Japanese Rkwp: Lesson 1. Introductions & Greetings

Front 1

(K,R) 一

Back 1

One (1)

(Kun: ひと.つ)

(On: イチ)

Front 2

(K,R) 二

Back 2

Two (2)

(Kun: ふた.つ)

(On: ニ)

Hint 2

One + One

一+ 一

Front 3

(R) 丿

Back 3

"Slide"

Front 4

(R) 亅

Back 4

"Barb"

Front 5

(K,R) 手

Back 5

Hand

(Kun: て)

(On: シュ)

(Radical variant: 扌)

Hint 5

"slide"

Two,2

"Barb"

丿+ 二+ 亅

Front 6

(K,R) 人

Back 6

Person

(Kun: ひと)

(On: ジン、 ニン)

Front 7

(K,R) 大

Back 7

Big

(Kun: おお.きい)

(On: ダイ、 タイ)

Hint 7

One

Person

一 + 人

Front 8

(K) 天

Back 8

Heavens

(Kun: あま-)

(On: テン)

Hint 8

Big

One, 1

大 + 一

Front 9

(K,R) 矢

Back 9

Arrow

(Kun: や)

(On: --)

Hint 9

Big guy 大 with a gun

Heavens 天 + dot

Front 10

(R) 厶

Back 10

Private

("Pile", "elephant's nose", I, myself, katakana mu radical)

Front 11

(K) 挨

Back 11

Approach

(Kun: --)

(On: アイ)

Hint 11

Hand

Private ("Pile","elephant's nose")

Arrow

扌+厶矢

Front 12

(K,R) 川

Back 12

River

(Kun: かわ)

(On: セン)

(Radical variants: 巛, 巜)

Front 13

(K,R) 夕

Back 13

Evening

(Kun: ゆう)

(On: セキ)

Front 14

(K) 拶

Back 14

Be imminent

(Kun: --)

(On: サツ)

Hint 14

Hand

River 巛 (川, 巜)

Evening

扌+巛+夕

Front 15

(W) 挨拶

Back 15

(あいさつ)

Greeting

Hint 15

挨 approach

拶 be imminent

Front 16

(R) 丶

Back 16

"Dot"

Front 17

(K,R) 目

Back 17

Eye

(Kun: め)

(On: モク)

Hint 17

Mouth/box

Two,2

口+ 二

Front 18

(K,R) 自

Back 18

Oneself

(Kun: みずか.ら)

(On: ジ)

Hint 18

Eye

"Dot"

目+丶

Front 19

(K,R) 己

Back 19

Self

(Kun: おのれ)

(On: --)

(Radical: "snake")

Hint 19

Radical:

己

Variants:

巳 snake (zodiac)

已 stop, halt

Front 20

(R) 幺

Back 20

"Short thread"

Front 21

(K,R) 小

Back 21

Little

(Kun: ちい.さい、 こ-)

(On: ショウ)

Hint 21

"barbed" wire between "animal legs" - chances of survival...?

亅+ 八

Front 22

(K,R) 糸

Back 22

Thread

(Kun: いと)

(On: シ)

(Radical variant: 糹)

Hint 22

Short thread

Little

幺 + 小

Front 23

(K,R) 口

Back 23

Mouth

(Kun: くち)

(On: コウ、 ク)

Front 24

(R) 囗

(enclosure)

Back 24

"Box"

(Enclosure radical, has other elements inside, unlike "mouth")

Front 25

(K,R) 刀

Back 25

Sword

(Kun: かたな)

(On: トウ)

(Radical variant: 刂)

Front 26

(K) 召

Back 26

Seduce

(Kun: め.す)

(On: ショウ)

Hint 26

Sword

Mouth

刀 +口

Front 27

(K) 紹

Back 27

Introduce

(On: ショウ)

Hint 27

Thread

Seduce

糸 + 召

Front 28

(K,R) 八

Back 28

Eight (8)

("Animal legs")

(Kun: や、 や.つ、 やっ.つ)

(On: ハチ)

Front 29

(K) 介

Back 29

Jammed in

(Mediate)

(On: カイ)

Hint 29

Person

"Animal legs" (八 8,eight,divide)

人 + ハ

Front 30

(W) 自己紹介

Back 30

(じこしょうかい)

Self-intoduction

Hint 30

Oneself

Self

Introduce

Jammed in

Front 31

(R) 亠

Back 31

(Kettle lid)

"Top hat"

Hint 31

One+dot

Front 32

(K,R) 衣

Back 32

Garment

(clothes)

(Kun: ころも)

(On: イ)

(Radical variant: 衤)

(When it is incomplete - no top part- then "stockings" , as in 哀 "pathetic"; in 長 "long" there is one less stroke in the bottom part)

Hint 32

"top hat"+"stockings"

