📘 Intermediate Japanese Lesson ⑫: Mastering Basic Kanji – Part 2

Nature, Position, and Daily Use / 自然・位置・日常の漢字

Welcome back to our basic kanji series! In this second part, we’ll explore another 15 essential characters from the first-grade kanji list in Japan.

This time, our focus is on:
🌿 Nature, 📌 Position & Size, and 🏫 Everyday Use.

These kanji are simple in form but rich in meaning—and you’ll see them often in Japanese books, signs, school materials, and more. Each one includes its readings, meaning, example usage, and a small tip to help you remember it better.

🌿 1. Nature / 自然の漢字

山（サン｜やま）

• Meaning: Mountain
• Tip: The shape looks like three mountain peaks!
• Example: 高い山に登ります。
  → I climb a tall mountain.

川（セン｜かわ）

• Meaning: River
• Tip: The three lines look like water flowing.
• Example: 川で魚を見ました。
  → I saw fish in the river.

木（ボク・モク｜き）

• Meaning: Tree
• Tip: The character shows a tree trunk and branches.
• Example: 大きな木の下で休みます。
  → I rest under a big tree.

日（ニチ・ジツ｜ひ・か）

• Meaning: Sun / Day
• Tip: It looks like the sun with rays inside a square.
• Example: 今日はいい日ですね。
  → Today is a nice day.

月（ゲツ・ガツ｜つき）

• Meaning: Moon / Month
• Tip: Used in both time (months) and astronomy (moon).
• Example: 月がとてもきれいです。
  → The moon is very beautiful.

火（カ｜ひ）

• Meaning: Fire
• Tip: The shape represents flickering flames.
• Example: 火を使って料理します。
  → I cook with fire.

📌 2. Position & Size / 位置と大きさの漢字

上（ジョウ｜うえ・あ）

• Meaning: Up / Above
• Tip: The line above shows the top position.
• Example: 棚の上にあります。
  → It’s on the shelf.

下（カ・ゲ｜した・さ）

• Meaning: Down / Below
• Tip: The stroke is beneath the line = below.
• Example: テーブルの下に猫がいます。
  → There is a cat under the table.

大（ダイ・タイ｜おお）

• Meaning: Big
• Tip: Looks like a person spreading arms wide.
• Example: 大きな声で話します。
  → I speak with a loud voice.

小（ショウ｜ちい・こ）

• Meaning: Small
• Tip: The strokes look close together—small!
• Example: 小さな花を見つけました。
  → I found a small flower.

🏫 3. Everyday Kanji / よく使う日常漢字

本（ホン｜もと）

• Meaning: Book / Origin
• Tip: A tree (木) with a line = "root" or "origin" → book.
• Example: この本はおもしろいです。
  → This book is interesting.

名（メイ・ミョウ｜な）

• Meaning: Name
• Tip: Often used in "名前" (name).
• Example: あなたの名前は何ですか？
  → What is your name?

学（ガク｜まな）

• Meaning: Study / Learning
• Tip: Shows a child under a roof = studying.
• Example: 日本語を学びます。
  → I study Japanese.

校（コウ）

• Meaning: School
• Tip: Often used with 学 (study) to make 学校 (school).
• Example: 私の校は駅の近くにあります。
  → My school is near the station.

生（セイ・ショウ｜い｜う）

• Meaning: Life / Birth / Student
• Tip: Common in words like 先生 (teacher), 学生 (student).
• Example: 私は学生です。
  → I am a student.

✨ Let’s Review! / まとめ

In this second part of our basic kanji journey, we covered another 15 simple yet useful characters—from nature and size to school life and everyday language.

Which kanji did you already know?
Which one felt most helpful or interesting?

💬 Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
💡 Want practice sheets or quizzes? Let us know!