Here are several similar kanji that I’ll introduce. For those whose native language isn’t kanji-based, it might be challenging to memorize numerous similar characters. This blog will focus on introducing these similar kanji.
白・自・百
- 白 (しろ) – This character means “white.” It’s used not only to describe the color itself but also in words like “白い” (しろい), meaning “white” as an adjective.
- 自 (じ) – This Kanji character signifies “self” or “oneself.” It’s often part of words related to personal identity or actions related to oneself, like “自分” (じぶん), which means “myself” or “oneself.”
- 百 (ひゃく) – This character stands for the number “100.” Its shape comes from an ancient way of counting, where lines denoted numerical values.
動・働
- 動きます (うごきます) means “movement” or “act.” This character represents the movement of humans/animals.
- 働きます (はたらきます) means “work” or “labor.” It symbolizes human labor and is associated with concepts related to work or employment, used in words like “to work” (働く：はたらく) or “worker” (労働者：ろうどうしゃ).
大・太・犬
- 大きい (おおきい) means “big” or “large.” It’s a pictograph of a person with arms stretched out wide, signifying something vast or significant in size.
- 太い (ふとい) also carries the meaning of “thick” or “fat.” This Kanji represents a person with a big belly or a thick body, denoting thickness or fatness.
- 犬 (いぬ) stands for “dog.” It depicts the profile of a dog, symbolizing this domestic animal.
水・氷・泳
- 水 (みず) represents “water.” Its Kanji character originates from the image of flowing water.
- 氷 (こおり) stands for “ice.”
- 泳ぎます (およぎます) means “to swim.” It consists of the radical for water (氵) and, depicting the action of using water, indicating swimming as an activity utilizing water.
買・貝
- 買います (かいます) is the Kanji for “buy” or “purchase.”
- 貝 (かい) means “shellfish” or “shell.”
小・少
- 少ない (すくない) means “few” or “little” and represents a small quantity or a small number of something. It indicates scarcity or insufficiency.
- 小さい (ちいさい) means “small” or “tiny” and is used to describe physical size. It represents something that is diminutive or of a reduced scale.
午・牛
- 午後 (ごご) represents “afternoon” in Japanese. It refers to the time period between noon and evening.
- 牛 (うし) means “cow” or “ox.”
耳・聞
- 耳 (みみ) translates to “ear” in English. It represents the body part responsible for hearing, the organ of hearing.
- 聞きます (ききます) means “to listen” or “to hear,” referring to the action of listening to sound or words.
木・本
- 木（き） means “tree” or “wood.” It represents the concept of a tree or wooden material.
- 本（ほん） has a few meanings, but commonly it signifies “book” or “origin.” It can represent a book, the main or original thing, or be used as a counter for long cylindrical objects like bottles or trees.
休・体
- 休みます（やすみます） means “rest” or “break.” It signifies taking a break or resting from work or activities. It’s often used in words related to rest or taking days off, like “休み” (yasumi), which means “day off” or “rest.”
- 体（からだ） means “body.” It represents the physical body or the physical aspect of a person. It’s commonly used in words related to the body or health, like “体調（たいちょう）”, which means “physical condition.”
未・来
- 未来（みらい） means “future.” It signifies something that hasn’t happened or a period that is yet to come.
- 来ます（きます） means “to come”. It represents the action or concept of something approaching or arriving in the future.
楽・薬
- 楽しい（たのしい） has multiple meanings, including “enjoyment,” or “comfort”. It represents the idea of finding joy, pleasure. It’s commonly used in words related to music, enjoyment, or comfort.
- 薬（くすり） means “medicine”. It represents pharmaceutical substances or medications used for treating illnesses or ailments.
妹・味
- 妹（いもうと） means “younger sister.” It represents the concept of a younger female sibling within a family.
- 味（あじ） means “taste” or “flavor.” It represents the sensory perception related to how something tastes, whether sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami.
夜・液
- 夜（よる） means “night.” It represents the time of day from evening until morning, the period when it’s dark outside and generally associated with rest or sleep.
- 液（えき） means “liquid.” It signifies a substance that flows and takes the shape of its container, such as water, oil, or any fluid.
何・荷
- 何（なに・なん） means “what.” It’s used to ask questions about an unspecified thing or matter.
- 荷物（にもつ） means “load” or “baggage.” It represents goods, luggage, or items that are carried or transported.
動く・働く
- 動きます（うごきます） means “to move.” It signifies the action of changing position or being in motion.
- 働きます（はたらきます） means “to work.” It represents the action of engaging in employment or performing tasks for a living.
化・花
- 化（か） means “change” or “transform.” It denotes the action or process of something changing or transforming.
- 花（はな） means “flower.”
海・池・湖
- 海（うみ）means “sea” or “ocean.”
- 池（いけ）means “pond.”
- 湖（いけ）means “lake.”
門・間・簡
- 門（もん）means “gate” or “entrance.”
- 間（かん）means “space,” “interval,” or “time between.”
- 簡単（かんたん）means “simplicity” or “brief.”
従う・縦
- 従う（したがう）means “to obey” or “to follow.”
- 縦（たて）means “vertical” or “upright.”
復習・靴を履く・覆す
- 復習（ふくしゅう）means “review” or “revision.”
- 靴を履きます（くつをはきます）means “to wear shoes.”
- 覆します（くつがえします）means “to overturn” or “to flip.”
門・間・聞・開・閉・問・関
- 門（もん）means “gate” or “entrance.”
- 間（あいだ）means “space,” “interval,” or “time between.”
- 聞きます（ききます）means “to ask” or “to listen.”
- 開きます（あきます）means “to open.”
- 閉まります（しまります）means “to close.”
- 問題（もんだい）means “question” or “problem.”
- 関係（かんけい）means “relation” or “to be related to.”
持・待
- 持ちます (もちます) means “to hold” or “to carry” in Japanese.
- 待ちます (まちます) means “to wait” in Japanese.
夕・多
- 夕方 (ゆうがた) means “evening” in Japanese, specifically referring to the late afternoon or early evening hours.
- 多い (おおい) means “many” or “a lot” in Japanese.
田・曲・由
- 田（た）means “rice field” and is often used as a radical in other characters. It represents a field or a cultivated area.
- 曲（きょく）means “bend,” “curve,” or “music piece.” It can be used to describe something that is curved or bent, and it is also used in the context of music to refer to a musical composition or piece.
- 由（ゆう）This character means “cause” or “reason.” 理由（りゆう）、自由（じゆう）
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