What does 海 mean in Japanese? 海 means sea or ocean. The left side of the kanji is the water radical 氵, which signals its aquatic meaning. The right side 毎 is mainly a phonetic component here, helping shape the on’yomi カイ rather than adding the core meaning. For learners, 海外 (kaigai, overseas/abroad) is probably … Read more
What does 道 mean in Japanese? 道 means a road or path, and it also carries the deeper meaning of ‘the way’ — a discipline, a practice, a lifelong pursuit. This dual function makes 道 unusual among N4 kanji. For everyday use: みち (road, the path you walk along). For cultural contexts: 〜道 (〜dou) as … Read more
What does 通 mean in Japanese? 通 is built around continuous movement through a channel. The verb 通る (tooru) means to pass through a space; the verb 通う (kayou) means to travel back and forth regularly, the way a commuter or student travels the same route every day. Both readings come from the same kanji. … Read more
What does 着 mean in Japanese? 着 is one of the most surprising kanji for beginners: a single character with two completely unrelated meanings — to arrive (着く) and to wear upper-body clothing (着る). The two readings even start with different sounds: つ (tsuku, arrive) vs き (kiru, wear). Context makes the meaning clear, but … Read more
What does 発 mean in Japanese? 発 is unusual among N4 kanji because it has no kun’yomi — it always appears as ハツ or ハッ inside compound words. This actually makes it easier to read than most kanji: whenever you see 発, you know its reading is always on’yomi. On train station timetables, 発 marks … Read more
What does 乗 mean in Japanese? 乗 is the kanji for boarding vehicles — trains, buses, taxis, bicycles. On platform signs, transfer guides, and ticket machines you will see 乗 everywhere the moment you start navigating Japan. The core verb is 乗る (noru, to board/ride). It takes particle に to mark the vehicle: 電車に乗る, バスに乗る. … Read more
What does 風 mean in Japanese? 風 means wind in Japanese, and it also means style. It is the kanji in 台風 (taifuu, typhoon) and 和風 (wafuu, Japanese style), and in the everyday word 風 (kaze, wind) itself. 風 has two main readings. Read it as かぜ (kaze) when it stands alone meaning ‘wind,’ and … Read more
What does 週 mean in Japanese? 週 means week in Japanese. It is the kanji behind 今週 (this week), 来週 (next week), and 先週 (last week), the time words you will use in almost every plan you make. 週 has one main reading: シュウ (shuu). Unlike most kanji in this guide, it has no common … Read more
What does 冬 mean in Japanese? 冬 means winter in Japanese. It completes the four seasons after 春, 夏, and 秋, and gives learners practical words such as 冬休み (fuyuyasumi, winter break). 冬 has two main readings. Read it as ふゆ (fuyu) when it stands alone or in everyday words such as 冬休み and 真冬 … Read more
What does 秋 mean in Japanese? 秋 means autumn or fall in Japanese. It is the season of colored leaves, harvest, and comfortable weather, celebrated in phrases like 食欲の秋 (autumn, the season of appetite). 秋 has two main readings. Read it as あき (aki) when it stands alone or in words such as 秋晴れ (akibare, … Read more
