Geography, Part 4: Kanji

Let's learn more about Japanese kanji.

KANJI NOTES かんじノート

In this lesson you will learn to read two kanji: 大 and 小. Be sure that you know the readings of each kanji and can tell what the kanji means. Readings which are marked by an asterisk are for your reference only; you do not need to learn these at this time. You also do not have to learn any new words which are given in the examples.

**大：DAI, TAI*; oo(kii) (big, large, great)**

大きい：ookii - big, large
大学：daigaku - university, college
大好き：daisuki - very pleasing, like a lot
大阪：Oosaka - city name, often written Osaka in English [big slope]
この大学は大きいです。：Kono daigaku-wa ookii desu. - This university is big.
日本の大学ですか。：Nihon-no daigaku desu-ka? - Is it a Japanese university?
それが大好きです。：Sore-ga daisuki desu. - I really like that one.
大きいハンバーガーが大好きです。：Ookii hanbaagaa-ga daisuki desu. - I like big hamburgers a lot.

Notice that the kanji 大 is used for the oo part of the word ookii. The rest of the word is written with the hiragana きい. When hiragana are used in this way, they are referred to as okurigana.

An illustration shows how a picture of a big person can become the kanji 大

**小：SHOO; ko, o, chii(sai) (small, little)**

小さい：chiisai - small, little
小学校： shoogakkoo - elementary school
小犬： koinu - puppy
小川： ogawa - stream [little river]
小さいバナナですね。：Chiisai banana desu-ne. - It’s a small banana, isn’t it?
小学校はどこですか。：Shoogakkoo-wa doko desu-ka? - Where’s the elementary school?
トムくんは小犬を飼っています。：Tomu-kun-wa koinu-o katte-imasu. - Tom has a puppy.

Notice that the kanji 小 is used only for the chii part of the word chiisai. The rest of the word is written with the hiragana さい. What do you call hiragana which are used in this way?

An illustration shows how a picture of a small person can become the kanji 小

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