🇯🇵 JAPANESE
Kanji – Batch 04
漢字 16–20 · 上 四 金 九 入 · JLPT N5
Progress: 0 / 2 exercises completed
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. jou, shi, kin, kyuu, nyuu.
C – Type the Meaning
Type the primary English meaning of each kanji. Synonyms are accepted — e.g. above / up for 上, four for 四, gold / money for 金.
上
above / up
On: ジョウ (jou) · ショウ (shou) | Kun: うえ (ue) · あげる (ageru) · かみ (kami)
Mnemonic
上 shows a vertical stroke rising above a horizontal baseline — like a flag being raised, or a measuring stick poking above a shelf. The short bottom stroke is the ground, the middle line is the horizon, and the stroke going up is what is above or on top. Compare with 下 (below/down), which mirrors it exactly: the vertical stroke drops below the baseline instead of rising.
ジョウ vs うえ: ジョウ appears in compound words (史上 shijou — in history; 上昇 joushou — rise). うえ is the everyday word for "above" or "on top of" a surface. かみ survives in words like 上手 kamite (upstage; the upper hand).
ジョウ vs うえ: ジョウ appears in compound words (史上 shijou — in history; 上昇 joushou — rise). うえ is the everyday word for "above" or "on top of" a surface. かみ survives in words like 上手 kamite (upstage; the upper hand).
Key vocabulary
- 1上がったりあがったり (agattari)ups and downs
- 2史上しじょう (shijou)in history; historically
- 3事実上じじつじょう (jijitsujou)virtually; in effect
- 4上げあげ (age)raise; increase (noun)
- 5上昇じょうしょう (joushou)rise; ascent
Sentences in context
Ue wo mite kudasai.
上を見てください。
"Above (obj) please-look."
Please look up.
Nedan ga agarimashita.
値段が上がりました。
"Price (subj) rose."
The price has gone up.
Shijou saikou no kiroku desu.
史上最高の記録です。
"In-history best record is."
It's the best record in history.
四
four
On: シ (shi) | Kun: よ (yo) · よつ (yotsu) · よっつ (yottsu) · よん (yon)
Mnemonic
四 looks like a mouth (口) with two legs dangling below — four things hanging down from a box. Unlike 一 二 三 (simple tally strokes for 1–3), the number 4 needed a new symbol because four horizontal strokes were too hard to count at a glance. The enclosed shape sets it apart.
Pronunciation alert — し (shi) sounds like "death": The on-yomi シ is homophonous with 死 (shi, death), which is why 4 is considered unlucky in Japan. Many buildings skip floor 4, and gift sets of four items are taboo. This cultural hook makes the reading unforgettable: four = shi = superstition.
Pronunciation alert — し (shi) sounds like "death": The on-yomi シ is homophonous with 死 (shi, death), which is why 4 is considered unlucky in Japan. Many buildings skip floor 4, and gift sets of four items are taboo. This cultural hook makes the reading unforgettable: four = shi = superstition.
Key vocabulary
- 1四よん / し (yon / shi)four
- 2四つよっつ (yottsu)four things
- 3四月しがつ (shigatsu)April
- 4十四じゅうし / じゅうよん (juushi / juuyon)fourteen
- 5四十よんじゅう / しじゅう (yonjuu / shijuu)forty
Sentences in context
Shigatsu wa haru desu.
四月は春です。
"April as-for spring is."
April is spring.
Yottsu kudasai.
四つください。
"Four please-give."
Please give me four.
Kare wa juushi-sai desu.
彼は十四歳です。
"He as-for fourteen-years-old is."
He is fourteen years old.
金
gold / money
On: キン (kin) · コン (kon) · ゴン (gon) | Kun: かね (kane) · かな (kana)
Mnemonic
金 depicts a mine with gold nuggets buried underground: the top element (a person-like shape) is a miner at work; the two short horizontal strokes in the middle form a shaft; and the four dots at the bottom represent ore flakes scattered in the earth. The radical ⼟ (earth/soil) is embedded at the base — gold comes from the ground.
かね vs キン: かね is the casual spoken word for money or metal (お金 okane — money, 鉄 tetsu + 金属 kinzoku — metal). キン appears in formal compounds: 金融 (kin'yuu — finance), 金利 (kinri — interest rate), 資金 (shikin — funds). Also: 金曜日 (kin'youbi — Friday, literally "gold day").
かね vs キン: かね is the casual spoken word for money or metal (お金 okane — money, 鉄 tetsu + 金属 kinzoku — metal). キン appears in formal compounds: 金融 (kin'yuu — finance), 金利 (kinri — interest rate), 資金 (shikin — funds). Also: 金曜日 (kin'youbi — Friday, literally "gold day").
Key vocabulary
- 1お金おかね (okane)money
- 2金融きんゆう (kin'yuu)finance; banking
- 3金利きんり (kinri)interest rate
- 4献金けんきん (kenkin)donation; contribution
- 5資金しきん (shikin)funds; capital
Sentences in context
Okane ga arimasen.
