Master N4 Kanji: Navigating Daily Life (日常の漢字)

Welcome to your N4 Kanji study guide! As you transition from beginner (N5) to intermediate Japanese, the kanji you encounter become much more practical. Today, we will master four essential kanji that you will see every single day in Japan—whether you are doing laundry, buying groceries, catching a train, or entering a shop.

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1. 洗 (Wash)

This kanji combines the water radical (氵) on the left with a phonetic component representing "advance" on the right. Think of water advancing to clean something!氵

• Readings:
  • Kunyomi: あら・う (ara-u) — to wash
  • Onyomi: セン (sen)
• Key Vocabulary:
  • 洗う (adau): To wash洗
  • 洗濯 (sentaku): Laundry洗濯
  • お手洗い (oterai): Restroom (literally, "hand-washing")手洗
  洗濯手

Example Sentence:

毎朝、自分で服を洗います。
Maiasa, jibun de fuku wo araimasu.
Translation: I wash my clothes by myself every morning.
Grammar Note: The particle を (wo) marks "clothes" (fuku) as the direct object of the transitive verb arau.毎朝自分服洗

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2. 払 (Pay)

Featuring the hand radical (扌), this kanji represents the physical action of brushing away or, in modern daily life, handing over money to pay.扌

• Readings:
  • Kunyomi: はら・う (hara-u) — to pay / sweep away
  • Onyomi: フツ (futsu) (rarely used at N4)
• Key Vocabulary:
  • 払う (harau): To pay払
  • 支払い (shiharai): Payment支払
  払支

Example Sentence:

レジでクレジットカードで払ってください。
Reji de kurejitto kaado de haratte kudasai.
Translation: Please pay by credit card at the cash register.
Grammar Note: The first で (de) indicates the location of the action (at the register), while the second で (de) indicates the means/instrument (by credit card).払

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3. 急 (Hurry / Urgent)

With the heart radical (心) at the bottom, this kanji depicts a heart that is beating fast because you are in a rush.心

• Readings:
  • Kunyomi: いそ・ぐ (iso-gu) — to hurry
  • Onyomi: キュウ (kyuu)
• Key Vocabulary:
  • 急ぐ (isogu): To hurry急
  • 急行 (kyuukou): Express train急行
  • 急に (kyuu ni): Suddenly急
  急行

Example Sentence:

電車に遅れそうなので、急いでいます。
Densha ni okuresou na node, isoide imasu.
Translation: I am in a hurry because it looks like I will be late for the train.
Grammar Note: 〜そう (sou) means "looks like/about to." 〜ています (te-imasu) expresses an ongoing state (being in a hurry).電車遅急

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4. 開 (Open)

This kanji features the gate radical (門) enclosing a pair of hands sliding a bolt open.門

• Readings:
  • Kunyomi: あ・く (a-ku) — to open (intransitive), あ・ける (a-keru) — to open (transitive)
  • Onyomi: カイ (kai)
• Key Vocabulary:
  • 開ける (akeru): To open (something)開
  • 開く (aku): (Something) opens開
  • 開店 (kaiten): Store opening開店
  開店

Example Sentence:

デパートは午前十時に開きます。
Depaato wa gozen juuji ni akimasu.
Translation: The department store opens at 10:00 AM.午前十時開

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Grammar Spotlight: Transitive vs. Intransitive with "開"

At the N4 level, distinguishing transitive verbs (actions you do to an object) from intransitive verbs (actions that happen on their own) is crucial.

1. Transitive (他動詞): 開ける (akeru)
   • Usage: [Subject] が [Object] を 開ける。開
   • Example: 窓を開けました。 (I opened the window.)窓開
   他動詞開窓
2. Intransitive (自動詞): 開く (aku)
   • Usage: [Subject] が 開く。開
   • Example: 自動ドアが開きました。 (The automatic door opened.)自動開
   自動詞開

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Quick Practice

Translate the following sentence into Japanese using the kanji learned above:

• "I hurried because the store opens at 9:00."

(Hint: Use "〜から" or "〜ので" for "because".)

Answer:

店は九時に開くので、急ぎました。
(Mise wa kuji ni aku node, isogimashita.)店九時開急