100 Basic Kanji Every Beginner Should Know

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Ah, kanji — the series of logographic Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system that even advanced Japanese learners often struggle with, or at least get annoyed by. The Japanese language is considered one of the most challenging languages to learn, and for many, kanji is the biggest reason

Still, learning and knowing kanji is inevitable if you ever want to consider yourself “fluent” in Japanese. Learners are expected to know the Joyo kanji, a list of over 2,000 commonly used characters officially designated by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Even native speakers spend years in school mastering them.

But when you’re just starting to learn Japanese, which kanji should you tackle first? In this guide, we will introduce the most basic kanji that beginners typically encounter. By the end, however, you might realize that the first hundred are just the beginning.

What is Kanji?

Kanji (漢字) are the logographic characters used in the Japanese writing system, originally borrowed from Chinese. Kanji were imported from China over a thousand years ago and gradually adapted to Japanese. While some characters kept their original Chinese meaning, others evolved unique Japanese interpretations.

Unlike hiragana or katakana, which are phonetic scripts representing sounds, each kanji represents a meaning or concept.

Phonetically, there are two types of kanji readings:

Onyomi. This is the “Chinese-style” reading, often used in compound words.
Kunyomi. This is the “Japanese-style” reading, often used when the kanji stands alone.

Download Basic Kanji Chart for Free!

Master the essentials of Japanese writing with our free basic kanji charts! These charts organize all basic kanji by theme and include both readings and meanings. For easy access, you can download them as images to your phone or laptop and use them for review anytime.

Don’t forget, if you want to truly learn Japanese, study at Coto Academy! Coto offers immersive Japanese language courses with experienced teachers, small class sizes, and practical learning that helps you speak, read, and write confidently.

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Basic Kanji for Beginners

Below, we have compiled tables listing all the basic kanji. Since these are fundamental characters, they are mostly at the JLPT N5 level, with some reaching JLPT N4. The table shows 100 essential kanji for JLPT N5 learners, including each kanji’s readings in both kun’yomi and on’yomi.

1. Numbers

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
一	One	Hito	Ichi
二	Two	Futa	Ni
三	Three	Mi	San
四	Four	Yo	Shi
五	Five	Itsu	Go
六	Six	Mu	Roku
七	Seven	Nana	Shichi
八	Eight	Ya	Hachi
九	Nine	Kokonoka	Kyuu
十	Ten	Too	Juu
百	Hundred	—	Hyaku
千	Thousand	—	Sen
万	Ten Thousand	—	Man
円	Yen, Circle	Maru	En
日	Day, Sun, Japan	Hi	Nichi / Jitsu

2. Time

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
週	Week	—	Shuu
日	Day, Sun, Japan	Hi	Nichi / Jitsu
月	Month, Moon	Tsuki	Getsu / Gatsu
年	Year	Toshi	Nen
時	Time, Hour	Toki	Ji
分	Minute, Part	—	Fun / Bun
半	Half, Middle	—	Han
間	Interval, Space	Aida / Ma	Kan
午	Noon	—	Go
前	In Front, Before	Mae	Zen
後	Behind, Back, Later	Ato / Ushiro	Go / Kou
今	Now	Ima	Kon
先	Before, Ahead	Saki	Sen
来	Come, Next	Kuru / Ki	Rai
毎	Every, Each	—	Mai
何	What	Nani	Ka / Nan

3. Family and friends

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
人	Person	Hito	Jin / Nin
男	Male, Man	Otoko	Dan / Nan
女	Woman, Female	Onna	Jo
子	Child	Ko	Shi
父	Father	Chichi	Fu
母	Mother	Haha	Bo
友	Friend	Tomo	Yuu

4. Body parts

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
手	Hand	Te	Shu
足	Leg, Foot	Ashi	Soku
耳	Ear	Mimi	Ji
目	Eye	Me	Moku / Boku
口	Mouth	Kuchi	Kou / Ku

5. Nature

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
金	Gold	Kane	Kin / Kon
木	Tree, Wood	Ki	Moku / Boku
水	Water	Mizu	Sui
火	Fire	Hi	Ka
土	Soil, Earth	Tsuchi	Do / To
山	Mountain	Yama	San / Zan
川	River, Stream	Kawa	Sen
天	Heaven, Sky	—	Ten
空	Empty, Sky	Sora / A	Kuu
気	Air, Spirit, Atmosphere	—	Ki / Ke
雨	Rain	Ame	U
電	Electricity	—	Den
魚	Fish	Sakana	Gyo
花	Flower	Hana	Ka

