Japanese Kanji Power. John Millen
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74
言
word; to say
ゲン GEN ゴン GON い • う i(u) こと koto
The character 言 depicted a knife pointing down at a mouth, suggesting the clear-cut pronunciation of sounds to form words.
GR2 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 裁判で証言することになった。
Saiban de shōgen suru koto ni natta.
I ended up giving evidence in the trial.
2. 大学で言語学を専攻した。
Daigaku de gengogaku o senkō shita.
I majored in linguistics at college.
3. 遺言を書いておきましょう。
Yuigon o kaite okimashō.
I'm going to draw up a will.
4. もう一度言って下さい。
Mō ichido itte kudasai.
Please say that again.
5. あの人の言葉は一生忘れられない。
Ano hito no kotoba wa isshō wasurerarenai.
I'll never forget what he said to me.
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 証言 | shōgen | evidence; testimony |
| 発言 | hatsugen | a speech; a proposal |
| 言語 | gengo | language; speech |
| 通言 | yuigon | one's will; dying words |
| 言葉 | kotoba | a word; a language; an expression |
| —言 | hitokoto | a word; a comment |
| ひとり言 | hitori-goto | talking to oneself; a soliloquy |
75
車
a vehicle; a car
シャ SHA くるま kuruma
The character 車 depicts the two wheels and carriage of a palanquin viewed from above.
GR1 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. ここは駐車禁止です。
Koko wa chūsha kinshi desu.
No parking here.
2. 前から三両目の車両に乗っていた。
Mae kara sanryōme no sharyō ni notte ita.
He was in the third carriage from the front of the train.
3. 風車による発電をよく見かける。
Fūsha ni yoru hatsuden o yoku mikakeru.
Windmills being used to generate electricity are a common sight.
4. 車庫から車を出してあげましょうか。
Shako kara kuruma o dashite agemashō ka.
Shall I get the car out of the garage for you?
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 駐車 | chūsha | parking |
| 車両 | sharyō | a railroad car; a coach |
| 風車 | fūsha / kazaguruma | a windmill / a pinwheel |
| 自動車 | jidōsha | an automobile |
| 発車 | hassha | the start / departure of a train |
| 下車 | gesha | getting off a train or bus |
| 乳母車 | ubaguruma | a baby carriage; a pram |
76
社
a company; a Shinto shrine
シャ SHA やしろ yashiro
The character 社 combines ground 土 and altar ネ, the makings of a shrine.
GR2 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 中国も車社会になりつつある。
Chūgoku mo kuruma shakai ni naritsutsu aru.
China is also becoming a society that is increasingly dependent on cars.
2. 仲間と三人で小さな会社を作った。
Nakama to sannin de chiisa na kaisha o tsukutta.
Two colleagues and myself formed a small company.
3. 去年の四月に入社しました。
Kyonen no shigatsu ni nyūsha shimashita.
I joined the firm in April of last year.
4. 神社にお参りに行(い)った。
Jinja ni omairi ni itta.
I visited a Shinto shrine.
5. 春から本社へ転勤になりました。
Haru kara honsha e tenkin ni narimashita.
I was transferred to the head office this spring.
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 社会 | shakai | society; the world |
| 会社 | kaisha | a company; a firm |
| 入社 | nyūsha | joining a company |
| 本社 | honsha | a head office |
| 商社 | shōsha | a trading company |
| 新聞社 | shinbunsha | a newspaper publishing company |
| 神社 | Jinja | a Shinto shrine |
77
足
foot; leg; to be enough; to add
ソク SOKU あし ashi た •りる ta(riru) た • す ta(su)
The character 足 represents the shape of the lower part of the leg, beneath the knee joint.
GR1 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 来週、高尾山に遠足に行きます。
Raishū, Takao-zan ni ensoku ni ikimasu.
I'm going on an excursion to Mount Takao next week.
2. 最近の若い人は、足が長い。
Saikin no wakai hito wa, ashi ga nagai.
Young people these days have long legs.
3. 時間が足りない。
Jikan ga tarinai.
There isn't enough time.
4. 独身男性の多くは、野菜不足だ。
Dokushin dansei no ōku wa, yasai busoku da.
A lot of single men are not eating enough vegetables.
5. 父は田舍で自給自足の暮らしを始めた。
Chichi wa inaka de jikyū jisoku no kurashi