Kanji topic · 15 kanji

More useful beginner kanji

Kanji that do not belong to one topic but appear everywhere: 本 (book, and the “origin” in 日本, Japan), 何 (what), 電 (electricity, as in 電話, telephone) and 物 (thing).

• 本

  Book, Present, Main, Origin, True, Real, Counter For Long Cylindrical Things N5

  On ほん

  Kun もと

• 電

  Electricity N5

  On でん

• 何

  What N5

  On か

  Kun なに、なん、なに-、なん-

• 事

  Matter, Thing, Fact, Business, Reason, Possibly N4

  On じ、ず

  Kun こと、つかう、つかえる

• 理

  Logic, Arrangement, Reason, Justice, Truth N4

  On り

  Kun ことわり

• 以

  By Means Of, Because, In View Of, Compared With N4

  On い

  Kun もって

• 元

  Beginning, Former Time, Origin N4

  On げん、がん

  Kun もと

• 物

  Thing, Object, Matter N4

  On ぶつ、もつ

  Kun もの、もの-

• 別

  Separate, Branch Off, Diverge, Fork, Another, Extra, Specially N4

  On べつ

  Kun わかれる、わける

• 計

  Plot, Plan, Scheme, Measure N4

  On けい

  Kun はかる、はからう

• 台

  Pedestal, A Stand, Counter For Machines And Vehicles N4

  On だい、たい

  Kun うてな、われ、つかさ

• 紙

  Paper N4

  On し

  Kun かみ

• 洋

  Ocean, Sea, Foreign, Western Style N4

  On よう

• 服

  Clothing, Admit, Obey, Discharge N4

  On ふく

• 図

  Map, Drawing, Plan, Extraordinary, Audacious N4

  On ず、と

  Kun え、はかる

Kanji readings, meanings and frequency from KANJIDIC2, © Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. JLPT levels from Jonathan Waller's JLPT resources (CC BY).