53Cards
BeginnerDifficulty
80 minTime
Kanji That Look Like PicturesThemes
Overview
Use this group when your review needs one clear theme: picture-like forms.
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Cards in This Deck
53 Cards
- 01日day, sun, JapanThis shape represents the sun and serves as a simple starting point for pictographs.
- 02月month, moonThe shape of this kanji resembles a crescent moon and relates to monthly cycles.
- 03目eye, class, lookYou can visualize an eye in this vertical shape, which relates to looking and insight.
- 04田rice field, rice paddyThis kanji looks like a grid-shaped rice field viewed from above.
- 05山mountainThree upward strokes create the clear image of mountain peaks.
- 06川stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)The vertical lines represent the flowing stream of a river.
- 07口mouthA simple square represents an open mouth or an opening.
- 08木tree, woodThis shape shows a tree trunk with branches extending outward and roots below.
- 09門gate, counter for cannonsThe two sides of this kanji resemble a pair of swinging gate doors.
- 10火fireThe strokes here depict the flickering flames of a fire.
- 11竹bambooTwo similar parts represent stalks of bamboo standing side by side.
- 12馬horseThis detailed pictograph represents a horse, complete with a mane and legs.
- 13雨rainSmall dots inside the frame look like raindrops falling from the sky.
- 14鳥bird, chickenThis kanji captures the profile of a bird with its beak and feathers.
- 15牛cowThe top of this character resembles the head and horns of a cow.
- 16魚fishYou can spot the head, scales, and tail of a fish in these strokes.
- 17犬dogThis pictograph represents a dog, distinguished from other animals by its small dot.
- 18虫insect, bug, temperThis character portrays a small crawling insect or bug.
- 19亀tortoise, turtleThe central part of this kanji looks like the patterned shell of a turtle.
- 20猫catThis kanji represents a cat and relates to feline traits like sensitivity to hot food.
- 21龍dragon, imperialThe complex strokes of 龍 trace the winding body of a dragon.
- 22矢dart, arrowThis kanji mimics the shape of an arrow, as seen in the word 矢印 for directional signs.
- 23貝shellfishThe boxy shape of 貝 represents a shellfish or a shell found on the beach.
- 24舟boat, ship舟 depicts a simple boat, forming the base for many ship-related words like 船.
- 25刀sword, saber, knifeThe single curved stroke of 刀 suggests the sharp edge of a katana or sword.
- 26弓bow, bow (archery, violin)弓 captures the curved frame of an archery bow before it shoots an arrow.
- 27扇fan, folding fanThe structure of 扇 resembles a folding fan, often used to describe fan-shaped objects.
- 28傘umbrella傘 clearly shows a canopy and a handle, making it easy to recognize as an umbrella.
- 29瓦tile, gramThis kanji represents the overlapping roof tiles commonly seen on traditional houses.
- 30摂vicarious, surrogate, act in addition toThe components of 摂 suggest a hand gathering or taking in items like nutrients.
- 31娯recreation, pleasure娯 is associated with the pleasure of recreation, appearing in the common word 娯楽.
- 32肖resemblanceThis kanji refers to a portrait or resemblance, capturing the likeness of a person's image.
- 33鷲eagle鷲 is a detailed character representing an eagle, an impressive bird of prey.
- 34袖sleeve, wing (building), extension袖 describes the sleeve of a garment or the wing-like extension of a building.
- 35胡barbarian, foreignThis kanji was historically used for foreign items, such as in the word 胡椒 for pepper.
- 36鍵key鍵 represents a physical key used to lock or unlock something, such as a door.
- 37翁venerable old man翁 refers to a venerable old man and is often used for masks in traditional theatre.
- 38倭Yamato, ancient Japan倭 is an ancient name for Japan, used to describe the country in its early history.
- 39串spit, skewer串 looks exactly like two items on a skewer, just like the snack 串カツ.
- 40讃praise, title on a picture讃 is used for words of praise or titles inscribed directly onto a traditional painting.
- 41匂fragrant, stink, glowThe outer frame wraps around a central component to represent the lingering scent of an aroma.
- 42娼prostituteThe woman radical is paired with a tall, structured component to represent a prostitute.
- 43壕air raid shelter, dugout, trenchThe earth radical sits beside a complex structure to depict a deep protective dugout or trench.
- 44噺(kokuji), talkThe mouth radical next to a complex right side creates a visual for a talk or a story.
- 45歪bend, distort, strainedThis character's stacked structure visually represents the concept of a distorted or bent shape.
- 46搜investigate, search, seekA hand radical reaching out depicts the active motion of searching or investigating.
- 47婆old woman, grandma, wet nurseThe woman radical sits at the base of this complex character for an old woman or grandmother.
- 48蔑ignore, despise, neglectAn eye looking through complex strokes creates a visual of looking down upon or ignoring someone.
- 49慨rue, be sad, sighThe heart radical next to a sighing breath captures the heavy emotion of lamenting or feeling sad.
- 50毀break, destroy, censureThe complex arrangement of strokes visually conveys the chaotic sense of breaking or destroying an object.
- 51潰crush, smash, breakThe water radical next to a dense right side illustrates the force used to crush or smash something.
- 52柾straight grain, spindle tree, (kokuji)The wood radical combined with a symmetrical right side visually represents a straight grain.
- 53填fill inThe earth radical combined with a solid right side depicts filling in a hole or plugging a gap.