Simple Japanese Words in Kanji (Beginner List with Meaning & Reading)
Learning simple Japanese words in kanji is one of the best ways to start your journey into the Japanese language. Instead of focusing on complex characters, beginners should begin with simple, everyday words that are commonly used in real life. These words are easier to remember and help you quickly build practical vocabulary.
Kanji may look intimidating at first, but many basic words use simple characters with clear meanings. For example, kanji related to nature, people, time, and daily actions appear frequently in conversations, signs, and basic texts. Learning these words will give you immediate benefits in understanding Japanese.
In this guide, you will find a carefully selected list of simple Japanese words written in kanji. Each entry includes the reading in hiragana and romaji, English meaning, and Indonesian translation. This multi-language format helps reinforce your memory and understanding.
The table below is fully searchable, allowing you to quickly find kanji. You can also click on any kanji to copy it instantly for writing practice.
If you are a beginner, try learning 5โ10 words per day and review them regularly. Consistency is the key to mastering kanji effectively.
| Kanji | Reading | English | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ๆฅๆฌ
|
ใซใปใ (nihon) | Japan | Jepang |
|
ๅญฆ็
|
ใใใใ (gakusei) | student | siswa |
|
ๅ
็
|
ใใใใ (sensei) | teacher | guru |
|
ๅญฆๆ ก
|
ใใฃใใ (gakkou) | school | sekolah |
|
ไผ็คพ
|
ใใใใ (kaisha) | company | perusahaan |
|
ๅบๅก
|
ใฆใใใ (tenin) | shop staff | pegawai toko |
|
้ฃไบ
|
ใใใใ (shokuji) | meal | makan |
|
้ฃฒใฟ็ฉ
|
ใฎใฟใใฎ (nomimono) | drink | minuman |
|
่ฒทใ็ฉ
|
ใใใใฎ (kaimono) | shopping | belanja |
|
ๆ้
|
ใใใ (jikan) | time | waktu |
|
ไปๆฅ
|
ใใใ (kyou) | today | hari ini |
|
ๆๆฅ
|
ใใใ (ashita) | tomorrow | besok |
|
ๆจๆฅ
|
ใใฎใ (kinou) | yesterday | kemarin |
|
ๆ
|
ใใ (asa) | morning | pagi |
|
ๅค
|
ใใ (yoru) | night | malam |
|
ๅฑฑ
|
ใใพ (yama) | mountain | gunung |
|
ๅท
|
ใใ (kawa) | river | sungai |
|
ๆตท
|
ใใฟ (umi) | sea | laut |
|
็ฉบ
|
ใใ (sora) | sky | langit |
|
้จ
|
ใใ (ame) | rain | hujan |
|
ๅ้
|
ใจใใ ใก (tomodachi) | friend | teman |
|
ๅฎถๆ
|
ใใใ (kazoku) | family | keluarga |
|
็ถ่ฆช
|
ใกใกใใ (chichioya) | father | ayah |
|
ๆฏ่ฆช
|
ใฏใฏใใ (hahaoya) | mother | ibu |
|
ๅ
ๅผ
|
ใใใใ ใ (kyoudai) | siblings | saudara |
|
ๅญไพ
|
ใใฉใ (kodomo) | child | anak |
|
ๅๅ
|
ใชใพใ (namae) | name | nama |
|
ไฝๆ
|
ใใ ใใใ (juusho) | address | alamat |
|
้ป่ฉฑ
|
ใงใใ (denwa) | telephone | telepon |
|
็ชๅท
|
ใฐใใใ (bangou) | number | nomor |
|
ไปไบ
|
ใใใจ (shigoto) | work | pekerjaan |
|
ไผ็คพๅก
|
ใใใใใใ (kaishain) | employee | karyawan |
|
ไผใฟ
|
ใใใฟ (yasumi) | holiday | libur |
|
ๆ
่ก
|
ใใใใ (ryokou) | travel | perjalanan |
|
้ป่ป
|
ใงใใใ (densha) | train | kereta |
|
่ชๅ่ป
|
ใใฉใใใ (jidousha) | car | mobil |
|
้ฃ่กๆฉ
|
ใฒใใใ (hikouki) | airplane | pesawat |
|
้ง
ๅ
|
ใใใพใ (ekimae) | in front of station | depan stasiun |
|
้่ทฏ
|
ใฉใใ (douro) | road | jalan |
|
ๅคฉๆฐ
|
ใฆใใ (tenki) | weather | cuaca |
|
ๆดใ
|
ใฏใ (hare) | sunny | cerah |
|
้จๅคฉ
|
ใใฆใ (uten) | rainy weather | hujan |
|
ๆธฉๅบฆ
|
ใใใฉ (ondo) | temperature | suhu |
|
ๆ็
|
ใใใใ (ryouri) | cooking | masakan |
|
้ฃๅ
|
ใใใใฉใ (shokudou) | cafeteria | kantin |
|
ๆ้ฃ
|
ใกใใใใใ (choushoku) | breakfast | sarapan |
|
ๅค้ฃ
|
ใใใใใ (yuushoku) | dinner | makan malam |
|
้่กๅฃๅบง
|
