This is my attempt at summarising stories associated with each Kanji character in Grades 1-6. The purpose of the stories is to help remember the character, meanings and readings by knowing a bit about the history of the character and how it was created.
My intention is to have stories for each character in Grades 1-6 by end of 2007, and I'm currently about 60% done. I will be updating this page regularly over the next few weeks, please come back and check often!
These stories have been collected from perusing various sources, including:
- Tae Moriyama, translated by Bob and Reiko Gavey, Kanji Connections: Hints on How to Differentiate 400 Easily Confused Characters, Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., 1988, ISBN 4-07-976592-4
- Matsuo Soga/Michiko Yusa, Basic Kanji, Taishukan Publishing Company (1989)
- Yasuo Yoshida, Keizou Sajim, Ikuyo Nishide, The First Step To Kanji, Part I, Osaka University of Foreign Studies (1969)
- Yaeko S. Habein, Gerald B. Mathias, The Complete Guide to Everyday Kanji, Kodansha International (1991) ISBN 0-87011-793-9
I am hoping in the future to double check these stories against the following, more authoritative, sources:
- 藤堂 明保, 例解学習漢字辞典, 小学館; 第六版ワイド版 (2004)
- Kanji Networks
| Grade | Stroke Count | JLPT | Character | Kanji Type | Radical | Components | Story | Reading |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 一 | 指事文字 | 一 | 一 | 1 bar/finger = "one" | イチ；イツ；ひと；ひと（つ） |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 七 | 仮借文字 | 一 | 乙 匕 ノ | Ten (十) with a bottom curved to the right, derived meaning = "seven." | シチ；なな；なな（つ）；なの |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 三 | 指事文字 | 一 | 一 二 | 3 bars/fingers = "three." | サン；み；み（つ・っつ） |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 下 | 指事文字 | 一 | ｜ 一 卜 | Abstract symbol of dot (丶) below horizontal line (―), subsequently modified by adding vertical line (l) = カ、ゲ、した、しも、もと "bottom, under, lower, base" or さ（げる） "to hang (something), to lower" or さ（がる） "to hang down" or くだ（る） "to go down" or くだ（す）、あ（ろす） "to lower, hand down" or くだ（さる） "to give" or お（りる） "to get off (a vehicle), get down." | カ；ゲ |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 上 | 指事文字 | 一 | 一 卜 | Abstract symbol representing dot (丶) above horizontal line (―), later modified to include a vertical line (l) = ジョウ、ショウ、うえ "top, on, upper" or うわ、かみ "upper part" or あ（げる） "to raise" or の（ぼる） "to rise, go up." | ジョウ |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 中 | 象形文字 | 丨 | ｜ 口 | Arrow shot through centre of target = "middle, centre." | |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 九 | 象形文字 | 乙乚 | 九 | Shape of arm with muscles flexed and hand forming a fist, gesture associated with going to the end of limit, or with mastering something. Hence, representing the highest numeric digit = "9." Imperfect ten (十) with horizontal line curved downwards. | キュウ；ク；ここの；ここの（つ） |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 二 | 指事文字 | 二 | 二 | 2 bars/fingers = "two." | ニ；ふた（つ） |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 五 | 仮借文字 | 二 | 一 二 五 | Simplification of shape of hand = 5 fingers. 3 bars (三) plus 2 vertical lines = "five." | ゴ；いつ；いつ（つ） |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 人 | 象形文字 | 人亻 | 人 | Shape of a person standing = "person." Radical version is イ, signifying words related to people and humanity. | ジン；ニン；ひと |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 休 | 会意文字 | 人亻 | 化 木 | Radical:person (イ) plus tree (木), hence person resting next to shady tree = キュウ "rest, vacation" or やす（む） "to rest" or やす（める） "to give (something) a rest" or やす（まる） "to be rested." | キュウ；やす（まる・み・む・める） |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 先 | 会意文字 | 儿 | ノ 土 儿 | Upper part symbolises a sprout of new leaf of grass growing upward, placed on a base of legs (儿). Idea of person progressing or advancing = "previous, ahead." | セン；さき |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 入 | 象形文字 | 入 | 入 | Represent a person bending in order to enter a cave = ニュウ "entering" or い（る）、はい（る） "to enter, get in" or い（れる） "to put in, let in." Mirror image of 人. | |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 八 | 指事文字 | 八 | ハ | Represents dividing an object into two parts, eight is the single digit number wher you can do it the most times = "eight." | ハチ；や |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 六 | 仮借文字 | 八 | ハ 亠 | Two hands, each with 3 fingers = "six." | ロク |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 円 | 形声文字 | 冂 | 冂 亠 一 ｜ | Original form was 圓, with connotations of "encircle." Money circulates from person to person, hence = エン "yen, circle" or まる（い） "round." | エン；まる（い） |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 出 | 象形文字 | 凵 | ｜ 山 | Foot going out beyond a line = "to go out, come out, put out." | シュツ |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 力 | 象形文字 | 力 | 力 | When one exerts strength, muscles of arm stand out = "force, power, strength." | リョク；リキ；ちから |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 十 | 指事文字 | 十 | 十 | Ten things gathered together and tied to form one unit = "ten". Derived meaning: "all." 十 can also mean four directions of compass, hence a "complete number" ＝"ten, all." | ジュウ；と；とお |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 千 | 形声文字 | 十 | ノ 十 | Originally phonetic:人 on top of 十 (one horizontal bar=one thousand, two bars=two thousand, etc.) = "thousand, many." | セン；ち |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 右 | 会意文字 | 口 | ノ 一 口 | Most people use right hand (ナ, simplification of original form) to carry food to their mouth (口) = "right." | ユウ；ウ；みぎ |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 名 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 夕 | Radical:evening (夕) on top of mouth (口). In past times, it was customary, when people came across one another after dark to identify themselves by exchanging names = "name." | メイ；ミョウ；な |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 四 | 指事文字 | 囗 | 儿 囗 | Square (囗) containing two strokes (儿) signifying division. If a square is divided both horizontally and vertically, four squares are created = "four." | シ |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 土 | 象形文字 | 土 | 土 | Pile of soil, or alternatively a tree sprouting from the soil (―) = "ground, earth, soil." | ド；ト；つち |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 大 | 象形文字 | 大 | 大 | A person (人) with arms and legs outstretched = ダイ、タイ、おお、おお（きい） "large, great." Derived meaning: おお（いに） "greatly, very much." | ダイ；タイ；おお；おお（きい） |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 天 | 象形文字 | 大 | 一 大 | Radical:line (ー) above person large (大) person, signifying sky or heaven above a person = "sky," "heaven." | テン；あめ |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 女 | 象形文字 | 女 | 女 | Figure of a woman in a graceful pose kneeling down = "woman." | |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 子 | 象形文字 | 子孑 | 子 | Shape of an infant (upper part is the head, ー is the outstretched arms) = "child." | シ；こ |
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 字 | 会意文字 | 子孑 | 子 宀 | Upper radical:roof (宀) on top of child (子), denoting a house children are born in succession, just like 漢字 = "mark, character, letter." | ジ；あざ |
| 1 | 8 | 4 | 学 | 会意文字 | 子孑 | 子 尚 冖 | 冖 and radical:子 represents a child studying underneath a building, plus three strokes on top symbolising the hands of a teacher (old form included depiction of hands and interaction) = ガク "science, learning" or まな（ぶ） "to learn." | ガク；まな（ぶ） |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 小 | 象形文字 | 小 | 小 | Originally three small dots, to express something small = "small." Alternate: division of an object into two smaller parts. | ショウ；お；こ；ちい（さい） |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 山 | 象形文字 | 山 | 山 | Three peaked mountain. Suffix for names of mountains and mountain temples. | サン；やま |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 川 | 象形文字 | 巛巜川 | 川 | Depicted the flow of a river = "river." | セン；かわ |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 左 | 会意文字 | 工 | ノ 一 工 | Left hand (ナ, simplification of original form) over radical:craft (工), signifying a ruler or scale, a tool normally used in the left hand = "left." | |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 年 | 会意文字 | 干 | ノ 一 干 | Combination of 禾 and 人, representing a man cutting rice, hence period of one harvest = "year." | ネン；とし |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 手 | 象形文字 | 手扌 | 手 | Shape of palm and the arm = "hand." Radical version is 扌. | シュ；て |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 文 | 象形文字 | 文 | 文 | Crisscross patterns traditionally used to decorate earthenware, signifying pattern, character, sentence, study, ... = "writings, sentence." | ブン；モン；ふみ |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 日 | 象形文字 | 日 | 日 | Picture of sun (sunspot inside circle) = ジツ "sun." Derived meaning: ニチ、ひ "day." Suffix for counting days (か). | ニチ；ジツ；か；ひ |
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 早 | 仮借文字 | 日 | 十 日 | An acorn used to dye things black, signifying the darkness before dawn = "early." | ソウ；サッ |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 月 | 象形文字 | 月 | 月 | Pictue of crescent moon. Derived meaning: "month" (used for naming and counting months). | ゲツ；ガツ；つき |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 木 | 象形文字 | 木 | 木 | Picture of trunk with two straight branches and two droopy branches = "tree." | ボク；モク；き；こ |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 本 | 指事文字 | 木 | 一 木 | Addition of short horizontal line (-) to a tree (木), representing the root of a tree = "root, base." | ホン；もと |
| 1 | 7 | 3 | 村 | 形声文字 | 木 | 寸 木 | Radical: tree (木) and a small unit of measurement (寸), signifying trees being measured and chopped down to build houses = "village." | ソン；むら |
| 1 | 8 | 3 | 林 | 会意文字 | 木 | 木 | Radical: tree (木) and another tree = "woods, thicket." | リン；はやし |
| 1 | 10 | 4 | 校 | 会意文字 | 木 | 父 木 亠 | Radical: tree (木) and exchange/associate (交). Think of a class held under a tree = "school, to correct." | コウ |
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 正 | 会意文字 | 止 | 一 止 | Foot (止) moving toward an object (一) with a straight stride = "straight, correct." | セイ；ショウ；ただ（しい・す）；まさ（に） |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 気 | 形声文字 | 气 | 气 丶 ノ | Steam (气) shooting up from the pot in which rice (originally 米) is being cooked = "spirit, gas, air." | キ；ケ |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 水 | 象形文字 | 水氵氺 | 水 | Water flowing between constricted banks = "water." | スイ；みず |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 火 | 象形文字 | 火灬 | 火 | Picture of flames of a burning fire = "fire." | カ；ひ |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 犬 | 象形文字 | 犬犭 | 犬 大 丶 | Derived from shape of a dog = "dog." Looks like the character large (大), indicating large dog, with stroke (丶) as one of its ears. | ケン；いぬ |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 王 | 象形文字 | 玉王 | 王 | Great person standing upright between the sky and the early = "king, monarch." | オウ |
| 1 | 5 | 2 | 玉 | 象形文字 | 玉王 | 王 丶 | String of jewels (necklace/bracelet) linked by thread = "jewel, round object." | ギョク；たま |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 生 | 象形文字 | 生 | 生 | A bud growing on top of soil (土) = セイ、ショウ "life" or い（きる）、い（ける） "to live, be alive" or い（かす） "to revive, let live" or う（まれる） "to be born" or う（む） "to give birth" or 尾（う）、は（える）、は（やす） "to grow" or き "pure" or なま "raw." | ショウ；セイ |
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 田 | 象形文字 | 田由 | 田 | Picture of a rice field divided into four parts = "cultivated land", "paddy field." | デン；た |
| 1 | 7 | 3 | 町 | 形声文字 | 田由 | 一 田 亅 | Radical:rice field (田) and ridge (丁), originally signifying roads in the town = "town, city." | チョウ；まち |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 白 | 象形文字 | 白 | 白 | Originally picture of an acorn, which is white on the inside = "white." More conveniently remembered as a drop/ray (') of sun (日), which is of course white. | |
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 百 | 指事文字 | 白 | 一 白 | Upper radical:1 (一) on top of phonetic:white (白) = "hundred" | ヒャク |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 目 | 象形文字 | 目 | 目 | Shape of an eye, turned vertical = モク、ボク、め、ま "eye." め Suffix or ordinal numbers in expressions of sequence, order, etc. (1st, 2nd, ...) eg. 三番目 | モク；ま；め |
| 1 | 5 | 2 | 石 | 会意文字 | 石 | 口 石 | Picture of a stone at the bottom of a rocky cliff = "rock", "pebble." Derived meanings: "hard", "worthless". コク = unit of cubic measure, counter for semiconductors. | セキ；コク；シャク；いし |
| 1 | 8 | 4 | 空 | 形声文字 | 穴 | 穴 工 儿 宀 | Radical:hole (穴) on top of craft (工), resulting in open space as a result of drilling a hole = そら "sky, empty" or から "empty" or あ（く） "to become empty, vacant" or あ（ける） "to empty, vacate." | クウ；あ（く・ける）；から；そら |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 立 | 会意文字 | 立 | 立 | Man standing on ground = "to stand." | リツ；リュウ；た（つ・てる） |
| 1 | 6 | 2 | 糸 | 会意文字 | 糸糹 | 糸 幺 小 | Filaments of raw silk being twisted together into a thread as they are drawn from a silkworm cocoon = "thread." | シ；いと |
| 1 | 7 | 4 | 花 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 化 匕 艾 | Upper radical:grass (艸) on top of phonetic:"change of form" (化), therefore young shoots coming into bloom = "flower." | カ；ケ；はな |
| 1 | 7 | 4 | 見 | 象形文字 | 見 | 見 目 儿 | Eye (目) supported by a pair of human legs (儿), denoting concept of vision = ケン、み（る） "to see, look" or み（える） "to be seen, visible" or み（せる） "to show." | ケン |
| 1 | 7 | 2 | 貝 | 象形文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ | Pictograph of a shellfish with two tiny legs = "shellfish", "shell." Derived meaning: "money" (because shells are used as currency). | かい |
| 1 | 7 | 3 | 赤 | 会意文字 | 赤 | 赤 土 | Large (大) flames (火) = "red." | セキ；シャク |
| 1 | 7 | 4 | 足 | 象形文字 | 足 | 口 足 | Pictograph of kneecap attached to a striding leg = ソク、あし "foot, leg." Derived meanings: た（りる）、た（る） "to be sufficient" (all you need is feet to move around), た（す） "to add" (counting footsteps). | ソク |
| 1 | 7 | 4 | 車 | 象形文字 | 車 | 車 | Outline of carriage or chariot with two wheels = "wheel, vehicle." | シャ；くるま |
| 1 | 8 | 4 | 金 | 象形文字 | 金 | 金 | Gold (two dots) collected (合 minus 口) buried under ground (土) = キン "gold, money, metal." or コン "gold" or かね "money" or かな "metal." | キン；コン；かな；かね |
| 1 | 8 | 4 | 雨 | 象形文字 | 雨 | 雨 | Raindrops (::) falling from inside a cloud (帀) = "rain." | |
| 1 | 8 | 3 | 青 | 形声文字 | 靑 | 月 青 土 二 亠 | Original form was combination of young green buds and the pure clear water in the well, expressing the idea of transparency or clarity = "blue, young, fresh, verdant." | セイ；ショウ |
| 1 | 9 | 3 | 音 | 会意文字 | 音 | 音 日 立 | Old form is the words (立) on top of mouth containing the words (日), referring to the voice that comes out of the mouth = "sound." | オン；イン；おと；ね |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 万 | 象形文字 | 一 | ｜ ノ 一 | Originated from Buddhist symbol (卍=rotation, wheel of life) suggesting a wheel rotating 10,000 times, but took on pronunciation of マン = "ten thousand." Derived meaning: バン "numerous, all." | バン；マン |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 丸 | 象形文字 | 丶 | 九 丶 | Person curled up around something important (丶) = ガン、まる、まる（い） "round" or まる（める） "form into a ball." | ガン；まる；まる（い・める） |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 交 | 象形文字 | 亠 | 父 亠 | Person with crossed legs = "to mix up/be mixed, to associate with, to exchange" | コウ |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 京 | 象形文字 | 亠 | 口 小 亠 | Picture of house on a hill = "capital." | キョウ；ケイ |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 今 | 仮借文字 | 人亻 | 个 一 | Cover on top of fleeing object (フ) = "now." | キン；コン；いま |
