Page 39 - Japanese Character Writing for Dummies

after, behind

This kanji is a bit more complicated to write as it has nine lines. It can be used to locate

an object or a place, or to specify the moment of an action in time. ushiro means
GO, KŌ/ato,
“behind” to point out the location of someone or something, whereas ato means
nochi, ushi(ro)
“after” or “later.” For example, tsukue no ushiro is “behind the desk.”

When you want to say, “See you later,” you can say Ja mata atode.

Radical: ⼻ Numbers of strokes: nine

outside

soto refers to what is outside or what is foreign. Soto is always a noun unlike “outside” in Eng-
lish. For example, “outside the house” is 家の外 ie no soto, although “outside” in this English phrase
GAI/soto is a preposition. It is also found in compounds like gaikoku (foreign country) and

gaiken (external appearance, or simply, appearance). When you add (person/people) to ,

the compound word becomes gaikokujin, (foreigners). Note that the word gaijin
is avoided in polite conversation.

Radical: 夕 Number of strokes: five

CHAPTER 3 105 Characters 33