Questions tagged [kanji]
漢字. Chinese characters as used in Japanese writing as opposed to the two kana syllabaries and rōmaji (Latin letters).
2
votes
1answer
23 views
Determine the correct reading of a word made up from kanjis
Supposed I know some kanjis and their reading, and come across a word I don't know yet that's made up from these kanjis, how do I determine the correct reading?
Example:
大好き - daisuki
大きい - ookii
...
4
votes
1answer
246 views
Has anyone come across the word 畸端?
I've started reading my first Japanese book and the word 畸端検査官 keeps popping up. I know 検査官 means inspector, but I can't find a reference anywhere to 畸端.
Can anyone help?
0
votes
0answers
67 views
Japanese Character Recognition [on hold]
I'm using a few Japanese symbols as graphic design elements but I want to make sure what they mean before using them.
I've tried using OCRs online without any success. The best so far was to use this ...
1
vote
0answers
61 views
Variants of kanji radicals indicating Joyo vs Non-Joyo [duplicate]
I noticed that there is a variant of the 之繞 radical ⻌ which occurs in some words but not others. The variant is 辶 (with an extra stroke). It appears in words like 逢う and 槌.
It turns out that Non-Joyo ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
A Question while reading mangas
I love to read manga, and I am always confused when a character uses a spell, and a T/N is written somewhere stating the literal meaning.
Example is when Mad Hatter (From Gaitou Alice) uses a spell, ...
2
votes
1answer
97 views
Help identifying a Kanji character from image
I've been struggling to identify this Kanji for 30 minutes now. Tried looking up radicals, stroke order, etc. but can't figure it out.
More context:
2
votes
1answer
78 views
Meaning of 水洗式 other than flush toilet
In an article about penetrant testing (浸透探傷検査) I found the following sentence:
浸透液は水洗式でハケ塗りとし，極力溶接部以外に浸透液が付着しないようにすること．
In this kind of test, a penetrant liquid is used on a surface (in this case ...
1
vote
0answers
69 views
さえなっている even becoming [closed]
I am having difficulty figuring out the meaning of this sentence.
This is from a Pokémon commercial which is 30 seconds long. I am posting the full transcript and a translation I received just for ...
0
votes
2answers
300 views
What are these Japanese characters which look like an 'S' and a small 'n'?
What are these Japanese characters?
looks like 'n'
looks like 'S'
I have seen these characters in plenty of untranslated manga, but I haven't been able to find those two letters anywhere.
Does ...
1
vote
1answer
139 views
Is there a common etymology for the kanji 巳 and 己 and 已?
The three characters 巳 and 己 and 已 are visually very similar, but do they have a common etymology or any overlap in terms of semantic content?
Any information would be appreciated.
1
vote
0answers
50 views
Why do so many kanji for body parts have the radical 「月」？ [duplicate]
What is the etymological reason for words like 胸, 肘, 腹, 腕, and 脚 to have 月?
Is it phonetic at all or does it contribute meaning?
0
votes
1answer
77 views
How do you say lychee? Does it have a kanji as well? [closed]
I can’t seem to find any information on it other than “ライチ” but I only found that from one website.:/
1
vote
0answers
16 views
Looking for a resource that can filter japanese sentences given a set of kanji [migrated]
I'm trying to get as much in-context kanji exposure as possible.
But since I know only around 200 kanji, everytime I try to practice reading it on real sentences I basically don't understand 99% of ...
20
votes
3answers
5k views
What is the 中 in ダウンロード中？
I was downloading an update for a phone game I set in Japanese and on the screen it said 「ダウンロード中」and I don’t understand the use of 中. Middle? In the middle of downloading?
1
vote
2answers
149 views
Are there any words which use 'カ', the on-yomi of 何?
I started finally learning kanji's readings not only meanings and words. And in two sources I use I see that 何's kun'yomi is なん、なに and on' is カ.
I've seen 何 in many words as
なん: 何度、何と、何で
なに: 何人、何か
...
0
votes
1answer
147 views
How many Joyo (and perhaps Jinmeiyo) Kanji have only one onyomi?