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 会 | 象形文字 | 人亻 | 二 个 厶 | People gathering under cover to say or speak (云) = カイ、エ "meeting" or あ（う） "to meet." | カイ；エ；あ（う） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 作 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | ｜ ノ 化 | Radical:person (イ) together with shape of a half-built house (乍), signifying a person making an incision into a piece of wood, hence notion of person building or making something = "to make." | |
| 2 | 7 | 4 | 来 | 象形文字 | 人亻 | ｜ 二 米 亠 木 | Derived from drawing of ears of wheat/grain, which is a gift of the gods (actually, coming from Central Asia), hence "coming" = ライ、く（る）、きた（る） "to come" or きた（す） "to bring about." | ライ；きた（す・る）；く（る） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 体 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 木 一 化 | Root (本) of a radical:person (イ) = "body". | タイ；テイ；からだ |
| 2 | 7 | 4 | 何 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 口 亅 | Radical:person (イ) plus goodness (可), representing a good person. Naturally we want to know everything about that person = "what, which; how many (interrogative prefix)." Alternative: a person carrying something on the shoulder. Wonder what it is? | カ；なに；なん |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 元 | 象形文字 | 儿 | 二 儿 元 | Shape of a person, with radical:head (二) and legs (儿). Our head is where our thoughts originate, hence = "beginning," "foundation," "origin." | |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 兄 | 会意文字 | 儿 | 口 儿 | Radical:mouth (口) on top of human legs (儿). An older brother tends to give directions to younger siblings, hence perceived as having a large mouth = "older brother." | ケイ；キョウ；あに |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 光 | 会意文字 | 儿 | 一 尚 儿 | Top is a modification of fire/flame (火), plus human legs (儿), signifying a person holding a burning torch = コウ、ひかり "light" or ひか（る） "to shine/be luminous." | コウ；ひかり；ひか（る） |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 公 | 象形文字 | 八 | ハ 厶 | Depicts idea of radical:opening (八) the cover and exposing what is hidden inside (ム) = "public." | コウ；おおやけ |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 冬 | 象形文字 | 冫 | 夂 丶 攵 | Top radical:winter (夂) on top of ice (冫), representing foods hung and dried in the icy season = "winter." | トウ；ふゆ |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 刀 | 象形文字 | 刀刂 | 刀 | Derived from shape of a sword = "sword, knife." Derived meaning: "to cut off." | トウ；かたな |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 切 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 刀 匕 | The bottom of ten (十) being sliced by right radical:sword (刀) to make seven (七) = "earnest, kind, to slice, cut." | セツ；サイ；き（り・る・れ・れる） |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 分 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 刀 ハ | Radical:divide (八) and sword (刀) = "to divide, minute." | ブン；フン；ブ |
| 2 | 9 | 4 | 前 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 一 刈 月 并 | Old form was foot (止) on top of boat (舟) on the left side, and sword (刂) on the right, indicating forward movement of boat = "before, in front." | ゼン；まえ |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 帰 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | ヨ 刈 巾 冖 | リ is a simplification (phonetic:阜 minus 十, on top of foot:止), and a woman with broom (帇), depicting a bridegroom bringing his bride back to his home = キ、かえ（る） "to return" or かえ（す） "to allow to return, to dismiss." | キ |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 北 | 会意文字 | 匕 | 匕 爿 | Two people sitting back to back, suggests turning one's back to the cold, which comes from the north = "north." | ホク；きた |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 午 | 象形文字 | 十 | ノ 干 十 | Mortar and pestel, signifying concept of transition from the first half to the second half, or specifically the day crossing from morning to afternoon = "noon." Also signifies "horse": the 7th of the 12th Oriental zodiac signs. | ゴ |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 半 | 象形文字 | 十 | ｜ 二 并 十 | Lower part is abbreviated cow (牛), two strokes on top divide a cow into half = "half." | ハン；なか（ば） |
| 2 | 9 | 4 | 南 | 象形文字 | 十 | 干 十 并 冂 | Greenhouse (冂) with plants (羊 minus 一) bud (十) due to warmth, indicating direction associated with warmth = "south." | ナン；みなみ |
| 2 | 10 | 2 | 原 | 象形文字 | 厂 | 小 白 厂 | Radical:cliff (厂) enclosing a modified form of spring (泉), hence conveying a spring flowing out to the plains from under a cliff = はら "plain, field, wilderness." Derived meaning: ゲン "original, fundamental, field." | ゲン；はら |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 友 | 会意文字 | 又 | ノ 一 又 | Shape of two people clasping each other's hands, one hand is ナ and the other 又 = "friend." | ユウ；とも |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 台 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 厶 | Original form is earth (土) on top of modified form of high (高 minus 亠) on top of reach (至), designating a lookout point. The simplied version was adopted for it's phonetic value = "pedestal, counter (for machinery)." | ダイ；タイ |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 古 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 十 | Radical:ten (十) and mouth (口), originally a picture of a dried up skull of an ancestor with a crown on top = "old." Alternatively, a story orally transmitted over ten generations is old. | コ；ふる（い・びる・めかしい） |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 同 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 冂 一 | Shape of a round hole drilled through a square block of wood. The hole is the same shape all the way through = "same." | ドウ；おな（じ） |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 合 | 象形文字 | 口 | 口 个 一 | Empty container (口) with close fitting lid on top, signifying the idea of to match or to fit = ゴウ、ガッ、カッ、あ（う） "to fit" or あ（わす）、あ（わせる） "to put together." | ゴウ；カッ；ガッ；あ（う・わす・わせる） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 図 | 会意文字 | 囗 | 斗 囗 | Radical:box (囗) enclosing a map or figure = ズ "drawing, diagram, plan" or ト、はか（る） "to plan, devise." Older form is box (囗) enclosing a village with rice granaries (similar to left side of 鄙), designating the map on which territories were drawn. | ズ；ト；はか（る） |
| 2 | 8 | 4 | 国 | 会意文字 | 囗 | 王 囗 丶 | Simplified from a picture of marked off territory protected by weapons and enclosed by walls. Now the thing that is protected by the radical:box (囗) is a jewel (玉) = "country." | コク；くに |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 地 | 形声文字 | 土 | 土 也 | Radical:ground (土) plus snake (也), symbolising natural undulations of hills and valleys, like the form of a snake = "earth, land." | ジ；チ |
| 2 | 12 | 3 | 場 | 形声文字 | 土 | 土 日 勿 | Radical:ground (土) and the sun high in the sky (昜), denoting an elevated piece of land illuminated by the sun = "place." | |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 声 | 会意文字 | 士 | 士 尸 | Old form is the combination of a stone slate hung in the air and used as a musical instrument (声), a hand holding a stick, and an ear, signifies the sound or voice that reaches one's ears = "voice." | セイ |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 売 | 会意文字 | 士 | 士 儿 冖 | Radical:"to come out/put out" (士) and a simplified version of "to buy" (originally 買), signifying putting on display things to be purchased = バイ、う（る） "sale, to sell" or う（れる） "to be saleable, in demand." | バイ；う（る・れる） |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 夏 | 象形文字 | 夊 | 一 自 夂 | Original form depicted the hands, foot and face of a dancer with a large mask. In summer there are various summer festivals featuring dancers with masks. | カ；ゲ；なつ |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 外 | 会意文字 | 夕 | 卜 夕 | Radical:crescent moon (夕) and to divine (卜), representing the custom to divining the fortune according to the shape of the moon. The part of the moon visible is the "outside" contour of the moon = "outside, foreign." | ガイ；ゲ；そと；はず（す・れ・れる）；ほか |
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 多 | 会意文字 | 夕 | 夕 | Depiction of piled up meat = "many, much." | タ；おお（い） |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 夜 | 会意文字 | 夕 | 化 夕 亠 | Original form indicates that which is on both sides of a person, just as evening or night is on both sides of daytime = "evening, night." | ヤ；よ；よる |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 太 | 形声文字 | 大 | 大 丶 | Originally radical:large (大) on top of large, but the bottom was abbreviated to a small stroke (、) = タイ、タ、ふと（い） "large, fat, thick." Derived meaning: ふと（る） "to become fat." | タイ；タ；ふと（い・る） |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 妹 | 形声文字 | 女 | ｜ 女 二 ハ 木 亠 | Radical:woman (女) and not yet (未), signifying a female who has not yet become mature, or a younger woman = "younger sister." | マイ；いもうと |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 姉 | 形声文字 | 女 | 巾 女 亠 | Old form is radical:woman (女) and a vine-covered stick, later replaced with market (市) = "older sister." | シ；あね |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 室 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 至 土 厶 宀 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of arrival (至), representing a room that a person is coming to stay = シツ "room" or むろ "greenhouse, cellar." | シツ；むろ |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 家 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 宀 豕 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of pig (豕), signifying a pig sheltered under a roof. Traditionally, houses in China would have kept pigs in them = "house, family." | カ；ケ；いえ；や |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 寺 | 形声文字 | 寸 | 寸 土 | Originally signifies work performed through movement of arms and legs, then evolved to concept of public office where people gathered and worked, and finally to temple where priests are accommodated. | ジ；てら |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 少 | 象形文字 | 小 | ノ 小 | If something small (小) is divided into two parts with diagonal line (ノ), one will be left with even smaller portions = "few," "little." | ショウ；すく（ない）；すこ（し） |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 当 | 形声文字 | 小 | ヨ 尚 | Old form was phonetic:appropriate (尚) on top of rice field (田), expressing the idea of rotating across rice fields of approximately equal size = "to hit (the mark), to correspond to, be equal to, guess." | トウ |
| 2 | 8 | 2 | 岩 | 象形文字 | 山 | 口 山 石 | Radical:mountain (山) and stone (石) = "rock." | ガン；いわ |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 市 | 象形文字 | 巾 | 巾 亠 | Radical:lid (亠), but previously stop (止) on top of cloth (巾). Together, they signify a place where people stop and buy cloth = シ "city" or いち "market." | シ；いち |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 広 | 形声文字 | 广 | 厶 广 | Radical:building () and yellow light (formerly 黄, now simplied to 厶) spreading throughout a wide, spacious hall = "wide, broad, to spread, widen." | コウ |
| 2 | 8 | 4 | 店 | 形声文字 | 广 | 口 卜 广 | Radical:building (广) enclosing fortune-telling (占), representing a fortune-teller's shop, and by extension = "shop, store." | テン；みせ |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 引 | 会意文字 | 弓 | ｜ 弓 | Radical bow (弓) and a line (l), signifying pulling the bowstring = "to pull, draw, pulling." | イン；ひ（く・ける） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 弟 | 象形文字 | 弓 | ｜ ノ 弓 并 | The diagonal (ノ) marks the lower point of a stick covered with vines, hence younger brother or disiple = "younger brother." | テイ；ダイ；デ；おとうと |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 弱 | 会意文字 | 弓 | 弓 冫 | Pictograph of two newly hatched chicks = ジャク、よわ（い） "weak" or よわ（る） "to become weak" or よわ（める） "to make weak." | ジャク |
| 2 | 11 | 3 | 強 | 会意文字 | 弓 | 弓 虫 厶 | Radical:bow (弓) and a hard shelled beetle (ム on top of 虫), indicating strength = " キュウ、ゴウ、つよ（い） "strong" or つよ（まる） "to become strong" or つよ（める） "to make strong" or し（いる） "to force." | キョウ；ゴウ |
| 2 | 7 | 2 | 形 | 会意文字 | 彡 | 廾 彡 ノ | Square frame (left side) plus radical:hair ornament (彡) = "shape, form." | ケイ；ギョウ；かた；かたち |
| 2 | 9 | 4 | 後 | 会意文字 | 彳 | 夂 幺 彳 | Radical:travel (彳) and few (幺) on top of dragging one's feet (夂), signifying proceeding a little at a time, and hence lagging behind = "to bet late, later, after, behind." | コウ；ゴ |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 心 | 象形文字 | 心忄 | 心 | Picture of the heart = "heart, mind, the centre." When used as a radical, variant forms include 忄. | シン；こころ |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 思 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 心 田 | Radical:field/brain (田) on top of heart (心), signifying that our brains and hearts governs our thoughts and beliefs = "to think, believe." Alternatively, a farmer's heart is with his fields, ie. he worries about them all the time. | シ；おも（い・う） |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 戸 | 象形文字 | 戶户 | 戸 | Picture of a door that swings open = "door." | コ；と |
| 2 | 11 | 3 | 教 | 会意文字 | 攴攵 | 子 老 攵 | An teacher (者 minus 日) teaching a young child (子) by using a hand with a stick (right radical:hit 攵) = "to teach, teaching." | キョウ |
| 2 | 13 | 2 | 数 | 会意文字 | 攴攵 | 女 米 攵 夂 | Rice (米) on top of woman (女) and right radical:hand holding a rod (攵), representing counting women in a line, and by extension counting and numbers in general = スウ、ス、かず "number" or かぞ（える） "to count." | スウ；ス |
| 2 | 13 | 4 | 新 | 会意文字 | 斤 | 斤 十 辛 并 木 立 亠 | Stand (立) on top of tree (木) plus radical:axe (斤), representing a tree newly felled with an axe = "new, afresh." | シン；あたら（しい）；あら（た）；にい |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 方 | 象形文字 | 方 | 方 | Depiction of a rake or spade with a horizontal handle, signifying to stretch out in both directions = ホウ "direction, side" or かた "direction, person, way (of doing)." | |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 明 | 会意文字 | 日 | 月 日 | Radical:sun (日) and moon (月). If the sun and moon are both in the sky together, it will be really bright = メイ "light" or ミョウ "light, next" or あ（かり） "light, clearness" or あか（るい） "bright" or あか（るむ）、あか（らむ）、あ（ける） "to dawn" or あき（らか） "clear" or あ（く） "to be open" or あ（くる） "next" or あ（かす） "to pass (the night), to reveal." | メイ；ミョウ；ミン |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 春 | 形声文字 | 日 | 一 二 日 人 | Buds of mulberry trees (top part) on top of bottom radical:sun (日) = "spring." | シュン；はる |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 昼 | 会意文字 | 日 | 一 日 尸 丶 | Older form 畫 signified the activity of marking the length of the daylight (日) with a brush held in the hand = "daylight, noon, daytime." | チュウ；ひる |
| 2 | 10 | 4 | 時 | 形声文字 | 日 | 寸 土 日 | Radical:sun (日) plus temple (寺), signifying steady movement of sun over time = "time, hour." | ジ；とき |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | 晴 | 形声文字 | 日 | 月 青 土 二 日 亠 | Radical:sun (日) and blue (青), representing fine weather = セイ "fine weather" or は（れる） "to clear up, to be dispelled" or は（らす） "to clear (something up.)" | セイ |
| 2 | 18 | 3 | 曜 | 形声文字 | 日 | ヨ 日 隹 | Radical:sun (日) and pheasant raising its tail (翟), representing sun shining high from above = "days of the week." | ヨウ |
| 2 | 10 | 4 | 書 | 会意文字 | 曰 | 日 聿 | A hand holding a brush (聿) and a modified phonetic:person (者) = "to write, book." | ショ；か（く） |
