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Kanji course · Day 2 of 30

Numbers four to six

3 characters today. Each one gets a breakdown, a memory hook, its readings, example words, and two writing passes.

Rōmaji help

four

On
Kun
Memory hook

A box with a pair of legs inside it: four walls with something trapped in there, kicking. シ, but almost everyone says よん, because シ sounds like 死 (death).

four things
April

five

On
Kun
Memory hook

A line, a zigzag, a line. The zigzag in the middle is a hand with its fingers folded over: five. ゴ in compounds and on its own, いつ(つ) when you are counting things.

five things
5 minutes

six

On
Kun
Memory hook

A lid standing on two legs. Picture a low table with six people round it. ロク in compounds, むっ(つ) when you are counting things.

six things
June

Write today's characters

  • Top to bottom, left to right.
  • Horizontal strokes before crossing vertical ones (十 = horizontal, then vertical).
  • Outside before inside - but close a box last (口).
  • A vertical that passes all the way through comes last (中).
  • Left-falling diagonal before right-falling (大).

Stroke order data from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel and contributors, used and modified under CC BY-SA 3.0. The stroke data and our changes to it stay under that licence; see the terms.

Check yourself

8 questions. Get 5 right to finish the day.

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