[Grade 1 Japanese] The Master Guide to Your First Kanji

Hello everyone! In Grade 1 Japanese, we are finally starting to learn "Kanji." Just like hiragana and katakana, kanji are essential tools for sharing your feelings and reading books.
You might think, "This looks hard," but don't worry! Most kanji were actually born from "pictures." Let's peek into the world of kanji and have fun with them, just like solving a puzzle.

On this page, we’ve gathered all the tips you need to have fun learning the 80 kanji covered in first grade.

1. What exactly is a kanji?

Kanji were born in ancient China. Originally, they were simple "pictures" drawn to represent the shape of objects.
For example, the character "日" (sun) was created from the shape of the sun, and "山" (mountain) was created from the shape of a mountain.
When you are learning a new kanji, try asking yourself, "What does this look like?" It makes them much easier to remember!

【Point: Types of Kanji】
There are a total of 80 kanji to learn in first grade. They can be broken down into groups like these:
・Numbers: 一 (one), 二 (two), 三 (three), 十 (ten), etc.
・Body parts: 目 (eye), 耳 (ear), 口 (mouth), 手 (hand), 足 (foot), etc.
・Nature: 日 (sun), 月 (moon), 火 (fire), 水 (water), 木 (tree), 金 (gold/metal), 土 (earth), 山 (mountain), 川 (river), etc.
・School and Life: 学 (study), 校 (school), 先 (previous/ahead), 生 (life/birth), 名 (name), 白 (white), 赤 (red), etc.

2. The "3 Tips" for writing cool-looking kanji

There are a few rules for writing kanji neatly and correctly. It might feel tricky at first, but just being aware of these will make your writing look much better!

① Follow the stroke order

Kanji have a specific order for drawing the lines. The basic rules are "from top to bottom" and "from left to right."
Writing in the correct order makes your hand movement smoother and helps the shape of the character look natural. When you're not sure, check the examples in your textbook carefully.

② Be mindful of "tome, hane, and harai"

There are three ways to finish a line in kanji:
・Tome (stop): Stop the pencil firmly (e.g., at the end of "十").
・Hane (jump/hook): Give the stroke a little flick (e.g., at the end of "子").
・Harai (sweep): Sweep the pencil away smoothly (e.g., the sides of "人").
Master these, and your kanji will look as sharp as a pro's!

③ Write in the center of the square

Try to write in the center of your notebook squares, balancing the character well. Leaving a little space around the top, bottom, left, and right is the secret to making it look neat.

【Pro Tip】
The character "一" might just look like a horizontal line, but if you focus on the "start" and "end" of the stroke, it becomes a very strong character. Start by placing your pencil firmly on the paper.

3. Rules for reading: Onyomi and Kunyomi

There are two main ways to read kanji. This might be what makes kanji feel difficult, but once you know how to use them, it's simple!

1. Kunyomi (Native Japanese reading)
This is the reading where you can understand the meaning just from that one kanji.
(Example) "山" → "yama" (mountain), "水" → "mizu" (water)

2. Onyomi (Chinese-influenced reading)
This is a reading based on how it was pronounced in ancient China. It is often used when combining two or more kanji together.
(Example) "山" → "san" (Fuji-san), "水" → "sui" (Suiyoubi - Wednesday)

【Advice】
You don't need to memorize everything at once! The best shortcut is to learn them as a set of words, like "mizu (water) to drink" and "Sui(youbi) (Wednesday)."

4. Common mistakes and points to watch out for

We've collected points that first graders often find tricky. Check these, and you'll be ready to aim for a perfect score on your tests!

  • "大" and "犬": Look closely—does it have that little dot? "犬" has a dot that looks like an ear.
  • "日" and "目": The number of lines inside is different. "日" has one, while "目" has two.
  • "右" and "左": The first stroke is different!
    ・右: Start with the "ノ" stroke.
    ・左: Start with the "一" stroke.
    *Even adults often get this wrong, so if you can remember it, that’s amazing!

【Point】
When you compare similar-looking kanji side-by-side, the differences become much clearer and easier to remember.

5. "Magic methods" to learn kanji with fun

If practicing kanji feels like a boring "chore," try these methods instead!

● Combine kanji to make a story

For example, take the kanji "木" (tree).
・One 木 is a "ki" (tree).
・Two 木s make 林 (hayashi - grove).
・Three 木s make 森 (mori - forest).
Doesn't it feel exciting to imagine trees gathering to become a grove, and then gathering even more to become a deep forest?

● "Air writing" with your finger

You don't need a pencil to practice. Try writing large characters in the air with your finger or on the wall of the bath. When you learn through physical movement, you won't forget them as easily!

Summary: What is important in first-grade kanji study

The most important thing in learning kanji is to "write a little bit every day while having fun."
You don't have to try to learn a lot at once. If you learned just one new kanji today, that means you've grown one step past who you were yesterday.

★ Today's Summary Points ★
1. Kanji were born from "pictures." Imagine the shape!
2. "Stroke order" and "tome, hane, harai" make your characters look beautiful.
3. The trick to reading is to learn them as "word sets."
4. Pay attention to the "dots" and "lines" in similar-looking kanji.

It might feel hard at first, but the more you use them, the more kanji will become your strong allies. Let's move forward one step at a time, and have fun doing it! I'm cheering for you!