250 Essential Japanese Kanji Characters Volume 1 Page 6
64 書
ka-ku, sho
か・く、ショ
write; book
書 depicts a hand holding a brush and writing on a piece of paper.
書く かく kaku to write
申込書 もうしこみしよ mōshikomi sho application form
______
しょじょう shojō letter
どくしょ dokusho reading books
さんこうしよ sankōsho reference book
じし丄 jisho dictionary
しよるしヽ shorui documents, written materials
65 氏
shi
シ
family; surname
氏 derives from the shape of a sewing needle, suggesting a seam. Stitches in a seam follow one after another, like generations of a family. Thus 氏 means family and, by extension, family name.
スミス氏 スミスし sumisu shi Mr./Ms./Miss/Mrs. Smith
________
66 名
na, mei
な、メイ
name; reputation
名 combines 夕, which depicts the moon above a mountain and means evening, and 口 mouth (cf. 107), which implies speak. When it’s difficult to recognize people on dark evenings, their names must be spoken aloud.
名前 なまえ namae name
氏名 しめい shimei full name
名人 めいじん meijin expert, master
20 名 にじゆうめい nijū mei tw enty people
________
なごや Nagoya Nagoya
有名な ゆうめいな yūmei na famous, well-known
めいし meishi business card, name card
67 男
otoko, dan
おとこ、ダン
man, male
女 combines 女 rice paddy (cf. 88) and 女, depicting a strong man’s arm and meaning power or force. Power in a rice paddy is associated with man.
男 おどこ otoko man, male
______
だんせい dansei man
68 女
onna, jo
おんな、ジョ
woman
男 derives from a pictograph of a woman holding a baby in her arms.
女 おんな onna woman, female
男女 だんじよ danjo men and women
______
じよせい josei woman
69 歳
toshi, sai, (zai)
とし、サイ、(ザイ）
age, year, years old
The right and left foot 止 suggest the passage of time. A pike 戈 and a tree 木 suggest the harvest. Thus 歳 means the passage of time until the harvest, one year.
歳 どし toshi age
25 歳 にじゅうごさい nijūgo sai 25 years old
何歳 なんさい nan sai how old
______
万歳 ばんざい banzai hurrah
歳月 さいげつ saigetsu time
歳入 さいにゆう sainyū annual revenue
70 駅
eki
エキ
station
駅 combines 馬 horse and 尺, a unit of length deriving from the shape of stretched fingers. In the past, stations were placed at regular intervals for travelers and horses to stop and rest.
駅 え き eki station
駅月 え きまえ ekimae in front of a station
駅名 え きめい ekimei station name
________
え きちょう ekichō stationmaster
え きいん ekiin station employee/staff
え きべん ekiben box lunch sold at a station
駅ビル え きビル ekibiru station building
71 使
tsuka-u, shi
つか・う、シ
use, messenger
使 combines イ man and 吏, a hand holding a brush and papers, representing a government officer. Thus 使 suggests a superior employing or using his officers, and has come to mean use in general.
使う つかう tsukau to use
大使 たいし taishi ambassador
________
使い方 つかいかた tsukaikata how to use, directions for use
大使館 たいしかん taishikan embassy
72 用
mochi-iru, yō
もち・いる、ヨウ
use, usage; business
用 depicts a fence used to keep sheep in one place, and has come to mean use in general.
用 ょぅ yō something to do, business
使用する しようする shiyō suru to use
学生用 がくせいよう gakusei yō for students
専用 せんよう sen'yō for private/exclusive use
________
用いる もちいる mochiiru to use
ようし yōshi blank form/paper
りようしゃ riyōsha user
さいようする saiyō suru to adopt; to employ
73 開
hira-ku, a-ku, a-keru, kai
ひら・く、あ・く、あ・ける、カイ
open
開 depicts two hands 廾 (cf. 85 手) removing the bolt 一 from a gate 門 (cf. 181) in order to open it.
開く ひらく hiraku to open
開く あく aku to open (vi.)
開ける あける akeru to open (vt.)
______
開店する かいてんする kaiten suru to open a shop; for a shop to open
開発する かいはつする kaihatsu suru to develop (vt.)
74 始
haji-maru, haji-meru, shi
はじ・まる、はじ・める、シ
begin, start
始 combines 女 woman (cf. 68) and 台 foundation. A woman is the foundation of all our beginnings.
始まる はじまる hajimaru to start/begin (vi.)
始める はじめる hajimeru to start/begin (vt.)
