave front
慶事[けいじ] happy event; auspicious event; matter for congratulation
慶弔[けいちょう] congratulations and condolences
慶祝[けいしゅく] congratulation; celebration
heisig_story: Deer . . . crown (note the doubling up) . . . heart . . . walking legs. You may recall that we met the relative primitives at the bottom here before, in the kanji for melancholy (Frame 663).
koohii_story: In this kanji, " deer " replaces the "head" primitive from the "melancholy" kanji. Poor Ned is feeling melancholy so Uncle Jimbo (of South Park animated series) suggests a good deer huntin' trip to fix that and turn that melancholy into jubilation.

kanji: 猛
meaning: fierce
ja_on: モウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
孟[モウ] chief
examples: 猛烈[もうれつ] fierce; intense; severe; violent; strong; vehement; terrific; terrible
猛獣[もうじゅう] fierce animal; beast of prey; big game
猛攻[もうこう] fierce attack
猛威[もうい] fury; power; menace
猛打[もうだ] heavy blow; heavy hit
猛暑[もうしょ] heat wave; fierce heat
heisig_story: Wild dogs . . . child . . . dish.
koohii_story: The fierce WILD DOG attacked the CHILD who came near his feeding DISH.

kanji: 芳
meaning: perfume
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: かんば.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
方[ほう] direction
examples: 芳しい[かんばしい] sweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic
芳香[ほうこう] perfume; fragrance; aroma; balm; sweet scent
heisig_story: Here we see a special compass used to pick out those flowers most suited for making good perfumes.
koohii_story: She used a perfume so strong, that you can track her by following the direction of the smell of flowers.
heisig_keyword: perfumed

kanji: 懲
meaning: penal
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: こ.りる、こ.らす、こ.らしめる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 徴[チョウ] indications
心[こころ] heart
examples: 懲りる[こりる] to learn by experience; to learn one's lesson; to learn the hard way
懲役[ちょうえき] penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor (hard labour)
懲罰[ちょうばつ] discipline; punishment; reprimand
勧善懲悪[かんぜんちょうあく] rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice
懲戒[ちょうかい] discipline; punishment; reprimand
heisig_story: Indications . . . heart.
koohii_story: Penal servitude is served until indications show that one has had a change of heart (learned one's lesson). Easily confused with [punish](../v4/679.html) (#679 刑) and [penalty](../v4/833.html) (#833 罰). Concentrate on the reasons behind the penal system ("changing people's hearts" here), instead of the penal ty itself or the punishment (revenge) aspect. It may help to note that there's no sword, but a heart :-) (Note: 懲りる = learn from one's bad experiences).

kanji: 郊
meaning: outskirts
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 交[コウ] mingle
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 郊外[こうがい] suburb; residential area on the outskirt of a city; commuter belt
近郊[きんこう] outskirts; environs (of a city); surrounding area; surroundings
heisig_story: Mingle . . . city walls.
koohii_story: The country folk and and the city folk mingle at the outskirts of town, just past the city walls.

kanji: 剣
meaning: sabre
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: つるぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 㑒
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 真剣[しんけん] serious; earnest
剣[けん] sword (esp. a large, double-edged one); blade
剣士[けんし] swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
剣道[けんどう] kendo
刀剣[とうけん] sword; dagger; knife; bayonet
剣劇[けんげき] sword play; samurai drama
heisig_story: Awl . . . saber. As we promised way back in frame 87, here at last is the kanji on which the primitive element of the same name is based.
koohii_story: If it helps, make the awl primitive ice pick instead. They're basically the same thing. This kanji is an easy David vs. Goliath story of the icepick vs. the saber …
heisig_keyword: saber

kanji: 腰
meaning: loins
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: こし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
要[ヨウ] need
examples: 腰[こし] lower back; waist; hips; lumbar region
腰掛ける[こしかける] to sit (down)
足腰[あしこし] legs and loins; lower body
物腰[ものごし] manner; demeanour; demeanor; bearing
腰掛け[こしかけ] seat; bench
弱腰[よわごし] weak attitude
本腰[ほんごし] strenuous effort; earnestness; seriousness
腰痛[ようつう] lower back pain; lumbago
腰部[ようぶ] loins; hips; pelvic region; waist
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . need.
koohii_story: If you want to get closer to the actual meaning, then I think that 腰 (こし) is more like the hips or the small of the back. After being sat down in the office too long, people often say [腰がいたい！](midori://search?text=腰がいたい！) It's the part of the body that needs massaging.

kanji: 踊
meaning: jump
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: おど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
甬[ヨウ] road with walls on both sides
examples: 踊る[おどる] to dance (orig. a hopping dance)
踊り[おどり] dance
踊り場[おどりば] place for dancing; dance floor
盆踊り[ぼんおどり] Bon Festival dance; Lantern Festival dance
舞踊[ぶよう] dancing; dance
踊り子[おどりこ] dancer (usu. female)
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . chop-seal . . . utilize.
koohii_story: The winner of the long jump competition was disqualified when they found he used a pogo stick tied to his leg to jump further.

kanji: 彰
meaning: patent
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 章[ショウ] badge
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 表彰[ひょうしょう] (official) commendation; public recognition (of someone's achievements, good dee
表彰状[ひょうしょうじょう] testimonial; certificate of commendation
顕彰[けんしょう] honouring (publicly); honoring; making someone's good deeds or achievements well
heisig_story: Badge . . . shape. The key word is synonymous with "clear" or "openly expressed."
koohii_story: The shape of a sheriff's badge makes it patent who he is.

kanji: 棋
meaning: chess piece
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: ご
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
其[キ] that
examples: 将棋[しょうぎ] shogi; Japanese chess
将棋倒し[しょうぎだおし] falling down one after another (like dominoes)
棋士[きし] professional shogi player; professional go player
棋聖[きせい] great master of go; great master of shogi
棋譜[きふ] record of a game of go, shogi, chess, etc.
棋院[きいん] go institution; go club; go hall
heisig_story: Tree . . . bushel basket.
koohii_story: Chess piece = wooden rook.

kanji: 恒
meaning: constancy
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: つね、つねに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
亘[コウ] span
examples: 恒例[こうれい] established practice; custom
恒久[こうきゅう] permanence; perpetuity
恒常[こうじょう] constancy; permanence
恒星[こうせい] star
heisig_story: State of mind . . . span.
koohii_story: Constancy is holding the same state of mind over a long span of time. (tweaking PepeSeco and mspertus).

kanji: 眠
meaning: sleep
ja_on: ミン
ja_kun: ねむ.る、ねむ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
民[ミン] people
examples: 眠る[ねむる] to sleep
眠い[ねむい] sleepy; drowsy; somnolent
眠り[ねむり] sleep; sleeping
睡眠[すいみん] sleep
眠気[ねむけ] sleepiness; drowsiness
居眠り[いねむり] nodding off (while sitting); dozing
眠たい[ねむたい] sleepy; drowsy
催眠[さいみん] hypnosis
安眠[あんみん] sound sleep; good sleep; quiet sleep
冬眠[とうみん] hibernation; winter sleep; brumation; torpor
不眠[ふみん] sleeplessness; insomnia; wakefulness
不眠症[ふみんしょう] sleeplessness; insomnia; wakefulness
heisig_story: Eyes . . . people.
koohii_story: In an Orwellian sense, the eye watching the people never sleep s.

kanji: 揚
meaning: raise
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: あ.げる、-あ.げ、あ.がる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 高揚[こうよう] elevation (of spirits); raising (of morale); uplift; upsurge
抑揚[よくよう] intonation; accent; modulation; inflection
揚げ[あげ] deep-frying; deep-fried food
引揚者[ひきあげしゃ] returnee (esp. Japanese person repatriated to Japan proper from its former colon
掲揚[けいよう] hoisting (e.g. a flag); raising; flying; putting up
旗揚げ[はたあげ] raising an army
水揚げ[みずあげ] landing; unloading (e.g. a ship)
浮揚[ふよう] floating (e.g. in air, water); floatation; buoyancy; buoying up (e.g. economy)
荷揚げ[にあげ] unloading; landing
heisig_story: Fingers . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: My piggy bank is so heavy that I cannot HOIST it using just my fingers.
heisig_keyword: hoist

kanji: 冒
meaning: risk
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: おか.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
目[め] eye
examples: 冒険[ぼうけん] adventure; venture
冒す[おかす] to brave; to risk; to face; to venture
冒頭[ぼうとう] beginning; opening; start; outset
heisig_story: Remember when you were young and your mother told you never to look directly into the sun for fear you might burn out your eyes? Probably you were foolish enough to risk a quick glance once or twice, but just as probably, you passed that bit of folk wisdom on to someone else as you grew older. Here, too, the kanji that has a sun above and an eye right below looking up at it has the meaning of risk (see frame 12).
koohii_story: Don't look at the sun directly with your eyes, it's risk y!

kanji: 曽
meaning: formerly
ja_on: ソウ、ソ、ゾウ
ja_kun: かつ、かつて、すなわち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 八[はち] eight
田[た] rice paddy
日[ひ] sun
heisig_story: This primitive (named for its associations with the kanji of the following frame) is composed of a pair of horns growing out of a brain with a tongue wagging in the mouth beneath. Think of " former " in connection with administrators or heads of state who have just left office but continue to make a nuisance of themselves by advertising their opinions on public policy.
koohii_story: The Artist formerly Known as Prince has the horniest brain around, and I think you can imagine what his wagging tongue is doing…

kanji: 倫
meaning: ethics
ja_on: リン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
侖[リン] think
examples: 不倫[ふりん] adultery; impropriety; (an) affair; immorality
倫理[りんり] ethics; morals
倫理学[りんりがく] ethics; moral philosophy
倫理的[りんりてき] ethical
heisig_story: Person . . . meeting . . . scrapbook.
koohii_story: Mr. T talks about ethics at the academic conference. "I pity the fool who gets caught plagarizing someone else's stuff!".

kanji: 陳
meaning: exhibit
ja_on: チン
ja_kun: ひ.ねる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
東[トウ] east
examples: 陳腐[ちんぷ] stale; hackneyed; clichéd
陳列[ちんれつ] exhibition; display; putting on show
新陳代謝[しんちんたいしゃ] renewal; replacement; regeneration; rejuvenation
陳情[ちんじょう] petition; appeal
陳謝[ちんしゃ] apology
陳述[ちんじゅつ] statement; declaration
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . east.
koohii_story: Every morning at The Pinnacle , the residents line up on the East side for morning stretches and leisure.
heisig_keyword: line up

kanji: 憶
meaning: recollection
ja_on: オク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
意[イ] idea
examples: 記憶[きおく] memory; recollection; remembrance
憶測[おくそく] guess; speculation; supposition
heisig_story: State of mind . . . idea.
koohii_story: Recollection is about bringing ideas back to your mind.

kanji: 怖
meaning: dreadful
ja_on: フ、ホ
ja_kun: こわ.い、こわ.がる、お.じる、おそ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
布[フ] linen
examples: 怖い[こわい] scary; frightening; eerie; dreadful
恐怖[きょうふ] fear; dread; dismay; terror; horror; scare; panic
怖がる[こわがる] to be afraid (of); to fear; to be frightened (of); to be scared (of); to worry (
恐怖症[きょうふしょう] phobia; morbid fear
heisig_story: State of mind . . . linen.
koohii_story: Someone in a dreadful state of mind has crawled into his bed and is hiding under the sheets ( linens ).
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 怖い 市民

kanji: 潜
meaning: submerge
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: ひそ.む、もぐ.る、かく.れる、くぐ.る、ひそ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
替[タイ] exchange
examples: 潜む[ひそむ] to lurk; to be hidden; to be concealed; to lie dormant; to be latent
潜る[くぐる] to go under; to pass under; to go through; to pass through
潜入[せんにゅう] infiltration; sneaking in; going undercover
潜伏[せんぷく] concealment; hiding; ambush
潜水[せんすい] diving; submerging; going underwater
原潜[げんせん] nuclear submarine
潜在[せんざい] potentiality; dormancy; latency
潜水艦[せんすいかん] submarine
heisig_story: Water . . . exchange.
koohii_story: When a submarine or similar vessel SUBMERGE S an EXCHANGE of air for WATER takes place in special compartments.

kanji: 珍
meaning: rare
ja_on: チン
ja_kun: めずら.しい、たから
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
人[ひと] person
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 珍しい[めずらしい] rare; uncommon; unusual; curious
珍[ちん] rare
珍味[ちんみ] delicacy; dainties
珍品[ちんぴん] curio; rare article
珍重[ちんちょう] prizing; valuing highly; esteeming
heisig_story: Jewel . . . umbrella . . . shape.
koohii_story: The king has a really rare umbrella, it can change shape.

kanji: 克
meaning: overcome
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: か.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 古[コ] old
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: 克服[こくふく] conquest (of a difficulty, illness, crisis, etc.); overcoming; surmounting; brin
克明[こくめい] detailed; scrupulous; careful; minute; faithful; elaborate
heisig_story: In this frame we get a chance to use the kanji we just learned in its primitive meaning of teenager. The needle on top indicates one of the major problems confronting the teenager growing up in today's world: drugs. Many of them will fall under the shadow of the needle at some time during those tender years, but only when a whole generation rises up and decides that "We Shall Overcome " the plague, will the needle cease to hangover their heads, as it does in this character.
koohii_story: Ten elder brothers can overcome anything.

kanji: 岳
meaning: point
ja_on: ガク
ja_kun: たけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丘[キュウ] hill
山[やま] mountain
examples: 山岳[さんがく] mountain chain; mountains
岳[たけ] (high) mountain; Mount; Mt.
heisig_story: Think of the key word as referring to proper names of mountains, but do not confuse with mountain pass (Frame 835). The elements are: hill . . . mountain.
koohii_story: A point is a extra little hill at the top of a mountain. We'll call it 'Fireman's Point '.
heisig_keyword: Point

kanji: 概
meaning: outline
ja_on: ガイ
ja_kun: おおむ.ね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
既[キ] previously
examples: 概念[がいねん] general idea; concept; notion
大概[たいがい] generally; mainly; usually; normally; mostly; for the most part
概要[がいよう] outline; summary; overview; synopsis; abstract; abridgment; abridgement
気概[きがい] strong spirit; mettle; backbone; guts; fighting spirit
一概に[いちがいに] unconditionally; as a rule
概略[がいりゃく] outline; summary; gist; in brief
概論[がいろん] introduction; outline; general remarks
新概念[しんがいねん] new concept
概況[がいきょう] outlook; general situation
概算[がいさん] approximation; rough estimate; ballpark figure
heisig_story: Roots . . . waitress. Note that the kanji meaning of the two primitives to the right is not used here because we shall later meet a primitive meaning beforehand and want to preempt any confusion. The same holds true in the following frame.
koohii_story: A murder has been commited. A corpse was found under a tree. The police chalks the outline of the victim, an old silvered -haired waitress working at a restaurant nearby.

kanji: 拘
meaning: arrest
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: かか.わる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
句[ク] phrase
examples: 拘束[こうそく] restriction; restraint; binding; constraint
にも拘らず[にもかかわらず] in spite of; despite; although
拘留[こうりゅう] custody; detention; confinement
拘禁[こうきん] detention; custody; confinement; internment
拘置[こうち] detention; confinement; arrest
拘置所[こうちしょ] prison; detention house; detention center; jail
heisig_story: Fingers . . . phrase.
koohii_story: You approach the thief from behind, stick your finger at his back to fake a gun, and say the phrase "You're under arrest ".

kanji: 黙
meaning: silence
ja_on: モク、ボク
ja_kun: だま.る、もだ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 黒[くろ] black
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 黙る[だまる] to be silent; to say nothing
沈黙[ちんもく] silence; being silent; quiet; hush
黙認[もくにん] tacit approval; tacit permission; connivance; acquiescence; toleration; overlook
寡黙[かもく] untalkative; quiet; taciturn; reticent; uncommunicative
暗黙[あんもく] tacit; unspoken; implicit
黙殺[もくさつ] ignoring; disregarding; taking no notice of; refusing to comment on; turning a d
heisig_story: Oddly enough, the character for silence shows us a black chihuahua. Actually, the cute little critter's name is Darkness, as I am sure you remember from the famous song about silence that begins, "Hello, Darkness, my old friend...." Note how the four dots reach all the way across the bottom of the character.
koohii_story: The computer won't stop beeping, which is making the chihauhua bark, and it's driving this guy insane. The only solution he can come up with is to throw them both on the fire and finally enjoy the silence.

kanji: 須
meaning: ought
ja_on: ス、シュ
ja_kun: すべから.く、すべし、ひげ、まつ、もち.いる、もと.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彡[さんづくり] hair-style
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 必須[ひっす] indispensable; essential; requisite; required; compulsory; necessary
必須条件[ひっすじょうけん] essential condition
heisig_story: Shape . . . head. This is the only time that shape is placed to the left of its relative element, the head.
koohii_story: Why, I OUGHT to RESHAPE your HEAD…

kanji: 偏
meaning: partial
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: かたよ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
扁[ヘン] level
examples: 偏見[へんけん] prejudice; bias; distorted view
偏る[かたよる] to lean (to one side); to incline
偏差値[へんさち] deviation value (usu. scaled to mean of 50, standard deviation of 10, and often
不偏不党[ふへんふとう] impartiality; neutrality; independence
偏り[かたより] deviation; inclination; offset; bias; prejudice
偏向[へんこう] propensity; tendency; inclination; deflection
偏狭[へんきょう] narrow-mindedness; intolerance; illiberality; narrowness
偏重[へんちょう] attaching too much importance to; placing disproportionate emphasis on; making t
偏食[へんしょく] unbalanced diet
heisig_story: Person . . . door . . . scrapbook. The sense of the key-word is that of having a bias or preference for someone or something.
koohii_story: Mr. T is very partial to hentai comic books. I know because he dropped a pile of them when I accidentally bumped into him at the door to kinokuniya!

kanji: 雰
meaning: atmosphere
ja_on: フン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
分[ブン] part
examples: 雰囲気[ふんいき] atmosphere; mood; ambience; ambiance; aura; feel
koohii_story: (This is atmosphere as in ambiance, mood). Rain is only part of the atmosphere for a romantic porch date. Food, music, and candles are the rest.

kanji: 遇
meaning: meet
ja_on: グウ
ja_kun: あ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禺[グ] long-tailed monkey
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遭遇[そうぐう] encounter; running into; meeting with (e.g. an accident); being confronted with
境遇[きょうぐう] one's circumstances; environment; situation (in life)
待遇[たいぐう] treatment; reception; service
処遇[しょぐう] treatment (of a person); dealing with
優遇[ゆうぐう] favorable treatment; favourable treatment; hospitality; warm reception; good tre
冷遇[れいぐう] cold reception; inhospitality
最優遇[さいゆうぐう] most favourable treatment; most favorable treatment; very warm reception
heisig_story: Talking Cricket . . . road.
koohii_story: I was finally able to score an interview with the wisest being around: Jiminy Cricket. However, his schedule is really packed, so they had to squeeze me in while his tour bus rode between gigs. In fact, it was really short—after a few miles I was kicked out of the bus and stranded in the middle of the interstate. But man, it was worth it!
heisig_keyword: interview

kanji: 諮
meaning: consult with
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: はか.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
咨[シ] investigate
examples: 諮る[はかる] to consult with; to discuss; to confer; to deliberate
諮問[しもん] consultation; question; enquiry; inquiry
heisig_story: To seek the words of a second mouth is to consult with someone about something.
koohii_story: Having a word with the next mouth over, like a neighbor, is usually a good way to consult with somebody for cheap. Because, you know, actual consultants charge huge sums.

kanji: 狭
meaning: cramped
ja_on: キョウ、コウ
ja_kun: せま.い、せば.める、せば.まる、さ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
夹
examples: 狭い[せまい] narrow; confined; small; cramped
狭間[はざま] interval; space; interstice; threshold
狭まる[せばまる] to narrow; to contract
狭める[せばめる] to narrow; to reduce; to contract
偏狭[へんきょう] narrow-mindedness; intolerance; illiberality; narrowness
狭心症[きょうしんしょう] angina pectoris
heisig_story: Pack of wild dogs . . . scissors.
koohii_story: In a CRAMPED space, a brave man holds off PACK OF WILD DOGS with only a pair of SCISSORS.

kanji: 喫
meaning: consume
ja_on: キツ
ja_kun: の.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
契[ケイ] pledge
examples: 喫茶店[きっさてん] coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe
満喫[まんきつ] having one's fill (of food or drink); eating (drinking) to one's heart's content
喫茶[きっさ] tea drinking
喫する[きっする] to eat; to drink; to smoke; to take
喫煙[きつえん] smoking (tobacco)
heisig_story: Mouth . . . pledge.
koohii_story: This means eat/drink/smoke. Maybe you make a pledge to stop gutsing/binging/puffing, but your own mouth is tempting you to put something in it.

kanji: 卓
meaning: eminent
ja_on: タク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 卜[ぼく] oracle
早[ソウ] early
examples: 食卓[しょくたく] dining table
卓[たく] table; desk
卓越[たくえつ] preeminence; excellence; superiority; transcendence
円卓[えんたく] round table
卓上[たくじょう] desktop; desk-top; tabletop
卓球[たっきゅう] table tennis; ping-pong
電卓[でんたく] calculator (electronic); pocket calculator
heisig_story: The word eminent suggests a famous or well-known person. So all you need to do - given the primitives of a magic wand and a sunflower \- is to think of the world's most eminent magician as one who uses a sunflower for a magic wand (like a flower-child who goes around turning the world into peace and love).
koohii_story: The most eminent magician is he who learned to use his magic wand early in life.

kanji: 亀
meaning: tortoise
ja_on: キ、キュウ、キン
ja_kun: かめ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 电
examples: 亀裂[きれつ] crack; crevice; fissure; chap; rift
亀[かめ] tortoise; turtle
heisig_story: This is not a turtle (See frame 250) but a tortoise , however you wish to picture the difference. Let the " bound up " at the to prefer to the head, and the two suns , with a long tail running through it, to the shell.
koohii_story: It seems bizarre, but tortoise s are a genetic cross with the head of a fish and the tail of an eel. Where the shell comes from, no one knows.

kanji: 糧
meaning: provisions
ja_on: リョウ、ロウ
ja_kun: かて
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
量[リョウ] quantity
examples: 食糧[しょくりょう] food (esp. staple food such as rice or wheat); provisions; rations; food supply
兵糧[ひょうろう] (army) provisions; food
糧食[りょうしょく] provisions
食糧庁[しょくりょうちょう] food agency
heisig_story: Rice . . . quantity.
koohii_story: Imagine Japanese army provisions like obentou boxes, always containing the same quantity of rice. (thanks dargsama, emphasizing quantity_ and the nuance of food "rations", "food supply": the kanji also appears in "military provisions " and "army rice").

kanji: 簿
meaning: register
ja_on: ボ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
溥[フ] far and wide
examples: 名簿[めいぼ] register of names; list of names; roll; register; roster
帳簿[ちょうぼ] account book; register; ledger
家計簿[かけいぼ] household account book
簿記[ぼき] bookkeeping
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . water . . . acupuncturist.
koohii_story: Note : the keyword is not a verb, think of a record book. This acupuncturist who uses bamboo in place of flowers to dilute water into his patients (see frame 227), managed somehow to appear on the register of acupuncturists. Chances are, he won't stay on the register for long. My image is close to that of gorgon's story.

kanji: 炉
meaning: hearth
ja_on: ロ
ja_kun: いろり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
戸[コ] door
examples: 暖炉[だんろ] fireplace; hearth; stove
原子炉[げんしろ] atomic reactor; nuclear reactor
溶鉱炉[ようこうろ] smelting furnace; blast furnace
炉心[ろしん] nuclear reactor core
高炉[こうろ] blast furnace
heisig_story: Hearth fire . . . door.
koohii_story: This hearth is equipped with a fire -proof door. On the kanji you can see somewhat pictographically the fire -proof door keeping the fire behind, and nothing comes under the door primitive, where you would have expected to see another primitive.

kanji: 殊
meaning: particularly
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: こと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
朱[シュ] vermilion
examples: 特殊[とくしゅ] special; particular; peculiar; unique
殊勝[しゅしょう] admirable; laudable
殊に[ことに] especially; particularly; unusually; above all
殊勲[しゅくん] distinguished services; meritorious deeds
特殊法人[とくしゅほうじん] semigovernmental corporation
heisig_story: Bones . . . vermilion.
koohii_story: A t-bone steak is vermilion - particularly if served rare.

kanji: 殖
meaning: augment
ja_on: ショク
ja_kun: ふ.える、ふ.やす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
直[チョク] straightaway
examples: 増殖[ぞうしょく] increase; multiplication; propagation; proliferation
繁殖[はんしょく] breeding; propagation; reproduction; multiplication; increase
殖える[ふえる] to increase; to multiply
利殖[りしょく] money-making
拓殖[たくしょく] colonization; colonisation; development; settlement; exploitation
生殖[せいしょく] reproduction
養殖[ようしょく] aquaculture; culture; cultivation; raising
heisig_story: Bones . . . straightaway.
koohii_story: Advertisement for Breast Implants – Tired of nights all alone? Want to get boned straightaway? AUGMENT your breasts and all your troubles will be solved!

kanji: 艦
meaning: warship
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
監[カン] oversee
examples: 艦[かん] warship
艦隊[かんたい] (naval) fleet; armada
戦艦[せんかん] battleship
軍艦[ぐんかん] warship; battleship
潜水艦[せんすいかん] submarine
航空母艦[こうくうぼかん] aircraft carrier
艦船[かんせん] warships and other vessels
艦艇[かんてい] naval vessels; warships
駆逐艦[くちくかん] destroyer (ship)
heisig_story: Boat . . . oversee.
koohii_story: The warship towers over the smaller benign boats , overseeing their safe path from port to port.

kanji: 溶
meaning: melt
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: と.ける、と.かす、と.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
容[ヨウ] contain
examples: 溶ける[とける] to melt; to liquefy; to soften (e.g. through heat); to thaw
溶かす[とかす] to melt; to liquefy; to thaw
溶け込む[とけこむ] to melt into; to dissolve into; to merge into
溶岩[ようがん] lava
溶く[とく] to mix (e.g. water with flour); to dissolve (salt in water, paint, etc.); to mix
溶液[ようえき] solution (liquid)
水溶性[すいようせい] water-soluble
溶接[ようせつ] welding
溶解[ようかい] dissolution; dissolving; solution (e.g. chemical)
溶鉱炉[ようこうろ] smelting furnace; blast furnace
heisig_story: Water . . . contain.
koohii_story: Think of what happens when the snow on top of the mountains melt s: it turns into water and flows down onto the rooftops of all the houses in the valley below.

kanji: 輩
meaning: comrade
ja_on: ハイ
ja_kun: -ばら、やから、やかい、ともがら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 非[あらず] wrong
車[くるま] vehicle
examples: 先輩[せんぱい] senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder; older person; predecessor
後輩[こうはい] junior (at work, school, etc.); younger people; younger student
輩出[はいしゅつ] producing (people) in great numbers; appearing one after the other
heisig_story: Jail cell . . . car.
koohii_story: Some man jailed in Russia, is freed by his comrade (from the Communist party perhaps), who crashes into the jail cell with a vehicle.

kanji: 奇
meaning: strange
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: く.しき、あや.しい、くし、めずら.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 大[だい] large
可[カ] can
examples: 奇跡[きせき] miracle; wonder; marvel
奇妙[きみょう] strange; odd; peculiar; queer; curious
好奇心[こうきしん] curiosity; inquisitiveness
奇襲[きしゅう] surprise attack
奇怪[きかい] strange; wonderful; weird; outrageous; mysterious
奇抜[きばつ] (very) unusual; unconventional; eccentric; novel; original; striking; bizarre; w
奇異[きい] odd; strange; queer; peculiar
怪奇[かいき] bizarre; strange; weird; mysterious
奇数[きすう] odd number
奇病[きびょう] strange disease; rare disease
奇術[きじゅつ] magic; conjuring; sleight of hand; legerdemain
heisig_story: The elements we are given to work with here are St. Bernard dog and can. Lots of phrases pop to mind to attach these words to the key word, but they end up too abstract because of the word can. It is important in such cases (and there will be plenty of them as we go along) to stick closely to the elements, in this case, mouth and nails. Now all we need do is create a fictitious " Strange But True " column in the Sunday funnies, featuring a St. Bernard whose mouth has been nailed shut because he was hitting the brandy keg around his neck too hard.
koohii_story: I find it strange that so many people commit suicide in Tokyo by throwing themselves in front of the train. To me when I look at this kanji, I see a train just about to come out of a tunnel, and above the man waiting for his oppourtunity where he can end it all.

kanji: 慢
meaning: ridicule
ja_on: マン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
曼[マン] wide
examples: 我慢[がまん] endurance; patience; perseverance; bearing (with something)
自慢[じまん] pride (in one's achievements, possessions, etc.); self-praise; boast
傲慢[ごうまん] haughty; arrogant; insolent; proud; overbearing
緩慢[かんまん] slow; sluggish; dull; slack; inactive
怠慢[たいまん] negligence; neglect; carelessness; procrastination
慢性[まんせい] chronic (illness)
慢性的[まんせいてき] chronic
heisig_story: State of mind . . . mandala.
koohii_story: I'll focus on the mandala primitive here. I guess Heisig chose this keyword for phonetic reasons and as a character it's the "man" in mandara/mandala ( 曼荼羅 ). A mandala is a graphic representation of the universe, here split in 3 planes of existance, the sun representing the cosmos, the eye represents the human observer, the crotch represents the animal instincts.

kanji: 鶴
meaning: crane
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: つる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 寉[つる] crane (bird)
鳥[とり] bird
examples: 鶴[つる] crane (any bird of the family Gruidae, esp. the red-crowned crane, Grus japonens
heisig_story: Turkey house . . . bird. The first element appears on only one other occasion, back in frame 609.
koohii_story: The original version of the "Ugly Duckling" was about a crane who grew up in a turkey coop. All the other birds made fun of it for not having a wattle or a snood or fanning its tail…

kanji: 謀
meaning: conspire
ja_on: ボウ、ム
ja_kun: はか.る、たばか.る、はかりごと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
某[ボウ] so-and-so
examples: 無謀[むぼう] reckless; thoughtless; rash; ill-advised; impulsive; mad (e.g. scheme)
陰謀[いんぼう] plot; intrigue; scheme
参謀[さんぼう] staff officer; military staff
共謀[きょうぼう] conspiracy; collusion; complicity
謀略[ぼうりゃく] scheme; plot; artifice; stratagem; trick
首謀[しゅぼう] plotting; planning (crime, intrigue)
heisig_story: Words . . . so-and-so.
koohii_story: I imagine a clique of catty girls conspiring against a another girl…they are exchanging lots of words , chatting about how so-and-so girl is now up to such-and-such (gasp!), and how they will spread the word about it.

kanji: 拍
meaning: clap
ja_on: ハク、ヒョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
白[しろ] white
examples: 拍手[はくしゅ] clapping hands; applause
拍子[ひょうし] time; meter; metre; rhythm
脈拍[みゃくはく] pulse; pulse rate; pulsation; stroke of pulse
拍車[はくしゃ] (riding) spur
heisig_story: Fingers . . . white.
koohii_story: (Image: the most snooty prim and proper English Lord with white gloves clap ping only with his fingers. "Oh bravo old chap. Bravo…").

kanji: 丈
meaning: length
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: たけ、だけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
乂[ガイ] mow
examples: 大丈夫[だいじょうぶ] safe; secure; sound; problem-free; without fear; all right; alright; OK; okay
丈夫[じょうぶ] healthy; robust; strong; solid; durable
頑丈[がんじょう] solid; firm; stout; burly; strong; sturdy
丈[たけ] height; stature
気丈[きじょう] stout-hearted; firm; courageous; brave; tough
背丈[せたけ] stature; height
波乱万丈[はらんばんじょう] stormy and full of drama; full of ups and downs; with many vicissitudes
heisig_story: The length whose measure this kanji depicts extends from the tip of one hand to the tip of the other with arms at full length. Notice the final stroke, which cuts across the vertical second stroke to distinguish it from large (Frame 112).
koohii_story: Both a meter and a yard are about one arm-length.

kanji: 寛
meaning: tolerant
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: くつろ.ぐ、ひろ.い、ゆる.やか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
莧[カン] edible greens
examples: 寛ぐ[くつろぐ] to relax; to feel at home
寛大[かんだい] tolerant; generous; lenient; broad-minded; magnanimous
寛容[かんよう] tolerance; open-mindedness; forbearance; generosity; magnanimity
heisig_story: The house of flowers or "hothouse" has become a metaphor for a narrow- minded, biased, and intolerant attitude distrustful of change. Tolerance , in contrast, is open-minded and welcomes novelty. The way to encourage tolerance in those who lack it is first to have them see through their own hothouse attitudes, which is the very counsel we are given in this kanji.
koohii_story: A tolerant person will ignore SEEing GRASS (marijuana) in the HOUSE of a friend.

kanji: 覆
meaning: capsize
ja_on: フク
ja_kun: おお.う、くつがえ.す、くつがえ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 覀[にし] cover
復[フク] restore
examples: 覆う[おおう] to cover; to hide; to conceal; to wrap; to disguise
覆す[くつがえす] to overturn; to capsize; to upset
覆る[くつがえる] to topple over; to be overturned; to capsize
覆面[ふくめん] mask; veil; disguise
転覆[てんぷく] overturning; capsizing
heisig_story: West . . . restore.
koohii_story: The U.S.S. Old West has capsize d, and all the cowboys on board are trying to restore her upright.

kanji: 胞
meaning: placenta
ja_on: ホウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
包[ホウ] wrap
examples: 細胞[さいぼう] cell
同胞[どうほう] brethren; brothers; fellow countrymen; fellowman; compatriot
細胞内[さいぼうない] inside the cell; intracellular
胞子[ほうし] spore
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . wrap.
koohii_story: Imagine a newborn baby, fresh out of the womb, being entirely wrapped by the long piece of flesh , called a placenta , that once fed him.

kanji: 涙
meaning: tears
ja_on: ルイ、レイ
ja_kun: なみだ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
戻[レイ] re-
examples: 涙[なみだ] tear; tears; lachrymal secretion
涙声[なみだごえ] tearful voice
催涙[さいるい] tear-inducing
感涙[かんるい] tears (from being deeply moved); tears of gratitude
涙ぐましい[なみだぐましい] touching; moving; painful
heisig_story: Water . . . re-. Do not confuse with cry (Frame 463).
koohii_story: I see the story of Hachiko: the faithfull dog who still waited for his master to return long after he had died. Brings a tear to the eye.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 涙 戻

kanji: 隔
meaning: isolate
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: へだ.てる、へだ.たる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
鬲[れき] tripod
examples: 間隔[かんかく] space; interval
隔てる[へだてる] to separate (by distance, time, etc.); to isolate; to partition; to divide
隔離[かくり] isolation; segregation; separation; quarantine
遠隔[えんかく] distant; remote; isolated
隔たり[へだたり] distance; difference; gap; disparity; gulf; chasm; estrangement
隔たる[へだたる] to be distant
隔週[かくしゅう] every other week; every two weeks
隔て[へだて] partition; distinction
隔月[かくげつ] every second month; every other month
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . ceiling . . . mouth . . . glass canopy . . . human legs . . . spike. You might want to compare the kanji for dissolve (Frame 1123).
koohii_story: The Pinnacle , to me, is a city that makes itself out to be perfect but is filled with dirty secrets that photographers are always trying to reveal (see [dissolve](../v4/1044.html) (#1044 融) The city's councilmen have isolate d all professional photographers to make sure they don't photograph these "dirty secrets". (which are up to your imagination).

kanji: 浄
meaning: clean
ja_on: ジョウ、セイ
ja_kun: きよ.める、きよ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
争[ソウ] contend
examples: 浄化[じょうか] purification
洗浄[せんじょう] washing; cleansing; cleaning; laundering
不浄[ふじょう] unclean; dirty; impure
洗浄剤[せんじょうざい] detergent; cleanser; cleaning agent; washing material
浄化槽[じょうかそう] water-purification tank
浄土[じょうど] pure land (esp. the Western Pure Land paradise of Amitabha); (Buddhist) paradise
浄土真宗[じょうどしんしゅう] Jōdo Shinshū (offshoot of the Jōdo sect); True Pure Land School
浄水[じょうすい] clean water; purified water
清浄[せいじょう] pure; clean; purity
自浄[じじょう] self-purification; self-cleansing
heisig_story: Water . . . contend.
koohii_story: Bottled water marketers contend to make their version of tap water sound the clean est.

kanji: 匹
meaning: equal
ja_on: ヒツ
ja_kun: ひき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匸[かくしがまえ] to conceal
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 匹[ひき] counter for small animals
一匹[いっぴき] one (small animal)
匹敵[ひってき] to be a match for; to rival; to equal; to compare with; to be equivalent to
heisig_story: Box . . . human legs.
koohii_story: This kanji is used commonly as a counter for small animals. This is a pictograph of a SMALL ANIMAL'S view from inside a CARDBOARD BOX looking out at his masters HUMAN LEGS. He's probably hiding so the master does not COUNT him with the other animals which will probably be eaten (thus he avoids everyones EQUAL fate on the farm: the kitchen table).

kanji: 没
meaning: drown
ja_on: ボツ、モツ
ja_kun: おぼ.れる、しず.む、ない
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 没頭[ぼっとう] immersing oneself in; being absorbed in; devoting oneself to; giving oneself up
没収[ぼっしゅう] seizure; confiscation; impounding; sequestration; forfeiture
出没[しゅつぼつ] making frequent appearances; appearing often; appearing and disappearing
日没[にちぼつ] sunset
埋没[まいぼつ] being buried
陥没[かんぼつ] cave-in; collapse; sinking; depression (e.g. of the skull); subsidence
沈没[ちんぼつ] sinking; foundering; going down; submersion
没落[ぼつらく] ruin; fall; collapse; downfall; bankruptcy
戦没[せんぼつ] death in battle; killed in action
没[ぼつ] death
没後[ぼつご] after death; posthumously
heisig_story: Water . . . missile.
koohii_story: (Note: this kanji is more collapse/cave-in/[sink](../v4/1888.html) (#1888 沈) than humans drown ing) A water missile? A torpedo! And when it hits it's target? The ship collapses then sinks and everyone drown s!

kanji: 暇
meaning: spare time
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: ひま、いとま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
叚[カ] false
examples: 暇[ひま] spare time; free time; leisure
休暇[きゅうか] holiday; vacation; day off; time off; leave; furlough
暇つぶし[ひまつぶし] killing time; keeping oneself occupied; time killer
暇がない[ひまがない] busy; having no time (for)
暇潰し[ひまつぶし] killing time; keeping oneself occupied; time killer
余暇[よか] leisure; leisure time; spare time
寸暇[すんか] moment's leisure; free minute
heisig_story: The element for day on the left is logical enough. Next to it we see staples being held in mouth (one stroke is doubled up), indicating working in one's hobby or handicrafts at home on one's spare time. The small box at the top right is facing backwards, or more properly "inside out." Finally, we have the crotch at the bottom.
koohii_story: Some jackass-like people have way too much spare time. You can find video's of them all over the internet, if you like such things, you can watch it all day. You see them stapling their mouths shut, or throwing eachother upside down in boxes or kicking each other in the crotch.

kanji: 貞
meaning: upright
ja_on: テイ、ジョウ
ja_kun: ただし.い、さだ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 卜[ぼく] oracle
貝[かい] shell
heisig_story: Now take the last primitive, the shellfish , and set a magic wand over it, and you have the kanji for upright. After all, the clam and the oyster are incapable of walking upright. It would take a magician with his wand to pull off such a feat - which is precisely what we have in this kanji.
koohii_story: A magic wand is needed to make a clam stand upright.

kanji: 鑑
meaning: specimen
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: かんが.みる、かがみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
監[カン] oversee
examples: 鑑賞[かんしょう] appreciation (of art, music, poetry, etc.)
鑑定[かんてい] judgement; judgment; expert opinion; appraisal
図鑑[ずかん] pictorial book; picture book; illustrated reference book; identification manual;
印鑑[いんかん] stamp; seal
年鑑[ねんかん] yearbook; almanac; annual
鑑別[かんべつ] discrimination; judgement; judgment; separation; sorting
heisig_story: Metal . . . oversee.
koohii_story: The overseer tags his slaves with gold earrings, just like specimens.

kanji: 陰
meaning: shade
ja_on: イン
ja_kun: かげ、かげ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
今[コン] now
云[ウン] say
examples: 陰[かげ] shade; shadow
お陰で[おかげで] thanks to ...; owing to ...; because of ...
陰謀[いんぼう] plot; intrigue; scheme
物陰[ものかげ] place hidden from view; cover; shelter; hiding place
木陰[こかげ] shade of a tree; bower
日陰[ひかげ] shade; shadow
陰気[いんき] gloomy; dismal; miserable; melancholy
陰口[かげぐち] malicious gossip; backbiting; speaking ill behind someone's back
お陰様で[おかげさまで] thankfully; fortunately; luckily; by God's grace
山陰[やまかげ] place in the shade of a mountain; shelter of the mountains
陰り[かげり] shadow (e.g. on someone's happiness); cloud; shade; gloom
陰性[いんせい] negative (result)
陰陽[いんよう] cosmic dual forces; yin and yang; sun and moon, etc.
heisig_story: Just as the sunshine (Frame 1397) represents the masculine principle in nature (Yang), the shade stands for the feminine principle (Yin). Its elements are: pinnacle . . . clock . . . rising cloud.
koohii_story: The only shade at The Pinnacle is in the shadow of the giant clock tower, or from a rising cloud.

kanji: 銘
meaning: inscription
ja_on: メイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
名[メイ] name
examples: 感銘[かんめい] deep impression; being deeply moved; being deeply touched
銘柄[めいがら] brand; make; description
銘々[めいめい] each; individual
銘記[めいき] keep in mind; take note of; remember
heisig_story: Take inscription in the sense of the name you ask the jeweler to carve on a gold bracelet or inside a gold ring to identify its owner or communicate some sentimental message. It will help if you can recall the first time you had this done and the feelings you had at the time.
koohii_story: A piece of metal with a name on it. Well, this is basically the definition of inscription.

kanji: 鋭
meaning: pointed
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: するど.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 鋭い[するどい] sharp (knife, claws, etc.); pointed
精鋭[せいえい] elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
鋭利[えいり] sharp; keen; acute
鋭敏[えいびん] sharp (eyes, ears, etc.); keen; acute; sensitive
新鋭[しんえい] young and energetic; up-and-coming; new and excellent; newly produced; up-and-co
最新鋭[さいしんえい] state-of-the-art; cutting-edge
気鋭[きえい] spirited; energetic
鋭角[えいかく] acute angle
heisig_story: Metal that has been pointed (as an awl, a pick, a nail, or a knife) tends to serve the devil's purposes as well as civilization's: our tools are also our weapons.
koohii_story: Pointed is the metal devil's pitchfork.

kanji: 随
meaning: follow
ja_on: ズイ
ja_kun: まにま.に、したが.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 陏[ダ] melon
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 随分[ずいぶん] very; extremely; surprisingly; fairly; quite; considerably; awfully; terribly
随一[ずいいち] best; greatest; first
随筆[ずいひつ] essays; miscellaneous writings; literary jottings
追随[ついずい] following (in the footsteps of)
随員[ずいいん] member of an entourage or retinue or party; attendant
随意[ずいい] voluntary; optional; free; elective
随所[ずいしょ] everywhere; all over the place; here and there; at every turn
随時[ずいじ] whenever necessary; as needed; as required; as occasion demands
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . possess . . . road.
koohii_story: [Image: Follow the 'Yellow-Brick Road' to success] The pinnacle signifies your personal goal and destination. What you're seeking to possess lies at the end of the yellow-brick road. You must follow the road to get what you want.

kanji: 烈
meaning: ardent
ja_on: レツ
ja_kun: はげ.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 列[レツ] file
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 強烈[きょうれつ] strong; intense; severe
猛烈[もうれつ] fierce; intense; severe; violent; strong; vehement; terrific; terrible
熱烈[ねつれつ] ardent; passionate; vehement
鮮烈[せんれつ] vivid; striking
壮烈[そうれつ] heroic; brave
烈震[れっしん] disastrous earthquake
痛烈[つうれつ] severe; bitter; scathing
heisig_story: File . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: The nazis were ardent believers in the master arian race, see them marching everyone else into the oven fires , single file.

kanji: 尋
meaning: inquire
ja_on: ジン
ja_kun: たず.ねる、ひろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
口[くち] mouth
寸[すん] inch
examples: 尋ねる[たずねる] to ask; to enquire; to inquire
尋常[じんじょう] common; usual
尋問[じんもん] questioning; interrogation; examination (of a witness)
尋ね人[たずねびと] missing person; wanted person
heisig_story: Broom . . . craft . . . mouth . . . glue.
koohii_story: The policed inquire d into the erotica scandal. They tried to sweep away the evidence, but some of it stuck. (Note: katakana エロ ero in the middle of this kanji is the Japanese word for erotica.).

kanji: 稿
meaning: draft
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: わら、したがき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
高[たかい] high
examples: 原稿[げんこう] manuscript; copy; draft; notes; contribution
投稿[とうこう] contribution (to a newspaper, magazine, etc.); submission; post (on a blog, soci
原稿用紙[げんこうようし] Japanese writing paper (lined with a square grid, one square per character); man
稿[こう] manuscript; version; draft
稿料[こうりょう] manuscript fee; payment for a piece of writing
草稿[そうこう] notes; draft; manuscript
heisig_story: The key word connotes the preliminary composition of a plan or manuscript. Its elements: wheat . . . tall.
koohii_story: Aliens often draft their plans for invasion by cutting designs among the tall wheat.

kanji: 丹
meaning: rust-colored
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
丶[てん] dot
examples: 丹念[たんねん] painstaking; careful; meticulous; scrupulous; detailed; elaborate
丹精[たんせい] working earnestly; sincerity; diligence; effort; pains
koohii_story: How about a rusty cinnabar colored dilapidated boat, found abandoned somewhere. The smoke-stack and the keel have fallen off…
heisig_keyword: cinnabar

kanji: 啓
meaning: disclose
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: ひら.く、さと.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
口[くち] mouth
examples: 拝啓[はいけい] Dear (so and so); Dear Sir; Dear Madam; To Whom It May Concern
啓発[けいはつ] enlightenment; development; edification; public awareness; illumination; educati
啓示[けいじ] (divine) revelation
啓蒙[けいもう] enlightenment; illumination
heisig_story: Door . . . taskmaster . . . mouth.
koohii_story: Behind closed DOORS, the TASKMASTER tortures to get prisoners to open their MOUTHS and DISCLOSE information.

kanji: 丘
meaning: hill
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: おか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斤[おのづくり] axe
一[いち] one
examples: 丘[おか] hill; height; knoll; rising ground
丘陵[きゅうりょう] hill; hillock
砂丘[さきゅう] sand dune; sand hill
heisig_story: Since this supposedly pictographic representation of a hill looks like anything but, picture a row of axes driven into the ground up to their heads, and see if that doesn't present a more memorable image of hill \- at least a riskier one sliding down!
koohii_story: Excalibur is the sword planted in a rock. Lesser known AXCAHILLBUR is the axe planted on top of a hill.

kanji: 棟
meaning: ridgepole
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: むね、むな-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
東[トウ] east
examples: 棟[むね] ridge (of roof)
病棟[びょうとう] (hospital) ward
別棟[べつむね] separate building; outbuilding; outhouse
heisig_story: If the piece of wood in the roof known as the ridgepole points east , the sunrise will be visible from the front door.
koohii_story: Feng Shui states that the ridgepole of a house should be made of wood and face east.

kanji: 壌
meaning: lot
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: つち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
㐮 to help
examples: 土壌[どじょう] soil
平壌[ピョンヤン] Pyongyang (North Korea)
heisig_story: Ground . . . grass skirt. The lot of this key word refers to a portion of land.
koohii_story: My dream is to buy a small lot on a tropical island and spend the rest of my days relaxing in a grass skirt.

kanji: 漫
meaning: cartoon
ja_on: マン
ja_kun: みだり.に、そぞ.ろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
曼[マン] wide
examples: 漫画[まんが] cartoon; comic; comic strip; manga
漫画家[まんがか] cartoonist; comic book artist; manga artist; manga author; mangaka
漫才[まんざい] manzai; comic dialogue
散漫[さんまん] vague; desultory; distracted; loose; half-hearted; diffuse; scattered
漫談[まんだん] chat; desultory conversation
heisig_story: Water . . . mandala.
koohii_story: One obscure Tibetan sect– the Otaku cult– has an unusually loose interpretation of mandala drawing practice. Instead of traditional mandalas they draw mangas ( 漫画 ). They then pour water on the image to wash it away, and begin anew.
heisig_keyword: loose

kanji: 玄
meaning: mysterious
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: くろ、くろ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
幺[いとがしら] young
examples: 玄関[げんかん] entrance; front door; entryway; entranceway; entry hall; vestibule; porch; foyer
玄人[くろうと] expert; professional; master; connoisseur
玄米[げんまい] unpolished rice; unmilled rice; brown rice
heisig_story: Top hat . . . cocoon.
koohii_story: What could be more mysterious than a cocoon in a top hat trying to sneak in…? (Pimitive: GANDALF ).

kanji: 粘
meaning: sticky
ja_on: ネン
ja_kun: ねば.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
占[セン] fortune-telling
examples: 粘る[ねばる] to be sticky; to be adhesive
粘膜[ねんまく] mucous membrane; mucosa
粘土[ねんど] clay
粘着[ねんちゃく] cohesion; adhesion
粘り強い[ねばりづよい] tenacious; persevering; persistent; stubborn; steadfast
粘り[ねばり] stickiness; viscosity
heisig_story: Rice . . . fortune-telling.
koohii_story: This is another way of fortune telling – throw sticky rice against the wall, and look for the message in whatever sticks.

kanji: 悟
meaning: enlightenment
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: さと.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
吾[ゴ] I
examples: 覚悟[かくご] readiness; (mental) preparedness
悟る[さとる] to sense; to perceive; to notice; to discern; to become aware of
悟り[さとり] comprehension; understanding
heisig_story: I know of an Indian religious sect which teaches that enlightenment is to be had by covering the eyes with one's index fingers, the ears with the thumbs, and the mouth with the little fingers. While these differ a bit from the five holes that we used to represent the " I " (frame 17), the idea of achieving a special state of mind by covering those five places can help you learn this kanji. You might try the position out while you are learning this character.
koohii_story: Enlightenment is a state of mind that goes beyond the five senses.

kanji: 舗
meaning: shop
ja_on: ホ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 人[ひと] person
吉[キチ] good luck
甫[ホ] for the first time
examples: 店舗[てんぽ] shop; store; establishment; restaurant
老舗[しにせ] long-established shop; shop of long standing; old shop
舗装[ほそう] paving (a road); surfacing (with asphalt, concrete, etc.); pavement
舗[ほ] shop; store
heisig_story: Cottage . . . dog tag. The key word refers to the noun, not the verb.
koohii_story: A shop in an impoverished country is just a cottage with a dog tag identifying it.

kanji: 妊
meaning: pregnancy
ja_on: ニン、ジン
ja_kun: はら.む、みごも.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
壬[ニン] 9th calendar sign
examples: 妊娠[にんしん] pregnancy; conception; gestation
妊婦[にんぷ] pregnant woman
不妊[ふにん] infertility; sterility; barrenness
妊産婦[にんさんぷ] expectant and nursing mothers
避妊[ひにん] contraception; birth control
heisig_story: A woman who is in her pregnancy is a bit like a porter , bearing her new companion wherever she goes.
koohii_story: A pregnant woman is a porter of her child.

