🇯🇵 JAPANESE
Kanji – Batch 15
漢字 71–75 · 森 林 王 犬 玉 · 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. shin, rin, ou, ken, gyoku.
C – Type the Meaning
Type the primary English meaning of each kanji. Synonyms are accepted — e.g. forest, woods / grove, king, dog, jewel / ball.
森
forest, dense woodland
On: シン (shin) | Kun: もり (mori)
Mnemonic
森 = 木 + 木 + 木 (three trees) — so many trees it's a forest. This is one of the most satisfying compound pictographs in all of kanji: you already know 木 (tree, batch 09), and two 木 side-by-side make 林 (grove — next in this batch!), while three 木 stacked make 森 (forest). The rule: more trees = denser woodland. On: シン (shin) — 森林 (shinrin, "forest and woodland") famously combines this batch's pair. The compound 森羅万象 (shinrabanshou, "all things in nature/the universe") is an impressive four-kanji idiom literally meaning "forest-spread-ten-thousand-phenomena."
Key vocabulary
- 1森もり (mori)forest, grove
- 2森林しんりん (shinrin)forest, woodland
- 3森閑しんかん (shinkan)deep silence (of a forest)
- 4森厳しんげん (shingen)solemn, awe-inspiring
- 5森羅万象しんらばんしょう (shinrabanshou)all things in nature, the whole universe
Sentences in context
Fukakute kurai mori ni hairimashita.
深くて暗い森に入りました。
"Deep and dark forest into entered."
I entered a deep, dark forest.
Shinrin-yoku wa karada ni ii desu.
森林浴は体にいいです。
"Forest bathing (topic) body for good is."
Forest bathing is good for the body.
Mori no naka wa shizuka deshita.
森の中は静かでした。
"Forest's inside (topic) quiet was."
It was quiet inside the forest.
林
woods, grove, small forest
On: リン (rin) | Kun: はやし (hayashi)
Mnemonic
林 = 木 + 木 (two trees side by side) — a grove or small woodland, less dense than 森 (three trees). This trio — 木 (one tree) → 林 (two trees, grove) → 森 (three trees, forest) — is a perfect illustration of how kanji can scale meaning through repetition. On: リン (rin) — 森林 (shinrin) links 森 + 林 in one compound meaning "forest/woodland." Cross-batch: 山林 (さんりん, sanrin, "mountain forest") combines 山 (batch 06) + 林. Common surnames: 林 (Hayashi), 小林 (Kobayashi), 竹林 (Takebayashi, batch 14).
Key vocabulary
- 1林はやし (hayashi)woods, small forest, grove
- 2森林しんりん (shinrin)forest, woodland
- 3農林のうりん (nourin)agriculture and forestry
- 4山林さんりん (sanrin)mountain forest, woodland
- 5林業りんぎょう (ringyou)forestry (industry)
Sentences in context
Hayashi no naka de asobi mashita.
林の中で遊びました。
"Woods' inside in played."
I played in the woods.
Ringyou wa chiiki ni totte juuyou desu.
林業は地域にとって重要です。
"Forestry (topic) region for important is."
Forestry is important for the region.
Sanrin de kinoko wo sagashimashita.
山林でキノコを探しました。
"Mountain forest in mushrooms searched."
I searched for mushrooms in the mountain forest.
王
king, ruler, sovereign
On: オウ (ou) · -ノウ (-nou) | Kun: おう (ou)
Mnemonic
王 shows three horizontal lines connected by one vertical stroke — traditionally read as heaven (top), earth (bottom), and humanity (middle), all united by the king who stands at the centre. On: オウ (ou). ⚠️ Critical confusion pair: 王 vs 玉 (this batch). They differ by exactly one dot — 玉 has a dot in the middle-right, 王 does not. A king (王) is one jewel (玉) short of completion. Cross-batch: 女王 (じょおう, joou, "queen") links 女 (woman, batch 07) + 王. The suffix -ノウ (-nou) appears in 女王 when assimilated: 女王 is pronounced じょおう, not じょのう.
Key vocabulary
- 1王おう (ou)king, ruler
- 2国王こくおう (kokuou)king, monarch
- 3女王じょおう (joou)queen
- 4王国おうこく (oukoku)kingdom
- 5王座おうざ (ouza)throne
Sentences in context
Mukashi, sono kuni ni wa eikoku no ou ga imashita.