| 2 | 12 | 3 | 朝 | 会意文字 | 月 | 月 十 日 | 10 (十) on top of early (早) next to radical:flesh (月). The left hand side represents the sun rising early over stalks of grass, hence time for the body to rise = "morning, dynasty." Original form was combination of rising sun like a flag and a phonetic (which simplified to 月). | チョウ；あさ |
| 2 | 8 | 4 | 東 | 仮借文字 | 木 | ｜ 一 日 木 田 | Sun (日) seen through the branches of a tree (木) = "east", as the sun rises from the east. | |
| 2 | 13 | 3 | 楽 | 象形文字 | 木 | 白 木 冫 | A white drum, from which sounds are emanating, on top of radical:tree (木) = ガク "music." The tree in this case represents a wooden stand on which the drum is placed. Derived meaning: ラク "pleasure, comfort" or たの（しい） "pleasant, enjoyable" or たの（しむ） "to enjoy." | ガク；ラク |
| 2 | 14 | 3 | 歌 | 形声文字 | 欠 | 欠 口 亅 | Phonetic:to say/voice (可) on top of itself, and right radical:lack/gap (欠), representing person with mouth wide open = うた "song" or うた（う） "to sing." | カ；うた；うた（う） |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 歩 | 会意文字 | 止 | ノ 止 小 | Radical:stop (止) on top of little/few (少) = "to walk," since a walking person seldom stops. Originally derived from picture of movement of right and left feet. | ホ；フ；ブ |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 母 | 象形文字 | 毋母毌 | 母 毋 | Two breasts (:) on a modified version of woman (女), expressing the idea of a mother nurturing a child with milk = "mother." Usually simplified to 毋 when used as a component in other 漢字. | ボ；はは |
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 毎 | 象形文字 | 毋母毌 | 母 毋 | Radical:mother (毋) with hairpin on top in her hair, giving birth to a succession of children = "every, each." Alternately, every person has a mother (毋). | マイ |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 毛 | 象形文字 | 毛 | 毛 | Tail of an animal = "hair." | モウ；け |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 池 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 也 | Radical:water (氵) plus flattened out scorpion/snake (也), expressing the idea of extension, designating a spread out body of water = "pond." | チ；いけ |
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 汽 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 气 | Radical:water (氵) and breath (气) = "steam." | キ |
| 2 | 9 | 2 | 活 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | ノ 口 十 汁 舌 | Radical:water (氵) and tongue (舌), signifying that life exists as long as there is water and food (symbolised by tongue) = "life, activity, energy." | カツ |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 海 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 母 毋 | Radical:water (氵) and phonetic:every (毎) signifies the ocean as the mother of everything = "sea, ocean." Alternatively, phonetic:every (毎) signifies dark colour, hence referring to a deep and dark body of water. | カイ；うみ |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 父 | 会意文字 | 父 | 父 | Shape of hand holding a stone axe, signifying idea of father or head of household going out to hunt animals = "father." | フ；ちち |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 牛 | 象形文字 | 牛牜 | 牛 | Head of a "cow/bull." | ギュウ；うし |
| 2 | 11 | 3 | 理 | 形声文字 | 玉王 | 王 里 | Radical:king (王) (formerly jewel:玉) and phonetic:village/rural community (里), signifying rule over villages must be based on logic and reason = "logic, reason, principle." | リ |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 用 | 象形文字 | 用 | 用 | Shape of nail driven through a rectangular piece of wood = ヨウ "business, usage" or もち（いる） "to use." | ヨウ；もち（いる） |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 画 | 会意文字 | 田由 | 一 田 凵 | Old form signifies drawing on paper with a brush (聿) the dividing line (凵) of a rice field (田) in order to allot the land or for taxation purposes = "to draw." | ガ；カク |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | 番 | 象形文字 | 田由 | 田 釆 米 | Top radical:scatter seeds (釆) over rice field (田) signifies opening and closing of hand sowing seeds, became counter for movement and signifies order, guard, ordinal number = "number, order,. watch." | バン |
| 2 | 8 | 2 | 直 | 会意文字 | 目 | 十 目 ｜ 一 | Radical:10 (十) on top of eye (目) plus a hiding screen (L). Connotation of looking directly = チョク、ジキ "honest, direct" or ただ（ちに） "immediately" or なお（す） "to mend, correct, set right" or なお（る） "to be fixed." | チョク；ジキ |
| 2 | 5 | 1 | 矢 | 象形文字 | 矢 | ノ 大 一 矢 | Shape of an arrow = "arrow." | シ；や |
| 2 | 8 | 3 | 知 | 会意文字 | 矢 | 口 矢 | Radical:arrow () and mouth (), conveying the idea that telling the truth as "sharply" as an arrow = "to come to know, inform, wisdom." | チ；し（らせ・らせる・る） |
| 2 | 7 | 4 | 社 | 形声文字 | 示礻 | 土 礼 | Radical:altar (礻) plus earth (土), depicting a shrine, which is the connection between a deity and the land. Derived meaning: a group of people who share the same beliefs of ideas = シャ "company, shrine" or やしろ "shrine (Shinto)." | シャ；やしろ |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 秋 | 会意文字 | 禾 | 火 禾 | Radical:ear of rice (禾) and fire (火), signifying grains (normally harvested during autumn) drying in the sun or over the fire = "autumn, fall." | シュウ；あき |
| 2 | 9 | 2 | 科 | 会意文字 | 禾 | 禾 斗 | Radical: ear of rice/wheat (禾) and measure (斗), represents measuring grain. Exteded meaning: check and classify things according to type, and categories for sorting things = "(academic) course, branch, department." | カ |
| 2 | 12 | 3 | 答 | 形声文字 | 竹 | 口 竹 个 | Top radical:bamboo (竹) on top of fit (合) = "to answer, respond, answer." | トウ； こた（え・える） |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 紙 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 氏 糸 幺 小 | Radical:thread (糸) and family name (氏), suggesting bound paper on which family name is written = "paper." | シ；かみ |
| 2 | 11 | 2 | 組 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 一 糸 幺 小 目 | Radical:thread (糸) plus pile of objects (且), representing a group of objects strung together on a thread = ソ、くみ "group, crew, class, gang" or く（む） "to join, put together." | ソ；くみ；く（む） |
| 2 | 11 | 2 | 細 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 糸 幺 小 田 | Radical:thread (糸) plus brain/blood vessels (田), representing something slender or detailed, like blood vessels = サイ、ほそ（い） "slender, narrow, detailed" or ほそ（る） "to become thinner" or こま（かい）"small, detailed." | サイ |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | 絵 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 糸 幺 小 二 个 厶 | Radical:thread (糸) and "to gather together" (云), representing "to embroider with various coloured threads" and later meant = "picture, painting." | エ；カイ |
| 2 | 15 | 2 | 線 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 糸 幺 小 水 白 | Radical:thread (糸) plus spring (泉), signifying a long, thin thread, like a watercourse flowing from a spring = "line." | セン |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 考 | 形声文字 | 老 | 老 勹 | Radical:old man (老) except the bottom is replaced by a kneeling figure (like Rodin's The Thinker) = かんが（える） "to think, consider" or コウ "thought, idea, opinion." Alternative, the bottom can also represent a maze, hence signifying "to pursue a difficult problem." | コウ；かんが（え・える） |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 肉 | 象形文字 | 肉 | 肉 冂 人 | Depiction of lean flesh = "meat, flesh." As a radical, it looks like 月 and signifies parts of the body. | ニク |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 自 | 象形文字 | 自 | 自 | Shape of nose. Stroke (') on top of 目 is a finger pointing to a nose = ジ、シ "self" or みず（から） "in person." | ジ；シ；みずか（ら） |
| 2 | 11 | 2 | 船 | 形声文字 | 舟 | 口 舟 ハ | Radical:boat (舟) moves along the downward flow (ハ on top of 口) = "boat, ship." | セン；ふな；ふね |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 色 | 会意文字 | 色 | 色 巴 勹 | Picture ofa man and a woman nestling together, signifying appearance, countenance, colour = "colour." | ショク；シキ；いろ |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 茶 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 个 艾 木 | Original form represents a herbal (top radical:grass/flower) drink that unwinds (余) or relaxes one's body = "tea." | チャ；サ |
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 行 | 象形文字 | 行 | 行 彳 | Picture of crossroads = "to go, to proceed, to take place." | コウ；ギョウ；アン |
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 西 | 仮借文字 | 西覀 | 西 | Shape of bird perching on its nest. Birds return to their nests when the sun sets in the west = "west." Alternatively, picture of a woven sieve, used to drain sake, analogous to the sun "draining" into the west. | サイ；セイ；にし |
| 2 | 16 | 3 | 親 | 会意文字 | 見 | 見 十 辛 并 木 立 亠 | Stand (立) on top of tree (木) plus radical:see (見), hence parents standing on top of tree watching over children = シン、おや "parent." Derived meanings: した（しい） "intimate, familiar, friendly" or した（しむ） "get to know better." | シン；おや；した（しい・しむ） |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 計 | 会意文字 | 言 | 言 十 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and "to gather diverse things into one unit" (十), hence counting out loud or the activity of thinking, which gathers various facts together = ケイ "measuring, plan, total" or はか（る） "to measure, compute" or はか（らう） "to arrange." | ケイ；はか（らう・る） |
| 2 | 13 | 4 | 話 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 口 舌 | Radical:words/speaking (言) and tongue (舌) = ワ、はなし "story" or はな（す） "to speak." | ワ；はなし；はな（す） |
| 2 | 14 | 4 | 読 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 士 儿 冖 | Radical:words/speaking (言) and selling (売). An author is someone who sells words for you to read = "to read." | ドク；よ（む） |
| 2 | 14 | 4 | 語 | 形声文字 | 言 | 一 言 口 五 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and oneself (吾) = "language (suffix), to speak, tale." | ゴ；かた（る） |
| 2 | 12 | 4 | 買 | 会意文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 買 | Net (罒) on top of shellfish (貝), buying things with money (貝) is like catching things using a net = "to buy." | バイ；か（う） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 走 | 象形文字 | 走 | 走 土 | Big movement (originally 大, then became 土) of a foot striding, denoting concept of running on the ground = "to run." | ソウ；はし（り・る） |
| 2 | 7 | 3 | 近 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 斤 込 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) plus axe (斤), representing a thrown axe rapidly approaching its target, hence becoming near = "near." | キン；ちか（い） |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 通 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 用 マ | Radical:advance (辶) plus phonetic:甬 - a person squatting down (マ) piercing a board with a nail (用), representing a road penetrating or passing through an area without obstruction = ツウ、ツ、とお（る） "to pass, go through" or とお（す） "to let through, put through" or かよ（う） "to commute, to run (train)." | ツウ；ツ |
| 2 | 11 | 4 | 週 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 口 込 土 冂 | Radical:advance (辶) plus surroundings (周), signifying moving around in cycles = "week." | シュウ |
| 2 | 12 | 4 | 道 | 会意文字 | 辵辶 | 込 自 并 首 | Radical:advance (辶) plus phonetic:neck/head (首), representing people's heads moving along a path = "road, street, path." | ドウ；トウ；みち |
| 2 | 13 | 3 | 遠 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 衣 口 込 土 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and a loose garment (right side), signifying to take a round about way, to proceed leisurely, or to make a detour = "far." | エン；オン；とお（い） |
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 里 | 会意文字 | 里 | 里 | Field (田) on top of ground (土), signifying a rural village or farming community = り、さと "village, country, hometown." Alternate meaning: リ "a traditional unit of distance around 4km." | リ；さと |
| 2 | 8 | 4 | 長 | 象形文字 | 長 | 長 | Picture of an old man whose long hair is flying in the breeze = "head of an institution, long." | チョウ；なが（い・さ） |
| 2 | 12 | 4 | 間 | 会意文字 | 門 | 日 門 | Radical:gate (門) enclosing sun (日), representing sunlight passing through a gap in the gate = カン、ケン、あいだ "interval, space" or ま "room, interval, time." Old form uses the moon (月) rather than the sun (日) in between the gates (門). | カン；ケン；あいだ；ま |
| 2 | 11 | 2 | 雪 | 象形文字 | 雨 | ヨ 雨 | Radical:rain (雨) on top of broom (彐), representing "rain" that one needs to sweep away = "snow." | セツ；ゆき |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | 雲 | 形声文字 | 雨 | 一 雨 二 厶 | Radical:rain (雨) on top of cloud (云) = "cloud." | ウン；くも |
| 2 | 13 | 4 | 電 | 会意文字 | 雨 | 雨 田 乙 | Radical:rain (雨) on top of lighting (甩) = "electricity." | デン |
| 2 | 16 | 3 | 頭 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 口 豆 并 頁 | Radical:bean (豆) and head (頁). A head is shaped like a bean, and the head is the "leader" of the body, as well as the uppermost part of the body = "head; leader; top; brain." | ズ；トウ；ジュウ；あたま；かしら |
| 2 | 18 | 3 | 顔 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 頁 立 亠 厂 彡 | Older form (顔) is combination of pattern (文), design (彡) and clear edge like a cliff (厂), signifies the clearly defined facial features of a good looking person. With the head, it referred to the forehead, but later came to mean face. Alternatively, picture of a woman wearing hair ornament (left side) and right radical:head (頁). The most beautiful part of the head is the face = "face." | ガン；かお |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 風 | 形声文字 | 風 | 風 冂 虫 ノ | Ship's sail and a worm or a bug (虫) signifies the wind, just as the sail flaps when the wind blows, and the worms wiggle out = "manner, wind." | フウ；フ；かざ；かぜ |
| 2 | 9 | 4 | 食 | 象形文字 | 食飠 | 食 | Picture of white rice and chopsticks under cover = "to eat." | ショク；ジキ |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 首 | 象形文字 | 首 | 自 首 并 目 | Hair (two strokes over horizontal line) on top of nose (自), signifying the important parts or the first = "neck", "head" or "chief" or "counter (for Japanese poems)." | シュ；くび |
| 2 | 10 | 2 | 馬 | 象形文字 | 馬 | 馬 | Pictograph of horse mane and four legs = "horse." | バ；うま |
| 2 | 11 | 4 | 魚 | 象形文字 | 魚 | 魚 田 杰 | Pictograph of a fish. | ギョ；うお；さかな |
| 2 | 11 | 3 | 鳥 | 象形文字 | 鳥 | 鳥 杰 | The white (白) head of a bird, plus one of it's wings and four strokes representing the feed = "bird." | チョウ；とり |
| 2 | 11 | 2 | 黄 | 象形文字 | 黃 | 黄 田 ハ | Combination of an animal head and the arrow designated a firing weapon, made of an arrow smeared with animal fat. The burning of the animal fat has a yellow colour = "yellow." | コウ；オウ |