kanji: 塗
meaning: paint
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: ぬ.る、ぬ.り、まみ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 涂[ト] surname
土[つち] earth
examples: 塗る[ぬる] to paint; to spread; to plaster; to apply (cream, lotion); to smear; to lacquer;
塗り替える[ぬりかえる] to repaint; to paint again; to paint (a different colour)
塗装[とそう] coating; painting
塗布[とふ] application (of ointment, etc.)
塗料[とりょう] paint; coating; varnish
漆塗り[うるしぬり] lacquering; lacquer ware
heisig_story: Water . . . scale . . . ground.
koohii_story: If you add too much water to the paint it will drip onto the ground.

kanji: 軒
meaning: flats
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: のき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
干[かん] to dry
examples: 軒[のき] eaves
一軒[いっけん] one house
軒並み[のきなみ] row of houses
軒先[のきさき] edge of the eaves; house frontage
heisig_story: This kanji, a counter for houses, is made up of cars . . . dry.
koohii_story: Flats in the city are crowded. You get a space for your car in front, and a clothesline out back. Nothing else.

kanji: 騰
meaning: leaping up
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: あが.る、のぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
駦
examples: 沸騰[ふっとう] boiling; seething
急騰[きゅうとう] sudden rise (in price); sharp rise; jump; surge
暴騰[ぼうとう] sudden rise; sharp rise; boom; skyrocketing
騰貴[とうき] rise (in price or value); appreciation; advance
高騰[こうとう] sharp rise (in prices); steep rise; substantial increase; soaring
heisig_story: Meat . . . quarter . . . team of horses.
koohii_story: Every quarter moon , the cost of a trojan horse rises one quarter by inflation.
heisig_keyword: inflation

kanji: 遂
meaning: consummate
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: と.げる、つい.に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豕[いのこ] pig
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 成し遂げる[なしとげる] to accomplish; to achieve; to complete; to carry out; to carry through
遂げる[とげる] to accomplish; to achieve; to carry out
遂行[すいこう] accomplishment; execution
遂に[ついに] finally; in the end; at last
未遂[みすい] failed attempt (at a crime, suicide, etc.)
完遂[かんすい] successful execution; accomplishment; completion; fulfillment; carrying through
heisig_story: The horns atop the sow suggest a boar at work in the background. Add the element for a road. Now create a story whose meaning is: consummate.
koohii_story: This is still Miss Piggy only she's gotten horny (as she often does) and now she's pursuing Kermit to help her consummate her desires.

kanji: 狂
meaning: lunatic
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: くる.う、くる.おしい、くるお.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
王[オウ] king
examples: 狂う[くるう] to go mad; to lose one's mind; to go crazy; to go insane
狂気[きょうき] madness; insanity
熱狂[ねっきょう] wild enthusiasm; being crazy about
狂乱[きょうらん] fury; frenzy; madness; wildness
狂奔[きょうほん] rushing around; running wild
狂言[きょうげん] kyogen
heisig_story: A lunatic is literally one driven mad by the light of the moon, and the most famous of the " looneys " are the legendary lycanthropes or "wolfmen." Sometimes the transformation is only a temporary phenomenon, sometimes it is permanent. In the latter case, the poor chap takes off on all fours to live with the beasts. To remember this kanji, imagine one of these lycanthropes going looney and setting himself up as king of a pack of wild dogs that roams about and terrorizes innocent suburban communities.
koohii_story: Oh no ! A pack of dogs has bitten the king. He has turned into a rabid lunatic !

kanji: 叫
meaning: shout
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: さけ.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
丩[キュウ] to join or connect the vine
examples: 叫ぶ[さけぶ] to shout; to cry (out); to scream; to shriek; to yell; to exclaim
叫び[さけび] shout; cry; outcry; yell; shriek; scream
叫び声[さけびごえ] shout; yell; scream; cry
絶叫[ぜっきょう] scream; shriek; shout; exclamation
heisig_story: Mouth . . . cornucopia.
koohii_story: There was a man in a village who had a special gift : whenever he shout ed and screamed, his mouth became a cornucopia, overflowing with fruits and food of all sorts. Many of the locals thought he was a cruel man, always screaming at his wife, until they realised he was in fact very kind, and his gift brought prosperity to his family.

kanji: 緯
meaning: horizontal
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: よこいと、ぬき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
韋[なめしがわ] leather
examples: 経緯[けいい] details; particulars; sequence of events; circumstances; situation; how things g
緯度[いど] latitude
北緯[ほくい] north latitude
南緯[なんい] southern latitude
heisig_story: Thread . . . locket.
koohii_story: Spiderman buys a locket for Mary Jane because he wants to get HORIZONTAL with her.

kanji: 培
meaning: cultivate
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: つちか.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
咅[トウ] to spit out
examples: 培う[つちかう] to cultivate; to foster
栽培[さいばい] cultivation
培養[ばいよう] culture; cultivation
heisig_story: The barrel hoops used by many Japanese farmers to stretch clear plastic over row of vegetables in a garden patch in the hopes of cultivating bigger and bigger vegetables is a way of muzzling the soil.
koohii_story: To cultivate the land is to tame it, control it. In short, you muzzle it's unruly, chaotic nature. 培う つちかう to cultivate , to foster, 栽培 (さいばい) : cultivation.

kanji: 衰
meaning: decline
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: おとろ.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
口[くち] mouth
examples: 衰える[おとろえる] to become weak; to decline; to wear; to abate; to decay; to wither; to waste awa
衰弱[すいじゃく] weakness; debility; breakdown; prostration
衰退[すいたい] decline; degeneration; decay; waning; ebbing
老衰[ろうすい] senility; senile decay; infirmity (through age)
盛衰[せいすい] rise and fall; ups and downs; welfare; vicissitudes
衰え[おとろえ] weakening; emaciation; decline
heisig_story: Let this key word connote the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. It shows a fellow in a top hat and scarf , trying hard to look happy by putting a walking stick in his mouth sideways to twist his face into a grotesque but semi permanent smile.
koohii_story: If you thought that the dude in 哀 was pathetic, you haven't seen him after his decline. Here he is carrying a stick around in his mouth like a dog, begging people to throw it for him. Note that the mouth is closed only after the stick goes in, as is only logical.

kanji: 艇
meaning: rowboat
ja_on: テイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
廷[テイ] courts
examples: 競艇[きょうてい] kyōtei; boat race
舟艇[しゅうてい] boat; watercraft
艦艇[かんてい] naval vessels; warships
heisig_story: Boat . . . courts.
koohii_story: In venice, the boat used by the courts to transport criminals is a rowboat.

kanji: 屈
meaning: yield
ja_on: クツ
ja_kun: かが.む、かが.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
出[シュツ] exit
examples: 退屈[たいくつ] tedious; boring; dull; uninteresting; tiresome; monotonous
理屈[りくつ] theory; reason; logic
屈辱[くつじょく] disgrace; humiliation
窮屈[きゅうくつ] narrow; tight; cramped
卑屈[ひくつ] servile; subservient; obsequious; slavish; self-abasing; grovelling; spineless
屈指[くっし] leading; foremost; preeminent; outstanding; one of the best
屈折[くっせつ] bending; curving; twisting; turning; winding
不屈[ふくつ] persistence; fortitude; indomitability
屈託[くったく] worry; care; concern
heisig_story: Flag . . . exit.
koohii_story: When yield ing, soldiers raise the white flag before exiting from the trenches.

kanji: 淡
meaning: thin
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: あわ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
炎[エン] inflammation
examples: 淡い[あわい] light; faint; pale; fleeting
淡々[たんたん] uninterested; unconcerned; indifferent; dispassionate; matter-of-fact; detached
冷淡[れいたん] cool; indifferent; apathetic; half-hearted
淡水[たんすい] fresh water (i.e. not salt water)
淡白[たんぱく] light (flavor, color, etc.); simple; plain
濃淡[のうたん] light and shade; shade (of colour, color)
heisig_story: The primitives in this kanji read: water . . . inflammation. Taking inflammation in its medical sense, the first water -related inflammation that pops into mind is dehydration, the principal symptom of which is that it makes one shrivel up and look very, very thin. If that is hard to remember, try thinking it backwards: a very thin chap passes by and you imagine him suffering from (being inflamed with) dehydration (hence the element for water ).
koohii_story: Drink water and burn twice as many calories as you eat… you'll definitely get thin. Imagine inside your body, all those calories literally being burned from above and below… THAT's what it takes to become thin.

kanji: 抽
meaning: pluck
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: ひき-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 抽出[ちゅうしゅつ] extraction; abstraction
抽選[ちゅうせん] lottery; raffle; drawing (of lots); balloting
抽象的[ちゅうしょうてき] abstract
抽象[ちゅうしょう] abstraction
heisig_story: Fingers . . . sprout.
koohii_story: [When I see the word pluck , I think eyebrows, not vegetables. So, to avoid confusing with [pick](../v4/733.html) (#733 採):] Each time this singular, long, wiry black hair starts to sprout out of my chin again, I pluck it with my fingers.

kanji: 披
meaning: expose
ja_on: ヒ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
皮[けがわ] skin
examples: 披露[ひろう] announcement; presentation; demonstration; displaying; showing; introducing; unv
披瀝[ひれき] expressing one's opinion; speaking one's mind; making known; revealing
披露宴[ひろうえん] reception (e.g. wedding); banquet; celebration; party
heisig_story: Fingers . . . pelt.
koohii_story: You expose holes in a pelt by passing your fingers through them and wiggling them on the other side. The sense of the kanji here is to reveal something that was hidden, to make known, to open your heart (thus revealing it, exposing it to others), express your opinion, etc.

kanji: 廷
meaning: courts
ja_on: テイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 壬[ニン] 9th calendar sign
廴[えんにょう] to move
examples: 法廷[ほうてい] court (of law); courtroom
宮廷[きゅうてい] imperial court; royal court
出廷[しゅってい] appearance in court
開廷[かいてい] court session; trial
heisig_story: Those who rule the courts , the porters of justice and order, are often found to stretch the law to suit their own purposes. Recall the kanji for prolong from frame 419 and keep it distinct.
koohii_story: A porter has run away from his master. His punishment is to be stretched out on the rack. So say the courts in this barbaric time.

kanji: 錦
meaning: brocade
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: にしき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
帛[ハク] cloth
examples: 錦[にしき] brocade
heisig_story: A strip of white towel and some scraps of metal have the makings of a primitive kind of brocade.
koohii_story: Brocade is the art of sewing gold on a white towel.

kanji: 准
meaning: quasi-
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 批准[ひじゅん] ratification
heisig_story: Ice . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Quasi- modo, the famous hunchback of Notre-Dame wasn't actually a hunchback at all!! He used a frozen turkey to make a hunch!

kanji: 奨
meaning: exhort
ja_on: ショウ、ソウ
ja_kun: すす.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 将[ショウ] leader
大[だい] large
examples: 推奨[すいしょう] recommendation; endorsement
奨学金[しょうがくきん] scholarship; stipend; bursary; grant-in-aid
奨励[しょうれい] encouragement; promotion; inducement; incitement; stimulation
勧奨[かんしょう] encouragement; stimulation
報奨金[ほうしょうきん] cash bonus; reward; bounty
奨学[しょうがく] encouragement to study
推奨環境[すいしょうかんきょう] system requirements (i.e. recommended hardware and software to run a package)
選奨[せんしょう] recommendation
heisig_story: Leader . . . St. Bernard dog. Do not confuse with urge (Frame 300).
koohii_story: It's easy to picture a LEADER that uses a BIG dog to EXHORT his people to do more.

kanji: 浸
meaning: immersed
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: ひた.す、ひた.る、つ.かる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
冖[わかんむり] cover
又[また] again
examples: 浸る[ひたる] to be soaked in; to be flooded; to be submerged
浸かる[つかる] to be submerged; to be soaked
浸透[しんとう] permeation (of thought, ideology, culture, etc.); infiltration (e.g. of ideas);
浸す[ひたす] to soak; to dip; to steep; to immerse
水浸し[みずびたし] submersion; inundation; being flooded
浸食[しんしょく] erosion; corrosion
浸水[しんすい] inundation; submersion; flood
heisig_story: Water . . . broom . . . crown . . . crotch.
koohii_story: The French maid draws a bath for her amorous master, but slips and falls in - getting immersed. (thanks to Nukemarine for the French maid image!).

kanji: 剰
meaning: surplus
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: あまつさえ、あま.り、あま.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乗[ジョウ] ride
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 過剰[かじょう] excess; surplus; superabundance; overabundance
余剰[よじょう] surplus; remainder; residue; margin; balance
剰余金[じょうよきん] surplus; balance
heisig_story: Ride . . . saber.
koohii_story: If you go for a ride and find a saber beside you, perhaps you got into an Army surplus jeep.

kanji: 胆
meaning: gall bladder
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: きも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
旦[タン] daybreak
examples: 大胆[だいたん] bold; daring; audacious
落胆[らくたん] discouragement; despondency; dejection; disappointment
魂胆[こんたん] ulterior motive; plot; scheme
胆石[たんせき] gallstone
heisig_story: The pieces in this character should be easily recognizable: on the left, the element for part of the body , and on the right, the character for nightbreak , which we have just met. What all of this has to do with the gall bladder is not immediately clear. But all we need to do is give a slight twist to the traditional biblical advice about not letting the sun set on your anger (which ancient medicine associated with the choler or bile that the gall bladder is supposed to filter out), and change it to "not letting the night break on your anger " (or your gall ) - and the work of remembering the kanji is done. And the improvement is not a bad piece of advice in its own right, since anger, like so many other things, can often be calmed by letting the sun set on it and then "sleeping it off."
koohii_story: The moon has a lot of gall sticking around after sunrise.

kanji: 繊
meaning: slender
ja_on: セン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
土[つち] earth
业
戈[ほこ] spear
examples: 繊細[せんさい] dainty; delicate (e.g. fingers); fine; slim
繊維[せんい] fibre; fiber
化繊[かせん] synthetic fiber; synthetic fibre; chemical fiber; chemical fibre
合成繊維[ごうせいせんい] synthetic fibre; synthetic fiber
合繊[ごうせん] synthetic fiber; synthetic fibre
heisig_story: Thread . . . Thanksgiving . . . row.
koohii_story: Spiderman has to stay slender , so during thanksgiving , he keeps away from the long row of food.

kanji: 駒
meaning: pony
ja_on: ク
ja_kun: こま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
句[ク] phrase
examples: 駒[こま] piece (in shogi, chess, etc.)
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . phrase. In American slang, a pony is an underground translation of a classical text, which students who cannot manage the difficult phrases of the original language consult and pass on from one generation to the next.
koohii_story: The cute little innocent-looking plastic pony on the desk of a student is in fact a trojan horse , hiding phrases in its belly which are used for cheating during an exam. No pony will be permitted on desks during tests!

kanji: 乾
meaning: drought
ja_on: カン、ケン
ja_kun: かわ.く、かわ.かす、ほ.す、ひ.る、いぬい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乞[コツ] beg
examples: 乾杯[かんぱい] cheers; bottoms-up; prosit
乾く[かわく] to get dry
乾燥[かんそう] dryness; aridity; drying (e.g. clothes); dehydration; desiccation
乾かす[かわかす] to dry (clothes, etc.); to desiccate
乾電池[かんでんち] dry cell battery
乾季[かんき] dry season
乾物[かんぶつ] dry provisions; dried food; dried goods; groceries
heisig_story: In times of drought anything at all will do. Here we see the victims begging for just a little mist for relief.
koohii_story: During a drought , everything begs for even a mist for relief.

kanji: 虚
meaning: void
ja_on: キョ、コ
ja_kun: むな.しい、うつ.ろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
业
examples: 虚しい[むなしい] empty; void; vacant
虚空[こくう] empty space; empty sky
謙虚[けんきょ] modest; humble
空虚[くうきょ] emptiness; hollowness; vacancy; void
虚無[きょむ] nihility; nothingness
虚偽[きょぎ] falsehood; untruth; lie; misinformation
虚構[きょこう] fiction; fabrication; concoction
虚弱[きょじゃく] feebleness; weakness; imbecility
虚心[きょしん] open-minded; receptive; free from preconceived ideas
虚栄[きょえい] vanity; vainglory
虚栄心[きょえいしん] vanity
heisig_story: Tigers . . . row.
koohii_story: In Japanese folklore there is no hell, but there is the void. There, a row of tigers waits in the blackness to devour those souls who have failed in their spiritual life.

kanji: 霊
meaning: spirits
ja_on: レイ、リョウ
ja_kun: たま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
一[いち] one
亚
examples: 幽霊[ゆうれい] ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
霊[れい] soul; spirit; departed soul; ghost
亡霊[ぼうれい] departed spirit; soul of the dead
慰霊[いれい] consoling the spirits of the dead
慰霊祭[いれいさい] memorial service
霊園[れいえん] (garden) cemetery; park-style cemetery; memorial park
heisig_story: Rain . . . two . . . row. This character will refer only to the inhabitants of the " spirit world, " and not to moods or temperaments, for which we will learn another character in frame 2030.
koohii_story: After raining for two days in a row , you plead with the SPIRITS for some relief. (Adapted from johnskb,21-5-2006).

kanji: 悔
meaning: repent
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: く.いる、く.やむ、くや.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
毎[マイ] every
examples: 後悔[こうかい] regret; repentance; remorse
悔しい[くやしい] frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined; (bitt
悔やむ[くやむ] to mourn; to lament
悔い[くい] regret; repentance
悔いる[くいる] to regret
悔し泣き[くやしなき] crying from vexation; tears of regret
heisig_story: State of mind . . . every (See frame 497).
koohii_story: "For all have sinned…" so every one's state of mind should be to repent.

kanji: 諭
meaning: rebuke
ja_on: ユ
ja_kun: さと.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
兪[ユ] affirmative response
examples: 諭す[さとす] to make (someone) understand (a fault, mistake, etc.); to reason with; to advise
教諭[きょうゆ] (licensed) teacher
heisig_story: The stern tone of a rebuke is seen here in the image of words spoken at a meeting of butchers (See frame 307) waving their choppers at one another and "cutting one another down" as only butchers can.
koohii_story: A PETA activist speaks at a meeting of butchers to rebuke them.

kanji: 祈
meaning: pray
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: いの.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 祈る[いのる] to pray; to say a prayer; to say grace
祈り[いのり] prayer; supplication
祈願[きがん] prayer (for something); supplication
祈念[きねん] prayer
祈祷[きとう] prayer; grace (at meals)
heisig_story: Altar . . . ax.
koohii_story: Religious freedom has not always been respected throughout history, and nobody knew how to force religion on an indigenous people like the Spanish missionaries. They posted conquistadors at either side of the altars at the local missions, and if anybody refused to pray , they would get the axe.

kanji: 惨
meaning: wretched
ja_on: サン、ザン
ja_kun: みじ.め、いた.む、むご.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
参[サン] nonplussed
examples: 惨め[みじめ] miserable; wretched; unhappy; sad; pitiable
悲惨[ひさん] disastrous; tragic; miserable; wretched; pitiful; woeful; outrageous
惨状[さんじょう] disastrous scene; terrible spectacle
惨敗[ざんぱい] ignominious defeat; crushing failure; utterly beaten; overwhelming defeat
惨事[さんじ] disaster; tragedy; tragic incident; horrible accident
heisig_story: A state of mind . . . visit.
koohii_story: Whenever I have to visit the relatives… that puts me in one hell of a wretched state of mind.

kanji: 虐
meaning: tyrannize
ja_on: ギャク
ja_kun: しいた.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
examples: 虐め[いじめ] bullying; teasing
虐待[ぎゃくたい] abuse; ill-treatment; maltreatment; mistreatment; cruelty
虐げる[しいたげる] to oppress; to persecute; to tyrannize
残虐[ざんぎゃく] cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous
虐殺[ぎゃくさつ] slaughter; massacre
暴虐[ぼうぎゃく] tyranny; atrocity
heisig_story: Tiger . . . box with a one in it (or a backwards broom , if that makes it easier).
koohii_story: Here we see the evil tyrannizing tiger. What is on his chest? A giant E, for EVIL, of course.

kanji: 翻
meaning: flip
ja_on: ホン、ハン
ja_kun: ひるがえ.る、ひるがえ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 番[バン] turn
羽[はね] feather
examples: 翻弄[ほんろう] having at one's mercy; trifling with; toying with; playing with; making a fool o
翻訳[ほんやく] translation
翻す[ひるがえす] to turn over
翻る[ひるがえる] to flutter (in the wind); to wave; to flap; to fly
翻意[ほんい] changing one's mind
翻案[ほんあん] adaptation (of a novel, play, etc.)
heisig_story: Dice . . . feathers.
koohii_story: Don't play dice with birds. When you're not looking, they'll flip the dice with their feathers.

kanji: 墜
meaning: crash
ja_on: ツイ
ja_kun: お.ちる、お.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隊[タイ] regiment
土[つち] earth
examples: 墜落[ついらく] fall; crash (of an aircraft)
撃墜[げきつい] shooting down (an aircraft)
失墜[しっつい] abasement; fall; forfeiture; sinking (in people's estimation)
heisig_story: Regiment . . . ground.
koohii_story: One of the members of our air force regiment has been shot down, he managed to safely eject, but his plane crash ed into the ground.

kanji: 沼
meaning: marsh
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: ぬま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 沼[ぬま] marsh; swamp; wetland; bog; pond
泥沼[どろぬま] bog; marsh; swamp; quagmire; morass
沼地[ぬまち] marshland; wetland; swampland
沼沢[しょうたく] marsh; swamp; bog
沼田[ぬまた] deep-mud paddy
湖沼[こしょう] lake; marsh; wetland; inland waters
heisig_story: Unlike the meadow with its cliffs, the marsh lands are low and near a source of water that feeds them until they get soggy through and through. Why certain land becomes marshy is probably due to the fact that it felt thirsty, and so tried its best to seduce the water over to its side. But, like most inordinate seductions , the last state of the victim is worse than the first. Hence the slushy marsh.
koohii_story: The marsh lands near Mordor seduce Frodo into gazing upon them, and he falls into the water–splash!

kanji: 据
meaning: set
ja_on: キョ
ja_kun: す.える、す.わる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
居[キョ] reside
examples: 据える[すえる] to place (in position); to fix; to set (e.g. table); to lay (foundation)
据え付ける[すえつける] to install; to equip; to mount; to fix (in place); to set up
据え置き[すえおき] deferment (e.g. of savings); leaving (a thing) as it stands
heisig_story: Fingers . . . reside.
koohii_story: The man set his finger firmly on the map and said "Here is where they reside , I am certain of it".

kanji: 徐
meaning: gradually
ja_on: ジョ
ja_kun: おもむ.ろに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
余[ヨ] too much
examples: 徐々に[じょじょに] gradually; steadily; slowly; little by little; step by step; by degrees
徐行[じょこう] going slowly (esp. to enable a vehicle to stop immediately); going at a reduced
heisig_story: Line . . . scale.
koohii_story: You can't expect weight loss to happen overnight. You should limit going to the scale to weigh yourself to once a day or once a week, in order to observe the anticipated weight loss gradually.

kanji: 搭
meaning: board
ja_on: トウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
荅[トウ] adzuki beans
examples: 搭載[とうさい] loading (on a ship); equipping (an aircraft, car, etc.) with; being equipped wit
搭乗[とうじょう] embarkation; boarding (a ship or aircraft)
heisig_story: The key word refers to boarding vessels for travel. Its elements are: finger . . . flowers . . . fit together (See frame 270).
koohii_story: Ok, this is a little wierd, but i took this back to the kanji for [pagoda](../v4/254.html) (#254 塔). I think it helps simplify the image, and also helps anchor the pagoda kanji in memory better as an added bonus. say this aloud once, and i think it will bring out a vivid image very quickly: "Now board ing the pagoda ride. Please keep your fingers inside at all times…".

kanji: 髪
meaning: hair of the head
ja_on: ハツ
ja_kun: かみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 髟[かみかんむり] long hair
友[ユウ] friend
examples: 髪[かみ] hair (on the head)
髪の毛[かみのけ] hair (on the head); (a) hair
金髪[きんぱつ] blond hair; blonde hair; golden hair
前髪[まえがみ] forelock; bangs
髪型[かみがた] hair style; coiffure; hairdo
間一髪[かんいっぱつ] hair's breadth
白髪[しらが] white hair; grey hair; gray hair
髪形[かみがた] hair style; coiffure; hairdo
散髪[さんぱつ] (having a) haircut; hair-cutting; hair-dressing
洗髪[せんぱつ] washing one's hair; having a shampoo
理髪[りはつ] haircut
頭髪[とうはつ] hair (on the head)
heisig_story: Hair . . . shape . . . friend.
koohii_story: Japanese teenage girls consider the style of the hair of the head very important. If a particular style is trendy, soon they all want their own hair in the same shape as that of their friends.

kanji: 忙
meaning: busy
ja_on: ボウ、モウ
ja_kun: いそが.しい、せわ.しい、おそ.れる、うれえるさま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
亡[ボウ] deceased
examples: 忙しい[いそがしい] busy; occupied; hectic
多忙[たぼう] being very busy; busyness
heisig_story: State of mind . . . perish.
koohii_story: Busy (as in "occupied") means a state of mind where all other thoughts are perished.

kanji: 盾
meaning: shield
ja_on: ジュン
ja_kun: たて
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
十[じゅう] ten
目[め] eye
examples: 盾[たて] shield; buckler; escutcheon
矛盾[むじゅん] contradiction; inconsistency
後ろ盾[うしろだて] backing; support; backer; supporter; patron; sponsor
heisig_story: Dragging . . . ten eyes.
koohii_story: This is a magic shield with ten eyes which have the power to drag the victim towards it.

kanji: 滝
meaning: waterfall
ja_on: ロウ、ソウ
ja_kun: たき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
竜[リュウ] dragon
examples: 滝[たき] waterfall
滝口[たきぐち] top of a waterfall
滝川[たきがわ] rapids
heisig_story: Water . . . vase . . . eels. To avoid the confusion mentioned in the previous frame, the character learned there for dragon should not be used as a primitive.
koohii_story: The Water Dragon dwells in the waterfall.

kanji: 軌
meaning: rut
ja_on: キ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
九[キュウ] nine
examples: 軌道[きどう] orbit; trajectory
軌跡[きせき] tire track
常軌[じょうき] normal course (of action); proper course; regular way
heisig_story: Combine the primary and secondary meanings of this keyword to form your story. Begin with the car whose tires get caught in a rut and spin without going anywhere. Then go onto the baseball team who can't win a game because it has fallen into a rut of losing.
koohii_story: My car got so stuck in a rut it required nine people pushing to get it out again.

kanji: 妨
meaning: disturb
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: さまた.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
方[ほう] direction
examples: 妨害[ぼうがい] obstruction; hindrance; blocking; disturbance; interference; interruption; sabot
妨げる[さまたげる] to disturb; to prevent; to obstruct; to hinder
妨げ[さまたげ] obstruction; hindrance
heisig_story: Imagine a compass that is disturbed every time a woman passes by, sending the needle spinning madly round and round.
koohii_story: Capt. Jack Sparrow's compass gets disturb ed every time a beautiful woman walks by him (just picture Keira Knightley in her sexy asian outfit as Elizabeth and the image will be fixed forever).

kanji: 擦
meaning: grate
ja_on: サツ
ja_kun: す.る、す.れる、-ず.れ、こす.る、こす.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
察[サツ] guess
examples: 擦る[こする] to rub; to scrub; to scrape
摩擦[まさつ] friction
擦り傷[すりきず] scratch; graze; scrape; abrasion
heisig_story: Fingers . . . guess.
koohii_story: If you mis-guess the cheese you'll grate your fingers on the cheese-grater (happens to me all the time).

kanji: 鯨
meaning: whale
ja_on: ゲイ
ja_kun: くじら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 魚[うお] fish
京[キョウ] capital
examples: 捕鯨[ほげい] whaling; whale hunting; whale fishing
鯨肉[げいにく] whale meat
heisig_story: The whale swallows a whole school of fish, who turn their new abode into a proper little fish-capital.
koohii_story: If fish were cities, the whale would surely be the capital.

kanji: 荘
meaning: villa
ja_on: ソウ、ショウ、チャン
ja_kun: ほうき、おごそ.か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
壮[ソウ] robust
examples: 別荘[べっそう] holiday house; vacation home; villa
荘厳[そうごん] solemn; sublime; grand; magnificent; impressive
山荘[さんそう] mountain villa; mountain retreat; mountain cottage
heisig_story: The villa pictured here is filled with exotic flowers at every turn, and has a pair of turtle-samurai standing before its gates.
koohii_story: A villa is fancier (decorated with flowers ) and more robust than the average.

kanji: 諾
meaning: consent
ja_on: ダク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
若[ジャク] young
examples: 承諾[しょうだく] consent; approval; acceptance; agreement; compliance
内諾[ないだく] informal consent; private consent
受諾[じゅだく] acceptance
許諾[きょだく] consent; assent; approval; permission
諾否[だくひ] consent or refusal; yes or no; decision to accept or decline; up or down (vote);
heisig_story: The words of the young do not have legal validity unless backed up by "parental consent. "
koohii_story: The words of the very young are useless without CONSENT from their elders.

kanji: 雷
meaning: thunder
ja_on: ライ
ja_kun: かみなり、いかずち、いかづち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 雷[かみなり] lightning; thunder; thunderbolt
雷鳴[らいめい] thunder; thunderclap; crash of thunder
地雷[じらい] land mine
落雷[らくらい] lightning strike; lightning bolt
機雷[きらい] (sea) mine
雷雨[らいう] thunderstorm; thundershower
魚雷[ぎょらい] torpedo
heisig_story: The full rumble and roar and terror of thunder is best felt not with your head tucked under your pillow safe in bed, but out in an open rice field where you can get the real feel of the weather.
koohii_story: If it's raining and you're standing in the middle of a rice field , you're sure to soon become acquainted with the thunder up close and personal.

kanji: 漂
meaning: drift
ja_on: ヒョウ
ja_kun: ただよ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
票[ヒョウ] ballot
examples: 漂う[ただよう] to drift; to float
漂流[ひょうりゅう] drifting; drift; being adrift
漂白[ひょうはく] blanching; bleaching
漂白剤[ひょうはくざい] bleaching agent; bleach
漂着[ひょうちゃく] drifting ashore
heisig_story: Water . . . ballot.
koohii_story: In Florida, Bush through Kerry's ballots into the water , watching them drift away and setting the whole country adrift.

kanji: 懐
meaning: feelings
ja_on: カイ、エ
ja_kun: ふところ、なつ.かしい、なつ.かしむ、なつ.く、なつ.ける、なず.ける、いだ.く、おも.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
十[じゅう] ten
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
衣[ころも] clothing
examples: 懐かしい[なつかしい] dear (old); fondly remembered; beloved; missed; nostalgic
懐[ふところ] inside the breast of one's clothing (esp. kimono); bosom; (breast) pocket
懐かしむ[なつかしむ] to yearn for (someone, something); to miss
懐中電灯[かいちゅうでんとう] (electric) torch; flashlight
懐柔[かいじゅう] winning over; placation; gentle persuasion
懐疑[かいぎ] doubt; skepticism; scepticism; disbelief
述懐[じゅっかい] speaking about (one's thoughts, memories, etc.); relating (one's feelings, remin
heisig_story: State of mind . . . needle . . . eyes . . . garment.
koohii_story: (re: taijuando) When you are in New York City you have to be alert, i.e. in the "New York State of Mind ": you need ten eyes to make sure no one will go through your garments and pick your pocket s.
heisig_keyword: pocket

kanji: 勘
meaning: intuition
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 甚[ジン] tremendously
力[ちから] power
examples: 勘違い[かんちがい] misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess
勘弁[かんべん] pardon; forgiveness; forbearance
勘[かん] perception; intuition; the sixth sense
勘定[かんじょう] calculation; computation; counting; reckoning; count
割り勘[わりかん] splitting the cost; splitting the bill; Dutch treat
勘案[かんあん] taking into consideration; giving consideration (to)
heisig_story: Tremendously . . . muscle.
koohii_story: Intuition is a tremendously power ful resource of the mind.

kanji: 栽
meaning: plantation
ja_on: サイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
examples: 栽培[さいばい] cultivation
盆栽[ぼんさい] bonsai; miniature potted plant
heisig_story: On a fruit plantation it is the trees that one is particularly grateful for at the time of Thanksgiving. Imagine yourself inviting a few representative trees from the fields and orchards to join you around the table to give thanks.
koohii_story: The plantation is where we get our Christmas trees. We pick them out at Thanksgiving to be sure we get a good one.

kanji: 拐
meaning: kidnap
ja_on: カイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
口[くち] mouth
刀[かたな] knife
examples: 誘拐[ゆうかい] abduction; kidnapping; kidnaping
heisig_story: Finger . . . mouth . . . dagger.
koohii_story: Wrap your FINGERS around someone's MOUTH to keep them quiet, then put the KNIFE to their throat to ensure their cooperation. This is the best way to KIDNAP someone.

kanji: 駄
meaning: burdensome
ja_on: ダ、タ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
太[タイ] plump
examples: 無駄[むだ] futility; waste; uselessness; pointlessness; idleness
駄目[だめ] no good; not serving its purpose; useless; broken
無駄遣い[むだづかい] waste (of money, time, etc.); squandering; frittering away
下駄[げた] geta
駄菓子[だがし] penny candy; cheap individually wrapped sweets
駄菓子屋[だがしや] small-time candy store; penny candy store
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . plump.
koohii_story: The Greek warriors inside the Trojan Horse are complaining about this burdensome plump warrior who is not helping at all (say, just eating candies and watching). - "You know you're such a burden!". Note : be sure to keep "plump" distinct from the primitive meaning of "round" ("fat man").

kanji: 添
meaning: annexed
ja_on: テン
ja_kun: そ.える、そ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
忝[テン] grateful
examples: 添える[そえる] to garnish; to accompany (as a card does a gift)
巻き添え[まきぞえ] getting mixed up in; getting embroiled in; involvement; entanglement; by-blow
付き添い[つきそい] attendance (on); chaperonage
力添え[ちからぞえ] help; assistance; service
添付[てんぷ] attaching (documents, etc.); appending; affixing
添う[そう] to meet (wishes, expectations, etc.); to satisfy; to comply with; to live up to
添乗[てんじょう] accompanying (on a trip); escorting (a tour group)
添削[てんさく] correction; looking over; touching up
添加[てんか] addition; annexing
添加物[てんかぶつ] additive
食品添加物[しょくひんてんかぶつ] food additive
heisig_story: Water . . . heavens . . . valentine.
koohii_story: Hawaii is a little drop of heaven nestled in the waters of the Pacific, most often visited by honeymooners and valentines. It was annexed to the U.S.A. in 1959, and more recently to Japan as well– albeit only unofficially, and through private commercial holdings.

kanji: 汗
meaning: sweat
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: あせ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
干[かん] to dry
examples: 汗[あせ] sweat; perspiration
冷や汗[ひやあせ] cold sweat
発汗[はっかん] sweating; perspiration; sudation; hidrosis; diaphoresis
heisig_story: Water . . . dry.
koohii_story: The way sweat is supposed to work: it gets your skin wet , and then as it evaporates/ dries , it cools you off.
Other fields (not shown on cards):
confusion: 汗 洋服

kanji: 冠
meaning: crown
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: かんむり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冖[わかんむり] cover
元[ゲン] beginning
寸[すん] inch
examples: 冠[かんむり] traditional cap worn by Shinto clergy and courtiers
王冠[おうかん] crown; diadem
三冠馬[さんかんば] winner of Japan's three main horse races
冠婚葬祭[かんこんそうさい] important ceremonial occasions in family relationships
弱冠[じゃっかん] twenty years of age
栄冠[えいかん] laurels; garland
heisig_story: By having the crown pass from one age to the next, a people keeps itself glued to its beginnings.
koohii_story: Remember the SUPERFLUOUS CROWN that flew away in the WIND? Well now the king is saying "i should have had the thing GLUED to my head from the BEGINNING".

kanji: 斜
meaning: diagonal
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: なな.め、はす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 余[ヨ] too much
斗[ますづくり] big dipper
examples: 斜め[ななめ] slanting; tilted; sloping; diagonal; oblique
斜面[しゃめん] slope; slanting surface; bevel
傾斜[けいしゃ] inclination; slant; slope; bevel; list; dip; tilt; lean
斜体[しゃたい] oblique type; slanted type
斜陽[しゃよう] setting sun
heisig_story: Scale . . . measuring cup.
koohii_story: The main bar of an old-fashioned scale(balance) will be very diagonal if you place a giant measuring cup on one side.

kanji: 浪
meaning: wandering
ja_on: ロウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
良[リョウ] good
examples: 浪費[ろうひ] waste; extravagance
浪人[ろうにん] ronin; masterless samurai
放浪[ほうろう] wandering; roaming; drifting
波浪[はろう] waves; billows; surge
流浪[るろう] vagrancy; wandering; nomadism
浮浪者[ふろうしゃ] vagrant; vagabond; tramp; homeless person; hobo; bum
heisig_story: Water . . . halo.
koohii_story: Water is a good thing to have when you're out wandering.

kanji: 亜
meaning: Asia
ja_on: ア
ja_kun: つ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 二[に] two
口[くち] mouth
examples: 亜熱帯[あねったい] subtropics
亜鉛[あえん] zinc (Zn)
東亜[とうあ] East Asia; the Orient
heisig_story: In this kanji, the abbreviation for Asia , you should be able to see the character for mouth behind the Roman numeral II.
koohii_story: In Asia n countries, people use II chopsticks to get things into their mouths. Just imagine someone shoving a piece of sushi into their mouths with chopsticks.

kanji: 詐
meaning: lie
ja_on: サ
ja_kun: いつわ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
乍[サ] though
examples: 詐欺[さぎ] fraud; swindle; graft; cheating; trick; scam
詐欺師[さぎし] swindler; fraudster; trickster; con man
詐取[さしゅ] defrauding; swindle
詐称[さしょう] misrepresentation; false statement
heisig_story: The lie in this character refers to falsehoods and fibs. Its elements: words . . . saw.
koohii_story: Pinnochio gets frustrated that every time he utters a word of a lie , his nose grows and he has to get the saw out again.

kanji: 壇
meaning: podium
ja_on: ダン、タン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
亶[タン] truly
examples: 花壇[かだん] flower bed
祭壇[さいだん] altar
土壇場[どたんば] last moment; eleventh hour
壇上[だんじょう] on a stage; on a platform; on an altar
教壇[きょうだん] (teacher's) platform; podium; dais
壇[だん] platform; podium; rostrum; pulpit
仏壇[ぶつだん] Buddhist (household) altar
文壇[ぶんだん] literary world; literary circles
演壇[えんだん] rostrum; platform
heisig_story: Soil/ground . . . top hat . . . -times . . . nightbreak. With kanji as difficult as this one, it generally pays to toy with the various connotations of its primitives before settling on one image. Aim for as much simplicity as you can.
koohii_story: A man on the podium announce the rules for the contest: You must fill a top hat with dirt as many times as you can by nightbreak.

kanji: 勲
meaning: meritorious deed
ja_on: クン
ja_kun: いさお
grade: Junior High
radicals: 動[ドウ] move
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 勲章[くんしょう] decoration; order; medal
叙勲[じょくん] conferring of decorations
文化勲章[ぶんかくんしょう] Order of Culture (Japan); Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea)
殊勲[しゅくん] distinguished services; meritorious deeds
heisig_story: Move . . . oven fire. So as not to confuse this kanji with the general character for merit (Frame 1369), you may associate the key word with military decorations and medals of distinction, both of which it is used for.
koohii_story: A meritorious deed? Like moving a damsel in distress out of a fire, maybe.

kanji: 魔
meaning: witch
ja_on: マ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 麻[あさ] hemp
鬼[おに] demon
examples: 邪魔[じゃま] hindrance; obstacle; nuisance; disturbance; interruption; interference
魔法[まほう] magic; witchcraft; sorcery; spell
悪魔[あくま] devil; demon; fiend
魔[ま] demon; devil; evil spirit; evil influence
お邪魔します[おじゃまします] please excuse the intrusion; I'm coming in
魔力[まりょく] magical powers; supernatural powers; spell; charm
誤魔化す[ごまかす] to deceive; to cheat; to swindle
魔女[まじょ] witch
魔術[まじゅつ] magic; sorcery; witchcraft
魔法瓶[まほうびん] thermos bottle; vacuum flask
heisig_story: Hemp . . . ghost. Take care not to confuse with the primitive of the same name we learned earlier (Frame 458).
koohii_story: The witch sold me some hemp that made me see ghosts don't do drugs.

kanji: 酬
meaning: repay
ja_on: シュウ、シュ、トウ
ja_kun: むく.いる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
州[シュウ] state
examples: 報酬[ほうしゅう] remuneration; recompense; reward; toll
応酬[おうしゅう] exchange (of words, views, punches, cups, etc.); give-and-take
無報酬[むほうしゅう] unpaid; without pay; gratuitous; voluntary
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . state.
koohii_story: Imagine a different kind of tax refund - instead of money, the state repay s you with whiskey.

kanji: 紫
meaning: purple
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: むらさき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 此[シ] this
糸[いと] thread
examples: 紫[むらさき] purple; violet
紫色[むらさきいろ] purple; violet
紫外線[しがいせん] ultraviolet rays; ultraviolet radiation; UV radiation
紫陽花[あじさい] bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla); French hydrangea
heisig_story: Footprint . . . spoon . . . thread.
koohii_story: Venom starts to choke on a spoon. He's about to get it out, when you manage to stop the spoon from getting out, so he turns purple , as he chokes, and dies.

kanji: 湿
meaning: damp
ja_on: シツ、シュウ
ja_kun: しめ.る、しめ.す、うるお.う、うるお.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
日[ひ] sun
业
examples: 湿る[しめる] to become damp; to become moist; to become wet
湿気[しっけ] moisture; humidity; dampness
湿度[しつど] humidity
湿っぽい[しめっぽい] damp; humid; wet
多湿[たしつ] high humidity
湿原[しつげん] marshy grassland; wetlands
湿地[しっち] damp ground; wetland; bog; marsh
湿疹[しっしん] eczema; rash
heisig_story: Water . . . sun . . . row.
koohii_story: You first wash you clothes with water and wring them until they are just damp before hanging them in a row under the sun to dry. If you don't wring them damp first they will take days to dry!

kanji: 紋
meaning: family crest
ja_on: モン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
文[ぶん] literature
examples: 指紋[しもん] fingerprint
紋章[もんしょう] crest; coat of arms
波紋[はもん] ripple; ring on the water
紋[もん] (family) crest; coat of arms
紋切り型[もんきりがた] formulaic; stereotyped; hackneyed
heisig_story: Thread . . . plaid.
koohii_story: Who knew that Spiderman was Scottish! He has sewn his family crest onto his uniform.

kanji: 卸
meaning: wholesale
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: おろ.す、おろし、おろ.し
grade: Junior High
radicals: 午[ゴ] noon
正[セイ] correct
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 卸す[おろす] to sell wholesale
卸[おろし] wholesale
卸値[おろしね] wholesale price
卸売[おろしうり] wholesale; wholesaling
卸売市場[おろしうりしじょう] wholesale market
卸売物価[おろしうりぶっか] wholesale price
heisig_story: The left primitive is a union of a horse and footprint. To the right, the stamp.
koohii_story: Selling WHOLESALE HORSES over the internet had to be STOPPED because the cost of STAMPS was too much.

kanji: 欄
meaning: column
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: てすり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
闌[ラン] rise high
examples: 欄[らん] section (e.g. in a newspaper); column; page
本欄[ほんらん] this column
欄外[らんがい] margin
欄干[らんかん] railing; guard rail; handrail; banister; balustrade; parapet
空欄[くうらん] blank column; blank space
heisig_story: Tree . . . gates . . . east.
koohii_story: A column of text scratched on a black tree beside the gates of Hell : To the East lies The Beast.

kanji: 逸
meaning: deviate
ja_on: イツ
ja_kun: そ.れる、そ.らす、はぐ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 免[メン] excuse
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 逸らす[そらす] to turn away (one's eyes, face, etc.); to avert; to divert (e.g. one's attention
逸れる[それる] to turn away; to bear off; to veer away; to swerve from; to miss (e.g. a target)
逸脱[いつだつ] deviation; departure
逸品[いっぴん] excellent article; fine item; rare beauty; masterpiece; gem
逸話[いつわ] anecdote; story; episode
秀逸[しゅういつ] excellent; superb; first-rate
heisig_story: Rabbit . . . road.
koohii_story: Tip : as a primitive rabbit becomes Bugs Bunny of Looney Tunes fame. Here Bugs Bunny elude s Elmer Fudd the hunter, once again.
heisig_keyword: elude

kanji: 涯
meaning: horizon
ja_on: ガイ
ja_kun: はて
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
厓[ガイ] precipice
examples: 生涯[しょうがい] life; lifetime; career
生涯教育[しょうがいきょういく] lifelong education; continuing education; further education
heisig_story: After seeing a constant horizon of water , water everywhere for months at sea, could there be anything more delightful to the eyes than to look astern and see the ivy -clad cliffs of land on a new horizon? Of course, you'd need the eyes of a stellar telescope to recognize that the vegetation was in fact ivy , but the phrase " ivy -clad cliffs " has such a nice ring to it that we won't worry about such details.
koohii_story: Try to reverse Heisig's story in this Kanji: imagine being trapped in one of those prison towers on an ivy cladcliff like in the movies. From your prison ontop the ivy clad cliff all you can see in the distant horizon is nothing but water.

kanji: 拓
meaning: clear (the land)
ja_on: タク
ja_kun: ひら.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
石[いし] stone
examples: 開拓[かいたく] reclamation (e.g. of wasteland); cultivation; development
干拓[かんたく] land reclamation (from sea)
拓本[たくほん] rubbing; rubbed copy
拓殖[たくしょく] colonization; colonisation; development; settlement; exploitation
開拓者[かいたくしゃ] pioneer; settler; colonist
heisig_story: Fingers . . . rocks.
koohii_story: A huge index finger coming down from the sky is kicking boulders of rock , clear ing the land. Maybe it's the finger of God preparing a place for his little people to live.
heisig_keyword: clear the land

kanji: 瓶
meaning: bottle
ja_on: ビン、ヘイ
ja_kun: かめ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 并[ヘイ] put together
瓦[かわら] tile
examples: 瓶[びん] bottle; jar; decanter; flagon; phial; vial
花瓶[かびん] (flower) vase
瓶詰[びんづめ] bottling
火炎瓶[かえんびん] Molotov cocktail; petrol bomb; gasoline bomb
瓶詰め[びんづめ] bottling
魔法瓶[まほうびん] thermos bottle; vacuum flask
heisig_story: Puzzle . . . tile.
koohii_story: A flower pot that has been dropped on the floor is like a puzzle of ceramic tiles to glue together.
heisig_keyword: flower pot

kanji: 獄
meaning: prison
ja_on: ゴク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
言[げん] words
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 地獄[じごく] hell realm; Naraka
監獄[かんごく] prison
出獄[しゅつごく] release (from prison)
獄中[ごくちゅう] during imprisonment; while in jail
疑獄[ぎごく] bribery scandal; graft case
heisig_story: Although we did not make note of it at the time, the kanji for dog is also a low-grade term for a spy. And later (Frame 1517) we will meet another association of criminals with dogs. The prison here depicts a pack of wild dogs (the long-timers and hardened criminals) into which the poor little c hihuahua (first offender) has been cast. The only thing he has to protect himself against the pack are his shrill and frightened words.
koohii_story: The wild dog family visits their cousin in prison. They exchange words over the interphone at the visiting booth.

kanji: 尚
meaning: esteem
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: なお
grade: Junior High
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冋[キョウ] desert
examples: 尚更[なおさら] still more; even more; all the more
尚且つ[なおかつ] besides; furthermore; on top of that
尚[なお] still; yet
高尚[こうしょう] high; noble; refined; advanced
和尚[おしょう] priestly teacher; preceptor
時期尚早[じきしょうそう] premature
heisig_story: Above we see the primitive for little attached to one of those glass canopies you might use to display a family heirloom. The littleness is important, because what is in fact on display is the shrunken, stuffed, and mounted mouth of an esteemed ancestor. We may be used to esteeming the words our forebears leave behind, but here we also esteem the very mouth that spoke them. I leave it to you to imagine a suitable place in your room for displaying such an unusual conversation piece.
koohii_story: An especially esteem ed alien has three antennae on his helmet.

kanji: 彫
meaning: carve
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: ほ.る、-ぼ.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 周[シュウ] circumference
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 彫る[ほる] to carve; to engrave; to sculpt; to chisel
彫刻[ちょうこく] carving; engraving; sculpture
彫像[ちょうぞう] (carved) statue; sculpture
彫塑[ちょうそ] carving; engraving
彫金[ちょうきん] chasing; metal carving; metal engraving
木彫[もくちょう] wood carving; wooden sculpture; woodcraft
木彫り[きぼり] wood carving; woodcraft
浮き彫り[うきぼり] relief; embossed carving
heisig_story: The two primitives here, circumference and shape , belong naturally to the special connotations that differentiate carving from engraving (see frame 1639).
koohii_story: Start with a circumference and carve away until you get the shape you want.

kanji: 咲
meaning: blossom
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: さ.く、-ざき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
关 frontier pass
examples: 咲く[さく] to bloom; to flower; to blossom; to open
咲き乱れる[さきみだれる] to bloom in profusion
返り咲き[かえりざき] comeback (e.g. in business); reinstatement
遅咲き[おそざき] blooming late; flowering late; blossoming late
heisig_story: Mouth . . . golden calf.
koohii_story: Evil blossom s from the mouths of those who worship the golden calf. (Playing it safe and avoiding the image of a flower completely).

kanji: 穏
meaning: calm
ja_on: オン
ja_kun: おだ.やか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
爫[つめかんむり] claw
心[こころ] heart
examples: 穏やか[おだやか] calm; quiet; gentle; peaceful; mild
平穏[へいおん] tranquil; calm; restful; peaceful; quiet
不穏[ふおん] disquieting; threatening; turbulent; restless; unsettled; disturbing
穏便[おんびん] gentle; peaceable; amicable; quiet
穏健[おんけん] moderate (view, politics, etc.); temperate; sensible; sober; non-radical
穏当[おんとう] proper; reasonable; right; appropriate
heisig_story: Wheat . . . vulture . . . broom . . . heart.
koohii_story: This whole kanji is a picture of calm ness. The wheat has been harvested and even the vultures sit calm ly watching the humans sweep and clean- up after the harvest is over. Hearts are peaceful and calm at this time of the year. Even the days are calm without storm.

kanji: 顕
meaning: appear
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: あきらか、あらわ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 显
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 顕著[けんちょ] remarkable; striking; obvious
顕微鏡[けんびきょう] microscope
顕在[けんざい] being actual (as opposed to hidden or latent); being apparent; being obvious; be
顕彰[けんしょう] honouring (publicly); honoring; making someone's good deeds or achievements well
heisig_story: Sun . . . row . . . heads.
koohii_story: One day a row of Suns appear ed in the sky, turning everyone's heads upwards.

kanji: 巧
meaning: adroit
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: たく.み、たく.む、うま.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 工[たくみ] work
丂[コウ] obstruction of breath (qi) as it seeks release
examples: 巧み[たくみ] skillful; adroit; dexterous; masterful; clever; ingenious; cunning
巧妙[こうみょう] ingenious; skillful; clever; deft; sophisticated
精巧[せいこう] elaborate; delicate; exquisite
巧拙[こうせつ] skill; workmanship; dexterity; quality
巧者[こうしゃ] cleverness; skill; tact
技巧[ぎこう] technique; finesse
heisig_story: Craft . . . snare.
koohii_story: Adroit : dextrous, deft, skillful. Snare is a little generic so I'll use BEAR TRAP, with huge teeth cartoon style that snares you around the ankle. In the crafting of a bear trap , one must be particularly adroit. Otherwise they will become the victim of their down device.

