MIT Lesson 7 Kanji: 第７課の漢字

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In the following definitions, on (Chinese-based) readings are represented by katakana, and by capital romaji letters; kun (native Japanese-based) readings are represented by hiragana, and by lower-case romaji letters. This is a common dictionary convention, and does not have any bearing on meaning.

Printed form:: 名
Readings:: な; na
Meaning:: name
Mnemonic:: In the dimness of the eavening 夕 (crescent of the moon), you ask a person to tell 口 (mouth) his/her name.
Usage Examples:: 名前 (なまえ) name

Printed form:: 書
Readings:: か(く); ka
Meaning:: to write
Mnemonic:: The upper componet indicate a hand holding a brush and the lower part is a pile of paper.
Usage Examples:: 書きます (かきます) write; 書いて下さい (かいてください) Please write it.

Printed form:: 手
Readings:: て; te
Meaning:: hand
Mnemonic:: The pictograph of a hand
Usage Examples:: 右の手 (みぎのて) right hand; 手紙 (てがみ) letter; 手前 (てまえ) this side

Printed form:: 紙
Readings:: かみ/がみ; kami/gami
Meaning:: paper
Mnemonic:: The thread radical 糸 and the kanji 氏 for clans. An important paper to record a clan history.
Usage Examples:: 白い紙 (しろいかみ) white paper

Printed form:: 下
Readings:: くだ (kuda) below; under
Mnemonic:: The ideograph to symbolize something under the horizontal stroke.
Usage Examples:: 下さい (ください) give me (something); テレビの下 (てれびのした) under the TV

Printed form:: 新
Readings:: あたら(しい)/シン; atara/SHIN
Meaning:: new
Mnemonic:: Trees 木 standing 立 in the wood where a lumberjack cuts fresh new trees with an axe 斤.
Usage Examples:: 新聞 (しんぶん) newspaper

Printed form:: 古(い)
Readings:: ふる; furu
Meaning:: old
Mnemonic:: An ancient cross standing on a tomb stone.
Usage Examples:: 古い (ふるい) old

Printed form:: 聞
Readings:: き(きます)/ブン; ki/BUN
Meaning:: to listen
Mnemonic:: Woops! Someone is listening (耳 ears) behind the door (門 gate; two-panel door). [間(あいだ) "interval; bewteen"]
Usage Examples:: 聞きます (ききます) listen; 聞いて下さい (きいてください) Please listen.

Printed form:: 校
Readings:: コウ; KOO
Meaning:: school
Mnemonic:: The tree radical 木 and the kanji 交 meaning "to interact; exchange".
Usage Examples:: 学校 (がっこう) school

Printed form:: 食
Readings:: た(べます); ta
Meaning:: to eat
Mnemonic:: The top radical indicate "to gather all". The lower component 良 means "goodness". Please eat healthy things.
Usage Examples:: 食べます (たべます) eat; 食べて下さい (たべてください) Please eat it.

Printed form:: 買
Readings:: か(います); ka
Meaning:: to buy
Mnemonic:: Shellfish 貝 used to symbolize money and goods. The top component indicates a picture of a net to collect shellfishes.
Usage Examples:: 買います (かいます) buy; 買って下さい (かってください) Please buy it.

Printed form:: 作
Readings:: つく(ります); tsuku
Meaning:: to make
Mnemonic:: The person radical on the left. The right side indicates an art work cut and shaped with a knife.
Usage Examples:: 作ります (つくります) make; 作って下さい (つくってください) Please make it.

Printed form:: 今
Readings:: いま; ima
Meaning:: now; present
Mnemonic:: The top three strokes symbolize "a heap of many years", the fourth bending stroke indicates "something has come in right now".
Usage Examples:: 今 (いま) now; 今、何時ですか (いま、なんじですか) what time is it now?; 今日 (きょう) today; 今朝 (けさ) this morning; 今月 (こんげつ) this month

Printed form:: 屋
Readings:: ヤ; YA
Meaning:: shop
Mnemonic:: The shop radical to enclose the top and the left. The inside 至 means "to reach" the item that you've been looking for.
Usage Examples:: 本屋 (ほんや) booksotre; 八百屋 (やおや) vegetable store; ケーキ屋 (ケーキや) cake store

New Readings:: 電車 (でんしゃ) electric train; 大学 (だいがく) college

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