MIT Lesson 8 Kanji: 第８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:: 月
Readings:: つき/ゲツ/ガツ; tsuki/GETSU/GATSU
Meaning:: moon; month
Mnemonic:: The pitograph of the crescent moon.
Usage Examples:: 月曜日 (げつようび) Monday; 九月 (くがつ) September; 一か月 (いっかげつ) one month

Printed form:: 火
Readings:: カ; KA
Meaning:: fire
Mnemonic:: The pictograph of flame.
Usage Examples:: 火曜日 (かようび) Tuesday

Printed form:: 水
Readings:: スイ; SUI
Meaning:: water
Mnemonic:: The pictograph of the current of water
Usage Examples:: 水曜日 (すいようび) Wednesday

Printed form:: 木
Readings:: モク; MOKU
Meaning:: tree
Mnemonic:: The pictograph of a tree.
Usage Examples:: 木曜日 (もくようび) Thursday; 火木 (かもく) Tuesday, Thursday

Printed form:: 金
Readings:: キン; KIN
Meaning:: gold; money
Mnemonic:: A house with a pile of gold stored inside.
Usage Examples:: 金曜日 (きんようび) Friday; 月水金 (げっすいきん) Monday, Wednseday, Friday

Printed form:: 土
Readings:: ド; DO
Meaning:: earth; soil
Mnemonic:: A picture of a young shoot of grass growing on the ground.
Usage Examples:: 土曜日 (どようび) Saturday; 土日 (どにち) Saturday, Sunday

Printed form:: 曜
Readings:: ヨウ; YOO
Meaning:: day of a week
Mnemonic:: The sun 日, feathers 羽, and a peasant 隹. A picture of a peasant flying toward the sun.
Usage Examples:: 何曜日 (なんようび) which day of the week; 日曜日 (にちようび) Sunday

Printed form:: 時
Readings:: ジ; JI
Meaning:: time
Mnemonic:: The sun radical 日 and the kanji for temple 寺. They used to announce the time of a day by hitting an iron bell in a temple.
Usage Examples:: 時間 (じかん) time; 四時間 (よじかん) four hours; 何時 (なんじ) what time?

Printed form:: 休
Readings:: やす(みます); yasu
Meaning:: rest; vacation
Mnemonic:: A person resting under a tree.
Usage Examples:: 休み (やすみ) time off; 休みます (やすみます) to rest

Printed form:: 毎
Readings:: マイ; MAI
Meaning:: every
Mnemonic:: The person radical on the top and the kanji for mother 母.
Usage Examples:: 毎日 (まいにち) every day; 毎週 (まいしゅう) every week; 毎月 (まいつき/まいげつ) every month; 毎年 (まいとし/まいねん) every year

Printed form:: 年
Readings:: ネン; NEN
Meaning:: year
Mnemonic:: The fusion of 午 zodiac horse and 牙 animal teeth. You can tell the age of a horse by counting the number of its teeth.
Usage Examples:: 今年 (ことし) this year; 十年 (じゅうねん) ten years

Printed form:: 半
Readings:: ハン (HAN) - half, semi
Mnemonic:: An object divided into two halves.
Usage Examples:: 九時半 (くじはん) half past nine; 一時半 (いちじはん) half past one

Printed form:: 午
Readings:: ゴ; GO
Meaning:: noon
Mnemonic:: The picture of a pounder to make rice cake. It goes up and down just like the sun.
Usage Examples:: 午前 (ごぜん) in the morning

Printed form:: 後
Readings:: うし(ろ)/ゴ; ushi/GO
Meaning:: back; later
Mnemonic:: The two men go (行) slowly holding a long thread (糸) and draging their feet (久).
Usage Examples:: 後ろ (うしろ) back; 午後 (ごご) in the afternoon

New Readings:: 五分 (ごふん) five minutes; 二十分 (にじゅっぷん/にじっぷん) twenty minutes; 日曜日 (にちようび) Sunday; 名古屋 (なごや) Nagoya; 二日 (ふつか) two days/2nd day; 三日 (みっか) three days/3rd day; 一日 (ついたち/いちにち) one day/1st day

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