kanji: 矛
meaning: halberd
ja_on: ム、ボウ
ja_kun: ほこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 予[ヨ] beforehand
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 矛盾[むじゅん] contradiction; inconsistency
矛先[ほこさき] point of a spear; spearhead
矛[ほこ] long-handled Chinese spear; lance; pike
heisig_story: The halberd's battle-ax head and long shaft are depicted here. Take care with the number and order of the strokes.
koohii_story: マオ Zedong always carried a halberd.

kanji: 垣
meaning: hedge
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: かき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
亘[コウ] span
examples: 垣間見る[かいまみる] to take a peep at; to catch a glimpse of
垣根[かきね] hedge; fence
垣[かき] fence; hedge; railing
生垣[いけがき] hedge
石垣[いしがき] stone wall
heisig_story: The hedge depicted in this frame is the miraculous hedge of briar roses that completely spanned the castle grounds in which Sleeping Beauty lay for a hundred years, so that none but her predestined beloved could find his way through it.
koohii_story: Before the Great Wall of China, there was a dirt hedge that spanned across.

kanji: 召
meaning: seduce
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: め.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 刀[かたな] knife
口[くち] mouth
examples: 召し上がる[めしあがる] to eat; to drink
召喚[しょうかん] summons; subpoena; citation
召す[めす] to call; to summon; to send for; to invite
召集[しょうしゅう] convening; calling together (e.g. parliament); call-up (for military service)
応召[おうしょう] responding to a call-up for military service; answering a call-up
heisig_story: A sword or dagger posed over a mouth is how the character for "beckoning" is written. The related but less tame key word seduce was chosen because it seemed to fit better with the - how shall we put it? - Freudian implications of the kanji. (Observe if you will that it is not sure whether the long slender object is seducing the small round one or vice versa.)
koohii_story: A man is easily seduce d by a mouth to his "sword.".

kanji: 欺
meaning: deceit
ja_on: ギ
ja_kun: あざむ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 其[キ] that
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 詐欺[さぎ] fraud; swindle; graft; cheating; trick; scam
欺く[あざむく] to deceive; to delude; to trick; to fool
詐欺師[さぎし] swindler; fraudster; trickster; con man
heisig_story: Bushel basket . . . yawn.
koohii_story: Kasparov practices deceit by grabbing your rook while pretending to yawn.

kanji: 釣
meaning: angling
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: つ.る、つ.り、つ.り-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
勺[シャク] ladle
examples: 釣る[つる] to fish; to angle; to catch
釣り[つり] fishing; angling
釣り合う[つりあう] to balance; to be in harmony; to be in equilibrium
お釣り[おつり] change (for a purchase)
釣り合い[つりあい] balance; equilibrium
不釣合い[ふつりあい] imbalance; disproportion; disparity; mismatch; asymmetry
釣り堀[つりぼり] fish pond (artificially stocked); fishing pond
釣り針[つりばり] fish hook
釣り銭[つりせん] change (for a purchase)
heisig_story: The character we learned for fishing (Frame 184) refers to the professional, net-casting industry, while the angling of this character refers to the sport. The odd thing is that your angling rod is a golden ladle which you are using to scoop gold fish out of a river.
koohii_story: All the people that go to the Japanese festivals to catch fish part time are suckers. Me? I'm a pro. I bring a big-ass golden ladle. I'm a true ANGLING professional.

kanji: 缶
meaning: tin can
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: かま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 缶[みずがめ] earthen jar
examples: 缶[かん] can; tin
缶詰[かんづめ] canned food; tinned food
空き缶[あきかん] empty can
缶コーヒー[かんコーヒー] canned coffee
ドラム缶[ドラムかん] drum (e.g. oil, gasoline); metal barrel
heisig_story: Though the meaning has no reference to animals, the parts do: horse with a mountain underneath.
koohii_story: Horses kept in the mountains have a unique savory taste. At least so the text on this tin can would have us believe, which contains 100% authentic mountain horse.

kanji: 粧
meaning: cosmetics
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
庄[ショウ] level
examples: 化粧[けしょう] make-up; makeup; cosmetics
heisig_story: Rice . . . cave . . . soil.
koohii_story: Condy Rice is actually white, but she uses special cosmetics made from dirt she found in a cave to appear black - it's better for the political situation.

kanji: 隻
meaning: vessels
ja_on: セキ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 隹[ふるとり] small bird
又[また] again
heisig_story: The key word indicates the Japanese generic term for counting ships. Its elements: turkey . . . crotch.
koohii_story: On Vessels that travel long distances, sailors often get quite lonely. They keep TURKEYS on the VESSELS , but not for use as food. The lonely sailors take turns enjoying the turkey's CROTCH.

kanji: 葛
meaning: arrowroot
ja_on: カツ、カチ
ja_kun: つづら、くず
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
曷[カツ] why
examples: 葛藤[かっとう] conflict; complication; troubles; discord
葛[くず] kudzu (Pueraria montana); Japanese arrowroot
heisig_story: Kudzu is a word taken over from Japanese to name the crawling vines that creep up and completely take over trees. Seeing it at its worst in the Georgia countryside makes it easy to understand why it has a reputation as the "plague of the South." From there it should not be hard to arrange the primitives, flowers and siesta into a memorable image.
koohii_story: Flower, siesta: The muchacho was not careful. He passed the warning signs and decided to hold a siesta in the kudzu field. The kudzu grew so fast, he was completely covered by it in a few hours and not able to escape. Now, the kudzu flowers mark his grave.
heisig_keyword: kudzu

kanji: 脂
meaning: fat
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: あぶら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
旨[シ] delicious
examples: 脂[あぶら] fat; tallow; lard; grease
脂肪[しぼう] fat; grease; blubber; lard; suet
樹脂[じゅし] resin; rosin
油脂[ゆし] fats and oils
脂身[あぶらみ] fat (of meat); fatty meat
heisig_story: This kanji tells us that if you feed the flesh with too many delicious things, it soon picks up a thick layer of fat.
koohii_story: Every chef will tell you, fat is what make the meat taste delicious.

kanji: 粛
meaning: solemn
ja_on: シュク、スク
ja_kun: つつし.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 聿[ふでづくり] writing brush
米[こめ] rice
examples: 静粛[せいしゅく] silent
粛清[しゅくせい] (political) purge
厳粛[げんしゅく] grave; solemn; serious
自粛[じしゅく] self-restraint; voluntary restraint; self-imposed control; self-discipline
heisig_story: Rake . . . rice . . . fenceposts. Take special care to draw this character in the same order as the primitive. Note too, that the fourth stroke for rice is already taken care of by the fourth stroke of rake.
koohii_story: Even though it's a maddening task, the monks stay solemn as they rake rice between the fenceposts.

kanji: 愚
meaning: foolish
ja_on: グ
ja_kun: おろ.か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禺[グ] long-tailed monkey
心[こころ] heart
examples: 愚か[おろか] foolish; stupid; silly
愚痴[ぐち] idle complaint; grumble
愚[ぐ] foolishness; silliness; stupidity; folly
愚連隊[ぐれんたい] gang of young toughs; hooligans; hoodlums; hoods; yobbos
heisig_story: Talking Cricket . . . heart.
koohii_story: "Don't be foolish!" says Jiminy Cricket as he lashes you with his belt. Follow logic, like me, not your heart.

kanji: 遭
meaning: encounter
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: あ.う、あ.わせる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 曹[ソウ] office
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遭う[あう] to meet; to encounter; to see
遭遇[そうぐう] encounter; running into; meeting with (e.g. an accident); being confronted with
遭難[そうなん] (meeting with) disaster; (having an) accident; mishap; shipwreck; distress
heisig_story: Cadet . . . road.
koohii_story: Close encounter s of the third kind. The space cadet encounter s aliens on the road.

kanji: 架
meaning: erect
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: か.ける、か.かる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 加[カ] add
木[き] tree
examples: 架空[かくう] fictitious; imaginary; fanciful; fabricated
十字架[じゅうじか] cross (for crucifixion); the Cross (of Christ)
担架[たんか] stretcher; litter; gurney
書架[しょか] bookshelf; bookcase
架橋[かきょう] bridge-building; bridge construction
架設[かせつ] construction; building
高架[こうか] elevated (structure); overhead
heisig_story: Add . . . trees. Hint: if you ever played with an " Erector Set " or "Tinker Toys" as a child, don't pass up the opportunity to relate it to this kanji's key word and the element for trees.
koohii_story: Instant wood. Just add Viagra.

kanji: 鬼
meaning: ghost
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: おに、おに-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 甶
儿[ひとあし] human legs
厶[む] private
examples: 鬼[おに] ogre; demon; oni
鬼ごっこ[おにごっこ] tag (children's game); tig
吸血鬼[きゅうけつき] vampire; bloodsucker
鬼神[きしん] fierce god
鬼才[きさい] wizard; genius; remarkable talent; exceptional ability
heisig_story: Drop of . . . brains . . . human legs . . . elbow.
koohii_story: A ghost , or oni , wandering slowly on its human legs , searching for brains to eat. What looks like an elbow here is actually a pictoral representation of the forked tail protruding out of its rear.

kanji: 庶
meaning: commoner
ja_on: ショ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
廿[ジュウ] twenty
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 庶民[しょみん] common people; ordinary people; masses
庶務[しょむ] general affairs
庶民的[しょみんてき] popular; folksy; plebeian; ordinary; unpretentious
heisig_story: Caverns . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: Commoner s have to huddle in caverns around a campfire , while higher class people get heating and central air conditioning in a hotel.

kanji: 肌
meaning: texture
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: はだ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
几[きにょう] table
examples: 肌[はだ] skin
肌寒い[はださむい] chilly; unpleasantly cold
肌触り[はだざわり] feel; touch; texture
肌色[はだいろ] flesh colour (of a Japanese person); flesh color; pale orange
肌着[はだぎ] underwear; underclothes; lingerie; chemise; singlet
地肌[じはだ] texture; grain
heisig_story: Ever notice how the texture of your face and hands is affected by the wind? A day's skiing or sailing makes them rough and dry, and in need of a good soft cream to soothe the burn. So whenever a part of the body gets exposed to the wind , its texture is affected. (If it is any help, the Latin word hiding inside texture connotes how something is "to the touch.")
koohii_story: When you expose your flesh to the wind it gets textured : goosebumps!

kanji: 稚
meaning: immature
ja_on: チ、ジ
ja_kun: いとけない、おさない、おくて、おでる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 幼稚園[ようちえん] kindergarten (in Japan, non-compulsory education from age 3 until primary school
幼稚[ようち] infancy
稚拙[ちせつ] unskillful; childish; immature; naive; artless; clumsy; crude
稚魚[ちぎょ] fry; juvenile fish; fingerling
heisig_story: Wheat . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Immature turkeys are stuffed with wheat to make it look bigger.

kanji: 靴
meaning: shoes
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: くつ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 革[つくりがわ] leather
化[カ] change
examples: 靴[くつ] shoe; shoes; boots; footwear; footgear
靴下[くつした] socks; sock; stockings; stocking
革靴[かわぐつ] leather shoes; leather boots
靴屋[くつや] shoe store; shoe shop; shoemaker
heisig_story: Leather . . . change.
koohii_story: Leather shoes are nice because they change shape to fit your foot.

kanji: 幻
meaning: phantasm
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: まぼろし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 幺[いとがしら] young
examples: 幻[まぼろし] phantom; vision; illusion; apparition
幻想[げんそう] fantasy; illusion; vision; dream
幻覚[げんかく] hallucination; illusion
幻滅[げんめつ] disillusionment; disillusion; disenchantment
幻影[げんえい] phantom; vision; illusion
夢幻[むげん] dreams; fantasy; visions
heisig_story: Cocoon . . . clothes hanger.
koohii_story: After the play, The Phantasm of the Opera hangs up his cape on a clothes hanger and returns to his cocoon to sleep.

kanji: 煮
meaning: boil
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: に.る、-に、に.える、に.やす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 者[シャ] someone
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 煮る[にる] to boil; to simmer; to stew; to seethe
煮込む[にこむ] to boil well; to stew; to simmer (for a long time)
煮物[にもの] nimono; food cooked by boiling or stewing
煮える[にえる] to be boiled; to be cooked
煮詰める[につめる] to boil down; to concentrate (soup, milk, stock, etc.)
煮やす[にやす] to cook inside
雑煮[ぞうに] soup containing rice cakes and vegetables (New Year's dish)
heisig_story: Puppet . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: I had a hard time with the next several frame numbers trying to use "puppet." So i thought of "voodoo doll" but then found "love doll" (which is just a special type of puppet) fit well with these 8 frames. Observe: Here I am boil ing my love doll over the flames to warm her up a bit…

kanji: 姫
meaning: princess
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: ひめ、ひめ-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
臣[しん] retainer
examples: 姫[ひめ] young lady of noble birth; princess (esp. in Western contexts, tales, etc.)
姫君[ひめぎみ] daughter of a person of high rank (esp. eldest daughter)
歌姫[うたひめ] songstress; diva
舞姫[まいひめ] female dancer; dancing girl; danseuse
heisig_story: Woman . . . slave.
koohii_story: Princess Leia becomes Jabba's slave (“princess Leia is a woman slave”).

kanji: 誓
meaning: vow
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: ちか.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 折[セツ] fold
言[げん] words
examples: 誓う[ちかう] to swear; to vow; to take an oath; to pledge
誓い[ちかい] oath; vow
宣誓[せんせい] oath; abjuration; pledge
誓って[ちかって] surely; upon my word; by Jove
誓約[せいやく] oath; vow; pledge; covenant
heisig_story: Fold . . . words.
koohii_story: This Japanese couple wrote the vow s that they had made to each other onto a piece of paper and then folded it into an origami , and put it somewhere in their appartment. To everybody else it is an origami , but to them it is also a symbol of their vow s. – "the folded words are vow s". Note : in this story and a few others I use the image of an origami for the primitive " fold ".

kanji: 把
meaning: grasp
ja_on: ハ、ワ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
巴[ハ] comma-design
examples: 把握[はあく] grasp (of the situation, meaning, etc.); understanding; control; hold; grip
大雑把[おおざっぱ] rough (estimate, summary, etc.); broad; general; sweeping; loose
把[わ] counter for bundles
heisig_story: Fingers . . . mosaic.
koohii_story: Japanese censorship laws require pornos to use a mosaic screen, so you can't see what the porno chick is grasping with her fingers (but you can assume, neetch).

kanji: 践
meaning: tread
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: ふ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
戋
examples: 実践[じっせん] practice; putting into practice; implementation
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . parade float.
koohii_story: The pirate with the wooden leg chased after the parade float and was run over by the next one, leaving tread marks all over him and his leg.

kanji: 呈
meaning: display
ja_on: テイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
王[オウ] king
examples: 露呈[ろてい] exposure; disclosure
進呈[しんてい] presentation (e.g. of a gift)
贈呈[ぞうてい] presentation (of a gift, prize, etc.)
heisig_story: The trick to remembering this character lies in associating the key word with the line from the nursery rhyme about 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie: "Wasn't this a dainty dish to set before the king? " If we think of display in terms of that famous line, and the king with his head thrown back and his mouth wide open as 4 and 20 blackbirds fly in one after the other, we shall have satisfied both the elements and their position.
koohii_story: The mouth of the king is display ing his bling.

kanji: 疎
meaning: alienate
ja_on: ソ、ショ
ja_kun: うと.い、うと.む、まば.ら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
束[ソク] bundle
examples: 疎遠[そえん] estrangement; alienation; neglecting to stay in contact
意思疎通[いしそつう] (reciprocal) communication; (coming to a) mutual understanding
疎か[おろか] not to mention ...; needless to say ...; not to speak of ...; not only ...
過疎[かそ] underpopulation; low population density; depopulation
疎外[そがい] alienation; estrangement; leaving (someone) out; casting out; cutting off; avoid
疎通[そつう] (mutual) understanding; communication
疎開[そかい] evacuation (to the country)
空疎[くうそ] empty (e.g. argument); insubstantial; hollow; fruitless
heisig_story: Zoo . . . bundle. Note that the element for zoo is flattened out on the left just as leg (Frame 1372) had been. This is the only time we will meet this form in this book.
koohii_story: [True story] In Osaka the homeless (the alienate d) live in large numbers around the city zoo. Picture them in winter all bundled up in rags trying to keep warm, alienate d from the society, living literally worst than the animals in the zoo who at least are bundled in their natural furs and have pens to live in sheltered from the elements.

kanji: 仰
meaning: face-up
ja_on: ギョウ、コウ
ja_kun: あお.ぐ、おお.せ、お.っしゃる、おっしゃ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
卬[キョウ] lofty
examples: 仰ぐ[あおぐ] to look up (at)
仰向け[あおむけ] facing upward
仰る[おっしゃる] to say; to speak; to tell
信仰[しんこう] (religious) faith; belief; creed
仰天[ぎょうてん] being amazed; being horrified; being taken aback
heisig_story: This character is used both for lying on one's back faceup , and for looking up to someone with respect and awe. Its elements: person . . . box . . . stamps.
koohii_story: All stamps in Mr T 's collection box are lied carefully face-up.
heisig_keyword: faceup

kanji: 鈍
meaning: dull
ja_on: ドン
ja_kun: にぶ.い、にぶ.る、にぶ-、なま.る、なまく.ら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
屯[トン] barracks
examples: 鈍い[にぶい] dull (e.g. a knife); blunt
鈍る[にぶる] to become blunt; to grow dull
鈍感[どんかん] thickheaded; insensitive; dull; thick-skinned
鈍器[どんき] blunt weapon
鈍化[どんか] becoming dull; slowing down
heisig_story: Metal . . . earthworm.
koohii_story: The metal hook is too dull to even pierce an earthworm….

kanji: 恥
meaning: shame
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: は.じる、はじ、は.じらう、は.ずかしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
心[こころ] heart
examples: 恥ずかしい[はずかしい] embarrassing; embarrassed; ashamed; humiliated; shy
恥[はじ] shame; embarrassment; disgrace
恥じる[はじる] to feel ashamed
恥じらう[はじらう] to feel shy; to be bashful; to blush
恥知らず[はじしらず] shameless; shameless person
恥辱[ちじょく] disgrace; shame; insult
恥さらし[はじさらし] disgrace; shame
無恥[むち] shameless
heisig_story: Ear . . . heart. It is most rare to have the heart at the right, rather than at the bottom. Take advantage of this fact when you compose your story.
koohii_story: Vincent Van Gogh's greatest shame was cutting off his ear to win the heart of a woman.

kanji: 剛
meaning: sturdy
ja_on: ゴウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 岡[コウ] mount
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 剛健[ごうけん] vigour; vigor; virility; health; sturdiness
heisig_story: Mount . . . saber.
koohii_story: Mount everest is very sturdy , you can hit it all day with a saber and it wont even wobble.

kanji: 疾
meaning: rapidly
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: はや.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
矢[や] arrow
examples: 疾走[しっそう] sprint; dash; scampering
疾風[しっぷう] gale; strong wind; swift wind; fresh breeze (Beaufort scale)
疾患[しっかん] disease; illness; disorder; condition; ailment
疾病[しっぺい] illness; disease
heisig_story: Be sure to keep this character distinct from quick (Frame 1799) and swift (Frame 298). Picture a succession of poison darts (the sort that inflict sickness ) flying out rapid -fire from a blowgun, so that " rapid -fire" can conjure up the proper image.
koohii_story: I picture a sick caveman, and two people rapidly blowing darts at him. One is blowing poison darts, the other is blowing antidote darts. Will the sick caveman live or die? Depends on how rapidly they fire.

kanji: 征
meaning: subjugate
ja_on: セイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
正[セイ] correct
examples: 征服[せいふく] conquest; subjugation
遠征[えんせい] (military) expedition; campaign
出征[しゅっせい] going to war; departure for the front
heisig_story: Column . . . correct.
koohii_story: America seeks to GO and CORRECT other nations. But really what they do is subjugate them…

kanji: 砕
meaning: smash
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: くだ.く、くだ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
卆[ソツ] soldier
examples: 砕ける[くだける] to break (into pieces); to be broken; to be smashed
砕く[くだく] to break (into pieces); to smash; to crush; to shatter; to grind (into powder);
粉砕[ふんさい] pulverization; pulverisation
玉砕[ぎょくさい] honorable death; death without surrender; honorable defeat
火砕流[かさいりゅう] pyroclastic flow
砕石[さいせき] crushed stone; macadam
heisig_story: We begin with the two elements on the right, baseball and needle. Since they will be coming together from time to time, let us give the two of them the sense of a game of cricket in which a needle is laid across the wicket. Then imagine using a rock for a ball. A smash hit would probably splinter the bat in all directions, and a smashing pitch would do the same with the needle wicket.
koohii_story: To SMASH a STONE you need to hit it NINE or TEN times.

kanji: 謡
meaning: song
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: うた.い、うた.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
䍃 a vase
examples: 歌謡[かよう] song; ballad
民謡[みんよう] folk song; popular song
歌謡曲[かようきょく] kayōkyoku
童謡[どうよう] children's song; nursery rhyme
謡[うたい] noh chanting; noh chant
謡曲[ようきょく] noh song
heisig_story: Words . . . condor.
koohii_story: Noh chanting?!? I meant "NO CHANTING!" Now all you, just shut up! Not another word! Don't you know that chanting can provoke attacks from the local condor? So, no chanting, and especially no Noh chanting.
heisig_keyword: Noh chanting

kanji: 嫁
meaning: marry into
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: よめ、とつ.ぐ、い.く、ゆ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
家[カ] house
examples: 嫁[よめ] bride
花嫁[はなよめ] bride
嫁ぐ[とつぐ] to marry (of a woman); to become a bride; to marry into (a family)
嫁入り[よめいり] marriage; wedding
転嫁[てんか] imputation; shifting (blame, responsibility, etc.); passing the buck
heisig_story: The kanji in this frame demonstrates the traditional Japanese approach to marriage: it is the woman who leaves her family for another house hold, thus marrying into a man's family.
koohii_story: Since the Nihonjin man is hardly ever home, the woman feels more like she's married into the house than into a relationship.

kanji: 謙
meaning: self-effacing
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: へりくだ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
兼[ケン] concurrently
examples: 謙遜[けんそん] modesty; humility; being humble
謙虚[けんきょ] modest; humble
heisig_story: Words . . . concurrently.
koohii_story: When you are self-effacing you use words to concurrently bring yourself down and make yourself look better.

kanji: 嘆
meaning: sigh
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: なげ.く、なげ.かわしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
艹[くさかんむり] grass
夫[フ] husband
examples: 嘆く[なげく] to lament; to grieve; to regret
感嘆[かんたん] admiration; wonder; astonishment
嘆き[なげき] grief; lamentation
嘆息[たんそく] sigh (of grief, disappointment, etc.); grieving; lamenting; deploring
嘆かわしい[なげかわしい] lamentable; deplorable; regrettable; sad; wretched
驚嘆[きょうたん] wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration
嘆願[たんがん] entreaty; appeal; petition
悲嘆[ひたん] grief; sorrow; anguish; lamentation
heisig_story: Mouth . . . scarecrow.
koohii_story: A sigh escapes the mouth of the scarecrow , who laments: "…if I only had a brain, I could learn kanji".

kanji: 菌
meaning: germ
ja_on: キン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
囗[くにがまえ] border
禾[のぎへん] grain
examples: 菌[きん] fungus
細菌[さいきん] bacterium; bacteria; germ
ばい菌[ばいきん] germ; germs; bacteria; bug
大腸菌[だいちょうきん] Escherichia coli (E. coli)
抗菌[こうきん] antibacterial; antimicrobial
殺菌[さっきん] sterilization; sterilisation; disinfection; pasteurization
無菌[むきん] sterilised; sterilized; sterile; pasteurised; pasteurized; germ-free; aseptic
球菌[きゅうきん] coccus
除菌[じょきん] disinfection; sterile filtration
heisig_story: Flowers . . . pent in . . . wheat.
koohii_story: Can also mean bacteria…..imagine the wheat pent in your fridge growing to the point where they resemble flowers …….I actually had something similar happen to onions…they grew footlong legs after about 2 or 3 years……OR just think of that Cowboy Bebop episode with the lobster in the fridge… :-).

kanji: 鎌
meaning: sickle
ja_on: レン、ケン
ja_kun: かま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
兼[ケン] concurrently
examples: 鎌[かま] sickle
鎌倉[かまくら] Kamakura (city)
heisig_story: Metal . . . concurrently.
koohii_story: This is a special sickle with metal blades on both sides. It can cut many things concurrently!

kanji: 泥
meaning: mud
ja_on: デイ、ナイ、デ、ニ
ja_kun: どろ、なず.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
尼[ニ] nun
examples: 泥棒[どろぼう] thief; burglar; robber
泥[どろ] mud; (wet) dirt
泥沼[どろぬま] bog; marsh; swamp; quagmire; morass
泥酔[でいすい] being dead drunk; drunken stupor
泥炭[でいたん] peat
雲泥の差[うんでいのさ] wide difference; a world of difference
heisig_story: Water . . . nun.
koohii_story: TV gets weirder and weirder… Now they're doing mud wrestling shows with nuns splashing around in the water. What will they think of next?

kanji: 頻
meaning: repeatedly
ja_on: ヒン
ja_kun: しき.りに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 歩[ホ] walk
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頻繁[ひんぱん] frequent; incessant
頻りに[しきりに] frequently; repeatedly; often; incessantly; constantly
頻度[ひんど] frequency (of occurrence)
頻発[ひんぱつ] frequent occurrence
heisig_story: The image of something occurring repeatedly , over and over again, is of having one's head walked on.
koohii_story: I repeatedly walk around hoping this kanji will come into my head. I repeatedly walk around hoping this kanji will come into my head. I repeatedly walk around hoping this kanji will come into my head. I repeatedly walk around hoping this kanji will come into my head. I repeatedly walk around hoping this kanji will come into my head.

kanji: 琴
meaning: harp
ja_on: キン、ゴン
ja_kun: こと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
今[コン] now
examples: 琴[こと] koto (13-stringed Japanese zither)
heisig_story: A pair of jewels . . . clock.
koohii_story: Two kings were fighting over a beautiful koto (harp). So they had a clock built into it that would measure how long each one played it. That way they could be sure none played it more than othe other.

kanji: 棚
meaning: shelf
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: たな、-だな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
朋[ホウ] companion
examples: 棚[たな] shelf; ledge; rack
本棚[ほんだな] bookshelves; bookshelf; bookcase
戸棚[とだな] cupboard; locker; closet; wardrobe; cabinet
大陸棚[たいりくだな] continental shelf
棚上げ[たなあげ] shelving (a matter, plan, etc.); pigeonholing; tabling; putting aside; putting o
heisig_story: One often thinks of books as "good companions ," but here it is the shelf we store them on that is the companion. The reasons should be obvious: it is made of the same stuff, wood , and spends a lot more time with them than we do! Here again, be careful not to let the rationality of the explanation get in the way before you turn it into a proper story.
koohii_story: A shelf is a wooden companion to books.

kanji: 酷
meaning: cruel
ja_on: コク
ja_kun: ひど.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
告[コク] revelation
examples: 残酷[ざんこく] cruel; brutal; ruthless; merciless; inhuman
酷い[ひどい] cruel; heartless; hard; harsh; severe
過酷[かこく] severe; harsh; hard; cruel; rigorous
酷[こく] severe; harsh; stringent; rigorous; strict; unfair
冷酷[れいこく] cruelty; coldheartedness; relentless; ruthless
酷使[こくし] exploitation; overuse; abuse
酷似[こくじ] resembling closely; being strikingly similar; bearing a strong likeness
酷く[ひどく] terribly; awfully; dreadfully; extremely; severely; very (much)
酷暑[こくしょ] intense heat; severe heat
酷評[こくひょう] severe criticism; sharp criticism; scathing criticism; diatribe; panning
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . revelation.
koohii_story: It's cruel to pour alcohol down a cow's mouth.

kanji: 宰
meaning: superintend
ja_on: サイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
辛[からい] bitter
examples: 主宰[しゅさい] chairmanship; presidency; management
宰相[さいしょう] prime minister; premier; chancellor
heisig_story: House . . . spicy.
koohii_story: Superintend ant Chalmers is dining at Principal Skinner's house. He takes a bite of his meal which is unbelievably spicy. His wig pops off and he yells out: "SKINNERRR!".

kanji: 廊
meaning: corridor
ja_on: ロウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
郎[ロウ] son
examples: 廊下[ろうか] corridor; hallway; passageway
回廊[かいろう] corridor; gallery; hallway; cloister (i.e. covered walk typically circling a bui
画廊[がろう] art gallery (esp. artworks for sale); picture gallery
heisig_story: Cave . . . son.
koohii_story: Your son plays in the corridor pretending he's exploring a cave.

kanji: 寂
meaning: loneliness
ja_on: ジャク、セキ
ja_kun: さび、さび.しい、さび.れる、さみ.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
叔[シュク] uncle
examples: 寂しい[さびしい] lonely; lonesome; solitary; desolate
静寂[せいじゃく] silence; stillness; quietness
寂[さび] patina; antique look
寂然[せきぜん] lonely; desolate
heisig_story: House . . . uncle.
koohii_story: The unmarried uncle 's house is the picture of lonlieness.

kanji: 隅
meaning: corner
ja_on: グウ
ja_kun: すみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
禺[グ] long-tailed monkey
examples: 隅[すみ] corner; nook; recess
片隅[かたすみ] corner; nook
隅々[すみずみ] every corner; every nook and cranny; all the ins and outs
一隅[いちぐう] corner; nook
四隅[よすみ] four corners
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . Talking Cricket.
koohii_story: Jiminy Cricket has a favorite corner he likes to slip into at The Pinnacle for a long drink.

kanji: 偶
meaning: accidentally
ja_on: グウ
ja_kun: たま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
禺[グ] long-tailed monkey
examples: 偶然[ぐうぜん] coincidence; chance; accident; fortuity
偶数[ぐうすう] even number
配偶者[はいぐうしゃ] spouse; wife; husband; partner
偶像[ぐうぞう] image; idol; statue
偶発[ぐうはつ] sudden outbreak; accidental; incidental
heisig_story: The person on the left is familiar. As for the right side, we may combine the insect with a brain (observe the writing) and a belt to create the Talking Cricket who served as Pinocchio's conscience. ( The belt is there because he pulls it off to give unrepentant little Pinocchio a bit of "strap" now and again.)
koohii_story: Mr. T accidentially stepped on Jiminy Cricket (a brainy insect, with a belt sort of sash to hold his "conscience" badge).

kanji: 伏
meaning: prostrated
ja_on: フク
ja_kun: ふ.せる、ふ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 伏せる[ふせる] to lay (something) face down; to place upside down; to turn over (face down)
待ち伏せ[まちぶせ] ambush; lying in wait for an ambush
潜伏[せんぷく] concealment; hiding; ambush
降伏[こうふく] surrender; capitulation; submission
起伏[きふく] undulation
伏兵[ふくへい] ambush; troops in ambush
伏線[ふくせん] foreshadowing
heisig_story: Person . . . chihuahua.
koohii_story: Don't need a silly story for this one: prostration is when a person puts themselves in a low position like a dog, as an extreme gesture of humility.

kanji: 辛
meaning: spicy
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: から.い、つら.い、-づら.い、かのと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 立[たつ] to stand
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 辛い[からい] spicy; hot
辛抱[しんぼう] patience; endurance; perseverance
辛うじて[かろうじて] barely; narrowly; only just; with difficulty
香辛料[こうしんりょう] spice; spices; condiment
辛口[からくち] dry taste (e.g. sake, wine)
塩辛い[しおからい] salty (taste); briny
唐辛子[とうがらし] capsicum (Capsicum annuum, esp. the cultivated chili peppers); chili pepper (chi
辛勝[しんしょう] narrow victory
辛子[からし] mustard
辛苦[しんく] hardship; toil; trouble
辛酸[しんさん] hardships; privation
heisig_story: This character pictures food whose taste is so hot and spicy that it makes the hairs on your body stand up as straight as needles.
koohii_story: Eating spicy food makes you stand up ten times faster than usual, 'cause you just need to get something to drink!

kanji: 磨
meaning: grind
ja_on: マ
ja_kun: みが.く、す.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 麻[あさ] hemp
石[いし] stone
examples: 磨く[みがく] to polish; to shine; to burnish; to scour; to scrub; to brush (teeth); to grind
歯磨き[はみがき] dental brushing; brushing one's teeth
琢磨[たくま] polish (jewels); cultivation
研磨[けんま] grinding; polishing
磨き[みがき] polish; burnishing
達磨[だるま] daruma; tumbling doll
heisig_story: Hemp . . . stone.
koohii_story: If you grind the hemp you are bound to get stoned quicker.

kanji: 碁
meaning: Go
ja_on: ゴ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 其[キ] that
石[いし] stone
examples: 碁[ご] go (board game)
碁盤[ごばん] Go board
囲碁[いご] go (board game)
heisig_story: Bushel basket . . . stones. The key word refers to the Japanese game played with black and white colored stones on a lined board.
koohii_story: Go is chess played with stones.

kanji: 俗
meaning: vulgar
ja_on: ゾク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
谷[たに] valley
examples: 風俗[ふうぞく] manners; customs
俗[ぞく] layman (esp. as opposed to a Buddhist monk); laity; man of the world; the world
民俗[みんぞく] folk customs; folkways; ethnic customs
俗語[ぞくご] colloquialism; colloquial language; slang
公序良俗[こうじょりょうぞく] public order and morals; social standards; public policy
通俗的[つうぞくてき] popular; common; commonplace
heisig_story: Person . . . valley. The key word should be taken in its older sense of "popular" or "commonplace."
koohii_story: Mr. T says, "Don't be like them valley girls , always speaking vulgar language and acting all vulgar! They ain't nothing but foos!".

kanji: 漠
meaning: vague
ja_on: バク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
莫[バク] must not
examples: 漠然[ばくぜん] vague; obscure; indistinct; hazy; ambiguous
砂漠[さばく] desert
サハラ砂漠[サハラさばく] Sahara Desert
heisig_story: Think of the key word as having to do with something viewed through a haze, or in the twilight and from a distance, so that only its outlines are vaguely discernible. Now we are back again to the essence of the true graveyard. The water may be taken as the sound of waves dashing up against the rocks or the dripping of moisture on cold rock - anything that helps you associate vagueness with the graveyard and keep it distinct from the imitation we met in the last frame.
koohii_story: The precise locations of sailors who meet a WATERY GRAVE are vague.

kanji: 邪
meaning: wicked
ja_on: ジャ
ja_kun: よこし.ま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 牙[ガ] tusk
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 邪魔[じゃま] hindrance; obstacle; nuisance; disturbance; interruption; interference
風邪[かぜ] (common) cold; influenza; flu; ague; inflammatory respiratory system illness (in
お邪魔します[おじゃまします] please excuse the intrusion; I'm coming in
無邪気[むじゃき] innocent; simple-minded
邪[よこしま] wicked; evil; wrong; bad
風邪をひく[かぜをひく] to catch a cold
邪道[じゃどう] improper way (of doing); wrong way; unorthodox method
風邪薬[かぜぐすり] remedy for a cold; cold medicine
heisig_story: Tusk . . . city walls.
koohii_story: The wicked queen builds her city walls out of menacing tusks.

kanji: 晶
meaning: sparkle
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
examples: 結晶[けっしょう] crystal; crystallization; crystallisation
水晶[すいしょう] (rock) crystal; high purity quartz
液晶[えきしょう] liquid crystal
heisig_story: What else can the word sparkle suggest if not a diamond? And if you've ever held a diamond up to the light, you will have noticed how every facet of it becomes like a miniature sun. This kanji is a picture of a tiny sun in three places (that is, "everywhere"), to give the sense of something that sparkles on all sides. Just like a diamond. In writing the primitive elements three times, note again how the rule for writing given in frame 4 holds true not only for the strokes in each individual element but also for the disposition of the elements in the character as a whole.
koohii_story: A diamond sparkle s as brightly as three suns.

kanji: 墨
meaning: black ink
ja_on: ボク
ja_kun: すみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 黒[くろ] black
土[つち] earth
examples: お墨付き[おすみつき] certificate; certified document; authorization; authorisation
墨[すみ] sumi; India ink; Chinese ink; ink stick; ink-cake
入れ墨[いれずみ] tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing
墨絵[すみえ] ink painting
水墨画[すいぼくが] India-ink painting; ink wash painting
heisig_story: Besides meaning black ink , this kanji also appears in the word for an inked string that is pulled taut and snapped to mark a surface, much the same as one might used a chalked string. Here it is used to mark off the dirt with black lines for a foot ballgame (played, I presume, on a white field).
koohii_story: Theres BLACK on the GROUND…most likely someone spilt some black ink.

kanji: 鎮
meaning: tranquilize
ja_on: チン
ja_kun: しず.める、しず.まる、おさえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
真[シン] true
examples: 鎮める[しずめる] to quiet (a child, crowd, etc.); to quieten; to make quiet
鎮まる[しずまる] to become quiet; to quiet down; to quieten down
鎮圧[ちんあつ] suppression (of a riot, revolt, etc.); repression; putting down; quelling
重鎮[じゅうちん] leader; authority; mainstay
鎮守[ちんじゅ] local Shinto deity; tutelary god
鎮痛剤[ちんつうざい] analgesic; painkiller; sedative; tranquilizer (tranquiliser); anodyne
鎮魂[ちんこん] repose of a soul
heisig_story: The first lie-detector machines of the twentieth century worked by wiring pieces of metal to the body to measure the amount of sweat produced when questions were asked. It was discovered that nervousness produced more sweat, indicating subconscious reactions when the truth was getting too close for comfort. Nowadays, people can take drugs that tranquillize them in such a way as to neutralize the effect of the device, which is why other means have had to be developed.
koohii_story: Tranquilize \- using a metal syringe to get the truth.
heisig_keyword: tranquillize

kanji: 洞
meaning: den
ja_on: ドウ
ja_kun: ほら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
同[ドウ] same
examples: 洞[ほら] hollow; cavity; hole; cave
洞窟[どうくつ] cave; cavern; grotto
空洞[くうどう] cavity; hollow; cave; cavern
洞察[どうさつ] discernment; insight
洞穴[ほらあな] cave; cavern; den; grotto
鍾乳洞[しょうにゅうどう] limestone cave; limestone cavern
heisig_story: The key word den refers to an animal lair hollowed out in the side of a mountain. Now if we keep to the image of the monastic life as an image for same , we can picture a den of wild beasts dressed up in habits and living the common life in a mountain cavern. To bring in the element of water we need only give them a sacred "puddle" in the center of their den , the focus of all their pious attentions.
koohii_story: All the animals in the den share the same water.

kanji: 履
meaning: perform
ja_on: リ
ja_kun: は.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
復[フク] restore
examples: 履く[はく] to put on (lower-body clothing, e.g. pants, skirt, footwear); to wear
履歴[りれき] personal history; background; career
履歴書[りれきしょ] personal history document; curriculum vitae; resume
草履[ぞうり] zori
履き古し[はきふるし] worn-out shoes; worn-out socks
履物[はきもの] footwear; footgear; shoes
履行[りこう] performance (of a duty); fulfillment (of a promise); fulfilment; execution (of a
heisig_story: Flag . . . restore.
koohii_story: NOTE: The most common use is in はく, meaning to put on footgear , rather than actual footgear itself. STORY: You are asleep in camp when you are woken up with news that the FLAG has fallen to the enemy. You quickly PUT ON YOUR FOOTGEAR and run off to RESTORE the FLAG.
heisig_keyword: footgear

kanji: 劣
meaning: inferiority
ja_on: レツ
ja_kun: おと.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 少[ショウ] few
力[ちから] power
examples: 劣る[おとる] to be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behind
卑劣[ひれつ] mean; contemptible; despicable; dirty; foul; cowardly; base
劣勢[れっせい] inferiority (e.g. numerical); inferior position; disadvantage; unfavorable situa
劣化[れっか] deterioration (in quality, performance, etc.); degradation; worsening
劣等感[れっとうかん] inferiority complex; sense of inferiority
優劣[ゆうれつ] (relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; quality
劣悪[れつあく] poor (quality, conditions, etc.); bad; inferior; poor-quality
拙劣[せつれつ] clumsy; unskillful
heisig_story: Few . . . muscles.
koohii_story: I have an inferiority complex because I have fewer muscles than everyone else at the gym. They all look like Macho Man Randy Savage (power) to me.

kanji: 那
meaning: what?
ja_on: ナ、ダ
ja_kun: なに、なんぞ、いかん
grade: Junior High
radicals: 二[に] two
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 旦那[だんな] master (of a house, shop, etc.)
刹那[せつな] moment; instant
heisig_story: Sword . . . two . . . city walls. Used classically to indicate an interrogative part of speech, this character is used chiefly now for its sound.
koohii_story: If you arrive with two swords at the city walls , expect some interrogative s before they'll let you in.
heisig_keyword: interrogative

kanji: 殴
meaning: assault
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: なぐ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 区[ク] ward
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 殴る[なぐる] to strike; to hit; to beat; to punch
殴打[おうだ] hit; strike; blow
殴り込み[なぐりこみ] raid; attack; assault
heisig_story: Ward . . . missile.
koohii_story: The city decides to disperse the homeless ward with a precision missile assault. They didn't know Wolverine was living in a cardboard box there though…

kanji: 娠
meaning: with child
ja_on: シン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
examples: 妊娠[にんしん] pregnancy; conception; gestation
heisig_story: Woman . . . sign of the dragon. The key word is a synonym for pregnant , whose character we met earlier (Frame 546). Although the two kanji are often used together, they should be kept distinct.
koohii_story: Any woman spending a night with the virile Bruce Lee is bound to end up with child.

kanji: 奉
meaning: observance
ja_on: ホウ、ブ
ja_kun: たてまつ.る、まつ.る、ほう.ずる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 奉仕[ほうし] service; ministry; attendance; church work
奉公[ほうこう] live-in domestic service; live-in apprenticeship
信奉[しんぽう] belief; faith; adherence; espousal
奉納[ほうのう] dedication; offering; presentation; oblation
奉行[ぶぎょう] magistrate; shogunate administrator
heisig_story: Bonsai . . . cornstalk. Use a ritualistic, religious meaning.
koohii_story: To join the temple, you have to dedicate yourself to raising bonsai for enlightenment, and cornstalks for sustenance.
heisig_keyword: dedicate

kanji: 憂
meaning: melancholy
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: うれ.える、うれ.い、う.い、う.き
grade: Junior High
radicals: 百[ヒャク] hundred
冖[わかんむり] cover
心[こころ] heart
夂[のまた] to follow
examples: 憂鬱[ゆううつ] depression; melancholy; dejection; gloom; despondency
憂い[うれい] sorrow; grief; anguish; distress
一喜一憂[いっきいちゆう] alternating between happiness and anxiety; swinging between joy and sorrow; bein
憂える[うれえる] to worry about; to be anxious about; to be concerned about
憂き目[うきめ] bitter experience; misery; distress; grief; sad thoughts; hardship
憂国[ゆうこく] patriotic concern for the future of one's country
憂慮[ゆうりょ] anxiety; concern; fear
heisig_story: Head . . . crown . . . heart . . . walking legs. Two things merit mention here. First, the doubling-up of the last stroke of head with the top of the crown serves to make the whole more aesthetically beautiful. It happens so rarely that the exceptions are easily learned. Second, try to make a single image out of the four elements. (Religious statuary of melancholy figures should offer plenty of suggestions.)
koohii_story: Melancholy makes me think of Hamlet cause he was so 'emo'. In order to play up his feelings he bares his head and holds his crown over his heart then walks (on walking legs ) around the palace making everyone see how melancholy he is. What a wuss.

kanji: 朴
meaning: crude
ja_on: ボク
ja_kun: ほう、ほお、えのき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
卜[ぼく] oracle
examples: 素朴[そぼく] simple; artless; naive; unsophisticated
heisig_story: As all magicians who have passed their apprenticeship know, one makes one's wand out of a hazel branch and is careful not to alter the natural form of the wood. For the magic of the wand derives its power from its association with the hidden laws of nature, and needs therefore to be kept in its crude , natural state.
koohii_story: Wooden wands are the crudest. They are nothng compared to their carbon fibre equivilents.

kanji: 亭
meaning: pavilion
ja_on: テイ、チン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
口[くち] mouth
冖[わかんむり] cover
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 亭主[ていしゅ] household head; master; host (e.g. of a tea gathering); innkeeper; owner (e.g. o
料亭[りょうてい] ryotei
heisig_story: Think of all the pavilions at County Fairs or World Expos you have wandered into or seen advertised in the media, and you will no doubt see rising up among them the towering tall crowned nail (the crown being a revolving restaurant) - that architectural monstrosity that has become a symbol of science and technology at such events.
koohii_story: The tall est Pavilion crowns the street.

kanji: 姓
meaning: surname
ja_on: セイ、ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
生[うまれる] birth
examples: 姓[せい] surname; family name
姓名[せいめい] (full) name; family name and given name
同姓[どうせい] same surname
旧姓[きゅうせい] one's original family name; maiden name
百姓[ひゃくしょう] farmer; peasant; farm laborer; farmhand
heisig_story: Woman . . . cell.
koohii_story: When women marry, they adopt the surname of their husband, signifiying the start of a new life together. (adapted from gorgon).

kanji: 筒
meaning: cylinder
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: つつ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
同[ドウ] same
examples: 封筒[ふうとう] envelope
水筒[すいとう] canteen; flask; water bottle; thermos
筒[つつ] pipe; tube; cylinder
円筒[えんとう] cylinder
気筒[きとう] cylinder
発煙筒[はつえんとう] smoke bomb; smoke candle
筒井[つつい] round well
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . monk.
koohii_story: Seriously, all BAMBOO sticks look the SAME, just long CYLINDER S. Should the story be more complicated?

kanji: 怪
meaning: suspicious
ja_on: カイ、ケ
ja_kun: あや.しい、あや.しむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
圣[コツ] holy
examples: 怪しい[あやしい] suspicious; dubious; questionable; dodgy; shady; fishy
怪我[けが] injury; wound
怪物[かいぶつ] monster
怪しむ[あやしむ] to suspect
妖怪[ようかい] ghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; specter; demon; monster; goblin; yōkai
怪我人[けがにん] wounded person; injured person
怪獣[かいじゅう] monster
奇怪[きかい] strange; wonderful; weird; outrageous; mysterious
怪談[かいだん] ghost story; tale of the supernatural
怪奇[かいき] bizarre; strange; weird; mysterious
heisig_story: State of mind . . . spool.
koohii_story: When you're suspicious , your state of mind twists round and round like a spool of thread.

kanji: 粒
meaning: grains
ja_on: リュウ
ja_kun: つぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
立[たつ] to stand
examples: 粒[つぶ] grain; bead; drop
大粒[おおつぶ] large drop (of rain, sweat, tears, etc.); large grain-like object (e.g. grape, c
粒子[りゅうし] particle; grain
米粒[こめつぶ] grain of rice
粒状[りゅうじょう] granular; granulated
素粒子[そりゅうし] elementary particle; particle
heisig_story: Rice . . . vase.
koohii_story: A sage is using rice to fill up a vase , but as an exercise in patience, he's doing it grain by grain.

kanji: 偉
meaning: admirable
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: えら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
韋[なめしがわ] leather
examples: 偉い[えらい] great; excellent; admirable; commendable; laudable; honorable; wonderful; outsta
偉大[いだい] great; grand; magnificent; outstanding; mighty
偉業[いぎょう] great achievement; great feat; great work; great undertaking
偉人[いじん] great person; eminent figure
heisig_story: Person . . . locket.
koohii_story: Mr. T is certainly an ADMIRABLE PERSON, so much so that parents are buying lockets with his picture in it and having their children wear them like amulets.

kanji: 酔
meaning: drunk
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: よ.う、よ.い、よ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
卆[ソツ] soldier
examples: 酔う[よう] to get drunk; to become intoxicated
酔い[よい] drunkenness; intoxication
麻酔[ますい] anaesthesia; anesthesia
酔っ払う[よっぱらう] to get drunk
陶酔[とうすい] intoxication
心酔[しんすい] adoration; admiration
酔っ払い[よっぱらい] drunkard
泥酔[でいすい] being dead drunk; drunken stupor
船酔い[ふなよい] seasickness
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . baseball . . . needle.
koohii_story: God you're drunk! How many whiskeys did you have? 9? 10?

kanji: 惜
meaning: pity
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: お.しい、お.しむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
昔[セキ] once upon a time
examples: 惜しい[おしい] regrettable; disappointing; unfortunate
惜しむ[おしむ] to spare; to grudge; to be sparing (with); to be frugal; to be stingy
名残惜しい[なごりおしい] reluctant (to part)
惜敗[せきはい] regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
heisig_story: State of mind . . . once upon a time. The sense of the key word is that of a lost opportunity or bad turn of affairs, as in the phrase "What a pity! "
koohii_story: What a pity! My state of mind when i think of the opportunities I missed from once upon a time.

kanji: 穫
meaning: harvest
ja_on: カク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
蒦[ワク] to measure
examples: 収穫[しゅうかく] harvest; crop; ingathering
heisig_story: Wheat . . . flowers . . . vessels. Compare frames 756 and 757 for the right side.
koohii_story: The harvest of genetically modified crops is taken onboard the Greenpeace vessel (see the flower vessel in [safeguard](../v4/700.html) (#700 護)).

kanji: 佳
meaning: excellent
ja_on: カ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
圭[ケイ] square jewel
examples: 佳境[かきょう] most interesting part (of a story); climax; good part
佳作[かさく] fine (piece of) work; excellent work
heisig_story: Person . . . ivy. To distinguish from excel (Frame 980), eminent (Frame 52), esteem (Frame 196), and exquisite (Frame 130), give the key word its own unique connotation.
koohii_story: Mr T wants to go to an excellent school, so he enrolls in Harvard, an ivy -league school.

kanji: 潤
meaning: wet
ja_on: ジュン
ja_kun: うるお.う、うるお.す、うる.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
閏[ジュン] intercalation
examples: 潤む[うるむ] to be wet (with tears); to be moist
潤う[うるおう] to become moist; to be moistened; to become damp; to get wet
潤い[うるおい] moisture; damp; wetness
潤滑油[じゅんかつゆ] lubricating oil; lubricant; lube
潤す[うるおす] to moisten; to wet
利潤[りじゅん] profit; returns
潤色[じゅんしょく] rhetorical flourishes
heisig_story: Water . . . gates . . . king.
koohii_story: Forgetting about the moat, the king stepped out of his gate and landed in the water. Needless to say he got wet.

kanji: 悼
meaning: lament
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: いた.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
卓[タク] eminent
examples: 悼む[いたむ] to grieve over; to mourn; to lament
哀悼[あいとう] condolence; regret; tribute; sorrow; sympathy; lament
追悼[ついとう] mourning
heisig_story: To keep this character distinct from others of similar connotation, one need only think of the Prophet Jeremiah whose poetry gave an eminence to the state of mind we call lamentation.
koohii_story: When the world's most eminent magician died, everyone's state of mind became that of lament ation. He was buried with his famous sun-flower wand in his hand.

kanji: 乏
meaning: destitution
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: とぼ.しい、とも.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
之[シ] of
examples: 貧乏[びんぼう] poverty-stricken; destitute; poor; penurious
乏しい[とぼしい] meagre; meager; scarce; limited; destitute; hard up; lacking; scanty; poor
貧乏人[びんぼうにん] poor person; the poor
欠乏[けつぼう] deficiency; insufficiency; shortage; lack; want; dearth; scarcity
窮乏[きゅうぼう] poverty; destitution; privation; indigence; penury
heisig_story: Drop of . . . building blocks.
koohii_story: Just one drop (of alcohol) and he starts walking in zig-zags – no wonder Zorro 's living in destitution. (Note: As a primitive let 之 be Zorro or Zig-Zag : it's pictographic).

