The short story of Kanji pictures
This kanji consists of two parts. On the left is the ‘human’ radical, which originally represented a man standing. On the right is the element for ‘righteousness,’ itself composed of a sheep and a curved saw used to carve sacrificial mutton for divine offerings. Combined, this kanji came to mean moral principles’ or propriety.’
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘person’ radical. On the right is a symbol said to depict a human hand guiding or taming an elephant. Combined, it originally represented doing something artificially or claiming to act on someone else’s behalf. However, because such actions were often driven by self-interest rather than genuine goodwill, the kanji eventually came to mean ‘fabrication’ or ‘falsehood.’
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘eye’ radical. On the right is an element showing firewood stacked high to build a large bonfire. Combined, this kanji originally represented seeing clearly by the light of a fire. Over time, it came to mean ‘obvious,’ ‘clear,’ or ‘undoubted.’
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘human’ radical. On the right is the ‘mumbling’ radical, which represents something soft, rising, and fluffy like clouds. Combined, this kanji means to speak vaguely to someone or to mumble words quietly.
This kanji is made of two parts. On the left is the ‘human’ radical. On the right is an element showing two feet walking around in opposite directions, with a mouth radical inside. Combined, this kanji originally represented ‘greatness’—a person who thinks or acts differently from others.
On the left side of this figure, you can see a person standing, while on the right, there is a piece of wood being cut for a project they are crafting. Therefore, this character beautifully captures the essence of what it means to ‘create’ or ‘make’ something.
In this figure, you can see a human standing with their arms and legs spread wide. Above their head, a single line is drawn to represent ‘the space far above mankind.’ Therefore, this character means ‘heaven’ in a single word.
On the right side of this figure, you can see a baby sleeping peacefully in a basket, while on the left, a person—perhaps the father—stands firmly on their own two feet, watching over the infant with great care. This visual conveys a profound sense of feeling comfortable and being safely defended from the outside world. In this way, these characters often generate a whole new meaning derived from combining two distinct images.
This kanji advances perfectly from the raw terror of the last one! On the left side of this figure, you can find a MAN standing straight. On the right, a large combat weapon—a giant AX or halberd—is positioned right against his neck. Because it visualizes the direct action of striking a neck or trunk, this character means ‘CHOP DOWN,’ ‘CUT WOOD,’ or ‘KILL’ in Japanese.