| 2 | 11 | 3 | 黒 | 会意文字 | 黑 | 黒 里 杰 | Soot in chimney (田) lit by flames (originally 炎, then became 土 on top of 灬), hence = "black." | コク；くろ；くろ（い） |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 両 | 象形文字 | 一 | ｜ 一 冂 山 | Set of scales, used in words that represent two things that form a set or pair = "two, both." | リョウ |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 氷 | 象形文字 | 丶 | 水 丶 | Water (水) plus icicle (丶) = "ice." | ヒョウ；こおり；ひ |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 主 | 象形文字 | 丶 | 王 丶 | Candlestick with flame burning on top, hence a central light source illuminating a house. Derived meanings: "master, owner" or "main, principal." | |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 乗 | 会意文字 | 丿 | ｜ ノ 一 禾 ハ | Picture of a person standing in a tree = ジョウ、の（る） "to ride" or の（せる） "to place upon." | ジョウ |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 予 | 形声文字 | 亅 | マ 一 亅 | Katakana マ plus 丁 = "previously, in advance." | ヨ |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 事 | 会意文字 | 亅 | 一 口 亅 ヨ | Fortuneteller holding a stick/rod in the hand to divine something. Derived meaning: job, matter = "thing, matter." Originally a picture of a diviner holding a container of bamboo sticks in hand, literally holding someone's future (an important thing indeed). | ジ；こと |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 化 | 会意文字 | 人亻 | 化 匕 | Radical:person (イ) standing and sitting (ヒ) conveys idea of someone changing their posture = カ、ケ、ば（ける） "to turn into or take the form of something else" or ば（かす） "to bewitch." | カ；ケ；ば（かす・ける） |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 他 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 也 | Radical:person (イ) plus snake (也), representing a snaky person with whome one would rather not associate = "other, another" | タ |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 代 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 弋 | Radical:person (イ) and bird-catching device (弋), refers to the state in which people exchange roles = "generation, price (suffix), to take the place of." | ダイ；タイ；か（える・わる）；しろ；よ |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 仕 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 士 | Radical:person (イ) plus samurai (士) = "work" or "to serve." | シ；つか（える） |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 全 | 象形文字 | 人亻 | 王 ハ | People gathering under cover plus king (王), denoting a king meeting all his subjects = "all, whole, entirely." | ゼン；まった（く） |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 住 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 王 化 丶 | Radical:person (イ) firmly rooted (主). Derived meanings: ジュウ "dwelling" or す（む）、す（まう） "to live, dwell." | ジュウ；す（まい・む） |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 使 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | ノ 一 化 口 | Radical:person (イ) together with government official (吏), hence person employed by government to do various things = シ "use, messenger" or ツカ（ウ） "to use." | シ；つか（い・う） |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 係 | 会意文字 | 人亻 | ノ 化 糸 幺 小 | Radical:person (イ) and connection (系), denotes being connected or related to other people = ケイ、かか（る） "to relate to" or かかり "duty, person in charge." | ケイ；かか（り・る・わり・わる） |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 写 | 会意文字 | 冖 | 一 冖 勹 | Older form (冩) is combination of top radical:roof (冖) and phonetic:to relocate/move (冩 minus 冖), indicating the act of transporting an object into the house, signifying to copy one thing to another thing = "to copy, project." | シャ；うつ（す・る） |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 列 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 刈 歹 | Radical:bones/death (歹) chopped into little pieces, by ClassicalRadical:sword (刂), then arranged neatly in a line = "a row, line." | |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 勉 | 形声文字 | 力 | 力 免 儿 | Escape/exempted (免) and radical:power (力), signifying exerting oneself in order to come out of a narrow passage = "hard work, to make efforts, to be diligent, excel oneself." | ベン |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 動 | 形声文字 | 力 | ｜ 一 日 力 里 | Heavy (負) plus radical:force/power (力), denoting even a heavy thing can be moved with sufficient force = ドウ "movement" or うご（く） "to move" or うご（かす） "to move (something)." Alternatively, picture of person (力) stamping on (東) the ground (土). | ドウ；うご（かす・き・く） |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 医 | 会意文字 | 匸 | 矢 匚 | Original form was combination of activity (殳) of putting away arrows (矢) in the box (匚) and the wine jar (酉), referring to putting herbs in a wine jar to make medicinal drinks = "medical, medicine." | イ |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 去 | 会意文字 | 厶 | 土 厶 | Picture of an empty container with a lid, expressing the idea of emptiness, to become empty, to disappear = "to leave." | キョ；さ（る） |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 反 | 会意文字 | 又 | 又 厂 | Hand (又) pressing a radical:thin board (厂) to warp it. If the pressure is released, the board returns back to normal shape = ハン、ホン "anti-" or そ（る）、そ（らす） "to wrap, bend back." | ハン；タン；そ（らす・る） |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 取 | 会意文字 | 又 | 耳 又 | Radical:ear (耳) and right hand (又), signifying a victorious warrior taking the ear of his opponent in battle = "to take, obtain, snatch, subscribe to." | |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 受 | 会意文字 | 又 | 爪 又 冖 | Signifying receiving something from hand (爫) to (冖) hand (又) = ジュ、う（ける） "to receive", and by extension う（かる） "to pass (an examination)." Simplified from original form. | ジュ；う（かる・け・ける） |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 向 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 冂 | Window of a house = コウ、む（かう） "to face (toward); to proceed (to)" or む（く）、む（ける） "to turn" or む（こう） "opposite side." | コウ |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 味 | 形声文字 | 口 | ｜ 口 二 ハ 木 亠 | Radical:mouth (口) and not yet (未), signifying the state when one has just started eating, and therefore not yet determined the taste of the food, leading to meaning of taste = ミ、あじ "taste" or あじ（わう） "to taste, to appreciate." | ミ；あじ；あじ（わい・わう） |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 和 | 会意文字 | 口 | 禾 口 | Radical:ear of grain (禾) and mouth (口), signifying general feeling of goodwill after one has been well fed = ワ、オ "harmony, peace" and by extension やわ（らく）、なご（む） "to be softened, calm down" or やわ（らげる） "to soften (something)" or なご（やか） "mild, peaceful, harmonious." | ワ；やわ（らぐ・らげる） |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 員 | 象形文字 | 口 | 貝 目 ハ 口 | Radical:mouth (口) above money/shellfish (貝), originally picture of a circle on a round tripod, indicating a round container or any round object. Then evolved into expression for counting, then word used to count or identify people who are members of a group = "member." | イン |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 坂 | 形声文字 | 土 | 土 又 厂 | Radical:ground (土) and warp (反) = "slope, hill." | ハン；さか |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 央 | 象形文字 | 大 | ノ 一 大 冖 | A person (人) in the middle of a frame = "centre, middle." | オウ |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 始 | 形声文字 | 女 | 口 女 厶 | Radical:woman (女) and foundation/commencement (台). Since women are the foundation of life, by giving birth = シ、はじ（める）"to start, begin" or はじ（まる）"to be started." | シ；はじ（まる・める） |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 委 | 会意文字 | 女 | 禾 女 | Radical:ear of grain (禾) on top of woman (女), signifying entrusting a woman to store harvest = "to entrust (with)." | イ；ゆだ（ねる） |
| 3 | 6 | 4 | 安 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 女 宀 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of woman (女). A man feels more at ease when a woman is in the house = "easy, peaceful." Derived meaning: "cheap" (because the man does not need to hire a housekeeper.) | アン；やす（い） |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 客 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 口 夂 宀 | Top radical:roof (宀) over foot (夂) and a square stone (口) signifies a guest who stops over at the house of a host, just as a person stops walking when he hits a stone with his foot = "guest, customer." | キャク；カク |
| 3 | 10 | 1 | 宮 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 口 宀 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of a number of rooms in a row (呂), hence a large mansion, palace or shrine = "shrine, palace." | キュウ；ク；グウ；みや |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 寒 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 一 ハ 宀 丶 井 | Top radical:roof (宀) on top of bricks, hands (ハ) and ice,. designating the activity of people piling up bricks or stones under the roof and covering the holes with their hands so that the icy cold air will not come inside the house = "cold." Alternatively, roof (宀), grass, person (ハ) and ice signifies people spreading grass on the floor in winter to protect from cold. | カン；さむ（い） |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 局 | 会意文字 | 尸 | 口 尸 | Dividers and a small frame (口) signifying dividing a place into small sections = "bureau (suffix), office, station." | キョク |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 屋 | 会意文字 | 尸 | 至 土 厶 尸 | Radical:corpse (尸), representing person lying down, on top of arrival (至), leading to a concept of person coming to stay at a house = "roof, house, shop." | オク；や |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 岸 | 形声文字 | 山 | 干 山 厂 | Radical:mountain (山) and cliff (厈), representing a mountain eroded by an ocean or river, forming cliffs = "bank, shore, coast." | ガン；きし |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 島 | 会意文字 | 山 | 山 鳥 白 | Old form is mountain (山) in the ocean and migratory bird (鳥) resting on it = "island." | トウ；しま |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 平 | 会意文字 | 干 | 干 并 | Symbol for aquatic weed floating on surface of body or water = "evenness, flatness; even, level; simple." | ヘイ；ビョウ |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 度 | 会意文字 | 广 | 又 广 一 凵 | Radical:building (广) enclosing many (20:廿) on top of right hand (又). Together, it denotes the act of measuring many things or many times with the right hand (distance between the thumb and the index finger) = ド、ト、タク "degree, measure, times" or たび "times." The phonetic is the part of the character without the 又. | ド；たび |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 庭 | 形声文字 | 广 | 王 广 廴 | Radical:building (广) enclosing a person strolling across a flat court (廷) = "garden." | テイ；にわ |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 役 | 会意文字 | 彳 | 彳 殳 几 又 | Radical:travel along a road (彳) and a hand holding a halberd (殳), hence someone walking along holding a halberd, protecting the country = ヤク、エキ "office, duty, service" or エキ "war, service." | ヤク；エキ |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 待 | 形声文字 | 彳 | 寸 土 彳 | Radical:travel (彳) plus temple (寺) = "to wait (for)" | タイ；ま（つ） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 急 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | ヨ 心 勹 | Person (ク) running away from a chasing hand (ヨ) on top of bottom radical:heart (心), indicating a state of mind = "to hurry, urgent, sudden." | キュウ；いそ（ぐ） |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 息 | 会意文字 | 心忄 | 自 心 | Radical:nose (自) on top of heart (心), signifying that the breath goes in via the nose to the heart (ancient belief) = "breath." | ソク；いき |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 悪 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | ｜ 一 口 心 | Pit dug up for building a foundation of a house (亜), on top of heart (心), signifying oppression and bad feelings = "bad, evil, hateful." | アク；オ；わる（い） |
| 3 | 13 | 3 | 意 | 会意文字 | 心忄 | 音 心 日 立 | Top radical:sound (音) (meaning "to contain one's words in the mouth") and mind (心), signifies unvoiced thought = "intention, will." | イ |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 所 | 会意文字 | 戶户 | 斤 戸 | Radical:door (戸) plus phonetic:axe (斤), signifying the spot where wood is being chopped = "place." | ショ；ところ |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 投 | 会意文字 | 手扌 | 扎 殳 几 又 | Radical:hand (扌) and a halberd held in the hand (殳), leads to the concept of throwing something = "to throw, abandon." | トウ；な（げる） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 持 | 形声文字 | 手扌 | 寸 土 扎 | Radical:hand (扌) plus temple (寺) = ジ "durability" or も（つ） "to have, hold, possess, to maintain." | ジ；も（たせる・ち・つ・てる） |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 指 | 形声文字 | 手扌 | 日 匕 扎 | Radical:hand (扌) and phonetic:(旨) = "finger." | シ；さ（す）；ゆび |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 旅 | 会意文字 | 方 | ノ 方 | Radical:flag (方) in front of a line of people (the right hand side looks like three イ rotated in various directions), signifying soldiers marching under a flag = "journey, trip, travel." | リョ；たび |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 族 | 会意文字 | 方 | 方 矢 | Radical:flag (方) plus arrow (矢), representing a gathering of arrows under a flag, depicting an assembly of members of a tribe = "family, tribe, clan." | ゾク |
| 3 | 9 | 1 | 昭 | 形声文字 | 日 | 口 刀 日 | Radical:sun (日) and summon/invited (召) = "bright, to manifest clearly." | ショウ |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 暑 | 形声文字 | 日 | 日 老 | Radical:sun (日) on top of phonetic:person (者), representing picture of firewoord burning over stove = "hot (weather)." | ショ；あつ（い） |
| 3 | 13 | 3 | 暗 | 形声文字 | 日 | 音 日 立 | Radical:sun (日) and sound (音), implying that the sun has set and only sounds can be heard = "dark, dim." | アン；くら（い） |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 曲 | 象形文字 | 曰 | ｜ 日 | Container made by bending wood or bamboo into the desired form = ま（がる） "to turn, be bent, be curved" or ま（げる） "to bend, distort, twist (something)." Derived meaning: キョク "curve, melody" (musical notes are formed by "bending" sound into different pitches.) | キョク；ま（がる・げる） |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 服 | 形声文字 | 月 | 月 又 卩 | Radical:flesh (肉) and person (卩) over hand (又), signifying that which is placed close to body = "clothes." Derived meaning: "to surrender." | フク |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 期 | 形声文字 | 月 | 甘 月 ハ | A square bamboo basket on top of a stand (其) and radical:flesh/moon (月). The left side suggests neat/orderliness, and the right side suggests waxing and waning. Hence, waxing and waning at regular intervals = "period, term." | キ；ゴ |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 板 | 形声文字 | 木 | 又 木 厂 | Radical:wood (木) and warp (反) = "board, plank." | ハン；バン；いた |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 根 | 形声文字 | 木 | 艮 木 | Radical:tree (木) and person with their back to the sun (艮), signifying movement in the opposite direction to the upward branches of a tree, or towards the roots = コン "root; perseverance" or ね "root, base." | コン；ね |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 植 | 形声文字 | 木 | 十 木 目 | Radical:tree (木) and straight/direct (直), signifying making a tree stand up straight = ショク、う（える） "to plant, to set (type)" or う（わる） "to be planted." | ショク；う（える・わる） |
| 3 | 15 | 2 | 横 | 形声文字 | 木 | ｜ 黄 田 二 日 ハ 木 廾 | Radical:tree (木) and yellow (黄), indicating a wooden panel used to make the frame of a box which stretches sideways = "sideways, horizontal." | オウ；よこ |
| 3 | 16 | 2 | 橋 | 形声文字 | 木 | ノ 口 木 冂 | Radical:tree (木) and a picture of a wooden bridge constructed with a high arch, resembling a tall building with a round roof (喬) = "bridge." | キョウ；はし |
| 3 | 6 | 3 | 死 | 会意文字 | 歹歺 | 一 夕 匕 歹 | Radical:death (歹) representing bones of a dead person (ヒ) = "to die." | シ；し（ぬ） |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 決 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 人 大 二 | Radical:water (氵) plus 夬, signifying a riverbank broken by a flood. Derived meaning: ケツ、き（める） "to decide" or き（まる） "to be decided", since a decision cuts into the root of a problem. | ケツ；き（まる・める） |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 注 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 王 汁 丶 | Radical:water (氵) plus unmoving central point (主), hence rivers emptying into the ocean. Derived meanings: チュウ "note, comment" or そそ（ぐ） "to pour, concentrate on, flow." | チュウ；そそ（ぐ） |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 泳 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 水 丶 | Radical:water (氵) and phonetic:endure/continue (永) designates to float and swim in the water for a long time = "to swim." | エイ；およ（ぐ） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 洋 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 王 汁 并 羊 | Radical:water (氵) and phonetic:sheep (羊) indicates a widespread body of water, ie. ocean (the ocean has "fleecy" waves) = "Western, ocean (suffix)" | ヨウ |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 酒 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 酉 | Radical:water (氵) and wine jar/container (酉) = "sake, rice wine, liquor." | シュ；さか；さけ |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 湯 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | ｜ 一 汁 日 勿 | Radical:water (氵) and sun high in the sky (昜), signifying water warmed by the sun = "hot water." | トウ；ゆ |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 湖 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 月 口 十 汁 | Radical:water (氵) and old (古) and moon (月). Old suggests a still body of water that has existed for a long time, and the calm water allows the reflection of the moon to be seen = "lake." | コ；みずうみ |