kanji: 該
meaning: above-stated
ja_on: ガイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
亥[ガイ] sign of the hog
examples: 該当[がいとう] corresponding to; being applicable to; being relevant to; coming under; falling
heisig_story: Words . . . acorn.
koohii_story: I asked my teacher what this strange word meant, and she furiously replied that it was explained in the above-stated paragraph before throwing an acorn at me!

kanji: 赴
meaning: proceed
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: おもむ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 走[はしる] to run
卜[ぼく] oracle
examples: 赴く[おもむく] to go in the direction of; to proceed toward; to proceed according to; to repair
赴任[ふにん] moving to a different location to start a new job; (proceeding to) new appointme
単身赴任[たんしんふにん] taking up a post away from one's family; job transfer without one's family; livi
heisig_story: In proceeding to a new city or a new job, something in you runs ahead with excitement, and something else holds you back, like a divining rod built into your psyche warning you to check things out carefully before rushing in too wildly.
koohii_story: "Don't run into trouble," Dumbledore tells Harry. " Proceed with caution with your wand out.".

kanji: 桑
meaning: mulberry
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: くわ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 又[また] again
木[き] tree
examples: 桑[くわ] mulberry (tree)
桑原[くわばら] mulberry field
桑田[そうでん] mulberry plantation
桑畑[くわばたけ] mulberry field; mulberry plantation
heisig_story: Crotches , crotches everywhere . . . tree. Hint: think of a group of children playing an original version of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush. "
koohii_story: Children going around the mulberry tree singing "This is the way we wash our crotch , wash our crotch , wash our crotch …".

kanji: 髄
meaning: marrow
ja_on: ズイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 骨[ほね] bone
有[ユウ] possess
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 真髄[しんずい] essence; quintessence; spirit; soul; heart; pith (and marrow)
脊髄[せきずい] spinal cord
骨髄[こつずい] bone marrow; medulla
heisig_story: Skeleton . . . possess . . . road.
koohii_story: A skeleton is shuffling along the shoulder of the road, so you pull up next to him and ask where he is going. He says he's going to donate his marrow to the hospital because he got into some financial trouble and lost everything, his marrow is the only thing he still possesses.

kanji: 虎
meaning: tiger
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: とら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 虎[とら] tiger (Panthera tigris)
heisig_story: The kanji in this frame recalls the famous Bengali fable about the group of magicians (the magic wand ) who decided to make a tiger. It seems that each of them knew how to make one part of the beast, so they pooled their talents and brought all the pieces ( diced into pieces) together, at which point the fabricated tiger promptly ate its makers up (the bodiless human legs ). Whatever the parable's significance for modern civilization and its arsenals, it should help with this kanji. Oh yes, we should not forget that cliff-like element. Think of it as an abbreviation of the primitive for zoo (the first and fourth strokes, actually), in order to fit the tiger somewhere into the picture. In fact, the abbreviation is perfectly logical, since the bottom elements usurp the room for the rest of the primitive for zoo.
koohii_story: Magic wand + first two strokes of pelt ( 皮 ) + diced + human legs. A wizard who turns people he doesn't like into newts with his magic wand goes for variety - he has always wanted a tiger pelt - but things go awry when the tiger promptly dices and eats him, leaving only a pair of legs. (a fitting end for a wicked wizard).

kanji: 盆
meaning: basin
ja_on: ボン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 分[ブン] part
皿[さら] plate
examples: 盆[ぼん] tray
盆地[ぼんち] basin (e.g. between mountains)
盆栽[ぼんさい] bonsai; miniature potted plant
盆踊り[ぼんおどり] Bon Festival dance; Lantern Festival dance
heisig_story: Part . . . dish.
koohii_story: The part of the kitchen sink in which you wash dishes in is the basin.

kanji: 穂
meaning: ear
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: ほ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
恵[ケイ] favor
examples: 穂[ほ] ear (of a cereal plant); head; spike
稲穂[いなほ] ear (head) of rice
heisig_story: Wheat . . . favor.
koohii_story: The pilgrims only had wheat , so they asked the Indians to do them a favor and trade them for some ears of corn.
heisig_keyword: ear of a plant

kanji: 壮
meaning: robust
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: さかん
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丬 half of tree trunk
士[さむらい] man
examples: 壮大[そうだい] magnificent; grand; majestic; splendid
悲壮[ひそう] tragic but brave; heroic; grim
壮年[そうねん] prime of life
壮烈[そうれつ] heroic; brave
壮行[そうこう] (rousing) send-off; farewell
強壮[きょうそう] able-bodied; robust; sturdy; strong
heisig_story: Robust is seen as a turtle turned samurai.
koohii_story: The image is a robust green bulging-muscle cartoon turtle. A TMNT with hachimaki. turtle - samurai.

kanji: 堤
meaning: dike
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: つつみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
是[ゼ] just so
examples: 堤防[ていぼう] bank; weir; embankment; levee
堤[つつみ] bank; embankment; dike
防波堤[ぼうはてい] breakwater; mole
heisig_story: A dike is a successful bit of engineering only if the amount of earth piled up is measured just so for the height and pressure of the water it is meant to contain.
koohii_story: Making a dike is all about arranging the soil just so….

kanji: 飢
meaning: hungry
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: う.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
几[きにょう] table
examples: 飢える[うえる] to starve; to be famished; to be hungry
飢え死に[うえじに] (death from) starvation; starving to death
飢饉[ききん] famine; crop failure
飢え[うえ] hunger; starvation
飢餓[きが] starvation; famine; hunger
heisig_story: Food . . . wind.
koohii_story: The smell of cooked food wafts past you in the wind , making your stomach rumble and feeling hungry.

kanji: 傍
meaning: bystander
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: かたわ.ら、わき、おか-、はた、そば
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
旁[ボウ] RHS of character
examples: 傍ら[かたわら] side; edge; beside; besides; nearby
傍観[ぼうかん] looking on; standing by and watching; sitting back and watching; remaining a spe
傍受[ぼうじゅ] interception; monitoring; tapping
傍聴[ぼうちょう] listening (to a lecture, hearing, parliament session, etc.); attending (without
heisig_story: Person . . . stand . . . crown . . . compass.
koohii_story: In Japan, the emperor is a bystander \- he stands on his crown but can't really affect the direction of the country. (thx shimouma).

kanji: 疫
meaning: epidemic
ja_on: エキ、ヤク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 免疫[めんえき] immunity; immunization; immunisation
疫病[えきびょう] epidemic; plague; pestilence
検疫[けんえき] quarantine; medical inspection
防疫[ぼうえき] communicable disease control (e.g. by quarantine, disinfection, etc.); preventio
heisig_story: Sickness . . . missile.
koohii_story: Sickness-missiles are being engineered by bio-terrorists to spread epidemic s all over the world. Imagine seeing footage of a place where those sickness-missiles are built : rows after rows of missiles , and if you look closely on each is inscribed in tiny letters the name of different sickness such as "flu", "plague", etc.

kanji: 累
meaning: accumulate
ja_on: ルイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
糸[いと] thread
examples: 累積[るいせき] accumulation
累計[るいけい] cumulative total; accumulated total; total up to now
累進[るいしん] successive promotion; gradual progression; rising step by step
heisig_story: Rice field . . . threads. Make use of the position of the elements to distinguish this kanji from that of the previous frame.
koohii_story: (dingomick) Venom is upset because Spidey is just that much brainier than he is! He chooses to accumulate as many brains as he can, snatching them out of people's heads and storing them on top of his own, till there's just one massive brain on top of his head!

kanji: 痴
meaning: stupid
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: し.れる、おろか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
知[チ] know
examples: 愚痴[ぐち] idle complaint; grumble
痴漢[ちかん] molester; groper; masher; pervert
方向音痴[ほうこうおんち] (person with) no sense of direction; poor sense of locality
痴呆[ちほう] dementia
音痴[おんち] tone deafness; amusia; having no ear for music
heisig_story: Know . . . sickness.
koohii_story: Of course caveman is stupid. He doesn't know anything. He's a caveman!

kanji: 搬
meaning: conveyor
ja_on: ハン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
般[ハン] carrier
examples: 搬送[はんそう] transportation; conveyance; delivery
運搬[うんぱん] transport; transportation; conveyance; carriage
搬入[はんにゅう] carrying in (esp. heavy objects, artwork, furniture); bringing in; taking in
搬出[はんしゅつ] carrying out (esp. heavy objects, artwork, furniture); taking out
heisig_story: Fingers . . . carrier.
koohii_story: When workers neglect workplace safety, their fingers get cut off and carried away by the conveyor belt, which looks like a 'finger carrier' in that case.

kanji: 畳
meaning: tatami mat
ja_on: ジョウ、チョウ
ja_kun: たた.む、たたみ、かさ.なる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
冖[わかんむり] cover
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 畳む[たたむ] to fold (clothes, umbrella)
畳[じょう] tatami mat (esp. as a measure of room size, either 1.82 sqm or 1.54 sqm)
四畳半[よじょうはん] four and a half tatami mats; four-and-a-half-mat room
heisig_story: Rice field . . . crown . . . shelf.
koohii_story: The king is peacefully sleeping on his new tatami mat when all of a sudden a shelf falls over and kills him. You can see his crown poking out and the brains splatter out the top of his head from all the pressure.

kanji: 癒
meaning: healing
ja_on: ユ
ja_kun: い.える、いや.す、い.やす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
愈[ユ] be superior
examples: 治癒[ちゆ] healing; cure; recovery
癒着[ゆちゃく] adhesion; conglutination; accretion
koohii_story: At the butcher's meeting , all the butcher's who have a heart disease attend the faith healing workshop.

kanji: 郭
meaning: enclosure
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: くるわ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 享[キョウ] enjoy
邑[おおざと] village
examples: 輪郭[りんかく] contour; outline; silhouette
城郭[じょうかく] castle; citadel; fortress
外郭[がいかく] outer fence; outer enclosure; outer block
外郭団体[がいかくだんたい] auxiliary organization (organisation); extra-departmental body; fringe organizat
heisig_story: Receive . . . city walls.
koohii_story: The city finally received the enclosure that it desperately needed, city walls to protect it against attacks from the tall kids.

kanji: 尿
meaning: urine
ja_on: ニョウ
ja_kun: ゆばり、いばり、しと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
水[みず] water
examples: 尿[にょう] urine
尿酸[にょうさん] uric acid
泌尿器[ひにょうき] urinary organs
糖尿病[とうにょうびょう] diabetes; diabetes mellitus
heisig_story: Flag . . . water.
koohii_story: Animals use their urine to mark their territory. So for them, their body water works as a flag denoting their "country" ( why bother? we all know which story you are going to pick ).

kanji: 凶
meaning: villain
ja_on: キョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乂[ガイ] mow
凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 凶悪[きょうあく] atrocious; heinous; fiendish; brutal; vicious
凶器[きょうき] dangerous weapon; lethal weapon; deadly weapon; murder weapon
元凶[げんきょう] ringleader; main culprit
凶作[きょうさく] bad harvest; poor crop
heisig_story: Sheaf . . . shovel.
koohii_story: Wolverine (sheaf, see [reap](../v4/1488.html) (#1488 刈)) takes out a villain who can't be cut by smacking the crap out of him with a shovel.

kanji: 吐
meaning: spit
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: は.く、つ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
土[つち] earth
examples: 吐く[つく] to breathe out; to breathe
吐き出す[はきだす] to vomit; to spit out
吐き気[はきけ] nausea; feeling like throwing up; feeling sick
吐露[とろ] expressing one's mind; speaking out
嘔吐[おうと] vomiting; emesis
heisig_story: We have here a rather small mouth (it is always compressed when set on the left) next to a much larger piece of dirt. It is not hard to imagine what you might do if you got a mouth full of dirt. As least I know what I would do: spit it out as fast and far as I could!
koohii_story: SPIT goes from my MOUTH to the GROUND.

kanji: 宴
meaning: banquet
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: うたげ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
日[ひ] sun
女[おんな] woman
examples: 宴[うたげ] party; banquet; feast
宴会[えんかい] party; banquet; reception; feast; dinner
宴席[えんせき] banquet; dinner party
披露宴[ひろうえん] reception (e.g. wedding); banquet; celebration; party
饗宴[きょうえん] feast; banquet
heisig_story: To carry on from the last frame, we note the entire day of work that comes between a woman and her house in preparing for a dinner banquet , pictorially "interrupting" her relaxation.
koohii_story: The WOMAN spent all DAY preparing a banquet in the HOUSE.

kanji: 賓
meaning: V.I.P.
ja_on: ヒン
ja_kun: まろうど、したがう
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
少[ショウ] few
貝[かい] shell
examples: 国賓[こくひん] state guest
来賓[らいひん] guest; visitor; visitor's arrival
貴賓[きひん] noble visitor
賓客[ひんきゃく] guest of honour; guest of honor; privileged guest; visitor
迎賓館[げいひんかん] reception hall (esp. for visiting state dignitaries); guest house
heisig_story: The V.I.P. indicated here is an important guest making a visit. The elements are: house . . . ceiling . . . few . . . shells.
koohii_story: This house is reserved to V.I.P. only. If you are not one of the few with enough money to call you that way, keep out!

kanji: 虜
meaning: captive
ja_on: リョ、ロ
ja_kun: とりこ、とりく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
男[ダン] male
examples: 捕虜[ほりょ] prisoner (of war); POW; captive
heisig_story: Tiger . . . man.
koohii_story: Captive men are thrown to the tigers. I think you can imagine something else is done to captive women…

kanji: 膚
meaning: skin
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: はだ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
胃[イ] stomach
examples: 皮膚[ひふ] skin
皮膚病[ひふびょう] skin disease
皮膚科[ひふか] dermatology
heisig_story: Tiger . . . stomach.
koohii_story: Ending up in a tiger's stomach is not good for your skin , as it's full of stomach acids.

kanji: 陶
meaning: pottery
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: すえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
缶[みずがめ] earthen jar
examples: 鬱陶しい[うっとうしい] gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing
陶器[とうき] pottery; earthenware; ceramics; (soft-paste) porcelain; china
陶酔[とうすい] intoxication
陶工[とうこう] potter; ceramist; ceramicist
陶磁器[とうじき] ceramics; pottery and porcelain
陶芸[とうげい] ceramic art; ceramics
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . bound up . . . tin can.
koohii_story: At The Pinnacle , traditional pottery is done by binding up a bunch of tin cans into whatever pot shape desired.

kanji: 鐘
meaning: bell
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: かね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
童[ドウ] juvenile
examples: 鐘[かね] bell (often a large hanging bell); chime
警鐘[けいしょう] alarm bell; fire bell
鐘楼[しょうろう] belfry; bell tower
heisig_story: This bell is made of cheap metal , and so badly made that when you ring it, it lets out a noise like the " bell owing" of juveniles who aren't getting their own way.
koohii_story: The METAL bell rings to call the JUVENILES to class.

kanji: 憾
meaning: remorse
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: うら.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
感[カン] emotion
examples: 遺憾[いかん] regrettable; unsatisfactory; deplorable; lamentable
heisig_story: State of mind . . . emotion. Hint: the etymology of " remorse " indicates a memory that returns again and again to "bite at" one's conscience and disturb one's peace of mind.
koohii_story: Remorse is the state of mind where I feel bad for what I did while I was tired and emotional!

kanji: 畿
meaning: capital
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: みやこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 幺[いとがしら] young
戈[ほこ] spear
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 近畿[きんき] Kinki (region around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara)
heisig_story: Two cocoons . . . field . . . fiesta.
koohii_story: People aside, I wonder how many rice fields there are in the capital suburbs.
heisig_keyword: capital suburbs

kanji: 弥
meaning: all the more
ja_on: ミ、ビ
ja_kun: や、いや、いよ.いよ、わた.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
尓[ジ] you
examples: 弥生[やよい] third month of the lunar calendar
阿弥陀[あみだ] Amitabha (Buddha); Amida
heisig_story: Bow . . . reclining . . . little.
koohii_story: If I recline back, I can pull my bow open a little more and more.
heisig_keyword: more and more

kanji: 昆
meaning: descendants
ja_on: コン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
比[くらべる] to compare
examples: 昆虫[こんちゅう] insect; bug
昆布[こんぶ] kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp
heisig_story: By comparing apes with anthropoids, we not only discover the latter have descended from those progenitors educated in the higher branches, but that the very idea of seeing everything descended from everything else, one way or another, means that there is "nothing new UNDER the sun. "
koohii_story: Grandparent spends all DAY COMPARING photos of their DESCENDANTS.

kanji: 粗
meaning: coarse
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: あら.い、あら-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 粗末[そまつ] crude; rough; plain; humble; shabby; poor-quality; low-quality
粗野[そや] rustic; rude; vulgar; rough
粗筋[あらすじ] outline; summary; argument
粗い[あらい] coarse; rough
粗品[そしな] small present; trifling gift
粗大[そだい] coarse; rough; bulky
粗悪[そあく] coarse; crude; inferior
粗暴[そぼう] rough (behaviour, temperament, etc.); wild; rude; violent
粗鋼[そこう] crude steel
heisig_story: Rice . . . shelf.
koohii_story: Refined rice [1535] can only be found in exclusive grocery shops. Coarse rice by contrast fills the supermarket shelves \- don't go looking for anything else there.

kanji: 訂
meaning: revise
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: ただ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 訂正[ていせい] correction; revision; amendment
改訂[かいてい] revision (of text); alteration; change
改訂版[かいていばん] revised edition
heisig_story: After completing the first draft, you revise it by nailing down your words and "hammering" them into shape.
koohii_story: Revise , revise and revise until you have all the words nailed down.

kanji: 尻
meaning: buttocks
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: しり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
九[キュウ] nine
examples: 尻[しり] buttocks; behind; rump; bottom; hips
尻尾[しっぽ] tail (of an animal)
heisig_story: Flag . . . baseball team.
koohii_story: The baseball team stick flags in their buttocks and wave them at the opposing team to put them off.

kanji: 傘
meaning: umbrella
ja_on: サン
ja_kun: かさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 人[ひと] person
从[ショウ] two people
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 傘[かさ] umbrella; parasol
傘下[さんか] affiliated with; under jurisdiction of; under the umbrella
日傘[ひがさ] parasol (esp. one carried in the hand); sunshade
heisig_story: Umbrella . . . two assembly lines . . . needle.
koohii_story: There are two assembly lines at the umbrella factory. One is responsible for making the top of the umbrella , and the other for making the handle. The two lines cross at the end, where one man tries frantically to jam the sets of parts together.

kanji: 騎
meaning: equestrian
ja_on: キ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 馬[うま] horse
奇[キ] strange
examples: 騎士[きし] (medieval) knight
一騎打ち[いっきうち] single combat; duel; one-on-one fight
騎兵[きへい] cavalry; cavalryman; trooper
騎手[きしゅ] horseman; rider; jockey
騎馬[きば] horse riding; horseback riding; horseback rider
heisig_story: Team of horses . . . strange.
koohii_story: If the equestrian team used trojan horses , it would be really strange.

kanji: 寧
meaning: rather
ja_on: ネイ
ja_kun: むし.ろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 寍[ネイ] used as a term of comparison
丁[チョウ] street
examples: 寧ろ[むしろ] rather; better; instead; if anything
丁寧[ていねい] polite; courteous; civil
heisig_story: House . . . heart . . . eye . . . spike.
koohii_story: A pretty tough kanji. Think of elegant old housewives with English accents dining together at a HOUSE party. The hostess brings out a dish of hors d'oeuvres: a SPIKE of metal with an EYEBALL and a HEART skewered on it. Upon being offered this treat, one of the housewives says in her English accent, "I'd RATHER not.".

kanji: 濯
meaning: laundry
ja_on: タク
ja_kun: すす.ぐ、ゆす.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
翟[ケキ] surname
examples: 洗濯[せんたく] washing; laundry
洗濯物[せんたくもの] laundry; the washing
洗濯機[せんたくき] washing machine; (clothes) washer
heisig_story: Water . . . feathers . . . turkey
koohii_story: At the laundry you stuff your large futon (made from turkey feathers ) in the machine, thereby causing it to break – as shown by the water spurting out the side.

kanji: 循
meaning: sequential
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彳[ぎょうにんべん] step
盾[ジュン] shield
examples: 循環[じゅんかん] circulation; rotation; cycle; loop
循環器[じゅんかんき] circulatory organ
悪循環[あくじゅんかん] vicious circle; vicious cycle
heisig_story: Line . . . shield.
koohii_story: This is mostly used in the word 循環 , "circulation" (of buses through their routes, of blood, etc). So I think of a column of little Roman soldiers with their shields marching sequential ly through the veins of a person, as an anthropomorphization of the immune system.

kanji: 忍
meaning: endure
ja_on: ニン
ja_kun: しの.ぶ、しの.ばせる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 刃[ジン] blade
心[こころ] heart
examples: 忍者[にんじゃ] ninja
忍ぶ[しのぶ] to conceal oneself; to hide
残忍[ざんにん] brutal; cruel; merciless; ruthless; cold-blooded
忍耐[にんたい] endurance; perseverance; patience
heisig_story: Blade . . . heart. Endure here means long-suffering patience.
koohii_story: A ninja must be able to endure the pain of clinging to a ceiling, motionless, for hours at a time, waiting for just the right moment to drop down and thrust the blade of his sword into the hearts of his enemies. By the way, this character is used in the compound 忍者 ( ninja ) which is why I choose to use ninja as its primitive meaning.

kanji: 猫
meaning: cat
ja_on: ビョウ
ja_kun: ねこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
苗[ビョウ] seedling
examples: 猫[ねこ] cat (esp. the domestic cat, Felis catus); feline
子猫[こねこ] kitten
山猫[やまねこ] wildcat (European wildcat, Iriomote cat, Tsushima cat, etc.)
猫背[ねこぜ] bent back; hunchback; stoop
猫舌[ねこじた] dislike of very hot food or drink; inability to take hot food
heisig_story: Knowing how much dogs love to chase cats , picture a pack of wild dogs planting " cat - seedlings ," watering them, and fertilizing them until they can be harvested as a crop of cats for them to chase and torment. If you begin from the key word and think of a "crop of cats ," you will not confuse this story with the apparently similar story of two frames ago.
koohii_story: The cat hid in the FLOWERS of the FIELD from the WILD DOGs.

kanji: 怠
meaning: neglect
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: おこた.る、なま.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 台[ダイ] pedestal
心[こころ] heart
examples: 怠る[おこたる] to neglect; to be negligent in; to be neglectful of; to fail to do; to leave und
怠い[だるい] sluggish; languid; listless; heavy (heart, legs, etc.); dull
怠惰[たいだ] lazy; idle; indolent; slothful
怠ける[なまける] to be lazy; to be idle; to slack
怠慢[たいまん] negligence; neglect; carelessness; procrastination
倦怠[けんたい] weariness; fatigue; languor; boredom; tedium; ennui
怠け者[なまけもの] lazy person; lazy fellow; slothful person
heisig_story: Pedestal . . . heart.
koohii_story: While standing on the pedestal at the award ceremony, the recipient heart lessly neglect ed to mention the people that got him there.

kanji: 如
meaning: likeness
ja_on: ジョ、ニョ
ja_kun: ごと.し
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
口[くち] mouth
examples: 如何にも[いかにも] indeed; really; truly; just (like)
突如[とつじょ] suddenly; all of a sudden; unexpectedly
如実[にょじつ] reality; actuality; actual conditions; true situation; faithful representation;
如何に[いかに] how; in what way
欠如[けつじょ] lack; absence; shortage; deficiency; privation
如何[いかが] how; in what way; how about
如し[ごとし] like; as if; the same as
躍如[やくじょ] vivid; lifelike; graphic
heisig_story: Pardon me if I revert to the venerable old Dr. Freud again, but his eye for symbolism is often helpful to appreciate things that more earthy imaginations once accepted more freely but that we have learned to cover over with a veneer of etiquette. For instance, the fact that things like the mouth of a cave served as natural ritual substitutes for the opening through which a woman gives birth. Hence, in order to be reborn as an adult, one may have to pass through the psychological equivalent of the womb, that is, something that bears a likeness to the opening of the woman from whom you were born.
koohii_story: Women share a common likeness. Their mouth s are always open, whining about this and that.

kanji: 寮
meaning: dormitory
ja_on: リョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
尞[リョウ] fuel used for sacrifices
examples: 寮[りょう] hostel; dormitory
寮生[りょうせい] boarder; boarding student
heisig_story: House . . . pup tent.
koohii_story: This guy would rather use his pup-tent as a house , than sleep in the dormitory. So he effectively turned that pup-tent into a house by getting a postal address for it etc. (just to emphasize house).

kanji: 塔
meaning: pagoda
ja_on: トウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
荅[トウ] adzuki beans
examples: 塔[とう] tower; steeple; spire
エッフェル塔[エッフェルとう] Eiffel Tower
バベルの塔[バベルのとう] Tower of Babel
管制塔[かんせいとう] control tower
heisig_story: On the left we see a mound of dirt , and to the right flowers made to fit together. The two sides combine to create a great pagoda made of dirt , with flowers by the tens of thousands fitted together for the roofing of each of the layers. Be sure to put yourself in the scene and fit a few of the flowers in place yourself so that the image works its way into memory with full force.
koohii_story: In order to build a pagoda in this small Japanese garden everything has to fit : the soil to the left and the flowers in the upper right corner.

kanji: 沸
meaning: seethe
ja_on: フツ
ja_kun: わ.く、わ.かす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
弗[フツ] dollar
examples: 沸く[わく] to grow hot (e.g. water); to boil
沸かす[わかす] to boil; to heat (a liquid); to prepare (a bath, hot drink)
沸騰[ふっとう] boiling; seething
湯沸かし器[ゆわかしき] water heater; water boiler
heisig_story: Water . . . dollar sign.
koohii_story: Re CharleyGarrett: This liquid looks like ordinary water , but it will instantly seethe when it comes in contact with counterfeit dollar bills. The inventor must be rich (and probably has dollar signs in his eyes).

kanji: 鉛
meaning: lead
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: なまり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
㕣 a marsh at the foot of the hills
examples: 鉛筆[えんぴつ] (wooden) pencil
鉛[なまり] lead (Pb)
亜鉛[あえん] zinc (Zn)
黒鉛[こくえん] graphite
heisig_story: Metal . . . gully.
koohii_story: Picture the molten lead (the heavy metal ) being discreetly drained out of the factory into a gully behind.
heisig_keyword: lead (metal)

kanji: 珠
meaning: pearl
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: たま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
朱[シュ] vermilion
examples: 真珠[しんじゅ] pearl
数珠[じゅず] rosary; string of prayer beads
珠玉[しゅぎょく] jewel; gem
珠算[しゅざん] calculation on an abacus
heisig_story: Take care to keep the meaning of this kanji distinct from that for jewel. Think of the most enormous pearl you have ever seen, a great vermilion -colored ball sitting on your ring and making it extremely difficult to move without falling over from the weight of the thing.
koohii_story: The king of the Oysters produces special Vermillion pearl s!

kanji: 凝
meaning: congeal
ja_on: ギョウ
ja_kun: こ.る、こ.らす、こご.らす、こご.らせる、こご.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
疑[ギ] doubt
examples: 凝る[こる] to become stiff (of muscles)
凝視[ぎょうし] stare; gaze; fixation
凝縮[ぎょうしゅく] condensation (of ideas, emotions, etc.); concentration
凝った[こった] elaborate; exquisite; ornate; refined; sophisticated
凝り性[こりしょう] tendency to become totally absorbed in something; monomania; perfectionism; fast
凝固[ぎょうこ] coagulation; freezing; solidification
heisig_story: Ice . . . doubt.
koohii_story: I doubt that the jello would congeal sitting on the counter, so I placed it in the ice box.

kanji: 苗
meaning: seedling
ja_on: ビョウ、ミョウ
ja_kun: なえ、なわ-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 苗字[みょうじ] surname; family name; last name
苗[なえ] seedling; young plant
苗床[なえどこ] seedbed; nursery; seed-plot
苗木[なえぎ] seedling; sapling; young tree
heisig_story: To avoid confusion with the image of rice seedlings to appear later, we shall take these seedlings out of their agricultural setting in the rice fields and into the frame of Brave New World surgery, where "ideas" or "values" are being implanted into brains like seedlings to insure a harmonious society. Then you need only imagine them taking root and breaking out into flower right through the tops of the skulls of people walking around on the streets.
koohii_story: If you plant seedling s in a FIELD eventually they will FLOWER.

kanji: 獣
meaning: animal
ja_on: ジュウ
ja_kun: けもの、けだもの
grade: Junior High
radicals: 小[しょう] small
田[た] rice paddy
口[くち] mouth
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 獣[けだもの] beast; brute; animal
怪獣[かいじゅう] monster
猛獣[もうじゅう] fierce animal; beast of prey; big game
野獣[やじゅう] wild beast; wild animal; brute
獣医[じゅうい] veterinarian; veterinary surgeon; vet
鳥獣[ちょうじゅう] birds and wild animals; wildlife
heisig_story: Owl . . . rice field . . . one . . . mouth . . . chihuahua.
koohii_story: The owl looks for its prey in the rice field. It sees so many potential animal s to eat but since it only has one mouth , it decides that the tasty looking chihuahua will be its meal for tonight. (adapted from Copycatken,1-9-2006).

kanji: 哀
meaning: pathetic
ja_on: アイ
ja_kun: あわ.れ、あわ.れむ、かな.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
口[くち] mouth
examples: 哀れ[あわれ] pity; sorrow; grief; misery; compassion; pathos
可哀想[かわいそう] poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful
哀れむ[あわれむ] to pity; to feel sympathy for; to sympathize with; to sympathise with; to commis
可哀相[かわいそう] poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful
哀悼[あいとう] condolence; regret; tribute; sorrow; sympathy; lament
哀愁[あいしゅう] pathos; sorrow; grief
喜怒哀楽[きどあいらく] human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure); feelings
悲哀[ひあい] sorrow; grief; sadness
heisig_story: A drunken sod in a tattered top hat and soiled silk scarf with a giant mouth guzzling something or other gives us a pathetic character role in which W. C. Fields might find himself right at home.
koohii_story: One of my friends with a crazy sense of fashion loves to wear a tophat and a scarf so that you can't see his whole face but only his mouth. He thinks it's cool. I think it's pathetic.

kanji: 跳
meaning: hop
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: は.ねる、と.ぶ、-と.び
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
兆[チョウ] portent
examples: 跳ねる[はねる] to jump; to leap; to prance; to spring up; to bound; to hop
跳ぶ[とぶ] to fly; to soar
跳ね上がる[はねあがる] to jump up; to spring up
跳躍[ちょうやく] jump; leap; skip; bound
縄跳び[なわとび] skipping rope; jump rope
走り幅跳び[はしりはばとび] long jump
走り高跳び[はしりたかとび] (running) high jump
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . portent.
koohii_story: A turtle with a wooden leg needs to hop to get around.

kanji: 匠
meaning: artisan
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: たくみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匚[はこがまえ] box
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 師匠[ししょう] master; teacher
匠[たくみ] craftsman; artisan; workman; carpenter
意匠[いしょう] design
巨匠[きょしょう] master; masterhand; maestro
heisig_story: Box . . . ax.
koohii_story: Most people don't know that one of the most revered artisan s in Japan preserves the ancient art of cutting cardboard boxes with an ax.

kanji: 菓
meaning: candy
ja_on: カ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
果[カ] fruit
examples: お菓子[おかし] confections; sweets; candy; cake
菓子[かし] confectionery; sweets; candy; cake
和菓子[わがし] wagashi
お菓子屋[おかしや] confectionery shop; candy store; sweet shop
菓子屋[かしや] confectionery shop; candy store; sweet shop
駄菓子[だがし] penny candy; cheap individually wrapped sweets
駄菓子屋[だがしや] small-time candy store; penny candy store
heisig_story: Flowers . . . fruits.
koohii_story: This candy is made in the shape of a flower , each petal with the taste of a different fruit.
heisig_keyword: confectionary

kanji: 蛇
meaning: snake
ja_on: ジャ、ダ、イ、ヤ
ja_kun: へび
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虫[むし] worm
它[タ] other
examples: 蛇[へび] snake
蛇口[じゃぐち] faucet; tap
蛇の目[じゃのめ] bull's-eye (pattern); double ring (pattern)
蛇行[だこう] meandering; snaking; zigzagging
長蛇の列[ちょうだのれつ] long line; long queue
heisig_story: Insect . . . house . . . spoon.
koohii_story: A snake eats insects and he does that outside, while we eat in the house and preferably with a spoon.

kanji: 澄
meaning: lucidity
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: す.む、す.ます、-す.ます
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
登[トウ] ascend
examples: 澄む[すむ] to become clear (water, air, etc.); to become transparent
澄ます[すます] to clear; to make clear
清澄[せいちょう] clear; serene
澄み切る[すみきる] to be perfectly clear (water, air, etc.); to clear up
heisig_story: Water . . . ascend.
koohii_story: Scuba divers know that when you ascend in the water , your lucidity increases (For non-divers, the deeper you go, the more you become mentally impaired by nitrogen narcosis, every 50 feet is like drinking one martini). Scuba divers also know that as you ascend in the water , the lucidity of the water improves, too.

kanji: 縫
meaning: sew
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: ぬ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
逢[ホウ] meeting
examples: 縫う[ぬう] to sew; to stitch
裁縫[さいほう] sewing; needlework
縫い目[ぬいめ] seam; stitch; suture
縫製[ほうせい] sewing (by machine)
heisig_story: Thread . . . walking legs . . . bushes . . . road.
koohii_story: Good thing I brought some thread , cause I need to sew my pants that I tore up walking through the bushes (see [summit](../v4/1562.html) (#1562 峰)) before we hit the road to go back down the mountain.

kanji: 僧
meaning: Buddhist priest
ja_on: ソウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
曽[ソウ] formerly
examples: 小僧[こぞう] youngster; boy; kid; brat; lad
僧侶[そうりょ] priest; monk; bonze
僧[そう] monk; priest
僧院[そういん] monastery; temple
尼僧[にそう] Buddhist nun
禅僧[ぜんそう] Zen priest
高僧[こうそう] high priest; highly ranked priest
heisig_story: Person . . . increase.
koohii_story: Mr. T and the artist formerly known as Prince, who by the way is a buddhist, want to form a new heavy metal band. Instead of "Judas Priest" they will be called " Buddhist Priest ".

kanji: 幾
meaning: how many
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: いく-、いく.つ、いく.ら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 幺[いとがしら] young
戍[ジュ] protection
examples: 幾ら[いくら] how much
幾度[いくど] (how) many times; (how) often
幾つか[いくつか] (a) few; some; several
幾[いく] some; several; a few
幾分[いくぶん] somewhat; to some extent; to some degree
幾つ[いくつ] how many
幾何[きか] geometry
幾何学[きかがく] geometry
幾日[いくにち] (for) how many days
heisig_story: Two cocoons . . . person . . . fiesta.
koohii_story: At the Mexican fiesta , there is a coccoon eating competition. How many coccoons can one person eat? No one has managed more than two before giving up…

kanji: 眺
meaning: stare
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: なが.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
兆[チョウ] portent
examples: 眺める[ながめる] to look at; to gaze at; to watch; to stare at
眺め[ながめ] scene; view; prospect; outlook
眺望[ちょうぼう] view; vista; panorama; outlook; prospect
heisig_story: To give someone the "evil eye " is to stare at them, wishing them evil. The roots of the superstition are old and almost universal throughout the cultures of the world. In this kanji, too, being stared at is depicted as an eye that portends evil.
koohii_story: Sauron's One fiery eye stare at Frodo and it is a sign of portent. Evil will become whomever the eye is staring upon.

kanji: 唐
meaning: T'ang
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: から
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
口[くち] mouth
examples: 唐突[とうとつ] abrupt; sudden
唐[とう] Tang dynasty (of China; 618-907); T'ang dynasty
唐辛子[とうがらし] capsicum (Capsicum annuum, esp. the cultivated chili peppers); chili pepper (chi
遣唐使[けんとうし] envoy to Tang China
heisig_story: The key word here refers of course to the T'ang Dynasty in China (and not to the name of the drink astronauts take with them into outer space, though this could be useful for the next frame). Its elements: cave . . . rake . . . mouth.
koohii_story: Two archeologists are in a cave looking at Chinese artifacts from various eras. One picks up a rake and says, "What about this – T'ang, do you think?" The second puts the rake in his mouth and answers, "Yes, it does tang a bit".

kanji: 呉
meaning: give
ja_on: ゴ
ja_kun: く.れる、くれ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
八[はち] eight
examples: 呉服[ごふく] cloth (for Japanese clothes); kimono fabrics; textile; drapery; dry goods; piece
呉越同舟[ごえつどうしゅう] bitter enemies in the same boat; rivals finding themselves together by chance; s
heisig_story: The complex of strokes in this kanji is unusual and difficult, because of the fourth stroke, which is rare (see frames 33 and 34). The mouth and tool are already familiar.
koohii_story: As a present, I gave my dentist a hand-crank tool for spreading mouths. He was so happy since it makes his job easier.

kanji: 凡
meaning: commonplace
ja_on: ボン、ハン
ja_kun: およ.そ、おうよ.そ、すべ.て
grade: Junior High
radicals: 几[きにょう] table
丶[てん] dot
examples: 凡そ[およそ] about; roughly; approximately
平凡[へいぼん] ordinary; common; commonplace; mediocre; unremarkable; undistinguished; uneventf
凡人[ぼんじん] ordinary person; average person; mediocre person
凡庸[ぼんよう] mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; banal
凡[ぼん] ordinary; common; mediocre
heisig_story: While we refer to something insignificant as a " drop in the bucket, " the kanji for mediocre suggests the image of a " drop in the wind. "
koohii_story: Is there anything as mediocre as a drop of piss in the wind?
heisig_keyword: mediocre

kanji: 憩
meaning: recess
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: いこ.い、いこ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舌[した] tongue
息[ソク] breath
examples: 休憩[きゅうけい] rest; break; recess; intermission
休憩時間[きゅうけいじかん] rest period; intermission; break time; recess
休憩所[きゅうけいじょ] rest area; rest stop; service area (next to a highway); service station; parking
憩い[いこい] rest; relaxation
憩う[いこう] to rest; to relax; to repose
heisig_story: Tongue . . . nose . . . heart. The sense of breath from the last frame should not be used, it could lead you to put only the nose over the heart and leave the tongue off to one side.
koohii_story: Recess to me is a school break. At recess some kiddies are comparing their latest body piercings. Tongues and noses are nothing special. The new cool is to have your heart done!

kanji: 溝
meaning: gutter
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: みぞ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
冓[コウ] put together
examples: 溝[みぞ] ditch; drain; gutter; trench
海溝[かいこう] oceanic trench; deep-sea trench; deep
heisig_story: Water . . . funnel.
koohii_story: A gutter funnels water.

kanji: 恭
meaning: respect
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: うやうや.しい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 共[キョウ] together
心[こころ] heart
heisig_story: Strung together . . . valentine.
koohii_story: Noah feels like he gets no respect from the other passengers on the Ark, but they all make him Valentine's Day cards to show how much they respect what he's done for them.

kanji: 刈
meaning: reap
ja_on: ガイ、カイ
ja_kun: か.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乂[ガイ] mow
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 刈る[かる] to cut (grass, hair, etc.); to mow; to clip; to trim; to prune; to shear; to rea
刈り取る[かりとる] to mow; to reap; to harvest
丸刈り[まるがり] buzz cut; close crop
刈り入れ[かりいれ] harvest
刈り込む[かりこむ] to prune; to trim; to cut back; to clip
稲刈り[いねかり] rice reaping; rice harvesting
草刈り[くさかり] mowing; mower
heisig_story: Sheaf . . . saber.
koohii_story: Sheaf? No. This is the sign of the X-Men. I'm going with Wolverine on this one.. Wolverine reap s the bad guys with his saber-like claws.

kanji: 睡
meaning: drowsy
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: ねむ.る、ねむ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
垂[スイ] droop
examples: 睡眠[すいみん] sleep
熟睡[じゅくすい] deep sleep; sound sleep; profound sleep
昏睡[こんすい] coma
heisig_story: Eyes . . . droop.
koohii_story: Our eyes droop when we are drowsy.

kanji: 錯
meaning: confused
ja_on: サク、シャク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
昔[セキ] once upon a time
examples: 錯覚[さっかく] illusion; hallucination
試行錯誤[しこうさくご] trial and error
交錯[こうさく] mixture; blending; complication; crossing; intersecting; interlacing
錯乱[さくらん] confusion; distraction; derangement
錯誤[さくご] mistake; error; discrepancy
倒錯[とうさく] perversion
時代錯誤[じだいさくご] anachronism
heisig_story: Metal . . . once upon a time.
koohii_story: A long time ago, people of the world got confused because there were so many kinds of Metal coins. today we only have the euro.

kanji: 伯
meaning: chief
ja_on: ハク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
白[しろ] white
examples: 伯爵[はくしゃく] count; earl
伯[はく] count; earl
伯仲[はくちゅう] being evenly matched; being equal with; being on a par with; being well conteste
画伯[がはく] master painter; great artist
heisig_story: Person . . . white dove.
koohii_story: If Mr T was white I am sure he would have been commander in chief of the USA, he just the sort of clown Americans love to vote for. (NB: I tried with the indian chief motif but kept adding feathers by mistake).

kanji: 帽
meaning: cap
ja_on: ボウ、モウ
ja_kun: ずきん、おお.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
冒[ボウ] risk
examples: 帽子[ぼうし] hat; cap
heisig_story: Because of the risk involved (of getting the sun in one's eyes ),one puts together a makeshift cap out of a dirty old towel.
koohii_story: If you wear a towel as a cap , you are at risk of being seized and searched in U.S. airports.

kanji: 柿
meaning: persimmon
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: かき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
市[シ] market
examples: 柿[かき] kaki; Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)
heisig_story: Imagine a village market with stalls set up around an immense persimmon tree with watermelon-sized fruit. If it weren't for the fact that the tree is sacred to the village, people would get impatient as the persimmons fall from the tree and wreak havoc on buyers and sellers alike.
koohii_story: Nobody buys persimmon s at the market , because there's a tree in the middle where you can pick them for free.

kanji: 陵
meaning: mausoleum
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: みささぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
夌[リョウ] to dawdle
examples: 丘陵[きゅうりょう] hill; hillock
陵[みささぎ] imperial mausoleum; Emperor's tomb
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . rice seedlings . . . walking legs.
koohii_story: [land](../v4/1513.html) (#1513 陸) However, the pinnacle that the rice- seedlings finally reach with the use of their walking legs turns out not to be the Promised Land after all, but simply a mausoleum (containing many dead rice-seedlings exhausted from previous quests?). Oh no!

kanji: 霧
meaning: fog
ja_on: ム、ボウ、ブ
ja_kun: きり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
務[ム] task
examples: 霧[きり] fog; mist
夕霧[ゆうぎり] evening mist
朝霧[あさぎり] morning fog; morning mist
濃霧[のうむ] heavy fog; dense fog; thick fog
霧雨[きりさめ] drizzle; light rain
黒い霧[くろいきり] thick fog (of suspicion); black veil of secrecy; covered-up crime, unethical act
heisig_story: Weather/rain . . . task.
koohii_story: This fog is the perfect weather for us to perform our task undetected.

kanji: 魂
meaning: soul
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: たましい、たま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 云[ウン] say
鬼[おに] demon
examples: 魂[たましい] soul; spirit; mind
魂胆[こんたん] ulterior motive; plot; scheme
商魂[しょうこん] commercial spirit
鎮魂[ちんこん] repose of a soul
heisig_story: Rising cloud of . . . ghosts.
koohii_story: When we die, our soul rises up in a ghost like rising cloud of mist up to heaven (we hope) (Adapted from darg_sama,28-10-2005).

kanji: 枯
meaning: wither
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: か.れる、か.らす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
古[コ] old
examples: 枯れる[かれる] to wither (of a plant); to be blasted; to die
枯渇[こかつ] drying up; running dry
木枯らし[こがらし] cold wintry wind
枯れ木[かれき] dead tree; withered tree
枯死[こし] withering; dying
枯葉[かれは] dead leaf; dry leaves
栄枯[えいこ] vicissitudes; ups and downs
heisig_story: What makes a tree begin to wither up, and perhaps even die, is a kind of arteriosclerosis that keeps its sap from flowing freely. Usually this is due to simple old age , as this character shows us. Be sure to picture a wrinkled old tree , withering away in a retirement center so that the commonsense explanation does not take over.
koohii_story: A tree wither s away as it gets old.

kanji: 弊
meaning: abuse
ja_on: ヘイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 敝[ヘイ] be worn-out
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 疲弊[ひへい] exhaustion; fatigue
弊社[へいしゃ] our company; our firm
弊害[へいがい] harmful effect; harmful influence; evil practice; abuse; malady
heisig_story: Shredder . . . two hands.
koohii_story: You’ve heard of Edward Scissor hands? Well this is Medward Shredder Hands. Instead of nicely trimming your shrubs, he uses his TWO SHREDDER equipped HANDS to ABUSE your plants by shredding them into wood chips.

kanji: 妃
meaning: queen
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: きさき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
己[おのれ] self
examples: 妃[ひ] princess; consort
王妃[おうひ] queen (consort); empress (consort)
妃殿下[ひでんか] princess; Her Royal Highness
皇太子妃[こうたいしひ] crown princess
heisig_story: Woman . . . snake.
koohii_story: Cleopatra.

kanji: 舶
meaning: liner
ja_on: ハク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
白[しろ] white
examples: 船舶[せんぱく] vessel; ship; shipping; seacraft
舶来[はくらい] imported; foreign-made
heisig_story: The type of boat connoted by this key word is a large oceangoing liner. The important thing here is to work with the elements boat and dove to make an image distinct from that of the former frame. Don't count on size alone to distinguish the boat from the liner.
koohii_story: The most famous LINER is the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sunk. Just imagine that huge LINER strucking an even huger mass of white ice.

kanji: 餓
meaning: starve
ja_on: ガ
ja_kun: う.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
我[ガ] ego
examples: 餓死[がし] (death from) starvation; starving to death
飢餓[きが] starvation; famine; hunger
heisig_story: Food . . . ego.
koohii_story: All those starving models in Hollywood - they want to eat , but their ego (about their appearance and trim look) makes sure they grin and bear it!

kanji: 腎
meaning: kidney
ja_on: ジン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臣[しん] retainer
又[また] again
月[つき] moon
examples: 腎臓[じんぞう] kidney
heisig_story: Slave . . . crotch . . . flesh.
koohii_story: If you have a weak KIDNEY , you'll become a SLAVE to your CROTCH's need to pee. Oh well, it's just a weakness of the FLESH.

kanji: 窮
meaning: hard up
ja_on: キュウ、キョウ
ja_kun: きわ.める、きわ.まる、きわ.まり、きわ.み
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
躬[キュウ] body
examples: 窮屈[きゅうくつ] narrow; tight; cramped
窮地[きゅうち] dilemma; predicament
窮乏[きゅうぼう] poverty; destitution; privation; indigence; penury
困窮[こんきゅう] poverty; need; destitution
窮状[きゅうじょう] distress; wretched condition
heisig_story: Hole . . . somebody . . . bow.
koohii_story: Hard up = nothing but your body, living in a hole, with just a bow to hunt for your food.

kanji: 掌
meaning: palm of hand
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: てのひら、たなごころ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尚[ショウ] esteem
手[て] hand
examples: 掌[てのひら] palm (of the hand)
掌握[しょうあく] grasping; seizing; holding; commanding; having control over
車掌[しゃしょう] (train) conductor
合掌[がっしょう] pressing one's hands together in prayer
掌中[しょうちゅう] in the hand; (something) easily manipulated
heisig_story: Outhouse . . . hand.
koohii_story: If you're going to manipulate your body with your hand , then go do it in an outhouse , at least!
heisig_keyword: manipulate

kanji: 麗
meaning: lovely
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: うるわ.しい、うら.らか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
鹿[しか] deer
examples: 綺麗[きれい] pretty; lovely; beautiful; fair
華麗[かれい] splendid; magnificent; gorgeous
美辞麗句[びじれいく] flowery words; rhetorical flourishes
高麗[こうらい] Goryeo (dynasty of Korea; 918-1392 CE); Koryŏ
heisig_story: The painting of a deer itself with its form and color is enough to fill the bill for an image of something lovely. But to give a bit of contrast, we see two mediocre drawings from a later age on two patches of ceiling above. Note that the drop in mediocre has been lengthened somewhat and the second stroke drawn down straight.
koohii_story: The anthropologist made an exact deer painting from the cave ceiling on the ceiling of his house. Too bad they're both mediocre. All his wife could say was, "How… lovely.".

kanji: 臭
meaning: stinking
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: くさ.い、-くさ.い、にお.う、にお.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 自[みずから] self
大[だい] large
examples: 臭い[くさい] stinking; smelly
面倒臭い[めんどうくさい] bothersome; tiresome; bother to do
臭う[におう] to be fragrant; to smell (good)
生臭い[なまぐさい] smelling of fish; fishy; smelling of blood; bloody
悪臭[あくしゅう] bad smell; foul smell; offensive odor; stench; stink
水臭い[みずくさい] stand-offish; distant; not frank; reserved
古臭い[ふるくさい] stale; old fashioned; hackneyed; trite; antiquated; obsolete; musty; outdated
臭気[しゅうき] bad smell; stink
heisig_story: This character is a bit friendlier to the animal world. Our friend the St. Bernard is alive and well, its nose in the air sniffing suspiciously after something stinking somewhere or other.
koohii_story: The ST. BERNARD DOG lifted his large NOSE high in the air to find out where the stinking smell comes from.

kanji: 釜
meaning: kettle
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: かま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 父[ちち] father
金[かね] metal
examples: 釜[かま] iron pot; kettle
heisig_story: Father . . . metal. Note the stroke overlap between father and metal.
koohii_story: Your father uses his legs to stop himself from being put in a metal cauldron.
heisig_keyword: cauldron

kanji: 悦
meaning: ecstasy
ja_on: エツ
ja_kun: よろこ.ぶ、よろこ.ばす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 満悦[まんえつ] great delight; great satisfaction; rapture
heisig_story: State of mind . . . devil.
koohii_story: ECSTASY alters our STATE OF MIND and makes us DEVILS.

kanji: 刃
meaning: blade
ja_on: ジン、ニン
ja_kun: は、やいば、き.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 刀[かたな] knife
丶[てん] dot
examples: 刃[は] edge (of a knife or sword); blade
刃物[はもの] edged tool; cutting instrument; knife
刃先[はさき] edge of blade
刃渡り[はわたり] length of a blade
heisig_story: Think of using a dagger as a razor blade , and it shouldn't be hard to imagine cutting yourself. See the little drop of blood clinging to the blade?
koohii_story: The part of a sword where a drop of blood can usually be found is the blade.

kanji: 縛
meaning: truss
ja_on: バク
ja_kun: しば.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
尃[フ] to state to
examples: 縛る[しばる] to tie; to bind; to fasten
束縛[そくばく] restraint; restriction; fetters; yoke; shackles
金縛り[かなしばり] binding hand and foot
縛り首[しばりくび] (death by) hanging
heisig_story: Threads . . . acupuncturist.
koohii_story: Spidey received good word that the acupuncturist working down the road was actually the evil Doctor Octopus! Spidey headed over to the clinic, and truss ed the acupuncturist Doc Oc up using the maniac's own metal limbs!