開始する かいしする kaishi suru to start/begin
______
開始日 かいしび kaishioi starting date
始業式 しぎょうしき shigyō shiki opening ceremony for a new semester at school
75 住
su-mu, jū
す・む、ジュウ
live
住, which combines イ man and 主 candle with a still flame, means stay still or live in one place. As part of other kanji, 住 often means stay still.
住む すむ sumu to live
________
住まい すまい sumai residence, house
じゆうみんひよう jūminnyō resident registration certificate
じゅうたく jūtaku house, residence
76 所
tokoro, sho, (jo)
ところ、ショ、(ジョ）
place
戸 derives from a pictograph of a door, and 斤 from that of an ax. The place to keep an ax is near the door.
所 どころ tokoro place
住所 じゆうしよ jūsho address
名所 めいしよ meisho famous place
______
げんじゆうしよ genjūsho present address
しょざいち shozaichi location, address
きんじよ kinjo neighborhood
77 電
den
デン
electricity
電 is a variation of 雷 thunder, which combines 雨 rain and 田 rice paddy (cf. 88). 電 indicates lightning, and has come to mean electricity.
電気 でんき denki electricity
電子 でんし denshi electron
でんりよく denryoku electric power
でんち denchi battery
でんぽう dempō telegram
78 話
hana-su, hanashi, wa
はな・す、はなし、ワ
speak, talk; story
話, which combines 言 word or say and 舌 tongue, means speak or story.
話す はなす hanasu to talk, to speak
話 はな
し hanashi story, talk, speech
電話 でんわ denwa telephone
______
会話 かいわ kaiwa conversation
わだい wadai topic, subject of conversation/speech
市外通話 しがいつうわ shigai tsūwa out-of-town/long-distance call
79 通
tō-ru, (dō-ri), tsū
とお・る、(どお・り)、ツウ
go through, pass; commute
通 combines go (cf. 16 週) and, a man putting a stick through a fence. Thus 通 means go through or pass.
通る どおる tōru to pass, to go through
バス通り バスどおり basu dōri street with bus service
通学する つうがくする tsūgaku suru to go to school
通学先 つうがくさき tsūgaku saki one's school
______
通常 つうじょう tsūjō usually, normally
つうきんする tsūkin suru to commute
こうつう kōtsū traffic, transportation
4 Practice
I. Write the readings of the following kanji in hiragana.
1. 定 期 券
2. 申 込 書
3. 通 学
4. 駅
5. 氏 名
6. 男
7. 女
8. 〜 歳
9. 区 間
10. 使 用
11. 開 始 日
12. 期 間
13. 住 所
14. 電 話
15. 定 休 日
16. 学 期
17. 通 る
18. 駅 名
19. 大 使
20. 所
21. 申 し 込 む
22. あ な た の 名 前 を 書 い て く だ さ い 。
23. 駅 前 か ら タ ク シ ー に の り ま し た 。
24. い い て ん き で す 。 ま ど を 開 け ま し ょ う 。
25. ク ラ ス は 十 時 に 始 ま り ま す 。
26. わ た し は 東 京 に 住 ん で い ま す 。
27. き の う の よ る と も だ ち と 電 話 で 話 し ま し た 。
II. Fill in the blanks with appropriate kanji.
5 Advanced Placement Exam Practice Question
Now you are going to buy a commuter’s pass. Fill in the application form.
You are a student of the University of Tokyo and your address and the stations which you want to use are as follows:
• Address: みなと区六本木1丁目 2-1
• Telephone: 03-4321-5678
• Stations: 六本木一丁目駅 から 東大前駅 まで
There are three choices for the time period. This is from September 3 to March 2, in the 19th year of Heisei (平成) (2007).
REVIEW EXERCISE: LESSONS 1–5
I. Connect each kanji to its corresponding pictograph.
II. Choose the correct kanji for the given readings.
LESSON 6
Which Line
Do You Take?
何線に のりますか
In major cities in Japan, subways are the primary means of transportation. The map above shows the subway lines and stations in Tokyo. The lines and their connections seem quite complicated, but most people still find the subway the most convenient way to get around. All lines are marked with a different color, and these colors are displayed on route maps and signs in the stations themselves. The Tokyo subway system consists of the Tokyo Metro Lines and the Toei Lines, and most of these also link up with the JR (Japan Railway) and private railway lines. Subway stations are easy to spot, because they are marked with big signs above station entrances, as shown in the photo above.
In this lesson you’ll learn kanji to help you in using the subway system.
1 Introductory Quiz
Look at the illustrations below and refer to the words in Vocabulary. Then try the following quiz.