| 3 | 13 | 3 | 漢 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 艾 口 一 大 | Radical:water (氵) and a combination of animal skin (革) and fire (火) and earth (土), designating a dried up land, which in combination with radical:water means a waterless river (ie. the Milky Way). Later adopted as the name of a Chinese state (Han) = "China, Han (dynasty)." | カン |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 物 | 形声文字 | 牛牜 | 勿 牛 勹 | Radical:cow (牜) plus thing (勿), signifying the most valuable of all livestock = "thing, article." Note: originally 勿 was a streamer made of many colours. | ブツ；モツ；もの |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 申 | 象形文字 | 田由 | ｜ 日 田 | Something stretched over a long distance, representing the idea of expressing one's inner feelings = "to say, to be named." | シン；もう（す） |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 由 | 象形文字 | 田由 | ｜ 日 田 | Fruit of a tree hanging down from its branches. Derived meaning: logic, grasping the reality or "fruit" of something, origin, reason = "reason, cause, significance." | |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 畑 | 国字 | 田由 | 火 田 | Radical:fire (火) clearing a field (田) prior to planting = "field, farm." | はた；はたけ |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 病 | 形声文字 | 疒 | 一 人 冂 疔 | Sickness (疒) and phonetic:stiff (丙) = ビョウ、やまい "illness" or や（む） "to fall ill." | ビョウ；やまい；や（む） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 発 | 会意文字 | 癶 | 二 儿 癶 | Old form is top radical:feet pressed on ground (癶) on top of bow (弓) and action marker (殳), signifying to shoot an arrow in a swift motion, meaning 'to let go' = "to depart, set out for" | ハツ；ホツ |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 登 | 会意文字 | 癶 | 口 豆 并 癶 | Combination of both hands (top radical:癶) holding a goblet (豆), and both feet pressing on the ground, refers to the upward movement of the body supported by the legs = "to climb, ascend, register." | トウ；ト |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 皿 | 象形文字 | 皿 | 皿 | Serving plate or dish, by extension a container = "plate, dish." | さら |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 相 | 会意文字 | 目 | 木 目 | Radical:tree (木) and eye (目) signifies the act of looking at the object face to face = "to face, face to face, mutual, minister." | ソウ；ショウ；あい |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 真 | 会意文字 | 目 | 一 十 ハ 目 | Older form (眞) depicts the act of filling a tripod () with a spoon () = "true, genuine, just, exact." | シン；ま |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 短 | 形声文字 | 矢 | 口 豆 并 矢 | Radical: arrow (矢) and a stemware glass (豆), both short objects = "short." | タン；みじか（い） |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 神 | 形声文字 | 示礻 | ｜ 日 礼 田 | Radical:altar (礻) and praying (申) = "god, deity, God." | シン；ジン；かみ；かん；こう |
| 3 | 11 | 2 | 祭 | 会意文字 | 示礻 | 示 个 癶 | Meat (upper left) and right hand (又) on top of display (示), hence offering animal meat at an altar = まつ（る） "to deify, worship." Derived meaning: サイ、まつ（り） "festival." | |
| 3 | 13 | 2 | 福 | 形声文字 | 示礻 | 一 口 田 礼 | Radical:altar (礻) plus wealth (畐), representing the gods bestowing wealth or blessing a person = "good fortune, blessing." | フク |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 秒 | 会意文字 | 禾 | ノ 禾 小 | Radical:ear of grain (禾) and few/little (少), denoting the smallest part of an ear of grain, hence the smallest unit of time, angular measurement, and geographical coordinates = "second (unit of time, angle, latitude and longitude)." | ビョウ |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 究 | 形声文字 | 穴 | 穴 九 儿 宀 | Radical:hole (穴) on top of going to to limit/mastering something (9:九), hence examine a hole or empty space to the maximum extent = "to study, investigate thoroughly." | キュウ；きわ（める） |
| 3 | 11 | 2 | 第 | 形声文字 | 竹 | 弓 竹 | Radical:bamboo (竹) on top of pole covered by a vine (弔) and a marker (ノ), signifying movement of the vine from the bottom to the top, and the bamboo stalks which are marked from the bottom to the top, hence order = "prefix for ordinal numbers, order (of things)." | ダイ |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 筆 | 会意文字 | 竹 | 竹 聿 | Picture of a brush (聿) with a bamboo holder (竹) held in the hand = "brush." | ヒツ；ふで |
| 3 | 15 | 2 | 箱 | 形声文字 | 竹 | 竹 木 目 | Top radical:bamboo (竹) and facing each other (相), signifying tow bamboo baskets attached to both ends of cart facing each other, and came to mean a container = "box." | はこ |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 終 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 糸 幺 小 夂 | Radical:thread (糸) and winter (冬). One stocks up thread on a spool, like stocking food for the winter, to ensure it will last till the end = シュウ、お（える） "to end, finish" or お（わる） "come to an end." | シュウ |
| 3 | 14 | 2 | 緑 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | ヨ 糸 幺 小 水 隶 | Radical:thread (糸) and bark shavings (bark shavings), expresses the idea of a thread dyed green (the colour of young trees or bamboo shoots after their bark has been peeled off) = "green, greenery." | リョク；みどり |
| 3 | 6 | 1 | 羊 | 象形文字 | 羊 | 王 并 羊 | Head of a sheep. | ヨウ；ひつじ |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 美 | 象形文字 | 羊 | 王 大 并 羊 | Large (大) underneath modified version of sheep (羊), ie. "large sheep" which is excellent and beautiful (and therefore chosen as the best sacrificial offering) = ビ "beauty" or うつく（しい） "beautiful." Derived meaning: "delicious." | ビ；うつく（しい） |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 着 | 形声文字 | 羊 | ノ 王 并 目 羊 | Radical:sheep (羊), modified with a diagonal slope (ノ), on top of eye (目), suggesting sheep's wool hanging over eyes. Derived meanings = チャク、ジャク "arrival, clothing" or き（る）、つ（ける） "to put on, wear" or き（せる） "to dress (someone) or （つ（く） "to reach, arrive." | |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 習 | 会意文字 | 羽 | 羽 白 冫 | Radical:wings (羽) and phonetic:white (白) but originally 自 with semantic meaning to repetition, symbolizing a bird learning to fly by flapping its wings repeatedly = "to learn, take lessons." | シュウ；なら（う） |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 者 | 会意文字 | 老 | 日 老 | Stack of firewood burning on a cooking stove, subsequently used to represent 'tho one who ...' or 'the person who ...' = "person." | |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 苦 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 口 十 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of old (古). Once a plant has become too old (gone to seed), its leaves are no longer tasty = ク、くる（しい） "pain, painful, difficult" or くる（しむ） "to suffer, be troubled" or くる（しめる） "to torment, bully" or にが（る） "bitter" or "to scowl." | ク |
| 3 | 8 | 2 | 苦 | 仮借文字 | 艸艹 | 口 十 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of old (古). Once a plant has become too old (gone to seed), its leaves are no longer tasty = ク、くる（しい） "pain, painful, difficult" or くる（しむ） "to suffer, be troubled" or くる（しめる） "to torment, bully" or にが（る） "bitter" or "to scowl." | ク |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 荷 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 化 口 亅 艾 一 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of a person carrying a burden on the shoulder (何) = "load, burden, cargo." | カ；に |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 落 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 口 汁 夂 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of phonetic:to descend (洛), signifying the falling of the leaves = "to fall, drop, fail." | ラク；お（ち・ちる・とし・とす） |
| 3 | 16 | 3 | 薬 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | 日 木 冫 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of enjoyment (楽). Drugs/medicine are usually made from plants, and when used can bring relief (or even enjoyment) = "medicine, chemical." | ヤク；くすり |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 血 | 会意文字 | 血 | 血 皿 | Diagonal stroke (') on top of plate (皿), suggesting a bowl containing animal blood offered for sacrifice = "blood." | ケツ；ち |
| 3 | 15 | 2 | 調 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 口 土 冂 | Radical:words (言) and all corners of the world (周), expressing people in a state of perfect mutual understanding = "to be well tuned, top tune, melody, to look into the matter, to check." | チョウ |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 起 | 形声文字 | 走 | 走 土 已 | Radical:run (走) and unfolding an object (己) = "rise, raise, get up, wake up, begin, occur." | キ；お（きる・こす・こる） |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 転 | 形声文字 | 車 | 車 二 厶 | Old form is radical:vehicle (車) and phonetic:round (専) = "to turn, rotate." | テン |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 返 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 又 厂 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and a warped item returning to original shape (反). Connotation is to return the same way by which one came, and by extension give something back = ヘン、かえ（す） "to return something, give back" or かえ（る） "to return, go back." | ヘン；かえ（す・る） |
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 追 | 会意文字 | 辵辶 | ｜ 口 込 | Radical:advance (辶) plus Hhill (right side), signifying the idea of pursuing a person trying to escape to the hills = "to go after, pursue, to drive away." | ツイ；お（う） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 送 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 并 大 一 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and holding something with both hands, signifying to hold things and carry them somewhere = "to send." | ソウ；おく（る） |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 速 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | ｜ 一 口 込 ハ 木 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and phonetic:bundle of wood (束), signifying transporting wood in bundles which is quicker than transporting them separately = ソク、はや（い）、すみ（やか） "speedy, quick" or はや（める） "to quicken, speed something up." | ソク；すみ（やか）；はや（い・まる・める） |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 進 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 隹 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and bird (隹), signifying traveling with the speed of a bird = シン、すす（む） "to progress" or すす（める） "to promote something." | シン；すす（む・める） |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 運 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 車 冖 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and an army (軍), hence signifying an advancing army, carrying its weapons and food = ウン、はこ（ぶ） "to carry, transport." Derived meaning: ウン "fate, luck." | ウン；はこ（ぶ） |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 遊 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 子 方 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and a child (子) holding a flag (方) = "to play." | ユウ；あそ（ばす・ばせる・び・ぶ） |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 都 | 形声文字 | 邑⻏ | 日 邦 老 | Person (者) and radical:village (阝), symbolising a large town where people gather = "capital city, metropolis." | ト；ツ；みやこ |
| 3 | 11 | 2 | 部 | 形声文字 | 邑⻏ | 口 邦 立 | Opinions being divided into two (originally 否, then became 咅) and radical:village (阝), conveys idea of dividing a village = "part, section, department, copy (of document)." | ブ |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 配 | 会意文字 | 酉 | 酉 已 | Radical:sake (酉) and figure of person kneeling down (己), hence to adhere, givem allocate = "to distribute, deliver." | ハイ；くば（る） |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 重 | 会意文字 | 里 | ｜ ノ 一 日 里 | Person standing on the ground holding a load = ジュウ、チョウ、おも（い） "heavy" or かさ（ねる） "to pile up" or かさ（なる） "to be piled up." Alternatively, vehicle (車) with extra set of wheels, hence carrying a heavy load. | ジュウ；チョウ |
| 3 | 14 | 3 | 銀 | 形声文字 | 金 | 金 艮 | Radical:metal (金) and phonetic:staring at object for a long time (艮) = "silver." | ギン |
| 3 | 11 | 3 | 問 | 会意文字 | 門 | 口 門 | Radical:gate (門) enclosing mouth (口), representing a mouth at the gate asking for permission to enter (or guard asking who is visiting) = モン、と（い）、とん "question, problem" or と（う） "to ask, question, to accuse." | モン；と（い・う） |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 開 | 門 | 一 門 廾 | Radical: gate (門) enclosing an open frame, representing both hands trying to open the gate by releasing the latch/crossbar = カイ、あ（ける）、ひら（く）、あ（く） "to open" or ひら（ける） "to be developed." Old form depicts a gate with two doors (幵) which open up to the right and left. | カイ；あ（く・ける）；ひら（く・ける） | |
| 3 | 10 | 3 | 院 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 二 儿 宀 阡 元 | Hill/mound (阝) and fencing all around (perfect/end:完), indicates a building/cloister/institution (such as a school, office, monastery etc.) with a fenced in courtyard = "institution (suffix)." | イン |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 階 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 白 比 阡 | Radical:hill (阝) and everyone (皆), signifying a flight of earthen stairs = "story of a building, floor; grade." | カイ |
| 3 | 12 | 2 | 陽 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 一 日 勿 阡 | Radical:hill (阝) and sun high in the sky (昜), signifying a hill brightly illuminated by the sun, hence the concept of brightness. Derived meanings = "positive, male (yang) principle, the sun itself." | ヨウ |
| 3 | 18 | 3 | 題 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 日 疋 頁 | Advancing in a straight line (是) and head (頁), with a connotation of 'straight head' ie. 'forehead.' Derived meaning = "title, subject, theme." | ダイ |
| 3 | 12 | 4 | 飲 | 会意文字 | 食飠 | 欠 食 | Radical:eat (食) and gap (欠), representing a hungry person with mouth open, signifies to swallow down = "to drink." | イン；の（む） |
| 3 | 16 | 3 | 館 | 形声文字 | 食飠 | 口 食 宀 | Radical:eat (食) and roof on top of a heap of things (官), indicating a large building where food is served to entertain people = "large building (suffix)." | カン |
| 3 | 14 | 4 | 駅 | 形声文字 | 馬 | 馬 尸 | Radical:horse (馬) plus change (尺), hence a town where travelers exchange horses = "station." Old form of right hand side was eye (罒) on top of handcuffed prisoners (幸), signifying prisoners being questioned one after the other, hence "continuous." | エキ |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 付 | 会意文字 | 人亻 | 化 寸 | Radical:person (イ) plus hand (寸), signifying touching another person using the hand = フ、つ（く） "to be attached, stick to, belong" or つ（ける） "to attach, stick on." | フ；つ（き・く・け・ける） |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 例 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 刈 歹 | Radical:person (イ) plus row/line (列), suggesting people queuing up in lines = レイ "example, custom, precedent" or たと（える） "to compare." Derived meanings, friends/colleages, things similar to each other, things, being as usual. | レイ；たと（えば・える） |
| 4 | 9 | 3 | 便 | 会意文字 | 人亻 | ｜ ノ 一 化 日 田 | Radical is person (イ) together with concept of "reforming or improving something that is inconvenient" (更) = ベン "convenience" or ビン "mail" Alternatively, 更 can also mean "to stretch an object back to its original shape." | ベン；ビン；たよ（り） |
