Kanji - The Interactive Learning Game

Kanji are the characters that Japanese and Chinese use for their writing. Originating thousands of years ago, the Chinese characters have evolved from early representations of elements, actions and images but have since evolved and developed to form a cohesive and logical communication style.

Although both countries share the characters, they are read differently and the Chinese use them as tenses in themselves, whereas the Japanese use hiragana and katakana – the domestic scripts – around the kanji to form tenses.

I’ve realised that Japanese will be largely useless to me on my return to England, in terms of conversational ability. However, reading and writing will be something that I can use – internet, magazines, movies – so I have recently been focusing on these.

The best thing about Kanji? It’s actually a fun set of characters to learn – as many do look like the item they represent. On top of this, the meaning and name of the character changes according to the other Kanji around it. I’ll give you some meanings and then you have to try and work out what the Kanji below means. Highlight for the answers. Good luck, have fun and notice how the elements really do look like their meaning!

火 (ka) = fire
山 (yama) = mountain　
川 (kawa) = river
休 (yasu) = rest*　
　
1. 火山 volcano
2. 休火山 dormant volcano

入 (iri) = go in
出 (de) = go out
口 (guchi) = mouth/door

3. 入口 entrance
4. 出口 exit

With this information, who is this?

5. 川口-さん Kawaguchi-San - favourite footballer

電 (den) = electric/electricity
車 (sha) = car
話 (wa) = to talk

6. 電車 train
7. 電話 phone

A bit cryptic now:

女 (onna) = woman
子 (ko) = child

8. 好 The compound means 'like/love'

And two very interesting and intriguing names:

東 (tou) = eastern
京 (kyou) = capital

9. 東京 Tokyo - the eastern capital
10. 京東 Kyoto - the capital of the east (the old capital of Japan)

I never realised the last two are mirrors of each other.

*the compound is of a 'man' leaning against a 'tree'