I feel this is really beneficial to have a list for in my studies. The reason is if I see an unknown word that I'm reasonably sure has onyomi readings, if the kanji in question have only one possible ...
1
vote
1answer
153 views
っていうことになったんですけど - meaning?
I had just received a somewhat rushed 'transliteration' of a 1 minute video. To me, Shigeru Miyamoto speaks in a way which is extremely difficult to understand. I am adding the full transcript just ...
2
votes
1answer
76 views
Meaning of けらている
From a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5T-L0b43no
Bolded parts are what I'm struggling with with.
あたしは目を瞑って静かに座っているのに
なぜかのけらているようなそんな浮遊感だ
It looks like 浮遊感 means "floating/drifting ...
1
vote
4answers
196 views
Is it acceptable to learn just one pronunciation for each kanji? [closed]
I just want to learn one pronunciation for each kanji because I want to write them with the keyboard. Or do I have to learn all the pronounciation for the kanji?
2
votes
1answer
244 views
How to say “Developer” In Japanese?
I want to know how to say Developer in Japanese. By Developer, Specifically a web Developer, Programmer or Coder.
When I googled it initially, I got:
デベロッパー
And then I found a Kanji:
開発者
I ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
Is there a specific reading for 常訓 and 常音?
Is there a specific reading for 常訓 and 常音? I see this in an electronic dictionary to indicate on'yomi and kun'yomi reading of kanjis. What I struggle to find is the meaning of the combination of both ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
How to describe switching individual 漢字？ [duplicate]
Apologies if this question title is vague but, is there a word in Japanese that describes a new word which is formed by switching the 漢字 around?
e.g
例文 -> 文例
運命 -> 命運
合併 -> 併合
How do ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
着 vs 衣 to refer to gi?
When would I use 着（ki) as opposed to 衣 (i) to refer to a karate gi (空手着 or 空手衣)?
As I understand it, 着 refers to something you wear, literally being used as a noun for "suit of clothes" and being ...
3
votes
3answers
249 views
Kanji etymology of 毎?
what does 母 have to do with 毎? is there any link at all or did it come together randomly? does it have to do with the Chinese pronunciation?
1
vote
1answer
269 views
An uncommon variant of 写
I ran into the sentence below. The meaning is clear and when copying and pasting the kanji I get: 写. I wonder how common such a form of the kanji is. Is it just a different font?
0
votes
1answer
92 views
Why are some names pronounced differently from their on-yomi and kun-yomi?
I'm learning how Japanese names work for a story I'm writing and creating names is one of the most fun things I've done in some time. However, it comes with a share of frustrations. One for me is that ...
1
vote
0answers
142 views
Help identifying a handwritten character [closed]
I've had trouble identifying this certain character:
I find it pretty difficult to discern the individual strokes and components. Is it uncommon or are my eyes just bad?
EDIT: The sentence goes 合同⭕...
1
vote
1answer
309 views
Morning, Afternoon, Night Kanji
Learning the time of day I found that 朝 or あさ means morning, 昼 or ひる means afternoon, and 晚 I expected to be night but Google translate is saying it's moth for some reason. Does this 晚 only mean night ...
3
votes
1answer
169 views
Having Trouble Identifying This Character (or Characters?) [closed]
I've been staring at this part of a section I'm trying to read, and it's the latter part that has me thoroughly stumped:
While I can suss out the first two characters (pretty sure it's "倒壊"), I can't ...
-1
votes
1answer
100 views
3
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0answers
102 views
Nuance differences between the kanji for ぐあい, 具合 and 工合
Usually I read ぐあい as 具合 but recently I was reading a some Japanese literature and the 工合 version of the kanji was used.
For reference the literature:
脳味噌の中心にヒリヒリと焦げ付く位である。それでいて、あとから考えるとその興味の焦点と、...
-1
votes
2answers
156 views
Unable to identify a semi-cursive? Kanji
A friend and I are studying and she showed me this book she couldn't tell what the kanji was after ヒト. We were able to decipher two out of 3 kanji 関わる and 見る (unless we're wrong do correct us).
...
4
votes
1answer
244 views
How difficult is the 万葉集 to read?
