ka-tsu You put “katsu“ between two words or phrases to link two things. We have the simple word “to“ for “and.” When you make “A and B” sound formal, you can use “A katsu B” rather than “A to B.” Also in math, “A and B” is translated as “A katsu B.” In addition, additional [...]

masu, shō Shō is a unit of measurement for liquids or a unit of volume. Isshō (One shō) is equal to about half a gallon or 1.8 liter. It is used in a classical system of measurement. Masu is a square measurement cup. Write the sweeping stroke from the top. Write the horizontal stroke. Write [...]

rui This character originally means a fort, which is a heap of earth. You’ll hear “rui” very frequently if you like to watch baseball games. Rui is a base. Ichirui, nirui and sanrui are first base, second base, and third base respectively. If you don’t know Japanese numbers, please learn them at http://www.japanesecalligrapher.com/bjc/numbers-etc/ Write the [...]

  awa-seru, hei (pei) The character depicts two people standing side by side. It means that two things combine together, that is, they are merged. The verb awaseru means to merge. Gappei means a merger. With gappei, mind the order of the characters although both of them have a similar meaning (to combine) and reading [...]

    yabu-reru, yabu-ru, hai (pai or bai) The title might sound depressing but words using this character do not always have negative senses. Every kanji has many different aspects depending on how it is used. While the verb yabureru means “to lose,” the verb yaburu means “to defeat.” They are similar to makeru (to [...]

katawa-ra, bō If you don’t know the word soba, which means beside or by, you had better remember it rather than trying to remember today’s character and katawara, which has the same meaning as soba. Katawara sounds a bit classical. Besides, we have easier alternatives to katawara meaning “besides.”  They are nao, mata, and sonoue. [...]

kezu-ru, saku The verb kezuru means to sharpen something such as wood with a knife. With kezuru, you might reduce contents when you edit your writings. To cut down costs or budget for something is also expressed as kezuru. Sakujo means deletion and sakujosuru means to delete. The jo of sakujo means “to remove.” First [...]

  kō   This character is in a list of kanji in common use but there are few words including this character. Fewer and fewer people encounter such words like tankō (a coal mine) or kōdo (mine tunnel) as most coal mines in Japan have been closed. Write the horizontal stroke. Write the vertical stroke. Write [...]

oni, ki Oni is an ogre or an imaginary monster. You can find images of oni in some Japanese picture books. One of the well-known stories in which oni (ogres) appear is Momotarō. Momotaro is a boy’s name. He was born from a peach and became a hero who cleared ogres living on an island [...]

jō Ordinary people hardly use this character.  I think most people don’t know it means a branch although they vaguely understand it has something to do with laws or agreements. Jō is a section in a legal document. Another meaning is reason or logic. A famous and important section of the Constitution of Japan is Article 9, [...]