Kanji Basics

Question 1

What is the jōyō kanji?

Answer 1

The list of 2136 commonly used kanji

Question 2

How many jōyō kanji are there?

Answer 2

2136

Question 3

What are the four categories of kanji?

Answer 3

Pictograph, indicator, compound ideographs, and phonetic ideographs

Question 4

What is a pictograph?

Answer 4

The kanji originated from pictures of objects (example: 木 for tree)

Question 5

What is an indicator?

Answer 5

The kanji translate abstract concepts into symbols (example: 上 for above)

Question 6

What is a compound ideograph

Answer 6

A kanji formed by combining existing kanji (example: 明 for bright)

Question 7

What is a phonetic ideograph?

Answer 7

A kanji formed by combining a meaning and a reading (example: 花 for flower)

Question 8

What is on yomi?

Answer 8

The original Chinese pronunciation of a kanji

Question 9

What is the original Chinese pronunciation of a kanji called?

Answer 9

On yumi

Question 10

What is kun yumi?

Answer 10

The native Japanese pronunciation of a kanji

Question 11

What is the native Japanese pronunciation of a kanji called?

Answer 11

Kun yomi