250 Essential Japanese Kanji Characters Volume 1 Page 4
日曜日 にちようび nichi yōbi Sunday
月曜日 げつようび getsu yōbi Monday
________
何曜日 なんようび nan yōbi what day of the week
27 火
hi, (bi), ka
ひ、(び) 、カ
fire, flame
火 derives from a pictograph of a flame. When used as the lower part of other kanji, 火 is sometimes written .
火 ひ hi fire, flame
火曜日 かようび ka yōbi Tuesday
________
花火 はなび hanabi fireworks
火事 かじ kaji fire (destructive burning)
28 水
mizu, sui
みず、スイ
water
水, modified from 川 river, means water. As a radical, 水 is often written
水 みず mizu water
水曜日 すい ようび sui yōbi Wednesday
________
おち やのみず Ochanomizu Ochanomizu (place)
れい すい reisui ice water, cold water
水分 すい ぶん suibun moisture
29 木
ki, (gi), boku, moku
き、(ぎ) 、ボク、モク
tree, wood
木 derives from a pictograph of a tree.
木 き ki tree, wood
木曜日 もくようび moku yōbi Thursday
________
六本木 ろっぽんぎ Roppongi Roppongi (place)
土木 どぼく doboku abbreviation for 土木工事 (public works) and (civil engineering)
もくぞう mokuzō wooden, made of wood
30 金
kane, kin
かね、キン
gold, metal, money
金, which depicts two nuggets in the earth 土 (cf. 31) piled up in a mound indicates precious ore such as gold. Associated meanings are metal and money.
金 かね kane money/metal
金 きん kin gold
金曜曰 きんようび kin yōbi Friday
________
金メダル きんメダル kin medaru gold medal
げんきん genkin cash
れいきん reikin gift money to landlord
31 土
tsuchi, do, to
つち、ド、 ト
soil, earth; ground
土 represents a plant growing out of the earth, suggesting soil or ground.
土 つち tsuchi soil, earth
土曜日 どようび do yōbi Saturday
________
土地 どち tochi (piece of) land
32 平
tai-ra, hei
たい・ら、ヘイ
flat, level
平 represents a waterweed floating flat on the water.
平曰 へいじつ heiiitsu ordinary day, weekday
________
平らな たいらな taira na flat
水平な すいへいな suihei na horizontal, level
へいきんする heikin suru to average
33 成
na-ru, sei
な・る、セイ
achieve; become, form
成, which combines 戈 arms or weapon and 力 power or force (cf. 67 男), means achieve. Associated meanings are form and become.
平成 へいせい Heisei Heisei (era)
________
成田 なりた Narita Narita (place, airport)
せいせきひよう seiseki hyō school report card
成人の日 せいじんのひ Seijin no hi Coming of Age Day
せいこうする seikō suru to succeed, to be successful
34 年
toshi, nen
とし、ネン
year; age
年 depicts a man working in a rice paddy (cf. 102 人) and grain. This suggests the period between harvests, which is usually a year.
年 どし toshi year; age
三年 さんねん san nen three years, the third year
________
こどし kotoshi this year
きょねん kyonen last year
ねんど nendo fiscal/academic year
年金 ねんきん nenkin pension
ぼうねんかい bōnenkai year-end party
35 祝
iwa-u, shuku
いわ・う、シュク
celebrate, congratulate
祝 combines and 兄. The radical derives from 示 altar, and 兄 represents a kneeling priest. Thus 祝 means celebration. 兄 by itself means elder brother.
祝う いわつ iwau to celebrate, to congratulate
(お）祝い (お）いわい (o)iwai congratulation, celebratory gift
祝日 しゅくじつ shukujitsu national holiday, festival day
________
内祝(い) うちいわい uchi iwai family celebration
祝電 しゅくでん shukuden congratulatory telegram
36 祭
matsu-ri, sai
まつ・り、サイ
festival
祭 derives from a pictograph of a hand (cf. 85 手) holding sacrificial meat 月 (cf. 226 肉) on an altar 示 (cf. 35 祝). Thus 祭 suggests an occasion when offerings are made to the gods; i.e., a festival.
祭（り） まつり matsuri festival
祭日 さいじつ saijitu festival day, national holiday
祝祭日 しゆくさいじつ shuku saijitsu national holiday, festival day
______
大学祭 だいがくさい daigakusai university/college festival
festival
4 Practice
I. Write the readings of the following kanji in hiragana.
1. 平成五年
2. 祝日
3. 祭日
4. 日曜日
5. 月曜日
6. 火 曜 日
7. 水曜日
8. 木曜日
9. 金曜日
10. 土曜日
11. 休日
12. 平日
13. 祝う
14. 祭り
15. 火は あかいです。
16. この 水は おいしいですね。
17. 五月は 木が きれいです。
18. お金は かばんの なかに あります。
19. 1 9 6 4 年は、とうきょう オリンピックの 年でした。
II. Fill in the blanks with appropriate kanji.
5 Advanced Placement Exam Practice Question
Read the passage below and answer the questions.
