ChiramiKanji guides
New to kanji? Start here: how to learn them, how many you need, how their readings work, and the full JLPT N5 and N4 lists with readings and example words.
- Guide
How to learn kanji, one small habit at a time
Learn kanji a few a day: break each one into its parts, learn it through a real word, and review it after growing gaps. A step-by-step method for beginners. - Guide
JLPT N5 kanji list: the 80 kanji to learn first
All 80 kanji in Chirami's JLPT N5 list, grouped by theme, with their meanings, onyomi and kunyomi readings, and a common word for each. - Guide
How many kanji do you need to know?
Japan's list of kanji for everyday use has 2,136, out of about 50,000 in a big dictionary. How many you need for each JLPT level, and how long it takes. - Guide
Hiragana, katakana and kanji: what each one does
Japanese mixes three scripts: kanji carry meaning, hiragana writes the grammar, and katakana spells foreign words. What each one does, and what to learn first. - Guide
Onyomi vs kunyomi: why kanji have more than one reading
Onyomi (音読み) are kanji readings borrowed from Chinese; kunyomi (訓読み) are native Japanese words. When each is used, with examples like 山 and 食. - Guide
Kanji radicals: the parts inside every kanji
A radical (部首, bushu) is the part a kanji is filed under in a dictionary. There are 214. What they are, where they sit, and 20 common ones. - Guide
Kanji stroke order rules, with examples
Kanji stroke order follows a few rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, and more. Each rule with a diagram, plus the exceptions. - Guide
JLPT N4 kanji list: the 204 kanji after N5
All 204 kanji in Chirami's JLPT N4 list, from the most common to the least, with meanings, onyomi and kunyomi readings, and a common word for each. - Guide
Learn kanji with a widget on your Home Screen
A kanji widget shows a kanji on your phone's Home Screen every time you pick it up. What it does, how to add one on Android, and how to get the most from it.