Front 33

(K) 初

Back 33

First time

(Kun: はつ、 はじ.め、 はじ.めて)

(On: ショ)

Hint 33

Sword

Garment, clothes

刀 + 衣 (衤)

Front 34

(K,R) 女

Back 34

Woman

(Kun: おんな、め)

(On: ジョ)

Front 35

(K) 台

Back 35

Pedestal

(Kun: うてな)

(On: ダイ、 タイ)

Hint 35

Mouth

"Pile","elephant's nose", private

口+ 厶

Front 36

(K) 始

Back 36

Begin

(Kun: はじ.める、 はじ.まる)

(On: シ)

Hint 36

Woman

Pedestal

女+台

Front 37

(P) はじめまして

(Other forms)

(初めまして)

(始めまして)

Back 37

Nice to meet you

("I'm glad to meet you [for the first time]" / "Let’s begin [this relationship].")

(This is usually translated as "How do you do?" but you’re really saying "Let’s begin [this relationship]". Only say this the first time you meet someone.)

Hint 37

初 first time

始 begin

Front 38

(R) 丨

Back 38

"Stick"

Front 39

(K,R) 木

Back 39

Tree

(Kun: き)

(On: ボク、 モク)

Hint 39

Big

Stick

大+ 丨

Front 40

(R) 禾

Back 40

(Two-branch tree)

"Grain"

Hint 40

Slide

Tree

丿+ 木

Front 41

(K) 私

Back 41

I

(me)

(Kun: わたくし、 わたし)

(On: シ)

Hint 41

Grain

Private, "pile", elephant's nose"

禾+厶

Front 42

(K,R) 日

Back 42

Sun

(day)

(Kun: ひ、-か)

(On: ニチ、 ジツ)

Hint 42

Mouth/box

One

口+ 一

Front 43

(K,R) 十

Back 43

Ten (10)

("Cross")

(Kun: とお、 と)

(On: ジュウ)

Hint 43

One

Stick

一+ 丨

Front 44

(K,R) 田

Back 44

Rice field

(Kun: た)

(On: デン)

Hint 44

Mouth/box

Ten/"cross"

口+ 十

Front 45

(K) 申

Back 45

Have the honor to

(Kun: もう.す、 さる)

(On: シン)

(Also: in zodiac sign of the monkey)

Hint 45

Sun

Stick

｜ + 日

Radical: 田 rice field

Front 46

(W) 申す

Back 46

(もうす)

to say

(to be called)

(Keigo - humble language)

Hint 46

申 have the honor to

Front 47

(P) 私 は [マリ] と 申します

Back 47

(わたしは [マリ] ともうします。)

My name is Mary

(申す -> 申します)

Front 48

(R) 冖

Back 48

"Crown"

Front 49

(R) 宀

Back 49

"house roof"

(shaped crown, katakana u radical)

Hint 49

Crown + dot

冖 + 丶

Front 50

(K) 且

Back 50

Moreover

("Crooked eye")

(Kun: か.つ)

(On: ショ)

Hint 50

Front 51

(K) 宜

Back 51

best regards

(Kun: よろ.しい、よろ.しく)

(On: ギ)

Hint 51

"house roof"

"Crooked eye"

宀

+且

Front 52

(W) よろしく

(Other form)

(宜しく)

Back 52

well

(properly)

(suitably)

Hint 52

宜 best regards

Front 53

(R) 厂

Back 53

"Cliff"

Front 54

(K,R) 白

Back 54

White

(Kun: しろ.い)

(On: ハク)

Front 55

(K,R) 水

Back 55

Water

(Kun: みず)

(On: スイ)

(Radical variants: 氵, 氺)

Front 56

(K) 泉

Back 56

spring

(fountain)

(Kun: いずみ)

(On: セン)

Hint 56

Water

White

水+白

Front 57

(K) 原

Back 57

meadow

(original)

(Kun: はら)

(On: ゲン)

Another variant: 厡 (cliff + spring, fountain)

Hint 57

Cliff

White

Little

厂 +小 +白

Front 58

(K,R) 首

Back 58

Neck

(Kun: くび)

(On: シュ)

Hint 58

Oneself 自 + "horns"

Front 59

(K,R) 頁

Back 59

Page

(Kun: ぺえじ)

(On: ケツ)

Hint 59

Neck (without "horns") on "animal legs"

首+ ハ

Front 60

(K) 願

Back 60

petition(wish)

(Kun: ねが.う)

(On: ガン)

Hint 60

Page

Meadow

頁+ 原

Front 61

(W) 願い

Back 61

(ねがい)

request

(desire, wish, prayer, petition, application)

Front 62

(P) お願いします

Back 62

(おねがいします)

Please

Front 63

(P) よろしく お願いします。

Back 63

(よろしくおねがいします。)

Please be kind to me.

