Master N4 Kanji: Travel and Places (旅行と場所)

Welcome to your definitive guide to mastering N4 Kanji for travel and locations. Whether you are navigating the bustling streets of Tokyo or preparing for the JLPT N4 exam, these four essential kanji will serve as your linguistic compass.

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1. 旅 (Travel / Trip)

This kanji represents a banner and people marching together—the perfect image for a journey.

• On'yomi (Chinese Reading): リョ (ryo)
• Kun'yomi (Japanese Reading): たび (tabi)
• Stroke Count: 10
• Stroke Order Tip: Start with the top-left elements (the banner radical) before writing the right-hand side (the people).

Key Vocabulary:

• 旅行 (りょこう - ryokou): Travel / Trip
  • Example: 来週、京都へ旅行します。 (I will travel to Kyoto next week.)来週京都旅行
  旅行来週京都
• 一人旅 (ひとりたび - hitoritabi): Solo travel一人旅
• 旅人 (たびびと - tabibito): Traveler旅人

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2. 駅 (Station)

Crucial for train travel in Japan. The left side is the radical for "horse" (馬), reminding us of how people traveled before trains!馬

• On'yomi: エキ (eki)
• Kun'yomi: None
• Stroke Count: 14
• Stroke Order Tip: Write the complex "horse" radical on the left first, keeping it narrow to leave room for the right side (尺).尺

Key Vocabulary:

• 駅 (えき - eki): Station
  • Example: 新宿駅で会いましょう。 (Let's meet at Shinjuku Station.)新宿駅会
  駅新宿会
• 駅員 (えきいん - ekiin): Station staff駅員
• 駅弁 (えきべん - ekiben): Station bento box (a must-try for travelers!)駅弁

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3. 館 (Building / Large Hall)

This kanji denotes a grand building or public facility. Note the left side, which is a modified version of 食 (food/eat), hinting at places that provide lodging or nourishment.食

• On'yomi: カン (kan)
• Kun'yomi: None
• Stroke Count: 16
• Stroke Order Tip: Write the left "food" radical first, then the right side (官) from top to bottom.官

Key Vocabulary:

• 旅館 (りょかん - ryokan): Traditional Japanese inn
  • Example: 温泉のある旅館に泊まりたいです。 (I want to stay at a ryokan with a hot spring.)温泉旅館泊
  旅館温泉泊
• 図書館 (としょかん - toshokan): Library図書館
• 美術館 (びじゅつかん - bijutsukan): Art museum美術館

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4. 地 (Earth / Ground / Place)

The left side is the "earth" radical (土), anchoring the meaning to physical ground or location.土

• On'yomi: チ (chi) / ジ (ji)
• Kun'yomi: None
• Stroke Count: 6
• Stroke Order Tip: Start with the horizontal stroke of the 土 radical, then its vertical and rising stroke, before moving to the right side (也).土也

Key Vocabulary:

• 地図 (ちず - chizu): Map
  • Example: 地図を見せてください。 (Please show me the map.)地図見
  地図見
• 地下鉄 (ちかてつ - chikatetsu): Subway (literally: "earth-under-iron")地下鉄
• 地方 (ちほう - chihou): Region / Countryside地方

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Grammar Integration: Navigating with Particles

When traveling, pair these kanji with the correct N4 particles:

1. Destination (に / へ):
   • 駅に行く (Go to the station)駅行
   駅行
2. Location of Action (で):
   • 旅館でご飯を食べる (Eat a meal at the ryokan)旅館飯食
   旅館飯食

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Challenge: Can you read this?

Translate the following sentence into Hiragana and English:

駅で地図をもらって、美術館へ行きました。駅地図美術館

(Answer: えきでちずをもらって、びじゅつかんへいきました。 / "I got a map at the station and went to the art museum.")