What does 夏 mean in Japanese? 夏 means summer in Japanese. It is the season of festivals and fireworks, and it gives learners one of their favorite words: 夏休み (natsuyasumi, summer vacation). 夏 has two main readings. Read it as なつ (natsu) when it stands alone or in everyday words such as 夏休み and 夏祭り … Read more
What does 春 mean in Japanese? 春 means spring in Japanese. It is the season of cherry blossoms and new beginnings: the school year and the fiscal year both start in spring, making 春 one of the most culturally important season words. 春 has two main readings. Read it as はる (haru) when it stands … Read more
What does 夜 mean in Japanese? 夜 means night in Japanese. It is the kanji in 今夜 (konya, tonight) and 夜中 (yonaka, the middle of the night), and it pairs with 朝 (morning) and 昼 (daytime) to complete the day. 夜 has two main readings. Read it as よる (yoru) when it stands alone, and … Read more
What does 昼 mean in Japanese? 昼 means noon or daytime in Japanese. It is the kanji in 昼ご飯 (hirugohan, lunch) and 昼休み (hiruyasumi, lunch break), words that structure every school and work day in Japan. 昼 has two main readings. Read it as ひる (hiru) in everyday words such as 昼ご飯 and 昼寝 (hirune, … Read more
What does 朝 mean in Japanese? 朝 means morning in Japanese. You will meet it every day in words such as 朝ご飯 (asagohan, breakfast), 毎朝 (maiasa, every morning), and 今朝 (kesa, this morning). 朝 has two main readings. Read it as あさ (asa) when it stands alone or in everyday words such as 朝ご飯, and … Read more
What does 会 mean in Japanese? 会 means to meet in Japanese. It is the kanji in 会う (au, to meet) and in 会社 (kaisha, company) and 会話 (kaiwa, conversation), some of the most frequent words in daily life and at work. 会 has two main readings. Read it as あう (au) in the verb … Read more
What does 聞 mean in Japanese? 聞 means to hear, to listen, or to ask in Japanese. It is the kanji in 聞く (kiku), a single verb that covers both listening to music and asking a question, and in 新聞 (shinbun, newspaper). 聞 has two main readings. Read it as きく (kiku) in the verb … Read more
What does 言 mean in Japanese? 言 means to say or word in Japanese. It is the kanji in 言う (iu, to say) and 言葉 (kotoba, word or language), two of the most fundamental words for talking about talking. 言 has several readings. Read it as いう (iu) in the verb 言う, meaning ‘to say,’ … Read more
What does 思 mean in Japanese? 思 means to think or to feel in Japanese. It is the kanji in 思う (omou, to think), the verb behind と思います (I think that…), a pattern learners use in almost every conversation to share and soften opinions. 思 has two main readings. Read it as おもう (omou) in … Read more
What does 少 mean in Japanese? 少 means few or little in Japanese. It gives you 少し (sukoshi, a little), one of the most useful words in the entire language, and 少ない (sukunai, few), the natural opposite of 多い (many). 少 has two main readings. Read it as すこし (sukoshi) for ‘a little’ and すくない … Read more