First Grade Jy Kanji Characters

Dr. Bob Miller July 2008

This is a list of the 80 kanji (Chinese) characters Japanese children learn in the first grade of elementary school. These characters are included in the standard 1,800+ jy kanji (general use characters). With the exception of the numbers one through ten (characters 1-10), the kanji are listed in order of frequency of occurrence in the written language. The "N0000" following the character is the reference to that character's number in the Nelson Reader's Guide to Japanese Characters. The entries in BOLD UPPERCASE font are the "Chinese" (on-yomi) readings for the character. On-yomi ("sound reading") represents the Japanese version of the original Chinese pronunciation of the character. The entries in italics are the native Japanese (kun-yomi) readings for the character. Note that not all characters have onyomi, while some have more than one. A hyphen after a kunyomi indicates a prefix and a hyphen before a kunyomi indicates a suffix. The elements in the kun-yomi reading inside parentheses [(. . . )] indicate the kanji is followed by the appropriate hiragana symbol. For example, the kanji for the number one () when followed by hiragana tsu () is read as hitotsu (). Generally speaking--and there are many exceptions--the onyomi are used when characters are combined to form new words. For example, the character (character number 38) (onyomi SEN, kunyomi, saki) when used alone is read as saki ("end" or "tip"); when followed by hiragana zu () it is read as mazu ("to start with; about"). When combined with (character number 20) (on-yomi SEI or SH, kun yomi nama or iki(ru)) both characters are read according to the onyomi; so when followed by () is read as sensei ("teacher; master; doctor").

1.

N1

ICHI ITSU hito(tsu) hito one NI JI futa(tsu) futa two

2.

N273

3.

N8 SAN

mi(tsu) mi(ttsu) three 4.

N1025

SHI yo(tsu) yon four GO itsu(tsu) five ROKU RIKI mu(tsu) mut(tsu) six SHICHI nana(tsu) nana seven HACHI HATSU ya(tsu) ya eight KY KU kokono(tsu) nine J to t ten

5.

N15

6.

N0283

7.

N0261

8.

N0577

9.

N0146

10.

N768

First Grade Jy Kanji Characters

11.

N2097

NICHI NITSU hi -bi sun; day JI aza character; letter DEN ta rice paddy; rice field JIN NIN hito person, people BUN MON fumi aya writing; text HON moto book; origin ON oto ne sound; noise DAI TAI oo(kii) oo- big, great GAKU mana(bu) to study SEI SH nama raw iki(ru) to live

12. 13.

N1281

N2994

14.

N0339

15.

N2064

16.

N0096

17.

N5110

18.

N1171

19.

N1271

20.

N2991

21.

N1827

SHU ZU te hand, arm NY JU hai(ru) i(ru) to enter, to put HYAKU BYAKU momo hundred; many J SH ue above a(geru) to give CH naka uchi middle, center; China NEN toshi year KEN GEN mi(ru) to look mi(eru) to see RYOKU RIKI chikara strength, power, effort SHUTSU SUI de(ru) da(su) to exit; leave RITSU RY ta(tsu) to stand ta(teru) to rise; leave

22.

N0574

23.

N0033

24.

N0798

25.

N0081

26.

N0188

27.

N4284

28.

N0715

29.

N0097

30.

N3343

First Grade Jy Kanji Characters

31. 32.

N2480

KI KE mind, spirit

N9

KA GE shita below kuda(ru) to give SHI SU ko child ne seed JO NYO onna woman me female GETSU GATSU tsuki moon; month KIN KON gold kane metal kana- metal SEN chi thousand SEN saki tip; precede; lead SAN ZAN yama mountain MEI MYOO na name; fame

33.

N1264

34.

N1185

35.

N2169

36.

N4815

37.

N156

38.

N571

39.

N1407

40.

N1170

41.

N2170

BOKU MOKU ki ko- tree; wood; lumber SOKU ashi leg, foot ta(riru) to be sufficient MOKU BOKU me eye ma look; ordinal suffix EN maru(i) round maru circle SHOO chii(sai) small KOO KU kuchi mouth; opening CHOO machi town; block; street KOO KYOO school; test

42.

N4546

43.

N3127

44.

N617

45.

N1355

46.

N868

47.

N2995

48. 49. 50.

N2260

N4608

SHA kuruma vehicle SEI SHOO tada(shii) correct tada(su) to be proper

N27

First Grade Jy Kanji Characters

51.

N1447

SEN gawa river, stream U ame ama- rain SEKI SHAKU ishi stone SUI mizu water DAN NAN otoko man; male SOO SATSU haya(i) fast, early, prompt HAKU BYAKU shiro white (color) shiro(i) white (adj.) KUU sora sky kara empty U YUU migi right SON mura village

52.

N5042

53.

N3176

54.

N2482

55.

N2996

56.

N2100

57.

N3095

58.

N3317

59.

N878

60.

N2191

61.

N2743

KA hi fire RIN hayashi forest SA hidari left DO TO tsuchi soil, earth, ground SEI SHOO ao blue, green (color) ao(i) blue, green (adj.) TEN amatsu heavens ame sky ama- imperial OO king, ruler

62.

N2210

63.

N1455

64.

N1050

65.

N5076

66.

N16

67. 68.

N2922

N3909

KA KE hana flower SEKI SHAKU aka red (color) aka(i) red (adj.) JOO SHOO mori woods, grove

69.

N4534

70.

N2301

First Grade Jy Kanji Characters

71.

N380

KYUU yasu(mu) to rest; (take a) day off SHI ito thread SEKI yuu evening KEN inu dog CHUU mushi insect, worm JI mimi ear
N4486

72. 73.

N3492

N1167

74.

N2868

75.

N4115

76.

N3697

77.

BAI kai shellfish GYOKU tama jewel; ball S kusa - grass; weeds; herbs; pasture CHIKU take bamboo

78.

N2923

79.

N3939

80.

N3366