

This kanji depicts a long tongue sticking out of a mouth. Therefore, it carries the meaning of ‘tongue’.


This kanji depicts a mouth enclosed by corner brackets. Therefore, it represents a group of words set apart, meaning a ‘phrase’.


As you can see, this kanji simply depicts the shape of a human mouth.


In this figure, you can clearly see a person whistling with their mouth wide open. This character perfectly captures that distinct, musical action to mean ‘whistle’.


How do you see this character’s shape? It symbolizes the face of a cow with two sharp horns, with a protective wooden bar securely fastened across them. This reflects an ancient custom designed to protect people from the danger of being gored. Therefore, this character has come to represent ‘caution’.


The upper part of this figure represents a ‘mountain,’ while the markings below depict a cave from which water rises, forming a river. Together, this shape symbolizes a fertile valley—a flat expanse of land embraced by mountains and blessed with plenty of water.


You can easily spot the shape of a castle in this figure. Evolving over time, this character has come to represent the concepts of ‘tall’ and ‘high’.


Inside this character, you can see a cluster of blocks or boxes. Therefore, it represents the concept of ‘things’ or ‘goods’ in general


This character depicts a bird chirping with its mouth open. On the left side, you can see the symbol for a mouth. Therefore, this character carries the meaning of ‘chirp’ or ‘cry’.