I. Shown below is a simplified Tokyo subway map. If you live in Tokyo, you may recognize some of the kanji from signs. As you match the kanji and the readings for the following stations, enter the correct letters in the spaces provided.
1. ろっぽんぎ ( )
2. おおてまち ( )
3. うえの ( )
4. とうきょう ( )
5. しんじゅく ( )
6. ほんごうさんちょうめ ( )
II. Using the map above, identify the lines that pass through the following stations. Then enter the correct letters in the spaces provided.
1. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2. 六本木 ( )
3. ( ) ( )
4. 東京 ( )
a. ひびや線 b. しんじゅく線 c. みた線 d. ちよだ線 e. まるのうち線 f. とうざい線
III. As mentioned earlier, the subway lines in Tokyo stretch in a finely meshed pattern; you can go in from one entrance to four stations in a few cases. at the signboard on the entrance and try the quiz.
とえいせんは (a. N11 b. M22 c. E07 d. I12) です。
2 Vocabulary
Study the readings and meanings of these words to help you understand the Introductory Quiz.
1. 何線 なにせん nani sen what line, which line
2. 地下鉄 ちかてつ chikatetsu subway
3. ろっぽんぎ Roppongi Roppongi (station)
4. おおてまち Ōtemachi Otemachi (station)
5. うえの Ueno Ueno (station)
6. しんじゅく Shinjuku Shinjuku (station)
7. ほんごうさんちようめ Hongō san chōme Hongo-Sanchome (station)
8. ひびやせん Hibiya sen Hibiya Line
9. しん じゅく せん Shinjuku sen Shinjuku Line
10. みたせん Mita sen Mita Line
11. ちよだせん Chiyoda sen Chiyoda Line
12. 丸ノ内線 まるのうちせん Marunouchi sen Marunouchi Line
13. どうざいせん Tōzai sen Tozai Line
14. どうきようメトロせん Tōkyō metoro sen Tokyo Metro Line
15. ど えい せん Toei sen Toei Line (municipal)
3 New Characters
Fourteen 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.
何 線 地 下 鉄 手 上 新 田 代 丸 内 西 営
80 何
nani, (nan)
なに、(なん）
what
何 is a pictograph of a man イ carrying a 可 pack on his back. Thus 何 meant a pack, and now it means “what”.
何時 なんじ nan ji what time
何時間 なんじかん nan jikan how many hours
何分 なんふん nan pun how many minutes
何曜日 なんようび nan yōbi what day of the week
何曰 なんにち nan nichi how many days/what day of the month
何月 なんがつ nan gatsu what month
何人 なんにん nan nin how many people
何年 なんねん nan nen how many years/what year
________
81 線
sen
セン
line
線 combines 糸, twisted bundle of thread, 白 white (cf. 11 百), and 水 water. 泉 means spring, whose water is clean and white. Water from a spring flows in a line like thread.
線 せん sen line
丸ノ内線 まるのうちせん Marunouchi sen Marunouchi Line
JR線 JR せん JR sen Japanese Railway Line
内線 ないせん naisen extension (telephone)
______
国内線 こくないせん kokunai sen domestic route/flight
国際線 こくさいせん kokusai sen international route/flight
しんかんせん Shinkan sen Shinkansen (bullet train)
無線夕 タク シー むせん musen takush! radio taxi
82 地
chi, ji
チ、ジ
l
and, earth
地 combines modified from 土 ground (cf. 31) and 也 snake. Since snakes slither on the ground, 地 has come to mean land or earth.
土地 どち tochi (piece of) land
地名 ちめい chimei place name
______
地図 ちず chizu map
ちきゅう chikyū the earth, the globe
じしん jishin earthquake
83 下
shita, kuda-ru, ka, ge
した、くだ・る、カ、ゲ
below, under, down, lower; fall, descent
To indicate below, under, or down, the ancient Chinese drew a dot below a line. This was later modified to 下.
下 した shita below, under, down, lower
下り くだり kudari down, descent; abbreviation for 下り電車(outbound train)
地下 ちか chika underground
________
下着 したぎ shitagi underwear
下町 したまち shitamachi the traditional shopping, entertainment and residential districts (of Tokyo); downtown
下水 げすい gesui sewerage
せんえん いか sen en ika one thousand yen or less
84
tetsu
テツ
iron
鉄, which combines 金 metal (cf. 30) and 失 lose, means iron, a metal that loses its value when it rusts.
鉄 てつ tetsu iron, steel
地下鉄 ちかてつ chikatetsu subway
________
鉄道 てつどう tetsudō railway