🇯🇵 JAPANESE
Kanji – Batch 03
漢字 11–15 · 三 見 月 生 五 · JLPT N5
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A – Flashcard Practice
Click each card to reveal the meaning and readings. Aim to recall the meaning before you flip.
B – Type the On-yomi
Type the romaji for the on-yomi of each kanji. Any one correct on-yomi is accepted — e.g. san, ken, getsu, sei, go.
C – Type the Meaning
Type the primary English meaning of each kanji. Synonyms are accepted — e.g. three / see / moon / month / life / five.
三
three
On: サン (san) | Kun: み (mi) · みっつ (mittsu)
Mnemonic
Three horizontal lines stacked = three tally marks. Just like 一 (one stroke = one) and 二 (two strokes = two), 三 simply counts its own strokes. Scratch three lines on a wall and you've written the kanji. The pattern continues: stroke count equals the number.
Watch for gemination: before stop consonants, サン compresses — 三個 becomes さんこ (sanko), but the つ counter triggers vowel shortening: 三つ = みっつ (mittsu, three things). The small っ doubles the following consonant.
Watch for gemination: before stop consonants, サン compresses — 三個 becomes さんこ (sanko), but the つ counter triggers vowel shortening: 三つ = みっつ (mittsu, three things). The small っ doubles the following consonant.
Key vocabulary
- 1三さん (san) · み (mi)three
- 2三つみっつ (mittsu)three things
- 3三月さんがつ (sangatsu)March
- 4三人さんにん (sannin)three people
- 5十三じゅうさん (juusan)thirteen
Sentences in context
Mittsu kudasai.
三つください。
"Three please-give."
Please give me three.
Sangatsu wa samui desu.
三月はさむいです。
"March as-for cold is."
March is cold.
Kazoku wa sannin desu.
家族は三人です。
"Family as-for three-people is."
My family has three people.
見
see / look
On: ケン (ken) | Kun: みる (miru) · みえる (mieru) · みせる (miseru)
Mnemonic
見 is made of 目 (eye) on top and 儿 (legs/person) below — a person standing upright, actively using their eye to look. The eye dominates the top because seeing is the action. Think of a lookout standing guard, head tilted, eye scanning.
ケン in compounds: 意見 (iken — opinion, lit. "what the mind sees"), 会見 (kaiken — press conference, lit. "meeting to see"), 見通し (mitooshi — outlook, lit. "seeing through"). Notice how ケン often carries a sense of deliberate perception.
ケン in compounds: 意見 (iken — opinion, lit. "what the mind sees"), 会見 (kaiken — press conference, lit. "meeting to see"), 見通し (mitooshi — outlook, lit. "seeing through"). Notice how ケン often carries a sense of deliberate perception.
Key vocabulary
- 1意見いけん (iken)opinion
- 2会見かいけん (kaiken)press conference; interview
- 3見直しみなおし (minaoshi)review; re-evaluation
- 4見方みかた (mikata)viewpoint; way of seeing
- 5見通しみとおし (mitooshi)outlook; prospect
Sentences in context
Ii mikata desu ne.
いい見方ですね。
"Good viewpoint is, isn't it."
That's a good way to look at it.
Iken wo kiite kudasai.
意見を聞いてください。
"Opinion (obj) please-listen."
Please listen to my opinion.
Minaoshi ga hitsuyou desu.
見直しが必要です。
"Review (subj) necessary is."
A review is necessary.
月
moon / month
On: ゲツ (getsu) · ガツ (gatsu) | Kun: つき (tsuki)
Mnemonic
The original pictograph shows a crescent moon — a curved arc with one horizontal line inside representing the glow of moonlight through the dark. Over centuries the arc became a rectangle but kept its internal stroke. Picture a window at night: the frame around the moon is 月.
ゲツ vs ガツ: ゲツ appears in weekday names and general vocabulary (月曜日 — Monday; 月給 — monthly salary). ガツ marks calendar months after a number: 一月 (ichigatsu — January), 五月 (gogatsu — May). Native つき is used poetically and for the physical moon.
ゲツ vs ガツ: ゲツ appears in weekday names and general vocabulary (月曜日 — Monday; 月給 — monthly salary). ガツ marks calendar months after a number: 一月 (ichigatsu — January), 五月 (gogatsu — May). Native つき is used poetically and for the physical moon.
