Master kanji through beautiful visuals, origin stories, and practical examples. Learn kanji readings in hiragana with authentic Japanese pronunciation.
Master the fundamental rules of kun-yomi and on-yomi to read any kanji confidently
Used when kanji stands alone or in person's/place's name.
山 → やま (yama) - mountain
大きい → おおきい (ookii) - big
Used in compounds (2+ kanji together)
月曜日 → げつようび (getsuyōbi) - Monday
学校 → がっこう (gakkou) - school
Alone = Kun-yomi | Compound = On-yomi
Exceptions exist, but this rule works 80% of the time!
Always learn kanji with real words, not in isolation
Connect kanji shapes to their meanings and origins
Notice common radicals and reading patterns
Review at increasing intervals for long-term retention
Japanese Language Proficiency Test levels
Beginner
Basic kanji for daily life
Elementary
Elementary school level
Intermediate
Middle school level
Upper-Int.
High school level
Advanced
Advanced/Native level
💡 Pro Tip: Focus on learning the most common kanji first. The top 100 kanji make up about 40% of written Japanese!