Front 64

(K) 早

Back 64

early

(fast)

(Kun: はや.い)

(On: ソウ、サッ)

Hint 64

Sun, day

Ten, 10 / "cross"

日+ 十

Front 65

(W) 早く

Back 65

(はやく)

Early

(soon, quickly, fast)

(Other form: 速く)

Hint 65

早 early, fast

Front 66

(P) お早う

Back 66

(おはよう)

Good morning

( This is used to greet someone the first time you see them that day. )

(Colloquial)

Hint 66

From 早く- early

Front 67

(P) お早うございます

Back 67

(おはようございます)

Good morning

(This is used to greet someone the first time you see them that day. Since you usually see people first in the morning, you'll most often use this phrase as "good morning." Polite language)

Hint 67

早 early

Front 68

(W) 日

Back 68

Day (sun)

(ひ)

(Day, days)

(Sun, sunshine)

(Case, esp. unfortunate; event)

(にち)

(Sunday - abbreviation)

(day of the month)

(counter for days)

(か)

(day of month)

(counter for days)

Front 69

(K) 今

Back 69

Now

(Kun: いま)

(On: コン、 キン)

Hint 69

Person 人 + one/dot + katakana "fu"

Similar: 令 orders, ancient laws (except: katakana "ma")

Front 70

(W) 今日

Back 70

(きょう)

Today

Hint 70

今 now

日 day, sun

Front 71

(P) 今日は

Back 71

(んにちは)

hello

(good day - daytime greeting)

(This is your all purpose hello for the afternoon.)

Hint 71

Today + "wa" particle

Front 72

(R) 儿

Back 72

"human legs"

Hint 72

"slide" + "barb"

Front 73

(R) 勹

Back 73

(Wrapping enclosure)

"Bound up"

Hint 73

"slide" + "open scissors"

Front 74

(K) 兄

Back 74

elder brother

(Kun: あに)

(On: ケイ、 キョウ)

Hint 74

Human legs

Mouth

儿 + 口

Front 75

(K) 免

Back 75

excuse

(dismissal)

(Kun: まぬが.れる)

(On: メン)

Hint 75

Radical: Human legs 儿

Bound up

Stick

Elder brother

勹 +｜ + 兄

Front 76

(K) 晩

Back 76

nightfall

(On: バン)

Hint 76

Sun

Excuse

日 + 免

(the time when sun is being dismissed)

Front 77

(W) 今晩

Back 77

(こんばん)

Tonight

(this evening)

Hint 77

Now + nightfall

Front 78

(P) 今晩は

Back 78

(こんばんは)

Good evening

(This is your hello for evening and night time.)

Hint 78

Tonight + "wa" particle

Front 79

(K,R) 牛

Back 79

Cow

(Kun: うし)

(On: ギュウ)

(Radical variant: 牜)

Hint 79

"gun" + ten 十

Front 80

(K) 先

Back 80

before

(Kun: さき、 ま.ず)

(On: セン)

Hint 80

Cow 牛 + "human legs"

Front 81

(W) 先

Back 81

(さき)

previous

(prior; former; some time ago; preceding)

(Has other meanings, e.g. point of a pencil)

Front 82

(W) 先に

Back 82

(さきに)

previously

(before; earlier than; ahead; beyond; away; recently)

Front 83

(K,R) 示

Back 83

show

("sign")

(Kun: しめ.す)

(On: ジ、 シ)

(Radical variant: 礻)

Hint 83

Two

Little

二 + 小

Front 84

(K,R) 乙

Back 84

witty

("fishhook", the latter, duplicate,

strange)

(Kun: おと-、 きのと)

(On: オツ)

(Radical variants: 乛, ⺄, 乚)

Front 85

(K) 礼

Back 85

Thanks

(On: レイ、 ライ)

Hint 85

Sign + fishhook

示 + 乙

Front 86

(K) 失

Back 86

lose

(part with)

(Kun: うしな.う)

(On: シツ)

(Not about an item or a contest but: consciousnes, hope, a job, a fortune, memory, time)

Hint 86

大 big "gun", but not an 矢 arrow

Front 87

(W) 失礼

Back 87

(しつれい)

Excuse me

(Discourtesy, impoliteness, Goodbye)

Hint 87

Lose+thanks

Front 88

(W)する

(Other form: 為る)

Back 88

To do

(Adding する after some nouns causes them to become the so called "suru verbs", e.g.:)

(勉強する [べんきょうする] - to study )

Front 89

(W) 失礼する

Back 89

(しつれいする)

To leave

(To be rude)

(Suru verb)

(There is a long "ee" at the end of "しつれい", read it as "shitsuree")

Front 90

(P) お先に失礼します

Back 90

(おさきにしつれいします)

pardon me for leaving (first)

(This literally means, "Excuse me for leaving before you." Say this when you leave and there are still people in the staff room working - which will be most of the time.)

