Learn Japanese Kanji Readings and Meanings Questions and Answers

Question 1

In the sentence 「速い車が通り過ぎた。」, what is the correct reading and meaning of the kanji 速い?

Accepted Answer

はやい (hayai), meaning 'fast/quick'

Answer

The kanji 速い (hayai) means 'fast' or 'quick' in terms of speed. The context of the sentence, 「車が通り過ぎた」 (a car passed by), indicates speed. The other kanji, 早い, is also read as 'hayai' but means 'early' in relation to time.

Question 2

Which of the following is the most common On'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading) for the kanji 「生」?

Accepted Answer

セイ、ショウ

Answer

The kanji 「生」 has numerous readings. However, its most common On'yomi (readings derived from Chinese) are セイ (sei) and ショウ (shou). These are frequently used in compound words like 学生 (gakusei - student) and 一生 (isshou - whole life). The other options are Kun'yomi (native Japanese readings) or readings for different kanji.

Question 3

A friend is describing their meal. They say, 「この魚はとてもおいしいです。」 Which kanji correctly represents the word 「魚」?

Accepted Answer

魚

Answer

The sentence translates to 'This fish is very delicious.' The kanji for 'fish' is 魚 (sakana). 鳥 (tori) means 'bird', 牛 (ushi) means 'cow/beef', and 肉 (niku) means 'meat'.

Question 4

What is the meaning of the kanji compound 「火山」?

Accepted Answer

Fire mountain (Volcano)

Answer

The compound 「火山」 is formed by the kanji 火 (ka - fire) and 山 (zan - mountain). When combined, they mean 'volcano'. This is a common example of On'yomi readings being used in a two-kanji compound.

Question 5

Which of the following kanji means 'to listen' or 'to hear'?

Accepted Answer

聞

Answer

The kanji 聞 (kiku) means 'to listen' or 'to hear'. 見 (miru) means 'to see'. 話 (hanasu) means 'to speak'. 書 (kaku) means 'to write'.

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Learn Japanese Kanji Readings and Meanings Questions and Answers