昔、その国には英国の王がいました。
"Long ago, that country in England's king was."
Long ago, there was a king of England in that country.
Joou wa utsukushii doresu wo kite imashita.
女王は美しいドレスを着ていました。
"Queen (topic) beautiful dress wearing was."
The queen was wearing a beautiful dress.
Oukoku no monogatari wo yomimashita.
王国の物語を読みました。
"Kingdom's story (obj) read."
I read a story about a kingdom.
犬
dog
On: ケン (ken) | Kun: いぬ (inu) · いぬ- (inu-)
Mnemonic
犬 = 大 (big/person, batch 01) + a small extra dot — just like 王 and 玉, one dot changes everything. 大 is a person with outstretched arms; add a dot on the upper right and the person becomes a dog standing upright. The dot is like a tail wagging. On: ケン (ken) — 盲導犬 (moudouken, "guide dog"), 愛犬 (aiken, "beloved dog/pet dog"). ⚠️ The radical form of 犬 when used as a component inside other kanji is 犭(けものへん, "beast side"), seen in 猫 (cat), 狐 (fox), 猿 (monkey).
Key vocabulary
- 1犬いぬ (inu)dog
- 2盲導犬もうどうけん (moudouken)guide dog (for the visually impaired)
- 3愛犬あいけん (aiken)beloved dog, pet dog
- 4飼い犬かいいぬ (kaiinu)pet dog, kept dog
- 5野犬やけん (yaken)stray dog, wild dog
Sentences in context
Uchi no inu wa totemo kawaii desu.
うちの犬はとてもかわいいです。
"Our dog (topic) very cute is."
Our dog is very cute.
Moudouken wa me no fujiyuu na hito wo tasukemasu.
盲導犬は目の不自由な人を助けます。
"Guide dog (topic) visually impaired people helps."
Guide dogs help people who are visually impaired.
Yaken ni chikayoranai you ni.
野犬に近づかないように。
"Stray dogs to not-approach so."
Be careful not to approach stray dogs.
玉
jewel, gem, ball, sphere
On: ギョク (gyoku) | Kun: たま (tama) · たま- (tama-) · -だま (-dama)
Mnemonic
玉 = 王 (king) + one dot — a jewel is what a king treasures above all. The three horizontal strokes of 王 represent strings of beads threaded together; the dot is the precious stone itself. ⚠️ This is the critical confusion pair of the batch: 玉 vs 王. Dot = jewel, no dot = king. On: ギョク (gyoku) — rare in everyday speech. Cross-batch: 目玉 (めだま, medama, "eyeball") combines 目 (eye, batch 11) + 玉 — literally an "eye-jewel." お年玉 (おとしだま, otoshidama, "New Year's money gift") is the money given to children at New Year — the jewel of the year.
Key vocabulary
- 1玉たま (tama)jewel, gem, ball, sphere
- 2目玉めだま (medama)eyeball; main attraction
- 3替え玉かえだま (kaedama)substitute, stand-in, double; extra noodles
- 4玉虫色たまむしいろ (tamamushiiro)iridescent; ambiguous (two-faced)
- 5お年玉おとしだま (otoshidama)New Year's gift money (for children)
Sentences in context
Otoshidama wo moraimashita.
お年玉をもらいました。
"New Year's money (obj) received."
I received New Year's gift money.
Medama no ryouri wa nan desu ka.
目玉の料理は何ですか。
"Star dish (topic) what is?"
What is the star dish (main attraction)?
Kono tama wa kirei ni hikatte imasu.
この玉はきれいに光っています。
"This jewel (topic) beautifully shining is."
This jewel is shining beautifully.
| Kanji | Meaning | On-yomi | Kun-yomi | JLPT | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 森 | forest | シン (shin) | もり (mori) | N5 | 12 |
| 林 | woods, grove | リン (rin) | はやし (hayashi) | N5 | 8 |
| 王 | king, ruler | オウ (ou) | おう (ou) | N5 | 4 |
| 犬 | dog | ケン (ken) | いぬ (inu) | N5 | 4 |
| 玉 | jewel, ball | ギョク (gyoku) | たま (tama) | N5 | 5 |