Key vocabulary
- 1一月いちがつ (ichigatsu)January
- 2九月くがつ (kugatsu)September
- 3五月ごがつ (gogatsu)May
- 4今月こんげつ (kongetsu)this month
- 5三月さんがつ (sangatsu)March
Sentences in context
Kongetsu wa isogashii desu.
今月はいそがしいです。
"This-month as-for busy is."
This month is busy.
Ichigatsu wa samui desu.
一月はさむいです。
"January as-for cold is."
January is cold.
Tsuki ga kirei desu ne.
月がきれいですね。
"Moon (subj) beautiful is, isn't it."
The moon is beautiful, isn't it.
生
life / birth
On: セイ (sei) · ショウ (shou) | Kun: いきる (ikiru) · いかす (ikasu) · うまれる (umareru)
Mnemonic
生 depicts a plant pushing up through the earth — the vertical stroke is the stem breaking upward through two horizontal lines (soil and leaf). Life begins as a seedling cracking through the ground. The image captures both birth and the ongoing act of living.
セイ dominates modern compounds: 学生 (gakusei — student, "one who studies life"), 生活 (seikatsu — daily life), 生産 (seisan — production). ショウ survives in older institutional words like 厚生省 (kouseishou — Ministry of Health). The kun-yomi いきる means "to be alive" as an active, ongoing process.
セイ dominates modern compounds: 学生 (gakusei — student, "one who studies life"), 生活 (seikatsu — daily life), 生産 (seisan — production). ショウ survives in older institutional words like 厚生省 (kouseishou — Ministry of Health). The kun-yomi いきる means "to be alive" as an active, ongoing process.
Key vocabulary
- 1生きるいきる (ikiru)to live; to be alive
- 2学生がくせい (gakusei)student
- 3生活せいかつ (seikatsu)daily life; living
- 4生産せいさん (seisan)production; output
- 5厚生省こうせいしょう (kouseishou)Ministry of Health
Sentences in context
Gakusei desu.
学生です。
"Student is."
I am a student.
Seikatsu ga tanoshii desu.
生活がたのしいです。
"Life (subj) enjoyable is."
Life is enjoyable.
Ikiru koto ga taisetsu desu.
生きることが大切です。
"Living thing (subj) important is."
Living is important.
五
five
On: ゴ (go) | Kun: いつ (itsu) · いつつ (itsutsu)
Mnemonic
The ancient form of 五 showed an X-shaped crossing between two lines — representing the five directions (four compass points plus centre), or the moment where counting reaches a pivot and starts again. Think of counting on your hand: at five, you've crossed the full span of one hand.
ゴ in iconic compounds: 五輪 (gorin — five rings, the symbol of the Olympics), 五十 (gojuu — fifty). Note that いつ is the prefix form (五月 read ごがつ uses ゴ, not いつ, because months use the on-yomi after a number).
ゴ in iconic compounds: 五輪 (gorin — five rings, the symbol of the Olympics), 五十 (gojuu — fifty). Note that いつ is the prefix form (五月 read ごがつ uses ゴ, not いつ, because months use the on-yomi after a number).
Key vocabulary
- 1五ご (go) · いつ (itsu)five
- 2五月ごがつ (gogatsu)May
- 3十五じゅうご (juugo)fifteen
- 4五輪ごりん (gorin)Olympics (five rings)
- 5五十ごじゅう (gojuu)fifty
Sentences in context
Gogatsu wa atatakaii desu.
五月はあたたかいです。
"May as-for warm is."
May is warm.
Gorin ga tanoshimi desu.
五輪がたのしみです。
"Olympics (subj) looking-forward-to is."
I'm looking forward to the Olympics.
Juugo-sai desu.
十五歳です。
"Fifteen-years-old is."
I am fifteen years old.
| Kanji | Meaning | On-yomi | Kun-yomi | JLPT | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 三 | three | サン (san) | み (mi) · みっつ (mittsu) | N5 | 3 |
| 見 | see / look | ケン (ken) | みる (miru) · みえる (mieru) | N5 | 7 |
| 月 | moon / month | ゲツ (getsu) · ガツ (gatsu) | つき (tsuki) | N5 | 4 |
| 生 | life / birth | セイ (sei) · ショウ (shou) | いきる (ikiru) · うまれる (umareru) | N5 | 5 |
| 五 | five | ゴ (go) | いつ (itsu) · いつつ (itsutsu) | N5 | 4 |