Speak and Read Japanese

by Larry Herzberg

  歩 This kanji means “steps.” It shows the foot at rest on the top (止), with the sole and heel of the foot flat. On the bottom the foot is depicted in motion, with the sole and heel of the foot raised as if in mid-step.

  sara 皿 / さら plate; dish

  After enjoying a Sara Lee cake, you have to wash the plate.

  皿 This kanji is the “dish” radical. To modern eyes it looks a bit like a butter dish, but it was originally written as a circle and was meant to show the inside of a plate.

  seifu 政府 / せいふ government

  We expect our government to keep us safe.

  Literally: “political/administrative-residence.”

  政 This kanji means “political; govern.” It has the “double hands” radical 夂 on the right side, as a metaphor for the government managing administrative affairs. The phonetic on the left side is the kanji 正, which means “straight; upright; just; correct.” 正 shows the foot at rest (止), with the sole of the foot flat on the ground at the bottom, stopping just at a certain spot, represented by the top horizontal line (一). This phonetic was perhaps chosen in the hope that government would be upright and just.

  府 This kanji means “official residence” or “mansion.” It is written with the radical 广, which shows a roof with a single roof tile and a side wall. The phonetic inside, 付, means “to pay.” It shows a person on the left paying money with the hand pictured on the right (寸). Since citizens all have to pay taxes to their government, the choice of phonetic seems significant. And because those who are in power in any government live in a special official residence, the compound word for “government” in Chinese literally means “political mansion” or “official residence of those who govern.”

  seiji 政治 / せいじ politics

  There are all too few sages in politics!

  Literally: “political-rule.”

  政 This kanji means “political; govern.” It has the “double hands” radical 夂 on the right side, as a metaphor for the government managing administrative affairs. The phonetic on the left side is the kanji 正, which means “straight; upright; just; correct.” 正 shows the foot at rest (止), with the sole of the foot flat on the ground at the bottom, stopping just at a certain spot, represented by the top horizontal line (一). This phonetic was perhaps chosen in the hope that government would be upright and just.

  治 This kanji means “to rule,” as well as “cure; heal.” It has the “water” radical 氵 on the left side, perhaps chosen because all ancient civilizations, including China, developed centralized governments through the need to organize large irrigation projects for agricultural production. On the right side of the kanji is the nose and mouth of a governing official. Since the kanji 治 also means “cure; heal,” a useful mnemonic is to think of it as showing the fluids (water) in the nose and mouth that we experience when we suffer the common cold and are in need of a cure.

  sekai 世界 / せかい world

  Christians believe that Jesus died for the sake of the world.

  Literally: “generation-boundary.”

  世 This kanji is a shorthand version of 三十, meaning “thirty,” and by itself means “a generation,” since a new generation is born every thirty years or so. Although there are a lot more than thirty countries in the world today, think of this kanji as representing the great multitude of nations in the world.

  界 This kanji has the “field” radical 田 on top. From an agricultural perspective, the world is just one big field for raising crops. The phonetic 介 on the bottom means “to introduce.” It shows two people meeting under a roof. If we could introduce everyone in the world to one another, perhaps then we’d have a chance for world peace!

  seki 席 / せき seat

  Trains and buses provide seats for the sake of their passengers.

  席 The kanji has the “roof with wall” radical 广, since most seats are indoors. Under the roof there appears to be a person sitting on a stool.

  sekken せっけん soap

  For the sake of others, always use soap when you shower!

  semai 狭い / せまい narrow

  Say, my, that passage is narrow!

  狭 The kanji has the “animal” radical 犭 on the left, since dogs can creep into places too narrow for humans. The phonetic on the right contributes to this meaning by showing a person holding two small objects by pressing his arms down close to his body.

  senmon 専門 / せんもん specialty

  When you major in a subject in college you generally take more than one seminar in your speciality.

  Literally: “special-door.”

  専 This kanji means “special; exclusive.” According to the Chinese etymological text of 1,800 years ago, the Shuowen Jiezi, it represents the yoke put around the head of an ox, which was the special/exclusive way to get the ox to pull a cart. A more helpful mnemonic, perhaps, is to see this kanji as a distortion of the kanji 車 for “cart/car,” with the bottom wheel missing. Therefore it will exclusively/only go if pushed by hand (寸).

  門 This kanji means “door; gate.” It shows the traditional Chinese/Japanese door or gate, which was made of two large pieces of wood that were pushed open and closed. This kanji is used metaphorically in some kanji compounds, a reference to the door of learning through which a student must pass.

  sensei 先生 / せんせい teacher

  Hopefully your Japanese teacher is sensational.

  Literally: “first-born.”

  先 This kanji means “first.” It shows a person walking along, with the line on the top left indicating that he/she is in the lead, even if it does look a bit like a baton twirler going first in front of a marching band. Be aware that when the pictograph 土 appears at the top of a kanji, it depicts the head of a person, and not “earth” or “dirt.”

  生 This kanji means “to give birth to.” It represents a plant coming out of the ground, bearing (giving birth to) a blossom, which is shown by the slanted stroke on the top left.

  sensoo 戦争 / せんそう war

  The people of a country become incensed, so they go to war.