kanji: 暦
meaning: calendar
ja_on: レキ、リャク
ja_kun: こよみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
林[リン] grove
日[ひ] sun
examples: 暦[こよみ] calendar; almanac
西暦[せいれき] Common Era; CE; Christian Era; anno domini; AD
還暦[かんれき] kanreki
旧暦[きゅうれき] Japan's old (lunisolar) calendar
heisig_story: Look at this character in reverse order, from bottom up. First we see the primitive for days , an appropriate enough way to begin a calendar. Next we see a grove of trees growing under a cliff. The laws of nature being what they are, the trees would be stunted under such conditions, unless they were strong enough to keep growing upwards until they passed through the layers of rock and soil, right up to the surface. Now imagine that in those little boxes marking off the days on your wall calendar , you see that very process taking place step by step: 365 or so time-lapse pictures of that grove of trees each month, from January under the cliff to December on top of the cliff. The story is not as complex as it sounds, particularly if you happen to have a calendar nearby and can flip through it with this image in mind.
koohii_story: Years-Months-Days: It takes many years for a cliff to form or erode. A tree takes many months to grow. But days pass by regularly - so in this way, we see the movement of time such as with a CALENDAR.

kanji: 宜
meaning: best regards
ja_on: ギ
ja_kun: よろ.しい、よろ.しく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 宜しく[よろしく] well; properly; suitably
宜しい[よろしい] good; OK; all right; fine; very well; will do; may; can
便宜[べんぎ] convenience; accommodation; advantage; benefit; expediency
適宜[てきぎ] suitable; appropriate; fitting; proper
時宜[じぎ] right time; appropriate time; season's greetings
heisig_story: This kanji, a polite way of expressing one's best regards to another. Its elements: house . . . shelf.
koohii_story: It seems like every time my Japanese friends send me their best regards , they accompany them with a gift. Over time, I've gotten so many that I had to buy a second house which contains nothing but several fancy shelves. Each shelf is dedicated to a certain friend of mine and contains every last one of their presents.

kanji: 盲
meaning: blind
ja_on: モウ
ja_kun: めくら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亡[ボウ] deceased
目[め] eye
examples: 盲点[もうてん] blind spot (on the retina)
盲目[もうもく] blindness
盲[めくら] blindness; blind person
盲人[もうじん] blind person
盲学校[もうがっこう] school for the blind
盲導犬[もうどうけん] guide dog; seeing-eye dog
盲腸[もうちょう] cecum; caecum; blind gut
heisig_story: If one's eyes perish before death, one remains blind for the rest of life.
koohii_story: Deceased eyes! Easy ,).

kanji: 粋
meaning: chic
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: いき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 米[こめ] rice
卆[ソツ] soldier
examples: 純粋[じゅんすい] pure; true; genuine; unmixed
粋[いき] chic; smart; stylish; tasteful; refined; sophisticated
抜粋[ばっすい] extract; excerpt; selection
heisig_story: Rice . . . game of cricket. (See frame 121.)
koohii_story: In extremely chic restaurants, you have to pay 90 bucks for a bowl of rice.

kanji: 辱
meaning: embarrass
ja_on: ジョク
ja_kun: はずかし.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
寸[すん] inch
examples: 屈辱[くつじょく] disgrace; humiliation
侮辱[ぶじょく] insult; affront; slight; contempt (e.g. of court)
恥辱[ちじょく] disgrace; shame; insult
雪辱[せつじょく] vindication of honour; vindication of honor; making up for loss; revenge
heisig_story: Sign of the dragon . . . glue.
koohii_story: During the shooting of one of his first movies in China, Bruce Lee fell through the cheaply built movie set, and into a barrel of glue. As you can imagine, to put Bruce Lee in that position must have caused great embarass to the chinese producer. Note the hints in the story for the position of the primitives.

kanji: 轄
meaning: control
ja_on: カツ
ja_kun: くさび
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
害[ガイ] harm
examples: 管轄[かんかつ] jurisdiction; control
所轄[しょかつ] jurisdiction
直轄[ちょっかつ] direct control; direct supervision
heisig_story: Car . . . harm. Hint: the image of an auto going "out of control " may help keep this key word distinct from others like it, such as manipulate (Frame 864).
koohii_story: Control is very important! Especially when operating a car. Few people realize the harm they can cause just by losing control of their car for a second. Tremendous harm. Stay in control!

kanji: 猿
meaning: monkey
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: さる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
袁[エン] long kimono
examples: 猿[さる] monkey (esp. the Japanese macaque, Macaca fuscata); ape; non-human primate
犬猿の仲[けんえんのなか] like cats and dogs; (on) very bad terms
類人猿[るいじんえん] anthropoid ape; anthropoid; ape
heisig_story: This clever little monkey has captured an entire pack of wild dogs , locked them inside a lidded crock , and wrapped the whole thing up in a silk scarf to present to the dogcatcher.
koohii_story: The MONKEY likes to play hide and seek with the PACK of WILD DOGS by hiding in the LIDDED CROCK. But he is easy to see because the SCARF he always wears is at the base of the LIDDED CROCK.

kanji: 弦
meaning: bowstring
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: つる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
玄[げん] darkness
examples: 弦[つる] bowstring
弦楽[げんがく] music for strings; string music
弦楽器[げんがっき] string instrument; stringed instrument
管弦楽[かんげんがく] orchestral music
管弦楽団[かんげんがくだん] orchestra
heisig_story: Bow . . . mysterious.
koohii_story: A magic bow that only Gandalf can yield: there is no bowstring on it, and he uses his magic to fire arrows.

kanji: 窒
meaning: plug up
ja_on: チツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
至[いたる] to arrive
examples: 窒息[ちっそく] suffocation; choking; asphyxia
窒素[ちっそ] nitrogen (N)
heisig_story: Hole . . . climax.
koohii_story: Sticking a plug up your hole will lead to stronger climaxes.

kanji: 炊
meaning: cook
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: た.く、-だ.き
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 炊く[たく] to cook (grains, e.g. rice)
自炊[じすい] cooking for oneself; cooking one's own food; doing one's own cooking; making foo
炊事[すいじ] cooking; kitchen work
炊き出し[たきだし] food distribution (esp. cooked rice)
炊飯器[すいはんき] rice cooker
雑炊[ぞうすい] rice gruel containing vegetables, fish, etc., and seasoned with miso or soy sauc
heisig_story: Better to picture what happens when you do not pay attention to your work in the kitchen. Here we see a blazing fire and an inattentive, yawning cook who let things get out of control.
koohii_story: Japanese cook ing sometimes lacks fire , e.g., sashimi.

kanji: 洪
meaning: deluge
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
共[キョウ] together
examples: 洪水[こうずい] flood; flooding
heisig_story: Water . . . strung together.
koohii_story: Water plus Noah's Ark equals deluge.

kanji: 摂
meaning: vicarious
ja_on: セツ、ショウ
ja_kun: おさ.める、かね.る、と.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
耳[みみ] ear
冫[にすい] ice
examples: 摂取[せっしゅ] intake (e.g. of salt); ingestion
摂る[とる] to have (e.g. lunch); to take (e.g. vitamins)
摂理[せつり] laws (of nature)
摂氏[せっし] Celsius; centigrade
heisig_story: Fingers . . . ear . . . sparkler. Do not confuse with substitute (Frame 1080).
koohii_story: Now that I'm a responsible adult, I have to get my vicarious thrills from watching stupid people put sparklers up to their ears and burn their fingers.

kanji: 飽
meaning: sated
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: あ.きる、あ.かす、あ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 飠[しょくへん] food
包[ホウ] wrap
examples: 飽きる[あきる] to get tired of; to tire of; to lose interest in; to grow weary of; to get fed u
飽和[ほうわ] saturation; satiation
飽き[あき] weariness; boredom; tedium; tiresomeness
飽食[ほうしょく] eating until one is full; eating one's fill; gorging (on); satiation
heisig_story: Eat . . . wrap.
koohii_story: My gluttony was only sated after I ate the hamburger AND the wrapper!

kanji: 冗
meaning: superfluous
ja_on: ジョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冖[わかんむり] cover
几[きにょう] table
examples: 冗談[じょうだん] joke; jest; funny story
heisig_story: Picture a weather vane beneath a regal crown , spinning round and round. It is not only superfluous but makes a perfect ass out of the one who wears it.
koohii_story: The king's crown was blown off by the wind. "Oh well," he said, "it's just a superfluous symbol.".

kanji: 涼
meaning: refreshing
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: すず.しい、すず.む、すず.やか、うす.い、ひや.す、まことに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
京[キョウ] capital
examples: 涼しい[すずしい] cool; refreshing
涼む[すずむ] to cool oneself; to cool off; to enjoy the cool air
涼風[りょうふう] cool breeze; refreshing breeze
清涼[せいりょう] cool; refreshing
heisig_story: Since few things are as refreshing on a warm day as a cool shower (the water ), here we picture an entire capital city treating itself to one, and in full view of everyone.
koohii_story: When you're a tourist in the capital during the heat of summer, finding a water fountain is oh, so refreshing.

kanji: 桃
meaning: peach
ja_on: トウ
ja_kun: もも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
兆[チョウ] portent
examples: 桃[もも] peach (Prunus persica)
桃色[ももいろ] pink (colour, color); peach
胡桃[くるみ] walnut (Juglans spp., esp. Juglans regia)
heisig_story: To associate the peach tree with the primitive for a portent , recall the famous Japanese legend of Momotarō, the Peach Boy. It begins once upon a time with a fisherman and his wife who wanted badly to have a child, but none was born to them. Then one day the old man caught a giant peach , out of which jumped a healthy young lad whom they named Peach Boy. Though the boy was destined to perform heroic deeds, his birth also portended great misfortune (how else could he become a hero?). Thus the tree that is associated with a portent of coming evil comes to be the peach tree.
koohii_story: The pits of a peach tree look like turtles.
heisig_keyword: peach tree

kanji: 狩
meaning: hunt
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: か.る、か.り、-が.り
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
守[シュ] guard
examples: 狩り[かり] hunting; hunt; shooting
狩人[かりゅうど] hunter
狩猟[しゅりょう] hunting
狩場[かりば] hunting ground; hunting preserve
heisig_story: One of the worst problems you have to face when you go hunting is to guard your take from the wild dogs. If you imagine yourself failing at the task, you will probably have a stronger image than if you try to picture yourself succeeding.
koohii_story: Actually when hunting it may be a good idea to use a pack of dogs as your personal guard.

kanji: 舟
meaning: boat
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: ふね、ふな-、-ぶね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
examples: 呉越同舟[ごえつどうしゅう] bitter enemies in the same boat; rivals finding themselves together by chance; s
小舟[こぶね] small boat
舟艇[しゅうてい] boat; watercraft
heisig_story: After the drop and the glass canopy , we come to a combination of three strokes that we met only once before, in the character for mama (frame 105). The pictographic meaning we gave it there has no etymological relationship to this character, but use it if it helps.
koohii_story: I see this kanji as a pictograph of a two story boat seen from the front. The glass canopy is the body of the boat. The drop on top is the chimney. The horizontal line is the ceiling/floor between the the 1st/2nd floor. Finally, the two drops in the middle are the lights on the decks.

kanji: 朱
meaning: vermilion
ja_on: シュ
ja_kun: あけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
未[ミ] un-
examples: 朱[あけ] red; vermilion; cinnabar; scarlet
朱印[しゅいん] red seal
heisig_story: That red-orange color we call vermilion is found in nature during the fall when the leaves lose their sugar and begin to change color. This kanji depicts the very last leaf on a tree in the fall (the drop hung in the first stroke), the leaf that has not yet fallen as it one day must. Look at its color - vermilion. (Well, not really. The truth is, vermilion is made from a mercuric sulfide, but I'm sure you will agree that autumn leaves area lot easier to work with.)
koohii_story: It's autumn: only one vermilion leaf on the tree has not yet fallen.

kanji: 渦
meaning: whirlpool
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: うず
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
咼[カイ] crooked mouth
examples: 渦[うず] whirlpool; swirl; eddy; vortex; maelstrom
渦中[かちゅう] vortex; maelstrom; whirlpool
渦巻き[うずまき] whirlpool; maelstrom; vortex; eddy; swirl
heisig_story: Water . . . jawbone.
koohii_story: Grampa's flushing the toilet, when his denture (Jawbone) pops out and gets sucked down the whirlpool!

kanji: 紳
meaning: sire
ja_on: シン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
申[シン] have the honor to
examples: 紳士[しんし] gentleman
紳士協定[しんしきょうてい] gentlemen's agreement
heisig_story: Thread . . . monkey.
koohii_story: Monkeys are very adept at swinging around trees. But when they met Spiderman, who could swing around even better than they could, they all quickly addressed him as sire.

kanji: 枢
meaning: hinge
ja_on: スウ、シュ
ja_kun: とぼそ、からくり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
区[ク] ward
examples: 中枢[ちゅうすう] centre; center; pivot; mainstay; nucleus; hub; backbone; central figure; pillar;
枢軸[すうじく] axle; pivot
heisig_story: Tree . . . ward.
koohii_story: The hinge on Wolverine's cardboard box is made of wood because he doesn't have enough budget to buy metal hinge s.

kanji: 碑
meaning: tombstone
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: いしぶみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
卑[ヒ] lowly
examples: 碑[いしぶみ] stone monument bearing an inscription (esp. memorial for future generations); st
石碑[せきひ] stone monument
碑文[ひぶん] inscription; epitaph; epigraph
記念碑[きねんひ] commemorative plaque (usu. on a stone); stone monument (bearing an inscription)
heisig_story: Rock . . . lowly.
koohii_story: There is a grave of a lowly man with a tombstone made of a simple, small stone. If you bow really low you can read the very small inscription engraved on the stone , it says - “Now that you bowed so low to read this, you are as lowly as I once was”.

kanji: 鍛
meaning: forge
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: きた.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
段[ダン] grade
examples: 鍛える[きたえる] to forge; to temper
鍛錬[たんれん] tempering (metal); annealing; forging
heisig_story: Metal . . . grade.
koohii_story: As a discriminating metalsmith, I use the highest grade metals when forging such precision devices as staple guns and missiles.

kanji: 鼓
meaning: drum
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: つづみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 壴
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 鼓動[こどう] beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing
鼓膜[こまく] eardrum; tympanic membrane
太鼓[たいこ] drum
鼓舞[こぶ] encouragement; inspiration; rousing; stirring up; raising (e.g. morale)
鼓[つづみ] tsuzumi
heisig_story: The full kanji for the drum adds a branch , apparently to serve as a drum stick, to the primitive for drum.
koohii_story: Japanese festivals have drums so big, a samurai has to SIT (not stand) on a table to beat one with a tree branch! ~hidafyh/furukawayh/gyouji/image/maturi03.jpg.

kanji: 裸
meaning: naked
ja_on: ラ
ja_kun: はだか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
果[カ] fruit
examples: 裸[はだか] nakedness; nudity
裸足[はだし] barefoot
裸婦[らふ] nude woman; female nude
heisig_story: Cloak . . . fruit.
koohii_story: Here we have Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit and realizing they were naked , and so clothing themselves in a cloak.

kanji: 符
meaning: token
ja_on: フ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
付[フ] adhere
examples: 切符[きっぷ] ticket
疑問符[ぎもんふ] question mark
符号[ふごう] sign; mark; symbol; code
八分音符[はちぶおんぷ] 8th note; eighth note; quaver
六十四分音符[ろくじゅうしぶおんぷ] 64th note; hemidemisemiquaver; semidemisemiquaver
符合[ふごう] agreement; coincidence; correspondence; conformity
終止符[しゅうしふ] full stop; period
音符[おんぷ] musical note; note symbol
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . adhere.
koohii_story: I dropped my token down the drain, so I used a piece of bamboo with chewing gum on the end to retrieve it.

kanji: 猶
meaning: furthermore
ja_on: ユウ、ユ
ja_kun: なお
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
酋[シュウ] chieftain
examples: 猶予[ゆうよ] postponement; deferment; extension (of time)
執行猶予[しっこうゆうよ] stay of execution; suspended sentence
起訴猶予[きそゆうよ] suspension of indictment; leaving charge on the file
heisig_story: Wild dogs . . . animal horns . . . whiskey bottle.
koohii_story: The waver for this kanji means to hesitate. I waver ed before going into the bar with a bunch of horned wild dogs drinking whiskey straight out of the bottle.
heisig_keyword: waver

kanji: 塊
meaning: clod
ja_on: カイ、ケ
ja_kun: かたまり、つちくれ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
鬼[おに] demon
examples: 塊[かたまり] lump; mass; bundle; clump; clod; cluster
団塊[だんかい] mass; lump; clod; clump
金塊[きんかい] gold nugget; gold bullion; gold bar; gold ingot
heisig_story: Soil . . . ghost.
koohii_story: This word somehow reminds me of a golem… an oni made from soil.

kanji: 旋
meaning: rotation
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: め.ぐる、いばり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 方[ほう] direction
疋[ひき] bolt of cloth
examples: 旋回[せんかい] revolution; rotation; turning; circling; swiveling
螺旋[らせん] spiral; helix
旋律[せんりつ] melody; tune
旋風[せんぷう] whirlwind
斡旋[あっせん] good offices; kind offices; services; influence; recommendation
heisig_story: A banner . . . a zoo. Hint: think of a merry-go-round.
koohii_story: A merry-go-round with a big banner on top and below a veritable zoo of bakelite animals on poles in perpertual rotation accompanied by silly music. Giraffes, elephants, zebras, rhinos…

kanji: 幣
meaning: cash
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: ぬさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 敝[ヘイ] be worn-out
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 紙幣[しへい] paper money; note; bill
貨幣[かへい] money; currency; coin
貨幣価値[かへいかち] currency value
heisig_story: Shredder . . . towel.
koohii_story: A counterfeiter is using a shredder to shred a towel in order to print up some cash (he needs some rag paper) .

kanji: 膜
meaning: membrane
ja_on: マク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
莫[バク] must not
examples: 鼓膜[こまく] eardrum; tympanic membrane
膜[まく] membrane; film
粘膜[ねんまく] mucous membrane; mucosa
網膜[もうまく] retina
角膜[かくまく] cornea
heisig_story: The part of the body first affected by a stroll through a haunted graveyard is the skin, which gets goose bumps. But we save the word "skin" for another kanji, and use the odd word " membrane " here. Think of being so scared through and through that the goose flesh moves from the outside in, giving you goose membranes.
koohii_story: In the moon light of the graveyard I hear a zombie say, MMMMM..EMM…BRANE sssss.

kanji: 扇
meaning: fan
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: おうぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
羽[はね] feather
examples: 扇[おうぎ] folding fan
扇風機[せんぷうき] electric fan
団扇[うちわ] uchiwa
扇ぐ[あおぐ] to fan
扇子[せんす] folding fan
扇動[せんどう] incitement; sedition; agitation; abetting
扇形[おうぎがた] fan shape
換気扇[かんきせん] ventilation fan; extractor fan
heisig_story: Door . . . wings.
koohii_story: It's insanely hot today! I'm standing in the doorway , fan ning myself with feathers.

kanji: 脇
meaning: armpit
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: わき、わけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
劦
examples: 脇[わき] armpit; under one's arm; side; flank
脇役[わきやく] supporting role (actor); minor role
脇見[わきみ] looking from the side
関脇[せきわけ] wrestler of the third highest rank
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . muscles (three of which give us " triceps " or " muscles on top of muscles "). You will want to keep the kanji distinct from the one that follows by paying attention to the positioning of the elements.
koohii_story: What part of the body has a very, very, very powerful smell? The armpit , of course!

kanji: 憎
meaning: hate
ja_on: ゾウ
ja_kun: にく.む、にく.い、にく.らしい、にく.しみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
曽[ソウ] formerly
examples: 憎む[にくむ] to hate; to detest
憎い[にくい] hateful; detestable; abominable; vexing; provoking
憎しみ[にくしみ] hatred
憎悪[ぞうお] hatred; abhorrence; loathing; detestation
生憎[あいにく] unfortunately; sorry, but ...
憎らしい[にくらしい] odious; hateful; detestable; horrible
愛憎[あいぞう] love and hate
heisig_story: State of mind . . . increase.
koohii_story: Like the saying goes, Hate just begets Hate. A state of mind that just increases and increases until it explodes.

kanji: 槽
meaning: vat
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: ふね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
曹[ソウ] office
examples: 水槽[すいそう] water tank; cistern
浴槽[よくそう] bathtub
浄化槽[じょうかそう] water-purification tank
heisig_story: Tree . . . cadet.
koohii_story: Also as part of some army survival exercise, the cadets (including Bender see frame 1172) are sent into the woods to build a vat (for collecting water for example).

kanji: 鍋
meaning: pot
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: なべ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
咼[カイ] crooked mouth
examples: 鍋[なべ] pan; pot; saucepan
もつ鍋[もつなべ] hot pot stew made with offal, vegetables and (often) miso
heisig_story: Metal . . . jawbone.
koohii_story: A metall pot with non-thermoconductive jawbones as handholds.

kanji: 慈
meaning: mercy
ja_on: ジ
ja_kun: いつく.しむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 兹
心[こころ] heart
examples: 慈悲[じひ] mercy; compassion; clemency; pity; charity; benevolence
慈愛[じあい] affection (esp. parental); love; fondness
慈善[じぜん] charity; benevolence; philanthropy
heisig_story: Double- mysterious . . . heart.
koohii_story: Mercy comes from the doubly mysterious heart of God.

kanji: 肯
meaning: agreement
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: がえんじ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 止[とめる] to stop
月[つき] moon
examples: 肯定[こうてい] affirmation
heisig_story: Seeing footprints on someone's flesh indicates a rather brutal way of having secured that person's agreement.
koohii_story: A secret agreement between a covert gov't agency and aliens states that we will not step foot on the moon again in return for alien technology.

kanji: 伐
meaning: fell
ja_on: バツ、ハツ、カ、ボチ
ja_kun: き.る、そむ.く、う.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
戈[ほこ] spear
examples: 伐採[ばっさい] felling timber; cutting down trees; logging; lumbering
間伐[かんばつ] periodic thinning (e.g. forest)
heisig_story: Person . . . fiesta. Hint: recall the German legend of the English missionary, Saint Boniface, who felled the sacred oak tree dedicated to Thor at Geismar (in lower Hessia), occasioning a great fiesta for the Christians in the neighborhood to mark the defeat of their pagan competition. Be sure to fit your special person into the story if you use it.
koohii_story: At a fiesta , Mr. T tries to knock down a large pinata, but in his overly enthusiastic swings to get "the sucka," he actually FELL S the tree the piñata is hanging from, crushing some party goers. “I pity da fools who got crushed by my FELL ED tree!”.

kanji: 漬
meaning: pickling
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: つ.ける、つ.かる、-づ.け、-づけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
責[セキ] blame
examples: 漬ける[つける] to soak (in); to steep; to dip; to dunk
漬物[つけもの] tsukemono (pickled vegetables)
heisig_story: Water . . . blame.
koohii_story: When pickling you MUST use distilled water! When it doesn't come out right, generally it is the water that is to blame.

kanji: 燥
meaning: parch
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: はしゃ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
喿[ソウ] chirping of birds
examples: 乾燥[かんそう] dryness; aridity; drying (e.g. clothes); dehydration; desiccation
焦燥[しょうそう] impatience; irritation; frustration; fretfulness
heisig_story: Parch ment, made from animal skins, was the most common form of writing material used until the beginning of the nineteenth century. When paper took over, a method was devised to make artificial parch ment from wood pulp. The fire at the left and in the "strong" position serves to remind us of the root word, " parch ," since nothing dries, puckers, wrinkles, and scorches quite like fire. And here is how we put it all together. Take a sheet of paper (a " wood-good ,"), wet it, and hold it over a hearth in your mind's eye. Now watch as it parches the paper, leaving it with a strange and bumpy surface resembling parch ment.
koohii_story: Tip: goods \+ wood/tree : This combination of primitives appears four times in Heisig, so it's worthwhile giving it a name. I suggest " furniture " (a common type of wooden goods ). REF: parch (FRAME 215) , [maneuver](../v4/671.html) (#671 操), [winding](../v4/1369.html) (#1369 繰), [seaweed](../v4/2035.html) (#2035 藻). Story: It's been so parch ed recently that your furniture suddenly catches fire.

kanji: 糾
meaning: twist
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: ただ.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
丩[キュウ] to join or connect the vine
examples: 糾弾[きゅうだん] censure; denunciation; (verbal) attack; blaming
糾合[きゅうごう] rally; muster
紛糾[ふんきゅう] complication; confusion; disorder; chaos; dispute; conflict; trouble; quarrel
heisig_story: Thread . . . cornucopia.
koohii_story: A Pepsi promotion where you twist off the cap to find pictures of your favorite heroes like Spider-Man or members of the Fantastic Four.

kanji: 墳
meaning: tomb
ja_on: フン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
賁[フン] decorate
examples: 古墳[こふん] ancient burial mound; barrow; tumulus
墳墓[ふんぼ] grave; tomb
heisig_story: Soil . . . haystack . . . clams. In order not to confuse this kanji with that for a grave (Frame 246), something like the image of an Egyptian tomb should be adopted, with all its special connotations.
koohii_story: After the eruption all is a tomb. The soil has covered the remains of the farmers gathering haystacks and of the fisherman collecting shells.

kanji: 坪
meaning: two-mat area
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: つぼ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
平[ヘイ] even
examples: 坪[つぼ] tsubo
heisig_story: This kanji belongs to an old Japanese system of measurement and indicates an area of about 36 square feet, or the area taken up by two tatami mats. Its elements: ground . . . water lily.
koohii_story: A two-mat area is just about as much ground as you will need for a lily pond.

kanji: 畜
meaning: livestock
ja_on: チク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 玄[げん] darkness
田[た] rice paddy
examples: 畜生[ちくしょう] damn it; damn; son of a bitch; for Christ's sake
家畜[かちく] domestic animals; livestock; cattle
牧畜[ぼくちく] stock-farming; livestock farming; cattle breeding
畜産[ちくさん] animal husbandry; livestock industry
heisig_story: Mysterious . . . rice field.
koohii_story: This mysterious rice field grows not only rice, but livestock too! Picture little pigs and chickens growing right out of the ground, among the rice plants. How bizarre!

kanji: 紺
meaning: dark blue
ja_on: コン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
甘[あまい] sweet
examples: 紺[こん] navy blue; deep blue
濃紺[のうこん] dark blue
紺屋[こうや] dyer
heisig_story: Thread . . . wicker basket.
koohii_story: Thanks raulir - As many Japanese perverts know, navy blue threads conceal school girl sweetness underneath.
heisig_keyword: navy blue

kanji: 慌
meaning: disconcerted
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: あわ.てる、あわ.ただしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
荒[コウ] laid waste
examples: 慌てる[あわてる] to become confused (disconcerted, disorganized, disorganised); to be flustered;
慌ただしい[あわただしい] busy; hectic; hurried; rushed
恐慌[きょうこう] panic; scare; alarm
heisig_story: State of mind . . . laid waste.
koohii_story: (re: wazzab) The state of mind of the people of New Orleans as they examined their city's concert hall laid waste can best described as disconcerted.

kanji: 娯
meaning: recreation
ja_on: ゴ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
呉[ゴ] give
examples: 娯楽[ごらく] amusement; entertainment; recreation; pleasure; pastime; hobby
heisig_story: Woman . . . give.
koohii_story: A man from a less enlightened society comes for a visit, and asks the host to give him a woman for some recreation.

kanji: 羅
meaning: gauze
ja_on: ラ
ja_kun: うすもの
grade: Junior High
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
維[イ] fiber
examples: 羅列[られつ] enumeration; citation; listing
網羅[もうら] encompassing; covering (exhaustively); including (all of); comprising; comprehen
羅針盤[らしんばん] compass
heisig_story: Eye . . . fiber.
koohii_story: Lots of girls in Japan wear gauze patches over one eye made of course white fibers. They think it is cute, and I must admit, I have come to think so too.

kanji: 坊
meaning: boy
ja_on: ボウ、ボッ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
方[ほう] direction
examples: 赤ん坊[あかんぼう] baby; infant
寝坊[ねぼう] sleeping in late; oversleeping
坊主[ぼうず] Buddhist priest; bonze
坊ちゃん[ぼっちゃん] (another's) son; boy; young master
坊さん[ぼうさん] Buddhist priest; monk
朝寝坊[あさねぼう] sleeping late in the morning; sleeping in; lie-in; oversleeping
お坊さん[おぼうさん] Buddhist priest; monk
本因坊[ほんいんぼう] Hon'inbō; Honinbo; grandmaster
heisig_story: The character for a boy shows us a Boy Scout cleaning the dirt out of his compass \- the more dirt , the better.
koohii_story: Little boy s always head in the direction of mud and dirt.

kanji: 峡
meaning: gorge
ja_on: キョウ、コウ
ja_kun: はざま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
夹
examples: 海峡[かいきょう] channel (e.g. between two land masses); strait
峡谷[きょうこく] gorge; ravine; canyon; glen
heisig_story: Mountain . . . scissors.
koohii_story: A gorge is where God has cut into a mountain with a pair of scissors. (synewave,6-10-2006) .

kanji: 俸
meaning: stipend
ja_on: ホウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
奉[ホウ] observance
examples: 俸給[ほうきゅう] salary (esp. public employees); wages; pay
年俸[ねんぽう] annual salary
減俸[げんぽう] salary reduction; salary cut
heisig_story: Person . . . dedicate.
koohii_story: Mr. T gets a stipend every month if he stays dedicated to his temple training, a very hard thing for the impatient T.

kanji: 厘
meaning: rin
ja_on: リン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
里[さと] village
examples: 厘[りん] one-hundredth; 0.3 mm (one-hundredth of a sun); 0.1 percent (one-hundredth of a
heisig_story: No doubt you will find it in your heart to forgive me for forcing yet another Japanese word on you in this frame. It is not the last time it will happen in this book, but I can assure you they are used only when absolutely necessary. One rin is equal to about 1/1000 of a yen - or rather was worth that much when it still made economic sense to mint them. While inflation took its toll on this kanji as a monetary unit, it survived with the not at all surprising sense of something "very, very tiny." The kanji shows a cliff with a computer under it, apparently because it has been pushed over into the abyss by someone fed up with the thing. The total market value of one home computer that has fallen over rock and bramble for several hundred feet: about one rin!
koohii_story: I threw my Rin dows computer off a cliff because it kept crashing. Now, after its last crash, it's worth less than a rin.

kanji: 峰
meaning: summit
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: みね、ね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
夆[ホウ] resist
examples: 峰[みね] peak; summit; ridge; top
最高峰[さいこうほう] highest peak; highest mountain
連峰[れんぽう] mountain range
高峰[こうほう] high mountain; lofty peak
heisig_story: Mountain . . . walking legs . . . bushes.
koohii_story: "Walking legs" over "bushes" needs to have a primitive meaning of its own. It appears in several kanji, such as 縫 [sew](../v4/1563.html) (#1563 縫), 逢 [tryst](../v4/2417.html) (#2417 逢), 蜂 [bee](../v4/2687.html) (#2687 蜂), and 鋒 [sword’s point](http://kanji.koohii.com/study/kanji/2768) (#2768 鋒), and it is clumsy to work bushes and walking legs into every story. "Pointy" works fairly well: the walking legs are stuck on top of the pointy part of the bush, and for this character: a summit is the pointy end of a mountain.

kanji: 醸
meaning: brew
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: かも.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
㐮 to help
examples: 醸成[じょうせい] brewing; fermenting
醸造[じょうぞう] brewing
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . grass skirt.
koohii_story: On the troical island of JOU, they brew whiskey while wearing grass skirts (top hats and scarves too). (Image: the strangely dresses islanders stirring a pot of brew. Careful [fermentation](../v4/1430.html) (#1430 酵)).

kanji: 弔
meaning: condolences
ja_on: チョウ
ja_kun: とむら.う、とぶら.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 弔う[とむらう] to mourn for; to grieve for; to condole with (the bereaved family, etc.)
弔問[ちょうもん] condolence call; visiting a bereaved family to offer condolences
弔意[ちょうい] condolence; sympathy; mourning
弔辞[ちょうじ] memorial address; words of condolence; funeral oration; eulogy
弔電[ちょうでん] telegram of condolence
慶弔[けいちょう] congratulations and condolences
heisig_story: A bow . . . wrapped around a walking stick.
koohii_story: Perhaps a pictograph of a soldier's weapons–his sword and bow-placed ceremonially over his body before burial, while people offer their condolences.

kanji: 乙
meaning: the latter
ja_on: オツ、イツ
ja_kun: おと-、きのと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乙[おつ] the second
examples: 乙[おつ] (the) second (party, rank, etc.); B (grade); the latter
早乙女[さおとめ] young female rice planter; young girl
甲乙[こうおつ] first and second; A and B
heisig_story: The kanji shown here actually represents the "second" position in the old Chinese zodiac, which the Japanese still use as an alternate way of enumeration, much the same way that English will revert to Roman numerals. Among its many other meanings are "pure," "tasteful," "quaint," and - get this! - fish guts. Since it is a pictograph of a fishhook, it should not be hard to associate it with the key word.
koohii_story: This is a fish hook, that pulls out the fishguts.
heisig_keyword: fish guts

kanji: 汁
meaning: soup
ja_on: ジュウ
ja_kun: しる、-しる、つゆ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 汁[しる] juice; sap
味噌汁[みそしる] miso soup
果汁[かじゅう] fruit juice
heisig_story: To make soup , one begins with water and then starts adding things to it, often leftovers from the icebox. This is how the thick soup or stew called "seven-in-one" is made. This kanji does it three better, giving us a ten -ingredient soup.
koohii_story: To make soup you just take water and add (+) the rest of your ingredients.

kanji: 尼
meaning: nun
ja_on: ニ
ja_kun: あま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 尼[あま] Buddhist nun
尼僧[にそう] Buddhist nun
heisig_story: Flag . . . spoon.
koohii_story: Red cross nun s sit in a tent under the red cross flag, spooning out food to the hungry.

kanji: 遍
meaning: everywhere
ja_on: ヘン
ja_kun: あまね.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扁[ヘン] level
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 普遍[ふへん] universal; general; ubiquitous; omnipresent
一遍[いっぺん] once; one time
一遍に[いっぺんに] (all) at once; at the same time; in one go; in one sitting
何遍[なんべん] how many times; how often
普遍的[ふへんてき] universal; omnipresent; ubiquitous
遍歴[へんれき] travels; pilgrimage; itinerancy
heisig_story: Door . . . scrapbook . . . a road.
koohii_story: Go down the road in Japan and you will find comics EVERYWHERE , newpaper stands, 7-11, Tsutaya, even the supermarket. Comics are everywhere here along the road.

kanji: 衡
meaning: equilibrium
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
examples: 均衡[きんこう] balance; equilibrium
不均衡[ふきんこう] imbalance; lack of balance; lopsidedness; disproportion; inequality; disparity
平衡[へいこう] balance; equilibrium
拡大均衡[かくだいきんこう] an expanded or expanding equilibrium
heisig_story: Boulevard . . . bound up . . . brains . . . St. Bernard dog.
koohii_story: To maintain the social equilibrium in a future dystopian society, the brains of citizens are bound up (hypnotized). The government is using mental wave emitting statues shaped like St. Bernard's dogs put alongside the boulevards.

kanji: 薫
meaning: send forth fragrance
ja_on: クン
ja_kun: かお.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
重[ジュウ] heavy
灬[れっか] fire
heisig_story: Flowers . . . heavy . . . oven fire. Do not confuse with incense (Frame 977) or perfumed (Frame 532).
koohii_story: Do you know how they make those FRAGRANT air fresheners? Well you take some FLOWERS, compress them with a HEAVY weight, and put them on an OVEN FIRE for a while… (cmp [perfume](../v4/493.html) (#493 芳)).
heisig_keyword: fragrant

kanji: 瓦
meaning: tile
ja_on: ガ
ja_kun: かわら、ぐらむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
examples: 瓦礫[がれき] rubble; debris; wreckage; tiles and pebbles
煉瓦[れんが] brick
瓦[かわら] tile (e.g. roof)
heisig_story: Ceiling . . . plow . . . fishhook . . . a drop of.
koohii_story: Horror scene: Hanging from the ceiling , a plough and fishhook dripping with blood down onto the tile d bathroom floor.

kanji: 猟
meaning: game-hunting
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: かり、か.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 犭[けものへん] beast
鼡[ソ] rat
examples: 狩猟[しゅりょう] hunting
密猟[みつりょう] poaching
猟[りょう] hunting; shooting
猟師[りょうし] hunter; huntsman
猟犬[りょうけん] hound; hunting dog; gun dog
猟銃[りょうじゅう] hunting gun; sportsgun
heisig_story: Pack of wild dogs . . . owl . . . wind . . . cornstalk.
koohii_story: [game- hunting, shooting, game, bag] According to unicode.org and wwwjdic, 鼡 and 鼠 ([mouse](../v4/2065.html) (#2065 鼠)) are variants. So, for 鼡 (which I'll call rat ) I have: an owl , flying in the wind , can easily spot a rat even if it's hiding in the cornstalks. Now 猟 is easy: wild dogs are having fun by game-hunting rat s.
heisig_keyword: game hunting

kanji: 款
meaning: goodwill
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
示[しめす] altar
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 借款[しゃっかん] loan (esp. between governments)
定款[ていかん] articles of incorporation; company statute
約款[やっかん] agreement; stipulation; article; clause
heisig_story: Samurai . . . altar . . . yawning.
koohii_story: Samuari, altar, yawn The samurai is on the altar, preaching about goodwill. The audience just yawns however, they want to see the man fight!

kanji: 閲
meaning: review
ja_on: エツ
ja_kun: けみ.する
grade: Junior High
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
兌[ダ] exchange
examples: 閲覧[えつらん] inspection; reading; perusal
校閲[こうえつ] revision; proofreading
検閲[けんえつ] censorship
heisig_story: Gates . . . devil. Keep the connotation of this key word distinct from those of inspection (Frame 1174), revise (Frame 362), and perusal (Frame 919).
koohii_story: A little devil at the gates of hell review s your record to see if you're evil enough to get in.

kanji: 偵
meaning: spy
ja_on: テイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
貞[テイ] upright
examples: 探偵[たんてい] detective; investigator; sleuth
偵察[ていさつ] scouting; reconnaissance
内偵[ないてい] secret investigation; private enquiry; private inquiry; reconnaissance; scouting
heisig_story: Person . . . upright.
koohii_story: Mr. T is a terrible spy. He walks around upright. "Why should I hide?! I've got nothing to be ashamed of!".

kanji: 喝
meaning: hoarse
ja_on: カツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
曷[カツ] why
examples: 恐喝[きょうかつ] blackmail; extortion; threat (to extort money)
喝破[かっぱ] arguing (someone) down; loudly scolding; rebuking
heisig_story: When the muchacho on siesta looks up at you and opens his mouth to talk, his voice is so hoarse that you cannot understand him.
koohii_story: If you have a siesta with your mouth open, you will wake up with a hoarse voice.

kanji: 敢
meaning: daring
ja_on: カン
ja_kun: あ.えて、あ.えない、あ.えず
grade: Junior High
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 勇敢[ゆうかん] brave; courageous; gallant; valiant; heroic
敢えて[あえて] purposely (of something needless, unexpected or seemingly counterproductive, etc
果敢[かかん] resolute; determined; bold
敢行[かんこう] decisive action; going through with; daring to do; carrying out
敢然[かんぜん] boldly; bravely; resolutely; determinedly
敢闘[かんとう] fighting bravely
heisig_story: Spike . . . ear . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: Only a truly daring Japanese student would wear a spike in his ear under the gaze of the Japanese teacher taskmasters!

kanji: 胎
meaning: womb
ja_on: タイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
台[ダイ] pedestal
examples: 胎児[たいじ] fetus; foetus; embryo; baby in the womb; unborn baby
受胎[じゅたい] conception; fertilization; fertilisation
堕胎[だたい] abortion; feticide
母胎[ぼたい] womb; uterus
胎動[たいどう] fetal movement; movements of the fetus; quickening
胎盤[たいばん] placenta
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . pedestal.
koohii_story: The body part feminists like to put on a pedestal is the womb , especially when they hear a man complain about some responsibility. "We give birth, so it's your duty to do so-and-so".

kanji: 酵
meaning: fermentation
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
孝[コウ] filial piety
examples: 発酵[はっこう] fermentation; zymosis
酵母[こうぼ] yeast; leaven
酵素[こうそ] enzyme
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . filial piety.
koohii_story: The secrets of fermentation are passed to the son who displays the most filial piety.

kanji: 憤
meaning: aroused
ja_on: フン
ja_kun: いきどお.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
賁[フン] decorate
examples: 憤り[いきどおり] resentment; indignation; anger
憤慨[ふんがい] indignation; resentment
heisig_story: State of mind . . . haystack . . . clams.
koohii_story: Note: this word in Japanese has the idea of "indignant". So aroused here refers to being aroused because of anger over some unjust or wrong act, unfairness etc. It doesn't seem to carry a meaning associated with arousal in the sense of sex or pleasure. So, my story: think of the angry state of mind aroused at finding all your clams buried under your haystack stolen, gone!

kanji: 豚
meaning: pork
ja_on: トン
ja_kun: ぶた
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
豕[いのこ] pig
examples: 豚[ぶた] pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)
豚肉[ぶたにく] pork
養豚[ようとん] pig-keeping; pig farming
heisig_story: Flesh . . . sow.
koohii_story: Pork comes from the flesh of a sow.

kanji: 遮
meaning: intercept
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: さえぎ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 庶[ショ] commoner
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遮る[さえぎる] to interrupt; to obstruct (a view, someone's way, etc.); to block (light, wind,
遮断[しゃだん] isolation; cut off; blockade; quarantine; interception; deprivation
遮断器[しゃだんき] circuit breaker
遮断機[しゃだんき] (railway) crossing gate; barrier (at a toll booth, parking lot, etc.)
heisig_story: Commoner . . . road.
koohii_story: The commoners are revolting! We must intercept them on the road before they reach the castle!

kanji: 扉
meaning: front door
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: とびら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戸[コ] door
非[あらず] wrong
examples: 扉[とびら] door; gate; opening
門扉[もんぴ] door(s) of a gate
heisig_story: Door . . . jail cell.
koohii_story: The only way out of a jail cell is to serve your time and walk out the front door. There are no other doors.

kanji: 硫
meaning: sulphur
ja_on: リュウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
㐬 a cup with pendants
examples: 硫酸[りゅうさん] sulfuric acid; sulphuric acid
硫黄[いおう] sulfur (S); sulphur
脱硫[だつりゅう] desulfurization; desulphurisation; desulphurization
heisig_story: Rock . . . infant . . . flood.
koohii_story: Sulphur is like a rock , but it can stink like a stream of infant doodie.
heisig_keyword: sulfur

kanji: 赦
meaning: pardon
ja_on: シャ
ja_kun: ゆる.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 赤[あか] red
攵[ぼくづくり] activity
examples: 容赦[ようしゃ] pardon; forgiveness; tolerance; overlooking
容赦なく[ようしゃなく] mercilessly; relentlessly; unsparingly
恩赦[おんしゃ] amnesty; pardon
特赦[とくしゃ] special pardon; (general) amnesty
赦免[しゃめん] pardon; remission; amnesty
heisig_story: Red . . . taskmaster.
koohii_story: The student blushed until his face was red, so the schoolmaster decided to pardon him.

kanji: 挫
meaning: crush
ja_on: ザ、サ
ja_kun: くじ.く、くじ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
坐[ザ] sit
examples: 挫折[ざせつ] setback; failure (e.g. plans, business); frustration; discouragement
捻挫[ねんざ] sprain; twist; wrench
heisig_story: Fingers . . . assembly line . . . soil.
koohii_story: I sprained my fingers when I sat in meditation (by sitting in a strange position).
heisig_keyword: sprain

kanji: 挟
meaning: pinch
ja_on: キョウ、ショウ
ja_kun: はさ.む、はさ.まる、わきばさ.む、さしはさ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
夹
examples: 挟む[はさむ] to hold between (e.g. one's fingers, chopsticks); to grip (from both sides)
挟まる[はさまる] to get between; to be caught in
挟み撃ち[はさみうち] attack on both sides; pincer movement; double envelopment
heisig_story: Fingers . . . scissors. Do not confuse with the kanji for pinch (Frame 709).
koohii_story: 挟まる 【はさまる】 (v5r,vi) to get between, to be caught in, (P) Story: You know how in tokyo there are those really packed trains where train staff in gloves shove people in? Well imagine being sandwiched in so tight, that when the doors close, only your FINGERS are sticking out. The train staff have no choice… they must cut them off with SCISSORS =( snip snip..
heisig_keyword: sandwiched

kanji: 窃
meaning: stealth
ja_on: セツ
ja_kun: ぬす.む、ひそ.か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
切[セツ] cut
examples: 窃盗[せっとう] theft; stealing; larceny
heisig_story: Hole . . . cut.
koohii_story: This more commonly means "steal", like how a thief cuts a hole to steal the jewels.

kanji: 泡
meaning: bubbles
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: あわ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
包[ホウ] wrap
examples: 泡[あわ] bubble; foam; froth; suds; lather; head (on beer)
気泡[きほう] (air) bubble (esp. in a liquid)
水泡[すいほう] foam; bubble
発泡[はっぽう] foaming
発泡スチロール[はっぽうスチロール] styrofoam; styrene foam; expanded polystyrene
heisig_story: Water . . . wrap.
koohii_story: When water forms a bubble, it wraps a pocket of air.
heisig_keyword: bubble

kanji: 又
meaning: or again
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: また、また-、また.の-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 又[また] again
examples: 又は[または] or; either ... or ...
heisig_story: Like the several abbreviations in Roman script to indicate "and" (+, &, etc.), this short two-stroke kanji is used for the similar meaning of or again.
koohii_story: This keyword should really be "again" not "or again" Here is some context: think of the phrase "Jya mata" " じゃ又 " which is a farewell similar to "then again". Also "Mata ne" " 又ね " and mata ashita (again tomorrow) " 又明日 "。 Note this kanji is rarely used, most of the time JP people spell it out "mata" except for in the last example: 又明日 .

kanji: 慨
meaning: rue
ja_on: ガイ
ja_kun: なげ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
既[キ] previously
examples: 感慨[かんがい] deep emotion; strong feelings
憤慨[ふんがい] indignation; resentment
感慨無量[かんがいむりょう] deep emotion; being filled with emotion
heisig_story: Resentment . . . waitress.
koohii_story: If you don't leave some silver as a tip, you will rue the day you earned the resentment of your waitress.

kanji: 紡
meaning: spinning
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: つむ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
方[ほう] direction
examples: 紡ぐ[つむぐ] to spin; to make yarn
紡績[ぼうせき] spinning (textiles)
混紡[こんぼう] mixed yarn; mixed spinning
紡織[ぼうしょく] spinning and weaving
heisig_story: For the kanji that means the spinning of thread and other fibers we have the elements: thread . . . compass.
koohii_story: Spiderman can spin his webs in any direction.

kanji: 恨
meaning: regret
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: うら.む、うら.めしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 恨む[うらむ] to bear a grudge against; to resent; to blame; to curse; to feel bitter towards
恨み[うらみ] resentment; grudge; malice; bitterness
痛恨[つうこん] deep regret; great sorrow; bitter grief
遺恨[いこん] grudge; ill will; enmity
heisig_story: State of mind . . . silver.
koohii_story: The athlete's state of mind is nothing but resentment after getting the silver medal.
heisig_keyword: resentment

kanji: 肪
meaning: obese
ja_on: ボウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
方[ほう] direction
examples: 脂肪[しぼう] fat; grease; blubber; lard; suet
heisig_story: If you eat too much, you may need a compass to find your way around the obese mass of flesh that piles up in the midsection. Compare this with your stories for round (Frame 44) and fat (Frame 494), similar in meaning but distinct in imagery.
koohii_story: " Flesh in all directions " = obese.

kanji: 扶
meaning: aid
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: たす.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
夫[フ] husband
examples: 扶養[ふよう] support (e.g. of one's dependents); maintenance
扶助[ふじょ] aid; help; assistance; support
heisig_story: Fingers . . . husband.
koohii_story: In Homer Simpsons' house, the first aid kit is usually used for when he smashes his fingers trying to build something (there are countless Simpsons episodes you can draw from for this).

kanji: 戯
meaning: frolic
ja_on: ギ、ゲ
ja_kun: たわむ.れる、ざ.れる、じゃ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虚[キョ] void
戈[ほこ] spear
examples: 悪戯[いたずら] mischief; prank; trick; practical joke
戯れる[たわむれる] to be playful; to gambol; to be amused (with something); to play; to sport; to f
戯れ[たわむれ] play; sport; fun; caprice; joke; jest; flirtation
遊戯[ゆうぎ] play; playing; game
戯曲[ぎきょく] drama; play
戯画[ぎが] caricature; cartoon; comics
heisig_story: Void . . . fiesta.
koohii_story: This is a story about the end of the universe. The universe is turning into a featureless void. There's nothing we can do about it except for throw a fiesta and frolic a little bit before it's all over.

kanji: 忌
meaning: mourning
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: い.む、い.み、い.まわしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 己[おのれ] self
心[こころ] heart
examples: 忌まわしい[いまわしい] abhorrent; abominable; detestable; disgusting; horrid; repugnant
忌避[きひ] evasion; avoidance; shirking
回忌[かいき] death anniversary; anniversary of a person's death
heisig_story: Snake . . . heart.
koohii_story: Remember the tale of Cleopatra? She was MOURNING the loss of her Marc Antony, so she placed the asp SNAKE to her HEART.

kanji: 濁
meaning: voiced
ja_on: ダク、ジョク
ja_kun: にご.る、にご.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
蜀[ショク] green caterpillar
examples: 濁る[にごる] to become muddy; to become cloudy; to become turbid; to become impure (of a liqu
濁す[にごす] to make muddy (of a liquid); to make cloudy; to make turbid; to roil
濁流[だくりゅう] muddy stream
汚濁[おだく] pollution; contamination; corruption; graft
heisig_story: The key word for this kanji connotes the "muddying" effect on a soft consonant brought about by vibrating the vocal chords. For example, in English a "j" is voiced while a "sh" is unvoiced. In Japanese, the し is changed to じ when it is voiced. The primitives are: water . . . eye . . . bound up . . . insect.
koohii_story: The fly is wrapped in a spiderweb voicing "Help me, Help Me" under the watchful eye of the spider who's venom is dripping like water from her fangs.

kanji: 奔
meaning: run
ja_on: ホン
ja_kun: はし.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 大[だい] large
卉[キ] grass
examples: 奔走[ほんそう] running about; making every effort (to do); busying oneself (with); being busily
奔放[ほんぽう] wild; uninhibited; extravagant; rampant
狂奔[きょうほん] rushing around; running wild
heisig_story: The hustle and bustle of this character is depicted by a St. Bernard dog and a haystack.
koohii_story: Hustle and bustle = a big St. Bernard dog frisking about in a haystack , knocking it down and spreading the hay about, after the field hands just stacked it up.
heisig_keyword: bustle

kanji: 斗
meaning: Big Dipper
ja_on: ト、トウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丶[てん] dot
examples: 斗[と] to
heisig_story: The Big Dipper here is of course the constellation of Ursa Major, of which this kanji is a sort of pictographic representation.
koohii_story: Since the meaning of "big dipper" is rather specific and the sense of measurement seems to be a more common usage, I concentrate on the primative meaning of measuring cup. This is a pictograph, with the first two strokes representing the measuring ticks on the side of the cup.

kanji: 迅
meaning: swift
ja_on: ジン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 卂[シン] to fly rapidly
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 迅速[じんそく] (very) quick; rapid; swift; speedy; prompt; expeditious
heisig_story: Here we see a crossing in the form of a barbed fishhook , suggesting a swifter alternate not only to the roundabouts used in Europe but also to the "cloverleaf" design used on superhighways in the United States.
koohii_story: The car went too swift ly through the crossing and was hooked by the cops.

kanji: 肖
meaning: resemblance
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: あやか.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 小[しょう] small
月[つき] moon
examples: 不肖[ふしょう] unworthy (of one's father, teacher, etc.)
肖像[しょうぞう] portrait; likeness; picture
heisig_story: The word resemblance should suggest, among other things, a son's resemblance to his father. A "chip off the old block" is the way we often put it, but the character is more simple. It speaks of a little bit of flesh.
koohii_story: Using DNA matching, a very little bit of flesh can be used to show the resemblence between family members.