| 4 | 10 | 3 | 借 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 日 | Radical:person (イ) plus olden days (昔), signifying people sometimes keep borrowed items for a long time = "to borrow." | シャク；か（り・りる） |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 側 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 貝 目 ハ 刈 | Radical:person (イ) and rule (則), signifying side or proximity, due to the notion that people always keep rules by their side = "side." | ソク；かわ；がわ |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 健 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 廴 聿 | Radical:person (イ) and build (建), expressing the idea of a person building up the body, just like building a house = "healthy." | ケン；すこ（やか） |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 側 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 貝 目 ハ 刈 | Radical:person (イ) and rule (則), signifying side or proximity, due to the notion that people always keep rules by their side = "side." | ソク；かわ；がわ |
| 4 | 13 | 3 | 働 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | ｜ 一 化 力 日 | Radical:person (イ) moving (動) = ドウ "work." or はたら（く） "to work." | ドウ；はたら（き・く） |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 冷 | 形声文字 | 冫 | 个 冫 卩 一 | Radical:ice (冫) and phonetic:purity (令) signififies pure and clear ice = "cold (to the touch), to freeze." | レイ |
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 別 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 刈 口 力 | Bones (left side) and right radical:sword (刂) expresses the idea of cutting joints with a sword, hence to divide or separate = "to part from, other, different, to separate." | ベツ；わか（れ・れる） |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 利 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 禾 刈 | Radical:ear of rice (禾) and sword (刂), expressing the idea of tilling the agricultural land with a plow, but now means the state in which things to smoothly or the knife that cuts well = "convenient, sharp knife, profit, advantage." | リ；き（かす・かせる・く） |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 副 | 形声文字 | 刀刂 | 一 刈 口 田 | Wealth (畐) plus radical:sword (刂), symbolizing dividing wealth into two, with half being used as spare/reserve in case of emergency = "vice-, sub-, secondary." | フク |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 史 | 会意文字 | 口 | ノ 口 | Picture of a container full of bamboo sticks (on which recrods are written) held in the hand, signifying a person who kept records = "to record (history), recorded document, history." | シ |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 各 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 夂 攵 | Different words (夂) coming out of mouths (ロ) of different people = "each, every; various." | カク；おのおの |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | 単 | 象形文字 | 口 | 十 尚 田 | Shape of a thin, flat fan, signifying simple and only one = "single, simple." | タン |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 囲 | 形声文字 | 囗 | 囗 井 | Radical:box (囗) enclosing a well (井) = "to surround, enclose, encircle, lay siege to." | イ；かこ（む） |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | 型 | 形声文字 | 土 | 刈 土 廾 ノ | Square frame and sword (刂) on top of radical:earth/ground/soil (土), hence using a knife to sculpt an earthen mold to make castings = "type, model, mold." | ケイ；かた |
| 4 | 11 | 3 | 堂 | 形声文字 | 土 | 口 尚 土 冖 | Radical:small (小), 冖 and 口 represents smoke coming from window of a house. Together with ground (土), this signifies a large structure on a foundation = "temple, hall." | ドウ |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 士 | 象形文字 | 士 | 士 | Originally a bar standing straight on the ground, but came to mean a grown up man, a warrior, or a specialist, or person who has deep knowledge of something = "scholar, man, samurai." | シ |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | 変 | 会意文字 | 夂 | 亠 夂 | 亦 on top of legs (夂) expresses the idea of legs becoming entangled, leading to concept of something going wrong or being strange = ヘン "strange, odd, change" and by extension か（わる） "to change, be altered" or か（える） "to change something" | ヘン；か（える・わる） |
| 4 | 4 | 2 | 夫 | 象形文字 | 大 | 人 二 大 | Youth with crown on head in coming of age (大) ceremony. The short horizontal line (-) is the ornamental hair pin used to secure the crown, signifies a grown up man or a husband = "grown up man, male." | フ；フウ；おっと |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 失 | 象形文字 | 大 | ノ 人 二 大 | Something slipping out of one's grasp and disappearing = "to lose." | シツ；うしな（う） |
| 4 | 6 | 3 | 好 | 会意文字 | 女 | 子 女 | Radical:woman (女) and child (子), signifying that women are fond of children = "to like." | コウ；この（ましい・み・む）；す（き） |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 季 | 会意文字 | 子孑 | 禾 子 | Radical:ear of grain (禾) on top of child (子), representing concept of harvest, and by extension season = "season (of the year)." | キ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 官 | 会意文字 | 宀 | 口 宀 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of an earthen wall (bottom part), representing an imposing house, and by association a government office. Derived meaning = "government, authorities." | カン |
| 4 | 14 | 2 | 察 | 会意文字 | 宀 | ノ 示 宀 癶 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of a festival (祭), representing a festival in honor of one's ancestors. Derived meaning: carefully checking or perceiving things = "to guess, perceive, sympathise." | サツ |
| 4 | 11 | 1 | 巣 | 象形文字 | 巛巜川 | 尚 田 木 | Three strokes on top of fruit (果), representing three young birds in a nest = "nest, lair." | ソウ |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | 席 | 会意文字 | 巾 | 巾 广 | Radical:building (广) enclosing many (20:廿) on top of cloth (巾), signifying many cloth cushions (座布団) in a house = "seat, place." | セキ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 底 | 形声文字 | 广 | 氏 广 | Radical:building (广) and piled up objects (氏) over a bar (ー), designating the bottom of the house = "bottom." | テイ；そこ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 府 | 形声文字 | 广 | 化 寸 广 | Radical:building (广) plus attach (付), hence a storehouse where rice (early form of tax) are closely packed together, hence belonging to the government = "government office, centre." | フ |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 康 | 会意文字 | 广 | ヨ 水 广 隶 | Combination of two hands, a hard shaft and hard shells of rice, signifying the hard shells of grains, hence hard and sturdy = "calm, sturdy." | コウ |
| 4 | 9 | 3 | 建 | 会意文字 | 廴 | 廴 聿 | Radical:extend/advance (廴) amd a writing brush (聿), signifying 'to stand up straight' or a structure being erected, in other words, the process of building something = ケン、コン、たて（る） "to build" or た（つ） "to be built." | |
| 4 | 13 | 2 | 愛 | 会意文字 | 心忄 | 心 爪 冖 夂 | Handing (爫) over (冖) the heart (心) and acting out of generosity and compassion (legs:夂) = "love." | アイ |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 成 | 会意文字 | 戈 | ノ 戈 | Original form is combination of halberd (戈) and "to make a thing by pounding on it" (丁), signifying the act of forming an object by patting the material and making it firm = "to form, emerge, bring out, become." | セイ；ジョウ；な（す・る） |
| 4 | 10 | 3 | 料 | 会意文字 | 斗 | 斗 米 | Radical:rice (米) and scoop/ladle (斗), representing the concept of measuring. Derived meaning = "material; ingredients; fee; charge." | リョウ |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | 昨 | 形声文字 | 日 | ｜ ノ 日 | Radical:sun (日) together with shape of half built house (乍), denoting something which existed in the past = "yesterday, the past, ancient times." | サク |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 未 | 象形文字 | 木 | ｜ 二 ハ 木 亠 | Short horizontal line (‐) added to upper part of tree (木), representing new branch which is not yet fully grown. | ミ |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 末 | 指事文字 | 木 | ｜ 一 ハ 木 亠 | Long horizontal line (―) in upper part of tree (木), symbolizing head or crown of tree, signifying end or farthest extremity of something = "end." | マツ；バツ；すえ |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 束 | 象形文字 | 木 | ｜ 一 口 ハ 木 | Tying wood (木) collected for a fire into a bundle (口) = "bunch". Suffix for counting bundles. | ソク；たば；たば（ねる） |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | 材 | 形声文字 | 木 | ノ 一 木 亅 | Radical:tree (木) and a bud protruding from the earth (オ), which conveys the concept of a latent function, hence raw material for construction = "material, timber, ability." | ザイ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 果 | 象形文字 | 木 | ｜ 田 木 | Pictograph of fruit on tree, with a derived meaning of "end" or "result" = カ "fruit, result" or は（たす） "to carry out, fulfil" or は（てる） "to come to an end" or は（て） "end, limit, result." | |
| 4 | 8 | 1 | 松 | 形声文字 | 木 | ハ 木 厶 | Radical:tree (木) and public (公), signifying a pine tree, often used in public celebrations = "pine tree." | ショウ；まつ |
| 4 | 10 | 1 | 梅 | 形声文字 | 木 | 母 木 毋 | Radical:tree (木) plus "every" (毎), = "Japanese apricot fruit/tree", which produces a lot of fruit. | バイ；うめ |
| 4 | 16 | 2 | 機 | 形声文字 | 木 | ノ 木 丶 幺 戈 | Radical:tree (木) and very few/small (幾), referring to the small wooden parts of a loom, hence small parts, machinery, occasion = "machine (suffix), counter (for aircraft)." | キ；はた |
| 4 | 14 | 2 | 歴 | 形声文字 | 止 | 止 麻 木 厂 广 | Original form is combination of rice plants (禾) and radical:eaves (厂), depicting orderly way in which rice plants were hung under the roof, on top of foot (止), hence designating the action of walking and passing through in an orderly way = "to pass, to go pass, apparent, to proceed one after the other." | レキ |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | 殺 | 会意文字 | 殳 | 木 殳 ノ 丶 几 又 | Plant or cereal (bind/harvest:メ on top of tree:木) and right radical:hand holding halberd (殳), signifying a sharp tool stripping the branches off a tree or harvesting a grain and tying the branches or sheaves into bundles. Derived meaning: "to kill." | サツ；セツ；ころ（す） |
| 4 | 4 | 1 | 氏 | 象形文字 | 氏 | 氏 | Old house leaning to one side, sheltering a family for generations = "family name, lineage." | シ；うじ |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 民 | 象形文字 | 氏 | 口 氏 | An eye in which the iris has been damaged or destroyed by needle, hence a blind person, by extension people who blindly follow a ruler = "people, subjects." | ミン；たみ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 泣 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 立 | Radical:water (氵) and standing (立), signifies sobbing and tears = "to cry, weep, shed tears." | キュウ；な（かす・かせる・く） |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 法 | 会意文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 土 厶 | Original form depicts a rare animal called tai with the head of a deer and the body of a horse, placed on a small island in the middle of the pond (simplied to just the radical:water 氵), so it could not leave (去), signifies the idea of framework or law = "law, norm." | ホウ；ホッ；ハッ |
| 4 | 8 | 2 | 治 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 口 汁 厶 | Radical:water (氵) and a raised foundation (台), signifying someone controlling the flow of water from a foundation = ジ、チ" peace, government, healing" or おさ（める） "to rule over" or おさ（まる） "to be at peace, calm down" or なお（る） "to be healed" or なお（す） "to heal." May be helpful to remember in China there is a strong risk of the Yangtzee River overflowing in a heavy rainy season, hence control of water flow (which you expect a government to do) will bring about peace and calm, and by extension healing. | ジ；チ |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 清 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 月 汁 青 土 二 亠 | Radical:water (氵) and blue (青), signifying something pure and clear = セイ、ショウ、きよ（い） "pure, clear" or きよ（まる） "to become pure" or きよ（める） "to purify." | セイ；ショウ；シン |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 無 | 仮借文字 | 火灬 | ｜ ノ 一 杰 無 | Picture of a dancer holding feathers in hands, asking divine being what was lacking, signifying that which does not exist = "nothing, non-being, to become non-existent, lose." | ム；ブ |
| 4 | 15 | 2 | 熱 | 会意文字 | 火灬 | 土 九 丶 儿 杰 | Phonetic:hot/humid (埶) on top of the bottom radical:fire (灬). The emphasis is the energy of a fire = ネツ "heat; fever; zeal" or あつ（い） "hot (except weather)." | ネツ；あつ（い） |
| 4 | 10 | 3 | 特 | 形声文字 | 牛牜 | 牛 寸 土 | Radical:cow (牜) plus temple (寺) = "special." | トク |
| 4 | 16 | 2 | 積 | 形声文字 | 禾 | 禾 貝 目 ハ 土 亠 | Radical:ear of rice (禾) and torture (責). Farmers are tormented by the taxes they have to pay in the form of rice, which is then heaped up in government warehouses = セキ、つ（む） "to head up, load" or つ（もる） "to be piled up." | セキ；つ（む・もり・もる） |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | 笑 | 象形文字 | 竹 | 禾 竹 大 | Original form (口笑) designates shape of a smiling mouth (口), bent like a lean (夭) bamboo (竹) = "to laugh, laughter, smile." | ショウ；え（む）；わら（う） |
| 4 | 14 | 2 | 管 | 形声文字 | 竹 | 口 竹 宀 | Radical:bamboo (竹) on top of government (官), representing a bamboo flute (because a flute player exercises a lot of control to play a flute, just like a government exercises control). By extension, tubes and pipes, as well as control = カン "to control; pipe;wind instrument" or くだ "tube, pipe." | カン；くだ |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 結 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 口 士 糸 幺 小 | Radical:thread (糸) tying a container full of good things with a lid (吉) = "to tie, unite." | ケツ；むす（ぶ） |
| 4 | 13 | 2 | 続 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 士 糸 幺 小 儿 冖 | Radical:thread (糸) and selling (売). A shop has to continue selling in order to remain in business, like a thread streching over a long distance = ゾク "continuation" or つづ（ける） "to continue." | ゾク；つづ（く・ける） |
| 4 | 13 | 2 | 置 | 形声文字 | 网罒罓 | 十 買 目 | Net (罒) on top of straight/direct (直), signifying concept of setting a net in a straight line, and by extension placing something in position = "to put, to place." | チ；お（き・く） |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 老 | 会意文字 | 老 | 老 | Old man with a long hair and bent back, supporting himself with a stick = ロウ "old age" or お（いる）、ふ（ける） "to grow old." | |
| 4 | 13 | 1 | 腸 | 形声文字 | 肉 | 一 月 日 勿 | Radical:flesh (肉) and a shape similar to 昜 (but actually derived from different roots) = "intestines." | チョウ |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | 航 | 形声文字 | 舟 | 舟 亠 几 | Radical:boat (舟) and person's neck outstretched (亢) signifying 'straight' = "to proceed straightforwardly, sailing, voyage." | コウ |
| 4 | 8 | 3 | 英 | 形声文字 | 艸艹 | ノ 艾 大 | Radical:grass (艸) on top on centre (央), hence a plant with a spendid flower blooming at the centre = "excellent, brilliant." Derived meaning: "England." | エイ |
| 4 | 12 | 1 | 街 | 形声文字 | 行 | 行 土 彳 | Radical:to go/come (行) and ground on top of ground (圭), signifying a parcel of land, bisected by a street or avenue, where people are coming and going = "street, avenue." | ガイ；まち |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 覚 | 形声文字 | 見 | 見 尚 冖 | Interaction (three dots) on top of roof (冖) on top of bottom radical:to see (見), expressing the cognitive process in which sensory input interacts with the mind = "to learn memorize, come to the awareness of, wake up." | カク |
| 4 | 13 | 3 | 試 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 工 弋 | Radical:speaking/words (言), and 式 which is work/craft (工) performed using a work instrument (弋), signifying employing people or tools to get the work done = "to try, attempt." | シ；こころ（みる）；ため（す） |
