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M¥<D it & U (Kanji Topics)
^A* 6 t' § /cJI? -1- (Kanji from Pictures -1-)
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The ancient Chinese drew pictures of things they saw around them. These pictures were simplified over time and given a square shape to make them easier to write. Eventually these pictures evolved into the kanji we use today. The shape of each kanji, therefore, is related to its original meaning.
Look at the following picture.
Guess the meanings of the kanji characters below.
5. H
7. A
i. a
Lesson 1
These kanji characters were made from very primitive picture as follows. Usually each kanji has least two ways of being read; the so-called "KUN YOMI (=KUN, Japanese reading)" and "ON YOMI (=ON, Chinese reading)".
Picture #-		I e-i	->■ - - e			Kanji s	"KUN"	"ON"	Meaning sun, day
								#y	moon, month
	t - *								tree
					-*				mountain
			- )		-*				river
			- a						rice field
					-*	A	U £	— >	man, person
		0	- a				< *>		mouth
		8	E	|	-		< £ i		vehicle, wheel
Ml- i			i -						gate
^ (  ) reading is rarely used.
When a single kanji is used as a word, we usually read it by its "KUN YOMI (=KUN, Japanese reading)', which gives its meaning. When one kanji is used together with another to make a word, we often read them by their "ON YOMI (=ON, Chinese reading)". Generally speaking, however, the way of reading a kanji should be decided according to each individual word.
2
Lesson 1
.................^1 M&0)%lZ/LM¥ (Basic Kanji)
(Writing Kanji)
< £ \i./i,<D)\s — )V (Basic Rules) > Rule 1: Make every kanji the same size and balanced within a square.
Example.
X
0	*	pi	I- o	0		on
Rule 2: Follow the basic stroke order. (1) Write from left to right.
(2) Write downward.       | j
(3) Draw strokes from the top to the bottom as follows. ~*
(4) Draw strokes from the left to the right in the following order, j j j j
(5) Draw a square in the following way.
(6) When there is a figure in the square, the line which closes the square is drawn last.
i| rH riu ffl eb
cf. When a stroke line passes through a square, draw that stroke last.
Rule 3: There are three basic ways to end a stroke. (!) Stop (2) Stretch (3)
Hook
Lesson 1
mm														
a		sun day				if/-if -f-./-(-/-y) (4)								
I	n		R											
														
0 (U) the sun, day                                      0 B|f 0 (IC   • X 1 • If) Sunday 3 0(Ao-r)\) the 3rd day, three days              0 ^(IC • (2/1 'lc o • (£X) Japan														
		moon month				#"y (4)								
i	n		n	n										
														
(-^ $ ) the moon, month                             1 <>N o ) 7^ ^ (If o) one month ^ Bf[ 0 (If o ■£■)•{/) Monday                  1 ^ (^ %> • t*r>) January														
		tree				$ ^y (#7) (4)								
—-														
														
7f\.(£) tree                                               7KBÜ 0 (&<••£ 7 • J/') Thursday yf\.^"(? • iJ h) Japanese surname                 jk.^v(£'(f O civil engineering														
ill
mountain
(3)
Lb(^i) mountain 'gttl-U       ^ ' - O Mt. Fuji
l_L/~~f^ (-^ i • L tz) Japanese surname • ^ L) volcano
4
Lesson 1
															
ji]			river				(3)								
		)	I												
															
															
)]](frfr) river                                           /]\)]\(&-Vh) brook, stream •f A hWWfr) the Nile River															
			rice field				(5)								
l		n		m	m	ffl									
															
H3(/i) rice field                                         )Jj H3 (-f3 i ■ /c) Japanese surname HUtf7^'^'^ Japanese surname                  7JCffl ("f ^ ■ TX) rice field															
/ person A					ZA t yy -y (2)								
/													
													
/^(UZl) person                                         Q ^.^/^(U • I J^ • C L) Japanese (person) * 1 A^(tA^'J) oneperson                          3y^(-^"l;:^) three people													
		mouth				(3)								
	ft?		u											
														
X2{<%) mouth                                       &U(T- <"*>) exit XU     'J • <" *>) entrance                         y^O (^'3 t) population														
Lesson 1
																	
			vehicle wheel					< 4 £                            •> t (7)									
		V		r	i				J								
																	
																	
jfL( < £ i) car, wheel                                           ^^.(TX- L ^) train |=3 jt#jjL ( L* • £" 9 ■ L ^) car, automobile                  7j<. j|L ("f vx • I *0 waterwheel																	
n			gate						(8)									
		n		P				r				n						
																		
																		
																		
H(t^ gate ^ (-tf/C-1 specialty																		
6
Lesson 1
«fc &• tl A, 1/ <9> 9 (Reading Exercises)
I. Write the readings of the following kanji in Hiragana. 1. 7K       2. #       3. ft       4. f"J      5. 0        6. a
7. a    8. ub   9. ji|   io. ffi   ii. An
12.Jjffl*A
H. Read the following words and sentences.
1. BHfH     2. ^HgH     3. ^HIH 4.B^
±i Jt 7 Jt-5 UX,
5. $ J: 9 li 3 ^   15 H Tto   Today is the 15th of March.
6. ^)C7)>^|iiijJ]| "J X^T""t"o   That man over there is Mr./Ms. Yamakawa.
7. ub J'| "5 X./ li H ^-y^ "C"t" o   Mr./Ms. Yamakawa is a Japanese.
8. ^)COuU|i^>^l-bT""f"o  That mountain over there is Mt. Tsukuba.
if
9. Z <D)\\ |i^'J#^l| T"t"o   This river is the Tone River.
£ «i
10. jll ffl <7) #H li 3 y t" 3. — ^ — Tto  Mr./Ms. Kawadas specialty is
computer science.
7
Lesson 1
2-3      c* ft A 1/ Kb 9 (Writing Exercises)
I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate kanji.
1. tree
5. the moon
9. car
2. person
6. river
10. gate
3. mouth
< % 7. mountain
4. the sun
8. rice field
tz
< 5i
Lesson 1
j. Write the appropriate kanji based on the meaning of the word
1. January 2. February
■5. May
5
9. September
9
13. train
z
6. June
6
3. March
4. April
4
2 A rf<o 7. July
5 < ^ 10. October
7
11. November
L ^"-3 8. August
lit, ^ 12. December
10
II
12
l; * -j
14. Sunday
15. Monday
	XL	L *>				=t 1	y				11	
16.	Thursday			17.	Mt. Tsukuba				18.	Mt. Fuji		
		Eg								's	±	
	t <	Jt -5			<	If					i:	
19.	population			20.	specialty				21.	Japanese (person)		
												
	HL										is/.	LA
22.	Mr./Ms. Yamada			23.	Mr./Ms. Yamakawa				24.	the Tone River		
			iL							m