🇯🇵 JAPANESE
Kanji – Batch 11
漢字 51–55 · 力 目 田 正 文 · 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. ryoku, moku, den, sei, bun.
C – Type the Meaning
Type the primary English meaning of each kanji. Synonyms are accepted — e.g. power / force, eye, rice field, correct / proper, sentence / writing.
力
power, force, strength
On: リョク (ryoku) · リキ (riki) · リイ (rii) | Kun: ちから (chikara)
Mnemonic
力 is one of the oldest pictographs in Chinese writing — a drawing of a flexed arm and shoulder, or alternatively a plow handle (the tool farmers used to exert force). It has only 2 strokes, making it among the simplest kanji. On: リョク (ryoku) is the standard reading in compounds — 努力 (doryoku, "effort"), 協力 (kyouryoku, "cooperation"), 原子力 (genshiryoku, "nuclear power"). リキ (riki) appears in older or more physical contexts. Cross-batch: 手力 — the hand (手, batch 10) and force (力) are conceptually inseparable; brute 腕力 (wanryoku) literally means "arm power."
Key vocabulary
- 1勢力せいりょく (seiryoku)influence, power, force
- 2努力どりょく (doryoku)effort, endeavour
- 3協力きょうりょく (kyouryoku)cooperation, collaboration
- 4権力けんりょく (kenryoku)authority, political power
- 5原子力げんしりょく (genshiryoku)nuclear power/energy
Sentences in context
Doryoku sureba, dekimasu.
努力すれば、できます。
"Effort if-make, can-do."
If you make the effort, you can do it.
Minna de kyouryoku shimashou.
みんなで協力しましょう。
"Everyone together cooperate let's."
Let's all cooperate together.
Kare wa chikara ga tsuyoi desu.
彼は力が強いです。
"He (topic) strength (subject) strong is."
He is physically strong.
目
eye, look, see
On: モク (moku) · ボク (boku) | Kun: め (me) · -め (-me) · ま- (ma-)
Mnemonic
目 is a stylised eye drawn sideways — rotate it 90° and you'll see an oval outline with a pupil line across the middle. ⚠️ Easily confused with 日 (sun/day, batch 01): both are rectangular with a horizontal bar, but 目 is taller and narrower with two inner bars. On: モク (moku) — used in academic compounds: 目的 (mokuteki, "goal/purpose"), 目標 (mokuhyou, "target"). Think of 目的 as "what your eye is aimed at." ボク (boku) is rare — appears in 面目 (mentsu/menboku, "face/honour") in formal contexts.
Key vocabulary
- 1目的もくてき (mokuteki)goal, objective, purpose
- 2目標もくひょう (mokuhyou)target, aim, goal
- 3注目ちゅうもく (chuumoku)attention, notice, focus
- 4項目こうもく (koumoku)item, entry, clause
- 5名目めいもく / みょうもく (meimoku / myoumoku)name, nominal, pretext
Sentences in context
Mokuteki wa nan desu ka.
目的は何ですか。
"Goal (topic) what is?"
What is your goal/purpose?
Kanojo ni chuumoku shimashita.
彼女に注目しました。
"Her to attention paid."
I paid attention to her.
Me wo tojite kudasai.
目を閉じてください。
"Eyes (obj) close please."
Please close your eyes.
田
rice field, rice paddy
On: デン (den) | Kun: た (ta)
Mnemonic
田 is a bird's-eye view of a rice paddy divided into four sections by irrigation channels — the outer rectangle is the field boundary, the cross inside represents the water channels separating plots. On: デン (den). Cross-batch: 水田 (すいでん, suiden, "paddy field") combines 水 (water, batch 08) + 田 — water and field together. 田 appears in countless Japanese surnames: 田中 (Tanaka, "middle of the field"), 山田 (Yamada, "mountain field"), 本田 (Honda, "book/origin field"). Kun: た (ta) — short and earthy, just like the paddy.
Key vocabulary
- 1上田じょうでん (jouден)superior rice field; also a place name (Ueda)
- 2水田すいでん (suiden)paddy field, rice paddy
- 3油田ゆでん (yuden)oil field
- 4田舎いなか (inaka)countryside, rural area
- 5桑田そうでん (sounden)mulberry field
Sentences in context
Suiden de kome wo tsukurimasu.
