A Cup of Drink

sakazuki, hai

This character implies a big plump wooden cup. We use it when we count the number of cups of drink.

1 pai (ippai) … a cup

2 hai (nihai) … 2 cups

3 bai (sambai) … 3 cups

4 hai (yonhai) … 4 cups

5 hai (gohai) … 5 cups

6 pai (roppai) or rokuhai… 6 cups

7 hai (nanahai) … 7 cups

8 pai (happai) or hachihai … 8 cups

9 hai (kyūhai) … 9 cups

10 pai (jippai or juppai) … 10 cups

Shukuhai is a toast or a celebratory drink. Before drinking, we say, “kampai” to express good wishes.

1. Write the horizontal stroke.
2. Cross the previous stroke.
3. Write the sweeping stroke falling leftward.
4. Write the dot that looks like another branch of the tree.
5. Write the horizontal stroke on the top.
6. Write the sweeping stroke touching the previous stroke.
7. Write the vertical stroke.
8. Write the elongated dot.

The Top of Something

itadaki, itada-ku, chō

The itadaki of a mountain is the top of the mountain. It is formally called sanchō.

The crest or height of something such as happiness is zecchō.

When your elders or betters give you something good, you should receive respectfully. The way you receive can be expressed as “itadaku.” If it is casual gift-giving, use the verb “morau.” In case you want to know how this is connected to the top of something, it may be useful to know that itadaku is an expression implying you put a gift on your head.

1. Write the left-hand side of the character first. Write the horizontal stroke.
2. Write the hook with an upward turn.
3. Write the horizontal stroke.
4. Write the sweeping stroke touching the horizontal stroke.
5. Write the left side of the rectangle.
6. Write the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
7. Write the upper horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
8. Write the lower horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
9. Write the lower side of the rectangle.
10. Write the sweeping stroke falling left ward.
11. Write the dot.

Simple or Naïve

boku

Boku is the sound of branch snapping and the character depicts the skin of a tree. Major compounds including this character are soboku (simple and undecorated), shitsuboku (simple and unsophisticated), junboku (naïve, honest and simple). The jun of junboku means pure.

1. Write the horizontal stroke.
2. Cross the previous stroke.
3. Write the sweeping stroke falling leftward.
4. Write the dot that looks like another branch of the tree.
5. Write the vertical stroke.
6. Write the elongated dot.

Dirty

kitana-i, yogo-reru, yogo-su, kega-reru, kega-su, kega-rawashii, o

Kitanai means dirty. When something becomes dirty, we express it as yogoreru. When somebody makes something dirty, we say, “yogosu.” Kegasu has the same meaning as yogosu but it is often used with abstract things such as ‘name.’ For example, “na wo kegasu” means to give somebody a bad name or to stain one’s name. A compound related this expression is omei, which means a bad name.

1. Write the dot in the upper left corner.
2. Write the dot under it.
3. Write the sweeping dot rising rightward.
4. Write the horizontal stroke on the top.
5. Write the longer horizontal stroke.
6. Write the hook with the upward turn.

To Seal or to Enclose

hō

Earth 土 is piled up on the left-hand side of this character 封. A mound of earth used to indicate the boundary between two lands. Ancient feudal lords would give subjects a fief, which is called hōdo. This word is obsolete.

The feudal system is “hōken sei do.” Seido means a system.

hū

Hūsho and hūtō may be more familiar to you. The former means a sealed letter; the latter, an envelope. The tō of hūtō implies a pipe or a tube.

1. Write the horizontal stroke.
2. Cross the previous stroke.
3. Write the horizontal stroke a little longer than the first stroke.
4. Write the horizontal stroke below it.
5. Cross the previous stroke.
6. Write the sweeping stroke rising rightward.
7. Begin to write the right-hand side. Write the horizontal stroke.
8. Cross the previous stroke with a vertical stroke with an upward turn.
9. Write the dot.

To Impede

samata-geru, bō

Samatageru and bōgaisuru mean ‘to impede.’ Bōgai means interference, interruption or disturbance.

1. Write the rotated chevron.
2. Write the sweeping stroke crossing the previous stroke and falling leftward.
3. Write the sweeping stroke rising rightward a little.
4. Write the dot on the top.
5. Write the horizontal stroke touching the previous stroke.
6. Write the hook.
7. Write the sweeping stroke touching the horizontal stroke and the hook.

A Festival

matsu-ri, matsu-ru, sai

A festival is matsuri or omatsuri. Seasonal festivals are harumatsuri, natsumatsuri and akimatsuri. The three major festivals in Japan are Gion Matsuri in Kyōto, Tenjin Matsuri in Ōsaka, and Kanda Matsuri in Tōkyō.

1. Write the sweeping stroke in the upper left corner.
2. Write the stroke touching the previous stroke. Its second part is a sweeping stroke.
3. Write the upper dot between the sweeping strokes.
4. Write the lower dot between the sweeping strokes.
5. Begin the upper right part. Write the hook.
6. Cross the sweeping part of the hook with a sweeping stroke falling rightward.
7. Begin to write the lower part. Write the shorter horizontal stroke.
8. Write the longer horizontal stroke.
9. Write the vertical stroke with an upward turn.
10. Write the sweeping stroke falling leftward.
11. Write the dot.