(Less polite abreviation: お先に)

Hint 90

先 before

失 lose

礼 thanks

Front 91

(K,R) 工

Back 91

craft

(katakana "e" radical)

(On: コウ、ク、グ)

Hint 91

Two

Stick

二 + 丨

Front 92

(K,R) 王

Back 92

King

(On: オウ)

(玉 "jade" is a real radical here, but in many characters it lacks the dot so it looks like "king")

Hint 92

工 craft + 一 one

三 three + 丨stick

Front 93

(K,R) 羊

Back 93

Sheep

(Kun: ひつじ)

(On: ヨウ)

(Radical variant: ⺶)

Hint 93

King 王 on the "srick" and with "horns"

Front 94

(K) 様

Back 94

Polite suffix

(Esq.)

(Kun: さま、 さん)

(On: ヨウ、 ショウ)

Hint 94

Tree

Sheep

Water

木+羊+水

Front 95

(W) 様

Back 95

(さま)

Mr.

(Mrs., Miss, Ms.)

(Honorific or respectful suffix after a person's name or position, etc.)

Front 96

(R) 冫

Back 96

"Ice"

Front 97

(R) 广

Back 97

"House on a cliff"

Hint 97

Cliff+dot

Front 98

(R) 疒

Back 98

"Sickness"

Hint 98

冫ice + 广 house on a cliff

Front 99

(K,R) 又

Back 99

Again

("right hand")

(Kun: また)

(On: --)

Front 100

(K,R) 皮

Back 100

Skin

(Pelt)

(Kun: かわ)

(On: ヒ)

Hint 100

Cliff + stick + 又 "right hand"/again

Front 101

(K) 疲

Back 101

Exhausted

(Kun:つか.れる)(On: ヒ)

Hint 101

Sickness 疒

Skin 皮

Front 102

(W) 疲れ

Back 102

(つかれ )

tiredness

(fatigue)

Front 103

(P) お疲れ様でした

Back 103

(おつかれさまでした)

Thank you for your hard work

(This means "You worked hard." Think of it as saying, "Good job today." Say this when someone leaves the staff room and you are still working.)

Hint 103

お - polite prefix

疲れ - tiredness

様 - polite suffix after person's name

です in past tense

Front 104

(P) お疲れ様です。

お先に失礼します。

Back 104

(おつかれさまです。

おさきにしつれいします。)

Thank you for working hard. Excuse me for leaving before you.

(When you leave and others are still working, you can be extra polite by combining お疲れ様 with お先に失礼します. Notice you're using です instead of でした at the end of お疲れ様. That's because your co-workers are still working. You're saying "you're working hard" instead of "you worked hard.")

Front 105

(K) 名

Back 105

Name

(Kun: な)

(On: メイ)

Hint 105

Mouth

Evening

口 + 夕

Front 106

(R) 冂

Back 106

(Upside-down box)

"Jar"

Front 107

(K) 刺

Back 107

Thorn

(Kun: とげ、さ.す、さ.さる、さ.し)

(On: シ)

(The phonetic component 朿 also means "thorn" but is rare)

(It means also "to stab", and in this sense there are other kun readings: さ.す、さ.さる、さ.し)

Hint 107

Sword

Tree

"Jar"/upside-down box

刀+ 木+ 冂

Front 108

(W) 名刺

Back 108

(めいし)

Business card

(Meishi mean a lot to the people who give them. Shoving them in your pocket, or throwing them away, is a big insult.)

Hint 108

Name

Thorn

Front 109

(K) 六

Back 109

Six (6)

(Kun: む、 む.つ、 むっ.つ)(On: ロク)

Hint 109

Top hat

Animal legs

Front 110

(K,R) 立

Back 110

Stand up

(Kun: た.つ)

(On: リツ)

Hint 110

"Six" 六 on the "floor"

Front 111

(K,R) 生

Back 111

Life

(Kun: い.きる)

(On: セイ)

Hint 111

cow 牛 on the "floor"

Front 112

(K) 産

Back 112

Give birth

(Kun: う.む、 う.まれる)

(On: サン)

Hint 112

Life

Stand up

Cliff

生 + 立 + 厂

Front 113

(K,R) 土

Back 113

earth

(soil , ground)

(Kun: つち)

(On: ド、 ト)

Hint 113

Ten/"cross" 十 + "floor"

Front 114

(W) お土産

Back 114

(おみやげ)

souvenir

(Uncomman kanji readings)

(Omiyage are obligatory gifts given to colleagues when someone returns from a trip. It’s a way of saying "thanks for holding down the fort while I got to go away." Giving omiyage is a great way to maintain and build your working relationships. Usually omiyage consists of some consummable goods that are a local delicacy.)

Hint 114

お - honorable prefix

Earth

Give birth

Less common reading of 土産 is どさん, and then it can also mean "products of the land"