【4th Grade Japanese】Master Your Vocabulary!

Hello everyone! In 4th-grade Japanese, we will learn many new words and the rules of our language.
"Words" are essential "tools" for sharing your feelings and understanding what others have to say. When you learn to use these tools well, reading and writing will become so much more fun!

You might feel like it's difficult at first, but don't worry. Let's take it slow and learn one step at a time while having fun!

1. Kanji Structure and "Radicals" (Bushu)

Many Kanji characters are made up of several different parts. The specific part that tells you which group of meanings the Kanji belongs to is called a "radical" (bushu).

Know the Radical, Guess the Meaning!

For example, here are some common radicals:

  • Sanzui (氵): Related to water (e.g., Sea/海, Swim/泳, Pond/池)
  • Ki-hen (木): Related to plants or things made of wood (e.g., School/校, Village/村, Desk/机)
  • Nin-ben (亻): Related to humans or human actions (e.g., Rest/休, Body/体, Believe/信)

Pro Tip:
Even if you come across a Kanji you don't know, looking at the radical can give you a hint, like "Oh, does this have to do with water?" Think of the radical as the Kanji's "last name"—it’s a great way to remember it!

【Fun Fact】
Radicals have different names depending on where they are placed. When it's on the left, it's a "hen"; on the right, it's a "tsukuri"; on the top, a "kanmuri"; and on the bottom, an "ashi." It’s like the Kanji's "address"!

Let's organize words that are similar, opposite, or have multiple meanings.

① Synonyms (Ruigigo)

Words that have similar meanings.
(e.g.) "Hashiru" (run) and "Kakeru" (dash), "Hanasu" (speak) and "Shaberu" (chat)

② Antonyms (Taigigo)

Words that have opposite meanings.
(e.g.) "Okii" (big) and "Chiisai" (small), "Shuppatsu" (departure) and "Touchaku" (arrival)

③ Polysemes (Tagigo)

Words that have many different meanings. This is a very important topic in 4th grade!
(e.g.) The word "toru":
・Toru a hat (take off)
・Toru a photo (take/capture)
・Toru 100 points (get/achieve)
・Toru a fish (catch)

【Common Mistake】
You can't tell which meaning a polyseme has unless you read the whole sentence. The secret to getting it right is to "read the sentences before and after carefully!"

3. Enjoying Idioms (Kanyoku)

When two or more words combine to create an entirely new meaning, it's called an "idiom." There are many expressions that use parts of the body!

  • Hana ga takai (nose is high): To be proud or feel triumphant.
  • Mimi wo katamukeru (tilt the ear): To listen intently.
  • Me ga mawaru (eyes are spinning): To be extremely busy.
  • Kuchi ga omoi (mouth is heavy): To be quiet or rarely speak.

Summary:
Using idioms allows you to express your feelings or a situation perfectly in just a few words. They are like magic words!

4. Become a Master of the Dictionary

In 4th grade, along with the "Japanese dictionary," you will also learn how to use a "Kanji dictionary" (Kanwa jiten).

How to search in a Kanji dictionary (3 ways)

1. On-Kun Index (Oon-kun sakuin): Searching by how the Kanji is read.
2. Radical Index (Bushu sakuin): Searching by the Kanji's radical.
3. Stroke Count Index (Soukaku sakuin): Searching by the total number of strokes in the Kanji.

Pro Tip:
If you don't know how to read a Kanji, it’s best to use the Radical Index or Stroke Count Index. Improving your dictionary speed will make your studies much smoother.

5. Sentence Structure and "Connectives"

How you connect sentences changes how easy they are to understand. These words are called "conjunctions" (setsuzokushi).

  • Sequential (Junsetsu): "Dakara" (therefore), "Sorede" (so) (The first thing causes the next thing to happen)
  • Adversative (Gyakusetsu): "Shikashi" (however), "Keredomo" (but) (The next thing is the opposite of the first thing)
  • Parallel/Addition: "Mata" (also), "Soshite" (and then) (Adding or listing similar information)

【Common Mistake】
If you use "dakara" where you should use "shikashi," the meaning won't make sense. Like putting together a puzzle, choose the perfect connecting word!

★ Today's Advice:
You don't need to memorize all this vocabulary at once. Start by looking for these words in your daily life or books and say to yourself, "Oh! That's the word we learned in class!" I'm cheering for you!