7. Position

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
大	Big, Large	Oo	Dai / Tai
小	Small, Little	Chiisai / Ko	Shou
多	Many, Frequent	Oo	Ta
少	Few, Little	Sukunai / Suko	Shou
古	Old	Furu	Ko
新	New	Atara / Arata	Shin
安	Cheap, Safe, Peaceful	Yasu	An
高	Tall, High, Expensive	Taka	Kou
長	Long, Senior, Leader	Naga	Chou
白	White	Shiro	Haku

8. Adjectives

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
大	Big, Large	Oo	Dai / Tai
小	Small, Little	Chiisai / Ko	Shou
多	Many, Frequent	Oo	Ta
少	Few, Little	Sukunai / Suko	Shou
古	Old	Furu	Ko
新	New	Atara / Arata	Shin
安	Cheap, Safe, Peaceful	Yasu	An
高	Tall, High, Expensive	Taka	Kou
長	Long, Senior, Leader	Naga	Chou
白	White	Shiro	Haku

9. Verbs

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
見	See, Opinion	Mi	Ken
言	Say, Word	I / Koto	Gen
話	Talk, Tale	Hanashi	Wa
聞	Hear, Listen, Ask	Kiku	Bun / Mon
読	Read	Yomu	Doku / Toku
書	Write	Kaku	Sho
飲	Drink, Take (Medicine)	Nomu	In
食	Eat, Food	Taberu / Kuu	Shoku / Jiki
生	Life, Birth	I / U / Haeru	Sei / Shou
入	Enter, Insert	Hairu / Ireru	Nyuu
出	Exit, Leave	Deru / Dasu	Shutsu / Sui
行	Go, Journey	Iku / Yuku	Kou / Gyou
会	Meet, Meeting	Au	Kai
休	Rest, Holiday	Yasumu	Kyuu
立	Stand, Rise	Tatsu	Ritsu / Ryuu
買	Buy	Kau	Bai

10. Noun

Kanji	Meaning	Kun’yomi	On’yomi
車	Car	Kuruma	Sha
駅	Station	—	Eki
道	Street, Way	Michi	Dou
本	Book, Origin, Real	Moto	Hon
店	Store, Shop	Mise	Ten
社	Company, Shrine, Society	Yashiro	Sha
国	Country	Kuni	Koku
名	Name	Na	Mei / Myou
語	Word, Speech, Language	Kataru	Go
学	Study, Learning	Manabu	Gaku
校	School	—	Kou

Tips to Learn Kanji

1. Practice writing and its stroke orders

Nowadays, most people learn kanji through Japanese learning apps or on their phones. As you go to work in Japan or enter university, the need to write kanji by hand has become less common. However, we still recommend learning kanji the traditional way: by practicing writing.

Following the correct stroke order is an effective method that not only helps you memorize the characters more easily but also ensures your handwriting is correct.

2. Spaced repetition

Of course, it is always beneficial to combine the traditional “old-school” method with modern learning systems. Spaced repetition is one of the most effective techniques for memorization. For example, apps like Anki offer multiple Japanese kanji decks. As a learner, you can review characters at intervals, which apparently encourages long-term retention.

3. Prioritize consistency over bulk memorization

Speaking of long-term retention, it is far more effective to study kanji consistently every day rather than trying to memorize a large number of characters in a single session. By this, we mean cramming all your kanji the night before a big test day, like the JLPT (in fact, this is one of the worst ways to study Japanese).

Short, daily practice, whether writing by hand or reviewing with spaced repetition apps, helps reinforce memory and prevents burnout. Over time, this steady approach leads to deeper understanding and recall, making your kanji learning more sustainable and enjoyable.

Master Kanji the Smart Way with Coto Academy!

Although kanji is one of the biggest hurdles in learning Japanese, at Coto Academy, you can join Japanese classes designed to help you master kanji and apply it in real-life situations.

Our classes are available in Tokyo, Yokohama, and online, so you can learn from anywhere. Beyond just memorizing kanji, our courses focus on practical application, helping you use kanji in daily life, conversations, emails, and professional settings. With experienced teachers and a supportive learning environment, Coto Academy makes learning kanji both effective and enjoyable!

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