kanji: 鉢
meaning: bowl
ja_on: ハチ、ハツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
本[ホン] book
examples: 鉢[はち] bowl; pot; basin
植木鉢[うえきばち] flowerpot; plant pot
火鉢[ひばち] brazier; hibachi
鉢巻[はちまき] headband
鉢植え[はちうえ] potted plant
heisig_story: Let bowl suggest a large and heavy golden bowl into which you are throwing all the books you own to mash them into pulp, for some outrageous reason you will have to think up yourself.
koohii_story: This is the BOWL of an alchemist: see how he mixes metals in his bowl , as he follows the instructions from his book?

kanji: 朽
meaning: decay
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: く.ちる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
丂[コウ] obstruction of breath (qi) as it seeks release
examples: 不朽[ふきゅう] everlasting; immortal; eternal; enduring; undying; imperishable
老朽[ろうきゅう] infirmity (due to old age); decrepitude; senility; senescence; superannuation
heisig_story: Tree . . . snare. Do not confuse with rot (Frame 1099).
koohii_story: This snare isn't terribly effective, because it's swinging from a decay ing tree. Imagine the tree as being so decay ed that when an animal gets caught in the snare, its struggles cause the tree to collapse into a putrid mess.

kanji: 殻
meaning: husk
ja_on: カク、コク、バイ
ja_kun: から、がら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 壳[カク] casing
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 殻[から] shell; husk; hull; pod; chaff
貝殻[かいがら] seashell; shell
吸い殻[すいがら] cigarette end; cigarette butt; tobacco ashes
地殻[ちかく] (Earth's) crust
地殻変動[ちかくへんどう] diastrophism (movement and deformation of the earth's crust)
heisig_story: Samurai . . . superfluous . . . missile.
koohii_story: Samurai's husk /shell/armour is superflous to missile attacks 甲殻 卵殻 貝殻 .

kanji: 享
meaning: enjoy
ja_on: キョウ、コウ
ja_kun: う.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亠[なべぶた] lid
口[くち] mouth
子[こ] child
examples: 享受[きょうじゅ] enjoyment (of freedom, beauty, etc.); reception (of a right, privilege, rank, et
heisig_story: Tall children receive more attention. Tall children grow up to make better wide receivers. Take your pick, depending on whether you prefer child psychology or American football. At any rate, be sure you have some particular tall child in mind, someone who really was outstanding and always attracting attention, because he or she will come in handy in the next two frames.
koohii_story: In basketball however, tall children receive all the attention.
heisig_keyword: receive

kanji: 藩
meaning: clan
ja_on: ハン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
潘[ハン] water in which rice has been washed
examples: 藩[はん] han (estate of a daimyo in the Edo and early Meiji periods); feudal domain; fief
藩主[はんしゅ] feudal lord; daimyo
heisig_story: Flowers . . . water . . . dice.
koohii_story: This character refers to feudal clan s that were abolished in 1871 (Meiji 4) in favor of prefectures ( 廃藩置県 ), and thus were predecessors of the modern prefectures. As we know from 落 , flowers and water drops each have their own way of falling. This character says that clan s' location was decided in the way flowers, water drops and dice fall: at random. See %28countrysubdivision%29>.

kanji: 沙
meaning: sand
ja_on: サ、シャ
ja_kun: すな、よなげる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
少[ショウ] few
examples: ご無沙汰[ごぶさた] not writing or contacting for a while; neglecting (failing) to write (call, visi
heisig_story: We have already learned the kanji for sand (Frame 122), so let's use it to remember the character for grains of sand. Instead of the "few stones" that make for nice sand, here we have a few drops of water , one for each grand of sand \- a beach in perfect ecological balance.
koohii_story: To keep this separated from [sand](../v4/117.html) (#117 砂): Water erodes away stone a few grains of sand at a time until there is no stone left.
heisig_keyword: grains of sand

kanji: 曇
meaning: cloudy weather
ja_on: ドン
ja_kun: くも.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
雲[ウン] cloud
examples: 曇る[くもる] to get cloudy; to cloud over; to become overcast
曇り[くもり] cloudiness; cloudy weather
heisig_story: We refer to days when the sun is covered by the clouds as cloudy weather.
koohii_story: Cloudy weather is when a cloud blocks the sun (up above).

kanji: 媒
meaning: mediator
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: なこうど
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
某[ボウ] so-and-so
examples: 媒体[ばいたい] medium; media
媒介[ばいかい] mediation; agency; serving as a medium; acting as an intermediary; acting as a g
媒酌[ばいしゃく] matchmaking; acting as a go-between
触媒[しょくばい] catalyst
heisig_story: Woman . . . so-and-so.
koohii_story: In a divorce, the woman needs a mediator because she won't talk to that so- and-so. Imagine the woman on the ground and the so-and-so up in the tree, and the poor mediator climbing up and down, trying to mediate their fight.

kanji: 鶏
meaning: chicken
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: にわとり、とり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 奚[ケイ] servant
鳥[とり] bird
examples: 鶏[にわとり] chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus); domestic chicken
鶏肉[とりにく] chicken meat
養鶏[ようけい] poultry raising; poultry farming; chicken farming
鶏卵[けいらん] hen's egg
heisig_story: Vulture . . . husband . . . bird.
koohii_story: The vulture's husband is a chicken …heck…who am I to judge their interspecies love? They're both birds so its cool.

kanji: 禅
meaning: Zen
ja_on: ゼン、セン
ja_kun: しずか、ゆず.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
単[タン] simple
examples: 禅[ぜん] dhyana (profound meditation)
座禅[ざぜん] zazen (seated Zen meditation, usu. in a cross-legged position)
禅僧[ぜんそう] Zen priest
禅問答[ぜんもんどう] Zen dialogue; Zen questions and answers
禅宗[ぜんしゅう] Zen (Buddhism)
禅寺[ぜんでら] Zen temple
heisig_story: Altar . . . simple.
koohii_story: Knowing ZEN ’s emphasis on “nothingness,” it’s not hard to envision a ZEN ALTAR being quite clean and SIMPLE.

kanji: 嘱
meaning: entrust
ja_on: ショク
ja_kun: しょく.する、たの.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
属[ゾク] belong
examples: 嘱望[しょくぼう] having great hopes for (someone's future); expecting much of; pinning one's hope
嘱託[しょくたく] commission; entrusting with (work)
委嘱[いしょく] commissioning; entrusting (with); request; appointment (to a position)
heisig_story: Mouth . . . belong.
koohii_story: The commando gnats entrust ed their mouths to the translators and what came out was "All your base are belong to us!".

kanji: 胴
meaning: trunk
ja_on: ドウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
同[ドウ] same
examples: 胴体[どうたい] trunk; torso; body
胴[どう] trunk; torso; body; abdomen; waist
胴上げ[どうあげ] tossing (someone) into the air (in celebration)
heisig_story: The word trunk refers to the part of the body that is left when you have " truncated " all the limbs. I can hardly think of any reason for doing so, unless one were lumberjacking corpses and needed to have them all properly pruned and made the same so they could be floated downstream without causing a body -jam.
koohii_story: A trunk , a trunk // The body of a monk // The body of a monk in a trunk , a trunk.

kanji: 迭
meaning: transfer
ja_on: テツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 失[シツ] lose
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 更迭[こうてつ] change (of personnel); reshuffle (e.g. of a cabinet); shake-up; dismissal (e.g.
heisig_story: To drop . . . road.
koohii_story: When you get lost, you just take an alternate road to get back on track.
heisig_keyword: alternate

kanji: 挿
meaning: insert
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: さ.す、はさ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
千[セン] thousand
十[じゅう] ten
日[ひ] sun
examples: 挿入[そうにゅう] insertion; interposition; interpolation; infixing; (sexual) penetration
挿絵[さしえ] illustration (in a book, newspaper, etc.); picture
挿話[そうわ] episode; side story; story within a story; aside; anecdote
heisig_story: Fingers . . . thousand . . . roots. Observe how the writing order does not follow the elements in order, because the final stroke is used for two different elements.
koohii_story: A rice farmer's delicate fingers have insert ed 1,000 rooted seedlings into his field.

kanji: 嵐
meaning: storm
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: あらし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
風[かぜ] wind
examples: 嵐[あらし] storm; tempest
heisig_story: Mountain . . . winds.
koohii_story: Storm is a full-blown wind that rips the mountains off the ground (you see one flying here).

kanji: 椎
meaning: chinquapin
ja_on: ツイ、スイ
ja_kun: つち、う.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 椎茸[しいたけ] shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes); shitake
heisig_story: Tree . . . turkey.
koohii_story: This is the kanji for the shii tree , on which shiitake ( 椎茸 ) mushrooms grow. It's easy to picture a turkey dropping by the shii tree to gobble down some of those sweet oaky (shiitake) mushrooms.
heisig_keyword: sweet oak

kanji: 陪
meaning: obeisance
ja_on: バイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
咅[トウ] to spit out
examples: 陪審[ばいしん] jury
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . muzzle.
koohii_story: In case of emergency, The Pinnacle has auxiliary guard dogs, but they keep them muzzeled until they're needed.
heisig_keyword: auxiliary

kanji: 剖
meaning: divide
ja_on: ボウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 咅[トウ] to spit out
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 解剖[かいぼう] dissection; autopsy; postmortem examination
解剖学[かいぼうがく] anatomy
heisig_story: To " divide and conquer " you use a saber and a muzzle.
koohii_story: When you DIVIDE someone, there is sure to be a lot of screaming. That's why you should use a MUZZLE before using the SABER.

kanji: 譜
meaning: musical score
ja_on: フ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
普[フ] universal
examples: 楽譜[がくふ] score; sheet music
年譜[ねんぷ] chronological record
棋譜[きふ] record of a game of go, shogi, chess, etc.
系譜[けいふ] genealogy; lineage; family tree; pedigree
譜面[ふめん] sheet music; score
heisig_story: Words . . . universal.
koohii_story: Musical score s are in a universal language.

kanji: 悠
meaning: permanence
ja_on: ユウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 攸[ユウ] relaxed
心[こころ] heart
examples: 悠長[ゆうちょう] leisurely; slow; deliberate; easygoing
悠々[ゆうゆう] quiet; calm; leisurely; composed
悠久[ゆうきゅう] eternal; everlasting; perpetual; immemorial
heisig_story: Person . . . walking stick . . . taskmaster . . . heart.
koohii_story: Mr. T ventured out into a remote area to visit with his wise, old taskmaster who must use a walking stick to get around and originally gave Mr. T the heart to fight crime for the good of the community.
heisig_keyword: remote

kanji: 淑
meaning: graceful
ja_on: シュク
ja_kun: しと.やか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
叔[シュク] uncle
examples: 淑女[しゅくじょ] lady
淑やか[しとやか] graceful; ladylike; modest; gentle; polite; quiet; well-mannered; refined (behav
淑徳[しゅくとく] womanly virtues
heisig_story: Water . . . uncle.
koohii_story: Uncle (the one who is lonely and coaches kids in his spare time) is actually a graceful guy once he hits the water , as he used to be part of the swimming team in his youth.

kanji: 帆
meaning: sail
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: ほ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
凡[ボン] commonplace
examples: 帆[ほ] sail
帆船[はんせん] sailing ship; sailing boat; sailing vessel
帆走[はんそう] sailing
heisig_story: A sail made of a towel makes a mediocre vessel.
koohii_story: When stranded at sea, we needed a Sail. The best we had was a TOWEL, which was MEDICORE, only catching a DROP of WIND.

kanji: 暁
meaning: daybreak
ja_on: ギョウ、キョウ
ja_kun: あかつき、さと.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
尭[ギョウ] high
examples: 暁[あかつき] dawn; daybreak
暁星[ぎょうせい] morning star; Venus; rarity
heisig_story: Sun . . . straw man.
koohii_story: The sun rising beside a straw man in a corn field is a classic cartoon depiction of daybreak.

kanji: 傑
meaning: greatness
ja_on: ケツ
ja_kun: すぐ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
桀[ケツ] measuring box
examples: 傑作[けっさく] masterpiece; masterwork; chef d'oeuvre; fine piece of work
傑出[けっしゅつ] being outstanding; excelling; being foremost
豪傑[ごうけつ] hero; bold person; daring person; great person; extraordinary person
heisig_story: Person . . . sunglasses . . . tree.
koohii_story: My wise person says greatness does not come from wearing shades ( sunglasses ) but from planting trees to shade everyone.

kanji: 奴
meaning: guy
ja_on: ド
ja_kun: やつ、やっこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
又[また] again
examples: 奴[やつ] fellow; guy; chap
奴ら[やつら] they; those guys
奴隷[どれい] slave; servant
売国奴[ばいこくど] traitor (to one's country); quisling
heisig_story: Woman . . . crotch.
koohii_story: That GUY stole my WOMAN so I kicked him in the CROTCH. (This story helps keep the word "GUY" as someone you hold in contempt).

kanji: 誰
meaning: who
ja_on: スイ
ja_kun: だれ、たれ、た
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 誰[だれ] who
誰か[だれか] someone; somebody
誰も[だれも] everyone; anyone
誰にも[だれにも] to anyone; to everyone
誰にでも[だれにでも] anyone; anybody; everyone; whoever
誰でも[だれでも] anyone; anybody; everyone; everybody; whoever
heisig_story: Words . . . turkey.
koohii_story: Do you remember that song where they say " Who let the turkeys out!? Gobble.. gobble.. gobble"?

kanji: 錠
meaning: lock
ja_on: ジョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
定[テイ] determine
examples: 手錠[てじょう] handcuffs; manacles
錠[じょう] lock; padlock
錠剤[じょうざい] pill; lozenge; tablet
heisig_story: Metal of itself doesn't lock. It needs to be so determined by a lock smith. Now make a concrete image of that.
koohii_story: Even if you lock up your GOLD, a DETERMINED thief will get it in the end.

kanji: 拳
meaning: fist
ja_on: ケン、ゲン
ja_kun: こぶし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 二[に] two
人[ひと] person
手[て] hand
examples: 拳[こぶし] fist
拳銃[けんじゅう] pistol; handgun
拳骨[げんこつ] (clenched) fist; knuckles
heisig_story: Quarter . . . hand. Be careful to keep this key word distinct from the primitive element of the same meaning we met back in Frame 741.
koohii_story: 1) I hold a roll of quarters in my hand when I make a fist. 2) I hold a quarter in my hand as I prepare to play the Iron Fist Tournament: 鉄拳 （てっけん） at the arcade.

kanji: 遷
meaning: transition
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: うつ.る、うつ.す、みやこがえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 覀[にし] cover
大[だい] large
己[おのれ] self
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 変遷[へんせん] change; transition; vicissitudes
左遷[させん] demotion; relegation; reduction in rank; degradation; downward move
遷都[せんと] relocation of the capital; transfer of the capital
heisig_story: West . . . St. Bernard dog . . . snake . . . road.
koohii_story: Since the days of the Old West , traveling has transition ed from trying not to step on big snakes to driving on big roads.

kanji: 拙
meaning: bungling
ja_on: セツ
ja_kun: つたな.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
出[シュツ] exit
examples: 稚拙[ちせつ] unskillful; childish; immature; naive; artless; clumsy; crude
巧拙[こうせつ] skill; workmanship; dexterity; quality
拙劣[せつれつ] clumsy; unskillful
拙速[せっそく] rough-and-ready; knocked-up; hasty; slipshod; slapdash
heisig_story: Fingers . . . exit.
koohii_story: With fingers fumbling around trying to get the key in the door so he could exit , the bungling husband woke his wife as he tried to leave for a rendezvous with his mistress.

kanji: 侍
meaning: waiter
ja_on: ジ、シ
ja_kun: さむらい、はべ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
寺[ジ] Buddhist temple
examples: 侍[さむらい] warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period); samurai
侍女[じじょ] lady attendant; female servant; lady's maid; waiting maid
侍医[じい] court physician
侍従[じじゅう] chamberlain
heisig_story: Person . . . Buddhist temple. The key word is deceptively modern, but the kanji is actually another way of writing "samurai." Be careful not to confuse with attend (Frame 1033).
koohii_story: Mr. T infiltrates the secret samurai Buddhist temple as a waiter with a tray of green tea. (Careful: [attend](../v4/960.html) (#960 仕)).

kanji: 峠
meaning: mountain peak
ja_kun: とうげ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
上[ジョウ] above
下[カ] below
examples: 峠[とうげ] (mountain) pass; highest point on a mountain road; ridge
heisig_story: Mountain . . . above . . . below.
koohii_story: Heisig mentions at kanjiclinic.com that he wishes he'd chosen mountain pass for this keyword as it's closer to what the word means. If we do this, the kanji makes complete sense because a mountain pass is just below the mountain top.
heisig_keyword: mountain pass

kanji: 篤
meaning: fervent
ja_on: トク
ja_kun: あつ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
馬[うま] horse
examples: 危篤[きとく] critical condition; being on the verge of death
篤志家[とくしか] charitable person; philanthropist; volunteer; supporter
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . team of horses.
koohii_story: A fervent horse doesnt need to be whipped with a bamboo stick during a race, it will go fast by itself.

kanji: 渇
meaning: thirst
ja_on: カツ
ja_kun: かわ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
曷[カツ] why
examples: 渇く[かわく] to be thirsty; to feel thirsty
渇望[かつぼう] craving; longing; thirsting
渇き[かわき] thirst
枯渇[こかつ] drying up; running dry
渇水[かっすい] water shortage
heisig_story: As you pass by the muchacho taking the siesta , he cries out that he is thirsty and asks for something to drink. So you turn the water hose on him.
koohii_story: You awaken from your siesta because you feel extremely thirst y so you go looking for some water.

kanji: 俺
meaning: I
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: おれ、われ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
奄[エン] cover
examples: 俺[おれ] I; me
heisig_story: The key word refers to a very familiar way of referring to oneself, typically used by men. Its component elements: person . . . St. Bernard . . . eel.
koohii_story: Myself as used by men – a person who prides himself on how big his “ eel ” is.
heisig_keyword: myself

kanji: 叔
meaning: uncle
ja_on: シュク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尗[シュク] younger of brothers
又[また] again
examples: 叔父[おじ] uncle
叔母[おば] aunt
heisig_story: Above . . . little . . . crotch.
koohii_story: Oh come on people - say what we've all been thinking: the uncle is that creepy guy towering above a little one's crotch.

kanji: 雌
meaning: feminine
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: め-、めす、めん
grade: Junior High
radicals: 此[シ] this
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 雌[めす] female (animal, plant)
雌花[めばな] female flower; pistillate flower
雌雄[しゆう] male and female (animals); the two sexes
heisig_story: This character for female forms a pair with that for male , which we will learn later (Frame 804). The elements: footprint . . . spoon . . . turkey.
koohii_story: To become feminine you must stop using a spoon to eat turkey and use a knife and fork like a proper lady.
heisig_keyword: female

kanji: 堪
meaning: withstand
ja_on: カン、タン
ja_kun: た.える、たま.る、こら.える、こた.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
甚[ジン] tremendously
examples: 堪える[たえる] to bear; to stand; to endure; to put up with
堪能[たんのう] proficient; skilled; skillful; good; accomplished
堪らない[たまらない] intolerable; unbearable; unendurable
heisig_story: Soil . . . tremendously.
koohii_story: Because I hid myself behind a huge dirt barrier I dug, I was able to withstand the tremendous nuclear blast.

kanji: 叙
meaning: confer
ja_on: ジョ
ja_kun: つい.ず、ついで
grade: Junior High
radicals: 余[ヨ] too much
又[また] again
examples: 叙事詩[じょじし] epic (poem); epic poetry
叙勲[じょくん] conferring of decorations
叙情[じょじょう] lyricism; description of one's feelings
叙述[じょじゅつ] description; account; delineation; narration
自叙伝[じじょでん] autobiography
heisig_story: Scale . . crotch. The key word has to do with conferring ranks, titles, and awards. It should not be confused with bestow (Frame 1335) or impart (Frame 795).
koohii_story: Amazed at the weight of his crotch , they confer red every honor upon him. (Image: guy with his junk on a scale getting a medal pinned to his chest/around his neck/being knighted, etc.).

kanji: 酢
meaning: vinegar
ja_on: サク
ja_kun: す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
乍[サ] though
examples: 酢[す] vinegar
お酢[おす] vinegar
甘酢[あまず] sweet vinegar
酢の物[すのもの] vinegared dish; pickled dish
酢酸[さくさん] acetic acid
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . saw.
koohii_story: Drinking alcohol that's turned to vinegar feels like a saw going down your throat.

kanji: 吟
meaning: versify
ja_on: ギン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
今[コン] now
examples: 吟味[ぎんみ] close examination; careful investigation; close inspection; careful selection; i
heisig_story: As we have already learned characters for poem (Frame 370), chant (Frame 21), and song (Frame 508), it is important to protect this key word with an image all its own. Its elements are the same as those above, only the position has changed: mouth . . . clock.
koohii_story: A rapper is trying to versify , but sucks: Hickery dickery dock, the mouth spat out the clock. I'm gonna shoot you with my glock, if you don't suck my cock! Versify!

kanji: 逓
meaning: relay
ja_on: テイ
ja_kun: かわ.る、たがいに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乕[コ] tiger
辶[しんにょう] road
heisig_story: Drag . . . cornstalk . . . belt . . . road.
koohii_story: (I prefer 2 towels over cornstalk and belt) - Have you ever wondered why your parcels always end up in such bad condition when you get them? Or why you never get them at all? That's because you've never looked at how they're actually delivered - each postman is given a load of parcel post and 2 towels to drag them down the road on.
heisig_keyword: parcel post

kanji: 痕
meaning: mark
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: あと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
艮[こん] boundary
examples: 痕跡[こんせき] trace; vestige; mark; sign; evidence
血痕[けっこん] bloodstain
heisig_story: Sickness . . . silver.
koohii_story: I suffer from silver-sickness , that is, if anything made of silver even touches my skin it leaves a scar.
heisig_keyword: scar

kanji: 袖
meaning: sleeve
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: そで
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
由[ユ] wherefore
examples: 袖[そで] sleeve
半袖[はんそで] short sleeves
長袖[ながそで] long sleeves
領袖[りょうしゅう] leader; chief; boss
heisig_story: Cloak . . . sprout.
koohii_story: The bad magician says, "As you can see, there's nothing up my sleeve s!" Then he trips over his cloak and brussel sprouts fall everywhere.

kanji: 甚
meaning: tremendously
ja_on: ジン
ja_kun: はなは.だ、はなは.だしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 甘[あまい] sweet
匹[ヒツ] equal
examples: 甚だしい[はなはだしい] extreme; excessive; terrible; intense; severe; serious; tremendous; heavy (damag
甚大[じんだい] very great; enormous; serious
甚だ[はなはだ] very; greatly; extremely; exceedingly; highly; quite
激甚[げきじん] intense; violent; severe; vehement
heisig_story: Bushel basket . . . equal. Note how the first stroke of equal doubles up with the sixth stroke of the bushel basket , and how the animal legs of the bushel basket are dropped to make room for the human legs of equal.
koohii_story: It's a tremendous match between the two chess-players. They are clearly eachother's equal.

kanji: 妖
meaning: attractive
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: あや.しい、なま.めく、わざわ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
夭[ヨウ] early death
examples: 妖精[ようせい] fairy; sprite; elf
妖怪[ようかい] ghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; specter; demon; monster; goblin; yōkai
heisig_story: You are bewitched by a woman who is, of course, a witch.
koohii_story: If you don't want to get bewitched (and who would?), then avoid any woman you see carrying what might appear to be a sapling. It's really a wand in disguise, and if you're not aware you might get bewitched.
heisig_keyword: bewitched

kanji: 闇
meaning: get dark
ja_on: アン、オン
ja_kun: やみ、くら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
音[おと] sound
examples: 闇[やみ] darkness; the dark
暗闇[くらやみ] darkness; the dark
無闇に[むやみに] thoughtlessly; recklessly; rashly; indiscriminately; indiscreetly; at random
heisig_story: Gates . . . sound.
koohii_story: Through the gates of hell there is no sound, no light, its all pitch dark.
heisig_keyword: pitch dark

kanji: 崇
meaning: adore
ja_on: スウ
ja_kun: あが.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
宗[シュウ] religion
examples: 崇高[すうこう] lofty; sublime; noble
崇拝[すうはい] worship; adoration; admiration; cult
heisig_story: Mountain . . . religion.
koohii_story: In ancient Greece, it was the religion of the time to adore the gods who live on Mount Olympus.

kanji: 漆
meaning: lacquer
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: うるし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
木[き] tree
氺[したみず] water
examples: 漆黒[しっこく] jet-black; pitch-dark; raven-black; stygian
漆[うるし] East Asian lacquer; japan
漆器[しっき] lacquer ware; lacquerware; lacquer work; lacquerwork
漆塗り[うるしぬり] lacquering; lacquer ware
heisig_story: Water . . . tree . . . umbrella . . . grains of rice.
koohii_story: LACQUER is a type of WATERY type of liquid used to protect items made from TREES, sort of an UMBRELLA of protection. So protective, you can carry around RICE in the LACQUER ED, WOODEN product.

kanji: 岬
meaning: headland
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: みさき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
甲[コウ] armor
examples: 岬[みさき] cape (on coast)
heisig_story: Like the cape (Frame 164) and the promontory (Frame 840), the headland refers to a jut of land. Its elements: mountain . . . roots.
koohii_story: A headland is a mountain that is firmly rooted despite being surrounded on 3 sides by water. (Just like your head is a mountain surrounded by air on 3 sides, a headland!).

kanji: 癖
meaning: mannerism
ja_on: ヘキ
ja_kun: くせ、くせ.に
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
辟[ヘキ] false
examples: 癖[くせ] habit (usu. a bad one); tendency
口癖[くちぐせ] pet saying; favorite phrase; stock phrase; catchphrase
性癖[せいへき] disposition; inclination; characteristic; idiosyncrasy; propensity
潔癖[けっぺき] fastidiousness; love of cleanliness
癖に[くせに] and yet; though; when; in spite of
heisig_story: Sickness . . . ketchup.
koohii_story: Caveman has a bad mannerism of putting ketchup on everything he eats. I guess that's ok since raw mammoth can't be too good…

kanji: 愉
meaning: pleasure
ja_on: ユ
ja_kun: たの.しい、たの.しむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
兪[ユ] affirmative response
examples: 愉快[ゆかい] pleasant; delightful; enjoyable; joyful; cheerful; amusing; happy
不愉快[ふゆかい] unpleasant; disagreeable; displeasing; uncomfortable; unhappy
heisig_story: State of mind . . . butchers (See frame 307).
koohii_story: At the meeting of butchers , in their narrow state of mind , they throw lame jokes around like, 'Oh hello, it's a pleasure to meat you', and find this rather pleasing.

kanji: 捉
meaning: catch
ja_on: ソク、サク
ja_kun: とら.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
足[あし] foot
examples: 捉える[とらえる] to catch; to capture; to seize; to arrest; to grab; to catch hold of
heisig_story: Fingers . . . leg.
koohii_story: I felt a finger on my leg as someone tried to nab my wallet.
heisig_keyword: nab

kanji: 礁
meaning: reef
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
焦[ショウ] char
examples: 岩礁[がんしょう] reef
暗礁[あんしょう] reef; sunken rock
環礁[かんしょう] atoll; circular coral reef
heisig_story: Rocks . . . char.
koohii_story: Reef s are often formed from volcanic rock, or "rock that has been charred".

kanji: 屯
meaning: barracks
ja_on: トン
ja_kun: たむろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
屮[くさのめ] sprout
examples: 駐屯[ちゅうとん] stationing (troops); garrisoning
koohii_story: The game characters from Worms sleep in their barracks at night.

kanji: 姻
meaning: matrimony
ja_on: イン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
因[イン] cause
examples: 婚姻[こんいん] marriage; matrimony
heisig_story: Woman . . . cause. Think here of the "state of matrimony " and you will not confuse it with other characters involving marriage, one of which we have already met (Frame 581).
koohii_story: Matrimony is the state in which the woman has got you pent in like a dog so that you cannot go after other bitches.

kanji: 賭
meaning: gamble
ja_on: ト
ja_kun: か.ける、かけ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
者[シャ] someone
examples: 賭ける[かける] to wager; to bet; to risk; to stake; to gamble
賭け[かけ] bet; wager; stake; gamble
heisig_story: Shells/money . . . puppet.
koohii_story: When we gamble at the shell game, I always win against my love doll.

kanji: 擬
meaning: mimic
ja_on: ギ
ja_kun: まが.い、もど.き
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
疑[ギ] doubt
examples: 模擬[もぎ] imitation
模擬試験[もぎしけん] mock exam; practice exam; practice test
heisig_story: Fingers . . . doubt.
koohii_story: Ask a MIMIC to give an impression of DOUBT, and he will no DOUBT scratch his head with his FINGER.

kanji: 塀
meaning: fence
ja_on: ヘイ、ベイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
屏[ヘイ] wall
examples: 塀[へい] wall
土塀[どべい] mud wall; earthen wall; plaster wall
heisig_story: Soil . . . flag . . . puzzle.
koohii_story: [fence, wall, (kokuji)] A fence separates one soil from the other. On a large scale, large pieces of soil s in the world have a virtual fence called nation. Picture a world map where all countries have their soil with one color, their national flag as the legend and a fence on the borders… don't you think it looks like a giant puzzle?

kanji: 唇
meaning: lips
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: くちびる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辰[しんのたつ] Fifth zodiac sign
口[くち] mouth
examples: 唇[くちびる] lip; lips
下唇[したくちびる] lower lip
上唇[うわくちびる] upper lip
heisig_story: Sign of the dragon . . . mouth.
koohii_story: I love Bruce Lee dubbing. His lips move, but sometimes words don't come out of his mouth.

kanji: 睦
meaning: intimate
ja_on: ボク、モク
ja_kun: むつ.まじい、むつ.む、むつ.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
土[つち] earth
儿[ひとあし] human legs
examples: 親睦[しんぼく] friendship; amity
heisig_story: Eye . . . rice seedlings . . . ground.
koohii_story: I keep an intimate relationship with my rice seedlings – I never take my eye from the soil.

kanji: 閑
meaning: leisure
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 門[もんがまえ] gate
木[き] tree
examples: 長閑[のどか] tranquil; calm; quiet; peaceful; serene
閑散[かんさん] deserted (esp. store, market, town, streets); quiet; still; hushed; empty
等閑[なおざり] neglect; negligence; disregard; making light of
農閑期[のうかんき] slack season for farmers; leisure season for farmers
閑静[かんせい] quiet (e.g. neighbourhood); peaceful; tranquil
heisig_story: Gates . . . tree.
koohii_story: Imagine the gates the Garden of Eden, the ultimate land of leisure. You're not allowed in, but if you peek through you can see trees.

kanji: 幽
meaning: seclude
ja_on: ユウ
ja_kun: ふか.い、かす.か、くら.い、しろ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
幺[いとがしら] young
examples: 幽霊[ゆうれい] ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
幽閉[ゆうへい] confinement; imprisonment; incarceration
heisig_story: Two cocoons . . . mountain. Observe how the two vertical strokes of the mountain are extended upwards to serve as a kind of enclosure.
koohii_story: The villagers haven't the faint est idea that giant coccoons resting in the mountain are soon to hatch.
heisig_keyword: faint

kanji: 曹
meaning: office
ja_on: ソウ、ゾウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 曲[キョク] bend
日[ひ] sun
examples: 法曹[ほうそう] legal profession; judicial officer; lawyer; attorney
法曹界[ほうそうかい] legal circles
heisig_story: This character is written in the order of its elements: one . . . bend . . . sun.
koohii_story: A space cadet eager to make one bend around the sun. (a dangerous maneuver).
heisig_keyword: cadet

kanji: 詠
meaning: recitation
ja_on: エイ
ja_kun: よ.む、うた.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
永[エイ] eternity
examples: 朗詠[ろうえい] recitation (of Japanese or Chinese poem)
詠む[よむ] to compose (a Japanese poem); to write; to use as the theme of a poem
heisig_story: Listening to the words of poets reciting their poetry is like being transported for a moment into eternity where the rules of everyday life have been suspended.
koohii_story: If you study some words for a recitation , there is a good chance they will be stuck in your memory for all eternity.

kanji: 卑
meaning: lowly
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: いや.しい、いや.しむ、いや.しめる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
田[た] rice paddy
十[じゅう] ten
examples: 卑怯[ひきょう] cowardly; craven
卑劣[ひれつ] mean; contemptible; despicable; dirty; foul; cowardly; base
卑屈[ひくつ] servile; subservient; obsequious; slavish; self-abasing; grovelling; spineless
卑しい[いやしい] lowborn; humble; lowly
男尊女卑[だんそんじょひ] male domination of women; male chauvinism; subjection of women
heisig_story: A drop of . . . brains . . . cornucopia.
koohii_story: A LOWLY single rice grain, DROPPED in an empty FIELD, can produce a CORNUCOPIA of food.

kanji: 侮
meaning: scorn
ja_on: ブ
ja_kun: あなど.る、あなず.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
毎[マイ] every
examples: 侮る[あなどる] to disdain; to look down on; to make light of; to hold in contempt; to scorn; to
侮辱[ぶじょく] insult; affront; slight; contempt (e.g. of court)
侮蔑[ぶべつ] scorn; disdain; contempt; slight
heisig_story: Every . . . person.
koohii_story: Mr. T has scorn for every fool.

kanji: 鋳
meaning: casting
ja_on: チュウ、イ、シュ、シュウ
ja_kun: い.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
寿[ジュ] longevity
examples: 鋳る[いる] to cast; to mint; to coin
鋳型[いがた] mold; mould; template
鋳物[いもの] casting; cast-metal object
鋳造[ちゅうぞう] casting; founding; minting
heisig_story: Metal . . . longevity. As you probably guessed from the elements, the key word refers to the casting of metals.
koohii_story: They made a metal casting of the Chinese man who glued shrubs to himself to increase his longevity. It's now sold around the world as it's thought that having one will increase your own longevity..

kanji: 抹
meaning: rub
ja_on: マツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
末[マツ] end
examples: 抹殺[まっさつ] erasure; obliteration
抹消[まっしょう] erasure; striking off; crossing out; cancellation; deletion
一抹[いちまつ] a touch (of sadness, unease, etc.); a tinge (of); a hint (of); a wreath (of smok
抹茶[まっちゃ] matcha; powdered green tea
heisig_story: Fingers . . . extremity.
koohii_story: I like to RUB my FINGERS over my EXTREMITIES ….like my extremity-ly long, umm, hair…. This has been edited in response to being reported …you can change "hair" to whatever extremity-ly long body part you like.

kanji: 尉
meaning: military officer
ja_on: イ、ジョウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尸[しかばね] corpse
示[しめす] altar
寸[すん] inch
examples: 中尉[ちゅうい] first lieutenant; lieutenant junior grade
大尉[たいい] captain (Army, US Marine Corps, USAF); lieutenant (Navy); flight lieutenant (RAF
少尉[しょうい] second lieutenant; sublieutenant; ensign
heisig_story: Flag . . . altar . . . glue.
koohii_story: Of course it had to be the military officer 's idea to glue a national flag to the altar he's stationed at.

kanji: 隷
meaning: slave
ja_on: レイ
ja_kun: したが.う、しもべ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
示[しめす] altar
隶[れいづくり] to capture
examples: 奴隷[どれい] slave; servant
koohii_story: The samurai sits on the altar and watches the slave rake rice all day.

kanji: 禍
meaning: calamity
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: わざわい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 礻[しめすへん] altar
咼[カイ] crooked mouth
examples: コロナ禍[コロナか] COVID-19 pandemic; coronavirus crisis; COVID-19 crisis
戦禍[せんか] war damage; ravages of war; horrors of war
禍根[かこん] root of an evil; source of a problem; source of trouble; cause of misfortune
heisig_story: Altar . . . jawbone.
koohii_story: Continued from [auspicious](../v4/1088.html) (#1088 祥). Once a year, the people pray for a sign from the gods. But if the gods are feeling particularly mischievous, they'll send down a jawbone to the altar. The people see this as a sign of calamity to come. The gods think of it as an amusing prank.

kanji: 酪
meaning: dairy products
ja_on: ラク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
各[カク] each
examples: 酪農[らくのう] dairy farming
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . each.
koohii_story: To stay healthy, Dr. Phil told me to have some dairy products with each bottle of whiskey I drink…

kanji: 茎
meaning: stalk
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ
ja_kun: くき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
圣[コツ] holy
examples: 茎[くき] stalk; stem
heisig_story: Flower . . . spool.
koohii_story: Suggestion: Replace "spool" with "toilet paper/roll". Reasons: (1) Toilet paper/roll usually comes on a spool. (2) Toilet paper is used to clean the soil off your crotch. Story: Just get a flower and carefully wrap some toilet paper around its stalk. Spool also appears in [suspicious](../v4/716.html) (#716 怪), [lightly](../v4/717.html) (#717 軽), [diameter](../v4/882.html) (#882 径), [sutra](../v4/1360.html) (#1360 経).

kanji: 汎
meaning: pan-
ja_on: ハン、ブ、フウ、ホウ、ホン
ja_kun: ただよ.う、ひろ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
凡[ボン] commonplace
examples: 汎[はん] pan-
汎用[はんよう] generic; general purpose; all-purpose
heisig_story: The sense of the key word here is the "all-inclusive" we find in terms like " Pan- American Games." (It is also the character used in mathematics for "partial" as in partial differentials, in case you are a math major and want to take your story in that direction.) Instead of a water sports event that brings together the best talent, think of a meet of the region's most mediocre athletes, many of whom cannot even tread water. Now try to find a sponsor for the " Pan- Mediocre Water Sports Competition. "
koohii_story: This is pan \- as in the prefix meaning "all". I think of Pan gea as being a mediocre continent with water covering the rest of the planet. This was before it broke up into the first-class, well-distributed continents we got now.

kanji: 頃
meaning: time
ja_on: ケイ、キョウ
ja_kun: ころ、ごろ、しばら.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匕[さじ] spoon
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頃[ころ] (approximate) time; around; about; toward
今頃[いまごろ] about this time; about now
子供の頃[こどものころ] (time of) one's childhood; when one was a child
小さい頃[ちいさいころ] as a child; when one was a child
年頃[としごろ] approximate age; apparent age
日頃[ひごろ] usually; habitually; always
近頃[ちかごろ] lately; recently; nowadays
若い頃[わかいころ] one's youth; early life; one's early days; one's early years
この頃[このごろ] these days; nowadays; now; at present; recently; lately
いつ頃[いつごろ] about when; about what time; how soon
今日この頃[きょうこのごろ] these days; nowadays; recently
heisig_story: When Uncle Bob starts his comic routine of sticking spoons on his head , you know it is about that time to come up with a reason to excuse yourself.
koohii_story: An alarm clock with a unique design: You set it for, say, 7:00 am, and at about that time the clock reaches out with a spoon and hits you on the head.
heisig_keyword: about that time

kanji: 帥
meaning: commander
ja_on: スイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
巾[はば] cloth
examples: 元帥[げんすい] (field) marshal; (fleet) admiral; general of the army
統帥[とうすい] supreme command; high command
総帥[そうすい] commander-in-chief; leader; head of a group of companies
heisig_story: Maestro . . . towel.
koohii_story: The COMMANDER is a military MAESTRO who never throws in the TOWEL.

kanji: 逝
meaning: departed
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: ゆ.く、い.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 折[セツ] fold
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 急逝[きゅうせい] sudden death; unexpected death
逝去[せいきょ] death; passing
heisig_story: The connotation is of a "dearly departed " who has passed away. The elements: fold . . . road.
koohii_story: One of the dearest of Japan's dearly departed is Sasaki Sadako, who developed Leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima, and became famous for folding more than a thousand paper cranes, never giving up hope. To this day, people in Hiroshima still fold origami cranes in her memory. For this character, let us imagine a parade in her honor, the entire road lined with folded cranes.

kanji: 滴
meaning: drip
ja_on: テキ
ja_kun: しずく、したた.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
啇[テキ] the stalk
examples: 水滴[すいてき] drop of water
滴[しずく] drop (e.g. of water); drip
点滴[てんてき] raindrops; falling drop of water
heisig_story: Picture water dripping on what you thought were precious antiques , only to find that the artificial aging painted on them is running!
koohii_story: DRIP S of WATER were collected in ANTIQUE VASES since the museum had a leaky roof.

kanji: 謎
meaning: riddle
ja_on: メイ、ベイ
ja_kun: なぞ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
迷[メイ] astray
examples: 謎[なぞ] riddle; puzzle; enigma; mystery
謎々[なぞなぞ] riddle; puzzle; enigma
heisig_story: Words . . . astray.
koohii_story: Words meant to lead you astray are those of a riddle.

kanji: 匿
meaning: hide
ja_on: トク
ja_kun: かくま.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 匸[かくしがまえ] to conceal
若[ジャク] young
examples: 匿名[とくめい] anonymity; using an assumed name
隠匿[いんとく] concealment (esp. of wrongdoings or criminals); sheltering; harboring
heisig_story: Box . . . young.
koohii_story: Young kids likes to hide in cardboard boxes. (Primitive: CARDBOARD BOX , especially kids playing with them.).

kanji: 爪
meaning: claw
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: つめ、つま-
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 爪[つめ] nail (e.g. fingernail, toenail); claw; talon; hoof
爪切り[つめきり] nail clippers
爪楊枝[つまようじ] toothpick
heisig_story: This character is a pictograph of a bird's claw , and from there comes to mean animal claws in general (including human fingernails).
koohii_story: A pictograph of Wolverine's adamantium claw s.

kanji: 鍵
meaning: key
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: かぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
建[ケン] build
examples: 鍵[かぎ] key
鍵盤[けんばん] keyboard (of a piano, typewriter, etc.)
heisig_story: The golden key you have been presented by the mayor gives you access to all the buildings in the city.
koohii_story: The metal thing you need in order to enter things you build is a key.

kanji: 襟
meaning: collar
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: えり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
禁[キン] prohibition
examples: 襟[えり] collar; lapel; neckband; neck
襟元[えりもと] (around the) neck; nape
胸襟[きょうきん] one's heart
襟巻き[えりまき] scarf (esp. one worn for warmth); muffler
heisig_story: Cloak . . . prohibition.
koohii_story: A collar is the part of your cloak that, if tightened too tight, will prohibit breathing.

kanji: 蛍
meaning: lightning-bug
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: ほたる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 小[しょう] small
冖[わかんむり] cover
虫[むし] worm
examples: 蛍光灯[けいこうとう] fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light
蛍[ほたる] firefly (Luciola cruciata); lightning bug; glowworm
heisig_story: Schoolhouse . . . insect.
koohii_story: Bugs have to go to school to learn how to become lightning bugs. Only the brightest bugs graduate to become lightning bugs.
heisig_keyword: lightning bug

kanji: 寡
meaning: widow
ja_on: カ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
自[みずから] self
分[ブン] part
examples: 寡黙[かもく] untalkative; quiet; taciturn; reticent; uncommunicative
多寡[たか] degree (of something); greatness or smallness (of something); quantity; number;
寡占[かせん] oligopoly; control of a market
寡婦[かふ] widow; divorced woman not remarried; unmarried woman
heisig_story: House . . . head . . . dagger. Immediately we get another instance of a very odd exception. Notice how the final stroke of the head is lengthened, giving the final two strokes a chance to stretch out and make room for the dagger that fits in beneath.
koohii_story: The new widow sits in the house , her head in her lap (the extended stroke), her dagger in her husband.

kanji: 痢
meaning: diarrhea
ja_on: リ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
利[リ] profit
examples: 下痢[げり] diarrhea; diarrhoea
赤痢[せきり] dysentery
heisig_story: Sickness . . . profit.
koohii_story: For a country full of pay-per-use public toilets, sudden diarrhea is certainly the most profitable sickness!

kanji: 庸
meaning: commonplace
ja_on: ヨウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
用[もちいる] to use
examples: 凡庸[ぼんよう] mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; banal
heisig_story: Cave . . . rake . . . screwdriver.
koohii_story: To live a comfortable life, single men need only a cave for living, a rake for cleaning and a screwdriver for fixing.
heisig_keyword: comfortable

kanji: 坑
meaning: pit
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
亢[コウ] high spirits
examples: 坑道[こうどう] tunnel; (mining) gallery; level; shaft; pit
廃坑[はいこう] closure of a mine; abandoned mine; disused mine
heisig_story: A whirlwind begins to dig its way into the soil like a drill until it makes a deep pit.
koohii_story: A whirlwind digs a hole in the ground throwing out lots of dirt until it ends up with a giant pit.

kanji: 藍
meaning: indigo
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: あい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
監[カン] oversee
examples: 藍[あい] dyer's knotweed (Persicaria tinctoria, used to produce indigo dye)
heisig_story: Flowers . . . oversee.
koohii_story: Indigo flowers have to be overseen because they are often picked for their beauty.

kanji: 賊
meaning: burglar
ja_on: ゾク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
戎[ジュウ] warrior
examples: 盗賊[とうぞく] thief; robber; burglar; bandit
海賊[かいぞく] pirate
山賊[さんぞく] bandit; brigand
heisig_story: From a burglar's point of view, a fiesta is an occasion to takeout the old lock picking needle and break into the unattended safe filled with the family shells (the old form of money, as we saw in frames 84 and 206).
koohii_story: Burglar s… those guys!!! Burglar s only want money (clams) so that they can get needles (drugs) and party (fiesta)!

kanji: 搾
meaning: squeeze
ja_on: サク
ja_kun: しぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
窄[サク] narrow
examples: 搾る[しぼる] to wring (towel, rag); to squeeze
搾取[さくしゅ] exploitation; bleeding dry; squeezing dry
搾乳[さくにゅう] milking (a cow, goat, etc.)
heisig_story: Fingers . . . hole . . . saw.
koohii_story: You have trouble squeezing your hand through the hole so you use a saw to enlarge it.

kanji: 臼
meaning: mortar
ja_on: キュウ、グ
ja_kun: うす、うすづ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臼[うす] mortar
heisig_story: The image here is of back-to-back staples. The mortar referred to in this key word is a stone or wooden basin used for grinding with a pestle.
koohii_story: I removed all the back to back staples and grinded them in a mortar to create metal dust.

kanji: 畔
meaning: paddy ridge
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: あぜ、くろ、ほとり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
半[ハン] half
examples: 河畔[かはん] riverside
湖畔[こはん] lakeside; lakeshore; lakefront
heisig_story: Rice field . . . half. The key word here refers to the ridges that rise up between the sections of a rice paddy.
koohii_story: A PADDY-RIDGE divides the RICE FIELD in HALF.

kanji: 唄
meaning: song
ja_on: バイ
ja_kun: うた、うた.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
貝[かい] shell
examples: 唄[うた] song; singing
長唄[ながうた] long epic song with shamisen accompaniment (developed in Edo in the early 17th c
heisig_story: There is a lot of money to be made of one's songs are " pop ular." This is depicted here as a stream of clams spewing out of the mouth of someone performing a pop song.
koohii_story: The new generation of pop songs have no depth. They just mouth empty lyrics to get money. Not like the pop songs of my day.
heisig_keyword: pop song

kanji: 孔
meaning: cavity
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: あな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 子[こ] child
乙[おつ] the second
heisig_story: Probably the one thing most children fear more than anything else is the dentist's chair. Once a child has seen a dentist holding the x-rays up to the light and heard that ominous word cavity , even though it is not likely to know that the word means "hole" until it is much older, it will not be long before those two syllables get associated with the drill and that row of shiny hooks the dentist uses to torture people who are too small to fight back.
koohii_story: The child's arms flailed around at the sight of the hooked tool the dentist was going to use to fill his cavity.

kanji: 呂
meaning: spine
ja_on: ロ、リョ
ja_kun: せぼね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: お風呂[おふろ] bath
風呂[ふろ] bath; bathing; bathtub; bathroom
風呂場[ふろば] bathroom
露天風呂[ろてんぶろ] open-air bath; rotenburo; rotemburo
風呂敷[ふろしき] furoshiki; wrapping cloth; cloth wrapper
風呂屋[ふろや] public bathhouse
heisig_story: This character is rather like a picture of two of the vertebrae in the spine linked by a single stroke.
koohii_story: Spine connects head and body.

kanji: 拷
meaning: torture
ja_on: ゴウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
考[コウ] consider
examples: 拷問[ごうもん] torture
heisig_story: Fingers . . . consider.
koohii_story: In Torture 101 class they teach you to Consider the Fingers as the first part to inflict pain to. Then you can move on to other parts (like feet, groin, head, etc. etc. , ) ).

kanji: 嬢
meaning: lass
ja_on: ジョウ
ja_kun: むすめ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
㐮 to help
examples: お嬢さん[おじょうさん] (another's) daughter
嬢[じょう] unmarried woman
令嬢[れいじょう] (your) daughter; young woman
heisig_story: Woman . . . grass skirt.
koohii_story: Conversation at a party: A: "Who is that lass?" B: "Which one?" A: "The woman wearing the grass skirt." B: "Alas, I don't know".

kanji: 渓
meaning: mountain stream
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: たに、たにがわ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
奚[ケイ] servant
examples: 渓流[けいりゅう] mountain stream; mountain torrent
渓谷[けいこく] valley (with a river running through it); gorge; ravine; canyon
雪渓[せっけい] snowy valley
heisig_story: Water . . . vulture . . . husband.
koohii_story: The Simpsons are on vacation. Homer stops to take a leak in a mountain stream but gets snatched by an eagle. Hear his scream?

kanji: 翁
meaning: venerable old man
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: おきな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 公[コウ] public
羽[はね] feather
examples: 翁[おきな] old man; venerable gentleman
heisig_story: Public . . . feathers.
koohii_story: The venerable old man is the public figure head of the Native American Village, answering all questions and solving all problems. The higher in rank you get in this tribe, the more feathers decorate you. Imagine this old man covered in beautiful feathers.

kanji: 廉
meaning: bargain
ja_on: レン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 广[まだれ] slanting roof
兼[ケン] concurrently
examples: 清廉[せいれん] honest; upright; cleanhanded; unselfish
廉価[れんか] low price; moderate price
廉売[れんばい] bargain sale
heisig_story: Cave . . . concurrently.
koohii_story: Stores don't want you to know it, but if you find the secret cave , they run bargains there concurrently to their regular prices. (Image: pulling a certain level in a store to find the " bargain cave ).

kanji: 牙
meaning: tusk
ja_on: ガ、ゲ
ja_kun: きば、は
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亅[はねぼう] vertical stroke with a hook
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
examples: 象牙[ぞうげ] ivory
heisig_story: If you play with this primitive's form with pencil and paper, you will see that it begins with a box -like shape, and ends with the final two strokes of the halberd , a convenient combination for the tusk protruding from the mouth of an animal.
koohii_story: The kanji looks like an elephant with tusk s. the box is the elephant's eye. The final stroke is the tusk.

kanji: 謹
meaning: discreet
ja_on: キン
ja_kun: つつし.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
堇
examples: 謹慎[きんしん] self restraint; moderating one's own behavior; penitence; discipline
謹賀新年[きんがしんねん] Happy New Year
heisig_story: Words . . . cabbage.
koohii_story: Muttering words of gratitude for a wonderful meal, I discreet ly slipped my cabbage under the table for the dog.

