The short story of Kanji pictures
“This kanji combines two identical elements of the evening moon. By showing night falling again and again, it symbolizes the passage of many days, giving the character its meaning of ‘many’ or ‘a lot.’
This kanji depicts a woman and a man lying in bed together. It originally represented the very root of human life and family lineage. Because of this, the kanji came to mean ‘marriage.’
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘road’ radical. On the right is an element depicting a crossroads with branching paths, making it unclear which way to go. Combined, this kanji means ‘maze’ or ‘to get lost.’ By extension, it came to represent a situation where we cannot decide where to go or what to choose.
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘word’ radical, which originally represented a sacred oath made before God—one so absolute that breaking it meant punishment by the sword. On the right is an element representing a crossroads with branching paths, making it unclear which way to go. Combined, this kanji came to represent asking with words what something is or where to go, giving it the meaning of ‘riddle’ or ‘mystery.
This kanji has two parts. The left side is the radical for “earth” or “soil.” The right side shows something rising up from inside, like a mountain swollen with magma. Combined, it means a “mound,” “hill,” or “ancient tomb.”
This kanji consists of two parts. On the left is the “body” radical, and on the right is a component depicting a person sloughing off or removing their clothing. Together, this kanji means “to shed,” “to molt,” or “to exit” from within.
As you can see, this kanji consists of two parts: the ‘grass’ (leaf) radical on top, and a component below representing a man dancing with joy. Therefore, this kanji means ‘medicine’—something made from plants that brings happiness and relief to people.