には祝日が十五日あります。いちばん祝日がおおい月は五月で三日、四日、五日の三日間あり ます。祝日がない月は六月と八月です。
平成十九年に、四月と五月の祝日のなまえがかわりました。四月二十九日の「みどりの日」は日」に、五月四日の「こくみんの休日」は「みどりの日」になりました。
祝日が日曜日のときは、つぎの平日が休みです。これを「ふりかえ休日」といいます。
たとえば、二千七年（平成十九年）は四月二十九日が日曜日なので、三十日の月曜日がふりかえ休 日になります。五月一日の火曜日と二日の水曜日を休みにすると、四月三十日から五月三日まで、な がい休みになります。つづけて休むあります。
このながい休みを、ゴールデンウィークといいます。たくさんがたのしみにしています。
1. What day of the week is May 1, 2007?
A. Monday
B. Tuesday
C. Wednesday
D. Thursday
2. During what months are there no public holidays in Japan?
A. June and August
B. July and September
C. August and October
D. November and January
3. What day is May 4, 2007?
A. Showa-no-hi
B. Midori-no-hi
C. Kokumin-n
o-kyūjitsu
D. Furikae-kyūjitsu
4. What day is April 30, 2007?
A. Showa-no-hi
B. Midori-no-hi
C. Kokumin-no-kyūjitsu
D. Furikae-kyūjitsu
5. Which of the following statements about Golden Week （ゴールデンウィーク） is not true?
A. Many Japanese are looking forward to these consecutive holidays.
B. All days from April 29 to May 5 are holidays.
C. Some companies close for the whole week during Golden Week.
D. Midori-no-hi has changed to Showa-no-hi.
LESSON 4
It’s Nice to Meet You
はじめまして、
どうぞ よろしく
The academic year in Japan begins in April. An entrance ceremony is held for incoming university freshmen, and the president and deans give welcoming addresses. When classes begin, new students are often asked to introduce themselves. This lesson will help you introduce yourself in Japanese.
The photo on the right shows a street address sign. These signs are often attached to buildings or utility poles, and are helpful if you are looking for a particular place.
1 Introductory Quiz
Look at the illustration below and refer to the words in Vocabulary. Then try the following quiz.
The Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Tokyo is now called Shakaikibangaku, in Japanese.
Mr. Lee, a student from Malaysia, is planning to study civil engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo; he will study Japanese, too. The entrance ceremony will be held tomorrow. Read the following sentences and choose the correct answers.
1. わたしは リーです。 (a. とうきょう b. きょうと) 大学の がくせいです。
2. (a. こうがくぶ b. ぶんがくぶ） の (a. とし b. どぼく) 工学科で べんきょう します。
3. わたしの せんこうは (a. 日本語 b. 土木工学) です。
4. (a. 学生 b. 先生) のなまえは 三木せんせいです。
5. 大学の にゅうがくしきは (a. 四月 b. 八月) です。
6. 東京大学は (a. b. 文京区) 、本郷 (a. 七丁目 b. 七十日) に あります。
2 Vocabulary
Study the readings and meanings of these words to help you understand the Introductory Quiz.
1. 東京大学 どうきょうだいがく Tōkyō daigaku University of Tokyo
2. 京都大学 きょうどだいがく Kyōto daigaku Kyoto University
3. 学生 がくせい gakusei student
4. 留学生 りゆうがくせい ryūgakusei foreign student
5. 工学部 こうがくぶ Kōgaku bu Faculty of Engineering
6. 文学部 ぶ、ん力くくぶ、 Bungaku bu Faculty of Literature
7. 都市工学科 どしこうがっか Toshi kōgakka Department of Urban Engineering
8. どぼくこうがっか Doboku kōgakka Department of Civil Engineering
9. 専攻 せんこう senkō major field of study
10. にほんご Nihongo Japanese language
11. 先生 せん せい sensei professor, teacher
12. みき Miki Miki (name)
13. 入学式 にゆうがくしき nyūgaku shiki entrance ceremony
14. さきょぅく Sakyō ku Sakyo Ward
15. 文京区 ぶんきょうく Bunkyō ku Bunkyo Ward
16. ほん ごう Hongō Hongo (place)
17. ななちようめ nana chōme the 7th block (in an address)
3 New Characters
Twenty-two characters are introduced in this lesson. Use the explanations to help you understand and remember the characters. Study the compound words to increase your vocabulary.
