Page 35 - Japanese Character Writing for Dummies

mouth

This kanji looks like a square. You might think it’s not really like a mouth, but imagine rounded
lips being stylized into a square. It also designates a passage. For example, this kanji is used
KOU, KU/ for compound words such as deguchi (exit) and iriguchi (entrance). Note that it is
drawn with three lines, not four. The second stroke starts from the top left, goes horizontally
kuchi to the right, makes a sharp turn in the top-right corner, and then goes down to the bottom.

Radical: 口 Number of strokes: three

eye

Originally this kanji probably looked like an eye with a pupil in its center. The two
central horizontal lines still show that basic shape. The pictograph that showed an
MOKU, BOKU/ eye became more abstract, but with a little imagination, you can see an eye. You can

me combine this kanji with others to create words such as hitome (glance) and

mokuteki (goal or purpose).

Radical: 目 Number of strokes: five

CHAPTER 3 105 Characters 29