| 4 | 14 | 3 | 説 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 口 并 儿 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and a person opening mouth (brother:兄 and two strokes on top). Think of a speaker in the park expousing ideas = ゼイ、と（く） "to explain, persuade." Derived meaning: セツ "opinion, theory." Original form was radical:speaking/words (言) and undressing by pulling one's clothes off (ハ) from the top (兄, indicating one's head), signifying that words can unravel or undo problems. | セツ；ゼイ；と（く） |
| 4 | 15 | 2 | 課 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 田 木 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and fruit (果), signifying someone orally dividing work into sections and assigning to various people orally, and then seeing the fruit (result) = "to assign, assignment, section." Also used as a suffix for lessons. | カ |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 貨 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 化 貝 目 ハ 匕 | To turn into (化) on top of bottom radical:money (貝). Money can be converted to many things = "treasure, goods." | カ |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 費 | 形声文字 | 貝 | ｜ 貝 目 ハ 弓 | Steam or vapour rising from a river (弗), on top of bottom radical:money (貝), implying that money disappears just like steam = ヒ、つい（やす） "to spend, waste" or つい（える） "to be wasted." 弗 is also used to represent the dollar ($). | ヒ；つい（え・える・やす） |
| 4 | 15 | 2 | 輪 | 車 | ｜ 一 車 个 冊 | Radical:vehicle (車) plus methodical (侖), signifies wheels of a cart held together by central axle, representing objects shaped like a ring or circle, outline of a thing, to go through = "wheel, ring, circle." | リン；わ | |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 辺 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 込 刀 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and sword (刀) (which is actually a simplification of another complex character). Connotation is a sword preventing someone from travelling further hence having to spend some time in an area = "vicinity." | ヘン；あた（り）；べ |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | 連 | 会意文字 | 辵辶 | 込 車 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and vehicle (車), signifying idea of many vehicles driving past in succession, hence stretch in a row, join, link, accompany ... = レン "group, accompaniment" or つら（ねる） "to stretch in a row" or つ（れる） "to join, link, put in a row" or "to take along, be accompanied." | レン；つら（なる・ねる）；つ（れ・れる） |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 達 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 王 込 土 并 羊 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and ground (土) on top of sheep (羊), signifying a sheep walking along a dirt track = "to arrive, reach, attain." | タツ；タチ |
| 4 | 15 | 2 | 選 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | ｜ 込 二 ハ 已 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and two people over both hands (共) signifies the act of organizing or sorting out people (or things) = "to select, elect, choose." | セン；えら（ぶ） |
| 4 | 10 | 1 | 郡 | 形声文字 | 邑⻏ | 一 口 邦 | Ruler or monarch (君) and radical:village (阝), hence a community around a ruler, or administrative subdivision of a prefecture = "county, district." | グン |
| 4 | 10 | 1 | 郡 | 形声文字 | 邑⻏ | 一 口 邦 | Ruler or monarch (君) and radical:village (阝), hence a community around a ruler, or administrative subdivision of a prefecture = "county, district." | グン |
| 4 | 12 | 2 | 量 | 象形文字 | 里 | 一 日 里 | Stack of various items with a container of grain on top, signifying measuring as well as quantity = リョウ "quantity" or はか（る） "to measure, weigh." | リョウ；はか（る） |
| 4 | 16 | 2 | 録 | 形声文字 | 金 | ヨ 金 水 隶 | Radical:metal (金) and scattered bark shavings (right side), signifying characters being engraved on metal = "to copy, write down, record." | ロク |
| 4 | 11 | 2 | 陸 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 土 儿 阡 | Radical:hill (阝) and spreading out or stretching (坴), symbolizing an expanse of land that rises out of the ocean and stretches out as far as the eye can see = "land." | リク |
| 4 | 14 | 2 | 静 | 会意文字 | 靑 | 月 青 土 亅 亠 勹 ヨ | Radical:blue (青) and phonetic (争) = "quiet, tranquil, silent, still." | セイ；ジョウ |
| 4 | 18 | 2 | 類 | 会意文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 大 米 頁 | rice (米) on top of large (大), and right radical:head (頁), conveying the idea that a large grain of rice is shaped like a person's head, symbolizing things that are associated or of the same type = "kind, type." | ルイ |
| 4 | 19 | 2 | 願 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 小 白 頁 厂 | Plain/field (原) and head (頁). A head which is as large as a plain wants something = "wish, petition, request; to wish, request." | ガン；ねが（い・う） |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | 飛 | 象形文字 | 飛 | 飛 | Picture of a bird spreading its wings just before taking off = "to fly." | ヒ；と（ばす・ぶ） |
| 4 | 12 | 3 | 飯 | 形声文字 | 食飠 | 食 又 厂 | Radical:eat (食) and phonetic:going back/returning (反), suggesting that eating rice is a habitual activity = "cooked rice, meal, food." | ハン；めし |
| 4 | 18 | 3 | 験 | 形声文字 | 馬 | 口 人 馬 个 | Radical:horse (馬) and phonetic:people gathering and discussing (right side), representing examining horses in order to select a good one = ケン "effect; to examine" or ゲン "effect, omen." Synonym with 検. | ケン |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 仏 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 厶 | Radical:person (イ) and pushing something troublesome away (ム). The Buddha is a person who has transcended the trials and tribulations of this world = "enlightened being; the Buddha." | ブツ；フツ；ほとけ |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 制 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | ノ 刈 牛 巾 二 | Tree with protruding branches (left side) and right radical:sword (刂), signifying trimming the branches of a tree to shape it, with the implication of putting things in order = "system; regulations; to control." | セイ |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 券 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 一 人 大 刀 二 并 | Dividing something into two with both hands, on top of radical:sword (刀). An agreement engraved on tablet is split into two and each half is retained by each party to the agreement, hence to tally, or bill, draft, note etc. = "ticket, certificate." | ケン |
| 5 | 9 | 2 | 則 | 会意文字 | 刀刂 | 貝 目 ハ 刈 | Radical:money (貝) and sword (刂), with a nuance of dividing money fairly in accordance to predefined rules = "law, rule; to act on (a principle)." | ソク |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 務 | 形声文字 | 力 | 矛 力 夂 | Radical:taselled spear (矛), and activity (攵) on top of strength (力), indicating the action of pierching through a difficult situation and proceeding forth, meaning extreme exertion of oneself = "duty, job, work." | ム；つと（め・める） |
| 5 | 13 | 2 | 勢 | 会意文字 | 力 | 土 力 丶 儿 九 | An expanse of soil or ground (坴) and a person crouching (丸) on top of the bottom radical:power (), representing the energy a farmer puts into cultivation = "force, energy, vigour." | セイ；セ；いきお（い） |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 可 | 会意文字 | 口 | 一 口 亅 | Bent (丁) mouth (口), representing someone shouting よし (Good!) after succeeding in doing something = "good, approval, possible." | カ |
| 5 | 5 | 1 | 句 | 会意文字 | 口 | 口 勹 | Radical:hold/envelop (勹) and mouth (口), signifies a group of verbalised sounds, ie. words = "phrase, clause, verse." | ク |
| 5 | 6 | 2 | 団 | 形声文字 | 囗 | 寸 囗 | Radical:box (囗) enclosing a hand curled in a circular shape (寸), hence to envelop things in a circle, and by extension gathering together = "group, association, suffix for troupe or company." | ダン；トン |
| 5 | 6 | 2 | 因 | 会意文字 | 囗 | 大 囗 | Radical:box (囗) enclosing a large (大), signifying a large base for the enclosure = エン "cause" or よ（る） "to be based on, due to." | イン；よ（って・る） |
| 5 | 13 | 1 | 墓 | 形声文字 | 土 | 大 土 日 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of sun (日) on top of a modified large (大) on top of ground (土). Suggests sun shining on a large patch of luxuriant grass on the ground = "grave." | ボ；はか |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 婦 | 形声文字 | 女 | ヨ 巾 女 冖 | Radical:woman (女) and broom (帇) = "woman, wife." | フ |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 富 | 形声文字 | 宀 | 口 田 宀 | Top radical:roof (宀) and a jar of full wine (畐) designating a rich household, and signifies affluence = "wealth, riches, abundance." | フ；フウ；とみ；と（む） |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 布 | 形声文字 | 巾 | ノ 一 巾 | Hand (ナ) spreading radical:cloth (巾) = フ "cloth, spreading." or めの "cloth" | フ；ぬの |
| 5 | 13 | 1 | 幹 | 形声文字 | 干 | 干 十 日 个 | Sun rising through stalks of grass (left side) plus thick pillar or pole (干), surmounted by fluttering flag or banner, representing a strong tree trunk rising like the sun = カン "main part" or みき "trunk (of a tree)." | カン；みき |
| 5 | 8 | 1 | 往 | 形声文字 | 彳 | 王 丶 彳 | Radical:travel (彳) plus fixed central point (主) = "to go." | オウ |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 復 | 形声文字 | 彳 | 日 夂 彳 | Radical:travel (彳) and phonetic:pile up (イ over 日 over 夂), implying retracing a path, hence to return to original or former state, and also repetition = "re-, again, return." | フク |
| 5 | 7 | 2 | 快 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 人 大 二 忙 | Radical:heart (忄) plus 夬 (looks like centre 央 opened on the left), representing a heart that is open and filled with pleasant/refreshing feelings = "pleasant, refreshing." | カイ；こころよ（い） |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 性 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 生 忙 | Radical:heart (忄) and life (生) = セイ "sex, nature" or ショウ "temperament." | ショウ；セイ |
| 5 | 10 | 1 | 恩 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 心 大 囗 | Basis/cause (因) on top of radical:heart (心), with implication of the goodness of others = "kindness, favour." | オン |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 情 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 月 青 土 二 忙 亠 | Radical:heart (忄) and blue (青), signifying a pure heart = ジョウ、セイ "feeling(s) emotion, sympathy, circumstances" or なさ（け） "sympathy." | ジョウ；セイ；なさ（け） |
| 5 | 7 | 2 | 技 | 形声文字 | 手扌 | 支 扎 又 十 | Radical:hand (扌) and twig (支), hence signifying a technique or skill, for example a gardener pruning trees, and by extension all techniques = "technique, ability, skill." | ギ；わざ |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 招 | 形声文字 | 手扌 | 口 刀 扎 | Radical:hand (扌) and summon (召) = "to invite, beckon, to cause." | ショウ；まね（く） |
| 5 | 15 | 1 | 敵 | 形声文字 | 攴攵 | 口 十 并 立 亠 冂 攵 滴 | Phonetic:drop of water falling from the roof (啇) and right radical:stick in the hand (攵), signifying two enemies confronting each other, weapons in hand = "enemy, opponent." | テキ；かたき |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 枝 | 形声文字 | 木 | 支 木 十 又 | Radical:tree (木) and a twig (支), hence reinforcing the idea of tree branches = "branch." | シ；えだ |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 検 | 形声文字 | 木 | 口 人 木 个 | Radical:tree (木) and phonetic: people gathering to discuss, signifying people examining and inspecting wooden tablets = "to examine; inspection, investigation." | ケン |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 構 | 形声文字 | 木 | 木 冂 一 十 | Radical:tree (木) and put together (冓), hence building a wooden structure = コウ、かま（える） "to build, set up." Derived meaning: かま（う） "to mind, care about." | コウ；かま（う・え・える） |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 比 | 会意文字 | 比 | 比 | Two people sitting in line, comparing themselves with each other = ヒ "ratio, comparison" or くら（べる） "to compare." | ヒ；くら（べる） |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 永 | 象形文字 | 水氵氺 | 水 丶 | Modified water (水) (vertical line preceeded by short horizontal stroke) plus stroke (丶), representing the water in a river flowing endlessly = "long, eternal." | エイ；なが（い） |
| 5 | 8 | 2 | 河 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 口 汁 亅 一 | Radical:water (氵) plus goodness (可), signifying a large river = "river." | カ；かわ |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 測 | 水氵氺 | 貝 目 ハ 刈 汁 | Radical:water (氵) and rule (則), signifying the concept of meaning the depth of water according to a certain rule = "to measure, fathom." | ソク；はか（る） | |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 現 | 形声文字 | 玉王 | 王 見 | Radical:king (王) and see (見), signifying the king appearing before his subjects = ゲン "the present" or あらわ（れる） "to appear, come in sight" or あらわ（す） "to show, reveal." | ゲン；あらわ（す・れる） |
| 5 | 11 | 1 | 眼 | 形声文字 | 目 | 艮 目 | Radical:eye (目) and a person facing away from the sun (good:艮), with connotation of someone looking at something intently = "eye." | ガン；まなこ |
| 5 | 9 | 2 | 祖 | 形声文字 | 示礻 | 一 目 礼 | Radical:altar (礻) plus generations of ancestors (且) = "ancestor." | ソ |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 税 | 形声文字 | 禾 | 禾 口 并 儿 | Radical:ear of rice/wheat (禾) a person opening his mouth (brother:兄 with two strokes on top), signifying a tax collector paying a visit to collect tax (rice) = "tax." | ゼイ |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 精 | 形声文字 | 米 | 月 青 土 二 米 亠 | Radical:rice (米) and blue (青), signifying idea of someone energetically polishing rice = "spirit, energy, vitality, preciseness." | セイ；ショウ |
| 5 | 17 | 2 | 績 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 貝 目 ハ 糸 幺 小 土 亠 | Radical:thread (糸) and torture (責), with a meaning of making cloth by forcing thread together = "achivement, weaving." | セキ |
| 5 | 18 | 1 | 織 | 形声文字 | 糸糹 | 音 糸 幺 小 日 立 戈 | Radical:thread (糸) and the signs of sounds (戠), signifying making a mark by tying threads together = "weaving, to weave." | ショク |
| 5 | 13 | 2 | 群 | 羊 | 一 王 口 并 羊 | Ruler (君) and radical:sheep (羊), representing a flock of sheep around a shepherd = ゲン、む（れ） "group, crowd" or む（れる）、むら（がる） "to crowd, flock together." | グン；むら；むら（がる）；む（れ・れる） | |
| 5 | 18 | 2 | 職 | 形声文字 | 耳 | 音 耳 日 立 戈 | Radical:ear (耳) and the signs of sounds (戠), signifying distinguishing things by hearing characteristic sounds, and by extension one's work or job (which often involves being able to hear certain sounds acutely) = "work, employment, position." | ショク |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 術 | 会意文字 | 行 | 行 十 丶 彳 木 | Radical: to go/come (行) and an ear of mochiawa (glutinous millet) (朮), signifying small paths or lanes of a village used by local residents. Derived meanings: usefulness, techniques or means, the arts = "art; artifice, means." | ジュツ |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 複 | 形声文字 | 衣衤 | 初 日 夂 | Radical:clothes (衤) and phonetic:pile up (イ over 日 over 夂), representing concept of layers of clothes, associated with the idea of repeating 2-3 times and complicated = "to repeat, double, multiple." | フク |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 製 | 形声文字 | 衣衤 | 衣 刈 牛 巾 | Regulation/control (制) on top of bottom radical:clothing (衣), representing cutting cloth to make garments = "manufacture, make." | セイ |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 設 | 会意文字 | 言 | 言 殳 几 又 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and a pike (殳), signifying someone carrying a pike telling others what to do, and by extension establishing and preparing = "to establish, set up, prepare." | セツ；もう（ける） |
| 5 | 17 | 2 | 講 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 冂 一 十 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and put together (冓), hence to put together sentences = "lecture, club, study." | コウ |