kanji: 瞳
meaning: pupil (of eye)
ja_on: ドウ、トウ
ja_kun: ひとみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
童[ドウ] juvenile
examples: 瞳[ひとみ] pupil (of the eye)
heisig_story: Begin with the double meaning of the key word pupil : "student" and the "the apple of one's eye. " Now all you have to do is dwell on the phrase " juvenile of one's eye " (the meaning here) until it provides you with an image.
koohii_story: In Japanese comics, the eye's of juvenilles all have enormouse pupil s.
heisig_keyword: pupil

kanji: 湧
meaning: boil
ja_on: ユウ、ヨウ、ユ
ja_kun: わ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
勇[ユウ] courage
examples: 湧く[わく] to well (up); to gush out (of water); to spring out; to surge
湧水[ゆうすい] welling of water; spring water; spring
heisig_story: Water . . . courage.
koohii_story: The courageous man who went into the water to save a drowning victim couldn't be seen, except by the air that bubbled up.
heisig_keyword: bubble up

kanji: 窯
meaning: kiln
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: かま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
羔[コウ] lamb
examples: 窯[かま] stove; furnace; kiln
窯元[かまもと] pottery (i.e. the place)
窯業[ようぎょう] ceramics; ceramic industry
heisig_story: Hole . . . sheep . . . oven fire.
koohii_story: Be sure to put a hole in that ceramic sheep before you put it over the fire. Otherwise, it'll just explode in the kiln. (If you've never done ceramics before, it's important that the object have a hole in it, or this really will happen.).

kanji: 褒
meaning: praise
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: ほ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
保[ホ] protect
examples: 褒める[ほめる] to praise; to commend; to compliment; to speak well of; to speak highly of
ご褒美[ごほうび] reward; prize
褒美[ほうび] reward; prize
褒賞[ほうしょう] prize; award; reward
heisig_story: Top hat and scarf . . . protect. Note that the "tree" in protect becomes a wooden pole here.
koohii_story: Mr. T is praise d for his protecting of the trees by being given a top hat and scarf which he wears over his mohawk and chains, respectively.

kanji: 醜
meaning: ugly
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: みにく.い、しこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
鬼[おに] demon
examples: 醜い[みにくい] ugly; unattractive; bad-looking
醜態[しゅうたい] disgraceful behavior; disgraceful behaviour; shameful conduct; shameful sight
醜悪[しゅうあく] ugly; unsightly; hideous; mean; repulsive; disgraceful
醜女[しゅうじょ] ugly woman; unattractive woman
醜聞[しゅうぶん] scandal
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . ghost.
koohii_story: The ugly oni can't get a date so he drinks sake by himself at the bar.

kanji: 升
meaning: measuring box
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: ます
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 升[ます] measuring container; measuring box; measure
heisig_story: This is the character for the little wooden box that the Japanese use for measuring things, as well as for drinking saké out of. Simply imagine the outside as spiked with a thousand sharp needles , and the quaint little measuring box becomes a drinker's nightmare! Be very careful when you write this character not to confuse it with the writing of thousand. The reason for the difference gives us a chance to clarify another general principle of writing that supersedes the one we mentioned in frame 4: when a single stroke runs vertically through the middle of a character, it is written last.
koohii_story: It is a thousand or ten? I need my measuring box.

kanji: 殉
meaning: martyrdom
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 歹[がつ] death & dying
旬[ジュン] decameron
examples: 殉職[じゅんしょく] dying at one's post; being killed in the line of duty
殉難[じゅんなん] martyrdom
heisig_story: Bones . . . decameron.
koohii_story: Think of the early Christian martyrs who suffered martyrdom because of their faith. See them held in cells for 10 days (a decameron) before being fed to the lions. They appear before the chanting Roman crowds as bones to be devoured. Think of what was leftover after the lions finished them off….nothing, not even a pile of bones to bury.

kanji: 煩
meaning: anxiety
ja_on: ハン、ボン
ja_kun: わずら.う、わずら.わす、うるさ.がる、うるさ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 火[ひ] fire
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 煩わしい[わずらわしい] troublesome; annoying; complicated
煩悩[ぼんのう] worldly desires; evil passions; appetites of the flesh
煩い[うるさい] noisy; loud
煩う[わずらう] to worry (about); to be concerned (about)
煩雑[はんざつ] complex; intricate; complicated; confused; troublesome; vexatious; cumbersome
heisig_story: The existential condition of anxiety that arises from the inevitable frustration of our worldly passions is contained in this character. The head is set afire , causing deep torment of spirit (and a whopper of a headache).
koohii_story: An anxiety feels like FIRE in the HEAD.

kanji: 枕
meaning: pillow
ja_on: チン、シン
ja_kun: まくら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
冘[イン] to move on
examples: 枕[まくら] pillow; bolster
heisig_story: Tree . . . crown tied around leg of person.
koohii_story: The guy who was thrown into the river to sink was given one last request. "If I'm gonna be sleeping with the fishes," he said, "can I at least have a pillow? I'm real sensitive." The mafia bosses laughed. "Look, my doctor said I can only use wooden pillow s, I have a real serious condition. Can I at least die comfortable-like?" The mafia dudes said fine, and let him have his pillow. They tossed him the river and drove off…and after a minute, he bobbed to the top, thanks to his floating wood pillow.

kanji: 劾
meaning: censure
ja_on: ガイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亥[ガイ] sign of the hog
力[ちから] power
examples: 弾劾[だんがい] impeachment
heisig_story: Acorn . . . muscle.
koohii_story: Acorn Power is the people's way to CENSURE a congressman you don't agree with. Pelt your Senator with acorns today.

kanji: 堕
meaning: degenerate
ja_on: ダ
ja_kun: お.ちる、くず.す、くず.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 陏[ダ] melon
土[つち] earth
examples: 堕落[だらく] depravity; corruption; degradation
堕胎[だたい] abortion; feticide
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . possess . . . ground.
koohii_story: Any attempt to possess the pinnacle will degenerate into a land (" ground ") war.

kanji: 丼
meaning: bowl
ja_on: トン、タン、ショウ、セイ
ja_kun: どんぶり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 井[セイ] well
丶[てん] dot
examples: 丼[どんぶり] porcelain bowl
牛丼[ぎゅうどん] gyudon
heisig_story: Donburi is a bowl of rice with eel or meat on it. The character is a pictograph, perhaps designed by someone who felt that the portion of meat he was served with his bowl of rice looked to be no more than a tiny drop in the well.
koohii_story: A little one is eating a domburi while standing over, looking down into, a WELL. He drops it, and it falls down & down until it looks like nothing more than a DROP, landing at the bottom of the well!
heisig_keyword: donburi

kanji: 租
meaning: tariff
ja_on: ソ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
且[ショ] moreover
examples: 租界[そかい] (foreign) concession (in China); settlement
租税[そぜい] taxes; taxation
heisig_story: Wheat . . . shelf.
koohii_story: The EU and US impose such high tariff s on food imports that third world wheat (the most basic of staples) never reaches first world supermarket shelves.

kanji: 桟
meaning: scaffold
ja_on: サン、セン
ja_kun: かけはし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
戋
examples: 桟橋[さんばし] wharf; bridge; jetty; pier
heisig_story: Prior to the use of metal, trees were once cut down and bound together for use as scaffolding material. In the case of this kanji, what is being constructed is not a skyscraper but a simple float.
koohii_story: Japanese festival floats are often so tall they need wood scaffolds to be completed. ().

kanji: 惧
meaning: fear
ja_on: ク、グ
ja_kun: おそ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
具[グ] tool
examples: 危惧[きぐ] apprehension; misgivings; uneasiness; fear; anxiety
heisig_story: State of mind . . . tool.
koohii_story: When sitting through laser eye surgery, the surgeon stretches open your eye with a tight-fitting tool. The thought of a laser cutting through the lens of your eye within moments, and possibly blinding you in the case of a mishap, makes for a very disquieting state of mind.
heisig_keyword: disquieting

kanji: 婿
meaning: bridegroom
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: むこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
胥[ショ] together
examples: 婿[むこ] husband; groom
娘婿[むすめむこ] son-in-law
花婿[はなむこ] bridegroom
heisig_story: What makes a man a bridegroom is obviously a woman and her dowry, here presented as a small zoo (animals were often used for this purpose in earlier societies) and a month away from it all (the "honey moon ").
koohii_story: The virgin bridegroom tries to understand the new, mysterious part of his woman's body \- but with little success. It's a zoo down there! (primitives placement: the part of the body is 'down there' - the woman is 'left' unsatisfied).

kanji: 慕
meaning: pining
ja_on: ボ
ja_kun: した.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 莫[バク] must not
心[こころ] heart
examples: 慕う[したう] to yearn for; to long for; to pine for; to miss; to love dearly; to adore
思慕[しぼ] yearning; longing for; deep affection
heisig_story: Graveyard . . . valentine. Note carefully the stroke order of the valentine primitive.
koohii_story: Pining , yearn for… etc. Presumably for lost love. An easy one here, someone standing in the graveyard , placing an old valentine card amonst all the existing tributes.

kanji: 罷
meaning: quit
ja_on: ヒ
ja_kun: まか.り-、や.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
能[ノウ] ability
examples: 罷免[ひめん] dismissal (from a position); discharge
koohii_story: Hey, screw you! Don't you look down on me! I have the ability to quit anytime I want!

kanji: 矯
meaning: rectify
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: た.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 矢[や] arrow
喬[キョウ] high
examples: 矯正[きょうせい] correction (of a fault, defect, flaw, etc.); remedy; rectification; redress; ref
heisig_story: Dart . . . angel. Compare your stories for correct (Frame 405), revise (Frame 362), and reformation (Frame 567).
koohii_story: Angels have now been given a powerful tool to rectify human behavior instantly, without delay - they have been allowed to drop darts on those who misbehave… spare the dart and spoil the man…

kanji: 某
meaning: so-and-so
ja_on: ボウ
ja_kun: それがし、なにがし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 甘[あまい] sweet
木[き] tree
examples: 某[ぼう] certain; one
heisig_story: The key word here refers to the adjective for an unspecified person or thing. Its elements: wicker basket . . . tree.
koohii_story: I had the same idea as fuabrisu. A generic person is described here as having body sort of like a tree trunk and head sort of like a wicker basket.

kanji: 囚
meaning: captured
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: とら.われる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 囗[くにがまえ] border
人[ひと] person
examples: 囚われる[とらわれる] to be caught; to be captured; to be taken prisoner; to be arrested; to be appreh
囚人[しゅうじん] prisoner; convict
死刑囚[しけいしゅう] criminal condemned to death; convict on death row
heisig_story: Person . . . pent in.
koohii_story: A person pent in is obviously captured. Imagine a man put inside a wooden box, his evil capturers waiting for ransom money.

kanji: 虹
meaning: rainbow
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: にじ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虫[むし] worm
工[たくみ] work
examples: 虹[にじ] rainbow
heisig_story: Insect . . . craft.
koohii_story: Little is it known that a rainbow is actually created by insects of different colours flying in formation, a craft they have perfected to create the rainbow s we see today.

kanji: 泌
meaning: ooze
ja_on: ヒツ、ヒ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
必[ヒツ] invariably
examples: 分泌[ぶんぴ] secretion
泌尿器[ひにょうき] urinary organs
heisig_story: Water . . . the invariably divided heart.
koohii_story: Anything full of water will invariably begin to ooze.

kanji: 漸
meaning: steadily
ja_on: ゼン
ja_kun: ようや.く、やや、ようよ.う、すす.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
斬[ザン] beheading
examples: 漸次[ぜんじ] gradually; slowly; little by little; incrementally
漸減[ぜんげん] gradual decrease; decline
漸進[ぜんしん] gradual progress; steady advance
heisig_story: Water . . . chop off.
koohii_story: I imagine firemen working steadily to rescue a man from a crashed car. First, they spray it with water , then, they use an axe to break through the window.

kanji: 膳
meaning: small low table
ja_on: ゼン、セン
ja_kun: かしわ、すす.める、そな.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
善[ゼン] virtuous
examples: 膳[ぜん] small dining table (usu. for a single person); serving tray (with legs)
heisig_story: Flesh . . . virtuous.
koohii_story: The virtuous vegan will not touch this dining tray because it has had a piece of meat on it.
heisig_keyword: dining tray

kanji: 蚊
meaning: mosquito
ja_on: ブン
ja_kun: か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虫[むし] worm
文[ぶん] literature
examples: 蚊[か] mosquito
蚊帳[かや] mosquito net
heisig_story: Insect . . . plaid.
koohii_story: The mosquito (an insect ) knows only one sentence : Bzzzzz.

kanji: 厄
meaning: unlucky
ja_on: ヤク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 厂[がんだれ] cliff
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 厄介[やっかい] trouble; burden; nuisance; bother; worry
厄[やく] misfortune; bad luck; evil; disaster
厄年[やくどし] unlucky year; critical year
heisig_story: Cliff . . . fingerprint.
koohii_story: Seeing some finger prints at the edge of a cliff, I wondered who that unlucky person was.

kanji: 藻
meaning: seaweed
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: も
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
澡[ソウ] wash
examples: 海藻[かいそう] seaweed
藻[も] algae; waterweed; seaweed; duckweed
藻類[そうるい] seaweeds; algae; waterweeds
koohii_story: Let wood en goods = furniture. Then: Walking along the sea shore you see some washed-up furniture with water (waves) splashing against it. From a distance it looks like flowers are growing out the top, but as you get closer you see it is in fact seaweed.

kanji: 嫡
meaning: legitimate wife
ja_on: チャク、テキ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
啇[テキ] the stalk
examples: 嫡出[ちゃくしゅつ] legitimate birth
嫡子[ちゃくし] heir
heisig_story: The phrase legitimate wife would have no meaning if there were not such things as "illegitimate wives," taken because one's legal woman has turned into an antique. The very offense of the idea should help you remember the kanji.
koohii_story: Legitmate wifes tend to be women who are antiques in contrast to the young bit of illigitmate fluff on the side.

kanji: 呪
meaning: spell
ja_on: ジュ、シュ、シュウ、ズ
ja_kun: まじな.う、のろ.い、まじな.い、のろ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
兄[ケイ] elder brother
examples: 呪い[のろい] curse; spell; malediction
呪う[のろう] to curse; to put a curse on; to detest intensely
heisig_story: For some reason, the inventor of this kanji associated a curse with the mouth of an older brother. I leave it to you to decide if he is on the giving or receiving end of the sorcery.
koohii_story: Caution: this means a spell, not to swear. I put a curse on my elder brother so that he can never open his mouth.
heisig_keyword: curse

kanji: 斬
meaning: beheading
ja_on: ザン、サン、セン、ゼン
ja_kun: き.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 車[くるま] vehicle
斤[おのづくり] axe
examples: 斬る[きる] to kill (a human) using a blade (sword, machete, knife, etc.); to slice (off); t
斬新[ざんしん] novel; original; new; innovative
heisig_story: Car . . . ax.
koohii_story: I wanted a convertible so I chopped off the top of my car with an axe.
heisig_keyword: chop off

kanji: 怨
meaning: grudge
ja_on: エン、オン、ウン
ja_kun: うら.む、うらみ、うら.めしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 夗
心[こころ] heart
heisig_story: Mailbox . . . heart.
koohii_story: I couldn't drop my grudge against him. So I put a severed pig's heart in his mailbox. He got the message.

kanji: 串
meaning: spit
ja_on: カン、ケン、セン
ja_kun: くし、つらぬ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
中[チュウ] in
heisig_story: This pictograph of two pieces of meat on a skewer, a shish kebab , will help us in the next frame.
koohii_story: This is a pictograph if ever I saw one. Two chunks of meat on a skewer.
heisig_keyword: shish kebab

kanji: 嚇
meaning: menacing
ja_on: カク
ja_kun: おど.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
赫[カク] suddenly
examples: 威嚇[いかく] threat; intimidation; menace
koohii_story: To upbraid someone, you criticize them in a menacing way. In other words, you jaw at them with your MOUTH until both sides of their face turn RED (hence the double-red).
heisig_keyword: upbraid

kanji: 凸
meaning: convex
ja_on: トツ
ja_kun: でこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 凹凸[おうとつ] unevenness; bumpiness; roughness; ruggedness
凸凹[でこぼこ] unevenness; roughness; ruggedness; bumpiness
凸版[とっぱん] letterpress; relief printing
凸版印刷[とっぱんいんさつ] letterpress; relief printing
heisig_story: Maybe this helps you see how the Japanese have no trouble keeping convex distinct from concave. Note the odd feeling of the third stroke. If it doesn't feel all that strange now, by the time you are done with this book, it will. There are very few times you will have to write it.
koohii_story: When I get vex ed, I give people the middle finger.

kanji: 腫
meaning: tumor
ja_on: シュ、ショウ
ja_kun: は.れる、は.れ、は.らす、はれもの
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
重[ジュウ] heavy
examples: 腫れる[はれる] to swell (from inflammation); to become swollen
腫瘍[しゅよう] tumor; tumour; neoplasm; neoplasia
heisig_story: Flesh . . . heavy.
koohii_story: A tumor is a useless body part that is nothing but heavy.

kanji: 韻
meaning: rhyme
ja_on: イン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 音[おと] sound
員[イン] employee
examples: 余韻[よいん] reverberation; swelling (of a hymn); trailing note
韻[いん] rhyme
韻律[いんりつ] metre (of a poem); meter; rhythm
heisig_story: Poetry restricted to verses that rhyme often finds it has to abandon clarity of thought in order to make the rhyme of the words work. In this kanji's picture, one becomes a kind of " sound-employee. "
koohii_story: What is a RHYME but some SOUND that EMPLOYEES say to get them through work.

kanji: 霜
meaning: frost
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: しも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 雨[あめ] rain
相[ソウ] inter-
examples: 霜[しも] frost
霜降り[しもふり] speckled with white; salt-and-pepper (pattern, fabric, etc.)
heisig_story: Think of frost as a cooperative venture, an inter -action of the malevolent forces of weather that sit around a conference table and finally decide to allow a very light amount of moisture to fall just before a short and sudden freeze.
koohii_story: FROST is kind of an inter - weather , phenomenon, something between rain, snow and freezing temp’s.

kanji: 餅
meaning: mochi rice cake
ja_on: ヘイ、ヒョウ
ja_kun: もち、もちい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 并[ヘイ] put together
examples: 餅[もち] mochi
煎餅[せんべい] (Japanese) rice cracker; senbei
heisig_story: Mochi is the glutinous rice the Japanese pound into cakes. Its primitives are: food . . . puzzle.
koohii_story: Call your friend and he answers the phone "Mochi, mochi!" whatever he is eating sure is making it hard to understand. I will puzzle over the content of our conversation for some time to come.
heisig_keyword: mochi

kanji: 硝
meaning: nitrate
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 石[いし] stone
肖[ショウ] resemblance
examples: 硝煙[しょうえん] gunpowder smoke
硝酸[しょうさん] nitric acid
heisig_story: The word nitrate should immediately suggest a beaker of nitric acid, which, as every high-school chemistry student knows, can eat its way through some pretty tough substances. Here we imagine pouring it over a rock and watching the sparks fly as it bores a hole through the rock.
koohii_story: That stone has sparks coming out of it! Someone must have poured nitrate acid on it.

kanji: 箸
meaning: chopsticks
ja_on: チョ、チャク
ja_kun: はし
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
者[シャ] someone
examples: 箸[はし] chopsticks
割り箸[わりばし] dispensable chopsticks; throwaway chopsticks
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . puppet.
koohii_story: I've always wanted to use bamboo chopsticks to eat sushi off a naked woman. Unfortunately, there is no woman in my life, so this love doll will have to do.

kanji: 勅
meaning: imperial order
ja_on: チョク
ja_kun: いまし.める、みことのり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 束[ソク] bundle
力[ちから] power
heisig_story: In order to keep this character distinct from that for an imperial edict (Frame 366), we must draw again on a pun. Think of the order here as a mail order or an order of pizza phoned in by the Emperor for delivery to the imperial palace. Then it will not be hard to put together bundle and muscle to form a story about an imperial order.
koohii_story: This is an imperial order for pizza. To deliver the huge bundle of pizzas to the emperor, the pizza boy needs huge muscles.

kanji: 棺
meaning: coffin
ja_on: カン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
官[カン] bureaucrat
examples: 棺[かん] coffin; casket
石棺[せっかん] sarcophagus; stone coffin
heisig_story: Wood . . . bureaucrat.
koohii_story: An excellent use of wood is to make coffin s for bureaucrat s.

kanji: 儒
meaning: Confucian
ja_on: ジュ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
需[ジュ] demand
examples: 儒学[じゅがく] Confucianism
儒教[じゅきょう] Confucianism
heisig_story: Person . . . demand.
koohii_story: No more Confucian jibba-jabba! I demand you tell me why it's raining combs!".

kanji: 斑
meaning: spot
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: ふ、まだら
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
文[ぶん] literature
examples: 斑[むら] unevenness (of colour, paint, etc.); irregularity; nonuniformity; blotchiness
heisig_story: Ball . . . plaid . . . ball.
koohii_story: Two kings, kilt: After an hour in the onsen, the two scottish kings , both heavily speckled like the scottish are wont to, decide to get out. However, in the mean time one of their kilts was stolen and only one was left.
heisig_keyword: speckled

kanji: 摯
meaning: gift
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: いた.る、つか.む、にえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 執[シツ] tenacious
手[て] hand
examples: 真摯[しんし] sincere; earnest; serious
heisig_story: Of the many and widely different meanings of this kanji, we select the verbal meaning of clasp , which fits in well with its primitive elements: tenacious . . . hand.
koohii_story: Tenaciously clasping something with your hand.
heisig_keyword: clasp

kanji: 愁
meaning: distress
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: うれ.える、うれ.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 秋[シュウ] autumn
心[こころ] heart
examples: 郷愁[きょうしゅう] nostalgia; homesickness
哀愁[あいしゅう] pathos; sorrow; grief
heisig_story: Autumn . . . heart.
koohii_story: In AUTUMN, the farmer's HEART is in DISTRESS as to if he has enough crops. Even better, the farmer will experience great DISTRESS in his HEART if his WHEAT catches FIRE!

kanji: 楼
meaning: watchtower
ja_on: ロウ
ja_kun: たかどの
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
娄[ル] surname
examples: 摩天楼[まてんろう] skyscraper
楼閣[ろうかく] multistoried building; castle; palace; shrine
鐘楼[しょうろう] belfry; bell tower
heisig_story: Tree . . . rice . . . woman.
koohii_story: The young taskmaster (see [number](../v4/929.html) (#929 数)) uses a tree as a watchtower to get a better view of his rice -carrying women. "I can seeeee you! One! Two! Three!".

kanji: 眉
meaning: eyebrow
ja_on: ビ、ミ
ja_kun: まゆ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
目[め] eye
examples: 眉[まゆ] eyebrow; eyebrows
眉毛[まゆげ] eyebrow
heisig_story: The flag here has an extra vertical stroke in it. Think of it as an eyebrow pencil stuck in the eye.
koohii_story: The eyebrow s hover over the eyes like a divided flag.

kanji: 薪
meaning: fuel
ja_on: シン
ja_kun: たきぎ、まき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
新[シン] new
examples: 薪[まき] piece(s) of firewood (esp. chopped or split from logs)
薪炭[しんたん] wood and charcoal; fuel
heisig_story: Flowers . . . new.
koohii_story: If your firewood is too new and still has flowers on it, it's unsuitable for burning. You need drier wood.
heisig_keyword: firewood

kanji: 堆
meaning: piled high
ja_on: タイ、ツイ
ja_kun: うずたか.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
隹[ふるとり] small bird
examples: 堆積[たいせき] accumulation; pile; heap
堆肥[たいひ] compost; manure
heisig_story: Soil . . . turkey.
koohii_story: After our pre-Thanksgiving massacre, we piled high all the turkey corpses atop the soil of the farmyard.

kanji: 褐
meaning: brown
ja_on: カツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
曷[カツ] why
examples: 褐色[かっしょく] dark brown; colour of tanned skin
茶褐色[ちゃかっしょく] dark reddish-brown; liver color
heisig_story: The color of the serape or cloak of our muchacho on siesta is a dull brown , the color this kanji indicates.
koohii_story: Why is my package late? Imagine a UPS driver dressed in BROWN garments taking a siesta. What can BROWN do for you?

kanji: 賜
meaning: grant
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: たまわ.る、たま.う、たも.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
易[エキ] easy
examples: 恩賜[おんし] Imperial gift
賜杯[しはい] Emperor's cup; trophy given by the Emperor
heisig_story: Shells . . . easy.
koohii_story: A grant is easy money.

kanji: 繕
meaning: darning
ja_on: ゼン
ja_kun: つくろ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
善[ゼン] virtuous
examples: 修繕[しゅうぜん] repair; mending
繕う[つくろう] to mend; to patch up; to repair; to fix; to darn
営繕[えいぜん] maintenance and repair; upkeep (of equipment)
heisig_story: Thread . . . virtuous.
koohii_story: After a day being virtuouos and keeping the city safe, Spiderman 's outfit is in need of some repair. Luckily, as he can shoot out threads darning is very easy for him to do.

kanji: 栓
meaning: plug
ja_on: セン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
全[ゼン] whole
examples: 栓[せん] stopper; cork; plug; bung
栓抜き[せんぬき] bottle opener; corkscrew
heisig_story: Here we think of plug in the sense of a cork or stopper used to seal the mouth of a bottle, water faucet, or something with liquid running out of it. Forgetting the abstract picture of the former frame, let us work with all the primitive units: tree . . . umbrella . . . ball. Imagine a tree with a faucet in the side out of which tennis balls are flowing, bouncing all over the ground by the hundreds. You fight your way up to it and shove your giant beach umbrella into the tree to plug it up.
koohii_story: The fat king under his umbrella offers useless advice to the workers. "You'll need the whole tree to plug that gap". Imagine a grossly fat, incompetent king under a parasol giving annoying advice to sweating workers who know what they're doing. (I always have trouble bringing up the "whole" primitive. This story reminds me how to build that part. ).

kanji: 芯
meaning: wick
ja_on: シン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
心[こころ] heart
examples: 芯[しん] wick; marrow; staple (for stapler); (pencil) lead; stuffing; pith
heisig_story: Flowers . . . heart.
koohii_story: Giving a girl flowers is like lighting the wick to her heart.

kanji: 蜜
meaning: honey
ja_on: ミツ、ビツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宓[ミチ] quiet
虫[むし] worm
examples: 蜜[みつ] nectar
蜜柑[みかん] mandarin (esp. the satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu)); mandarin orange; tangerine
蜂蜜[はちみつ] honey
heisig_story: House . . . invariably . . . insect.
koohii_story: When I think of honey , I think of a bee hive, which is a HOUSE that INVARIABLY has INSECTS.

kanji: 凹
meaning: concave
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: くぼ.む、へこ.む、ぼこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 凵[かんにょう] container
examples: 凹む[へこむ] to be dented; to be indented; to yield; to give; to sink; to collapse; to cave i
凹凸[おうとつ] unevenness; bumpiness; roughness; ruggedness
凸凹[でこぼこ] unevenness; roughness; ruggedness; bumpiness
heisig_story: You couldn't have asked for a better key word for this kanji! Just have a look at it: a perfect image of a concave lens (remembering, of course, that the kanji square off rounded things), complete with its own little "cave." Now all you have to do is learn how to write it.
koohii_story: The letter "U" is concave ly written.

kanji: 艶
meaning: glossy
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: つや、なま.めかしい、あで.やか、つや.めく、なま.めく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豊[ホウ] bountiful
色[いろ] color
examples: 艶[つや] gloss; luster; lustre; shine; sheen; polish
艶々[つやつや] glossy; bright; slick
heisig_story: Bountiful . . . color.
koohii_story: To print something with bountiful colour, they use glossy paper.

kanji: 伺
meaning: pay respects
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: うかが.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
司[シ] director
examples: 伺う[うかがう] to call on someone; to call at a place; to pay a visit; to wait on someone
進退伺い[しんたいうかがい] informal resignation; unofficial resignation
heisig_story: This honorific form of call on (Frame 534) is made up of: person . . . director.
koohii_story: Mr. T is the director. You better pay respects to him!

kanji: 股
meaning: thigh
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: また、もも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 股[また] groin; thigh; crotch; crutch
heisig_story: Flesh . . . missile.
koohii_story: Where's my flesh missile? Between my thighs , naturally…

kanji: 匂
meaning: fragrant
ja_kun: にお.う、にお.い、にお.わせる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
匕[さじ] spoon
examples: 匂い[におい] smell; scent; odour; odor; stench
匂う[におう] to be fragrant; to smell (good)
heisig_story: You will have to imagine "capturing" a favorite aroma by having it gagged and bound up in a spoon.
koohii_story: The BOUND UP SITTING MAN is going crazy because he can smell the aroma of fresh cinnamon buns, but can't get out of the ropes.
heisig_keyword: aroma

kanji: 玩
meaning: play
ja_on: ガン
ja_kun: もちあそ.ぶ、もてあそ.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
元[ゲン] beginning
examples: 玩具[おもちゃ] toy
heisig_story: If, at some aboriginal level, Toys Я Us, then the archetypal ball must have been there at the beginning , before evolving into beach balls, ping- pong balls, rugby balls, and marbles.
koohii_story: The ball was the only thing that people at the beginning of time had to use as a toy. Poor cavemen.
heisig_keyword: toy

kanji: 錬
meaning: tempering
ja_on: レン
ja_kun: ね.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
東[トウ] east
examples: 鍛錬[たんれん] tempering (metal); annealing; forging
錬金術[れんきんじゅつ] alchemy
錬金術師[れんきんじゅつし] alchemist
koohii_story: Tempering should be done with the metal facing east. (If not, the metal may pick up the earth's magnetic field).

kanji: 蜂
meaning: bee
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: はち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虫[むし] worm
夆[ホウ] resist
examples: 蜂[はち] bee; wasp; hornet
蜂蜜[はちみつ] honey
heisig_story: Insect . . . walking legs . . . bushes.
koohii_story: A bee is an insect with a pointy (see [summit](../v4/1562.html) (#1562 峰)) stinger.

kanji: 衷
meaning: inmost
ja_on: チュウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衣[ころも] clothing
口[くち] mouth
丨[たてぼう] vertical stroke
examples: 折衷[せっちゅう] compromise; cross; blending; eclecticism
和洋折衷[わようせっちゅう] blending of Japanese and Western styles
衷心[ちゅうしん] innermost feelings
heisig_story: Between the top hat and the scarf you will see the character for in which is truncated at the bottom so as not to interfere with the scarf. You can think of this character forming as a pair with that of the former frame: there the in (the walking stick in the mouth ) was set on its side, here it is set upright.
koohii_story: The guy from [pathetic](../v4/401.html) (#401 哀) shared his inmost feelings with a girl and she rammed a walking stick down his throat. It ruptured his inmost organs.

kanji: 逐
meaning: pursue
ja_on: チク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豕[いのこ] pig
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 駆逐[くちく] expulsion; driving out; driving away; extermination
逐一[ちくいち] one by one; in detail; minutely
放逐[ほうちく] expulsion; ousting; ejection; dismissal; banishment
逐次[ちくじ] successively; one after another; sequentially; one by one
駆逐艦[くちくかん] destroyer (ship)
heisig_story: Sows . . . road.
koohii_story: In association with [consummate](../v4/540.html) (#540 遂), our sow is on the road pursuing a mate.

kanji: 斥
meaning: reject
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: しりぞ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斤[おのづくり] axe
丶[てん] dot
examples: 排斥[はいせき] rejection; expulsion; boycott; ostracism
heisig_story: Ax . . . a drop of.
koohii_story: The kids at school used to reject me.. Made me feel really bad till I brought my axe to school. See the drop of blood on it?

kanji: 詔
meaning: imperial edict
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: みことのり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
召[ショウ] seduce
examples: 詔[みことのり] imperial decree; imperial edict
詔書[しょうしょ] imperial edict; decree
heisig_story: The imperial edict , spoken with the force of unquestionable law, is made up of words intended to seduce the masses - be it through fear or respect - to follow obediently.
koohii_story: The mnemonic "words to seduce the masses" was just too vague and I kept forgetting it. So now instead I picture a seductive female reading aloud the imperial edict to the masses, thus "seducing" the masses.

kanji: 椅
meaning: chair
ja_on: イ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
奇[キ] strange
examples: 椅子[いす] chair; seat; stool; bench
車椅子[くるまいす] wheelchair
heisig_story: Instead of making a chair out of wood from a tree , this kanji has us making the whole tree into a chair , which looks most strange sitting in your living room where the sofa used to be.
koohii_story: To the Japanese, the first time they saw a chair , it looked like a strange use of wood! Probably why they still like to sit on the floor…

kanji: 挨
meaning: approach
ja_on: アイ
ja_kun: ひら.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
矣[イ] sentence particle
examples: 挨拶[あいさつ] greeting; greetings; salutation; salute
heisig_story: Fingers . . . elbow . . . dart.
koohii_story: In the busy pub, one of the dart players shove d his dart into my elbow by accident when it nearly slipped out of his fingers.
heisig_keyword: shove

kanji: 憧
meaning: yearn after
ja_on: ショウ、トウ、ドウ
ja_kun: あこが.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
童[ドウ] juvenile
examples: 憧れる[あこがれる] to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after; to be attracted by; to be drawn to;
憧れ[あこがれ] yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration
憧れの的[あこがれのまと] object of adoration, longing
heisig_story: Think of the state of mind you were in as a child with a particularly juvenile yearning.
koohii_story: A paedophile's state of mind is to yearn for juveniles.
heisig_keyword: yearn

kanji: 宵
meaning: wee hours
ja_on: ショウ
ja_kun: よい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
肖[ショウ] resemblance
examples: 今宵[こよい] this evening; tonight
宵[よい] evening; early night hours
heisig_story: As the key word hints, the kanji in this frame refers to the late evening or early morning hours, well after one should be in bed asleep. It does this by picturing a house with a candle in it. The reason is obvious: whoever is living there is "burning the candle at both ends, " and working night after night into the wee hours.
koohii_story: I burn the CANDLE in my HOUSE until the WEE HOURS reviewing the kanji!!!

kanji: 妄
meaning: delusion
ja_on: モウ、ボウ
ja_kun: みだ.りに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亡[ボウ] deceased
女[おんな] woman
examples: 妄想[もうそう] delusion; wild idea; (wild) fancy; (ridiculous) fantasy
heisig_story: The "ideal woman " one daydreams about is no more than a delusion. Hence, perish the thought of her.
koohii_story: I had a problem with remembering that "deceased" went over the "woman". So, here's my story: The delusion al woman was carrying her deceased husband on her back.

kanji: 酌
meaning: bar-tending
ja_on: シャク
ja_kun: く.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
勺[シャク] ladle
examples: 媒酌[ばいしゃく] matchmaking; acting as a go-between
晩酌[ばんしゃく] drink at home with one's evening meal; dinner-time drink
heisig_story: Whiskey bottle . . . ladle.
koohii_story: At the local pub, their bartending practises are unusual. They serve the whiskey by pouring it from a ladle , like one would from the punch bowl.
heisig_keyword: bartending

kanji: 餌
meaning: food
ja_on: ジ、ニ
ja_kun: え、えば、えさ、もち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 耳[みみ] ear
examples: 餌[えさ] (animal) feed; fodder; pet food
heisig_story: Food . . . ear. The sense of the key word here is that of bait or feed for animals.
koohii_story: Food made of ears is animal feed.
heisig_keyword: feed

kanji: 頒
meaning: distribute
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: わ.かつ、わ.ける
grade: Junior High
radicals: 分[ブン] part
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 頒布[はんぷ] distribution; circulation
heisig_story: Part . . . head.
koohii_story: The PART of my HEAD where I remember the KANJI is in the kanji PARTITION.
heisig_keyword: partition

kanji: 肢
meaning: limb
ja_on: シ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 選択肢[せんたくし] choices; alternatives; options
四肢[しし] the (four) limbs; arms and legs
肢体[したい] limbs; arms and legs; body
下肢[かし] lower limbs; legs
heisig_story: Part of the body . . . branch.
koohii_story: The limb s that this kanji represents are parts of the body that are connected to the trunk, like the main branches to a tree (“arms and legs” is the second meaning of this kanji). In other words, limb s are " flesh branches ".

kanji: 謄
meaning: mimeograph
ja_on: トウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 朕[チン] majestic plural
言[げん] words
examples: 戸籍謄本[こせきとうほん] official copy of the family register
謄本[とうほん] certified copy; transcript
heisig_story: Moon . . . quarter . . . words.
koohii_story: Sending a facsimile to the moon can be problematic only a quarter of the words actually get there.
heisig_keyword: facsimilie

kanji: 脊
meaning: stature
ja_on: セキ
ja_kun: せ、せい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 人[ひと] person
二[に] two
月[つき] moon
examples: 脊髄[せきずい] spinal cord
heisig_story: The spinal column has sprouted out of the flesh of your back into an umbrella that you always have with you, rain or shine. The pair of 2s on each side are the "ribs" of the umbrella. Take care to keep your image of the key word distinct from that for spine (Frame 24).
koohii_story: "Look", says the teacher in biology class. "The spinal column holds your flesh together, just like the metal rod of this umbrella (he demonstrates this with an umbrella covered in I-Ching symbols) holds the umbrella together".
heisig_keyword: spinal column

kanji: 嗣
meaning: heir
ja_on: シ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
冊[サツ] tome
司[シ] director
heisig_story: Mouth . . . scrapbook . . . director.
koohii_story: The director 's mouth dropped open as he flipped through the scrapbook of properties he was about to become heir to.

kanji: 凄
meaning: uncanny
ja_on: セイ、サイ
ja_kun: さむ.い、すご.い、すさ.まじい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
妻[サイ] wife
examples: 凄い[すごい] terrible; dreadful
凄まじい[すさまじい] terrible; dreadful; awful; horrible; ghastly
物凄い[ものすごい] terrific; staggering; tremendous; incredible; extreme
heisig_story: Ice . . . wife.
koohii_story: Sugoi! Sugoi! Ice Wife Sugoi!
heisig_keyword: nifty

kanji: 嫉
meaning: jealous
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: そね.む、ねた.む、にく.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
疾[シツ] rapidly
examples: 嫉妬[しっと] jealousy; envy
heisig_story: Woman . . . rapidly.
koohii_story: If you go through women rapidly you will be the object of envy.
heisig_keyword: envy

kanji: 膝
meaning: knee
ja_on: シツ
ja_kun: ひざ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
木[き] tree
氺[したみず] water
examples: 膝[ひざ] knee
heisig_story: Flesh . . . tree . . . umbrella . . . rice grains.
koohii_story: Before [lacquer](../v4/932.html) (#932 漆) was made with water, it was made by draining this body part of fluid: the knee!

kanji: 恣
meaning: selfish
ja_on: シ
ja_kun: ほしいまま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 次[ジ] next
心[こころ] heart
heisig_story: Second . . . heart.
koohii_story: Selfish lover breaks your heart and moves on to the next lover. (And yawns with a heart of ice at your suffering).

kanji: 畝
meaning: furrow
ja_on: ボウ、ホ、モ、ム
ja_kun: せ、うね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亩
久[キュウ] long time
examples: 畝[うね] ridge (in field); row of raised earth when planting crops
heisig_story: Think of the three kinds of furrows shown here in this character - a top hat's rim, a rice field's ridges, and the wrinkles that show you've been around a long time.
koohii_story: Using a TOP HAT to make FURROW S in the RICE FIELD takes a LONG TIME!

kanji: 抄
meaning: extract
ja_on: ショウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
少[ショウ] few
examples: 抄本[しょうほん] excerpt; abridgment; abridgement; book of selections
抄録[しょうろく] quotation; abstract; selection; summary
heisig_story: Fingers . . . a few.
koohii_story: You can extract her juices by inserting a few fingers.

kanji: 麺
meaning: noodles
ja_on: メン、ベン
ja_kun: むぎこ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 麦[むぎ] wheat
面[めん] face
examples: 麺[めん] noodles
heisig_story: Barley . . . mask.
koohii_story: There is a certain restaurant in West-Shinjuku that serves its noodles made of BARLEY in a MASK instead of a plate. I love these theme-restaurants!

kanji: 戴
meaning: be crowned with
ja_on: タイ
ja_kun: いただ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 異[イ] uncommon
examples: 頂戴[ちょうだい] receiving; getting; accepting; being given
heisig_story: Thanksgiving . . . uncommon.
koohii_story: At Thanksgiving , it’s uncommon for people to accept humbly the food: most people just dig in.
heisig_keyword: accept humbly

kanji: 爽
meaning: refreshing
ja_on: ソウ
ja_kun: あき.らか、さわ.やか、たがう
grade: Junior High
radicals: 大[だい] large
爻[こう] to mix
examples: 爽やか[さわやか] fresh; refreshing; invigorating; pleasant; delightful
爽快[そうかい] refreshing; exhilarating; invigorating; bracing
heisig_story: The sense of the key word is of something refreshing and invigorating. It is made up of the St. Bernard and a pair of sheaves on each side.
koohii_story: The St Bernard is bracing itself for an operation requiring four stitches.
heisig_keyword: bracing

kanji: 裾
meaning: cuff
ja_on: キョ、コ
ja_kun: すそ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 衤[ころもへん] clothing
居[キョ] reside
examples: 裾[すそ] hem; (trouser) cuff; shirttail; bottom (of a kimono); train (of a dress)
heisig_story: Cloak . . . reside.
koohii_story: Something is residing in the hem of your cloak. Maybe you should consider cleaning it? キョ コ すそ cuff, hem , foot of mountain.
heisig_keyword: hem

kanji: 惰
meaning: lazy
ja_on: ダ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
左[サ] left
月[つき] moon
examples: 怠惰[たいだ] lazy; idle; indolent; slothful
惰性[だせい] force of habit
heisig_story: State of mind . . . left (i.e. "sinister") . . . flesh.
koohii_story: When I am in a LAZY state of mind I use my left hand to play with my meat …it feels like someone else is doing it, which is good cause I'm to lazy to get a date.

kanji: 蛮
meaning: barbarian
ja_on: バン
ja_kun: えびす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亦[エキ] also
虫[むし] worm
examples: 野蛮[やばん] savage; barbarous; barbaric; uncivilized; uncivilised
南蛮[なんばん] southern barbarians (name used in ancient China for non-Chinese ethnic groups to
蛮勇[ばんゆう] foolhardiness; recklessness; savage valour; savage valor; brute courage
蛮行[ばんこう] act of barbarity; barbarism; brutality; savagery
heisig_story: Apple . . . insects.
koohii_story: The barbarian picks an apple from above and eats it even though there is a worm ( insect ) in it.

kanji: 旺
meaning: flourishing
ja_on: オウ
ja_kun: さかん
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
王[オウ] king
examples: 旺盛[おうせい] lively; vigorous; energetic; healthy; avid (e.g. desire); rich (e.g. imagination
heisig_story: The radiant, effulgent splendor of he sun makes it king of all the planets and other stars. Just to be sure you don't take this too abstractly, picture the sun seated on a throne, flourishing its scepter this way and that.
koohii_story: The Sun King (Louis XIV) was known for his effulgent reign.
heisig_keyword: effulgent

kanji: 冥
meaning: dark
ja_on: メイ、ミョウ
ja_kun: くら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冖[わかんむり] cover
日[ひ] sun
六[ロク] six
examples: 冥福[めいふく] happiness in the next world; heavenly bliss; repose of one's soul
heisig_story: The key word in this frame refers to the underworld, the world of the dead. By way of the classic Greek association, it is also used for the "dwarf planet" Pluto. Since no one knows precisely when this part of the cosmos was finished, we may imagine it as the crowning deed of day six of the creation.
koohii_story: The beast of hades one day will wear a crown , and the number of the beast is 666.
heisig_keyword: Hades

kanji: 壱
meaning: one (in documents)
ja_on: イチ、イツ
ja_kun: ひとつ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 士[さむらい] man
冖[わかんむり] cover
匕[さじ] spoon
heisig_story: The Roman numeral I - like that for II we met earlier in frame 379 - is only rarely used now. In the midst of all the samurai , we notice one in particular sitting on the ground with a crown on his head, indicating that he is "number I" in the current rankings.
koohii_story: I am 'the one' , says the samurai with the crown around his waist and a spoon up his a***.
heisig_keyword: I (one)

kanji: 瑠
meaning: lapis lazuli
ja_on: ル、リュウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
留[リュウ] detain
examples: 瑠璃[るり] lapis lazuli
heisig_story: Jewel . . . detain.
koohii_story: “The king has been detained by some marines!” “How do you know they were marines?” “Because they were wearing marine blue.”.
heisig_keyword: marine blue

kanji: 侯
meaning: marquis
ja_on: コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
矢[や] arrow
examples: 侯[こう] marquis
侯爵[こうしゃく] marquis; marquess
王侯[おうこう] the king and his feudal lords
heisig_story: Person . . . key . . . dart. Hint: the pun suggested by the pronunciation of the key word and the primitive for key may come in helpful.
koohii_story: Mr. T is made a marquis after he and the A-Team save the life of a duke. The duke also gives Mr. T the key to the gentleman's dart room where one can relax in luxury, smoke a cigar, and play a friendly game of darts. Mr. T eagerly accepts the key and places it on one of the gold chains that hang around his neck which acts as a key chain.

kanji: 麓
meaning: foot of a mountain
ja_on: ロク
ja_kun: ふもと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 林[リン] grove
鹿[しか] deer
examples: 麓[ふもと] foot (of a mountain or hill); bottom; base
heisig_story: Grove . . . deer.
koohii_story: Many deer can be found in the grove at the foot of a mountain.

kanji: 弧
meaning: arc
ja_on: コ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 弓[ゆみ] bow （in archery）
瓜[うり] melon
examples: 括弧[かっこ] brackets; parentheses
円弧[えんこ] arc
heisig_story: Bow . . . melon.
koohii_story: Joan of Arc ("arc" also means "bow" in french) is practicing with a bow , shooting at melons in a distant field.

kanji: 稽
meaning: think
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: かんが.える、とど.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 禾[のぎへん] grain
尤[ユウ] reasonable
旨[シ] delicious
examples: 稽古[けいこ] practice; practising; training; study
滑稽[こっけい] funny; comical; humorous; laughable
heisig_story: Wheat . . . chihuahua with one human leg . . . delicious.
koohii_story: The hardest part of my training as a cook was when they gave me some wheat and a chihuahua with a human leg and said, "Now make something delicious ".
heisig_keyword: training

kanji: 蹴
meaning: kick
ja_on: シュク、シュウ
ja_kun: け.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
就[シュウ] concerning
examples: 蹴る[ける] to kick
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . concerning.
koohii_story: The soccer player was concerned that his peg leg would affect his ability to kick.

kanji: 訃
meaning: obituary
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: しらせ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
卜[ぼく] oracle
heisig_story: The words of this obituary work like a magic wand , conjuring up the desceased.
koohii_story: Obituary. As a famous man lay dying, the media were already preparing the words of his obituary until a magician, with a wave of his wand , restored the man back to health.

kanji: 蓋
meaning: cover
ja_on: ガイ、カイ、コウ
ja_kun: ふた、けだ.し、おお.う、かさ、かこう
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
盍[コウ] come together
examples: 蓋[ふた] cover; lid; cap
heisig_story: Flowers . . . gone . . . dish.
koohii_story: The lid of this dish is gone! Now the whole room smells of the flowers that were used in the cooking.
heisig_keyword: lid

kanji: 畏
meaning: fear
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: おそ.れる、かしこま.る、かしこ、かしこ.し
grade: Junior High
radicals: 田[た] rice paddy
一[いち] one
examples: 畏まりました[かしこまりました] certainly!; very well; with pleasure; understood!
heisig_story: Field . . . hairpin.
koohii_story: The man being tortured was apprehensive as he saw his tormentor approaching with a hairpin poised to pierce his brain!
heisig_keyword: apprehensive

kanji: 喉
meaning: throat
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: のど
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
侯[コウ] marquis
examples: 喉[のど] throat
heisig_story: Mouth . . . marquis.
koohii_story: "If the marquis opens his mouth one more time, I'll cut his throat ", his rival the baron said.

kanji: 附
meaning: affixed
ja_on: フ
ja_kun: つ.ける、つ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
付[フ] adhere
examples: 附属[ふぞく] being attached (to); being affiliated (to); belonging (to); going with
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . adhere.
koohii_story: A sign was AFFIXED on the PINNACLE of the Acropolis so that tourists would ADHERE to the rules.

kanji: 但
meaning: however
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: ただ.し
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
旦[タン] daybreak
examples: 但し[ただし] but; however; provided that
heisig_story: Person . . . nightbreak.
koohii_story: However drunk Mr T is when he comes back to his place, he always get up at nightbreak. “I pity da foo who gets up after nightbreak !”, says Mr. T.

kanji: 芋
meaning: taro
ja_on: ウ
ja_kun: いも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
于[ウ] going
examples: 芋[いも] tuber; taro; potato; yam
さつま芋[さつまいも] sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
じゃが芋[じゃがいも] potato (Solanum tuberosum)
焼き芋[やきいも] roasted sweet potato; baked sweet potato
heisig_story: Flowers . . . potato.
koohii_story: If your potato s are growing flowers and those little hooked roots , you should either buy less or eat them faster.
heisig_keyword: potato

kanji: 拭
meaning: wipe
ja_on: ショク、シキ
ja_kun: ぬぐ.う、ふ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
式[シキ] style
examples: 拭く[ふく] to wipe; to dry
拭う[ぬぐう] to wipe; to mop up
払拭[ふっしょく] wiping out; sweeping away; eradicating; dispelling
heisig_story: Fingers . . . style.
koohii_story: Why carry a handkerchief? I wipe my nose finger-style.

kanji: 婆
meaning: old woman
ja_on: バ
ja_kun: ばば、ばあ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 波[ハ] waves
女[おんな] woman
examples: 老婆[ろうば] old woman
婆さん[ばあさん] grandmother
heisig_story: Waves . . . woman.
koohii_story: An old woman is seen here as a woman with waves (i.e. wrinkles, creases).

kanji: 貼
meaning: stick
ja_on: テン、チョウ
ja_kun: は.る、つ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
占[セン] fortune-telling
examples: 貼る[はる] to stick; to paste; to affix
貼り付ける[はりつける] to paste; to stick; to affix
貼付[ちょうふ] pasting; sticking; attaching; affixing; appending
heisig_story: The key word in this frame has do with posting bills to a billboard. In this case, the billboard is standing at the exit to a Chinese restaurant displaying the latest alternative to the tradition fortune-telling cookies. Look closely and you will see rows of leftover shells of clams with little slips of paper sticking out of them posted to the billboard.
koohii_story: Fortune teller writes your fortune on a piece of paper and tells you to affix it to a shell and throw into the ocean for it to come true. Picture licking the back of the shell like a stamp and affix ing it to the fortune.
heisig_keyword: post a bill

kanji: 倣
meaning: emulate
ja_on: ホウ
ja_kun: なら.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
放[ホウ] set free
examples: 倣う[ならう] to imitate; to follow; to copy; to emulate
模倣[もほう] imitation; copying
heisig_story: Person . . . set free.
koohii_story: Mr T downloads an emulat or so that he can play his favorite game, Pokemon. He plays for a different reason, though - he hates to see them poor little foos in the ball so he spends his entire time setting them free.

