How it works

One random kanji from the JLPT N5 or N4 set. Try to recall its meaning, then press Reveal. Answer "How did you do?" with Got it or Missed and the next kanji appears.

Parts

Most kanji are built from a handful of smaller shapes. The parts row shows the ones that make up the kanji, each with a short English name, and the mnemonic below weaves those names into a little story about the meaning. Once you know a few dozen parts, a new kanji stops being a tangle of strokes and becomes a picture you can read. The names are chosen for memorability rather than strict etymology.

Examples

A few common words using the kanji, one per reading where possible, mostly built from kanji in the same or a lower JLPT level.

Spaced repetition

Every Got it makes a kanji wait longer before it comes back: 2, 4, then 8 other kanji. A fourth Got it and it is learned and leaves the rotation. Missed sends it back to the start, so it returns after two other kanji. Kanji whose wait is over come first, then unseen ones. When every kanji in the set is learned you get a mastered screen. Progress is kept in your browser, per set, and never sent anywhere.

Readings

On (katakana) is the Chinese-derived reading, mostly used in compounds of several kanji like 学校 gakkō. Kun (hiragana) is the native Japanese reading, used when the kanji stands alone or has trailing kana like 食べる taberu. The dot in た.べる marks where the trailing kana start.

Browse

Reference lists with every kanji, meaning, readings, parts, mnemonic and examples: JLPT N5 and JLPT N4.

Keyboard

Space reveals, and after revealing skips without rating. 1 is Missed, 2 is Got it. Esc closes this page or the set overview.

© Filidor Wiese