大 学 東 京 留 生 工 部 科 専 攻 先 本 語 都 市 入 式 文 区 丁 目
37 大
ō-kii, dai, tai
おお・きい、ダイ、タイ
big, large, great
大 depicts a man with arms and legs spread wide, suggesting big and large.
大きい おおきい ōkii big, large, great, tall
________
おおさか Ōsaka Osaka
大都市 だいどし aaitoshi big city
だいぶつ aaibutsu great statue of Buddha
大会 たいかい taikai large meeting, convention tournament
38 学
mana-bu, gaku, (ga’)
まな・ぶ、ガク、(ガッ）
study, learn; school
学, simplified from 學, combines 子 child (cf. 116) and, which represents a building with lights on in the kanji 営 (cf. 93). Thus 学 indicates a building where children are, namely, a school. An associated meaning is study.
大学 だいがく daigaku university, college
学年 がくねん gakunen school/academic year; grade at school
________
学ぶ まなぶ、 manabu to study, to learn
がっこう gakkō school
39 東
higashi, tō
ひがし、トウ
east
東, which combines 木 tree and 日 sun, depicts the sun rising from behind a tree in the east.
東 ひがし higashi east
東大 どうだい Tōdai abbreviation for 東京大学 (University of Tokyo)
________
JR 柬曰本 JR ひがしにほん JRHigashinihon East Japan Railway Company
かんどう Kantō Kanto (district)
40 京
kyō
キョウ
capital
京 represents a big building on a hill, a sight often seen in a capital city. It also represents stone lanterns that guarded ancient Chinese capitals.
東京 どうきょう Tōkyō Tokyo
________
左京区 さきょうく Sakyō ku Sakyo Ward (in Kyoto)
41 留
to-meru, ryū
と・める、リュウ
stay, keep; fasten
was originally written, depicting closed doors. 田 means rice paddy (cf. 88), which can be thought of as limited space. Closed doors combined with limited space suggest staying or keeping something in a certain place.
留学する りゅうがくする ryūgaku suru to study abroad
________
書留 かきどめ kakitome registered mail
国費留学 こくひ kokuhi study abroad on
りゅうがく ryūgaku a government scholarship
しひりゆうがく shihi ryūgaku study abroad at one's own expense
42 生
i-kiru, u-mareru, sei, (jō)
い・きる、う・まれる、セイ、(ジョウ）
live, be born, life
生 depicts a flower in its prime, ready to give birth to a new life. Thus 生 means life, living, being born, or giving birth.
生まれる うまれる umareru to be born
学生 がくせい gakusei student
留学生 りゆうがくせい ryūgaku sei foreign student
生年月日 せいねんがっぴ seinen gappi date of birth
________
生きる いきる ikiru to live
大学生 だいがくせい daigakusei university/college student
がくせいか gakusei ka Student Affairs Section
一年生 いちねんせい ichinensei first-year student, freshman
たんじょうび tanjōbi birthday
43 工
kō
コウ
craft, industry
工, representing a carpenter’s ruler, means craft or industry. As part of other kanji, it often means straight.
工学 こうがく kōgaku engineering
土木工学 どぼくこうがく doboku kōgaku civil engineering
________
工場 こうじょう kōjō factory
工業 こうぎよう kōgyō (manufacturing) industry
人工 じんこ
う jinkō artificial
44 部
bu
ブ
part, section
部 combines, which derives from 剖 and means cutting something into parts, and, indicating village (cf. 51 都, 151 郵). Thus 部 formerly meant part of a village, and now has come to mean part or section in general.
工学部 こうがくぶ Kōgaku bu Faculty of Engineering
部分 ぶぶん bubun part, portion
________
全部 ぜんぶ zembu all, whole
テニス部 テニスぶ tenis bu tennis club
部屋 *へや heya room
45 科
ka
カ
department, course; academic subject
科 combines the radical 禾 grain and 斗, which derives from the shape of a dipper used to measure volume in ancient China. Formerly meaning measuring and sorting out, 科 now means subject of study or department.
学科 がっか gakka university/college department
土木工学科 どぼく こうがっか Doboku kōgakka Department of Civil Engineering
科学 かがく kagaku science
______
46 専
sen
セン
specialize; exclusive
専 combines, depicting a tool used to weave one rope from many strands, and 寸 work (cf. 23 時). Thus 専 means working in one specific area or specializing.
専門 せんもん semmon major field of study, specialty
________
せんもん がっこう semmon gakkō vocational/professional school