| 5 | 19 | 2 | 識 | 形声文字 | 言 | 音 言 日 立 戈 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and signs of sounds (戠), signifying uttering words as sounds with particular meanings, hence to know things well and be able to discriminate between them = "to know, discriminate." | シキ |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 責 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 土 亠 | Branch of tree with thorns (top half) on top of bottom radical:money (貝), signifying pressing somebody to return money by pricking them with thorns = "to condemn, blame, torture." | セキ；せ（める） |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 貧 | 会意文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 刀 ハ | To divide (分) on top of money (貝). Dividing money/property = "poverty; poor." | ヒン；ビン；まず（しい） |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | 貿 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 刀 厶 | Someone trying to pry open a window with both hands (top part) on top of bottom radical:money (貝), conveying the idea of trying to make a profit by prying something open, in order to have somebody buy or sell goods = "to exchange, trade." | ボウ |
| 5 | 12 | 3 | 貸 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 化 貝 目 ハ 弋 | replace/change (代) on top of bottom radical:money (貝), hence exchanging goods (temporarily) with money involved = "loan; to lend, rent out." | タイ；かし；か（す） |
| 5 | 13 | 2 | 資 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 欠 冫 | Next (次) on top of bottom radical:money (貝). Money is the next important thing to life itself = "wealth, help, nature, resources, capital, funds." | シ |
| 5 | 15 | 3 | 質 | 会意文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 斤 | Two axes (斤) side by side (representing units of equal weight), on top of bottom radical:money (貝), indicating things of equal value, and signifies the original quality or nature of a thing, plain, simple, to inquire = シツ "quality, substance." Derived meaning = シチ、チ "pawn, hostage." | シツ；シチ |
| 5 | 15 | 2 | 賛 | 会意文字 | 貝 | 貝 目 ハ 人 大 二 亠 | Two men (夫) side by side, on top of bottom radical:money (貝), inferring that one man is welcoming a visitor and appreciating the gift he has brought = "praise; agreement." | サン |
| 5 | 16 | 2 | 輸 | 形声文字 | 車 | 刈 月 車 个 | Radical:vehicle (車) plus gathering (合 without 口) on top of a boat (月) and river (《), hence boats gathering on a river, signifying transportation of goods via waterways = "to send, transport." | ユ |
| 5 | 16 | 2 | 輸 | 形声文字 | 車 | 刈 月 車 个 | Radical:vehicle (車) plus gathering (合 without 口) on top of a boat (月) and river (《), hence boats gathering on a river, signifying transportation of goods via waterways = "to send, transport." | ユ |
| 5 | 9 | 2 | 退 | 会意文字 | 辵辶 | 込 艮 | Old form was radical:travel/advance (辶) and sun (日) on top of retreating foot movement (夂), later simplified to (艮), signifying retreating or retiring of the sun. = タイ、しりぞ（く） "to retreat, retire" or しりぞ（ける） "to keep away, drive away." | タイ；しりぞ（く・ける） |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 適 | 形声文字 | 辵辶 | 口 込 十 并 立 亠 冂 滴 | Radical:travel/advance (辶) and phonetic:drop of water falling from the roof (啇) = "fit for, suitable." | テキ |
| 5 | 9 | 2 | 限 | 会意文字 | 阜阝 | 艮 阡 | Radical:hill (阝) and person with back to the sun (艮), signifying retreating from a steep hill or cliff = "limit, to limit." | ゲン；かぎ（り・る） |
| 5 | 11 | 2 | 険 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 口 人 个 阡 | Hill (阝) and phonetic:people gathering to discuss (right side), signifying people talking about a steep and dangerous cliff = "steep, fierce, severe." | ケン；けわ（しい） |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 雑 | 形声文字 | 隹 | 木 隹 九 | Original form was robe (卒 minus 十) on top of tree (木) and birds (隹), signifying a robe made of various coloured cloths = "miscellaneous, mixed-, of poor quality, various." | ザツ；ゾウ |
| 5 | 13 | 2 | 預 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 欠 マ 一 亅 頁 | Previously/in advance (予) and right radical:head (頁). Using one's head in advance means preparing for future eventualities, and as an extension, entrusting somebody with something = ヨ、あず（ける） "to entrust, deposit something with somebody" or あず（かる） "to keep, be entrusted, take care of." | ヨ；あず（かる・ける） |
| 5 | 14 | 2 | 領 | 形声文字 | 頁 | 貝 目 ハ 頁 个 卩 | Gather (合 minus 口) on top of picture of person kneeling (マ), and right radical:head (頁), implies someone giving orders = "governing, rule." | リョウ |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 供 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | ｜ 一 化 二 ハ | Radical:person (イ) and to hold an object with both hands (共), signifying meaning of a person offering a thing to another person = "to offer, accompany." | キョウ；そな（える）；とも |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 値 | 形声文字 | 人亻 | 化 十 目 ｜ 一 | Radical:person (イ) and "look directly" (直), leading to connotation looking at something carefully to judge it's value = チ、あたい "value" or ね、あたい "price." | チ；あたい；ね |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | 冊 | 象形文字 | 冂 | ｜ 一 亅 冂 廾 冊 | Picture of book made of pieces of wood or bamboo shaved into thin strips and bound with twine = "volume, copy." Suffix for counting copies or volumes of books. | サツ |
| 6 | 12 | 2 | 勤 | 形声文字 | 力 | 土 力 艾 口 | Animal head burned over the fire (left side) and right radical:strength (力), designating a person exerting strenght, hence to work = "to work, be employed." | キン；ゴン |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | 卵 | 象形文字 | 卩 | ノ 卜 丶 卩 | Picture of rows of eggs = "egg." | ラン；たまご |
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 収 | 会意文字 | 又 | ｜ 又 | Two lengths of twine twisted together () and radical:right hand (又), hence obtaining something by gathering various components, or putting/restoring things together = シュウ、おさ（める） "to obtain, to put away, put back" or おさ（まる） "to fit, to be restored." | シュウ；おさ（まる・める） |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 呼 | 形声文字 | 口 | ノ 口 并 亅 | Radical:mouth (口) and breath being blown out (乎) = "to call, summon, invite." | コ；よ（ぶ） |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | 困 | 象形文字 | 囗 | 木 囗 | Radical:box (囗) enclosing a tree (木). A tree that is enclosed will have trouble growing, signifying to be in a no-way out situation, to be inconvenienced = "to be troubled, to have difficulty." | コン；こま（る） |
| 6 | 9 | 2 | 城 | 土 | ノ 土 戈 | Radical:soil (土) and put together (成), hence erecting solid earthen walls to form a castle = "castle." | ジョウ；しろ | |
| 6 | 11 | 2 | 域 | 形声文字 | 土 | 口 土 戈 | Radical:ground (土) and demarcated territory (口 over 一) protected by a halberd (戈), hence concept of soldiers bearing arms stationed on the borders of a country = "boundary, border, region, area." | イキ |
| 6 | 11 | 2 | 域 | 形声文字 | 土 | 口 土 戈 | Radical:ground (土) and demarcated territory (口 over 一) protected by a halberd (戈), hence concept of soldiers bearing arms stationed on the borders of a country = "boundary, border, region, area." | イキ |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | 宅 | 形声文字 | 宀 | ノ 一 乙 宀 | Radical:roof (宀) on top of grass sprouting from earth (乇), leading to concept of settling down in a house = "house, home, residence." | タク |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 宝 | 形声文字 | 宀 | 王 宀 丶 | Radical:roof (宀) and jewel (玉), depicting a house containing jewels = "treasure, riches." | ホウ；たから |
| 6 | 9 | 2 | 巻 | 会意文字 | 己巳 | 大 二 并 已 | Dividing something into two with both hands, on top of radical:self (己), depicting a person kneeling and curled up into a ball, symbolizing division and curling up, or rolling things up into a circular form = ま（く） "to roll, to wind." Derived meaning: カン、まき "reel, volume (of a book), to roll", since books were formerly scrolls that are rolled up. | カン；ケン；まき；ま（く） |
| 6 | 13 | 1 | 幕 | 形声文字 | 巾 | 巾 大 日 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of sun (日) on top of a modified large (大) on top of cloth (巾), representing a curtain or screen (perhaps to block the sun or hide from view) = "curtain, screen, hangings, act (of a play)." | マク；バク |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 座 | 形声文字 | 广 | ｜ 土 人 广 | Radical:building (广) enclosing two people (人) sitting on the ground (土) = ザ "seat, theatre, constellation" or すわ（る） "to sit." | |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 延 | 会意文字 | 廴 | 一 止 廴 | Radical:extend/advance (廴) and diagonal stroke (ノ) on top of foot (止), signifying to prolong a journey by repeatedly stopping and starting = エン、の（べる）、の（ばす） "to lengthen, prolong, postpone" or の（びる） "to be postponed, delayed, prolonged." | エン |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | 忘 | 形声文字 | 心忄 | 心 亡 亠 | Deceased (亡), on top of heart (心), signifying the disappearance of a thing from one's mind = "to forget." | ボウ；わす（れる） |
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 映 | 形声文字 | 日 | ノ 日 大 | Radical:sun (日) and phonetic:centre (央), signifying to constrast bright and dark spots = "to project on a screen, reflect." | エイ；うつ（す・る）；は（える） |
| 6 | 12 | 2 | 晩 | 形声文字 | 日 | 免 日 儿 | Radical:sun (日) and escape/exempted (免), signifying that one is barely able to see as the sun has set = "evening, night." | バン |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | 暖 | 形声文字 | 日 | ノ 一 爪 日 又 | Radical:sun (日) and ample space between hands (爰), signifies the inexhaustible warmth of the sun = "warm." | ダン |
| 6 | 14 | 2 | 暮 | 形声文字 | 日 | 大 日 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of sun (日) on top of a modified large (大) on top of another sun, suggeting the sun setting over a grass covered plain, hence night falling, with associations to "ending" and "completion" = ボ、く（れる） "year end, to grow dark, to end." Derived meaning: くら（す） "to live, make a living." | ボ；く（らし・らす・れ・れる） |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | 机 | 象形文字 | 木 | 木 几 | Radical:tree (本) and flat surface (几) = "desk." | キ；つくえ |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 枚 | 会意文字 | 木 | 木 攵 | Radical: tree (木) and stick/rod (攵), signifying the activity of counting wooden bars = "suffix, counter for thin or flat objects." | マイ |
| 6 | 9 | 2 | 段 | 会意文字 | 殳 | ｜ 殳 几 又 | Cliff with steps (left side) and right radical:action (殳), representing the action of ascending step by step = "step, degree, rank." | ダン；タン |
| 6 | 9 | 1 | 派 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 斤 汁 厂 | Radical:water (氵) and the flow of a brook away from the main stream, designating the idea of separate = "group, party, school." | ハ |
| 6 | 9 | 3 | 洗 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | ノ 汁 土 儿 | Radical:water (氵) and tip/toe (先), suggesting cleaning out minute parts of the body using water, including the toes = "to wash." | セン；あら（う） |
| 6 | 13 | 1 | 源 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 汁 小 白 厂 | Radical:water (水) and field (原), highlighting the spring (泉) as a source of water = "source, origin." | ゲン；みなもと |
| 6 | 15 | 1 | 潮 | 形声文字 | 水氵氺 | 月 十 汁 日 | Radical:water (氵) and morning (朝), expressing the phenomenon of the morning tide, and by extension tides and seawater in general = "tide, seawater." Derived meaning: "opportunity." | チョウ；しお |
| 6 | 15 | 1 | 熟 | 形声文字 | 火灬 | 丶 九 口 子 亠 杰 | A child growing under a house (享) receives care from the crouching person (丸) under the bottom radical:fire (灬) soon matures = "to ripen, mature." | ジュク；う（れる） |
| 6 | 12 | 2 | 痛 | 形声文字 | 疒 | 用 疔 マ | Radical:sickness (疒) and person (マ) stamping on ground (用), designating a piercing pain = "pain, painful, ache." | ツウ |
| 6 | 9 | 2 | 看 | 会意文字 | 目 | ノ 一 手 二 目 | Modified hand (手) on top of eye (目), suggesting shielding the sun from one's eyes with the hand in order to see clearly = "to watch, see." | カン |
| 6 | 9 | 2 | 砂 | 形声文字 | 石 | ノ 口 小 石 | Radical:stone (石) and few/little (少) = "sand." | サ；シャ；すな |
| 6 | 7 | 3 | 私 | 会意文字 | 禾 | 禾 厶 | Radical:ear of rice (禾) and holding something (厶), hence carrying ears of grain from the fields in one's arms, or taking private possession for oneself = "I, private." | シ；わたくし；わたし |
| 6 | 10 | 1 | 秘 | 形声文字 | 禾 | ノ 禾 心 丶 | Original form is altar (示) and a wooden bar tied up between two wooden panels so that it becomes straight (必), signifying the shrine door tightly closed, and hence mysterious and incomprehensible = "to conceal, hide, secret." Left side simplified to radical:ear of rice (禾). | ヒ；ひ（める） |
| 6 | 11 | 2 | 窓 | 形声文字 | 穴 | 穴 心 儿 厶 宀 | Old form is top radical:hole (穴) on top of window used for ventilation, later replaced by phonetic element = "window." | |
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 系 | 象形文字 | 糸糹 | ノ 糸 幺 小 | Additional stroke on top of thread (糸) signifies being connected by a thread or linked in some way = "system; lineage; group." | ケイ |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | 署 | 形声文字 | 网罒罓 | 日 買 老 | Net (罒) on top of person (者), signifying squeezing people into a small enclosed space, kind of like modern day offices = "station (police, fire, etc.), government office." | ショ |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | 腹 | 形声文字 | 肉 | 月 日 夂 | Radical:flesh (肉) and phonetic:pile up (イ over 日 over 夂), signifying the part of the body where a lot of organs are piled up, including the "heart" where the "mind" is = "belly, abdomen, heart, mind." | フク；はら |
| 6 | 8 | 2 | 若 | 象形文字 | 艸艹 | ノ 一 口 艾 | Radical:grass (艸) on top of right (右), signifying picking flowers with the right hand, which a young man might do for his lover = "young." Derived meanings: "immature" or "low (in number)." | ジャク；ニャク |
| 6 | 11 | 1 | 訳 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 尸 丶 | Radical:words/speaking (言) plus change (尺), signifying changing difficult expressions into words that can be more easily understood = ヤク "translation." Derived meaning: わけ "reason, meaning." | ヤク；わけ |
| 6 | 14 | 2 | 誌 | 形声文字 | 言 | 言 士 心 | Radical:speaking/words (言) and intention/plan (志), suggesting keeping important words in the mind = "journal (suffix)." | シ |
| 6 | 12 | 1 | 貴 | 会意文字 | 貝 | ｜ 一 貝 目 ハ 口 | Holding a large package/bundle with both hands (top half) on top of bottom radical:money (貝), hence connotation of conspicuous assets/property and consequently, high value, together with associated concept of nobility = キ、たっと（い）、とうと（い） "valuable, noble" or たっと（ぶ）、とうと（ぶ） "to value, respect." | キ |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | 賃 | 形声文字 | 貝 | 王 化 貝 目 ハ | Responsibility (任) on top of bottom radical:money (貝), expressing the idea of money paid as remuneration for work, or the fee for renting something = "wages; rent; fee." | チン |
| 6 | 11 | 2 | 郵 | 会意文字 | 邑⻏ | ｜ ノ 一 邦 | Picture of a shaft of grain bent over combined with the soik, adopted to mean a sharp cliff, ie. remote area (垂) and village/inhabited area (阝), signifying a message post in the distance or a country post office, hence postal service = "mail." | ユウ |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 針 | 形声文字 | 金 | 金 十 | Radical:metal (金) and 10 (十), representing a metallic needle with thread = "needle." | シン；はり |
| 6 | 11 | 2 | 閉 | 会意文字 | 門 | ノ 一 門 亅 | Radical:gate (門) enclosing a latch or crossbar (オ) = "to shut." | ヘイ；し（まる・める）；と（ざす・じる） |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 除 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 禾 个 阡 | Radical:hill/mound(阝) plus left over (余), hence getting rid of spare soil = "to get rid of, exclude." | ジョ；のぞ（く） |
| 6 | 10 | 1 | 陛 | 形声文字 | 阜阝 | 土 比 阡 | Radical:hill (阝) and the Emperor and Empress walking on the palace grounds (坒) = "stairs of a palace." | ヘイ |
| 6 | 10 | 2 | 降 | 会意文字 | 阜阝 | 夂 阡 十 | Hill (阝) and picture of both feet coming down (夅) = コウ、ふ（る） "to fall" or お（りる） "get off, descend." | コウ |
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