What does 練 mean in Japanese? 練 means to practise, train, or refine through repeated effort. Its most important word is 練習 (renshuu, practice) — the thing you do to get better at anything, including kanji. The on’yomi レン appears in 練習 (practice), 訓練 (kunren, training), and 熟練 (jukuren, skill/mastery). The kun’yomi ね-る (neru) means … Read more
What does 宿 mean in Japanese? 宿 means lodging or an inn — a place to stay. For most learners, though, the first place you meet it is 宿題 (shukudai, homework), where 宿 combines with 題 (topic) to mean the ‘task set to take home’. The on’yomi シュク appears in 宿題 (homework), 宿泊 (shukuhaku, staying … Read more
What does 痛 mean in Japanese? 痛 means pain or hurt. It has three kun’yomi forms that N4 learners need to keep clear: 痛い (itai, adjective: it hurts / painful), 痛む (itamu, intransitive verb: to ache, to be in pain), and 痛める (itameru, transitive verb: to hurt or injure something). The adjective form 痛い is … Read more
What does 怒 mean in Japanese? 怒 means to get angry or to be angry. The primary kun’yomi is 怒る (okoru) — the everyday verb for getting angry or losing one’s temper. A second kun’yomi, 怒り (ikari, anger), comes from the more literary form いかる and is the most common noun for anger in Japanese. … Read more
What does 泣 mean in Japanese? 泣 means to cry or weep. The kun’yomi 泣く (naku) is the standard everyday verb for human crying — shedding tears in response to sadness, emotion, or pain. It is one of the first emotion verbs learners need at N4, forming a natural pair with 笑う (to laugh) and … Read more
What does 笑 mean in Japanese? 笑 means to laugh or smile. The primary verb is 笑う (warau, to laugh), and 笑顔 (egao, smiling face) is one of the most frequently used compounds in everyday Japanese. 笑顔 appears in service greetings, workplace culture, and daily conversation far more often than most learners expect. A softer, … Read more
What does 直 mean in Japanese? 直 carries two connected meanings: to fix or correct (something is restored to its proper state) and direct or straight (without deviation). The core intransitive/transitive verb pair — 直る (naoru, to be fixed) and 直す (naosu, to fix something) — is essential N4 vocabulary for describing repairs, corrections, and … Read more
What does 閉 mean in Japanese? 閉 means to close or shut. It has two kun’yomi verb pairs: 閉まる (shimaru, intransitive: something closes) and 閉める (shimeru, transitive: to close something), plus 閉じる (tojiru, to close/shut — typically used for things like eyes, books, and pages). Understanding when to use 閉める versus 閉じる is a key … Read more
What does 変 mean in Japanese? 変 carries two distinct meanings that learners need to keep separate: change (as in something transforms or you transform something) and strange/odd (as in something is unusual or unexpected). Both senses appear frequently in everyday Japanese. The most important reading challenge for 変 is the transitive verb 変える (kaeru, … Read more
What does 続 mean in Japanese? 続 means to continue or to keep going. The two kun’yomi — 続く (tsuzuku, intransitive: something continues) and 続ける (tsuzukeru, transitive: to keep doing something) — complete the start-continue-end triad alongside 始める and 終わる covered in this same Day 7 set. 続ける also functions as a highly productive auxiliary … Read more