📘 Intermediate Japanese Lesson ⑪: Mastering Basic Kanji – Part 1

Numbers, People, and the Body / 数字・人・からだの漢字

In this lesson, we’ll explore 15 of the most essential kanji you’ll see everywhere in Japanese—especially in everyday conversation, signs, and even in this blog!

This is part one of our series based on the 80 kanji taught to Japanese first graders. Today’s theme:
🔢 Numbers, 👥 People, and 🧍 the Body.

Each kanji comes with readings, meanings, and a simple explanation to help you remember it—plus an easy example sentence!

Kanji usually have two types of readings: on'yomi (音読み), which comes from Chinese pronunciation, and kun'yomi (訓読み), which is the native Japanese reading. We’ll show both in each section!

🔢 1. Numbers / 数字の漢字

一（イチ｜ひと）

• Meaning: One
• Tip: A single horizontal line represents the number one.
• Example: りんごを一つください。
  → Please give me one apple.

二（ニ｜ふた）

• Meaning: Two
• Tip: Two horizontal lines represent the number two.
• Example: 二人で映画を見ました。
  → We watched a movie together.

三（サン｜みっ）

• Meaning: Three
• Tip: Three horizontal lines represent the number three.
• Example: ケーキを三つ食べました。
  → I ate three pieces of cake.

四（シ｜よっ・よん）

• Meaning: Four
• Note: The reading "し" (shi) is avoided in some contexts because it sounds like "死" (death). Therefore, "よん" (yon) is often used instead.
• Example: 四つのボタンがあります。
  → There are four buttons.

五（ゴ｜いつ）

• Meaning: Five
• Example: 五人の学生がいます。
  → There are five students.

六（ロク｜むっ）

• Meaning: Six
• Example: 六時に起きます。
  → I wake up at six o’clock.

七（シチ｜なな）

• Meaning: Seven
• Tip: The reading "しち" (shichi) can sound similar to "いち" (one), so "なな" (nana) is often preferred, especially in phone numbers.
• Example: 七月は夏です。
  → July is summer.

八（ハチ｜やっ）

• Meaning: Eight
• Tip: The shape of the kanji resembles an open fan, symbolizing the number eight.
• Example: ケーキを八つ作りました。
  → I made eight cakes.

九（キュウ・ク｜ここの）

• Meaning: Nine
• Example: 今は九時です。
  → It’s nine o’clock now.

十（ジュウ｜とお）

• Meaning: Ten
• Tip: The cross shape can be associated with ten fingers.
• Example: 十分休みましょう。
  → Let’s take a ten-minute break.

👥 2. People / 人に関する漢字

人（ジン・ニン｜ひと）

• Meaning: Person / People
• Tip: The kanji resembles a person standing.
• Example: 日本人と話しました。
  → I talked with a Japanese person.

子（シ｜こ）

• Meaning: Child
• Example: 小さい子が遊んでいます。
  → A small child is playing.

女（ジョ｜おんな）

• Meaning: Woman
• Example: あの女の人は先生です。
  → That woman is a teacher.

男（ダン・ナン｜おとこ）

• Meaning: Man
• Tip: “田” (rice field) + “力” (strength) = a man working the fields.
• Example: 男の子がいます。
  → There is a boy.

🧍 3. The Body / からだの漢字

目（モク｜め）

• Meaning: Eye
• Example: 目が大きいです。
  → I have big eyes.

耳（ジ｜みみ）

• Meaning: Ear
• Example: 耳で音を聞きます。
  → I listen with my ears.

手（シュ｜て）

• Meaning: Hand
• Example: 手を洗いましょう。
  → Let’s wash our hands.

足（ソク｜あし・た）

• Meaning: Foot / Leg
• Example: 足が速いです。
  → He is fast (his legs are fast).

口（コウ・ク｜くち）

• Meaning: Mouth
• Example: 大きな口で笑います。
  → Laughing with a big mouth.

✨ Let’s Review! / まとめ

これら約20個の漢字は、シンプルですがとても実用的で、日常会話やサイン、マンガなどさまざまな場面でよく使われます。

Which kanji do you already know?
Which ones did you find interesting or new?

💬 Leave a comment and let us know your favorite kanji!
💡 Want a quiz or flashcard version? Let us know, too!