お金がありません。
"Money (subj) does-not-exist."
I have no money.
Sore wa kin de dekite imasu.
それは金でできています。
"That as-for gold with made is."
It is made of gold.
Kinri ga agarimashita.
金利が上がりました。
"Interest-rate (subj) rose."
The interest rate has gone up.
九
nine
On: キュウ (kyuu) · ク (ku) | Kun: ここの (kokono) · ここのつ (kokonotsu)
Mnemonic
九 looks like a fishhook with a long sweeping curve to the right — or a snake coiling back. Nine is the last single digit before ten, so it bends back on itself as if saying "almost there!" Draw it with a downstroke that hooks strongly rightward.
Mnemonic: the hook has caught nine fish — that's why it curves so decisively. Alternatively: a cat has nine lives, and a cat's claw curves just like 九.
キュウ vs ク: キュウ is more common in formal compounds (九月 kugatsu — September uses ク; 九十 kyuujuu — ninety uses キュウ). Nine is generally lucky in Japan, the opposite of four.
Mnemonic: the hook has caught nine fish — that's why it curves so decisively. Alternatively: a cat has nine lives, and a cat's claw curves just like 九.
キュウ vs ク: キュウ is more common in formal compounds (九月 kugatsu — September uses ク; 九十 kyuujuu — ninety uses キュウ). Nine is generally lucky in Japan, the opposite of four.
Key vocabulary
- 1九きゅう / く (kyuu / ku)nine
- 2九月くがつ (kugatsu)September
- 3十九じゅうきゅう (juukyuu)nineteen
- 4九州きゅうしゅう (kyuushuu)Kyushu (island)
- 5九十きゅうじゅう / くじゅう (kyuujuu / kujuu)ninety
Sentences in context
Watashi wa kugatsu ni umaremashita.
私は九月に生まれました。
"I as-for September in was-born."
I was born in September.
Kyuushuu ni ikitai desu.
九州に行きたいです。
"Kyushu to want-to-go is."
I want to go to Kyushu.
Kyuujuu-nen mae no hanashi desu.
九十年前の話です。
"Ninety-years ago 's story is."
It's a story from ninety years ago.
入
enter
On: ニュウ (nyuu) · ジュ (ju) | Kun: いる (iru) · いれる (ireru) · はいる (hairu)
Mnemonic
入 is a V-shape pointing downward — like an arrowhead or a wedge entering through a gap. Picture a foot stepping in through a doorway: the two strokes converge at the bottom just as legs come together when you step inside.
Compare with 人 (person): 人 has two strokes of roughly equal weight leaning together at the top. 入 is similar but the left stroke is shorter and the right stroke is longer, making the whole character look like it's diving down into a space. The difference is subtle — practise both side by side.
ニュウ governs formal compounds: 輸入 (yunyuu — import), 収入 (shuunyuu — income), 購入 (kounyuu — purchase). はいる / いれる are the everyday verbs for "enter" and "put in."
Compare with 人 (person): 人 has two strokes of roughly equal weight leaning together at the top. 入 is similar but the left stroke is shorter and the right stroke is longer, making the whole character look like it's diving down into a space. The difference is subtle — practise both side by side.
ニュウ governs formal compounds: 輸入 (yunyuu — import), 収入 (shuunyuu — income), 購入 (kounyuu — purchase). はいる / いれる are the everyday verbs for "enter" and "put in."
Key vocabulary
- 1入りいり (iri)entry; going in
- 2輸入ゆにゅう (yunyuu)import
- 3購入こうにゅう (kounyuu)purchase
- 4収入しゅうにゅう (shuunyuu)income; earnings
- 5導入どうにゅう (dounyuu)introduction; adoption
Sentences in context
Douzo, haitte kudasai.
どうぞ、入ってください。
"Please, enter please."
Please come in.
Yunyuu shokuhin wa oishii desu.
輸入食品はおいしいです。
"Imported food as-for delicious is."
Imported food is delicious.
Shuunyuu ga fuemashita.
収入が増えました。
"Income (subj) increased."
My income has increased.
| Kanji | Meaning | On-yomi | Kun-yomi | JLPT | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 上 | above / up | ジョウ (jou) · ショウ (shou) | うえ (ue) · あげる (ageru) · かみ (kami) | N5 | 3 |
| 四 | four | シ (shi) | よ (yo) · よっつ (yottsu) · よん (yon) | N5 | 5 |
| 金 | gold / money | キン (kin) · コン (kon) | かね (kane) · かな (kana) | N5 | 8 |
| 九 | nine | キュウ (kyuu) · ク (ku) | ここの (kokono) · ここのつ (kokonotsu) | N5 | 2 |
| 入 | enter | ニュウ (nyuu) · ジュ (ju) | いる (iru) · いれる (ireru) · はいる (hairu) | N5 | 2 |