  Literally: “war-struggle” or “war-dispute.”

  戦 This kanji means “war.” It has the “halberd” radical 戈 on the right, a common weapon in ancient China. The phonetic 单 on the left was slightly simplified after WWII from its original form, 單, which shows two mouths on top and a pitchfork on the bottom. By itself it has come to mean “single” and is derived from the idea of assailing an enemy in single-hand combat with loud cries and a pitchfork. This is another case where the phonetic also contributes to the meaning.

  争 This kanji means “to struggle; to dispute.” The top two strokes depict the hand of a person reaching for a dagger, represented by the single vertical line, while another person reaches for it with his hand, depicted by the three horizontal strokes (⺕).

  sentaku 洗濯 / せんたく laundry

  When I was richer, I always sent out my laundry to be washed.

  Literally: “wash-clean,” i.e., a redundant compound.

  洗 This kanji means “to wash.” It has the “water” radical 氵 on the left, logically enough. The phonetic on the right side, pronounced sen in sentaku (洗濯 “laundry”), is also the sen in sensei (先生 “teacher”). 先 looks a bit like a person carrying a bath towel into the bathroom to wash up.

  濯 This kanji is mostly used as the suffix in the compound 洗濯. Like 洗, it has the “water” radical 氵 on the left. On the bottom right is the “short-tailed bird” radical 隹, with its two wings pictured on top. Birds need to clean their feathers regularly, which is why many of us put bird baths out for them.

  setsumei 説明 / せつめい explanation

  In giving an explanation, I always declare “so says me.”

  Literally: “speak-clearly.”

  説 This kanji means “speak; say” but in Japanese has come to mean “explain” or “preach.” It has the “speech” radical 訁 on the l
eft, appropriately enough. On the right side is the classical Chinese word for “older brother,” 兄, with what resembles horns on top symbolizing authority. When older brother speaks, his younger siblings have to listen.

  明 This kanji originally meant “bright” but has come to mean “clear; obvious” in Japanese. It has the “sun” on the left and the “moon” on the right. Both of these heavenly bodies appear as bright, clear lights in the sky.

  shaberu しゃべる chat; talk

  When we chat with our colleagues, we often talk shop.

  A bit less formal than hanasu, just as in English “chat” or “talk” is a bit less formal than “converse” or “speak.”

  shakai 社会 / しゃかい society

  Some of the things we notice about Japanese society, as well as our own society, may be shocking.

  Literally: “society-assembly.”

  社 This kanji means “society.” It has the “god” radical 礻 on the left, with the kanji for “earth” on the right. The true etymology is that it represents the emperor praying to God every year for a good harvest on behalf of the entire society.

  会 This kanji means “meeting; gathering.” Under a roof is the character for “two” above the outline of a nose. It seems to be showing two noses, representing two people, meeting under a roof. After all, two nose (knows) better than one! The truth is that this kanji is a simplification used in both China and Japan after WWII of the kanji 會, still used in Taiwan and Hong Kong and by Chinese in the West, which shows two people talking in a doorway under a roof. The 曰 on the bottom represents a mouth filled with talk, rather than the sun.

  shashin 写真 / しゃしん photograph

  Printed photos are glossy and so shiny!

  Literally: “copy-reality.”

  写 This kanji means “to write” in Chinese. However, in Japanese it has come to mean “to copy something,” either by writing, drawing, or by using some kind of equipment such as a camera. It is the simplified version used in Japan and mainland China since the 1950s of the original kanji 寫, which shows a magpie under a roof. The original concept of this word was that the magpie is a bird that makes its nest in a very orderly, neat fashion. Likewise, those who write should carefully order their thoughts before putting them down on paper. The kanji looks a bit like a student writing a term paper on a computer under a roof, with the head directly below the roof and the fingers on the keyboard at the very bottom of the character. The simplified version used now is a bare-bones outline and removes the roof tile on top of the original kanji.

  真 This kanji means “real; true.” It has the kanji for “ten” 十 above the kanji for “eye” 目, on top of a simple diagram of a stand or table. The actual metaphor was that if something is indeed true, then you could put it up high for ten eyes, i.e., a large number of people, to be able to see that it is true.

  shi 詩 / し poem

  Emily Dickinson, she wrote many beautiful poems.

  The kanji has the “speech” radical 訁 on the left, showing breath rising up from a mouth (口). Poems are meant to be read aloud. The phonetic for 詩 is the kanji 寺 for “Buddhist temple.” It has the “earth” radical 土 on the top, which shows something sitting on the ground, with the kanji for “inch” 寸 on the bottom, which shows a hand with thumb and forefinger extended. The emperor bestowed (寸) land (土) to the Buddhist temples. Although the phonetic was not necessarily intended to contribute to the meaning, it is true that in both China and Japan there were some Buddhist monks who wrote some notable poetry.

  shiai 試合 / しあい game; match

  She and I watch a lot of soccer games together.

  Literally: “test–join together.”

