Japanese Lesson – Learning Kanji 003

みんなさん、こんにちは！

Welcome to our third lesson in the Learning Kanji series. This time you will discover: 四五山木月.

If you missed the previous lessons, here they are:

And now let’s go!

四

  • Strokes: 5
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • シ (this pronunciation is sometimes avoided as it also means death)
    • kunyomi:
      • よ
      • よつ
      • よっつ
      • よん
  • Meaning(s):
    • four, four radical (n°4)

Examples:

  • 四 (シ) as the number four
    • これ は 三かく です か。四かく です か。(さん・し)
    • / this / triangle / to be / {question} / square (quadrilateral) / to be / {question} /
    • / Is this a triangle or a square? /
    • おかあさん の たんじょう日 は 四がつ です。(び・し)
    • / mother / {relation} / birthday / {topic} / April / to be /
    • / (My) mother’s birthday is in April. /
  • 四 (よん) as the number four
    • 一、二、三、四 (いち・に・さん・よん)
    • / one / two / three / four /
    • / one, two, three, four /
    • あの 人 は 四かいせい です。(ひと・よん)
    • / that (over there) / person / {topic} / fourth year college student / to be /
    • / That guy (over there) is a fourth year college student. /
  • 四つ (よつ) as a counter for four various things
    • 四かい は 四つ の かど が ある ずけい である。
    • / quadrilateral / {topic} / four / {relation} / corners / {focus} / to exist / shape / to be /
    • / A quadrilateral is a shape with four corners /
    • Note: である is a formal form of です, used in formal speeches or in written texts, such as here Wikipedia)

五

  • Strokes: 4
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ゴ
    • kunyomi:
      • いつ
      • いつつ
    • jukujikun:
      • 五月（さつき）/ fifth month of the lunar calendar /
      • 五月雨（さみだれ）/ early Summer rain /
      • 五月蝿い（うるさい）/ noisy, tiresome, picky /
  • Meaning(s):
    • five, five radical (n°5)

Examples:

  • 五 (ゴ) as the number five
    • 一、二、三、四、五 (いち・に・さん・よん・ご)
    • / one / two / three / four / five /
    • / one, two, three, four, five /
    • おとうさん の たんじょう日 は 五がつ です。(び・ご)
    • / father / {relation} / birthday / {topic} / May / to be /
    • / (My) father’s birthday is in May. /
  • 五つ (い-, いつ-) as the number five
    • 一がつ 五日 に 日本 に いきます。 (いち・いつ・か・に・ほん)
    • / January / fifth (day of the month) / {moment} / Japan / {destination} / to go /
    • / (I will) go to Japan on the 5th of January. /
    • くるま は 五つ を もって います。 (いつ)
    • / car / {topic} / five things / {object} / to possess /
    • / (I) own 5 cars. /

山

  • Strokes: 3
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • サン
    • kunyomi:
      • やま
    • jukujikun:
      • 山車（だし）/ decorated platform either carried on a vehicle, or towed, used in festivals/parades /
      • 築山（つきやま）/ artificial hill (for instance in a garden) /
      • 山葵（わさび）/ wasabi (plant or paste) /
  • Meaning(s):
    • mountain, hill

Examples:

  • 山 (さん) as Mount …
    • ふじ山 は か山 です。(さん・ざん)
    • / Fuji-Mount (Fuji-san) / {topic} / volcano / to be /
    • / Mount Fuji is a volcano. /
  • 山 (さん) as something large:
    • ここ に は 人 は たく山 です ね。
    • /here / {place} / {topic} / persons / {topic} / many / to be / {isn’t it}
    • / There is a lot of people here, isn’t it? /
  • 山 (やま) as a mountain
    • せんしゅうまつ に 山みち に せんぽ します (なに)
    • / previous weekend / {moment} / mountain road / {place} / strolling / did /
    • / Last week-end I went strolling on a mountain trail. /

Two more to go!

木

  • Strokes: 3
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ボク
      • モク
    • kunyomi:
      • き
      • こ
    • jukujikun:
      • 木綿（もめん）/ cotton (material) /
  • Meaning(s):
    • tree, bush
    • wood, timber

Examples:

  • 木 (ぼく) as wood:
    • むすこ は ど木こうがくしゃ です。(ぼく)
    • / son / {topic} / civil engineer  / to be /
    • / What day is it today? /
  • 木 (もく) as Jupiter:
    • 木せい の わ は おもしろい です。(もく)
    • / Jupiter / {relation} / ring / {topic} / interesting, fascinating / to be /
    • / Jupiter’s ring is fascinating. /
    • 木よう日 に 一しょ に がっこう に いきませんか。(もく・び・いっ)
    • / Thursday / {moment} / together / {mean} / school / {destination} / not to go / {question} /
    • / Wouldn’t (you) go to school with me on Thrusday? /
  • 木 (こ) as tree:
    • 木 の は が かぜ に ゆれて いる。 (こ)
    • / tree / { relation} / leaves / {focus} / wind / {mean} / shaking / to exist /
    • / The (tree) leaves are trembling in the wind. /
  • 木 (き) as tree:
    • ふゆ に なる と 木々 の は が おちる。 (き・ぎ)
    • / Winter / {target} / to become / {when} / (many) trees / {relation} / leaves / {focus} / to fall /
    • / When Winter comes, the tree leaves fall. /

月

  • Strokes: 4
  • Reading(s):
    • onyomi:
      • ゲツ
      • ガツ
    • kunyomi:
      • つき
    • jukujikun:
      • 五月（さつき）/ fifth month of the lunar calendar /
      • 五月雨（さみだれ）/ early Summer rain /
  • Meaning(s):
    • Moon
    • month (a month was one cycle of the Moon, and remains so in certain calendars)

Examples:

  • 月 (げつ) as the Moon
    • 月よう日 の ごご に スポーツ を します。
    • / Monday / {relation} / afternoon / {moment} / sport / {object} / to do /
    • / (I) do sports on Monday afternoon. /
    • めい月 の とき に 人ろう が でる。(げつ・じん)
    • / full moon / {relation} / time / {moment} / werewolf / {focus} / to go out /
    • / Werewolves go out on the full moon. /
  • 月 (がつ) as a month:
    • 一月、二月、三月、四月、五月 (いち・がつ・に・がつ・さん・がつ・よん・がつ・ご・がつ)
    • / January / February / March / April / May /
    • しょう月 は やすみ です。(がつ)
    • / new year (first three days), January / {topic} / holiday / to be /
    • / Beginning of the year is holidays. /
  • 月 (つき) as the Moon:
    • 月 は よぞら に ひかる。(つき)
    • / Moon / {topic} / night sky / {place} / to shine /
    • / The Moon is shining in the night sky. /
    • こんばん は めい月 だから、月み に いきません か。(げつ・つき)
    • / tonight / {topic} / full moon / to be / because / viewing the moon / {purpose} / not to go / {question} /
    • / Because tonight is the full moon, wouldn’t (you) go viewing the moon? /

And 5 more kanji. This now makes 12! Good job!

またね!

Stéphane

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