tei This character makes formal words such as teisei (correction) and kaitei (revision). If you are a beginner learner of Japanese, you can skip these words. However, look at the left part of this character. If you know this is the “speech” radical, which you can find in many other characters, it may be easy [...]

aka-shi, shō Akashi is not a basic Japanese word but we often use shōmei meaning proof in math. The verb “shōmei suru” means to prove. Lawyers use risshōsuru when they prove somebody’s guilt or innocence. A witness who attends in court is shōnin. A proof based on evidence is jisshō. A proof to the contrary [...]

tan The left-hand radical of this character is “to say” or gonben, which is related to words. The right-hand side of the character depicts something that extends. Several meanings grew out of combinations of these components. The right-hand side radical meaning “to extend” is connected to growing and therefore this character means “to be born [...]

shiki This character is used as part of compounds. Words are categorized into two groups: knowledge and discernment. Knowledge Chishiki means knowledge. Gakushiki means academic knowledge. Jōshiki means common sense. Jōshiki was coined when it is translated from English. Discernment Kenshiki means discernment. Ninshiki means cognition. Ninshikisuru means “to cognize.” Menshiki is acquaintance. All of [...]

    yo-mu, doku, toku, tou Autumn is the season for reading. Reading is dokusho. Autumn is aki. So the season for reading is “dokusho no aki.” Let’s see the conjugation of the verb “yomu” meaning “to read.” yomanai …I don’t read. yomimasu … I read. It’s polite. yomu … I read. If it’s colloquial, [...]

kata-ru, kata-rau, go The names of languages have the suffix “–go.” 語 Nihongo … Japanese Eigo … English Chūgokugo … Chinese (Goku is a voiced sound of koku, which means a country.) Hangurugo … Korean Furansugo … French Doitsugo … German Supeingo … Spanish Porutogarugo … Portuguese Itariago … Italian Most of the above language [...]

hana-su, hanashi, wa The verb “hanasu” means to talk or to speak. The noun “hanashi” means a talk, speech or a story. There are many kinds of stories. Let’s see what kind of stories there are in the world. All words end with today’s character, which we read banashi or wa. Banashi is a voiced [...]

mō-keru, setsu The meaning of this character is close to the verb “found.” Although it implies “to make something,” it is often used when something big is set up or founded. The verb “mōkeru” means to set up something such as facilities. It also means holding a party. Sekkei is a plan or a design [...]

to-ku, setsu The verb “toku” is a written expression meaning to explain, to persuade, or to preach. Since there is another verb “toku” with another character meaning “to solve,” the word “toku” can be ambiguous. When you want to mean “to explain” explicitly, use the verb “setsumei suru.” Similarly, to persuade is “settokusuru,” and to [...]