  試 This kanji means “to try; to try out (something); to test.” It has the “speech” radical 訁 on the left, since often tests are given orally. The phonetic on the right shows a carpenter’s rule on the bottom left (工) with a dart or small arrow (弋) on the right. The character 式 means “style,” with the idea being that weapons are made in a certain style or form according to certain measurements, using a carpenter’s rule. Every test is given in a certain style or manner, and the mettle of any team is tested in a game according to certain rules.

  合 This kanji has the “mouth” radical 口 on the bottom, with the triangle at the top representing a joining together. The actual etymology is the coming together of many people to discuss something and reach an accord. A game is a contest in which opponents join together to decide which side is the winner.

  shigoto 仕事 / しごと job; work

  The job of shepherds is to care for she-goats and male goats.

  Literally: “serving-affairs.”

  仕 This kanji means “to serve (someone).” It has the “person” radical 亻 on the left, with the kanji for “scholar” 士 on the right as a meaningful phonetic. The scholar is shown standing with arms stretched out in a gesture of authority. Scholars in ancient China served as government officials.

  事 This kanji means “occurrence” or “affair” and shows a hand, represented by the horizontal lines, grasping a brush and writing things down.

  shiken 試験 / しけん test

  She can pass the test, but I can’t.

  Literally: “try-examine.”

  試 This kanji means “to try” or “to try out (something).” Tests try out or test your ability at a subject. The kanji has the “speech” radical 訁 on the left, since tests are often given orally. The phonetic on the right shows a carpenter’s rule on the bottom left (工) with a dart or small arrow (弋) on the right. The kanji 式 means “style,” with the idea being that weapons are made in a certain style or form according to certain measurements, using the carpenter’s rule. Every test is given in a certain style or manner, after all.

  験 This kanji means “examine.” It has the “horse” radical 馬 on the left. Before buying a horse, the buyer will carefully examine the horse to determine the age and condition of the animal. The phonetic on the right, which was simplified in the 20th century, seems to show a person in a hat striding toward the horse to examine it.

  shima 島 / しま island

  The islands of the Caribbean shimmer in the sun.

  島 The kanji shows a bird (鳥) perched on a spit of land that sticks out from the sea like a mountain (山).

  shimasu します do

  She must do it!

  shinbun 新聞 / しんぶん newspaper

  The newspaper boy got bitten on the shinbone by the resident dog.

  Literally: “newly-heard.”

  新 This kanji has the “axe” radical on the right, showing the handle on the bottom right and the blade of the axe on the top and left side. The actual idea was that in order to make a new home for yourself, you have to hew wooden beams with an axe. The phonetic 亲 on the left meaning “relative” seems to contribute to the meaning. It’s written with the kanji 立 meaning “to stand” on the top, and the kanji 木 for “tree” on the bottom. When you use an axe to make a new home for yourself, you must first cut down the trees standing there to clear a space.

  聞 This kanji meaning “to hear” shows an ear (耳) in a doorway (門).

  shinpu 新婦 / しんぷ bride

  Being a bride is not that simple, given all there is to plan for a wedding.

  Literally: “new-wife.”

  新 This kanji has the “axe” radical on the right, showing the handle on the bottom right and the blade of the axe on the top and left side. The actual idea was that in order to make a new home for yourself, you have to hew wooden beams with an axe. The phonetic 亲 on the left meaning “relative” seems to contribute to the meaning. It’s written with the kanji 立 meaning “to stand” on the top, and the kanji 木 for “tree” on the bottom. When you use an axe to make a new home for yourself, you must first cut down the trees standing there to clear a space.

  婦 This kanji for “wife” has the “woman” radical 女 on the left. The right side shows a hand o
n top holding a cloth duster (巾) under the roof of the home. Remember that Chinese men made up these kanji two to three millennia ago.

  shinpu 神父 / しんぷ Catholic priest

  Catholic priests devote themselves to God and a simple life, especially those who are monks.

  Literally: “God-father,” i.e., “Holy-Father.”

  神 The kanji has the “god” radical 礻 on the left. When this radical appears on the left of a kanji, it looks a bit like a man in a necktie, turning to the right and heading to church. In reality it’s a deliberate distortion of an altar (示) on which something (一) is placed on top as an offering to God. The phonetic on the right side of 神 has a vertical line extending out from a farmer’s field (田) and means “to extend.” God extends his bounty to us, including the bounty of the fields.

  父 This kanji, which by itself means “father,” shows the father’s two hands raised above his head in a gesture of authority.

  shinseki 親戚 / しんせき relatives

  Since we often brush shins with our relatives at Thanksgiving and Christmas, for the sake of peace in the family we should always be kind to them.

  Literally: “relative-relation,” i.e., a redundant compound.

  親 This kanji means “relative.” On the right side it has the radical 見, “to meet” or “to see,” since relatives are people we see regularly in our lives. The phonetic on the left has the character 立 meaning “to stand” on the top, with the kanji 木 for “tree” on the bottom. Relatives are people who “stand” in our family tree and whom we see regularly.

  戚 This kanji also means “relative” or “relations” It seems to show our desire to protect our relatives, who are part of our family tree or plant (尗), by sheltering them under our roof (厂) and defending them with weapons (戈) if necessary.