kanji: 諦
meaning: truth
ja_on: テイ、タイ
ja_kun: あきら.める、つまびらか、まこと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
帝[テイ] sovereign
examples: 諦める[あきらめる] to give up; to abandon (hope, plans); to resign oneself (to)
heisig_story: The key word renunciation has to do with the wisdom and clarity of mind in knowing when to "let go." This is what makes the words of acquiescense sovern.
koohii_story: The words of the sovereign king inspire the people: never give up! Never surrender! Okay…maybe it wasn't a king.
heisig_keyword: renunciation

kanji: 煎
meaning: broil
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: せん.じる、い.る、に.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 前[ゼン] in front
灬[れっか] fire
examples: 煎餅[せんべい] (Japanese) rice cracker; senbei
heisig_story: Think of roasting the guest of honor at a party - literally, in front of an oven-fire.
koohii_story: In many asian restaurants, meat is roast ed right in front of you over flames.
heisig_keyword: roast

kanji: 緻
meaning: fine (i.e. not coarse)
ja_on: チ
ja_kun: こまか.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
致[チ] doth
examples: 緻密[ちみつ] fine (grain, workmanship, etc.); close (weave); delicate; intricate; elaborate
heisig_story: The key word should be taken to mean minute, detailed, or nuanced. Its primitive elements are: thread . . . doth.
koohii_story: This kanji shows Spiderman giving a dress of the finest thread to his girlfriend. Of course, the real purpose of the gift is to get his girlfriend to doth him.
heisig_keyword: fine

kanji: 哺
meaning: nurse
ja_on: ホ
ja_kun: はぐく.む、ふく.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
甫[ホ] for the first time
heisig_story: Mouth . . . dog tag.
koohii_story: The extremely efficient (military veteran) wet-nurse keeps track of which infant has been SUCKLE d already by marking each MOUTH with a DOG-TAG. (Cf. [suck](../v4/689.html) (#689 吸)).
heisig_keyword: suckle

kanji: 罵
meaning: abuse
ja_on: バ
ja_kun: ののし.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
馬[うま] horse
examples: 罵る[ののしる] to abuse (verbally); to curse at; to shout abuse at; to speak ill of
heisig_story: Eyeball . . . team of horses.
koohii_story: In ancient Japan, the most grievous insult was to poke a rival's horse in the eye (consider how rare an expensive a steed was in those days). It was the final step in preparation for a duel to the death.
heisig_keyword: insult

kanji: 乞
meaning: beg
ja_on: コツ、キツ、キ、キケ、コチ
ja_kun: こ.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乙[おつ] the second
examples: 乞う[こう] to beg; to ask; to request; to invite
乞食[こじき] beggar
heisig_story: See someone lying down in a public place with a hook in place of a hand, begging a morsel of rice or a few pence.
koohii_story: Lying down , Captain Hook is beg ging to be spared from the ticking crocodile.

kanji: 倹
meaning: frugal
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: つま.しい、つづまやか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
㑒
examples: 倹約[けんやく] thrift; economy; frugality
heisig_story: Person . . . awl.
koohii_story: Mr. T is as frugal as they come. He uses his one ice pick for everything: to eat, pick his teeth, clean his toilet, kill people, cook, etc.

kanji: 嗅
meaning: smell
ja_on: キュウ
ja_kun: か.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
臭[シュウ] stinking
犬[いぬ] dog
examples: 嗅ぐ[かぐ] to sniff; to smell
heisig_story: You have seen those scratch'n' sniff advertisements for perfumes. This one is for a mouth wash that replaces one stinking oder with another.
koohii_story: Smell. Mouth agape, nose in the air, a chihuahua smells some BBQ miles away. NOTE: Assigned keyword "sniff" in RTK Newly Approved General Use Kanji Supplement.
heisig_keyword: sniff

kanji: 蔑
meaning: ignore
ja_on: ベツ
ja_kun: ないがしろ、なみ.する、くらい、さげす.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
戍[ジュ] protection
examples: 軽蔑[けいべつ] contempt; scorn; disdain; despising; looking down on; slighting
蔑む[さげすむ] to scorn; to despise; to hold in contempt; to look down on; to disdain
侮蔑[ぶべつ] scorn; disdain; contempt; slight
heisig_story: The verbal abuse involved in reviling those who do not deserve it can be compared to a march of flowers in full boom having an eyeball of nastiness cast over them (literally, of course).
koohii_story: They gays were reviled by society, so they put flowers above their eyes and marched around.
heisig_keyword: revile

kanji: 繭
meaning: cocoon
ja_on: ケン
ja_kun: まゆ、きぬ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
冂[けいがまえ] to enclose
糸[いと] thread
虫[むし] worm
examples: 繭[まゆ] cocoon
heisig_story: Though it's a good thing that the primitive for cocoon has been radically abbreviated from this, its full form as a kanji, the story it holds is a charming one. The silkworm ( insect ) eats the leaves of the mulberry bush (the flowers ), digests them and transforms them into thread with which it spins about itself, in mystic wisdom, its own coffin (the hood ). The dividing line that separates the two elements helps the picture of the little worm cutting itself off from contact with the outside world, but as a character stroke, it is a clear exception.
koohii_story: This is a simple two-column manga showing the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a cocoon. First, the caterpillar gets under a large flower (bees tend to hang around flowers, which scare away other predators). Then, in the first frame, we see the caterpillar ( insect ). Then, a bar separating this frame from the next frame (remember that Japanese manga run the other way!), in which we see the insect covered with thread , making a beautiful cocoon.

kanji: 宛
meaning: address
ja_on: エン
ja_kun: あ.てる、-あて、-づつ、あたか.も
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
夗
examples: 宛[あて] aim; object; purpose; end
宛名[あてな] name and address (on an envelope, etc.); (addressee's) name; addressee
宛先[あてさき] address; destination
heisig_story: House . . . mailbox.
koohii_story: Your address should be displayed on your house and mailbox.

kanji: 萎
meaning: wither
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: な、しお.れる、しな.びる、しぼ.む、な.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
委[イ] committee
examples: 萎える[なえる] to lose strength; to become weak; to disappear (of energy, drive, etc.)
萎縮[いしゅく] withering; shrivelling; shrinking
萎む[しぼむ] to wither (of flowers, dreams, etc.); to wilt; to droop; to shrivel; to fade (aw
萎れる[しおれる] to wither; to wilt; to droop; to fade
heisig_story: Flowers . . . committee.
koohii_story: The keyword numb makes no sense. I choose 萎む （しぼむ）" to fade away ". A girl lies in a wheat field at the same time every day. A photo is taken every day showing this scene and a time lapse video shows the wheat growing through the year until the wheat is tall and the top sprouts to look like its flowers. At this point, the girl can no longer be seen in the photos and she fades away.
heisig_keyword: numb

kanji: 咽
meaning: throat
ja_on: イン、エン、エツ
ja_kun: むせ.ぶ、むせ.る、のど、の.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
因[イン] cause
heisig_story: Mouth . . . cause.
koohii_story: You can't breathe very well, so the doc looks inside your mouth to find the cause. "Oh, I see the cause of your windpipe blockage. There's a St Bernard penned up in there!".
heisig_keyword: windpipe

kanji: 淫
meaning: lewdness
ja_on: イン
ja_kun: ひた.す、ほしいまま、みだ.ら、みだ.れる、みだり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
爫[つめかんむり] claw
壬[ニン] 9th calendar sign
heisig_story: Water . . . vulture . . . porter.
koohii_story: The vulture is on top of the porter and appears to be commiting a lewd act, so I throw water over the pair of them.
heisig_keyword: lewd

kanji: 謁
meaning: audience
ja_on: エツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
曷[カツ] why
heisig_story: Imagine an audience with the emperor or the pope in which all those in attendance are sitting down, leaning against the wall, sleeping like our muchacho on siesta as the honorable host delivers his speech.
koohii_story: The talk was so boring the audience took a siesta.

kanji: 臆
meaning: timidity
ja_on: オク、ヨク
ja_kun: むね、おくする
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
意[イ] idea
examples: 臆病[おくびょう] cowardly; timid; easily frightened
臆病者[おくびょうもの] coward; wimp
heisig_story: Flesh . . . idea.
koohii_story: Cowardice is the situation where you get the thought that maybe running away and saving your flesh is a good idea.
heisig_keyword: cowardice

kanji: 箇
meaning: counter for articles
ja_on: カ、コ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
固[コ] harden
examples: 箇所[かしょ] place; point; part; spot; area; passage; portion
koohii_story: You've entered in a chinese shop where apparently the only item in sale is old, dusty, hardened bamboo (for construction for example). It looks like these item s have been there forever. Asking the clerk if anything else is available, he doesn't understand and instead asks - "Two item s? Three item s?" (the kanji is a counter for item s) - thinking you want to buy something.
heisig_keyword: item

kanji: 苛
meaning: torment
ja_on: カ
ja_kun: いじ.める、さいな.む、いらだ.つ、からい、こまかい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
可[カ] can
examples: 苛める[いじめる] to ill-treat; to bully; to torment; to pick on; to tease; to be cruel to; to per
苛々[いらいら] to get irritated; to get annoyed; to be on the edge; to fret; to lose patience
heisig_story: A nosegay of flowers make a nice gift, but if those flowers are poison oak, they can amount to bullying. Be sure to emphasize the word can when you repeat this little phrase to yourself.
koohii_story: "How many flowers can I stuff in your nostrils? Well I'm just gonna have to go and see." Bullying at its worst!
heisig_keyword: bullying

kanji: 崖
meaning: cliff
ja_on: ガイ、ゲ、ギ
ja_kun: がけ、きし、はて
grade: Junior High
radicals: 山[やま] mountain
厓[ガイ] precipice
examples: 崖[がけ] cliff; precipice
heisig_story: Mountain . . . cliff . . . ivy.
koohii_story: Standing at the base of the bluffs I announce, "I'm going to climb those ivy- covered cliffs , and then the mountain on top of them." My friends don't believe me, "He bluffs!" they say.
heisig_keyword: bluffs

kanji: 骸
meaning: bone
ja_on: ガイ、カイ
ja_kun: むくろ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 骨[ほね] bone
亥[ガイ] sign of the hog
examples: 亡骸[なきがら] remains; corpse; (dead) body
骸骨[がいこつ] skeleton
heisig_story: Skeleton . . . acorn.
koohii_story: The remains consisted of a skeleton which had the remains of some acorns in its stomach area. Whether it died from eating the acorns remains to be seen.
heisig_keyword: remains

kanji: 顎
meaning: jaw
ja_on: ガク
ja_kun: あご、あぎと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 咢[ガク] outspokenly
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 顎[あご] jaw; chin
heisig_story: Two mouths . . . ceiling . . . snare . . . head.
koohii_story: Your chin is the part of your head under your nostrils that forms the double snare that is your jaw.
heisig_keyword: chin

kanji: 且
meaning: moreover
ja_on: ショ、ソ、ショウ
ja_kun: か.つ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
一[いち] one
examples: 尚且つ[なおかつ] besides; furthermore; on top of that
且つ[かつ] and; moreover; besides; as well as; and on top of that; at the same time
koohii_story: Moreover is a literary term to shelve what you had just been talking about, to come back to it later.

kanji: 伎
meaning: deed
ja_on: ギ、キ
ja_kun: わざ、わざおぎ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
支[しにょう] branch
examples: 歌舞伎[かぶき] kabuki
heisig_story: Person . . . branch.
koohii_story: Mr T is dancing and singing and all that, but he's doing it on a branch. All that talent and can still still keep his balance? That's a real performing artist.
heisig_keyword: performing artist

kanji: 僅
meaning: a wee bit
ja_on: キン、ゴン
ja_kun: わず.か
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
艹[くさかんむり] grass
三[サン] three
examples: 僅か[わずか] a little; a few; small; slight; trifling; meagre; meager; narrow (margin)
heisig_story: Person . . . cabbage.
koohii_story: To MR.T swallowing a whole CABBAGE is no more than a TRIFLE.
heisig_keyword: trifle

kanji: 巾
meaning: towel
ja_on: キン、フク
ja_kun: おお.い、ちきり、きれ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 巾[はば] cloth
examples: 雑巾[ぞうきん] house-cloth; dust cloth
布巾[ふきん] dish towel; tea towel; dishcloth
heisig_story: This character depicts a bolt of cloth wrapped around a pole. From there it gets its meaning of a towel.
koohii_story: If it looks like a towel , speaks like a towel and walks like a towel … I wonder why Heisig didn't include this one (as an actual kanji) in RtK 1.

kanji: 斤
meaning: axe
ja_on: キン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 斤[おのづくり] axe
heisig_story: This character represents a picture of an ax , the two vertical lines being the handle and the horizontal strokes of the blade. Note the writing order carefully.
koohii_story: Errata: stroke order in 4th edition is wrong. Top stroke is first.
heisig_keyword: ax

kanji: 虞
meaning: fear
ja_on: グ
ja_kun: おそれ、おもんぱか.る、はか.る、うれ.える、あざむ.く、あやま.る、のぞ.む、たの.しむ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 虍[とらがしら] tiger
呉[ゴ] give
heisig_story: Tiger . . . give.
koohii_story: The dentist couldn't help but feel uneasiness as he used his hand crank mouth tool on the tiger in his chair.
heisig_keyword: uneasiness

kanji: 窟
meaning: cavern
ja_on: クツ、コツ
ja_kun: いわや、いはや、あな
grade: Junior High
radicals: 穴[あな] hole
屈[クツ] yield
examples: 洞窟[どうくつ] cave; cavern; grotto
heisig_story: Hole . . . yield.
koohii_story: After Osama blew a hole in NY, the counterreaction forced him to yield and retreat into caverns.

kanji: 詣
meaning: visit a temple
ja_on: ケイ、ゲイ
ja_kun: けい.する、まい.る、いた.る、もう.でる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
旨[シ] delicious
examples: 初詣[はつもうで] first shrine visit of the New Year
heisig_story: Here you "savor your words " as something delicious when you describe your recent visit to a shrine or pilgrimage site.
koohii_story: You visit a shrine to say your wishes and offer delicious offering to the gods.
heisig_keyword: visit a shrine

kanji: 隙
meaning: crevice
ja_on: ゲキ、キャク、ケキ
ja_kun: すき、す.く、す.かす、ひま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 阝[こざとへん] hill
小[しょう] small
日[ひ] sun
examples: 隙[すき] gap; opening; room; space
隙間[すきま] gap; opening; aperture; crevice; crack; chink; space
heisig_story: Pinnacle . . . little . . . sun . . . little. Note that the form of the first element for little given here is the simpler form that has become standard in general-use characters (See Frame 110). For the time being, until typesetting fonts have made the adjustment, the official approved drawing has the drops similar to the bottom little.
koohii_story: They won't let me in The Pinnacle , but I can see a little bit of sun through this little chink in the wall. Hmm, maybe I could make this chink bigger…
heisig_keyword: chink

kanji: 桁
meaning: beam
ja_on: コウ
ja_kun: けた
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
行[ぎょうがまえ] to go
examples: 桁[けた] column; beam; girder; crossbeam; spar; yard
heisig_story: Tree . . . going.
koohii_story: When the wooden girders start to snap, the workmen shout "Run! Let's go! ".
heisig_keyword: girder

kanji: 舷
meaning: gunwale
ja_on: ゲン
ja_kun: ふなばた、ふなべり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 舟[ふね] ship
玄[げん] darkness
heisig_story: Boat . . . mysterious.
koohii_story: The gunwale is perhaps the most mysterious part of a boat for it is neither a gun nor a whale.

kanji: 勾
meaning: be bent
ja_on: コウ、ク
ja_kun: かぎ、ま.がる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 勹[つつみがまえ] to wrap
厶[む] private
examples: 勾配[こうばい] slope; incline; gradient; grade; pitch
heisig_story: Bound up . . . elbow. Think of this key word in the sense of something that has been nabbed or cought.
koohii_story: Your elbow is bound up so that your biceps will stay flexed.
heisig_keyword: hooked

kanji: 梗
meaning: for the most part
ja_on: コウ、キョウ
ja_kun: ふさぐ、やまにれ、おおむね
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
更[コウ] grow late
examples: 梗塞[こうそく] stoppage; blocking
heisig_story: This character refers originally to a deciduous, rough tree that grows on mountain plains. From this it gets the secondary sense of rugged or spiny. Its primitive elements: tree . . . grow late.
koohii_story: I learned this one from the movie Evil Dead, but when it grows late , trees change shape and become spiny creatures! Lesson: don't go out at night.
heisig_keyword: spiny

kanji: 墾
meaning: ground-breaking
ja_on: コン
ja_kun: は.る、ひら.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豸[むじなへん] badger
艮[こん] boundary
土[つち] earth
examples: 開墾[かいこん] cultivating new land; clearing; reclamation
heisig_story: The groundbreaking referred to here is not for the erection of new buildings but for the opening of farmlands. The elements: skunk . . . silver . . . soil.
koohii_story: It was the groundbreaking of the new farm, but there was an uninvited guest to the ceremony. It was a famous skunk , the one with the familiar silver stripe. The feet of the crowd rushing from the ceremony site churned up the soil very nicely. The ceremony was ruined but the groundbreaking was a great success.
heisig_keyword: groundbreaking

kanji: 塞
meaning: close
ja_on: ソク、サイ
ja_kun: ふさ.ぐ、とりで、み.ちる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 宀[うかんむり] roof
三[サン] three
八[はち] eight
土[つち] earth
examples: 塞ぐ[ふさぐ] to stop up; to close up; to block (up); to plug up; to shut up; to cover (ears,
塞がる[ふさがる] to be closed; to be blocked; to be healed (e.g. wound); to be shut up
梗塞[こうそく] stoppage; blocking
閉塞[へいそく] blockage; blockade; blocking up; stoppage; obstruction; occlusion
heisig_story: House . . . celery . . . animal legs . . . soil.
koohii_story: The A/C wasn't making the house cold because the filters had been blocked up with dirt.
heisig_keyword: block up

kanji: 采
meaning: dice
ja_on: サイ
ja_kun: と.る、いろどり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 爫[つめかんむり] claw
木[き] tree
heisig_story: Vulture . . . tree.
koohii_story: You ever wondered why this appeared as a primitive in so many RTK1 kanji? Well, you should know that once a vulture grab s hold of a tree , he can never let go. Even Heisig couldn't shake him loose.
heisig_keyword: grab

kanji: 柵
meaning: stockade
ja_on: サク、サン
ja_kun: しがら.む、しがらみ、とりで、やらい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
冊[サツ] tome
examples: 柵[さく] fence; paling; railing
heisig_story: Tree . . . tome.
koohii_story: A palisade is a "fence of stakes especially for defense," usually the stakes are very strong, set closely together, and pointed on top. Tome can be seen as a pictograph of several close-set wooden stakes, braced by one horizontal bar.
heisig_keyword: palisade

kanji: 拶
meaning: be imminent
ja_on: サツ
ja_kun: せま.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
巛[まがりがわ] winding river
夕[ゆうべ] evening
examples: 挨拶[あいさつ] greeting; greetings; salutation; salute
heisig_story: Fingers . . . flood . . . evening.
koohii_story: The old lady said that there was a flood imminent , because her fingers hurt in the evening.
heisig_keyword: imminent

kanji: 璽
meaning: emperor's seal
ja_on: ジ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 爾[ジ] you
玉[たま] jewelry
koohii_story: If you find a jewel with the imperial seal on it, just let it be. You wouldn't want to be accused of stealing the royal family jewels.
heisig_keyword: imperial seal

kanji: 爵
meaning: baron
ja_on: シャク
grade: Junior High
radicals: 爫[つめかんむり] claw
罒[モウ] net radical variant (no. 122)
艮[こん] boundary
寸[すん] inch
examples: 伯爵[はくしゃく] count; earl
男爵[だんしゃく] baron
侯爵[こうしゃく] marquis; marquess
公爵[こうしゃく] prince; duke
heisig_story: Vulture . . . eye . . . silver . . . glue.
koohii_story: An eagle stole the baron 's eye in the war, but now he has a silver coin glued in the socket instead.

kanji: 遵
meaning: abide by
ja_on: ジュン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 尊[ソン] revered
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遵守[じゅんしゅ] observance (of laws, rules, etc.); adherence; obeying; following; abiding by; co
koohii_story: You must abide by the revered rules of the road! No devil's brew and stay glued to your lane in the road!

kanji: 醒
meaning: awake
ja_on: セイ
ja_kun: さ.ます、さ.める
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
星[セイ] star
examples: 覚醒[かくせい] waking up; awakening; arousal; revival
覚醒剤[かくせいざい] stimulant (e.g. psychoactive drugs like methamphetamine, ritalin, etc.)
heisig_story: Whisky bottle . . . star.
koohii_story: On awakening the first thing I notice is a (nearly empty) whiskey bottle by my bed. Then I see the stars are still shining. “I think I’ll go back to sleep and try awakening again later.”.
heisig_keyword: awakening

kanji: 戚
meaning: grieve
ja_on: ソク、セキ
ja_kun: いた.む、うれ.える、みうち
grade: Junior High
radicals: 戊[ボ] 5th calendar sign
尗[シュク] younger of brothers
examples: 親戚[しんせき] relative; relation; kin
heisig_story: If you think of a parade of particularly disagreeable relatives , it should not be hard to imagine them as large bodies with little pea-brains above.
koohii_story: Your half-uncle is leading a parade of your relatives. (Note: 上 + 小 makes up part of "uncle" 叔 , so I've called it "half-uncle".).
heisig_keyword: relatives

kanji: 羨
meaning: envious
ja_on: セン、エン
ja_kun: うらや.む、あまり
grade: Junior High
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
氵[さんずい] water
欠[あくび] to lack
examples: 羨ましい[うらやましい] envious; jealous
heisig_story: Sheep . . . water . . . yawn/lack. Although this character looks rather simple, special care should be taken in learning it because of the proximity of the final two elements to the character for next , which we learned in frame 510. Note, too, that the water comes UNDER the sheep , rather than on its own to the left.
koohii_story: A very thirsty sheep, who always lacked water , spends his days watching his fellow sheep (in the farm next door or in another pen) and being very envious of their water.

kanji: 腺
meaning: gland
ja_on: セン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
泉[セン] spring
examples: 甲状腺[こうじょうせん] thyroid (gland)
heisig_story: Dig into your flesh and pull out a lymph gland. Now give it a squeeze and watch the spring of lymph spout out of it.
koohii_story: A body part that acts like a spring for hormones is a gland.

kanji: 詮
meaning: discussion
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: せん.ずる、かい、あき.らか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
全[ゼン] whole
examples: 所詮[しょせん] after all; in the end; anyway
heisig_story: Think of elucidating as presenting something in whole words , as distinct from broken fragmented sentences.
koohii_story: Words that tell you the results of the whole story really elucidate.
heisig_keyword: elucidate

kanji: 塑
meaning: model
ja_on: ソ
ja_kun: でく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 朔[サク] conjunction (astronomy)
土[つち] earth
examples: 彫塑[ちょうそ] carving; engraving
heisig_story: This kanji depicts the art of modeling clay or wood into a figure of your choice. The elements for composing it are: mountain goat . . . moon . . . soil.
koohii_story: A legend says that if you model a mountain goat (with tail and everything) from dirt and leave to the light of the moon on the [first day of the month](../v4/2846.html) (#2846 朔), the dirt will became flesh. (blackstockc).

kanji: 遡
meaning: go upstream
ja_on: ソ、サク
ja_kun: さかのぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 朔[サク] conjunction (astronomy)
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 遡る[さかのぼる] to go upstream; to go up (a river)
heisig_story: Mountain goat . . . moon . . . road.
koohii_story: On the first day of the month , all the salmon go upstream , up the road , to the mating grounds.

kanji: 痩
meaning: get thin
ja_on: ソウ、チュウ、シュウ、シュ
ja_kun: や.せる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
叟[ソウ] old person
examples: 痩せる[やせる] to become thin; to lose weight; to slim
痩身[そうしん] slim figure; slender body
heisig_story: Sickness . . . monkey . . . crotch.
koohii_story: The sickness that only allows you to eat monkey crotch will surely make you lose weight.
heisig_keyword: lose weight

kanji: 遜
meaning: humble
ja_on: ソン
ja_kun: したが.う、へりくだ.る、ゆず.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 孫[ソン] grandchild
辶[しんにょう] road
examples: 謙遜[けんそん] modesty; humility; being humble
heisig_story: Grandchild . . . road.
koohii_story: My parents aren't at all modest about their grandchildren , at every opportunity they take them on the road showing them off to their friends!
heisig_keyword: modest

kanji: 汰
meaning: washing
ja_on: タ、タイ
ja_kun: おご.る、にご.る、よな.げる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
太[タイ] plump
examples: ご無沙汰[ごぶさた] not writing or contacting for a while; neglecting (failing) to write (call, visi
heisig_story: This character can mean both to cleanse and to make dirty. We will choose the latter and imagine someone who is displeasingly plump going to a skinny spa whose medicinal waters promise to cleanse him of his unwanted corpulence. Picture him sitting in the spa as the pounds melt away, leaving a greasy scum on top of the water.
koohii_story: I couldn't find any reference to this kanji as meaning cleanse. It seems to be most often used in the following compound 沙汰 （さた）to mean affair. The other meanings seem to be closer to 'select' so maybe Heisig meant cleanse in the ethnic sense here.. I'm going to use the keyword "selection", as in natural selection. Story: natural selection first began in the water, and those that were too plump were selected out.
heisig_keyword: cleanse

kanji: 唾
meaning: saliva
ja_on: ダ、タ
ja_kun: つば、つばき
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
垂[スイ] droop
examples: 唾[つば] saliva; spit; spittle
heisig_story: Mouth . . . droop.
koohii_story: When some people are sleeping, their mouths droop open, and saliva drips out.

kanji: 旦
meaning: daybreak
ja_on: タン、ダン
ja_kun: あき.らか、あきら、ただし、あさ、あした
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
一[いち] one
examples: 旦那[だんな] master (of a house, shop, etc.)
一旦[いったん] once
元旦[がんたん] New Year's Day; first day of the year
heisig_story: While we normally refer to the start of the day as "daybreak," Japanese commonly refers to it as the "opening up of night" into day. Hence the choice of this rather odd key word, nightbreak. The single stroke at the bottom represents the floor (have a peek again at frame 1) or the horizon over which the sun is poking its head
koohii_story: A nightbreak happens when the sun rises over the horizon (floor).
heisig_keyword: nightbreak

kanji: 綻
meaning: be rent
ja_on: タン
ja_kun: ほころ.びる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 糸[いと] thread
定[テイ] determine
examples: 破綻[はたん] failure; collapse; breakdown; break-up; bankruptcy
綻びる[ほころびる] to come apart at the seams; to be ripped; to be torn
heisig_story: Thread . . . determine.
koohii_story: Even though his costume is coming apart at the seams as he chases the bad guys, Spiderman is still determined to catch them.
heisig_keyword: come apart at the seams

kanji: 酎
meaning: sake
ja_on: チュウ、チュ
ja_kun: かも.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 酉[ひよみのとり] sake jar
寸[すん] inch
examples: 焼酎[しょうちゅう] shōchū
heisig_story: This kanji is used for thick, low-grade saké made from various kinds of grains. Its primitives are: whisky bottle . . . glue.
koohii_story: While the keyword is "hooch", this usually means 焼酎 . It has similar effect as whiskey and sniffing glue has: you get intoxicated.
heisig_keyword: hooch

kanji: 捗
meaning: make progress
ja_on: チョク、ホ
ja_kun: はかど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
歩[ホ] walk
examples: 進捗[しんちょく] progress; advance; making (good) progress
捗る[はかどる] to make (good) progress; to move right ahead (with the work); to advance
heisig_story: Let your fingers do the walking as you make headway through the Yellow Pages in search of something hard to find.
koohii_story: "Come on people, the only way to make headway in this business is to let your fingers do the walking!" bust out the yellow pages and dial as many numbers as possible, surely someone is a sucker for a cold call sell.
heisig_keyword: make headway

kanji: 朕
meaning: majestic plural
ja_on: チン
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
关 frontier pass
koohii_story: The king says "Only We are allowed to partake of the flesh of the golden calf.".

kanji: 潰
meaning: crush
ja_on: カイ、エ
ja_kun: つぶ.す、つぶ.れる、つい.える
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
貴[キ] precious
examples: 潰す[つぶす] to smash; to crush; to flatten
潰れる[つぶれる] to be crushed; to be squashed; to be smashed; to be destroyed; to be broken; to
暇潰し[ひまつぶし] killing time; keeping oneself occupied; time killer
顔を潰す[かおをつぶす] to make someone lose face; to embarrass someone; to make someone look foolish
heisig_story: Water . . . precious.
koohii_story: …Faramir and Frodo watched the tiny creature far below. "Shall we shoot him?" Faramir asked. "This Gollum has defiled the waters of the Forbidden pond, looking for his Precious , and for that the penalty is death"…
heisig_keyword: defile

kanji: 溺
meaning: drown
ja_on: デキ、ジョウ、ニョウ
ja_kun: いばり、おぼ.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
弱[ジャク] weak
examples: 溺れる[おぼれる] to struggle in the water; to sink below the surface and become unable to breathe
heisig_story: Water . . . weak. Do not confuse the meaning of this key word with "Drown" (Frame 763), which is closer to "founder."
koohii_story: Weak people placed in the water start drowning. Get some strength in those arms and learn how to swim!
heisig_keyword: drowning

kanji: 妬
meaning: jealous
ja_on: ト、ツ
ja_kun: ねた.む、そね.む、つも.る、ふさ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 女[おんな] woman
石[いし] stone
examples: 嫉妬[しっと] jealousy; envy
妬む[ねたむ] to be jealous of; to envy; to begrudge
heisig_story: It should not be hard to leep from the key word to the image of a woman who is jealous of the rock that another woman is sporting on the third finger of her left hand.
koohii_story: The jealous woman bashed the brains in of the guy who betrayed her, with a stone.

kanji: 痘
meaning: pox
ja_on: トウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
豆[まめ] bean
examples: 天然痘[てんねんとう] smallpox; variola
種痘[しゅとう] smallpox vaccination; inoculation against smallpox
heisig_story: Sickness . . . beans.
koohii_story: Caveman has horrible pox. They look like edamame beans oozing bight green paste.

kanji: 頓
meaning: suddenly
ja_on: トン、トツ
ja_kun: にわか.に、とん.と、つまず.く、とみ.に、ぬかずく
grade: Junior High
radicals: 屯[トン] barracks
頁[おおがい] head
examples: 整頓[せいとん] orderliness; put in order; tidying up; arranging neatly
heisig_story: Earthworm . . . head.
koohii_story: Ever chopped the head off an earthworm? Notice how it will grow back immediately! Beware the killer earthworms…
heisig_keyword: immediate

kanji: 弐
meaning: II
ja_on: ニ、ジ
ja_kun: ふた.つ、そえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
弋[いぐるみ] javelin
二[に] two
heisig_story: We use the Roman numeral II here to stress that this kanji is an older form of the kanji for two. Think of two arrows in a quiver , standing up like the numeral II.
koohii_story: II (older form of writing 2). After shooting one arrow (the dash top left), I have 2 arrows left in my quiver (bottom left).
heisig_keyword: II (two)

kanji: 捻
meaning: twirl
ja_on: ネン、ジョウ
ja_kun: ね.じる、ねじ.る、ひね.くる、ひね.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
念[ネン] wish
examples: 捻る[ひねる] to twist; to wrench; to turn (a tap, switch, etc.)
捻挫[ねんざ] sprain; twist; wrench
heisig_story: This kanji does not refer to the tool but to the act of twisting. Its elements: fingers . . . wish.
koohii_story: Ever try WRENCHING a bolt with just your FINGERS? Trust me, you'll WISH you had a wrench for WRENCHING to save your FINGERS.
heisig_keyword: wrench

kanji: 氾
meaning: spread out
ja_on: ハン
ja_kun: ひろ.がる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
卩[ふしづくり] stamp
examples: 氾濫[はんらん] overflowing; flood; inundation; deluge
heisig_story: Water . . . fingerprint.
koohii_story: It's a widespread belief that they cannot find fingerprints on a body that has been deposited in the water.
heisig_keyword: widespread

kanji: 肘
meaning: elbow
ja_on: チュウ
ja_kun: ひじ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 月[つき] moon
寸[すん] inch
examples: 肘[ひじ] elbow
heisig_story: Instead of the familiar "grease" we usually associate with the elbow of someone hard at work, the kanji gives us a part of the body that has been glued to its task.
koohii_story: Sometimes I get carried away and do elbow curls until the point where my forearm snaps off! When that happens I simply pull out the glue and re-attach the elbow to my flesh.

kanji: 賦
meaning: levy
ja_on: フ、ブ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
武[ブ] warrior
examples: 月賦[げっぷ] monthly installment (instalment); monthly payment
賦課[ふか] levy; imposition
heisig_story: A certain portion of shells (money) is collected by the warrior from the local villages as he passes through to defray the costs of keeping the land safe, and this is called a levy.
koohii_story: A warrior stands guard at a bridge collecting shells as a levy for any who want to pass.

kanji: 丙
meaning: third class
ja_on: ヘイ
ja_kun: ひのえ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 一[いち] one
内[ナイ] inside
examples: 丙[へい] third rank; third class; third person (in a contract, etc.)
heisig_story: Those no-frills flights the airlines offer to attract customers should help create an image from ceiling . . . person . . . belt. The kanji meaning " inside " should not be used because of its proximity to the element for " in. "
koohii_story: In this third class flight, the seat belts are so bad that with the slightest turbulence all the persons hit the ceiling. (it's almost pictographic here!).

kanji: 蔽
meaning: cover
ja_on: ヘイ、ヘツ、フツ
ja_kun: おお.う、おお.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 艹[くさかんむり] grass
敝[ヘイ] be worn-out
heisig_story: Flower . . . shredder.
koohii_story: You cover over the shredder with flowers when the FBI comes a-knockin'.
heisig_keyword: cover over

kanji: 貌
meaning: form
ja_on: ボウ、バク
ja_kun: かたち、かたどる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 豸[むじなへん] badger
皃[ボウ] countenance
examples: 美貌[びぼう] beautiful face; good looks; beauty
変貌[へんぼう] transfiguration; transformation; change of appearance
全貌[ぜんぼう] full view; total picture; whole story; full particulars; all the details
heisig_story: Skunk . . . white . . . human legs.
koohii_story: Skunk, white, human legs: You should have seen the shocked countenance on the girls' face when she saw the skunk nibbling away at the white human legs of the corpse she found in the woods. (Because of that, and the smell of course).
heisig_keyword: countenance

kanji: 勃
meaning: suddenness
ja_on: ボツ、ホツ
ja_kun: おこ.る、にわかに
grade: Junior High
radicals: 孛[ハイ] comet
力[ちから] power
examples: 勃起[ぼっき] erection (of the penis); becoming erect; stiffening
heisig_story: If you think of the ten as a little "cross" sitting atop the root of a house where we are used to seeing the "chimney" ( drop ), then you have the image of a chapel. (This combination will appear once more in this book: Frame 1465.) To complete the picture for uprising , add: child . . . muscles.
koohii_story: An erection can shoot like a needle from its crown and has the power to make a child.
heisig_keyword: uprising

kanji: 昧
meaning: dark
ja_on: マイ、バイ
ja_kun: くら.い、むさぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
未[ミ] un-
examples: 曖昧[あいまい] vague; ambiguous; unclear
heisig_story: The most obscure ideas are those that the sun of reason has not yet dawned on. Be sure to give the sun a professorial demeanor, complete with spectacles and a pipe.
koohii_story: Something that is obscure has not yet been brought before the light of day.
heisig_keyword: obscure

kanji: 耗
meaning: decrease
ja_on: モウ、コウ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 耒[らいすき] plow
毛[け] hair
examples: 消耗[しょうもう] exhaustion; consumption; using up; dissipation; waste
心神耗弱[しんしんこうじゃく] diminished capacity; diminished responsibility; legally unaccountable (e.g. due
消耗品[しょうもうひん] consumable goods
heisig_story: Christmas tree . . . fur.
koohii_story: The amount of "fur" (needles) on a Christmas tree decrease s, until it doesn't look all that good.

kanji: 冶
meaning: melting
ja_on: ヤ
ja_kun: い.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 冫[にすい] ice
台[ダイ] pedestal
heisig_story: Ice . . . pedestal.
koohii_story: The secrets of metallurgy and smithing: get your redhot metal and bang it against the pedestal as an anvil. Then cool it quickly with lots of ice.
heisig_keyword: metallurgy

kanji: 沃
meaning: fertility
ja_on: ヨウ、ヨク、オク
ja_kun: そそ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
夭[ヨウ] early death
heisig_story: Suffering from a drought, the farmers call on a witch who conjures up water to irrigate their crops.
koohii_story: You use water to irrigate your saplings.
heisig_keyword: irrigate

kanji: 濫
meaning: excessive
ja_on: ラン
ja_kun: みだ.りに、みだ.りがましい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 氵[さんずい] water
監[カン] oversee
examples: 氾濫[はんらん] overflowing; flood; inundation; deluge
heisig_story: Water . . . oversee.
koohii_story: Who's job is it to oversee the water level on the dam? It'ts overflow ing!
heisig_keyword: overflow

kanji: 吏
meaning: officer
ja_on: リ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 丈[ジョウ] length
口[くち] mouth
examples: 官吏[かんり] government official; public servant; civil servant
heisig_story: One . . . mouth . . . tucked under the arm.
koohii_story: One officer can change the course of history.

kanji: 璃
meaning: glassy
ja_on: リ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
离[チ] rare beast
examples: 瑠璃[るり] lapis lazuli
heisig_story: This kanji refers to one of the seven classical stones of China. Its elements: jewel . . . top hat . . . villain . . . belt . . . elbow.
koohii_story: The King 's crystal got detached from his royal throne, and is missing! Looks like the turkey got away with it. He's no where to be seen!
heisig_keyword: crystal

kanji: 侶
meaning: companion
ja_on: リョ、ロ
ja_kun: とも
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
呂[ロ] spine
examples: 伴侶[はんりょ] companion; partner; spouse
僧侶[そうりょ] priest; monk; bonze
heisig_story: Person . . . spine.
koohii_story: Mr. T don't take a partner , especially one with no spine. "I pity da foo got no spine ", he says.
heisig_keyword: partner

kanji: 瞭
meaning: clear
ja_on: リョウ
ja_kun: あきらか
grade: Junior High
radicals: 目[め] eye
尞[リョウ] fuel used for sacrifices
examples: 明瞭[めいりょう] clear; plain; distinct; obvious; evident; articulate
heisig_story: Eye . . . pup tent.
koohii_story: I paint a huge eye on the side of my pup tent. Why? – It’s obvious : when I’m at the camping site it makes it obvious which tent is mine so I can quickly locate it.
heisig_keyword: obvious

kanji: 賂
meaning: bribe
ja_on: ロ
ja_kun: まいな.い、まいな.う
grade: Junior High
radicals: 貝[かい] shell
各[カク] each
examples: 賄賂[わいろ] bribe; sweetener; douceur
heisig_story: To those who believe in the inevitability of graft in government, everything has a price - or as this character has it, to each office its outlay of shells.
koohii_story: It might sound simple to bribe someone, but then you have to graft the guy above him and the guy below him, and soon you're just giving shells to each and everyone!
heisig_keyword: graft

kanji: 弄
meaning: play with
ja_on: ロウ、ル
ja_kun: いじく.る、ろう.する、いじ.る、ひねく.る、たわむ.れる、もてあそ.ぶ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 王[オウ] king
廾[にじゅうあし] folded hands
examples: 翻弄[ほんろう] having at one's mercy; trifling with; toying with; playing with; making a fool o
弄る[いじる] to finger; to touch; to play with; to fiddle with; to toy with
heisig_story: Jewel . . . two hands.
koohii_story: The king used both hands to tinker with himself in his spare time.
heisig_keyword: tinker with

kanji: 傲
meaning: be proud
ja_on: ゴウ
ja_kun: おご.る、あなど.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 亻[にんべん] person
敖[ゴウ] play
examples: 傲慢[ごうまん] haughty; arrogant; insolent; proud; overbearing
heisig_story: Person . . . soil . . . compass . . . taskmaster. You may, of course, take the character for emulate from the previous frame as the basis for this kanji, adding to it only the element for soil.
koohii_story: arrogant : Mr.T, the arrogant taskmaster he is, assures the group he’s leading them in the right direction. Until he realises his compass is filled with dirt.
heisig_keyword: arrogance

kanji: 刹
meaning: temple
ja_on: セチ、セツ、サツ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 乂[ガイ] mow
木[き] tree
刂[りっとう] knife
examples: 刹那[せつな] moment; instant
heisig_story: The key word here is the noun meaning "a breif moment." Its elements: sheaf . . . tree . . . saber.
koohii_story: Wolverine waiting atop a tree to spring down on Sabre tooth at any moment.
heisig_keyword: moment

kanji: 喩
meaning: metaphor
ja_on: ユ
ja_kun: たと.える、さと.す
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
兪[ユ] affirmative response
examples: 比喩[ひゆ] simile; metaphor; allegory; parable
heisig_story: People who try to sound literary often end up butchering the language. Here we see a meeting of butchers whose mouths are producing the metaphors.
koohii_story: Metaphor ically speaking, all the equipment in your mouth is basically just a meeting of butchers , designed to pulverize whatever meat you put in there.

kanji: 嘲
meaning: ridicule
ja_on: チョウ、トウ
ja_kun: あざけ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
朝[チョウ] morning
examples: 嘲る[あざける] to scoff; to laugh at; to make fun of; to ridicule; to jeer at
heisig_story: The bad feeling created by words spoken in derision often leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the one who speaks them, kind of like the foul aftertaste that follows a night before of too much of the wrong stuff - or what we call morning mouth.
koohii_story: When I wake up, I am always late, so I hurry to work. With a bad case of perpetual morning breath, I am the subject of derision at my office whenever I open my mouth.
heisig_keyword: derision

kanji: 毀
meaning: break
ja_on: キ
ja_kun: こぼ.つ、こわ.す、こぼ.れる、こわ.れる、そし.る、やぶ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 臼[うす] mortar
土[つち] earth
殳[るまた] lance shaft
examples: 毀損[きそん] damage; injury; defamation; harm
heisig_story: Mortar . . . soil . . . missile.
koohii_story: Wow, that baker must really be mad! He's trying to BREAK his MORTAR by throwing it to the SOIL. Whoa! Now he's aiming a MISSILE at it!

kanji: 彙
meaning: same kind
ja_on: イ
ja_kun: はりねずみ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彑[けいがしら] pig’s head
冖[わかんむり] cover
果[カ] fruit
examples: 語彙[ごい] vocabulary; lexicon; lexis; terminology
heisig_story: The top primitive of this character is actually an old form of broom. The remaining elements are: crown . . . fruit.
koohii_story: I was having mutual difficulties in my relationship. She was always the one wearing the crown and I was the one picking the fruit. In order to fix the problem I checked the glossary for " mutual difficulties " but found nothing. I guess we're going to have to mutually end our relationship.
heisig_keyword: glossary

kanji: 慄
meaning: fear
ja_on: リツ
ja_kun: ふる.える、おそ.れる、おのの.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
栗[リツ] chestnut
heisig_story: State of mind . . . chestnut.
koohii_story: shudder : You’re in the state of mind of shudder ing with fear when the chestnut tree is falling over towards you.
heisig_keyword: shudder

kanji: 憬
meaning: yearn for
ja_on: ケイ
ja_kun: あこが.れる
grade: Junior High
radicals: 忄[りっしんべん] heart
景[ケイ] scenery
heisig_story: State of mind . . . scenery.
koohii_story: I'm in a state of mind where I desire to see the sun over the capital for some nice scenery for a change (no more rain!).
heisig_keyword: hanker

kanji: 拉
meaning: Latin
ja_on: ラツ、ラ、ロウ
ja_kun: らっ.する、ひし.ぐ、くだ.く
grade: Junior High
radicals: 扌[てへん] hand
立[たつ] to stand
examples: 拉致[らち] taking captive; carrying away; kidnapping; kidnaping; abduction
拉致問題[らちもんだい] abduction issue (esp. of those Japanese abducted by North Korea)
heisig_story: The sense of this key word is to pull or jerk, as in opening a door or making "ramen" noodles. Its elements: fingers . . . vase.
koohii_story: He quickly yank ed his finger s out of the vase. Maybe no one noticed the attempt to steal the cookies…
heisig_keyword: yank

kanji: 曖
meaning: dark
ja_on: アイ
ja_kun: くら.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 日[ひ] sun
愛[アイ] love
examples: 曖昧[あいまい] vague; ambiguous; unclear
heisig_story: Sun . . . love.
koohii_story: The sun 's love is equivocal : it warms yet burns us.
heisig_keyword: unclear

kanji: 楷
meaning: square character style
ja_on: カイ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 木[き] tree
皆[カイ] all
examples: 楷書[かいしょ] printed style (of writing Chinese characters); square style; block style; standa
heisig_story: The key word refers to kanji that are written in full, squared form, as opposed to cursive writing which is more flowing andabbreviates some of the strokes. Here block letters are pictured as tidy rows of trees that are all the same size and can be read easily by all , whatever calligraphic skills they possess.
koohii_story: Print-style writing (as opposed to cursive): All print-style writing looks rather wooden to me. I prefer the fancy curves of cursive. (Note: Heisig gives this character the official keyword "block letters," but based on what I've read about the meaning of the character in the Yahoo! Japan Dictionary, I prefer "print-style writing").
heisig_keyword: block letters

kanji: 鬱
meaning: gloom
ja_on: ウツ
ja_kun: うっ.する、ふさ.ぐ、しげ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 缶[みずがめ] earthen jar
木[き] tree
冖[わかんむり] cover
鬯[においざけ] herbs
彡[さんづくり] hair-style
examples: 憂鬱[ゆううつ] depression; melancholy; dejection; gloom; despondency
鬱陶しい[うっとうしい] gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing
鬱[うつ] depression; low spirits
heisig_story: Learning this character will take a little doing. Before we start, it is a good idea to keep the key word distinct from melancholy (Frame 663), with which it combines to create the psychological condition of depression (a metaphor based on the hollow or sinking of the material depression we met in Frame 1421). The picture of gloom begins with a small grove of trees, under which we see a crown made out of used tin cans. Next (the lower half of the kanji) we find a combination that appears only a few times in modern characters and only once in those treated in the volumes of Remembering the Kanji. It is composed of a shovel with a sheaf dotted with small drops on all sides. Think of it as a large scoop shovel attached to the front of a bulldozer, whose driver is singing: ♪ "Bulldozing in the sheaves , bulldozing in the sheaves... " ♪ The drops represent the chaff flying about as the sheaves are tossed about by the heavy machinery. There is someone sitting on the ground alongside, watching as the machinery makes its way around the neighboring farmland - and it's you, wearing your tin-can crown. You feel overwhelmed by the impending doom as the invasion of agro- business draws closer and closer to the grove , the only patch of woods that remains of what once was a vast forest. The whole scene represents a re- shaping of the natural environment that brings the heavy weight of gloom down upon you. A bit much, perhaps, but there are enough elements to allow for any number of other combinations.
koohii_story: I'm depressed that this kanji has 29 strokes.

kanji: 璧
meaning: sphere
ja_on: ヘキ
ja_kun: たま
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辟[ヘキ] false
玉[たま] jewelry
examples: 完璧[かんぺき] perfect; complete; flawless
heisig_story: The holed gem to which this kanji refers is a flat, circular object of about a foot in length, made of stone or glass and having a large hole in the middle. It's elements: ketchup . . . ball.
koohii_story: This kanji shows a policeman with a holed gem (which can be thought of as jewelry , I guess), but he thinks it's a doughnut. For some reason though, he liked his doughnuts with ketchup on them, so he added some, and tried to take a bite. He lost a few teeth on the process.
heisig_keyword: holed gem

kanji: 瘍
meaning: swelling
ja_on: ヨウ
ja_kun: かさ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 疒[やまいだれ] sickness
昜[ヨウ] open
examples: 腫瘍[しゅよう] tumor; tumour; neoplasm; neoplasia
heisig_story: Sickness . . . piggy bank.
koohii_story: The witches piggy bank was cursed with a spell causing any thief who stole it's contents to fall ill. The illness would result in the victim being covered from head to toe in a mass of carbuncles. Crime doesn't pay!
heisig_keyword: carbuncle

kanji: 箋
meaning: paper
ja_on: セン
ja_kun: ふだ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
戔[セン] damage
examples: 便箋[びんせん] writing paper; stationery; notepaper
処方箋[しょほうせん] prescription
heisig_story: Bamboo . . . float. Note that the drawing of the primitive for float uses the abbreviated form that has become standard in the general-use kanji and as we met it earlier (Frames 393-95). Until such time as typesetting fonts make the adjustment, only the older form has been approved. Here we have opted for the simpler, avant garde drawing.
koohii_story: Note: the spelling should be stationery (= paper, office supplies), not stationary (= not moving). The error is in the original book.
heisig_keyword: stationery

kanji: 籠
meaning: basket
ja_on: ロウ、ル
ja_kun: かご、こ.める、こも.る、こ.む
grade: Junior High
radicals: 竹[たけ] bamboo
龍[りゅう] dragon
examples: 籠もる[こもる] to shut oneself in (e.g. one's room); to be confined in; to seclude oneself; to
籠[かご] basket (shopping, etc.); hamper; cage

kanji: 羞
meaning: feel ashamed
ja_on: シュウ
ja_kun: はじ.る、すすめ.る、は.ずかしい
grade: Junior High
radicals: 羊[ひつじ] sheep
丿[の] diagonal sweeping stroke
丑[チュウ] sign of the ox or cow
heisig_story: Wool . . sign of the cow.
koohii_story: The sheep is ashamed of it's sheepish nature, and dons the sign of the cow as a disguise.
heisig_keyword: humiliate

kanji: 諧
meaning: harmony
ja_on: カイ
ja_kun: かな.う、やわ.らぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 言[げん] words
皆[カイ] all
heisig_story: The harmoney of "a place for everything and everything in its place" is applied here to the orderliness of all the words one speaks.
koohii_story: harmonious : If a choir is to be harmonious , all the voices need to combine to hit the right notes, and say the right words.
heisig_keyword: orderliness

kanji: 貪
meaning: covet
ja_on: タン、ドン、トン
ja_kun: むさぼ.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 今[コン] now
貝[かい] shell
examples: 貪る[むさぼる] to covet; to crave; to be greedy for; to hunger for; to lust insatiably for
貪欲[どんよく] greedy; avaricious; covetous
heisig_story: Clock . . . shellfish.
koohii_story: "Gimme all your money now!" said the covet ous criminal.

kanji: 踪
meaning: remains
ja_on: ソウ、ショウ
ja_kun: あと
grade: Junior High
radicals: 足[あし] foot
宗[シュウ] religion
examples: 失踪[しっそう] disappearance; running away; going missing; absconding
heisig_story: Wooden leg . . . religion. The key word refers to a trail of footprints or tracks left behind.
koohii_story: Footprint: In the pirate(=leg) religion, footprints are important because they lead to treasure.
heisig_keyword: trail

kanji: 辣
meaning: pungent
ja_on: ラツ
ja_kun: から.い
grade: Junior High
radicals: 辛[からい] bitter
束[ソク] bundle
heisig_story: Spicy . . . bundle.
koohii_story: bitter , spicy , bundle : In a desperate attempt of creating a new drink, they decided to mix a bitter drink with a spicy one – now bundled together for the same price of one! However, bitter ness didn't go well with the spicy, as seen in the misshape to the left.
heisig_keyword: bitter

kanji: 錮
meaning: confinement
ja_on: コ
ja_kun: ふさ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 金[かね] metal
固[コ] harden
examples: 禁錮[きんこ] imprisonment (without forced labour); incarceration; confinement
heisig_story: Metal . . . harden.
koohii_story: RTK supplement: weld (metal, harden) - weld ing the metal bars of a cage together, to harden the cage even more… nothing shall escape now!
heisig_keyword: weld

kanji: 塡
meaning: fill in
ja_on: テン、チン
ja_kun: はま.る、うず.める、は.める、ふさ.ぐ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 土[つち] earth
眞[シン] truth

kanji: 頰
meaning: cheeks
ja_on: キョウ
ja_kun: ほお、ほほ
grade: Junior High
radicals: 夾[キョウ] insert between
頁[おおがい] head

kanji: 𠮟
meaning: scold
ja_on: シツ、シチ、カ
ja_kun: しか.る
grade: Junior High
radicals: 口[くち] mouth
七[シチ] seven

kanji: 剝
meaning: come off
ja_on: ハク、ホク
ja_kun: へ.ぐ、へず.る、む.く、む.ける、は.がれる、は.ぐ、は.げる、は.がす
grade: Junior High
radicals: 彑[けいがしら] pig’s head
氺[したみず] water
刂[りっとう] knife