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Learn Japanese – New Proposed Jōyō Kanji (Forum Spotlight)

Welcome to Forum Spotlight! Here we’ll be introducing interesting and useful posts made by members at our very own JapanesePod101.com Forum.

Our second forum spotlight post containing a complete list of new proposed Joyo Kanji comes from Psyさん.
The Jōyō Kanji (常用漢字) are a list of 1945 “daily-use” kanji characters established by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 1981. Japanese children will have studied all of these kanji by the time they graduate from junior high school. The Ministry of Education has reviewed the current Jōyō Kanji set and proposed 191 kanji to be added to the list.  These characters are still under review, and the final list of additions is expected to be announced in the fall of 2010.

Due to the amount of characters, we will be introducing the additions in three parts. Here is part 1 of the new proposed Jōyō Kanji list. Next to each kanji, you will find the reading (onyomi is in katakana, kunyomi is in hiragana), the character’s meaning, and a sample word using that kanji.

No

Kanji

Reading

Meaning

Sample Word

1

アイ

push open

挨拶 (あいさつ)

2

アイ

unclear

曖昧(あいまい)

3

あご

chin

顎(あご)

4

あ(てる)

address

宛て名(あてな)

5

あらし

storm

五十嵐(いがらし)(姓氏)

6

イ・おそ(れる)

be apprehensive

畏怖(いふ)

7

イ・な(える)

droop

萎える(なえる)

8

chair

椅子(いす)

9

same kind

語彙(ごい)

10

いばら

thorn

茨城県(いばらきけん)

11

イン

choked

咽喉(いんこう)

12

イン・みだ(ら)

lewdness

淫ら(みだら)

13

うた

(folk) song

唄(うた)

14

ウツ

depression

憂鬱(ゆううつ)

15

エン・オン

grudge

怨恨(えんこん)

16

エン・ひめ

beautiful woman

愛媛県(えひめけん)

17

エン・つや

captivating

艶やか(つややか)

18

オウ

flourishing

旺盛(おうせい)

19

おか

knoll

岡山県(おかやまけん)

20

オク

timidity

臆病(おくびょう)

21

おれ

I (informal masculine)

俺(おれ)

22

torment

苛政(かせい)

23

ガ・ゲ・きば

fang

牙(きば)

24

ガ・かわら

tile

瓦礫(がれき)

25

カイ

crush

胃潰瘍(いかいよう)

26

カイ

harmony

俳諧(はいかい)

27

ガイ・がけ

cliff

崖道(がけみち)

28

ガイ・ふた

lid

蓋(ふた)

29

ガイ

corpse

死骸(しがい)

30

カツ・くず

arrowroot

葛藤(かっとう)

31

かま

scythe

鎌倉市(かまくらし)

32

カン

Korea

韓国語(かんこくご)

33

ガン

play with

玩具(おもちゃ)

34

skill

伎(わざ), 歌舞伎(かぶき)

35

キ・かめ

turtle

兎角亀毛(とかくきもう)

36

capital

近畿地方(きんきちほう)

37

キュウ・うす

mortar

臼井(うすい)(姓氏)

38

キュウ・か(ぐ)

sniff

嗅ぎ付ける(かぎつける)

39

キン

towel

巾着袋(きんちゃくぶくろ)

40

キン・わず(か)

a wee bit

僅か(わずか)

41

キン・にしき

brocade

錦(にしき)

42

dread

危惧(きぐ)

43

くし

skewer

串(くし)

44

クツ

cavern

洞窟(どうくつ)

45

くま

bear

熊本県(くまもとけん)、熊手(くまで)

46

ケイ・もう(でる)

visit a temple

初詣(はつもうで)

47

ケイ

yearn for

憧憬(しょうけい)

48

ケイ

consider

滑稽(こっけい)

49

ゲキ・すき

crevice

隙間(すきま)

50

けた

beam; column

桁違い(けたちがい)

51

ケン・こぶし

fist

握り拳(にぎりこぶし)

52

ケン・かぎ

key

鍵盤(けんばん)

53

ゲン

gunwale

左舷・右舷(さげん・うげん)

54

コ・また

crotch

股間(こかん)

55

コ・とら

tiger

虎猫(とらねこ)

56

コウ

for the most part

心筋梗塞(しんきんこうそく)

57

コウ・のど

throat

喉飴(のどあめ)

58

こ(う)

beg

乞食(こじき)

59

ゴウ

be proud

傲然(ごうぜん)

60

こま

pony

持ち駒(もちこま)

61

ころ

about; approx. time

近頃(ちかごろ)

62

コン・あと

mark

傷痕(きずあと)

63

sand

ご無沙汰(ごぶさた)

64

sprain

挫折(ざせつ)

Make sure to check back next week and the week after for parts 2 and 3!

You can find a lot more useful information like this at the JapanesePod101.com Forum, so stop by and join in the many discussions with fellow listeners and the JPOD101 crew!