水田で米を作ります。
"Paddy field in rice (obj) grow."
Rice is grown in paddy fields.
Kare wa inaka de sodachimashita.
彼は田舎で育ちました。
"He (topic) countryside in grew-up."
He grew up in the countryside.
Tanaka-san no ie wa tanbo no chikaku ni arimasu.
田中さんの家は田んぼの近くにあります。
"Tanaka's house (topic) rice-field near at is."
Mr Tanaka's house is near the rice fields.
正
correct, proper, true
On: セイ (sei) · ショウ (shou) | Kun: ただ.しい (tadashii) · ただ.す (tadasu) · まさ (masa) · まさ.に (masa ni)
Mnemonic
正 = 一 (one stroke / goal line) + 止 (stop) — you stop at exactly the right mark, making something correct. ⚠️ Confusable with 止 (とまる, stop — 4 strokes): 正 has one extra horizontal stroke at the very top. On: セイ (sei) is standard — 正式 (seishiki, "formal/official"), 正常 (seijou, "normal/regular"), 改正 (kaisei, "revision/amendment"). Kun: ただしい (tadashii, "to be correct") vs ただす (tadasu, "to correct/rectify something"). まさに (masa ni) means "exactly, precisely" — useful for emphasis.
Key vocabulary
- 1正せい (sei)correctness, proper, positive
- 2改正かいせい (kaisei)revision, amendment, reform
- 3修正しゅうせい (shuusei)correction, amendment, fix
- 4正式せいしき (seishiki)formal, official, proper
- 5正常せいじょう (seijou)normal, regular, proper
Sentences in context
Sore wa tadashii desu.
それは正しいです。
"That (topic) correct is."
That is correct.
Houritsu wo kaisei shimashita.
法律を改正しました。
"Law (obj) revised."
The law was amended.
Seishiki na tetsuzuki ga hitsuyou desu.
正式な手続きが必要です。
"Formal procedures (subject) necessary are."
Formal procedures are required.
文
sentence, writing, text
On: ブン (bun) · モン (mon) | Kun: ふみ (fumi) · あや (aya)
Mnemonic
文 is an ancient pictograph of a person with a tattoo or decorative pattern on their chest — the original meaning was "design/pattern," which evolved into "writing" (written patterns). The crossing strokes suggest something woven or inscribed. On: ブン (bun) — used in literary and cultural compounds: 文化 (bunka, "culture"), 文学 (bungaku, "literature"). モン (mon) — used in formal/document contexts: 文書 (bunsho/monjou, "document/writing"). Kun: ふみ (fumi, an archaic word for a letter or poem). Note: 文字 (もじ, moji) means "character/letter" — the very thing you're studying!
Key vocabulary
- 1文ふみ (fumi)letter, written message (archaic/literary)
- 2文化ぶんか (bunka)culture
- 3文学ぶんがく (bungaku)literature
- 4文書ぶんしょ / もんじょ (bunsho / monjou)document, written record
- 5文字もじ / もんじ (moji / monji)character, letter, written symbol
Sentences in context
Nihon no bunka ga suki desu.
日本の文化が好きです。
"Japan's culture (subject) like."
I like Japanese culture.
Bungaku wo benkyou shite imasu.
文学を勉強しています。
"Literature (obj) studying am."
I am studying literature.
Kono moji wa nan desu ka.
この文字は何ですか。
"This character (topic) what is?"
What is this character?
| Kanji | Meaning | On-yomi | Kun-yomi | JLPT | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 力 | power, force | リョク (ryoku) · リキ (riki) | ちから (chikara) | N5 | 2 |
| 目 | eye | モク (moku) · ボク (boku) | め (me) | N5 | 5 |
| 田 | rice field | デン (den) | た (ta) | N5 | 5 |
| 正 | correct, proper | セイ (sei) · ショウ (shou) | ただ.しい (tadashii) · まさ (masa) | N5 | 5 |
| 文 | sentence, writing | ブン (bun) · モン (mon) | ふみ (fumi) · あや (aya) | N5 | 4 |