ใใใใใใใ (ginkoukouza) | bank account | rekening bank |
|
็พ้
|
ใใใใ (genkin) | cash | uang tunai |
|
่ฒท็ฉ่ข
|
ใใใใฎใถใใ (kaimonobukuro) | shopping bag | kantong belanja |
|
่ชญๆธ
|
ใฉใใใ (dokusho) | reading | membaca |
|
ไฝๆ
|
ใใใถใ (sakubun) | writing | menulis |
|
ๅๅผท
|
ในใใใใ (benkyou) | study | belajar |
|
่ฉฆ้จ
|
ใใใ (shiken) | exam | ujian |
|
็ตๆ
|
ใใฃใ (kekka) | result | hasil |
|
ไบๅฎ
|
ใใฆใ (yotei) | plan / schedule | rencana |
|
ไบ็ด
|
ใใใ (yoyaku) | reservation | reservasi |
|
้ๅง
|
ใใใ (kaishi) | start | mulai |
|
็ตไบ
|
ใใ ใใใใ (shuuryou) | end | selesai |
|
ๅฉ็จ
|
ใใใ (riyou) | use | penggunaan |
|
ๅฟ
่ฆ
|
ใฒใคใใ (hitsuyou) | necessary | perlu |
|
้่ฆ
|
ใใ ใใใ (juuyou) | important | penting |
|
ๅฎๅฟ
|
ใใใใ (anshin) | relief | tenang |
|
ๅฟ้
|
ใใใฑใ (shinpai) | worry | khawatir |
|
ๅธๆ
|
ใใผใ (kibou) | hope | harapan |
|
ๅคขไธญ
|
ใใกใ ใ (muchuu) | absorbed | fokus |
|
ๆๅ
|
ใใใใ (seikou) | success | keberhasilan |
|
ๅคฑๆ
|
ใใฃใฑใ (shippai) | failure | kegagalan |
|
ๅชๅ
|
ใฉใใใ (doryoku) | effort | usaha |
|
็ต้จ
|
ใใใใ (keiken) | experience | pengalaman |
|
่ชฌๆ
|
ใใคใใ (setsumei) | explanation | penjelasan |
|
ๆกๅ
|
ใใใชใ (annai) | guidance | panduan |
|
ๆณจๆ
|
ใกใ ใใ (chuui) | attention | perhatian |
|
็ฆๆญข
|
ใใใ (kinshi) | prohibited | dilarang |
|
ๅฏ่ฝ
|
ใใฎใ (kanou) | possible | mungkin |
|
ไธๅฏ่ฝ
|
ใตใใฎใ (fukanou) | impossible | tidak mungkin |
|
็ฐกๅ
|
ใใใใ (kantan) | easy | mudah |
|
้ฃใใ
|
ใใใใใ (muzukashii) | difficult | sulit |
|
ไพฟๅฉ
|
ในใใ (benri) | convenient | praktis |
|
ไธไพฟ
|
ใตในใ (fuben) | inconvenient | tidak praktis |
|
็ฟๆ
ฃ
|
ใใ ใใใ (shuukan) | habit | kebiasaan |
|
็ๆดป
|
ใใใใค (seikatsu) | life | kehidupan |
|
ๆๅ
|
ใถใใ (bunka) | culture | budaya |
|
็คพไผ
|
ใใใใ (shakai) | society | masyarakat |
|
ๆ
ๅ ฑ
|
ใใใใปใ (jouhou) | information | informasi |
|
ๆฐ่
|
ใใใถใ (shinbun) | newspaper | koran |
|
่จไบ
|
ใใ (kiji) | article | artikel |
|
ๅ็
|
ใใใใ (shashin) | photo | foto |
|
ๅ็ป
|
ใฉใใ (douga) | video | video |
|
้ณๆฅฝ
|
ใใใใ (ongaku) | music | musik |
|
ๆ ็ป
|
ใใใ (eiga) | movie | film |
|
้ๅ
|
ใใใฉใ (undou) | exercise | olahraga |
|
่ฉฆๅ
|
ใใใ (shiai) | match | pertandingan |
|
็
ๆฐ
|
ใณใใใ (byouki) | illness | penyakit |
|
ๅป่
|
ใใใ (isha) | doctor | dokter |
|
่ฌ
|
ใใใ (kusuri) | medicine | obat |
|
้่กๅก
|
ใใใใใใ (ginkouin) | bank staff | pegawai bank |
|
่ญฆๅฏ
|
ใใใใค (keisatsu) | police | polisi |
|
็ฉบๆธฏ
|
ใใใใ (kuukou) | airport | bandara |
|
้ฃ่กๅ ด
|
ใฒใใใใใ (hikoujou) | airfield | bandara |
|
ๅบๅฃ
|
ใงใใก (deguchi) | exit | pintu keluar |
|
ๅ
ฅๅฃ
|
ใใใใก (iriguchi) | entrance | pintu masuk |
|
ไบ็ดๅธญ
|
ใใใใใ (yoyakuseki) | reserved seat | kursi reservasi |
|
่ช็ฑๅธญ
|
ใใใใใ (jiyuuseki) | non-reserved seat | kursi bebas |
|
็นๅฅ
|
ใจใในใค (tokubetsu) | special | khusus |
|
ๆฎ้
|
ใตใคใ (futsuu) | normal | biasa |
|
ไปฅไธ
|
ใใใใ (ijou) | more than | lebih dari |
|
ไปฅไธ
|
ใใ (ika) | less than | kurang dari |
Why Learn Simple Japanese Words in Kanji?
Starting with simple kanji words allows you to build confidence and understand real Japanese faster. These words appear frequently in everyday situations such as conversations, menus, and signs.
By learning practical vocabulary, you are not just memorizing charactersโyou are learning how Japanese is actually used in real life.
Focus on consistency and repetition. Even learning a few words each day will lead to significant progress over time.
To continue learning, check our basic kanji list and most common kanji.