24 January 2009

外 Outside | ガイ , ゲ • そと , ほか , はず.す



Kanji Mnemonic 91

Other meanings include other and undo

This is the kanji used in the word gaijin, which has a crude connotation as foreigners in Japan are often referred to as gaijin (or worse kitanai gaijin, dirty foreigner) instead of the more polite gaikujin

The left element is a crescent moon and the right is an old element relating to the cracks on the outside of turtle shells. I see it as a gaijin who undid his pants to relieve himself outside.

23 January 2009

験 Examine | ケン , ゲン, あかし , しるし , ため.す



Kanji Mnemonic 475

Yesterday we looked at investigate. Today's kanji has the same right element of two people talking. Here we have a horse instead of a tree as the left element. Associated meanings include verification, effect, and testing. Imagine someone examining horses after having performed an experiment and tests on them.

See the front and back of the PictoCard for this kanji.