From my understanding, the 万葉集 is written in 万葉仮名 which uses a limited set of characters solely for their 音読み reading rather than for their semantic meaning.
In light of this, I am curious how ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
How obscure is the use of 令 in 令和?
I actually like the new 年号 kanji 令和, but I must admit I was surprised by the choice of 令. According to this article in the Japan Times,
The new era name is composed of two Chinese characters — “...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
What will the new character ⿰令和 look like?
On the Wikipedia page for the Reiwa period there's a section:
Implementation
The Unicode Consortium has already reserved a code point (U+32FF) for a new glyph which will combine halfwidth ...
5
votes
2answers
279 views
Unknown Kanji on Mountain Rock
I've been studying Japanese for about 3 years, passed N1 last December (was not expecting that) and wanted to brush off one of the biggest questions I've ever had on Kanji (bugging me for about 2 of ...
21
votes
6answers
7k views
Is exact Kanji stroke length important?
Context:
I am currently on a quest to learn how to hand write the 2000 most commonly used Kanji. This requires lots of memorization, so efficiency is important.
I have come across Kanji that have ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
Literary work using all (or most) of 常用漢字
In the last half a century or so, has anyone ever tried to write a literary text in Japanese that would cover all (or most) of 常用漢字?
I'm looking for something along the lines of the Thousand ...
5
votes
1answer
211 views
How to read this sign and what it means?
A friend sent a picture he received from another friend of this framed parchment with some very flowery and old looking Japanese written on it asking me if I could read it and if I knew what it meant:
...
5
votes
1answer
243 views
A name for common words that use uncommon kanji?
I didn't see a duplicate for this in the similar questions, so here goes. Is there either a list of words like this, or a name for this type of word (made of two very rare/complex kanji, but the word ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
What are the nuances between the use of 訊く instead of 聞く in the following sentence?
I know that 訊く is another way to write 聞く, so now I'm curious as to why the author of the book used it here instead of 聞く, which has been used for all previous instances in the book.
こちらから訊くより先に、...
1
vote
1answer
197 views
What is the etymology of the kanji 寺?
This kanji has : -
止(phonetic) + 寸(hand : semantic) and the 止 part became 土 later
But I found in some resources this interpretations which explain "止" function in the kanji so I wanna know which on ...
4
votes
2answers
177 views
What does 分 means in “国分寺”?
As i found in jisho dictionary here
https://jisho.org/search/%23kanji%20寺
This word "国分寺" means "state-supported provincial temple"
国 means "state or region" and i understand why it is in the ...
0
votes
1answer
170 views
Question about kanji 分?
As we know this kanji means "divide / part / minute / understand" and many other meanings but these are the main meanings .. and I can understand the first two because they are related to the ...
0
votes
0answers
112 views
How does “ 一切” mean all/entire?
This word contains 一 "one" plus 切 "to cut" .. so how would this mean all/entire? ...
I searched before coming here and found something https://kanjiportraits.wordpress.com/2016/10/23/the-kanji-...
4
votes
1answer
172 views
What is the etymology of the kanji 石?
Kanji "stone" contains (cliff 厂 + mouth 口).. my question is what is the idea of mixing mouth with cliff ... the cliff function here is clear because it's some thing related with stone.. but what is ...
7
votes
1answer
289 views
What is the etymology of the kanji 金?
Trying to look up the etymology of the kanji 金, every reference seems to give a different explanation. Let me ask about two references (Wiktionary and Hanziyuan)
Wiktionary gives the following ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
For the Kanji 校 is the fifth stroke connected to the sixth stroke?
Some websites online show the fifth stroke as a vertical line straight down connected to the sixth stroke, while others (and in Chinese) have it as a downward diagonal dash. Is there are difference ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
How to know the real eytomolgy for any kanji? [closed]
When i ask on this site for the eytomolgy for any kanji .somebody comes (like user called droooze) and answer my question by explaining the eytomolgy and giving a pictures of the kanji in the seal ...
2
votes
2answers
297 views
What is the etymology of the kanji 食?
In the Wiktionary page for this kanji they said that it's a pictogram for someone's mouth over a bowl of rice on a stand .. the question is: are they meaning this was the actual way for eating in this ...
