Japn 131 L. 5 Kanji

１、山 やま　＝　Mountain(s)

 

２、川　かわ　＝　River 山川さん、山川先生

 

３、田　た/だ　＝　Field　山田先生、田中さん、上田さん

 

４、人　ひと　＝　Person この人 = this person;

人 can also be pronounced じん as in 日本人

This kind of pronunciation is called the

「おんよみ」(literally “Sound reading”) or "Chinese influened" reading, i.e., how the character might have been pronounced in ancient China.

The 「くんよみ」is the so-called "Native" or Japanese pronunciation; in this case,it's ひと.

 

５、上　うえ　＝　Up, Above, On top of,

also (あ)上がる as in "Come in" 上がって下さい

 

６、中　なか　＝　Middle, Center 中川さん、へやの中、　

　Also pronounced ちゅう or "Middle" such as when we add it to 学校 to get:

中＋学校 (ちゅうがっこう) = Middle School

 

 

７、下　した　＝　Down、Under, also くだ as in

下さい(Please) but usually した

まどの下 = under the window

 

８、小さい　ちい（さい）Small　

小さい本、　v. 　大きい本

　小さくない = not small;

also しょう when we add it to 学校 to get

小学校 = しょうがっこう = Elementary School

　So we have

中学校 (ちゅうがっこう) and

小学校 (しょうがっこう)

for "Middle School" and "Elementary School" respectively

 

９、日 に／にち　Sun／Day　日本、日本人 also can be pronounced ひ or び for "Day" as in

日よう日　or "Sunday"

 

１０、本 = ほん = book, origin

Name: 本田さん、山田先生の本、

　日本大学 = proper noun for Nihon Daigaku

日本大学の先生 = a professor at....　

 

See Readings and Sentences, p. 205

 

See also Kanji Practice Sheet (Handout)

Practice writing individual kanji, compounds, and short sentences for practice! Hand in.

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