52Cards
IntermediateDifficulty
104 minTime
False FriendsThemes
Overview
This Kanji Flash deck of 52 intermediate kanji provides targeted practice to help you recognize and differentiate tricky 'false friends' in Japanese.
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Cards in This Deck
52 Cards
- 01日day, sun, JapanThis fundamental character for day and sun serves as the visual anchor for similar cards like 申, 甲, and 田.
- 02申have the honor to, sign of the monkey, 3-5PMThis kanji for reporting or saying extends its strokes through the center, distinguishing it from 日 and 田.
- 03甲armor, high (voice), A gradeA downward-pointing stroke separates this kanji for armor from visually similar frames like 由 and 申.
- 04田rice field, rice paddyThe internal cross representing a rice field makes this a central member of this group of rectangular look-alikes.
- 05由wherefore, a reasonBy extending its center stroke upward, this kanji for reason differentiates itself from the otherwise identical 田.
- 06目eye, class, lookWith one extra internal stroke, this kanji for eye is a frequent source of confusion with the simpler 日.
- 07口mouthThis simple square for mouth represents the most basic form of the more complex rectangular frames in this deck.
- 08人personThis fundamental kanji for person is easily mistaken for 入 or 八 depending on how the strokes meet at the top.
- 09入enter, insertDistinguished by its longer right stroke, this kanji for enter is a classic look-alike to 人 and 八.
- 10八eight, eight radical (no. 12)Unlike the connected strokes of 人 and 入, the two lines of this kanji for eight remain separated at the top.
- 11大large, bigThis common character for big forms the base for 太, which adds a single dot to change the meaning.
- 12太plump, thick, big aroundA single dot added to 大 changes the meaning from large to plump or thick.
- 13未un-, not yet, hithertoThe shorter top stroke here distinguishes this kanji for not yet from the nearly identical 末.
- 14末end, close, tipOften confused with 未, this kanji for end or tip uses a longer top stroke to signal its identity.
- 15本book, present, mainAdding a small cross stroke to the base of 木 transforms the meaning from tree to book or origin.
- 16木tree, woodThis kanji for tree serves as the visual root for several related cards in this set, including 本 and 林.
- 17林grove, forestDoubling the tree character creates this kanji for grove, contrasting with the single 木 and triple 森.
- 18森forest, woodsThis kanji uses three trees to represent a dense forest, following the visual logic of 木 and 林.
- 19土soil, earth, groundA longer bottom stroke identifies this kanji for soil, helping learners distinguish it from the similar 士.
- 20士gentleman, scholar, samuraiOften confused with soil, this kanji for samurai or gentleman features a top stroke longer than its base.
- 21王king, rule, magnateA single stroke distinguishes this ruler from the jewel found in 玉.
- 22玉jewel, ballLook for the extra dot to identify this precious stone among similar characters.
- 23午noon, sign of the horse, 11AM-1PMThe vertical line stops at the top crossbar, separating noon from the cow kanji.
- 24千thousandA slanted top stroke defines this number thousand, unlike the flat top of 干.
- 25干dry, parch, ebbThis simple character for drying lacks the slanted top found on the number thousand.
- 26牛cowThe central line breaks through the top, making this cow distinct from noon.
- 27犬dogA small mark near the shoulder turns the kanji for large into a dog.
- 28力power, strength, strongWatch the angle of the top stroke to separate this power kanji from the sword.
- 29鳥bird, chickenA horizontal stroke represents the eye, helping you distinguish bird from crow.
- 30烏crow, ravenThe missing eye stroke symbolizes the black plumage of a crow or raven.
- 31己selfKeep the top open to correctly write this kanji for oneself.
- 32已already, halt, long agoClosing the gap halfway changes the meaning from self to already.
- 33巳sign of the snake or serpent, sixth sign of Chinese zodiacFully closing the top loop identifies this character as the zodiac snake.
- 34刃blade, sword, edgeA small tick on the blade edge separates this from the sword kanji.
- 35刀sword, saber, knifeThis sword kanji lacks the protruding stroke found in the character for power.
- 36見see, hopes, chancesAdding legs to a basic frame creates the action of seeing or looking.
- 37月month, moonThis basic moon is often confused with more complex use-related characters.
- 38六sixCarefully place the top stroke to write a clear number six.
- 39用utilize, business, serviceA central vertical bar distinguishes this sign for usage from the moon.
- 40貴precious, value, prizeCombine complex details with the shell radical to represent something precious.
- 41貧poverty, poorRecognizing 貧 as the kanji for poverty prepares learners for potentially misleading vocabulary like 貧困.
- 42伏prostrated, bend down, bowThe varied meanings of 伏, from bending down to covering, make it a potentially tricky character in words like 伏線.
- 43貝shellfishIdentifying 貝 strictly as shellfish prevents mix-ups when reading vocabulary such as 貝殻.
- 44叶grant, answerThe kanji 叶 acts as a false friend if you expect a mouth-related action rather than the concept of granting an answer.
- 45杵wooden pestleLearning the specific reading and meaning of wooden pestle for 杵 clears up potential confusion with visually similar characters.
- 46撚kinky, twine, twistThe kanji 撚 introduces the specific idea of twisting into the deck, anchored by words like 撚糸.
- 47洒sprinkle, washRemembering that 洒 implies sprinkling or washing resolves the ambiguity of unpredictable readings in 洒落.
- 48藁strawThe kanji 藁 focuses solely on straw, separating it from misleading interpretations when reading わらしべ長者.
- 49汰washing, sieving, filteringWith completely distinct meanings like filtering and luxury, 汰 requires careful attention in words like 淘汰.
- 50蔽cover, shade, mantleThe jump from covering something to capsizing makes 蔽 an unpredictable character to encounter in 隠蔽.
- 51羨envious, be jealous, covetLinking 羨 firmly to the concept of being jealous helps learners navigate the false friend trap.
- 52澪water route, shipping channelThe kanji 澪 tests learners on specific aquatic terms like shipping channel, preventing confusion with more common water vocabulary.