yo-bu, ko This character is the opposite of kyū (to inhale or to breathe in) but these characters become a word when they are together. It is kokyū meaning breath. The verb yobu means “to call somebody’s name.” Roll-calling is tenko. The verb tenko-suru and the phrase “tenko wo toru” mean “to call the roll.” Write [...]

ha-ku, to This one is another character having the mouth radical. Yesterday’s character also has the mouth radical but has the opposite meaning. When you let something out from the mouth, you can use the verb haku. Even when you throw up, the verb haku is used. Well, sorry for the indecency. Incidentally, hakike means [...]

su-u, kyū Do you know how to read the left part of the character? It’s kuchi, which means a mouth. What’s the right radical? What does it represent? According to a kanji dictionary, the right part is kyū, which is the sound you make when you breathe in. The verb suu means to breathe in [...]

sake-bu, kyō The verb sakebu means to shout or to scream. To scream might be more accurate in some occasions. A scream is sakebi, sakebigoe, or zekkyō. Roller coasters, jet coasters, and free fall attractions at theme parks are called “zekkyō mashīn” (machines that make you scream). Write the left side of the rectangle. Write [...]